ã€ŠMemoirs of the Returneeã€‹


 Chapter 1: Spectrum

    <strong>Spectrum</strong>

    Every magical creature on the continent possess an unique color.

    This is referred to as the talent in magic, the ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    This is why, even when using the same amount of mana, some can control a golem the size of a house, some can create life, while others barely exceed the utility of trash¡­

    Spectrum is a crucial factor in evaluating magic, so those with a trashy Spectrum are pathetic.

    Like me, sprawled out in this abandoned factory.

    ¡°Ah. My Spectrum is really Notepad, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡ö ©¦

    A nk white window appears in my retina. This empty sheet, visible only to me, records and stores the sentences I think of. Once saved, the content can be recalled anytime, anywhere.

    So, it¡¯s a ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    This is my Spectrum.

    Damn it.

    ¡°I had nothing else to do with it, so I wrote a diary? This fucking Notepad. It¡¯s no help even when I¡¯m dying.¡±

    Thanks to this, I¡¯m dying. To be precise, I¡¯m on the brink of death, but it¡¯s all the same.

    I can¡¯t feel anything below my neck. My stomach is split open and blood is gushing out, but there¡¯s no pain. It meant my cervical spine waspletely severed.

    Is it a good thing that it doesn¡¯t hurt?

    ¡ªYou miserable bug.

    A deep voice that seems to scrape the throat echoes in the empty factory.

    It sounds like what a wolf would sound like if it could talk, and its actual appearance is a werewolf, a human body with limbs transformed like a beast.

    That bastard¡¯s Spectrum. ¡¸Beastification¡¹ or something along those lines.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting too much attention for a bug.¡±

    In contrast, mine¡¯s a ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    I can take notes anytime, anywhere. Even on the brink of death, I can write all sorts of curses about this bastard, right?

    It¡¯s something to be proud of.

    I asked the wolf.

    ¡°Did the chairman order this?¡±

    ¡ªHa. Do you think the Chairman cares about you? A bug like you?

    ¡°A little, I guess. I know ¡®Libra¡¯ well. I¡¯m from Libra, too.¡±

    Libra. The continent¡¯s top prestigious family and the current Chairman¡¯s family.

    The individual who possesses the power to tten the Gert mountain range with a single word is my enemy.

    ¡ª¡­Shion Ascal. You overestimate yourself. You don¡¯t even know them.

    It was my personal grudge.

    They made me an orphan. They twisted my life too much.

    ¡°What do you mean I don¡¯t know? The only one who knows Libra as well as I do is that cripple, right?¡±

    At that, the wolf stood up straight. Fur sprouted all over his face. His mouth lengthened, and his pupils turned yellow.

    Aplete werewolf.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t delude yourself. You¡¯ve never been a enemy to Libra. Not even a threat.

    ¡°Ah, well, let¡¯s say that¡¯s true. I¡¯m a patient, after all.¡±

    At nine, I had a brain tumor, somehow overcame it, at thirteen, leukemia, miraculously survived, and at eighteen, I even had Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core¡­ My life is this miraculous.

    ¡°Oh, right. Have you ever seen the Chairman?¡±

    ¡ª¡­

    Silence.

    Probably a denial.

    ¡°Never? You¡¯ve served for seven years and never seen her?¡±

    ¡ªShut up.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a nobleman who can count her public appearances on one hand. I¡¯ve seen her three times.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Three times?

    The wolf¡¯s forehead wrinkled. He seemed quite curious.

    ¡°Yeah. Once when I graduated from elementary school. Once on the day she was elected as a representative. Once on the day of her first attendance at the assembly.¡±

    ¡ªWhat was the Chairman like?

    The wolf¡¯s tongue flickers. Its eyes widen slightly, and its tail wags.

    Just like a puppy thinking about its owner.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I found myself momentarily lost in recollection.

    The days when I had seen the Chairman. The scenes when I faced the owner of the family I despised fiercely.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    It feels too much like defeat to harbor such feelings even in the brink of death, but I have to admit it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t express it with words.¡±

    She had something beyond beauty¡­ a mystique as if she held some sacred value.

    ¡°She¡¯s like a deity. So, I somewhat understand why you guys are fanatically loyal.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Your life must have been satisfying.

    ¡°Quit spouting nonsense.¡±

    My eyes shot open at the wolf¡¯s ridiculous words.

    Satisfying, my ass. Of course, it wasn¡¯t satisfying.

    Living as a carrier of diseases, not a human, spending my entire life fighting illnesses and struggles, there¡¯s no way I could have found satisfaction in a life that was fading away.

    If there really is a God, I¡¯ll curse him until I die.

    The wolf snorted.

    ¡ªIn the end, you clung to an impossible task. A bug like you bothered the mountain.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He might be right.

    My own efforts, the attempts to dig up Libra¡¯s corruption and bring their crimes to the surface.

    They were nothing more than boisterous noise from a drunk.

    The public quickly forgot the blood-soaked voices of those Libra had killed, they didn¡¯t even try to remember, and my colleagues turned their backs on me.

    I knew from the start that it was a fight I couldn¡¯t win.

    ¡°¡­But in the end, I got something useful.¡±

    ¡ªYou still haven¡¯te to your senses. I told you not to delude yourself. Your death is the will of the chairman. The chairman considers you as a speck of dust-

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    I tilted my head back. I leaned my head against the cold concrete wall.

    A somehow empty wind blew in through the broken window of the factory.

    Then, I grinned and bared my teeth.

    ¡°Do you see this?¡±

    ¡ª¡­

    The white crystal lodged in my front tooth. The wolf¡¯s eyes narrow as it looks at it.

    It¡¯s a prototype of the new magicalpound developed by Libra ¡ª ¡®Perion¡¯.

    The source and the core of the top-tier body mana enhancer that will soon be mass-produced.

    ¡ªWhat are you expecting to do with that now?

    ¡°Give me some credit. I went through a lot to steal this.¡±

    In fact, the reason I¡¯m dying here is because of this.

    If I had kept quiet, I could have lived for about a month longer.

    So, it¡¯s a life that would havested at most a month.

    The cancer in my body was already destroying me.

    ¡°Well, the new magicalpound Perion that also enhances the essence? Is it helpful in dungeon exploration? You guys are promoting it like crazy, but how many people did you kill to make this? You even used homeless people and orphans for your clinical trials, you bastards.¡±

    Ah!

    I bit into the Perion.

    Chomp! Chomp!

    I chewed it ostentatiously and swallowed.

    There¡¯s no sensation of something surging, even though it¡¯s supposed to be an enhancer. Even though it¡¯s definitely a lethal dose, my body feels slightly hot and my vision is spinning.

    Ah, maybe it¡¯s because my nerves were all severed.

    I spat at him.

    ¡°Ptui! You bastard. This is a billion Ren loss for Libra.¡±

    ¡ª¡­We have Perion prototypes at each continental branch. That means we¡¯ve made ten more just like it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªWe¡¯re not like you.

    I stared nkly at the wolf. He was staring back at me.

    A sigh welled up from within.

    ¡°Ah~ Shit. You bastards are the worst.¡±

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything.

    I couldn¡¯t even scratch them, let alone get revenge. Just like this wolf bastard said, I¡¯m just a bug that¡¯s slightly annoying and irritating.

    That¡¯s all I am.

    ¡ª¡­

    ¡°What are you looking at? Just kill me. My tongue is getting twisted.¡±

    Scrape¡ª He raised his w. Moonlight seeped into the sharp edge.

    ¡°Hey. You bastard. If you ever meet the Chairman, tell her this for me.¡±

    I smiled silently.

    ¡°I hope¡­ you live well in this shitty world.¡±

    His finger shed under my eyes.

    It pierced my throat.

    This bastard.

 Chapter 2: Rediscovery (1)

    <strong>Rediscovery (1)</strong>

    The political system of the nation ¡®Edsi¡¯ is a parliamentary system. It is also an egalitarian system, but in reality, it is merely superficial, and a strong ss system still persists throughout society.

    The most powerful position in Edsi is the ¡®Senator¡¯, in which there are ny-nine seats. The election of these members is more often determined by politics, transactions, or struggles between noble families, rather than by voting.

    Therefore, each Senator, who can be considered a representative of the nobility, is a pir of the nation and a glory of the family. The ¡®Chairman¡¯, who controls all of them and looks down on them from above, is the master of the nation.

    ¡­The throne that overlooks the sea and thend from the highest ce on the continent.

    The millennium-old family, Libra, is trying to regain that position.

    ¡°The cost-effectiveness of the guests is dropping.¡±

    A gloved hand turns the page of the document. The movements are sharp and without waste, and the cold tone is rxed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    On the other hand, the man standing in front of him is anxious. He repeatedly bows his waist, watching the man who is likely to be the next head of the family.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s not easy to find a useful tool in the trash.¡±

    Libra has been operating ¡®orphanages¡¯ under the name of the family for 200 years.

    They gather orphans and illegitimate children who show signs of awakening their ¡®Spectrum¡¯, or who are likely to have such talent, and feed, house, and train them with Libra¡¯s money to hone them into tools. It¡¯s virtually a welfare project that burns money.

    If they had shining talent to begin with, someone would have snatched them up before they were honed. In the end, all that would be left would be trash and stones.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep raising useless guys forever. It¡¯s better to pull a camel in the desert or find a pearl in the sea.¡±

    Brushing up his blue hair, which is almost a symbol of lineage, the eldest son, Derek, flips through the pages of the roster.

    [Shion Ascal¡­]

    He didn¡¯t even nce at the names of the orphans. As if they weren¡¯t worth a moment of his time.

    ¡°Expel them all soon.¡±

    The current session structure of Libra is concentrated yet tense. The eldest son, the second son, and the eldest daughter have been ying this tedious tug-of-war for years.

    Of course, the time and justification are on the side of the eldest son, Derek, but the forces protecting the second son and the eldest daughter are not to be underestimated.

    The only one he can trust, or at least not have to guard against, is the youngest.

    He can¡¯t afford to waste assets on something like an orphanage.

    ¡°Build your own justification. I¡¯ll tell the head of the family when the timees.¡±

    Derek ended the meeting in the eldest son¡¯s study. He turned his body to sit down, as if he wouldn¡¯t even listen to any objections.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I understand. I will convey that.¡±

    Henry bowed neatly in the posture of a butler.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion Ascal.¡±

    In the counseling room of Libra Orphanage, Edsi City.

    A senior knight from the main family called my name.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    I looked at him with slightly dazed eyes.

    Even now, it still felt somewhat unreal.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Answer!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡±

    The knight furrowed his brow. Then he read aloud the documents detailing my history in a loud voice.

    ¡°Alright. Entered the orphanage at seven, brain tumor at eight? Leukemia at thirteen, enrolled in Endex Magic High School at fourteen¡­ Wait, leukemia?¡±

    His initially booming voice gradually diminished.

    Well, a life like mine isn¡¯t thatmon.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    The knight, who had been silent for a moment, seemed to have organized his thoughts and spoke.

    ¡°Libra saved you. You didn¡¯t have to bear all these medical expenses, did you?¡±

    Amon misconception.

    Twelve years ago, I also thought so, and I was loyal to this dam family.

    ¡°I paid for the treatment with my father¡¯s sry, retirement pay, and deathpensation.¡±

    ¡°Your father?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He was a knight. Of Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The knight¡¯s face becameplex.

    I added one more thing.

    ¡°A junior knight.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t graduate from college?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then he nodded as if acknowledging something. It seemed like he was relieved.

    He¡¯s a Knight who graduated from college after all.

    ¡°Anyway. You¡¯re 18 this year, right? You¡¯re finally cured, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of those diseases.¡±

    There¡¯s still one more severe one left, but the rest have all been deredpletely cured.

    ¡°Alright then. Has your Spectrum bloomed yet?¡±

    Asking about the ¡¸Spectrum¡¹, it finally feels real.

    It¡¯s 2013.

    Not 2025, not even close, but 2013.

    I¡¯ve traveled back twelve years, back to this damned time.

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    The knight urged me, stroking his mustache.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head. I answered the same way 12 years ago, before the regression.

    In fact, it had already bloomed.

    Not in 2012, but in 2010.

    ¡°Still?¡±

    I just couldn¡¯t say it because it was embarrassing.

    My Spectrum is a Notepad! I can write a diary! I can write down things so I don¡¯t forget them, Fuck.

    ¡°You¡¯re useless.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Sigh.

    The knight sighed and changed his expression to a stern one.

    ¡°The main family is greatly disappointed in you. This orphanage wasn¡¯t built for you to y and eat. Tuition, food expenses, book costs, education fees, children¡¯s pocket money, teachers¡¯ sries, and so on, it all adds up to 60-70 million Ren per year. You haven¡¯t paid a penny, have you?¡±

    I don¡¯t remember the name of the mustached knight, but I still remember what he said next.

    It was quite shocking to my young heart.

    ¡°The orphanage is going to close.¡±

    At that time, the old me would have widened my eyes. I would have almost cried, clutching at the hem of his mustache.

    After all, it seemed like the mustached man expected such a reaction.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    But now, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. Don¡¯t despair too much. There¡¯s still a chance. Lord Derek Libra is a very generous man.¡±

    Lord. That choice of word is amusing. The actual head of the family probably isn¡¯t even considering him.

    The mustached knight strokes his mustache as he speaks.

    ¡°I heard that there are about ten of those in the orphanage with potential, including you?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re attending Endex, aren¡¯t you? I couldn¡¯t even get in there. Anyway, we¡¯re going to have a ¡®match¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    I nod my head.

    Of course, I know this story. It¡¯s a future I¡¯ve already experienced.

    ¡°If you guys prove your talent, this orphanage might survive.¡±

    That¡¯s a lie.

    The orphanage won¡¯t survive.

    It can¡¯t.

    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of skill test. If you¡¯ve worked hard enough until now, we¡¯ll arrange for you topete against someone you can beat. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That sounds fucking fair.¡±

    I answer immediately and get up. Staying any longer would be a waste of time.

    ¡°¡­fucking? Did you just say fuck?¡±

    Ignoring the mustached knight trying to catch my tail, I turn around and leave.

    * * *

    ¡¸Libra Orphanage¡¹.

    Not far from the city center of Edsi, this ce, where the clear wind from the forest and stream blows, is a welfare facility with a 150-year tradition.

    As it¡¯s operated by the Libra family, it¡¯s quiterge. The premises include dormitories, a dining hall, yground, sports field, park, and other facilities that you¡¯d expect in a decent school.

    ¡°It really is 2012.¡±

    Now, having finished a pointless interview in the counseling room of the orphanage from my memories.

    I¡¯m sitting on a park bench, looking at the dark horizon.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    It¡¯s amazing that I can take in this night sky. It¡¯s amazing that I can move my hand.

    It¡¯s amazing that I¡¯m alive and breathing.

    I am certain that when I died, it was 2025, not 2013, just a week ago. My body must have been turned into a skewer by the werewolf¡¯s w-like nails.

    ¡°Should I be happy?¡±

    I¡¯m curious.

    Did I really regress?

    No, even if I did, is this regression good for me?

    I still have a disease in my body, and it¡¯s uncertain whether my condition can be treated with the current state of medical technology.

    Isn¡¯t it just a repetition of incurable pain?

    ¡°Why now, of all times?¡±

    For that reason, I can¡¯t help butin, even though I¡¯ve been revived.

    You saved me from drowning, but why did you save me sote?

    ¡­The timing is strange.

    I slightly lift my shirt. There¡¯s a scar like a burn.

    Starting just above my navel and stretching up to my chest, evidence of a cancerous wound. The worst of cancers that require treatment until the moment of death¡ª Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    This cancer wasn¡¯t here exactly a year ago.

    If only it hade just one year earlier.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Hey, Shion!¡±

    Suddenly, my name rang in my ears. On the orphanage¡¯s sports field, a shirtless man was calling me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you training?! Didn¡¯t you hear the news?! If we can¡¯t beat the mercenaries in a match, our orphanage will be shut down!¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, really.¡±

    Training, there¡¯s no need.

    In that ¡®match¡¯, active knights disguised as mercenaries wille.

    We can¡¯t win, even if we die trying.

    The orphanage will be shut down, and the 700 or so who grew up here will scatter in all directions¡­.

    What will happen to ¡®me¡¯?

    Before the regression, I probably med myself. I saw the closure of the orphanage, the failures that followed, even the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, as my fault.

    I med my pathetic talent, which couldn¡¯t help Libra, and my damn bad luck of carrying around a disease, all on my ¡®unlucky¡¯ self. Despite this, I wanted to live, so I stubbornly earned money by taking jobs like delivery and driving, admitted myself to the hospital, and fought the disease¡ª¡ª

    Then I realized something.

    The family called ¡®Libra¡¯ was actually the root cause that messed up my entire life.

    ¡°Ah, forget it. As long as the others win. Shion, this bastard, is so irresponsible these days!¡±

    But what was his name again?

    Anyway, he runs. But the world is cold. Running well doesn¡¯t solve anything. If you fall while running, you only hurt yourself.

    I sank into the bench.

    I absentmindedly opened the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    The very first page contained a diary.

    ¡°¡­Is it really because of this?¡±

    A diary that roughly exins the reason ¡®why I regressed to 2013-¡®.

    [February 14, 2013]

    I¡¯m going to start writing a diary from today. I will record my day-to-day life. Why? Yesterday, I just felt like I had a stomachache and vomited, so I went to the hospital, but they suspected Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core and told me to go to a more distinguished hospital¡­¡­

    February 14, 2013, Monday.

    The day I first wrote a diary in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, which until then only contained things like my to-do list, list of preparation items, and cheat sheets. It was also the day I received a diagnosis that Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core was suspected at the hospital.

    That exact day is the point in time I returned to after regressing.

    ¡°So, did the Notepad cause the regression?¡±

    Was the potential of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ this much?

    It¡¯s hard to believe.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    I turned off the diary. Then the screen changed to [File List].

    [30 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    This is how organized it. My ¡¸Notepad¡¹ has a limit on capacity, so if I don¡¯t organize it regrly, it gets full.

    Of course, it has never been full. Just a bunch of text-

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this 30, huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    But the capacity was too full, and a folder that wasn¡¯t there before caught my eye.

    ¡ö Memory

    Memory.

    I don¡¯t remember creating such a folder.

    Where did it suddenly appear from?

    ¡°Memory¡­ what is this?¡±

    Memory? Memory of what? What¡¯s inside?

    So I opened the folder.

    ©¸Untitled.

    There was a file inside.

    I opened that ¡®Untitled¡¯ as well.

    The procedure is straightforward. Simply think ¡®Open-¡® in your head. Because the Spectrum was simple, so was its application.

    ¡®Open-¡®.

    The moment I thought that.

    ¡°¡ªHuh?!¡±

    Suddenly, my mana reacted. The deepest part of my body trembled.

    ¡°Kuk!¡±

    A violent surge of mana burst. Springing up from the lower abdomen, spreading to the blood vessels¡­ a sense of amplification all over the body?

    I quickly blocked the mana.

    ¡°What the.¡±

    Nevertheless, my body was already hot, and my blood vessels were so red that they appeared to be about to burst. I felt dizzy, as if everything around me was spinning.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    I was stunned, but soon my spine felt cold. Some scenes shed through my mind like a slide show.

    The moment before I regressed¡ª in other words, the ¡®moment before death¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Perion?¡±

    At that time, I devoured Perion. To be precise, it was a 100g crystal that purely separated andpressed only the ¡®essence¡¯ of Perion, the ¡®Womb¡¯.

    Right after eating it, my neck was pierced by a wolf¡¯s w, and when I opened my eyes, it was 2013.

    Then, what was that phenomenon just now?

    What is the reason for this effect that feels like the Perion I swallowed before regressing is being ¡®sent¡¯ to my body?

    ¡°Memory¡­.¡±

    The ¡®¡öMemory¡¯ folder in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    If I infer from the memory folder that I don¡¯t remember creating.

    ¡°The Notepad¡­ remembers.¡±

    Could it be that my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ remembers the Perion that I swallowed whole before I died?

    Like saving a file in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, could Perion have been saved too?

    [30 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Untitled

    ¡°What is this.¡±

    The ¡¸Notepad¡¹ that always seemed stupid, that I thought was stupid. It seems it has never¡­ absolutely never helped my life.

    Honestly, there were times when I used it quite a bit, but it never dramatically changed my life.

    That suddenly changed.

    But why?

    Did it also amplify due to the influence of the Perion I ate before I died?

    Or just suddenly? For a change of mood?

    ¡­Whatever it is.

    I muttered while stroking my chin.

    ¡°The Notepad remembers.¡±

    Let¡¯s add one more sentence after that.

    ¡°If it remembers, it can be recalled at any time¡­.¡±

    After pondering while stroking my chin, I changed the name of the file [£®Untitled].

    [30 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    It looks a bit more interesting now.

 Chapter 3: Rediscovery (2)

    <strong>Rediscovery (2)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. What are you doing over there?¡±

    A voice suddenly emerged as I was deeply engrossed in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    I turned to look at him.

    ¡°You seem troubled.¡±

    It was Dent, the fencing instructor from the orphanage. There was only one knight in this orphanage, so he came to mind instantly. I used to follow him quite a bit.

    I responded briefly.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    Thanks to Libra, the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ seemed to have developed a bit, and I was pondering how I could use it to topple Libra.

    I altered the words swirling in my mouth and spat them out.

    ¡°Thinking about how I can be of help to Libra, things like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯smendable. But it¡¯s simple. You just have to win in this match. The orphanage holds significant tradition in Libra. The direct descendants of the main family will be watching.¡±

    Direct descendants.

    Upon hearing that, I turned to look at Dent. Dent coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Hmm. The youngest one wille. Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡±

    The youngest one.

    Neither the eldest son, nor the second son, nor the eldest daughter, but the youngest, ¡®Zia¡¯, meaning the youngest.

    Zia Celsien Libra Rain.

    The youngest who will be the most significant person in the future.

    I¡¯m aware of the history of Zia, who started with a mere 5 million Len inheritance and usurped the great family known as ¡®Libra¡¯.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s fascinating. The youngest one ising.¡±

    She is a mystery to me.

    As much as I despise her, I also admire her.

    Born as an illegitimate daughter in this deste great family, she grew up without any foothold, killed her siblings and countless elders and rtives, pushed them away, exiled them, and eventually monopolized Libra.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So work hard. Not just standing still like now¡­¡­¡±

    After all, it seems like Dent came to push me.

    Of course, they don¡¯t know that I have Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core now.

    Even I was in the denial stage at this time. I mean, the five stages of any terminal illness: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eptance.

    ¡°Shion. You grew up here, so you know. The orphanage is a heritage that must not disappear, and it is the humanity that Libra holds. So-¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will try.¡±

    I¡¯m now ustomed to uttering words I don¡¯t mean.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shion, you are a loyal knight of Libra. Just like your father was a knight of Libra until the end.¡±

    This damn¡ª

    I barely suppressed the words that were about to burst out like a cough.

    With my lips tightly bitten, I just bowed my head deeply, and Dent patted my shoulder and left.

    * * *

    The match that would determine the fate of the orphanage was set for Friday, February 25th.

    Perhaps because of this, the nine chosen as the ¡®Warriors of the Orphanage¡¯ woke up at dawn and devoted themselves to various training exercises, sleepingter than anyone else.

    I was a little different. I slept more than 8 hours a day, ate meals regrly, did my own training after meals, and asionally sat on a bench reading a book, watching the nine.

    ¡°One! Two! One! Two!¡±

    This morning was no different. Six men and three women running around the yground, shouting slogans. Children, teenagers, and teachers from the orphanage cheering them on from the stands.

    I was sitting on a bench in a park a little far from there.

    ¡°One! Two! One! Two!¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to mix in with them.

    I too grew up in the orphanage, but I didn¡¯t have many good memories. To be precise, I couldn¡¯t get along with the orphanage.

    It was because I had been very sick since childhood, and because my parents ¡®had been there¡¯.

    The innocent hearts of children can sometimes turn into unintentional evil.

    ¡°If you¡¯re with him, you¡¯ll get germs ¨C He smells weird ¨C His scar on his head is gross ¨C He must be an alien ¨C He must eat his own poop ¨C He vomits all the time, so dirty -¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    When I close my eyes on this bench of memories, I sometimes hear those young voices in my ears, and I smile.

    Of course, it¡¯s not the children¡¯s fault.

    It¡¯s just that all my memories of the orphanage have already been turned into garbage soaked in ¡®future hatred¡¯.

    The orphanage that made me mistake my enemy for a benefactor in the first ce. There¡¯s no way I could have good memories, at least not now.

    ¡­Anyway.

    I¡¯m also in training. It¡¯s not heavy stuff like cardio, weights, swordsmanship, or spearmanship.

    ¡°Footwork is one of the basics of boxing. It¡¯s not just about stepping, it¡¯s a technique that helps you explosively jump out in any direction you want.¡±

    I¡¯m watching YouTV on my phone.

    It¡¯s a YouTV channel of a mercenary boxer called ¡¸Sen-gun¡¹. The current number of subscribers is 500,000.

    This ¡®Sen-gun¡¯ is famous for being a skilled person who canpete with active senior knights. In 5-6 years, he will even establish his own martial arts school.

    I n to learn boxing through YouTV. Boxing is a martial art with particrly high versatility, so the earlier you learn it, the better.

    Before my regression, I simply didn¡¯t have the luxury to learn this due to theck of time amidst my efforts to earn money.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey.¡±

    Then suddenly, a low voice filled with dissatisfaction called me.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I looked around.

    There was nothing.

    ¡°Not there. Here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Where?¡±

    ¡°Berry is down here.¡±

    A voiceing from slightly below.

    Behind the tree, two small kids were half hiding and ring at me.

    Ziiing¡ªsers seem to shoot from their eyes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Berry. This is Bell.¡±

    Introducing herself, she steps forward confidently, ces her hands on her waist, and bows slightly. She¡¯s quite polite.

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Both have blond hair, chubby cheeks, andrge eyes. In other words, they¡¯re quite cute. Even when they¡¯re ring at me.

    ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    At that, Berry narrows herrge eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one not training.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    The younger one backs up her sister¡¯s words.

    Ah, so that¡¯s why they¡¯re upset and came to find me.

    I chuckled and put down my phone.

    ¡°And?¡±

    Chuk¡ª! Berry points a small finger at me and shouts as if she¡¯s holding a trial.

    ¡°Do you like it when our home is in trouble?¡±

    Our home.

    The choice of words is childlike.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about our home, but I am training. Believe it or not, I¡¯m quite athletic.¡±

    ¡°Liar. You¡¯re always just sitting still¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Sitting still.¡±

    The younger one echoes her sister¡¯s words.

    I shrug my shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I don¡¯t n on losing either.¡±

    Rather than exhausting myself with running, it¡¯s better to maintain my condition first.

    I¡¯ve had my share of hard times as a cleaner and a deliveryman before my regression, and if I summon ¡®Perion¡¯ from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, it¡¯s not like I have no chance of winning.

    Berry pouts her lips.

    ¡°Berry doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. If you don¡¯t want to lose, you have to train.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­do it.¡±

    ¡°I am training.¡±

    I show them my smartphone.

    ¡ªThis footwork will develop into ¡®stepping¡¯. The center of stepping is bnce. It can also be called the center of gravity. Not only when running, but also when walking, power should always circte in the lower body.

    ¡°Look. I¡¯m listening to a boxing lecture right now. I¡¯m learning how to fight.¡±

    At that, the sharp faces of Berry and Bell melted in an instant.

    Their eyes suddenly widened like a deer¡¯s and sparkled.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ It¡¯s a smartphone¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Smartphone¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Is a smartphone that amazing?

    As I move the smartphone, their eyes follow it.

    Well, I had to secretly work part-time to afford this. When I first activated it, I almost cried with joy.

    I shook the smartphone and asked.

    ¡°Do you want to try it?¡±

    ¡°Wow! Really?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Come up here.¡±

    When I gestured, Berry and Bell ran over with their short arms and legs iling and jumped onto the bench.

    ¡°Do you know Jelly? The animation.¡±

    ¡°We know! We can watch it every Monday and Thursday at three!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    I searched for Jelly on YouTV. There were a few full-length videos.

    [Jelly¡¯s Winter Vacation]

    ¡°Go and watch.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    Theirints were quickly forgotten as they lean their heads together, staring intently at the smartphone screen.

    ¡°Wow¡­ Jelly is sledding.¡±

    ¡°So fun¡­¡±

    I slowly rise to my feet, intending to practice the boxing moves I just watched.

    ¡°Footwork.¡±

    I step as [Sen-gun] from YouTV exined. Even though I¡¯m a bit slow, I try to follow urately, and strangely, my movements are light. Just like Sen-gun¡¯s in the video.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Something is a bit off.

    Even to me, the flow of my steps are too unusual.

    ¡°Ah! Jelly is falling. Hang in there, Jelly¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall!¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s not that I had no physical talent. I was a cancer patient, but I was able to easily learn most physical skills and made quite a name for myself as a cleaner and delivery man.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    But now, something is different.

    I, who am using this body, can feel it.

    Every time I step, every time I stretch my arm, it¡¯s as if Sen-gun¡¯s movements in the video are reying in my head, and I can execute the movements without a single error.

    Just from watching a video once, I¡¯m like a professional who has devoted a lot of time to boxing.

    Thud¡ª!

    I struck a tree with a straight punch. The bark breaks. A clear fist mark appears on the surface.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I am momentarily speechless.

    However, the cause of this unbelievable ¡®upgrade¡¯ in physical talent is surprisingly easy to infer.

    ¡°Is this because of the Notepad?¡±

    Spectrums are generally divided into Active and Passive. It¡¯s the same as active skills and passive skills in RPG games.

    In that regard, this phenomenon might be a ¡®passive¡¯ of the Notepad.

    As if saving a file in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, actions or martial arts are naturally remembered through the naked eye.

    I¡¯ve heard of a simr talent somewhere.

    Was it called ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯?

    Not tuxedo, but Look-See-Do. (??? means tuxedo. But each individual onees the sound ?(Look)-?(See)-?(Do))

    The meaning is simply ¡®watch and mimic exactly¡¯.

    ¡°¡­The body first watches, remembers, and mimics exactly.¡±

    The core of Look-See-Do, that is, the process of ¡®remembering©¤¡¯ after watching, the Notepad naturally intervenes.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    I hear the children¡¯s exmations.

    They must have been watching.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I peel off the bark stuck between my fists. I chuckled and turn to the kids.

    ¡°¡­This time, I might not lose-¡±

    ¡°Berry finished watching Jelly~¡±

    ¡°It was fun.¡±

    Berry and Bell, with their innocent faces, held out the smartphone.

    ¡°Can you show us the next one too¡­?¡±

 Chapter 4: Young Hearts (1)

    <strong>Young Hearts (1)</strong>

    In the four-person room of the orphanage dormitory, I sat on the bed, gazing into the mirror.

    Golden hair grown thick like a stray dog. A set of deep-blue eyes. A face line that still hasn¡¯t lost its baby fat. A height that doesn¡¯t exceed 170, and proportions that I can somewhat be proud of.

    That¡¯s me at eighteen.

    Usually, eighteen is when growth is nearing its end, and most people don¡¯t deviate much from the physique established at this time. But I was different.

    I grew taller, stronger.

    Ironically, thanks to my Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    As the cancer cells of the Magic¡¯s Core proliferate, they emit a special mana called ¡®fission force¡¯, which touches the skeletal system including the growth te, forcing abnormal ¡®tertiary growth¡¯.

    Of course, the growth isn¡¯t infinite. At some point, the body adapts to the fission force of the cancer cells and gains resistance.

    Anyway, I grow nearly 30cm taller here. My bones and muscles be stronger, and my already good proportions are honed into a good structure forbat.

    That¡¯s why I could even survive at the bottom.

    The insides were rotting, but the outside were tough.

    ¡°¡­Three days.¡±

    I looked at the calendar. The match was just around the corner.

    I¡¯ve trained quite hard in the meantime. I¡¯ve built core muscles in a week, loosened my body enough to adapt to training, and subscribed to many channels.

    Boxing with [Sen-gun], Judo with [Body-Beater Degel], Swordsmanship with [Active Knight A].

    Look-See-Do was faithfully applied in all these processes, and I confirmed that this was the ¡®passive¡¯ of the¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    [33 / 100]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +3

    Even though I didn¡¯t remember anything, the capacity increased by 3.

    ¡°Ah, my body aches.¡±

    Of course, even with Look-See-Do, it takes time, training, and effort to ¡®properly¡¯ follow those movements.

    However, there is also a way to ¡®pull¡¯ proficiency while skipping all of that.

    You just need to infuse mana.

    For example, just because I target a 100m sprinter with ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean I can run 100m in 5 seconds.

    Obviously, because my athletic ability iscking. Because the muscles essential for running are not formed.

    But if I get the assistance of magic power, I can roughly, or rather ¡®forcibly¡¯,e close.

    The price is tremendous muscle pain.

    ¡°Should I start heading out?¡±

    I looked at the clock on my phone and pushed myself up.

    It was almost time for my training session and the appointment.

    I had an appointment too.

    * * *

    ¡°Hey, Shion.¡±

    As soon as I sat down on the bench in the orphanage park, someone called me. It was a rough-looking man.

    He approached with his hands shoved in his pockets and sat down next to me.

    ¡°You seem pretty fucking rxed, don¡¯t you?¡±

    His voice was tense, teeth gritted.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°There are only three days left. You guys should also start resting and managing your condition.¡±

    ¡°¡­No shit, Sherlock. What the fuck¡¯s with you, really? You weren¡¯t like this before. You used to train like a madman even without being told!¡±

    I looked at him. His skin was a dusky color, covered in freckles, his ck hair was wavy and shiny, and his physique was robust.

    He was a distinctive man, but I couldn¡¯t remember who he was.

    I sighed, muttering under my breath.

    ¡°I can¡¯t train like that anymore. I¡¯ve gotten too old. My body isn¡¯t in good shape.¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking crazy? What do you mean, old?¡±

    Physical exercise is poison to me. I¡¯m limited in how much I can move my body in the first ce. That¡¯s how it is for Magic Core cancer patients.

    You wouldn¡¯t understand unless you¡¯ve experienced it.

    ¡°Enough, you bastard! Even if we¡¯re all old enough to be independent soon, those kids will still have to stay here.¡±

    He pointed to a yground in one corner of the park.

    There were many children ying on the swings with their small hands and feet, climbing jungle gyms, and ying games like cops and robbers, and hide and seek.

    ¡°If we lose, everything will be destroyed. If they get adopted, they¡¯re lucky, but if they don¡¯t, no one knows which orphanage they¡¯ll be scattered to. You know that. They could even be sold to another country!¡±

    He ranted and put his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Ah. Right. You¡¯re Telrun.¡±

    Then I suddenly remembered.

    Telrun.

    I know this guy.

    When I had to shave my head for brain tumor surgery. There was a guy who acted tough in front of the kids at the orphanage who were making fun of me, saying ¡®it¡¯s childish to make fun of something like that¡¯.

    ¡°You wanted to be a Knight of Libra, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s old news.¡±

    Telrun slightly furrowed his brow. I saw the sword hanging at his waist. It was a broadsword.

    ¡°Are you nning to fight with a sword?¡±

    ¡°I have to. I even got praised by Instructor Dent. Not as much as you, though. Your dad was a Knight of Libra.¡±

    A Knight of Libra.

    My father was.

    If you can call a low-ranking knight a knight.

    I looked at the yground of the orphanage and asked.

    ¡°¡­Do you like Libra?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re fucking crazy. We¡¯re here thanks to the Libra lords.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Well, that¡¯s the obvious reaction.

    My resentment is only my own.

    ¡°Ah, forget it.¡±

    Telrun dusted off his butt and stood up.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking disappointment.¡±

    ¡°Save your disappointment forter. I have no intention of losing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really? Then I¡¯ll trust you. There¡¯s nothing else I can do but trust.¡±

    Telrun pouted as he spoke. I smiled inwardly.

    He¡¯s a dignified guy. Quite mature for an eighteen-year-old.

    Waaaaaa¡ª¡ª

    Then, two little kids appeared from the other side of the walking path.

    They were 3 and 5 years old. The now familiar children were running towards me, their mouths wide open, calling my name.

    Shion¡ª¡ª.

    Telrun cocked his head to one side.

    ¡°Berry, Bell? Why are they? Are they your friends?¡±

    I nced at the time on my smartphone.

    It was precisely 10:30.

    ¡°I promised them 30 minutes of smartphone time each day.¡±

    ¡°What? What phone?¡±

    ¡°This one.¡±

    I pulled my smartphone from my pocket.

    ¡°¡­Where did you get that? Can I take a look too?¡±

    At that, Telrun¡¯s expression mirrored that of Berry and Bell, who were sprinting towards us from a distance.

    * * *

    February 25, 2013.

    Noon, on the day of the match to protest the closure of the orphanage.

    Under the bright sun on the training field, I stood in line with nine others, including Telrun.

    ¡°¡­Are you ready?¡±

    The atmosphere in the orphanage was tense, but within it was an inexplicable hope called faith.

    It belonged to all the children. True to their nature, the children believed in the victory of ¡®our home¡¯.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. Just show them what you¡¯ve got. They¡¯re not unbeatable.¡±

    Dent said. I looked around. Small children and slightly older ones were sitting in the stands. There were many teachers from the orphanage as well.

    They seemed to be cheering us on, but it was rather burdensome. There were about 600 of them. Thanks to that, the nine warriors were already trembling.

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    Telrun clenched his fist, looking somewhere.

    ¡ª¡ªVroom.

    A mercenary truck appeared at the entrance of the orphanage. They parked neatly in a corner of the training field and got out in droves.

    ¡°Ah~ here we are. Nice to meet you.¡±

    A bald man who seemed to be the person in charge approached Dent. He was quite neatly dressed in leather armor.

    ¡°I¡¯m Rohas, the deputy leader of the Blue w Mercenary Group.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Dent, an instructor at the orphanage, a junior knight with eight years of experience.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard about the situation at the orphanage. Are these the ten?¡±

    Dent nodded. The deputy leader scanned us briefly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve also prepared as bnced a team as possible. All members have less than a year of realbat experience. Here, these are their credentials. Please take a look.¡±

    The bald man was talking nonsense.

    ¡°They may be young, but once they¡¯ve promised a fee and a victory bonus, they won¡¯t take it lightly.¡±

    Unlike his natural bullshit, his attitude was gentlemanly. He was an active knight, even if he was posing as a mercenary.

    The bald deputy leader looked at us and said,

    ¡°I hope you all prove your skills, protect what you want, and win it.¡±

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª.

    Mixed with his voice was a quiet rumble, quite different from the mercenary truck.

    Three luxury sedans reflecting the sunlight wereing into the orphanage from afar. They slid closer, two of them stopped first, and the chauffeur got out and opened the back seat.

    The facesing out were familiar to me. There¡¯s no face among Libra¡¯s heavyweights that I don¡¯t know.

    They were the confidants of the eldest son, Derek, who took the butler ¡®Henry¡¯ as his mentor.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    My expression hardened. My veins pulsed.

    I clenched my teeth and held back.

    I found myself staring at thest of the three sedans. It seemed as if there was no intention of anyone emerging from it.

    Perhaps ¡®Zia¡¯, the youngest of Libra, was inside. She was known for her extreme dislike of exposing herself to the outside world.

    ¡°Guests have arrived,¡± announced the vicemander.

    At his words, Telrun and the others tensed up even more. Meanwhile, Butler Henry and hispanions had already seated themselves in high-end chairs.

    Had they brought the chairs in the trunk?

    ¡°Who will go first?¡± asked the vicemander. Dent looked at us.

    Telrun raised his hand sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    His brave expression earned him a small smile from the vicemander.

    ¡°Good. And who¡¯s our representative?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± responded a female mercenary. She had thick makeup and vividly dyed green hair. She even wore a mask, as if she had picked up some mercenary merchandise somewhere.

    ¡°Oh, a, a woman.¡±

    A blush momentarily appeared on Telrun¡¯s face. The mercenary chuckled and asked.

    ¡°Swordsman?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. I use a sword.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a swordsman too. You can go first.¡±

    Swallowing, Telrun gripped his broadsword. The mercenary also raised her curved sword. It was a scimitar.

    I just watched quietly.

    What kind of performance would they show in this match?

    ¡°The referees will be me, and Dent here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The rules are international duel rules. If you surrender, you lose. If there seems to be a risk of injury, the referee will intervene. This is a match, not a real duel.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Dent nodded.

    ¡°Then.¡±

    Ahem. The vicemander, after clearing his throat, shouted loudly.

    ¡°Come forward¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Telrun and the mercenary. The two climbed onto the stage set up in the center of the field.

    ¡°Ready!¡±

    The mercenary extended her hand first. Telrun, still tense, took her hand.

    A brief handshake.

    The two then turned around, standing ten paces apart.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªBegin!¡±

    Despite the loud shout, the beginning was a reconnaissance battle. Neither Telrun nor the mercenary moved rashly.

    It was a real sword fight.

    A graze could kill, and a cut could kill.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ming.¡±

    Before long, the one who very kindly announced ¡®I¡¯ming¡¯ was Telrun.

    He stepped forward three steps and swung his sword. It was textbook-like, as if polished mainly from textbooks. The mercenary simply parried his sword.

    Chang- Chang- Chang- Chang- Chang-

    The sound of swords shing.

    No, to say ¡®shing¡¯ was too monotonous and rhythmic.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t worth watching.

    Beyond just letting him off, she was putting on some kind of y. Matching Telrun¡¯s level and wasting time appropriately.

    ¡°Hua!¡±

    Of course, Telrun didn¡¯t know. The gap in skill was too great, and the opponent¡¯s acting was unnecessarily professional.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    On the stage, an ordinary person against a veteran actor. Two swords drawn in the air. Chaeang¡ª¡ª In the hollow echo, the exchange of real and fake.

    ¡°Kuaa!¡±

    Sweat sshed from Telrun¡¯s tense body. Blood flowed from the hand gripping the sword.

    Telrun poured out all of himself. His will was sufficient, and his heart was upright. Everything about him was ¡®real¡¯.

    However, this y itself was just a stage to deceive the ¡®real¡¯.

    ¡°Haah!¡±

    At some point, Telrun took a deep breath. Was he about to make a desperate move due to his fatigue? He twisted his body and swung his sword from top to bottom.

    A strike loaded with weight.

    The mercenary took a risky backstep and simultaneouslyunched a counterattack.

    Shiik¡ª!

    With a single thrust, Telrun¡¯s guard was broken. The tip of the scimitar touched his throat.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    They both stopped moving, wordlessly. As if in agreement, they stared at each other.

    Haah, Haah-

    Their rough breaths intertwined. Sweat dripped from Telrun¡¯s chin. The womanughed breathlessly and said,

    ¡°Will you surrender, or should I stab?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I surrender.¡±

    Telrun bowed his head with gritted teeth, and the children let out sighs.

    The remaining warriorsforted Telrun as he trudged down from the stage.

    ¡°You did well.¡±

    ¡°You tried hard. I saw it. You did well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡±

    Even Telrun himself seemed somewhat relieved. He seemed to think that he had received some reward for his efforts.

    I was disgusted.

    Because it was a deception.

    No, it was beyond deception, it was contempt.

    ¡°Victory to the Blue w Mercenaries! Next!¡±

    Thepetition continued without a break.

    One after Telrun, two, three, four¡­¡­ The mercenaries¡¯ pace control was excellent in every match. Everyone in the orphanage watched with bated breath, but the result was obvious.

    Pretending to push, pretending to pull, then the end.

    End. End. End.

    All nine lost.

    ¡°¡­¡­Damn. 0 wins, 9 losses.¡±

    The deputymander scratched the back of his neck as if he was troubled.

    The nine losers sprawled on the ground, and the yground was already filled with the children¡¯s crying.

    ¡°Thest one must be that guy. The son of a knight.¡±

    The deputymander pointed at me.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Dent also looked at me, and I knew the meaning of his gaze.

    Show me.

    Or rather, show them

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence, the best fighter in our mercenary group is still left¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey. Give it to me.¡±

    I reached out to Telrun. Telrun, with a look of despair, blinked his eyes and then handed me his broadsword.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion, you said you wouldn¡¯t lose.¡±

    ¡°I said that. But I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Telrun frowned. I immediately climbed onto the stage. The opposing mercenary was already standing on the other side. He was a brown-haired man with camouge cream between his eyes.

    He asked,

    ¡°Are you a swordsman?¡±

    I silently gripped the broadsword. It was heavy. The opponent also had the same broadsword. Heughedzily, holding his sword down.

    ¡°Cute. Well, you¡¯re the son of a knight. But you know what? These days, the world has changed, and there are more knights who don¡¯t use swords.¡±

    ¡ª¡ªReady!

    The enemy is strong.

    I don¡¯t know how strong he is yet, but for me now, it may be a realm that I can¡¯t even touch with my fingertips.

    Therefore, he will definitely be off guard.

    To put it metaphorically, I am an infant with a hidden gun. Instead of being on guard, he might be worried about me falling over.

    He might even think of me as a newborn baby.

    Start¡ª¡ª!

    The Chance of victory.

    Is not zero.

 Chapter 5: Young Hearts (2)

    <strong>Young Hearts (2)</strong>

    Start¡ª¡ª!

    The moment the word was given, the man charged. He swung his sword from the get-go.

    The de that cut through space.

    He approached aggressively, swaggering. I didn¡¯t rashly mix my sword with his. I just ¡®inserted¡¯ my sword into his sword path.

    Thud¡ª

    I deflected it, slipped away, and maintained distance.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh?¡±

    The man, who had paused for a moment, chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Fencer, huh? Keeping distance, how cute.¡±

    Is cute his catchphrase?

    Anyway, his words are correct.

    The swordsmanship I learned from YouTV¡ªso [Active Knight A] is a ¡®Fencer¡¯.

    A Fencer is a swordsman who strikes and retreats based on a sharp sense of distance and agile footwork. It¡¯s a term derived from fencing, and ifpared to boxing, it¡¯s simr to an out-boxer.

    ¡°Ridiculous.¡±

    He muttered and stomped heavily on the ground. It was a tremendous first step with a wide stride.

    I saw his charge with my eyes, and my body reacted first. My right hand swung the sword. But the target of the attack was not the sword. It was the ¡®space¡¯ he was approaching.

    Chang¡ª¡ª!

    A fairly loud resonance.

    The opponent, who had retreated a few steps, touched the de with a stiff face for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­You. Did you just copy me?¡±

    He asked. I didn¡¯t answer.

    Earlier, he tried to control the space rather than the person, and I briefly followed his method.

    It was a natural manifestation of ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking.¡±

    However, I can¡¯t let him be on guard. To him, I have to appear as a normal infant.

    The tension of this duel must not gradually escte. It must maintain a static line and then suddenly surge.

    That moment of inflection should be my victory and his defeat.

    ¡°What was that just now. Try it again.¡±

    He jabbed his sword. Just like flicking his arm.

    ¡°I said try it again.¡±

    His nagging tone and face.

    There is appropriatecency and curiosity in him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯lle.¡±

    He held his sword with a broad smile. He took a big step forward.

    Once more, the initial rush of the first step.

    Now.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    A small intake of breath.

    I called forth Perion from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, a mere mental image of ¡°opening a file¡± sufficed.

    Just like opening a note filled with the desired content, I invited the desired memory into my body.

    ¨C.

    Amidst the short circuit, Perion¡¯s energy radiated, intertwining with mana. It surged from my core to every corner of my body.

    A novel magical substance that amplified every aspect of a human being. It first targeted the central nervous system, honing the senses to an extreme degree, then extended to the limbs, boosting the muscle strength to a formidable level.

    Whooosh¡­¡­.

    Just like that, my senses became so acute that even the texture of the wind could be discerned.

    Time seemed to crawl.

    The eleration of thought, the deceleration of the world.

    Rustle-rustle¡­¡­.

    The sound of an opponent¡¯s footsteps trampling the pavement.

    A cloud of dust rising in their wake.

    ¡­¡­Zzzt!

    I could see his steps, which were fleeting moments ago.

    I didn¡¯t just ¡®see¡¯ it, I mirrored it.

    It was the same initial step as my opponent.

    ¡°!¡±

    I leapt, and his eyes widened. Seizing his moment of panic, I swung my sword. He raised his sword in response. The tip of my de carried a hint of wind.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­.

    My sword shed downward from above, his from below.

    Two identical trajectories, just reversed in direction.

    ng¡­¡­.

    I released my grip on the sword.

    The de, freed from my grasp, hovered in the air. My opponent¡¯s eyes were fixated on it.

    However, I never intended to fight him with a sword in the first ce.

    ¨C!

    I took a second step, diving into my opponent¡¯s arms. With a mental flip of a switch, I transitioned this battle to hand-to-handbat and grappling.

    Grrr-!

    I seized his right arm and hoisted him up. His elongated body soared, as if uprooted.

    Uh¡­¡­.

    A dazed grunt escaped his mouth as he spun through the air.

    BANG¨C!

    I mmed him onto the pavement.

    Ssssssss¡­¡­.

    The dust spread like a fog. I could clearly see the particles scattering across the stage.

    However, there was no time to waste.

    The sequence of movements must be smooth and swift.

    So before he could regain his footing, before the dust could settle, before his guard was back up¡­¡­.

    Wham!

    I yanked my arm back.

    A spray of saliva sshed from his mouth.

    It was more than a mere dislocation. It should have been a joint-shattering impact.

    But it was odd.

    My opponent didn¡¯t even scream.

    ¡°¡­¡­Urgh!¡±

    Instead, he eximed, lifting his leg and delivering a powerful blow to my head.

    ¡°Thud!¡±

    My skull rattled from the impact. After a momentary stagger, he was back on his feet. Ten paces away, he was staring at me, clutching his shoulder.

    ¡°Wow¡­ my arm¡¯s dislocated.¡±

    He stated, moving his body in a demonstrative manner, his right arm writhing like a soft-bodied creature.

    ¡°Dislocated, really dislocated. Wow, see?¡±

    With a smirk on his face, he unted his dangling arm to the entire mercenary group.

    There was no response.

    Just silence.

    Neither our side nor theirs had fully grasped the sequence and conclusion of the brief battle.

    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t believe this. My arm¡¯s broken¡±

    Regardless.

    I can¡¯t move now. My vision keeps swirling. It¡¯s definitely a concussion.

    A kick to the jaw. That single blow had me TKO¡¯d.

    ¡°How about it?¡±

    Suddenly, my adversary asked the bald deputy captain. The deputy captain silently shook his head.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    He cleared his throat, his expression tightening slightly.

    ¡°Sorry. I wanted to pass you.¡±

    His dislocated arm remained the same, but the atmosphere he exuded had changed.

    The attitude of dealing with a child waspletely gone. The gun had already been exposed.

    ¡°He said no. So, I can¡¯t.¡±

    He grinned, eyebrows arching.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll remember you. Shion Ascal.¡±

    A faint blue mana emerged from his feet.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    That was the end.

    The man seemed to bounce a step off the ground, then drove his shoulder straight into my chest.

    ¡°-Ugh!¡±

    In an instant

    I fainted from that simple body blow.

    * * *

    ¡­After the short event ended.

    The highway leading to the capital, Edsi.

    The truck carrying the Blue w Mercenaries was quietly running.

    ¡°When Libra¡¯s Master built the orphanage, it was a 10 million Ren property.¡±

    The mission ordered by Derek was easily a sess. The disguise was not discovered. The orphanage was to be closed, and Derek¡¯smercial district would be built in its ce.

    ¡°It was 10 million for 100 years. But in 10 years, thend price has increased 30 times. Just thend value is at least 300 million Ren. I wonder what¡¯s happening to the country.¡±

    The vice-captain in the driver¡¯s seat nced sideways, grumbling about thend price for no reason.

    A man with a cast on his arm. The guy, who still seemed a bit out of it, didn¡¯t seem to be listening at all.

    ¡°Is your arm okay?¡±

    The vice-captain asked. The man¡ªKigen¡ªonly raised his eyebrows without saying a word.

    ording to the detailed examination, thepletely crushed shoulder bone fragments were tangled with the muscles and needed intensive magical treatment.

    Even for the vice-captain, this was ridiculous.

    It was Kigen, not anyone else.

    ¡°¡­Anyway, vice-captain, did you get any information on him?¡±

    ¡°Ordinary. Ascal. His ancestors, grandparents, and great-grandparents are all from a house loyal to Libra. Do you know what his future dream is?¡±

    The deputy captain chuckled, a smirk ying on his lips. Kigen nced his way, curiosity piqued.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°A knight of Libra. Seems he wants to devote his whole life to Libra.¡±

    Kigen couldn¡¯t help but snort at that.

    ¡°Pfft. That¡¯s the problem with orphans. They think they¡¯re inherently good because they¡¯re raised and nurtured.¡±

    He rolled down the passenger side window. A cool breeze swirled in.

    ¡°Libra¡¯s lucky to have picked up a great sword from the orphanage.¡±

    At that remark, the deputy captain raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I wonder. Not sure if they even know what a great sword he is. Rather, that butler Henry, was singing your praises, Kigen. Said your acting was top-notch.¡±

    ¡°¡­Acting.¡±

    Kigen pulled a cigarette from his pocket, a look of disdain crossing his face as he ced it between his lips.

    ¡°Figures. They can read books and manage ounts, but they¡¯re too blind to see the real world.¡±

    He exhaled a cloud of smoke out the car window.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll remember the name.¡±

    The deputy captain gave a silentugh.

    It had been a while since Kigen had been like this. It reminded him of their university days when Kigen was driven bypetitiveness.

    ¡°Why are you so fixated on being caught off guard?¡±

    Off guard.

    Psychological warfare was a key part of any battlefield. But Kigen wasn¡¯t thinking of such subtleties.

    ¡°No. That guy, he¡¯s got a knack for observing and mimicking.¡±

    ¡°¡­Observing and mimicking?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Pure talent. An innate ability you can¡¯t buy. His body just moves on its own..¡±

    The first move that guy made when he drew his sword and charged.

    It was unmistakably Kigen¡¯s.

    ¡°There are a few people born with such a gift. It¡¯s called ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯¡­ but I think he¡¯s more than that.¡±

    Mimicking movements is one thing, but to properly channel power into them is another.

    Kigen chuckled, continuing his train of thought.

    ¡°That fool Henry seems to have missed it even with his eyes wide open, but I¡¯m not sure about the other one.¡±

    The other one? The deputy captain echoed, puzzled.

    ¡°Do you mean Zia? The youngest one isn¡¯t interested in the session race. She won¡¯t see a penny of the inheritance.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s probably true. I¡¯m just curious.¡±

    Kigen leaned back in his seat, gazing out the window.

    ¡°Anyway, with that kind of talent, we¡¯ll likely cross paths again soon.¡±

    The night sky was high above them. The stars embedded within it poured down in a breathtaking disy.

 Chapter 6: Young Hearts (3)

    <strong>Young Hearts (2)</strong>

    When I opened my eyes again, it was Tuesday.

    The match had been on Monday, so I had been unconscious for a whole day.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it fun?¡±

    This ce was the infirmary inside the orphanage. I, who was hospitalized, asked the kids who were going ¡®beep-beep¡¯ on the opposite bed.

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡±

    Berry and Bell. The two were sitting head-to-head, ying a game on a smartphone.

    They had been like that since I woke up.

    They seemed to have explored the smartphone on their own while it was ownerless, progressing from YouTV to mobile games.

    ¡ªGame Over.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Berry is dead¡­¡­¡±

    I smirked. Then Berry and Bell looked at me. Their innocent eyes made me feel embarrassed.

    I scratched the back of my neck and said,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I had a good run, but I lost.

    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t help it. Who would have known that such a monster woulde.

    ¡°But still. Promises are meant to be broken. Lies are meant to be told. This is the way of the world-¡±

    ¡°Shion was really cool.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±

    Berry and Bell showed their teeth andughed. There was no sadness or disappointment in their smiles towards me.

    Thanks to that, I froze for a moment.

    ¡°Like, the bad guy swoops in, bang! bang!¡±

    Berry moved her arms around with an unnecessarily rich expression.

    ¡°Right away!¡±

    Bell joined in.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I felt awkward for no reason. I shrugged my shoulders and ran my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t keep my promise.¡±

    I pointed to the smartphone in Bell and Berry¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you that.¡±

    The eyes of the two kids widened in an instant. A current shot up. Their hair stood on end as if they had be human static electricity.

    ¡°Oh, woah-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Bell¡¯s cheeks swelled with anticipation, but Berry bit her lip.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Then she calmly shook her head. She pushed the smartphone back to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll lose it when we leave our house.¡±

    It was a very realistic reason. Too much for a child¡¯s mind.

    At an age when it¡¯s not enough to fill only with what you want, without worrying about losing it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Seeing my expression, Berryughed bashfully.

    ¡°Berry is okay. It¡¯s not that fun anymore-¡±

    ¡°You. You¡¯re thinking wrong.¡±

    I pushed her forehead with my finger. I forcibly ced the smartphone in her palm.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about not taking it because you might lose it, it¡¯s about getting stronger so you it wouldn¡¯t be taken. Why give up without even trying.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Suddenly, Berry¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. She looked up at me quietly. I spoke as if to grip her gaze.

    ¡°Try holding it. Tight.¡±

    Then strength entered Berry¡¯s small fingers.

    The smartphone, which was too big for her to hold with both hands, was wrapped in her chubby fingers.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re weak now, you can grow stronger, so it won¡¯t be taken away.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Berry bit her lip without a word. She seemed to be holding back her tears, but her cheeks inted like bread. Her eyes turned watery, and her expression twisted.

    She was on the verge of crying.

    ¡°If you understand, take it and go. I have things to do.¡±

    As soon as Berry nodded her head, she darted outside. Bell followed her sister without understanding why.

    Watching them, I let out a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve grown fond of them for no reason.¡±

    Pointlessly.

    But well, we¡¯re parting soon anyway.

    I flopped down on the bed.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ damn, it hurts.¡±

    My physical condition was worse than I thought. The side effects of Perion were as expected, no, more severe.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t use this unless necessary.¡±

    I felt it almost instinctively.

    If I use it more than twice a week, I will definitely die¡­¡­

    I fell asleep again in no time.

    * * *

    The next day.

    When I woke upte and went out to the corridor, the dormitory of the youth section of the orphanage had turned into a party venue.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    I stood dumbfounded and looked around.

    A closing party? Like when a store goes bankrupt, and all the remaining items are sold off cheaply.

    But the supervisor and Dent, and even the guys in the youth section, all seemed strange. Each of them had a smile on their lips.

    ¡°Hey, Shion!¡±

    Then Telrun called me. Everyone in the lobby turned to look at me.

    I asked him.

    ¡°What¡¯s this party about?¡±

    Telrun grinned and spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯re celebrating because we¡¯re moving the orphanage to the countryside.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Countryside?¡±

    My eyes widened slightly.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not aplete shutdown.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Moving to the countryside.

    That was a story that didn¡¯t exist in the future.

    Not only was itpletely shut down, but the orphans here were scattered all over the continent.

    ¡°But it seems like the scale will be much smaller. Probably only kids up to 9 or 10 years old will go¡­¡­ We¡¯ll be independent as we are.¡±

    Telrun gave a small smile. The nameless guys in the youth section also approached me one by one.

    They awkwardly started conversations and sent awkward nces. Their meaningless actions contained gratitude. There was goodwill. There was also regret.

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡±

    Telrun, who said that, seemed to reminisce for a moment and then looked at me.

    ¡°You were amazing. You were so fast, weren¡¯t you? Honestly, it¡¯s almost like you won, right? Your opponent was too-¡±

    ¡°When was this decided?¡±

    I cut off Telrun¡¯s words. Then Dent, who had approached unnoticed, answered instead.

    ¡°It was decided at the Libra headquarters this morning. We found out in the morning. The kids are taking the bus thates at lunch, and we¡¯re staying here until it is demolished.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­But why is it thanks to me?¡±

    I was puzzled. Honestly, I was dumbfounded.

    Why was this sudden development because of me?

    ¡°The youngest one¡­¡­ Lady Zia herself mentioned you. She said she was impressed by your fighting spirit.¡±

    Zia, me?

    My mouth fell open in surprise. Dentughed and patted my shoulder.

    ¡°Surprised, huh? Well, I did tell you. If you work hard, you¡¯ll be rewarded. But where¡¯s your luggage? We have to go now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Your luggage, I said.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡±

    I shook my head.

    There¡¯s really nothing I need to take with me.

    ¡­¡­No, wait.

    There is one thing.

    The Ascal sword that has been handed down from my grandfather¡¯s generation.

    Well, I can just pick that up from the dormitoryter.

    Dent said.

    ¡°Alright then. The bus that will take the kids ising soon. Let¡¯s head to the yground.¡±

    * * *

    The yground of the orphanage.

    The eldest son, Derek, was indeed swift. Already, architects and technicians were gathering, discussing the demolition method.

    I sat in the stands with Telrun, watching them.

    ¡°The kids areing out.¡±

    Small children began to line up ande out from the infant dormitory.

    Wearing yellow hats on their heads, yellow bags on their backs, each holding hands tightly, their heads bobbing up and down, they looked like little penguins.

    The yground they walked onto was now filled withughter. Their unique, youthful voices were ticklish. It was as if they were going on a trip.

    ¡ªAh!

    Among those 200 or so children, there were two who were specifically looking for me.

    Bell and Berry.

    They ran towards me together.

    ¡°Shion~ We¡¯re not parting. We¡¯re just moving to a different house.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes.¡± (I trante it like this to make it cute. Originally ????. Maja Maja ¨C right away, but not cute enough)

    Berry and Bell, who quickly approached, smiled showing their teeth. I looked at Berry¡¯s neck. A cute handkerchief with a smartphone was hanging on it.

    They made a loop and attached it to the smartphone, and then put a handkerchief on it to make a ne.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Berryughed bashfully.

    ¡°What are you going to do now, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll do something.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ doing something¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±

    While Berry and Bell were admiring, threerge buses entered from the entrance of the orphanage.

    ¡°The bus is here. Go now. There¡¯s no time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    As if they had watched some cartoon movie yesterday, Berry and Bell made a strange salute. Then they tied the handkerchief ne tightly again.

    ¡°Call us.¡±

    Laughing while tapping the smartphone that was now theirs, the children took one step ¨C two steps ¨C and started to move away with small strides.

    I stared at them quietly.

    ¡°They¡¯re really leaving now, huh.¡±

    Just then, Telrun approached me.

    ¡°Hey, Shion. This is the correct phone number, right?¡±

    He asked, showing me a piece of paper with a phone number hastily written on it.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. At least we can keep in touch with them.¡±

    It seemed like Telrun intended to maintain his connection with this ce.

    ¡°Are you going to do the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I thought for a moment, but soon shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy. I have to go to college. I don¡¯t have time for things like keeping in touch.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Wow~ Really? You¡¯re fucking heartless.¡±

    Telrun pouted and turned away.

    ¡ªAlright~ everyone, sit down~ Make sure to fasten your seatbelts as soon as you get in~

    Just then, Berry and Bell sat in the very back of the bus. They turned around in their seats and waved at me through the window. They moved their small lips as much as they could, chattering away.

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    I waved back at them. Berry and Bellughed heartily.

    Soon, the bus, filled with children, closed its doors.

    The noise andughter that had filled the yground disappeared.

    In the ensuing silence, the bus started its engine.

    Vroom¡ª¡ª

    Fortunately, the children wouldn¡¯t have to see ¡®our home¡¯ being demolished.

    We could avoid saying goodbye.

    And so, it might be okay for them to leave for a far-off ce.

    Because the young hearts of children can find hope andugh at any moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s interesting.¡±

    A story so different from the past I knew.

    Today, Libra had preserved a tiny bit of humanity.

    Was this change brought about by me?

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    As the bus slowly started to move, Dent called out to me. He was already shedding tears as he watched the bus.

    ¡°You can be a better person than your father.¡±

    His trembling voice conveyed a sentiment that was somewhatforting.

    Not ¡®like¡¯ my father, but better.

 Chapter 7: Dream (1)

    <strong>Dream (1)</strong>

    Endex Magic High School, or simply [Endex], is one of the most prestigious Magic High Schools on the continent. As such, the admission requirements are as challenging.

    Of course, the children of the powerful Edsi families can gain admission rtively easily, butmoners must fiercely hone their skills andpete on merit.

    So, how could I, a patient with demonic leukemia, have been admitted here?

    Firstly, the selection process is a bit unusual.

    Being an orphan, I was considered under the social welfare category.

    In addition, I created cheat sheets with ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Perfect score in theory, top tier in essay writing, and lower-middle tier in practical skills.

    Admitted.

    When I passed the entrance exam, it felt as though I had the world in my hands, but reality was not so soft.

    In the society of elites, an orphan from a foster home were looked down upon. Those from wealthy families naturally did so, and those from poor families desperately offered them up as scapegoats.

    Looking back, it seems there was no one else who was as much of a human shield as I was.

    Bald from chemotherapy. A scar from brain tumor surgery. An orphan from a foster home. A small body. A timid personality.

    I ticked all five of those boxes.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡¸ENDEX¡¹

    Various thoughts came to mind as I looked at the entrance of Endex.

    I stepped onto the campus. It was still vacation, so the inside was empty.

    I slowly walked around the schoolyard, looking around.

    In every corner of thendscape, I could see my past self, walking hunched over with my head down.

    I had nothing back then.

    No money, no ability, no family, no confidence.

    I was shackled from head to toe.

    ¡°It really is the past.¡±

    I¡¯m now a third-year student. It¡¯s time to choose whether to remain a High School graduate or to challenge myself in college.

    The me before the regression naturally chose to graduate High School. I had half given up on life.

    Because of the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    Even after oveing diseases like leukemia and brain tumors, which have less than a 10% survival rate over five years, I couldn¡¯t dare to challenge an incurable disease with a 0% survival rate over twelve years.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s fucking big.¡±

    Anyway, the Endex campus is vast. A total of 20 buildings are lined up around the central clock tower, and students collectively refer to all of them as ¡®the dormitory¡¯.

    I aimlessly wandered between these buildings.

    Without realizing it, I ended up in a familiar ce.

    [Old Building]

    Old Building.

    ¡°Ah, this ce¡­¡­¡±

    This ce, which suddenly immerses me in sentimentality, is the most rundown building at the corner of the Magic High School campus.

    A deserted building devoid of students.

    At the basement of this ce, which doesn¡¯t even look like an Endex facility because it¡¯s adjacent to the back mountain, there¡¯s a small room called ¡®Maintenance Dormitory¡¯.

    There¡¯s an adult there who I can trust more than anyone else at the Magic High School.

    The old man.

    Old man Belthos.

    ¡°¡­¡­He should still be here.¡±

    The thought of meeting him somehow excites me.

    If I meet that old man, who doesn¡¯t exist in the future, it feels like my heart will momentarily be as young as my body.

    I entered the old building. Walking on the wooden floor covered in too many thorns, I went straight down to the basement.

    ¡°Ah, look at the stale air.¡±

    Drip- Drip-

    Water leaking from the ceiling, stone steps heavily stained with dirt. Each step echoed with a cold sound.

    At the end of it, a basement of about 33 square meters, as if a ghost might appear.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    A sharp-looking old man stared at me as I descended.

    Mr. Belthos.

    He spoke nonchntly.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to graduate?¡±

    I almost choked, but I responded as if it was nothing.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to college.¡±

    I sat on the sofa. My butt sank deep. It was almost like a swimming pool.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    The old man was staring at something on the table.

    ¡°A puzzle.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly a puzzle?

    I sank into the sofa and nced at the old man.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­If you have something to say, say it.¡±

    The old man seemed to have eyes on the back of his head.

    ¡°Well¡­ That is, um¡­ Can I ask for just one piece of advice?¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t bother.¡±

    ¡°But you said if I have something to say, say it.¡±

    ¡°I take it back.¡±

    Belthos lowered his head, but it only made me more determined.

    At this moment, the only person I could confide in, even for a moment, was him.

    I wet my lips and began to speak.

    ¡°Sir. What would you do if you had an enemy?¡±

    An enemy.

    The word might sound a bit childish, but I couldn¡¯t describe it any other way.

    Libra killed me. They killed my father. They destroyed everything I had. And yet-

    ¡°I¡¯d get along with them.¡±

    The old man answered without hesitation.

    ¡°But they¡¯re an enemy?¡±

    ¡°And? What kind of enemy?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    I scratched the back of my neck.

    How much do I really hate Libra?

    How much can I fuel the fire I¡¯ve kept in my heart?

    ¡°An enemy I want to destroy, even if I have to stake my life on it? Like an enemy of my family and my life.¡±

    Then the old man shrugged.

    ¡°All the more reason.¡±

    Leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, staring at the puzzle on the table.

    ¡°The more desperately you want to take them down, the less likely you¡¯ll be able to do so from the outside.¡±

    He turned his head and spoke bluntly to me.

    ¡°Be the most trustworthy person to your enemy, be the most important person, and then destroy their heart. This is the best strategy for revenge against an enemy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I was silent for a moment.

    The best strategy to destroy an enemy.

    If you can endure, if you can be patient, it¡¯s the best way.

    A gentleman¡¯s revenge is never toote, even if it takes thirty years.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    An inexplicable smile crossed his face.

    ¡°What a coincidence. I was thinking something simr.¡±

    Having already shed head-on with them, I know. I know because I couldn¡¯t make a single scratch even with all my soul.

    A deeply rooted tree cannot be uprooted without rotting the very core.

    ¡°Can I stay here for a while? I don¡¯t have a home.¡±

    The old man didn¡¯t say anything. It must have been consent.

    I approached him and took a quick look.

    ¡°¡­But why suddenly a puzzle?¡±

    The old man didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Ah, the kids left this. Asking me to do it.¡±

    The audacity is truly something. Daring to ask a favor of an old man who¡¯s busy with his own life-

    ¡°They said they¡¯d give me 700 ren if Iplete it. There are a lot of kids who don¡¯t know the value of money.¡±

    ¡°So much for respecting elders, huh?¡±

    The old man¡¯s monthly wage must be around 1,500 ren.

    ¡°What¡¯s the picture supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    The old man pointed to a piece of paper at the corner of his desk. It was a famous portrait.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®The Lady of Deunavis¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to do puzzles? It¡¯s 8,000 pieces.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried, but I might be able to do it.¡±

    I have some faith in myself.

    I took in the image of thepleted puzzle, a famous painting. Just in case, I also ran my palm over it, then sat across from the old man.

    And then, one piece.

    Two pieces.

    Three pieces.

    Click- Click- Click-

    My hands moved on their own, and the puzzle started toe together.

    There was no need to specifically look for the corners.

    Just following where my hand went, without hesitation, I matched the pieces of the puzzle¡­¡­

    The old man asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°How are you so good at this?¡±

    I answered with a small smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Before I knew it, part of the picture wasplete, and the purple eyes of thedy were looking at me.

    I murmured as I met her gaze.

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡­ my body remembers.¡±

    * * *

    As soon as I finished the puzzle, I stopped by the main building of Endex.

    [Endex Office of Academic Affairs]

    I knocked on the door of the Office of Academic Affairs and opened it. A few staff members were sitting in front ofputers.

    I approached one of them.

    ¡°I came to apply for the College Board.¡±

    The College Board. It¡¯s a mandatory process for admission to a Magic College, supervised and conducted by the Continental University Association over a year.

    Magic High School students who aspire to attend a Magic College must participate, and through this, the grades and talents of all Magic High School students across the continent are ranked.

    The qualification for participation is ¡®those who havepleted more than 3 years of education at a Magic High School¡¯.

    Most participants are in their fourth year often referred to as ¡®seniors¡¯ as they conduct the College Board in their senior year.

    ¡°¡­¡­Please show your student ID.¡±

    I handed over my student ID.

    The staff member tilted her head.

    ¡°Your average grade is D-?, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The quota per grade at Endex is 400~500 students, but among them, only around 100 participate in the College Board.

    With just an Endex diploma, you can make a decent living, so many don¡¯t feel the need to stress about going to college.

    The staff member asked with a doubtful tone.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you handle it? Most of them will have grades over B.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    I don¡¯t want such a carefree life.

    Whether I walk a straight path or not, my lifespan is short. I don¡¯t know when my terminal illness will kill me.

    So, if I¡¯m on my way to the afterlife anyway, well.

    Taking down a big shot with me as a travelpanion is my life¡¯s primary goal.

    ¡°The College Board registration fee is 300 ren, and the tuition fee is 5,000 ren.¡±

    But the tuition fee is 5,000 ren.

    The cost of living is insane.

    I scratched the back of my neck.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can I pay the tuition feeter? I can pay the registration fee now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible. However, if you drop out in the middle, there will be no refund.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    For now, I took out 300 ren from my pocket.

    The reward for thepleting the old man¡¯s puzzle was 700 Ren, dividing that fifty-fifty.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Your application has been processed.¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    The clerk stamped my student ID. The ck ink read [Senior].

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But, um.¡±

    The clerk spoke to me as I was about to leave.

    ¡°How about getting a haircut?¡±

    ¡°¡­A haircut?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The curriculum of the college board changes every year, so I don¡¯t know what will happen, but there are quite a few old-fashioned people among the staff. They don¡¯t like long hair.¡±

    I twisted my hair with my fingers.

    Long hair is one thing, but it definitely looks ragged because I¡¯ve never trimmed it.

    ¡°Yes. I suppose so.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    [Salon des Milles]

    The closest hair salon to Endex. As soon as I opened the door and entered, the designer rushed towards me with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Oh my, dear customer~ Your hair is so long~ Are you a student at the Endex?¡±

    ¡°Uhm-¡±

    ¡°Please, have a seat~¡±

    I sat down awkwardly in the barber¡¯s chair.

    It¡¯s always been the most ufortable seat for me. I have a slight aversion to having a razor near my neck.

    ¡°How would you like your cut?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to cut it too fancy.¡±

    I was about to give a vague answer when suddenly, I noticed the clippers on the table.

    Clippers.

    Seeing them, a certain ¡®idea¡¯ came to mind.

    I asked the hairdresser.

    ¡°Can I see those clippers?¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The clippers.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes?¡±

    She seemed not to understand, so I reached out and grabbed the clippers. I even turned them on. Vrrrrrrrr¡ª¡ª

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, nothing.¡±

    Just trying to see how far I can utilize my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Just like my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ remembered and summoned Perion, I was curious if these simple machines could do the same.

    After all, the original Notepad has a simr function. [Save], and [Load].

    I closed my eyes. Drawing up the power of mana, I murmured with intent.

    ¡°Memory.¡±

    ¡ªKuduk.

    The mana contracted weakly. It meant something had happened.

    Now, to load again.

    Vrrrrrrrr¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Then, mana surged in my palm. It was an intangible, vibrating, blue clipper.

    With that hand, I swept through my hair. My blonde hair was cut off in clumps.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I alternated between looking at my hand and the mirror.

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    It was pure admiration.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡±

    Then someone made a small noise next to me. The hairdresser was looking at me with a slightly stunned expression.

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    I quickly sat back down in the chair.

    ¡°Please shave it. But don¡¯t shave it too much. I have a scar on my scalp. So, make it blend in well with a two-block style on top, about 11mm. Something like a fashionable buzz cut, or something along those lines¡­¡­.¡±

 Chapter 8: Dream (2)

    <strong>Dream (2)</strong>

    The Endex campus is quiet during its vacation season. The iing freshmen and soon-to-be sophomores are likely busy with trips and leisure activities, while the prospective juniors and seniors preparing for the College Board are preupied with private lessons, training,petitions, and studying.

    It¡¯s the life of the wealthy elite or talentedmoners.

    But not for me.

    I¡¯m in the deserted library of Endex, watching YouTV on aputer.

    ¡ªToday, I will teach you about logging, that is, easy methods to chop down trees.

    These days, I¡¯m learning woodworking, but I¡¯m also ¡®watching¡¯ as many skills as possible, such as fishing, hunting, archery, cooking, and so on.

    Of course, it¡¯s all to incorporate into my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ skill.

    ¡ªThe most important thing is your posture. Maintain your lumbar arch, and firmly grip the axe with both hands. The first strike should be a horizontal sh against the tree, creating a diagonal line on the wood.

    Thwack-! The axe strikes the tree diagonally on the monitor.

    ¡°Aha. The first strike is a bit nted?¡±

    In this way, everything I watch is remembered in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    The simpler and easier the skill, the less capacity it takes up, and the more I physically repeat and master it, the less capacity it requires.

    ¡ªNext, strike the axe in a straight line to mesh with the first diagonal strike. Try to cut as deep as possible, with the idea of making a triangle on the surface of the tree¡­¡­

    The process of ¡®repetition and mastery with the body¡¯ is what I call ¡®Attunement¡¯.

    It means incorporating the memory of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ into my body, and once attuned, the skill is rarely forgotten.

    Perhaps, never.

    ¡ªWell, this is how you can easily chop down trees. It might be difficult, but if you try hard¡­¡­ Please subscribe and like, and I¡¯ll see you next time.

    The video ended.

    After reviewing the logging technique in my mind, I left the library.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    There was arge poster on the corridor wall.

    College Board Participant List

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.Elise PetraSoliette Arkne¡­¡­Shion Ascal.

    Provisional Assembly Date: Monday, February 25th

    I scanned the list from top to bottom.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll meet these guys again.¡±

    Just like the saying that school is a society, there is a hierarchy in Magic High School. It¡¯s a stratum considering status, wealth, lineage, ability, etc., and not only the office of education but also the media divide the students into pyramid-style tiers.

    For instance, there are only two people in the S+ tier in this Magic High School.

    The eldest daughter of the Arkne family, ¡®Soliette Arkne¡¯, and the second daughter of the Petra family, ¡®Elise Petra¡¯.

    Below them, there are two people in the S tier.

    The historically talented ¡®Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯ and the wealthy ¡®La Hilton¡¯.

    Additionally, there are about five people in the A~A+ tier, and interestingly, most of those with high tiers have some connection to me. Bad ties, good ties, ones who put spaghetti on my head, trapped me in the janitorial closet, threw garbage at me¡­¡­ those kinds of guys exist too.

    [The Provisional Assembly will be on Monday, February 25 at the Clemen Hall. There may be disadvantages for non-attendance.]

    Anyway, the Provisional Assembly Date tomorrow is literally to gather the College Board participants in advance. So, they can see each other¡¯s faces, scout, and keep each other in check.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see those faces again after a long time.¡±

    * * *

    I may not know about the Provisional Assembly, but I do have a temporary residence.

    The far corner of the second floor of the old building. An abandoned storage room, left alone with plenty of cobwebs.

    I couldn¡¯t keep living in the basement of the old man¡¯s house, it was too conspicuous. So, I moved to an upper floor.

    ¡°Is this indoors or outside?¡±

    It was just too cold, my breath was visible, and there was no furniture to speak of. Just a straw mat on the floor, a pillow, and a nket.

    After all, you need money to live.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    So, I went out to the mountains behind the academy. I looked around quickly and chose a suitable tree.

    Not too thick, not too thin, just right for firewood.

    ¡°This should do.¡±

    Tap tap- I tapped a 5m tall tree with my finger. It was sturdy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    I gripped the axe I borrowed from the old man. In that state, I summoned the ¡®Memory¡¯.

    In an instant, my senses sharpened. My body moved on its own, changing my stance.

    The expert I used as a reference was [Celestion Lumberjack], a YouTVer with 150,000 subscribers who had been in the industry for 25 years.

    Therefore, even though I¡¯m currently not a master in logging, I can be a professional lumberjack who had worked in logging for a long time¡­.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    I let out a yell and swung the axe diagonally.

    Thwack-! The steel de dug deep into the tree bark. Bark fragments flew like sparks.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    After a brief pause, I pulled out the axe and struck directly below the first hit.

    Crack-!

    The empty space of the triangle [¡Ï] formed by the intersection of diagonal and straight lines.

    Thatpletely destroyed the bnce of the tree.

    Creaking¡ª¡ª

    The tree, its spine broken, let out a scream and fell.

    Thud!

    The tree, easily weighing hundreds of kilograms, was cut down with just two swings of the axe.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±

    I caught my breath. I wiped the sweat that had soaked me. I looked at the fallen tree with a somewhat proud eye.

    Now, it¡¯s time to chop this guy into firewood.

    * * *

    Crackle- Crackle-

    The gentle warmth of the firepit, borrowed from the old man, crackles indoors.

    ¡°Haaah¡­¡­.¡±

    I opened my eyes in the warmth. Surprisingly, my body felt refreshed. I thought I¡¯d be a bit sore from swinging the axe so hard.

    I looked around with clear eyes.

    The temporary residence on the second floor of the old building.

    My body was on the straw mat, and the surrounding area was cluttered with the logs I made yesterday.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m in good condition today.¡±

    As I muttered, my hair stood on end-! I quickly turned my head to look at the clock on the ceiling.

    [9:03 AM]

    ¡°¡­¡­This is crazy!¡±

    ¡ªProvisional assembly is on Monday, February 25th, at Clemen Hall. There may be disadvantages if you do not attend.

    That sentence, written at the bottom of the poster, was clear in my head, down to thest letter.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    I jumped up and ran out of the old building like a madman, sprinting across the campus.

    My destination was the round building southeast of the clock tower, [Clemen Hall].

    ¡°Haah, haah.¡±

    I ran until my heart was about to burst and finally arrived.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I pressed my ear against the door and heard voices already flowing out.

    I straightened my school tie. I tidied up my clothes.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    After taking a deep breath, I quietly opened the back door.

    Creak¡­¡­.

    ¡°So, yourte?¡±

    As soon as I stepped into the hall, the man on the podium furrowed his brows at me. The seniors filling the hall also turned to look at me.

    I bowed my head slightly.

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide since it¡¯s an informal assembly. But from the next ss, there will be penalties.¡±

    He seemed to be a flexible person, fortunately.

    He looked quite young, and his features were strikingly handsome.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    I walked to find a seat. With each step, I could hear murmuring.

    Why is he here¡­ ugh- what¡¯s with his hair- it¡¯s so short- Why is he here instead of graduating- has he gone insane this time-

    Amidst the chatter, the coordinator began to speak.

    ¡°I will exin the college board program.¡±

    I hastily sat down in any avable seat.

    ¡°What the. Shion, why are you sitting here?¡±

    Someone snapped at me from the side. It was La Hilton, twirling her purple hair around her finger.

    She¡¯s in the S tier of Endex.

    And next to her was the S+ tier, Elise Petra.

    ¡°Why are you sitting here?¡±

    I have quite a few unpleasant memories of these two.

    La is either an axe-murder, a psychopath, or a schizophrenic. She once tried to cut off my fingers in freshman year, thinking I had crossed some ¡®line. And Elise¡­

    Thwack!

    Just then, the homeroom teacher flicked his finger.

    Whish-!

    A piece of paper flew andnded on my desk.

    It was a course registration form.

    ¡°The college board program is divided into three quarters. From March to May is the first quarter. You must first choose two general education sses for the first quarter, which will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.¡±

    I scanned the course list with my eyes. The elective courses included [Basic Swordsmanship], [Latinel I], [Literature], [Advanced Magic], and so on.

    I immediately chose two.

    [Basic Swordsmanship], [Latinel I].

    Swordsmanship because my father is a knight, and Latinel because it¡¯s a necessary noble course to approach Libra.

    ¡°Decide on your elective courses by tomorrow and submit them to the academic office.¡±

    I folded the course application form horizontally.

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­.¡±

    La, sitting next to me, red at my hand movements with narrow eyes.

    ¡°On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you will work on college board assignments. Most assignments will be announced on the day, and if you fail more than three times, you will be disqualified. However, the assignment conducted on the first day of school is a special ¡®qualification test¡¯, and if you fail, you will be disqualified immediately.¡±

    The coordinator paused for a moment and pulled out a card from his pocket.

    ¡°Today, I will give you a shared assignment. There is no failing in the shared assignment, but there are benefits if you seed.¡±

    He swung his arm. Chrrrr¡ª about a hundred cards sprouted from under the lectern.

    ¡°The first shared assignment is ¡®Secret Friend¡¯.¡±

    Oh, not this.

    I briefly closed my eyes. Although the others pretended to groan in displeasure, there was excitement and anticipation in their voices.

    I just felt like shit.

    ¡°I assume you know the rules. These Secret Friend cards have the names of all 153 of you. The Secret Friend must perform ¡®an action that can clearly be defined as helpful¡¯ for their target, and in doing so, earn 1.5 points of CP.¡±

    ¡°CP. It stands for College Point. This is the standard by which the cut-off line for prestigious universities is determined.

    For those in the upper echelons, every single point is hard-earned.

    ¡°However, a Secret Friend must never be caught. If discovered, no CP will be received.¡±

    He raised his finger.

    ¡°On the contrary, if you correctly guess the identity of your Secret Friend, you will also receive 1.5 CP points. You only get one chance to guess your Secret Friend.¡±

    There are a lot of rules for such an outdated Secret Friend game.

    The coordinator spoke in a stern tone.

    ¡°In summary, a Secret Friend must not be caught by their target. If they help their target without being discovered, they earn 1.5 CP. If they¡¯re caught? The Secret Friend doesn¡¯t get any CP, but the target does.¡±

    At first nce, it might seem like a game for fostering camaraderie and breaking the ice, but upon closer inspection, it strongly reeks of the opposite.

    ¡°The period is until the end of the midterm exams.¡±

    This game makes you doubt the goodwill of others.

    Those who want to show goodwill must do their best to deceive the other party, and the other party must detect the intention of the goodwill to score points.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to help as soon as possible. If the target gives up or drops out, you won¡¯t even have a chance to help.¡±

    Perhaps it¡¯s a good lesson.

    There¡¯s no such thing as unconditional goodwill in this world.

    ¡°I will distribute the cards randomly to each of you.¡±

    The homeroom teacher imbued his mana into the cards. Then, shrrrr¡ª! They were delivered face-down in front of the students¡¯ desks.

    ¡°Check them.¡±

    The room fell silent.

    The noisy voices disappeared, and the sound of flipping cards filled the room.

    I also picked up a card.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, shit.¡±

    As soon as I saw the name, my face contorted. I touched my temples with my fingers. A sudden headache surged.

    ¡°I assume everyone has checked.¡±

    Yes¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s introduce ourselves one by one.¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!

    At that moment, genuine groans of despair filled the ssroom.

    The coordinator frowned.

    ¡°Self introduction is a tradition of the Provisional Assembly. Are you going to moan like today on the day of the college interviews?¡±

    Then the coordinator pointed somewhere with his finger.

    ¡°You, who came inst, go first.¡±

    It was me.

    My headache worsened.

    Damn it, why. Should I confess to being a Magic Core cancer patient?

    ¡°You. Stand up.¡±

    I reluctantly rose from my seat.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked into the coordinator¡¯s eyes. He met my gaze and asked.

    ¡°Your name?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Your hobby?¡±

    I nced around the room for a moment.

    Suddenly, I realized how crowded the hall was.

    There were students who seemed uninterested, looking straight ahead, and some who were leaning back, watching the spectacle. But most of them exude an atmosphere as if they are looking down on me as some ¡®inferior thing.¡¯

    La, who was sitting next to me, in particr, was smirking as if she was looking at a baboon.

    I really want to smack her.

    I sighed and said, ¡°¡­Drawing.¡±

    ¡°Drawing?¡±

    ¡°I know how to draw.¡±

    Most of my hobbies can be done while lying down. Listening to music, reading, exploring information, scrapbooking newspaper articles, drawing, and so on.

    Thinking about it, I had quite a talent for drawing among them.

    ¡°What¡¯s your dream?¡±

    Suddenly, the coordinator asked about my ¡®dream¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Dream.¡±

    Dream. The nuance of the word felt strange.

    Dream. It was a future I hadn¡¯t thought about for quite some time.

    Dream. Suddenly, the voice of the old man Belthos whispered in my ear.

    ¡­Be the most trustworthy person to your enemy, be their most important person, and then shatter their heart.

    Why would I think of that now?

    It sounds easy, but it¡¯s incredibly difficult.

    It¡¯s going to be excruciatingly hard.

    Since Libra is in a different realm, it would require tremendous effort and patience to reach them.

    ¡°Do you not have a dream?¡±

    ¡°¡­Libra.¡±

    But now, I find myself muttering nkly.

    I clenched my fist, opened my eyes.

    I found myself smiling, unknowingly.

    ¡°What? Libra?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    If they are in a different realm, I will definitely reach that realm.

    I will exact a fitting price for this damned life, from them.

    ¡°Libra.¡±

    Until then, I can endure.

    Because there are many things, I want to ask them, because there are countless things I want to get, I can endure.

    ¡°My career aspiration is¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    I spat out the emotions rising from the bottom of my heart.

    ¡°I want to be a Knight of Libra.¡±

    This is my resolution, still so small that you guys wouldn¡¯t even notice.

    A prayer sent in the hope that you will hear it from above.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. That¡¯s quite ambitious.¡±

    The coordinator said.

    Then, as if they had been waiting,ughter erupted. It was a scornful and dismissiveughter, mixed with contempt and disregard.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Yes. I suppose so.¡±

    Because I wasughing too.

    For the first time since I regressed, I genuinelyughed.

 Chapter 9: Endex (1)

    <strong>Endex (1)</strong>

    Twenty minutes on foot from Endex, there¡¯s a grove of cypress trees. Behind it, the mountains and streams are clear, and in front, the cityscape unfolds. In that ce, there¡¯s a particrly luxurious vi.

    Five friends who have grown up together since childhood pooled their allowances to build this dwelling, which is too spacious to be a hideout and too open to be a secret room, with just over 100 square meters.

    ¡°My dream is¡ª¡ª to be a Knight of Libra.¡±

    In the living room of that ce, there¡¯s a man doing an impression in a deep voice.

    ¡°Kuhahaha¡ª! Oh, I¡¯m dying ofughter, because of that guy.¡±

    With his reddish-brown long hair andrge body, he reminds one of a half-moon bear. He is the eldest son of the Traxil family¡ª¡¯Kain Traxil¡¯.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t he a loyal one? Raised by Libra¡¯s money in Libra¡¯s orphanage~ A Knight of Libra. That¡¯s quite a story.¡±

    This time, it¡¯s the handsome blond man lying in the hammock, ¡®Asher Dread¡¯.

    ¡°Loyal my ass. He¡¯s a fucking nuisance. Those kinds of guys are actually detrimental to Libra¡¯s image.¡±

    The Traxil family, who own dozens of magic stone mines all over the continent, and the Dredd family, ranked 52nd in the Edsi business hierarchy.

    They are young masters who have grown up in thep of luxury.

    ¡°Hey! I think he¡¯s rather impressive!¡±

    Of course, they can¡¯t match La, whose family is insanely wealthy.

    Lalya Hilton of the forbidden Golden Leaf had crossed her arms, thinking of Shion.

    ¡°Shion shaved his head too¡­ Something¡¯s changed. He must have received special training during the winter break.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Pfft!¡±

    ¡°What could that loser achieve with special training.¡±

    At that remark, Asher quietly twisted his lips in amusement, and Kain scoffed,pletely ignoring him when.

    ¡ª¡ªRustle.

    A quiet footstep, like a snowkending.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    A voice softly blooming.

    The three of them turned to look at the same time.

    The railing of the second-floor staircase.

    Golden hair, imbued with a white glow, flowing down and luxury artifacts like rings, bracelets, and nes ripple like small waves.

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re having fun. I can hear theughter.¡±

    Elise Petra.

    Even among the talented and wealthy in Endex, she stands at the extreme end, the daughter of the parliamentary family Petra.

    ¡°Elly~ are your studies over~?¡±

    ¡°¡®Mm¡±

    La tried to run to her and hug her but was blocked, and Asher got up from the hammock.

    ¡°Ah. Well, it¡¯s nothing special. That fe Shion¡¯sedic routine. My dream is to be a Knight of Libra, Kuhuhuh.¡±

    ¡°Is that funny?¡±

    Elise asked coldly. Asher immediately shut his mouth.

    La coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Right. What¡¯s so funny about that? Why are you guysughing so loudly? It¡¯s not funny, not funny~¡±

    Asher scratched the back of his neck and made an excuse.

    ¡°Ah, yes. That, um. Sorry. You don¡¯t like that loser, right? Just-¡±

    ¡°Why do you say I dislike someone.¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression hardened for a moment. Asher shivered.

    He had identally touched a sore spot.

    Elise dislikes Shion, that loser. She dislikes him so much that she doesn¡¯t even want the fact that she dislikes him to be discovered. No, she dislikes him so much that she won¡¯t even admit to herself that she dislikes him.

    ¡°Why should I dislike such a homeless guy?¡±

    Fortunately, she cut him off without any reaction and headed to the coffee machine with heavy steps. Asher nced at her and breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Elly. Can you make me a cup too?¡±

    Elise handed the coffee she had just made to La.

    ¡°Thanks~¡±

    ¡°But why the hell did that idiot apply to the College Board without graduating? Does he really think he can go to a college or something?¡±

    Kain muttered as if he was genuinely curious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Elise replied, tapping the floor with the heel of her slipper.

    ¡°He¡¯ll disappear soon enough. He might get hurt or even die. After all, dozens die every year during the College Board.¡±

    It was a rather harsh statement. Kain cleared his throat, and La sipped her coffee without a thought.

    ¡°Elly, this coffee is good. The coffee machine was a good purchase, right?¡±

    ¡°Instead of worrying about strange things, how about studying?¡±

    Elise, who had thrown a sharp remark, went back up the stairs with her teacup in hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s study together~¡±

    La followed her, and Asher and Kain nkly watched their retreating figures.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    Indeed, their friend was bing more dazzlingly beautiful every day.

    Even though her personality was questionable.

    ¡°Hey, Kain. Didn¡¯t Elise change a lot after her dad became a congressman?¡±

    When Asher asked, Kain answered.

    ¡°She was always like that, you idiot?¡±

    ¡°Ah, fuck, never mind.¡±

    * * *

    Endex, one week before the start of school.

    I roamed around the school grounds, picking up junk and discarded furniture. If it was somewhat intact, like chairs, drawers, desks, I brought them all to my temporary shelter and disassembled them.

    ¡ªThe skill I will introduce today is ¡®Curved Wave¡¯. The Curved Wave technique is to finish the wood in the form of a curve¡­¡­

    I borrowed all the necessary tools from Mr. Belthos, and fully utilized the woodworking skills I learned from YouTV.

    I disassembled broken desks and doors, reprocessed them, and made a frame for the bed. I made a firece with discarded bricks, heat instors, and dirt and sand from the back mountain. I tore off the wooden tiles from the old pipes to make a desk and chair.

    There was a sense of aplishment, but the happiest moment was when I found a decent mattress in the recycling center.

    Because I can¡¯t make a mattress with my current skill level.

    Thanks to that, my temporary dwelling became somewhat livable.

    A bed assembled like a patchwork with materials of different colors and textures, a firece and firewood as a boiler substitute, a chair and a desk, but hey.

    There¡¯s no rent, so it¡¯s more than enough.

    Oh, I also got a new phone. I only had 50 Ren in my hand, but I paid in full installments.

    So, housing andmunication were resolved, but the bigger problem was food.

    Crazy hunger.

    I have a body that needs six meals a day.

    At first, I thought about hunting wild animals, but I gave up. Tracking, hunting, disassembling, butchering, roasting¡­ I would starve to death doing all that.

    So, I turned my eyes to job postings.

    Among them, the one with the highest hourly wage, a very sessful meat restaurant near Endex.

    I ran straight there and had an interview.

    ¡°It might be a bit hard for you. You¡¯re too skinny. Do you know how much work we have?¡±

    The job was dishwashing and other misceneous tasks.

    The boss looked somewhat dubious, but I spoke with confidence.

    ¡°So what.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Just give me plenty of food.¡±

    Impressed by my spirit, the boss hired me.

    The work was indeed a lot.

    An insane amount.

    Almost hundreds of dishes and countless grills poured in every hour, but for me, it was incredibly easy.

    There was no need to resort to using Look-See-Do.

    I¡¯ve done all sorts of jobs, and when ites to menialbor like dishwashing, I¡¯m beyond an expert¡ªI¡¯m a master.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    At 7 p.m., I shrugged my shoulders while sipping on chocte milk.

    It was peak time when the restaurant would be bustling with customers, but the kitchen, or at least the sink, was rxed.

    Why?

    Because I¡¯m a human dishwasher.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take out the trash.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? Oh, okay. Be careful.¡±

    The boss, who had been watching my work from a corner of the kitchen, responded absentmindedly.

    I went outside, holding bags of food waste in both hands.

    As I was about to throw the bags into the trash bin, suddenly¡­

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Shion?¡±

    A somewhat familiar voice called out to me. I turned to look.

    It was Elise¡¯s gang.

    Kain, Asher, La, and Elise.

    A sort of silver spoon cartel, made up of the most famous and envied guys in Endex.

    ¡°Ugh, the smell. What are you doing there?¡±

    Kain asked, scrunching up his nose.

    He treated me as if he had seen me just yesterday.

    Which is why it¡¯s all the more awkward for me.

    Not only was I not used to their young faces, but it had also been years since I had a face-to-face conversation with them.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer, punk?¡±

    Kain asked harshly.

    I responded briefly.

    ¡°I¡¯m working, you fucking pig. Are you blind?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wha, what? Hey, did you just say-¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Kain blinked in surprise, and La couldn¡¯t hold back herughter.

    Asher, the blond, chuckled and said.

    ¡°Wow~ Shion, you¡¯ve grown quite a mouth since west saw you. The apron and the trash suit you. Keep doing that job. Forget about things like college boards.¡±

    Asher, that bastard, was as disgusting and rude as ever. His condescending attitude, his leech-like face, everything.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    But, the coldest and most irritating gaze was, as always, from¡ª¡¯Elise¡¯.

    Elise Petra.

    She was looking at me with contempt. She seemed to find me as disgusting as the food waste I had just thrown away, no, even more so. She despised my very existence.

    ¡°That, that motherfucker. Hey. What did you just say? A fucking pig? Mountain, a mountain pig?!¡±

    Kain¡¯s face turned red as he took a step forward.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Don¡¯t mess with Shion!¡±

    But then, La suddenly intervened.

    ¡°Shion is trying hard to make a living! If you can¡¯t help him, at least don¡¯t pick a fight! Come on, let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡±

    With a determined look on her face, she grabbed her friends and pulled them away.

    What¡¯s her deal?

    Asher pointed at the sign of the barbecue restaurant, looking puzzled.

    ¡°Hey, we came here to eat meat-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We can eat somewhere else! I¡¯ll pay!¡±

    Why the hell that crazy woman is pretending to be nice¡­ I think I have an idea.

    Is she my Secret Friend?

    ¡°You, you fucking Shion, hey. You¡¯re dead if you cross my path.¡±

    ¡°Kain, why is your mouth so foul!¡±

    ¡°Get ready to be punched, huh?!¡±

    I flipped off Kain, who kept berating me until the end.

    ¡ª¡ªNo way, that son of a bitch!

    Ignoring the fuming Kain, I returned to the kitchen.

    ¡°Guys, look at this. It¡¯s incredibly clean. Can you believe this was done by hand? I¡¯m not expecting this level from you, but¡­¡±

    The boss was using the dishes I cleaned to educate the staff.

    * * *

    11 p.m.

    ¡°¡­When will I ever save up money at this rate.¡±

    Back at my temporary residence, I sat on the bed, looking up at the night sky outside the window.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do.¡±

    The seniors, including Elise¡¯s gang, would be incredibly busy fulfilling elite magic training and physical training curriculums at famous dojos or academies.

    There must be quite a few who have alreadypleted their ¡®Magic Body¡¯.

    They can freely use ¡®Magic Forms¡¯ as they please.

    Not me.

    Whether they¡¯re talented or not, everyone eventually awakens their ¡®Magic Body¡¯, but I can¡¯t even manage that.

    Because of the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    Simrly, I can¡¯t implement magic forms¡­ but, in truth, it¡¯s not solely because of the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    Firstly, Icked talent in magic, and I was terrible at studying.

    To realize magic forms, one must necessarily learn the discipline of ¡®Magic¡¯, but I¡¯m practically magic illiterate.

    If I hadn¡¯t cheated with a ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I would have been expelled a long time ago.

    Anyway, my current priority is definitely money. I have to survive, after all.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked at the sword leaning against the corner of the wall.

    The Ascal short sword.

    A famous sword made of rune steel¡ªa blend of different runes.

    In my previous life, that was my surgery fee. Even though I sold it in a hurry, I still got 50,000 Ren.

    I won¡¯t do that in this life. I won¡¯t sell my roots, ever.

    ¡°¡­Is there another puzzle or something.¡±

    I suddenly thought of old man¡¯s puzzle.

    Where does the old man get such jobs? I¡¯m curious for no reason¡­

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    A light bulb went off in my head. I jumped up from the bed.

    Endex.

    Endex Magic High School.

    This ce is a school attended by youngdies with no economic sense, who would pay 700 Ren just toplete a mere 8,000-piece puzzle.

    On the other hand, in my previous life, I was a driver, a delivery man, a cleaner, a detective, and a porter.

    ¡°¡­This might work.¡±

    I can do whatever they ask.

    As long as they pay me.

 Chapter 10: Endex (2)

    <strong>Endex (2)</strong>

    The library at Endex has always been perfect. Open 24 hours a day, all year round, the 300-pyeong(approx. 990 sq. meters) reading room is filled with books, and there are various facilities such as group study rooms and photocopy rooms.

    Of course, all services arepletely free.

    [At Your Service]

    : Acquisition of items, delivery, transfer, and more.

    : From simple errands toplex tasks.

    : We assist in everything.

    : Please contact #05 001-3021-4302. It¡¯s a safe number that doesn¡¯t reveal either party¡¯s phone number.

    ¡°Quite intuitive, and very helpful.¡±

    Thanks to this, I printed hundreds of flyers for free.

    The concept is simply ¡®We do anything for you-¡®, targeting the rich and naive students of Endex.

    There are 3,000 students from first to fourth grade alone, and if you include the attendants like drivers and managers brought by the noble students, and even themoner families who move in groups, the poption within the premises would always exceed 10,000 to 20,000. If I post it here and there in Endex, they will contact me on their own.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at the clock.

    1 AM.

    ¡°Should I distribute them since I¡¯ve made them?¡±

    I have nothing else to do, and today is unusually dull.

    I must say, my sleep pattern is abnormal.

    Sometimes I¡¯m so sleepy I can¡¯t stand it, and sometimes I¡¯m as alert as an insomniac.

    ¡°Well, why not.¡±

    I went outside with a thick stack of flyers tucked under my arm.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Yawn.¡±

    Before I knew it, it was 10 AM.

    For nine hours, I had been distributing flyers almost everywhere in all the buildings of Endex: between the bookshelves in the library, on the shelf above the toilet in the bathroom, in the alleys between Endex, between park benches, in the gym locker room, on ssroom ceilings, in the middle of the clock tower, on the window sills of the cafeteria, on the seats of the stadium, in the lockers in the hallway, in the magic research room, in the club room, and so on¡­

    ¡°Now I¡¯m sleepy.¡±

    My body feels heavy, and I¡¯m starting to get sleepy.

    Ding¡ª

    Suddenly, my phone rang.

    It was a text.

    A client already?! I thought, and hurriedly turned it on.

    [College Board Opening Notice]

    On Monday, March 3, the College Board begins. We wish luck to all Endex students challenging themselves in college.

    Location: Endex Valha Hall

    Time: 11 AM

    Please be aware that severe disadvantages may ur if you arete.

    It¡¯s a text announcing the opening of the College Board next Monday. Since today is Friday, it¡¯s exactly three dayster.

    ¡°College Board¡­¡­¡±

    The beginning of the fourth grade.

    I¡¯ve never done it before, but I¡¯m not unconfident. I naturally acquired techniques and physical skills while rolling at the bottom for ten years.

    However, I will not bring ¡®Perion¡¯, the future artifact remembered by the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, into my body if I can help it.

    Why?

    Because I¡¯m a cancer patient.

    * * *

    Selenacio.

    A prestigious academy located in the richest neighborhood of the capital of Edsi, where the children of the entire continent¡¯s powers bring money to attend.

    In that ce, which selects only the ¡®real¡¯ ones by finely measuring not only the wealth of the students but also their bloodline, talent, honor, and social authority of the family¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Final match. Elise Petra wins!¡±

    ¡ª¡ªElise finished the ¡®match¡¯, the final test before the beginning of the College Board.

    Waaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Since today¡¯s final match was open to all students, hundreds of cheers and apuse poured down like a rainstorm.

    At the center of that brilliant spotlight. Elise, the object of everyone¡¯s admiration, simply extended her hand to the loser with an expressionless face.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    ¡°How could you not let me win just once?¡±

    Her opponent was Mel, the runner-up from Selenacio.

    He took Elise¡¯s gloved hand and stood up.

    ¡°You made the right choice not going to Endex. You¡¯d be tossed around there too, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    It was a provocation of sorts. Even Elise, the top student at Selenacio, was locked in fiercepetition with Gerkhen and Soliette at Endex.

    ¡°Endex, huh? You wouldn¡¯t even make the top ten there.¡±

    Elise quietly retorted, and Mel¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    Just then, the headmaster of Selenacio appeared.

    She handed a certificate to Elise with a bright smile.

    [2013 Selenacio High School 113th ss, 1st ce]

    [Elise Petra]

    Elise stared at it quietly.

    To be honest, she had learned more from the famous private tutors she had hired with Petra¡¯s money than from what she had learned at Selenacio. But the real value of Selenacio was not in learning, but in working¡¯.

    ¡°Congrattions, Elise.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Elise bowed her head at the headmaster¡¯s words.

    ¡°The reporters are waiting.¡±

    There were many scouts and reporters right below the stage.

    The final public training of the promising 6-star talent overflowing with star quality would probably make the 9 o¡¯clock news.

    ¡°Can you say a few words?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±

    Elise was somewhat curious about what kind of reporting and articles they would write.

    She slowly descended the stage stairs. At that moment, countless microphones rushed towards her.

    ¡°Miss Elise, you¡¯ve been first in Selenacio High School for three years straight, could you share your feelings-¡±

    ¡°How do you expect your final college board scores to be? Many betting sites have Gerkhen as the first-¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen and Soliette from the same school are expected to be strongpetitors-.¡±

    The questions were, as expected, simr. It was always about Gerkhen and Soliette for the past three years.

    She was quite annoyed in her first year, but now she had somewhat adapted.

    ¡°My scores will be as I perform. No more, no less. After all, the realpetition begins after entering college.¡±

    Elise said with a calm, expressionless face.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡ªMy scores will be as I perform. No more, no less. After all, the realpetition begins after entering college.

    Elise on the TV news answers emotionlessly and dryly. Desiring to be first more than anyone else, pretending not to care about otherpetitors. Pretending not to be interested at all.

    She¡¯s so hypocritical.

    ¡°171 cm.¡±

    Then the old man spoke the height measured with a ruler.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really grown? I just thought you looked tall.¡±

    His eyebrows twitched as if surprised.

    ¡°I told you.¡±

    I¡¯ve grown 3 cm in a month, but my growth is a year-long process. Before regression, I was 196 cm, so I¡¯ll probably stop around there.

    ¡°You won¡¯t recognize me in a year?¡±

    Not only will my arms and legs get longer, but my bones and muscles will also be stronger than they are now. They will naturally be tempered by the mana radiated by the Magic Core.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going.¡±

    I, having tightly fastened my school uniform necktie, did a light stretch.

    ¡°Off to the garden or wherever.¡±

    The old man added a word with a gruff demeanor.

    ¡°Do you have confidence?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    I immediately answered and stepped onto the basement stairs.

    ¡°First ce¡­ is overkill, but I think I could manage around 15th ce?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Perhaps he was taken aback by my confidence.

    The old man, with a slightly dazed expression, said,

    ¡°Madman.¡±

    * * *

    Monday, 11 a.m., Valha Hall.

    Among the many buildings of Endex, it is the one that most resembles a temple, and I am walking towards it.

    ¡ªAh~ How¡¯s your condition? I¡¯m not feeling so hot.

    There were already many students at the entrance.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t get ahead of yourself, bastard~ Watch today¡¯s round. I¡¯ll show you¡­ oh, it¡¯s Shion.

    As I slowly approached, a sluggish voice called my name.

    ¡ªHe¡¯s really doing it too. Ah~ Suddenly, I feel down.

    It was Asher, as expected.

    I quickly scanned the two guys. Kain and Asher were shouldering what looked like golf bags.

    ¡°Ah~ You came to carry our golf bags, I see.¡±

    Asher, who had just noticed my gaze, approached.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    He looked down at me and slung his golf bag over my shoulder. Then he twisted the corners of his mouth into a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. But, do you seriously think you can do it? What the hell are you thinking¡­¡­ Get lost.¡±

    Just then, the person in charge came out of Valha Hall. Asher pushed me away and shed a bright smile again.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯lle to get the golf bagter. Hey, Kain. Are you okay? Our Shion says he¡¯ll carry it.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off. That rat might steal it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s tant shuttle treatment, but honestly, this is nothing.

    The day when that bastard will look down on me is not far off.

    ¡°Attention.¡±

    The supervisor spoke.

    For reference, that man¡¯s name is Chedric. He¡¯s a person dispatched from the University Association to Endex, and he acts as a homeroom teacher for the seniors for a year.

    ¡°Total number of participants in the Endex College Board is 133¡­ that¡¯s correct.¡±

    He counted our numbers and nodded.

    ¡°We will start the first task of the College Board. Come inside.¡±

    Then, the students entered Valha Hall. I followed, carrying the golf bag on my shoulder.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this ce.¡±

    Standing in the hall, I looked around inside.

    There was an endless corridor leading only to one side, and countless doors were ced at regr intervals.

    ¡°Each of you stand in front of a door.¡±

    133 people moved in an orderly manner. The high-ranking guys stood at the front numbers, and I, naturally carrying a golf bag as big as my body, ended up at [Room 133].

    ¡°Now, everyone go in. The task will start exactly at 11 o¡¯clock.¡±

    The seniors opened the doors almost simultaneously. Beyond that was a space about 8 pyeong (approximately 26.4 square meters) in size, just like a studio. There was a clock on the wall, and a transparent pyramid sparkled on the table in the center.

    I know what that is.

    ¡®Prism¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, wait a minute.¡±

    Just as I was about to get anxious for some reason.

    Tick-tock¡ª¡ª.

    The hour hand announcing exactly 11 o¡¯clock rang unusually loudly.

    Then a voice came down from the ceiling.

    ©¤We will now start the first task of the College Board, ¡®Eligibility Test¡¯. As previously announced, if you fail, you will lose the qualification to challenge the College Board itself.

    A stiff tone and a low voice.

    It¡¯s Chedric.

    ©¤All 133 of you are in a space with the same structure. First, you will see an object in the center.

    ¡°A mana prism.¡±

    Then, Cedric echoed the same words.

    ¨C ¡®Mana Prism,¡¯

    ¡°¡­Tch.¡±

    I clicked my tongue.

    I had a hunch about what the test was.

    ¨C The task for the first week is that prism.

    A properly made Mana Prism has the property of absorbing magical and physical power.

    ¨C The test ends exactly 2 hours from now, at 1 PM.

    If the test is what I think it is, then it¡¯s quite troublesome.

    It¡¯s a puzzle I can¡¯t solve, now or ever.

    ¨C It doesn¡¯t matter how you do it. Even a tiny ¡®scratch¡¯ on the Mana Prism means sess.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Suddenly, the back of my neck felt hot.

    A Mana Prism is like a very hard onion. It has a strong resistance to external shocks, so unless you first analyze and interpret the flow of mana inside and break the ¡®structure¡¯, even most experts cannot break it.

    It does have a weakness to physical force, but even that has a mana resistance of 99%, physical resistance of 90%, so there¡¯s not much difference.

    ¨C Begin.

    But I¡¯m not even an expert right now.

    All I have is my body, and my mana in general¡ªMana utilization, control, cooperation, adaptability, resistance, etc.¡ªall of it falls short.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    I sighed and sank into the chair, scratching my heated neck.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Is it over already? Just like this?

    So, even after dying anding back to life, I can¡¯t ovee a single Mana Prism?

    Then how many times do I have to die ande back to life?

    It¡¯s ridiculous¡­

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    Suddenly, a thought brushed through my mind.

    I craned my neck to look up at the ceiling.

    ¡°I have a question.¡±

    I shouted towards the camera in the corner of Room 133, to someone unseen.

    ¡°Can I use tools?¡±

    ¨C ¡­That¡¯s eptable.

    At the confirmation that it was okay, a light bulb went off in my head.

    Let¡¯s think about it.

    I have Perion.

    Specifically, Perion is ¡¸Memorized¡¹ in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    However, I can¡¯t call Perion into my physical body.

    Even so, I can¡¯t break the prism with my bare fists, and my health problems are too severe.

    Then.

    Can¡¯t I apply this to an ¡®object¡¯ instead of ¡®my body¡¯?

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, shit.¡±

    I¡¯ll know if I try.

    No, I have to try to know.

    Fortunately, I already have a weapon.

    A very good friend, very kindly, lent me something in advance.

    I quickly pulled out the thickest driver from Esher¡¯s luxury golf bag.

    I don¡¯t know if it will work with this.

    But it¡¯s my only method, so I don¡¯t want to assume it will fail.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes and calmly called Perion.

    [¡ª¡ªLoad]

    At that moment, my mana was consumed in a sh. I felt like I was going to ckout, but I didn¡¯t know if it worked. The exterior of the golf club remained the same.

    I¡¯ll know if I hit it.

    ¡°Hu¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    I gripped the golf club with both hands.

    Someone might analyze the internal structure of this prism, interfere with the circuit where the mana circtes, and delicately dismantle it, but not me.

    I just took a stance. Both arms above my head, the golf club almost touching the ceiling.

    I twisted my whole body.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡±

    I swung down the club on the prism with all my might.

 Chapter 11: Endex (3)

    <strong>Endex (3)</strong>

    The monitor room of Valha Hall. For the first ss of the College Board, today at Endex, five prestigious professors from the main department, distinguished professor from Edsi National University, have gathered.

    It was a luxury only possible at prestigious Endex.

    ¡°Any method will do. Even a tiny ¡®scratch¡¯ on the mana prism would be a sess.¡±

    Chedric, the person in charge, exined the task for this College Board.

    Breaking the prism. In a nutshell, was a ¡®difficult basic test.¡¯

    ¡°¡ªBegin.¡±

    The sess condition is to understand the mana cirction structure of the prism, trace back its circuit, and break the core.

    Simply scratching the prism would be a sess.

    It doesn¡¯t require high-level magic nerves, but one must be able to use the basics at a fairly high level.

    ¡°Hmm. What do you think, Professor Theia Esil?¡±

    After turning off his microphone, Chedric coughed and nced at the person next to him. There was a person there who was difficult to describe in words.

    Hair reaching down to her shoulders as if grown from obsidian, eyes of unfathomable depth, every line on her face as perfect as a sculpture, Theia Esil.

    She was a genius who entered the national university at the age of fifteen, graduated as valedictorian at eighteen, and was appointed as a distinguished professor at the magic university at twenty-two.

    Her most popr titles were ¡®The Star Knight who inherited the legacy of Aton¡¯ and ¡®The Magic Schr who seeks the truth¡¯.

    Being in the same space with her was an honor in itself.

    ¡°A good test, it seems.¡±

    Theia responded tly, observing the students.

    [Room 17: Gerkhen]

    The first one, as expected, was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    One of the continent¡¯s promising talents, he has never missed an A+ since the moment he entered Endex Academy.

    ¡°Gerkhen is as I heard.¡±

    His calmly falling dawn-light hair gave an intellectual impression, and his good bone structure visible through his clothes was a sample of a knight who did not neglect training.

    There are handsome men everywhere, but Gerkhen was different.

    Moreover, he had already analyzed more than half of the prism.

    ¡°Excellent.¡±

    Theia said, brushing her hair back. Then the dean of academic affairs took a big step forward andughed.

    ¡°Ah~ as expected, it¡¯s Gerkhen. A very good example of learning attitude-¡±

    ¡ªI have a question.

    Suddenly, the voice of an unknown student flowed through the speaker.

    It was room 133.

    Theia moved the main screen to that side. There was a buzz-cut guy.

    Personal information floated up in the corner like a subtitle.

    [Room 133: Shion Ascal]

    [Average Grade: D-]

    ¡°D-?¡±

    A wrinkle formed on Theia¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that buzz-cut guy?¡±

    The dean frowned in displeasure.

    The buzz-cut guy spoke.

    ¡ªCan I use a tool?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    The dean let out a hollowugh as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. The other university professors watching also wore refined smiles.

    Theia sighed and ryed to Chedric.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Tell him he can.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay, even if he uses a tool?¡±

    Chedric asked back. Theia answered nonchntly.

    ¡°If he brought his own equipment. That preparedness is worth evaluating.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Chedric spoke into the microphone.

    ¡°It¡¯s allowed.¡±

    And then Shion was out of everyone¡¯s attention.

    There¡¯s no time to waste on a D- grade student.

    The professors were observing the many test-takers on the screens. Theia Esil too, was scanning mostly the top-ranked ones.

    But then, at some point.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    A voice muttered as if dumbfounded.

    A sigh filled with too much sincerity.

    At this, the other professors also raised their heads out of curiosity. Theia Esil also nced at the screen.

    ¡°What is he doing¡­.¡±

    Even Theia frowned for a moment. Everyone had a simr reaction.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªWhack!

    On the screen, a golf club struck a prism. The professors unknowingly blinked their eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Really. What a spectacle.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªSwish!

    A man with a buzzcut swung a driver with all his might. The angle of the swing was sharp, the posture was smooth, and the point of impact was urate.

    Is he a professional golfer?

    Theia put her hand on her forehead. It was such an absurd act, she couldn¡¯t even guess the intention of the question, it was like digging the ground with a shovel.

    ¡°What is that guy doing?¡±

    Theiapletely agreed with a professor¡¯s words.

    p- p- p-

    A professor even apuded. It was ¡®Zepa¡¯, a current knight and a professor at a national university.

    ¡°Well. There are still such ignorant guys in the world. Is he stupid? No, there¡¯s no way a blockhead could enter Endex, right?¡±

    There was a brief interest, but that was it.

    The topic shifted to another news that happened to be heard.

    [psed time 9 minutes 43 seconds: Gerkhen Kal Doon]

    ¡°Ooh!¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon. When the main screen was turned to him, the crazy golfer disappeared and Gerkhen¡¯s nd face was captured.

    The prism was neatly disassembled on his desk.

    ¡°Gerkhen! He¡¯s a knight candidate, right? I couldn¡¯t see because of that strange guy. Wow, only 9 minutes.¡±

    p p p¡ª! Zepa pped with a different meaning than before.

    ¡°But Arkne¡¯s princess is still¡­¡­¡±

    [psed time 10 minutes 03 seconds: Soliette Arkne]

    Zepa nodded his head.

    ¡°As expected!¡±

    After Gerkhen, it was Soliette Arkne.

    Just as Theia had expected.

    [psed time 10 minutes 13 seconds: Elise Petra]

    ¡°Ah~ Petra was a pity. Only 30 seconds difference from the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Well, this much would be a difference in condition.¡±

    The professors and teachers discussing the skills of the top ranks were in a good mood.

    Thanks to this, the buzzcut guy in room 133 was quickly forgotten.

    Gerkhen may be amoner, but he¡¯s a talented person with an ancient lineage, and Petra and Arkne are from prestigious families that the professors are eager to connect with.

    [psed time 21 minutes 57 seconds: La Hilton]

    [psed time 23 minutes 33 seconds: Kain Trixil]

    [psed time 25 minutes 17 seconds: Asher Dread]

    ¡°The children of the Hilton, Trixil, and Dread families.¡±

    ¡°Familiar names are indeed in the top ranks.¡±

    [psed time 34 minutes 33 seconds: Delrek Sian]

    [psed time 35 minutes 17 seconds: Benhur Gundo]

    [psed time 37 minutes 30 seconds: Kieli Berconta]

    [psed time 43 minutes¡­¡­]

    ¡­¡­Thud!

    Just as the news of passing continued, there was a slight vibration from somewhere. The faintly trembling floor of the evaluation room.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Theia frowned. Cold sweat rose on the back of the dean of academic affairs.

    A professor said.

    ¡°It seems that guy is still doing something strange, shouldn¡¯t we make him stop?¡±

    ¡­¡­Thud!

    The sound and vibration grew a little louder, as if in defiance.

    ¡°It might affect other students.¡±

    ¡°This is grounds for failure.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Theia also touched her temples. What on earth was he nning to do with a golf club?

    No, whether he was nning something or not, did he really think it would work¡­

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    However, when this fourth vibration resonated loudly.

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute.¡±

    Theia Esil felt a sense of difort.

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    There was one obvious fact. A fact so obvious that it had been overlooked until now.

    A well-made prism absorbs both magic and physical force.

    However, precisely because it absorbs physical force, no matter how hard you hit the prism with something like a golf club¡­

    Bang¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Such a vibration should not ur.

    [Time taken 58 minutes 22 seconds: Jecken]

    [Time taken 60 minutes 57 seconds: Arang¡­¡­]

    While the news of passing was heard from here and there, Theia¡¯s interest was not there.

    She was only looking at one person¡ª the clueless senior who failed to grasp the intent of the problem.

    An obsessive guy who was gripping the driver and hitting the prism with all his might.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Damn! That guy should have noticed. I¡¯ll go and stop him!¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    Theia stopped the head of the academic affairs office who was about to run out with a flushed face. The other professors also seemed to btedly sense something strange and fell silent in thought.

    She looked at the senior on the screen.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    The roar echoing from the prism.

    Breath mixed with heat.

    Again, the golf club rising upwards.

    Sweat dripping down.

    A body tensed to the limit.

    A swing made with rough force.

    Finally.

    Kwaang¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The prism shook violently. A very small ¡®fragment¡¯ flew out.

    Theia¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡ª¡­Huff.

    The obsessive guy let out a rough breath. He wiped the sweat beads on his forehead. He picked up the prism and smiled.

    He held it up to the ceiling and said,

    ¡ªYou said that even a scratch would be a pass.

    The front of the prism. A crack that was small but definitely engraved.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Theiaughed in disbelief.

    That obsessive guy, with just a golf club and his own physical strength, had damaged the prism, however slightly¡­

    ¡°63 minutes 43 seconds.¡±

    Chedric and the other professors were momentarily speechless, and she alone spoke into the microphone.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Pass.¡±

    * * *

    The garden behind the Valha building.

    Under the clear spring sun, a teaching assistant dispatched from Edsi National University is waiting for the passers. Betting with his group chat friends on who will be first.

    [It¡¯s obviously Gerkhen, isn¡¯t it? They say he¡¯s not a 6-star, but a 7-star prospect.]

    [But Arkne; She¡¯s from the Holy Bones Council family.]

    [Ah ??? Soliette had an ident. She probably hasn¡¯t fully recovered mentally yet? I¡¯m betting on Petra.]

    The odds are 4 to 3 to 2 with Gerkhen in first ce, followed by Elise and Soliette.

    The teaching assistant waited, fiddling with her nose.

    She was quite curious about who woulde in first. After all, she was also an Endex graduate, and this batch is said to have the highest potential in a decade.

    Bzzt-

    Just then, a text message arrived on my phone.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    [Time taken 9 minutes 43 seconds: Gerkhen Kal Doon]

    Seeing that name, the assistant nodded and sent a message to the group chat.

    [Gerken is first. Under 9 minutes. The rest of you who bet, pay up.]

    [Ah shit;]

    [Lol Nice]

    [Under 9 minutes? Hard to believe. Send a screenshot.]

    Thud- Thud-

    There¡¯s a presence approaching from the back gate of Valha. The assistant¡¯s drooping eyes twitch every time they see him.

    ¡°Time taken 9 minutes 43 seconds. Congrattions, Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    Gerkhen is perfect in every way. There¡¯s not a single w in his appearance. Even his reputation is spotless. He¡¯s known to enjoy volunteer work rather than indulgence.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Indeed, he¡¯s amoner, but even his manners are refined.

    The assistant pointed to the stone steps in the back of the garden.

    ¡°Feel free to sit anywhere.¡±

    As soon as Gerkhen found a spot, another celebrity appeared.

    With hair as red as if it were under some spotlight, it was the symbol of the Arkne family.

    ¡°Time taken 10 minutes 03 seconds. Soliette Arkne. Please, take a seat anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She sat opposite Gerken.

    The two of them, promising talents admired not only in the academy but across the continent, don¡¯t exchange a single word.

    Regardless of gender, it might be instinct. The instinct of a dominant species raised as an Alpha from birth.

    Bzzt¡ª

    Another vibration. Seeing the name that came in a text, the assistant chuckled.

    What a trio of elites.

    ¡°Time taken 10 minutes 13 seconds. Elise Petra.¡±

    Elize, who appeared not toote, sat between Gerkhen and Soliette. Naturally, the three of them formed a triangle.

    The news of the next pass took a while.

    ¡°Time taken 21 minutes 57 seconds. La Hilton.¡±

    Nearly 11 minutester, the fourth pass. La, the only daughter of the Hilton family, as healthy as a knight but as pure and beautiful as a doll.

    ¡°Ah~ It was tough, so tough~¡±

    She, in her high heels, approached with strides like she was wearing sneakers.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Soliette and Gerkhen. Hi~¡±

    After waving and greeting Soliette and Gerkhen, she immediately sat snugly next to Elise.

    ¡°Time taken 23 minutes 33 seconds. Kain Traxil¡­¡­¡±

    After that, the assistant continued to announce those who passed.

 Chapter 12: Memory (1)

    <strong>Memory (1)</strong>

    Endex Garden. The seniors, who have alreadypleted their task, are gathered in groups of close friends.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this surprisingly difficult? I have a feeling there will be quite a few failures.¡±

    At Asher¡¯s words, Kain twisted his lips.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t do this, you¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Kyokyokyo- But you guys were slower than me~¡±

    Laughed as she teased Kain and Asher.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    On the other hand, Elise remained silent.

    This is always the case after any test. They gather together and chatter about the test that has already passed.

    It¡¯s annoying and meaningless.

    ¡°But honestly, this is too advantageous for you, La. You make prisms at your house-¡±

    ¡°Can you be quiet for a bit?¡±

    Elise smiled faintly and red at Asher.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Asher bit his lip.

    Kain put his golf bag on the ground and asked.

    ¡°Hey. But how are you going to get the golf bag? The rat wouldn¡¯te out.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah~ right. I have to wait two hours because of him.¡±

    There¡¯s no way Shion Ascal, or whatever his name is, would pass. With an average grade of D-, not 2 hours, but 200 hours would be insufficient.

    ¡°Ah~ I shouldn¡¯t have entrusted him-¡±

    ¡°63 minutes 43 seconds. Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Everyone reacted to the voice that came from somewhere. Not just Elise¡¯s gang. Gerkhen and Soliette, who were first and second, and everyone else who passed turned to look.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ it¡¯s real.¡±

    Asher gave a hollowugh. Elise frowned.

    A buzz cut that seemed to be about 12mm. He shaved off his shaggy hair, revealing his distinct facial features, which actually looked better.

    I hate to admit it, but he¡¯s quite handsome.

    ¡ª¡­¡­Ah, my hand hurts.

    He approached with a golf bag on his shoulder and a golf club in one hand.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Have a seat.¡±

    Shion walked heavily and sat in a corner. The hall was quiet until then, but suddenly he looked at Asher.

    ¡°Oh right. I used it well.¡±

    Then he threw the golf bag and driver at the same time.

    ¡°¡­¡­What the hell- Ah shit! Why is this bent!¡±

    Asher caught it by surprise and had a fit. The shaft of the driver was bent. Shion asked as if he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it for me to use?¡±

    ¡°You son of a-!¡±

    ¡°Shh. Please sit quietly and wait.¡±

    At the teaching assistant¡¯s words, Asher sat down trembling. Kain next to him was also trembling. It was a slightly different meaning from Asher. Kain nostrils were ring.

    Asher bit his lip hard.

    ¡°Hey¡­don¡¯t snap at me. Don¡¯t you understand empathy? Could you keep your cool if you were in my position?¡±

    ¡°How can I treat it as mine when it isn¡¯t? Who on earth told you to entrust it to me, you idiot?¡±

    ¡°This damn son of a bitch.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°1:00 PM.¡±

    At 1 PM, the sun in the middle of the sky was shining directly down on the garden. The flowers and grass in the garden were sparkling. The teaching assistant looked at her wristwatch and spoke.

    ¡°Evaluation is over. Congrattions. Out of a total of 153 participants, 127 have passed.¡±

    A whopping 127 out of 153 participants have passed.

    It¡¯s as expected of the prestigious Endex.

    ¡°Congrattions to all of you.¡±

    The teaching assistant looked around the garden and spoke.

    ¡°All of you who have passed will receive 2 CP points. Regardless of your ranking, everyone will receive the same 2 points. However, there will be college board advantages based on today¡¯s rankings.¡±

    But suddenly, I feel sleepy.

    Is it a side effect of exercising too intensely? The exercise of swinging a golf club.

    ¡°Also, I have something to say. Of course, college board assignments are important. Failing it means you cannot apply to universities. However, the universities that you call ¡®prestigious¡¯ ce great importance on school activities as well. Points, schoolpetitions, and even student records are all crucial. What I mean is, don¡¯t disregard school life while being too focused on the college board.¡±

    I swallowed a yawn and let his words wash over me.

    Until the teaching assistant mentioned a certain name.

    ¡°The advice was from ¡®Theia Esil¡¯, a distinguished professor whom you all know well.¡±

    Theia Esil.

    That name stuck in my ears. It burrowed into my brain like an arrow. My eyes widened, and my heart throbbed for a moment.

    ¡°Then-¡±

    ¡°Was that person here?!¡±

    Without realizing it, my body sprang up. A loud voice erupted from the bottom of my chest.

    ¡°Theia Esil?!¡±

    Everyone looked at me, and the teaching assistant blinked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. The distinguished Professor Theia Esil was watching you all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    My thoughts stopped for a moment. The murmuring of the students was dizzying, but soon it became silent as if I had fallen into water. It felt like the whole world was slipping away from me.

    ¡­¡­Even I don¡¯t know what I can do.

    In that distance, a voice called out to me.

    ¡­¡­So don¡¯t assume you can¡¯t.

    A gentle yetpassionate voice.

    A memory I don¡¯t want to forget even if I die, a memory too precious to forget.

    ¡­¡­If you give up like this. You¡¯ll be the only one who suffers.

    Even in a life like mine, there was a benefactor.

    Even in a messed-up life, there was a precious person.

    There was a time when someone who could be called a teacher approached me first.

    ¡­¡­Because you are my student.

    A person who was always cold and icy to everyone.

    Of course, she was cold and harsh to me as well, but asionally, she showed a soft side only to me.

    That¡¯s how you¡¯ve always been.

    ¡­¡­You can endure it. You must.

    I remember her lips softly curling into a smile as I was going into the operating room.

    I remember her clear, childlike eyes as shey in the hospital bed facing me.

    I can never forget.

    ¡­¡­Ovee it. Come to see me.

    Theia.

    Theia Esil.

    My old master was here.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªSit down.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I said sit down.¡±

    The teaching assistant gestured towards me, waving her palm downwards.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    I came to my senses btedly.

    As soon as I sat down, the teaching assistant resumed speaking.

    ¡°The next college board is on Wednesday. Manage your condition and show up in good shape. You¡¯re now dismissed.¡±

    * * *

    On the way back from Endex to the National University, in the luxury limousine ¡®Aurus Phantom SWB¡¯, Professor Theia Esil was reviewing her work. She was revisiting the footage of today¡¯s Endex college board assignment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Could it be a Spectrum?¡±

    [Thud¡ª¡ª!]

    The guy who smashes the prism with a golf club. The scratches on the prism surface etched by that brute physical force.

    It¡¯s curious. If you look at it broadly, it could be considered a shift in perspective.

    Prisms are more vulnerable to physical force than magic, but no one thinks of hitting a prism.

    However, the result is not solely due to ¡®force¡¯. Even if it¡¯s a golf club made of magical fiber, it wouldn¡¯t have enough durability to withstand that kind of impact.

    In other words, it implies a ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    At least one that involves ¡®objects¡¯.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡±

    Just, fascinating.

    That¡¯s all.

    No special personality is evident.

    To begin with, there are many talents in Endex, such as Gerkhen, Soliette, Elise, and La, and not only in Endex, but also in other magic schools, there are countless talents worth noting.

    Theia doesn¡¯t have the time to dig into a mere D- grade student.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Nevertheless, Theia silently picked up a piece of paper.

    It was a document with Shion Ascal¡¯s personal information.

    Just a single page, a poor record with no specs to speak of. But right in there lies the reason why she keeps an eye on him.

    [Origin: Libra Orphanage]

    [Future Aspiration: Knight of Libra]

    Libra.

    Theia gently closed her eyes. She exhaled a deep breath and clenched her hands tightly. She leaned her head against the backrest and looked out the window.

    ¡°Libra¡­¡­.¡±

    Born from a knight of Libra, raised in an orphanage of Libra, and wishing to be a guardian knight of Libra.

    She twisted her lips. She wore an expression that looked like a sneer.

    ¡°You guys. You show up even here.¡±

    She spat out, suppressing the emotion deep in her chest.

    Theia Esil hates Libra. The most disgusting and detestable existence to her is that wretched lineage.

    And she dares to boast: the size of her hatred is likely greater than anyone else¡¯s on the continent.

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    She set fire to the document. She stared at Shion Ascal¡¯s face, which was gradually being consumed from the edges.

    For quite a long time, until her palm was filled with ashes.

 Chapter 13: Memory (2)

    <strong>Memory (2)</strong>

    ¡­ ¡®Magic Body¡¯. Literally, a body through which mana flows.

    A single ckboard. A piece of chalk as white as snow. Deep and dark ck eyes.

    In a small ssroom, a lesson prepared solely for me.

    ¡­ The basis of this Magic Body is the ¡®One Belt, Four Lines¡¯.

    One Belt, Four Lines (Ò»Ž§ËÄ¾€).

    The most popr method of forming a Magic Body.

    I¡¯ve heard it so many times it¡¯s like a broken record.

    ¡­ First, the One Belt (Ò»Ž§). It refers to thergest circuit from the brain to the groin. It must never be broken and is the thickest and strongest circuit. Hence, it¡¯s called the ¡®Belt¡¯.

    Theia, with a human anatomy disyed on the ckboard, drew a line from the head to the groin. Sheid the chalk sideways, making it very thick.

    ¡­ From this Belt, four lines are derived to the right arm, left arm, right leg, and left leg.

    Then she drew four lines along the arms and legs.

    ¡­ These are the Four Lines (ËÄ¾€).

    The Belt goes from the head to the groin, the Lines from the Belt to the fingertips and toes.

    The One Belt, Four Lines ultimately signifies the path of mana flow in the human body, that is, the configuration of the circuit.

    ¡­ There are hardly any Magic Body in this world that aren¡¯t based on the One Belt, Four Lines. But you, Shion. Your body would die the moment it learns the One Belt, Four Lines, right?

    It¡¯s an impossible Magic Body for me. The ¡®Belt¡¯ of the One Belt, Four Lines inevitably prates the tumor, and it¡¯s certain that the cancer cells will invade along the Belt.

    ¡­ Don¡¯t despair. Lift your head.

    When was this?

    Perhaps, right after my third cancer surgery.

    She came to me as I woke from anesthesia and dered herself my teacher.

    ¡­ It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way. It¡¯s an ancient Magic Body. It¡¯s a bit odd to call it a Magic Body these days.

    In modern times, a Magic Body is synonymous with the One Belt, Four Lines, but if you go back far enough, to ancient times, there were other types of Magic Body.

    ¡­ It¡¯s called ¡®Embodiment¡¯.

    Embodiment (ów»¯).

    After epting the mana within the body, it naturally seeps in without any special process.

    To put it very simply, it¡¯s simr to smoking meat.

    ¡­ I¡¯ve done some research on monkeys. I¡¯ve written papers too. Have a read.

    Monkeys.

    Literally, the Magic Body that ¡®beasts¡¯ use.

    * * *

    I opened my eyes. I woke from my reminiscence and looked around.

    A secludedke surrounded by bushes. No one to watch, and even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t matter, a shelter behind the old building.

    I came here as soon as the college board ended.

    ¡°Shall I try?¡±

    The teachings of my master.

    That which I had forgotten in the harshness of reality, triggered in my mind the moment I recognized her existence, shaking my soul.

    Is this also thanks to the ¡¸Notepad¡¹?

    I began by taking off my clothes. I stripped down to my underwear and ced everything on the rock.

    If I train my Magic Body, my whole body will be drenched in sweat and waste.

    Ssh-

    I walked into theke.

    ¡°Uhuhuh.¡±

    It¡¯s still early spring, so it¡¯s extremely cold, but this is fine.

    I floated on the water with only my neck above the surface and closed my eyes.

    ¡°Hoo¡­.¡±

    What I¡¯m trying to do now is ¡®Embodiment¡¯.

    One of the teachings left to me by Theia Esil.

    In simple terms, its smoking, but in fact, it¡¯s quite different from smoking. Embodiment is essentially like leaving meat out on a summer day and waiting for it to ¡®cook on its own¡¯.

    There¡¯s no fire, no frying pan, nothing.

    That wasn¡¯t a method lost without reason.

    For the ¡®Embodiment¡¯ to evolve into a Magic Body, as my master said, an ¡®engine¡¯ is needed to pump the mana from the Mana Heart.

    Just as the heart pumps blood to circte throughout the body, an engine is needed to pump the mana from the Mana Heart and radiate it to the ends of one¡¯s limbs.

    In the past, my master said, ¡®You have to conceive and create the algorithm yourself-¡® and added that it would be very difficult.

    Before my regression, I couldn¡¯t invent that method until the very end.[br][/br] But now it¡¯s different.

    I already know the algorithm that was so difficult.

    No, everyone knows it.

    What is it?

    I just used it as a metaphor.

    ¡°The Heart.¡±

    I put my hand on my chest.

    What I¡¯m trying to do now is simple.

    First, how much does the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ know about me?

    Next, to what extent can my body ¡®remember¡¯?

    In other words¡ª can it ¡®remember¡¯ the function of the heart, and can it ¡®transnt¡¯ the Mana Heart?

    So that my Mana Heart, like my heart, can beat on its own.

    Of course, I¡¯m scared to touch the Mana Heart. It¡¯s a perfectly reasonable concern as a cancer patient.

    However, the cancer cells of the Mana Heart cannot escape the Mana Heart membrane. While direct radiation prates the Mana Heart membrane, such a case does not ur in ¡®Embodiment¡¯, so at least I don¡¯t have to worry about the risk of cancer spreading.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Silently, I adjusted my posture and closed my eyes.

    I slowly moved the mana inside my body. When that mana slowly rose and reached my heart, I muttered my intention.

    ¡°¡­¡­Remember.¡±

    The heart trembled. The Mana Heart shook greatly. Thud-thud-thud-thud¡ª the sound of the blood vessels throughout my body bursting were loud.

    I gritted my teeth. I maintained my body while keeping the interval of my breaths.

    Then, at some point while I was determinedly enduring the pain.

    The Notepad floated above my tightly closed eyelids.

    [63 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    ©¸Untitled

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +30

    The ¡®Untitled¡¯ file was added, and the volume quickly rose to 63.

    Does that ¡®Untitled¡¯ mean my heart?

    The feeling is strange, but there¡¯s no time to stay still.

    I sent the mana containing the ¡®memory¡¯ of the heart to the Mana Heart.

    The mechanism is simple.

    Just as I brought the function of the barber chair into the hair salon, I transnted the function of the heart into the Mana Heart.

    ¡­¡­I hope I can do that.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    Then, something wriggled.

    I quickly opened my eyes. I put my hand on my stomach.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    It seems to move, but I can¡¯t feel it well.

    Is it because the stomach, unlike the chest, is covered with thick fat?

    ¡ª¡ª.

    Fortunately, this is the third time.

    It¡¯s certain.

    It¡¯s a pulse.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    The Mana Heart is beating.

    With each breath I take, as if it¡¯s pumping.

    Completely as an unconscious action.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s done.¡±

    Feeling a sense of aplishment, Iy back.

    Ssh¡ª!

    I entrusted myself to theke. The refreshing moisture rushed into my hot body.

    I just floated around and nkly looked up at the sky.

    ¡°It really works.¡±

    In the sunset, the face of my old master fades.

    Theia Esil.

    I received too much help from her. I owed her my life several times, borrowed a huge amount of money over a few times, and didn¡¯t pay her back till the very end.

    She never once pressed me to repay her.

    Truth be told, I never intended to.

    Anyway.

    ¡°It did be something¡­¡±

    The me before regression was able to get close to her. We became close in an instant.

    The simple logic was¡ª the enemy of my enemy is my friend¡ª because you hated Libra as much as I did.

    ¡°But not this time.¡±

    But now, I can¡¯t do that.

    Our rtionship can¡¯t continue like that.

    If I confront Libra ¡®exactly¡¯ as I did in the past, I¡¯ll only meet the ¡®same¡¯ ending.

    Just like you failed to bring down Libra and were defeated.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be here in the future either.¡±

    I quietly closed my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m prepared.¡±

    I¡¯m fully prepared.

    In this tranquilke, no, in this world.

    I¡¯m alone.

    * * *

    The next day, Tuesday morning.

    Today is the day of an elective liberal arts ss. It¡¯s literally liberal arts, so it¡¯s a bitid back, but one mustn¡¯t becent. I need at least an A topete in college admissions.

    ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    But maybe it¡¯s because I finished the ¡®Physical Chemistry¡¯ yesterday. I¡¯m so sleepy.

    I nkly looked up at the namete of the ssroom.

    [Elective Liberal Arts: Latinel I]

    Latinel.

    Before my regression, it was a high-end liberal arts course I would rather die than take. I wanted to kill the nobles who learned and enjoyed such things and showed off.

    ¡°Eh? What!¡±

    Then a loud voice popped out.

    Looking back, it was La. The girl with blue-dyed hair pointed at me with wide eyes.

    ¡°Why are you here, Shion¡­ huh?¡±

    I silently entered the ssroom.

    ¡°Hey, are you ignoring me!¡±

    There are 37 students who chose Latinel. That¡¯s only 37 out of 120 seniors.

    That¡¯s why the ssroom is filled with good-looking and well-off children of nobility.

    ¡°Elly! Shion is here¡­ too!¡±

    Elise was also among them.

    She nced at me while holding a vocabry book in one hand. Her expression slightly twisted, but she turned her head as if she found it pathetic without showing much reaction. She probably doesn¡¯t want to deal with me.

    I sat down in any seat.

    It was exactly 10 o¡¯clock, and the teacher in charge came in.

    ¡°Nice to meet you~ seniors. Wee to the Latinel ss.¡±

    Latinel I. The teacher of this noble subject was a middle-aged woman overflowing with liberal arts, named ¡® Beatrice¡¯.

    Even her voice was old-fashioned, and if someone asked her for directions in themonnguage, she seemed like she would answer in tennguages.

    ¡°Latinel, as you all know, is the ancientnguage of our continent.¡±

    Latinel is an oldnguage that has been dead for thousands of years, but there are still many nobles fascinated by the difficulty and mystery of Latinel.

    It¡¯s what they call ¡®high-ss liberal arts¡¯.

    It¡¯s too difficult for ordinary people to even get permission, an exclusive and luxurious fashion.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not anguage currently inmon use. But rather, that¡¯s all the more reason to take pride in learning it. Latinel is the root of allnguages on the continent.¡±

    The reason I chose this aristocratic vanity ss is, of course, because the aristocrats love it.

    In other words, thisnguage is not just a deadnguage.

    It¡¯s the lingua franca of ¡®all the aristocrats on the continent¡¯.

    ¡°I believe you all chose this ss because you know that.¡±

    But there was a problem from the first day.

    ¡°So¡­ does everyone have their Latinel textbooks~?¡±

    It was the textbook.

    ¡°Teacher. It seems like one person doesn¡¯t have it~¡±

    Someone pointed at me. I can tell from theughter in their voice.

    It was La Hilton. Elise was next to her.

    ¡°Well, it can happen. Please bring it by the next ss~¡±

    Thedy said with a smile.

    Unfortunately, I can never bring that textbook.

    The Latinel textbook you announced costs 1,000 Ren per book.

    Did they embellish the book in gold?

    ¡°Everyone. What imagees to mind when you think of Latinel? The ancient empire? Thenguage of the most powerful nation? A romantic era where fairies, spirits, and humans frolicked together? Or¡­ just a difficultnguage?¡±

    I nodded.

    Just difficult.

    ¡°Latinel is difficult. I won¡¯t deny it. It¡¯s too difficult. The biggest reason is that the word transformations are too diverse and sophisticated.¡±

    She¡¯s very good at sugarcoating the fact that there¡¯s no root or standard.

    ¡°Starting today, we will embark on a journey every Sunday to learn Latinel. The grading criteria will be midterms and finals each ounting for 30%. The assignments given in each ss and ss participation will each ount for 20%.¡±

    Then everyone prepared to take notes. Click, click, click- like loading bullets, they prepare their notebook and pencils.

    I also opened the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ in my head.

    ¡°And if, in my opinion, there is a very exemry and talented student.¡±

    Beatrice¡¯s expression suddenly became serious.

    ¡°I will give you an invitation to ¡®Sermones Aeterni¡¯.¡±

    At that moment, the air stiffened.

    Thud-! Elise was so shocked that she broke her pencil.

    Sermones, Aeterni?

    What¡¯s that?

    ¡°Well, shall we open the first page?

    Beauche, with a fresh smile, started the ss in earnest.

    ¡°The title of the first chapter is Kaedeius Radeoman. It means Emperor¡¯s Man¡­.¡±

    The sound of note-taking ¨C scratch, scratch ¨C echoed in my ears like white noise.

    I was about to do my own note-taking in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ in the air, but.

    ¡°¡­¡­The sophistication of Latinel starts here.¡±

    My eyes kept closing.

    ¡°Kedsa means to love, and edaos means to love each other¡­.¡±

    Oh, I¡¯m in trouble.

    I shouldn¡¯t have chosen it as an elective.

    ¡°Anobal is a suffix meaning a person born to ~¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m too sleepy.

 Chapter 14: Memory (3)

    <strong>Memory (3)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    When I opened my eyes after wiping my drool, it was already break time.

    I nkly looked around the ssroom.

    -Want to rx at my vi this weekend?

    -Your family¡¯s yacht is nice. Let¡¯s sail sometime.

    -There¡¯s a ball at my mansion tonight. Should I give you an invitation?

    The privileged children of prestigious families were chattering away, each with their elegant gestures and refinednguage.

    ¡°Hey. You really don¡¯t have a textbook?¡±

    That¡¯s when La called out to me.

    ¡°Do you have a textbook?¡±

    She asked, resting her chin on her hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I ignored her lightly. Instead, I looked at the desk next to mine. A textbook was open on the desk, but there was no one there.

    Did they go to the bathroom?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I nced around and quietly picked up the textbook. I quickly skimmed through it and then ced my hand on the cover.

    I don¡¯t have the luxury to waste a thousand ren on a textbook, so I thought I¡¯d try to ¡®memorize¡¯ it in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°¡­¡­Remember.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to say it out loud, but it¡¯s a simple self-suggestion. Simr to the concept of shouting during training.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    But at that moment, my mana was sucked away drastically. An unexpected headache surged. Heat rose in my eyeballs and a trickle of nosebleed flowed.

    I covered my nose. I wiped the nosebleed with my sleeve and opened ¡¸Notepad¡¹

    [77 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    ©¸Heart

    ©¸Untitled

    Just one book took up 9 of the capacity. The mana consumption just now was quite severe too.

    ¡°What is this.¡±

    Is it that the more expensive it is, the more it consumes?

    No, even so, 1,000 ren isn¡¯t that expensive, is it?

    I rubbed my temples and changed ¡®Untitled¡¯ to ¡®Latinel ¢ñ¡¯.

    ¡°Hey, Shion. Why did you register for Latinel?¡±

    ¡­¡­But, there¡¯s been a guy who¡¯s been talking non-stop from the back seat since a while ago. She¡¯s incredibly persistent, even if I don¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Hey. Why did you register?¡±

    At La¡¯s words, I responded briefly.

    ¡°None of your business.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    La furrowed her brows.

    ¡°¡®Don¡¯t bother with such a pathetic human.''¡±

    Suddenly, Elise¡¯s voice seeped into my ears.

    Hernguage was definitely not Edsi¡¯smonnguage, but I understood it in an instant.

    I was surprised and turned to look at her.

    La smirked.

    ¡°¡®Shion. That. We. See. What. Look. This guy. Doesn¡¯t understand. Latinel.''¡±

    It¡¯s clear.

    It¡¯s ¡®Latinel¡¯.

    La¡¯s sentence is not smooth and is broken, but anyway, I can hear it.

    Why is this happening?

    I tilted my head, but soon I got the idea.

    ¡­¡­No wonder it took up 9 of the capacity.

    It seems to be the effect of ¡¸Memorizing¡¹ the textbook. There¡¯s no more variation in the actual Latinel that Elise spoke than in the textbook.

    Ding dong dang¡ª

    Just then, break time ended.

    The students who had left their seats returned, and Lady Beatrice gracefully entered from the front door.

    ¡°Oh, student. Did you sleep well?¡±

    Lady Beatrice was the first to look at me and smile brightly.

    ¡°Yes? Ah-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can sleep. But.¡±

    Then she handed me a piece of paper. I was slightly taken aback. The title of the document was too harsh.

    [Elective Drop Form]

    ¡°Student, please submit this after ss today.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked up at her. Her expression was benevolent, but somehow, her cheeks seemed to twitch.

    She spoke.

    -This is not a ss for a lowly being like you.

    At that moment, I was slightly taken aback. My eyes widened, and my ears perked up like a rabbit¡¯s.

    It was admiration.

    Somehow, her voice reciting the Latinel sounded like she was singing. The tonality was not much different from a harmonious rhythm. It was also like the chirping of a bird.

    It was a beautiful pronunciation.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    It really is true that the more you know, the more you see.

    Before I ¡¸Memorized¡¹ the textbook, it felt like an aliennguage, but as I began to understand Latinel, I seemed to understand why this was considered a noble¡¯s education.

    ¡°Make sure to submit by the end of the ss?¡±

    I remained silent.

    Beatrice raised her eyebrows stiffly, urging me.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that. Giving up is no different from failing, and the damage to my grades would be significant.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I silently moved my lips.

    When thisdy just spoke Latinel, when she recited aggressive sentences like lyrics, I watched her mouth.

    It was a very important observation.

    The pronunciation of anguage is made through the interaction of the tongue, lips, vocal cords, and other parts of the mouth, and they are clearly part of the body.

    Therefore, ¡®foreignnguage conversation¡¯ could also be considered within the scope of ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯.

    I can remember with my eyes and follow with my body¡­¡­.

    ¡ªNo.

    I recycled the phonemes she had spoken and followed them.

    ¡ªI am a student suitable for this ss.

    Although the power of the Mana Heart was somewhat depleted, I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh my.¡±

    She widened her eyes.

    I added with a small smile.

    ¡ªYour voice is truly beautiful, Lady Beatrice.

    Then, thedy¡¯s stiff face softened, and a smallmotion arose in the ssroom.

    La muttered from behind.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s with his pronunciation.¡±

    It was somehow a bit annoying dialogue.

    * * *

    After the Latinel ss, the corridor at 1 PM.

    La was walking with a pout.

    ¡°Ah~ Why is there an assignment from the first ss¡­¡­.¡±

    The Latinel teacher had given out some sort of writing assignment from the first week.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. The first week should be easy! Isn¡¯t that right, Elly?¡±

    As La grumbled, demanding sympathy, she suddenly puffed her cheeks as if she remembered someone.

    ¡°But, where did Shion learn Latinel?¡±

    Shion Ascal. The guy who received the teacher Beatrice¡¯s favor throughout today¡¯s ss and was suspiciously good at Latinel.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Elly?¡±

    But Elise remained silent. She has been silently biting her lips since a while ago. It seems like she¡¯s chewing on something.

    La became curious.

    Why isn¡¯t she answering?

    ¡°It¡¯s strange! How did he get good at Latinel? Isn¡¯t that right, Elly?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Despite her efforts to provoke a response, Elly remained silent. Only then did La sense that Elly¡¯s mood was off.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s strange~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    La turned her gaze and looked out the window.

    There were 1st and 2nd graders sitting in the stands eating their packed lunches, others running around the ying field, and¡­ a flyer?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A piece of paper was stuck in the window frame. La reached out and grabbed it.

    [At Your Service]

    : Acquisition of items, delivery, transfer, and more.

    : From simple errands toplex tasks.

    : We assist in everything.

    : Please contact #05 001-3021-4302. It¡¯s a safe number that doesn¡¯t reveal either party¡¯s phone number.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise showed a flicker of interest. La didn¡¯t miss her gaze.

    ¡°Elise, look at this.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s trash.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve seen these on the streets, but never in Endex. Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Throw it away.¡±

    Elise quickly turned her head away, but La was oddly intrigued.

    Not just simple errands, butplex tasks, meaning they¡¯ll do your assignments for you¡­

    ¡°I should throw it away~¡±

    La put it in her pocket. Elise furrowed her brows.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I threw it away. Into my pocket.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°No~ You never know~ Latinel is so boring. I could use that time for my electives-¡±

    ¡°Do you think the people distributing those flyers know anything about Latinel?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Maybe not.¡±

    La touched her earlobe.

    ¡°But just in case¡­ Ah? There¡¯s Shion.¡±

    A buzzcut head stood out outside the window.

    That bright yellow buzzcut could only belong to Shion in Endex.

    Elise also looked in that direction.

    ¡°Elise. Didn¡¯t he find a Latinel tutor somewhere?¡±

    Shion. The guy who suspiciously excels at Latinel.

    As he was leaving the school gate, Elise and La watched him with narrowed, questioning eyes.

    * * *

    ¡°Good work, Shion.¡±

    At 11 PM, when the popr Endex restaurant [Wayward Meat] was closing for the day.

    The boss patted my shoulder and handed me my weekly wage and a bag of meat.

    They say kindness breeds kindness, my weekly wage is 500 Ren and my daily wage is 3 kg of meat. Thanks to this, I¡¯m eating 3 kg of high-quality protein every day.

    It¡¯s different from before my regression. Back then, hospital food and sweet potatoes weren¡¯t enough, so I had to scavenge for leftovers and weeds until I almost died of food poisoning.

    ¡°Yes, have a good night.¡±

    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow.¡±

    I stepped outside the restaurant. The world was already dark, and the stars were missing.

    ¡°But why isn¡¯t the messageing?¡±

    Walking down the tree-lined street leading to Endex, I turned on my phone.

    ¡°Is the flyer not good enough?¡±

    I pulled out the [At Your Service] flyer from my pocket.

    I want to start cancer treatment by April or May at thetest. But I need at least 20,000 to 30,000 Ren in hand to even consider treatment¡­

    [Endex]

    As I walked, lost in thought, I found myself at the main gate of Endex. However, the entrance was coldly closed.

    After 11 PM, not only outsiders but also Endex students are prohibited from entering.

    Of course, I had already thought of a way.

    A wall about 3m high surrounds the Endex premises.

    Just climb over it. As quietly and carefully as possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­.¡±

    I walked along the wall and jumped at a suitable spot. Then, like climbing, I crawled up and jumped into the premises.

    Thud-

    Inded sessfully, but a flyer fell out of my pocket. It fluttered andnded at someone¡¯s feet.

    I looked at her.

    My body froze.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    There was a person within ten steps of me.

    Her long, untied hair was as red as fire, and a small ember and thick smoke wavered in front of her lips.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The only S+ tier noble in the Index.

    Soliette Arkne.

    She silently looked at me as she lit her cigarette.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was too sudden, but facing her directly like this, I was suddenly reminded of the past.

    Certain ¡¸Memories¡¹ exploded in my mind like fireworks.

    It even made it slightly hard to breathe.

    This woman hasn¡¯t changed at all.

    Her wild hair, her indifferent eyes, her tightly closed lips, nothing has changed at all.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why.

    Without realizing it, I blurted out a greeting.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    At that, Soliette furrowed her brows slightly. She exhaled the smoke from her mouth and asked,

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What are you doing here? This is a women¡¯s dormitory.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. It¡¯s the women¡¯s dormitory.¡±

    I smiled nkly. I had identally jumped over the wrong wall.

    Soliette silently looked at me and then pointed to the forest path between the women¡¯s dormitories.

    ¡°If you walk for another five minutes in that direction, you¡¯ll reach the men¡¯s dormitory. There should be no guards at this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so? Thanks.¡±

    My voice trembled strangely as I thanked her.

    Soliette shrugged nonchntly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. But this is a secret.¡±

    She said, tapping her cigarette. Not on the ground, but on a portable personal ashtray.

    Seeing me stare, Soliette offered me her pack of cigarettes.

    ¡°Do you want one?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good one. It¡¯s 30 Ren per stick, quite expensive.¡±

    I chuckled and shook my head.

    ¡°I quit. Thanks to someone.¡±

    There was a time when cigarettes, tobo, were the joy of my life.

    Since I was going to die anyway.

    A stick of cigarette, a cup of coffee, a pill of drug, a shot of stimnt, whether I do it or not, I was going to die anyway.

    No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t live long.

    ¡­But then.

    On a clear day, in that time that has now disappeared, I did something strange. I made a promise with someone to ¡®live healthily¡¯.

    It was too impulsive a decision.

    ¡°Is that so? You quit. I¡¯m envious.¡±

    Of course, promises are made to be broken. I already have Perion in my body, so I might have already broken it.

    Even so, it¡¯s ¡®as much as possible¡¯.

    I n to maintain ¡®as much as possible¡¯ a regr habit and a healthy diet.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Soliette bent one knee to pick up a flyer. She quickly scanned it and handed it back to me.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but this is-¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know. It seems like they¡¯re scattering them randomly. I saw one nearby too.¡±

    Randomly.

    I got a hint from Soliette¡¯s words.

    It shouldn¡¯t have been ¡®random¡¯.

    The strategy to appeal to the Index guys was to upscale, but my flyer was too cheap¡­.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    ¡°You seem capable.¡±

    I quickly added to her, who was about to turn around. Soliette smirked.

    ¡°¡­This flyer?¡±

    ¡°Yes. ording to it, you¡¯re an expert.¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    I am an expert.

    Stalking, background checks, driving, delivery, construction, cleaning, organizing, tracking, deduction, checkpoints, searches, and so on, there¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t done.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been rolling around at the bottom for a few years.¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    I¡¯ve lived in the ¡®underworld¡¯, where murder is legal and monsters run rampant, for a full five years.

    ¡°Do you believe that?¡±

    Soliette looked at me with somewhat pitiful eyes, but right now, she probably needs someone.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in believing, right?¡±

    We have an unexpectedmonality.

    We both have a ¡®nemesis¡¯ we want to kill, even if it burns our souls. We live for revenge. We are simr in that regard.

    ¡°If you have errands, give me a call.¡±

    I held out the flyer to her. Soliette waved her hand.

    It was a rejection.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±

    I left the flyer in the air.

    A single piece of paper fluttering down. Soliette, who didn¡¯t seem interested.

    ¡°But, you know. That cigarette¡­¡±

    Looking at her still smoking, I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

    I knew.

    At this time, she doesn¡¯t need anyone or anything.

    Whatever I say, it¡¯s just unnecessary meddling.

    ¡°Smoke moderately. Before you regret itter.¡±

    But well, this is something you first said to me.

    You¡¯re the one who once asked me to live healthily.

    ¡°¡­Me? Why are you suddenly preaching?¡±

    Soliette red at me like that, and I turned around with a smile.

    I walked down the forest path she had pointed out. The dense weeds rustled. Somewhere, owls hooted.

    Strangely, I felt good.

 Chapter 15: Paper Birds (1)

    <strong>Paper Birds (1)</strong>

    Trill-trill¡ª¡ª trill-trill¡ª¡ª

    An rm is ringing on my smartphone.

    Trill-trill¡ª¡ª trill-trill¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡±

    A text rm trying to wake me up.

    Trill-trill¡ª¡ª trill-trill¡ª¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡­Aargh.¡±

    Trill-trill¡ª¡ª trill-trill¡ª¡ª

    Writhing in agony, I finally couldn¡¯t bear it and sat up.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    I reached out and picked up my smartphone.

    It was 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

    ¡°Who the fuck is¡­¡­?!¡±

    I was cursing when my eyes widened. I snapped to attention.

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Excuse me ¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Can you take a request^¨Œ^]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Excuse me ¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Excuse me ¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï]

    They seemed like a lunatic, but it was a request text.

    I hastily tapped on the screen.

    [I can. Please tell me what you need.]

    A reply came immediately.

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Well.. I have an assignment.. But this is confidential, right? £þ-£þ]

    [Yes. Confidentiality is strictly maintained.]

    Then several photos were sent.

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Photo]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Photo]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Photo]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Photo]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Photo]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : These.. Can you do it?]

    ¡°¡­¡­Who is this?¡±

    Fivendscape pictures in total, with the assignment from the Tuesday elective ¡®Latinel I¡¯ written underneath: [Describe each of the abovendscapes in over 1,000 characters.]

    I was slightly taken aback, but I replied immediately.

    [I can. However, the quality of the assignment should be simr to your level. If it¡¯s too good or too bad, you run the risk of being suspected. Please send me a brief three-line Latinel writing that you¡¯ve done yourself.]

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Oh (emoji) Okay. Just a moment~]

    ¡°Is it La?¡±

    I¡¯m not sure.

    The text itself looks a bit dumb.

    Trill-

    My smartphone rang again. It was the client¡¯s Latinel writing.

    [#85 000-324-5839: Harbor. The clouds are floating. A ship is docked. A few people watch the boats in the harbor. The sun is shining. It looks hot. It is actually hot. I¡¯m sweating. Summer.]

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s La.¡±

    Almost 90% it¡¯s her. My first partner when I first entered the Endex in my freshman year.

    The psycho who went berserk, threatening to cut my finger because I crossed the desk line a little.

    [Confirmed. It¡¯s 500 Ren. 50% in advance.]

    I deliberately asked for a high price.

    Whether it¡¯s Lalya or not, 500 Ren is a small change to the nobles learning Latinel.

    [#85 000-324-5839 : How do I send it?]

    [You can purchase a department store gift card in Messenger, take a picture of the barcode, and send it.]

    I was going to give my ount number but decided against it.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter if I was found out, but there¡¯s no good in being found out.

    [#85 000-324-5839 : Here. Advance payment.]

    Immediately, the barcode of a department store gift card came. Not 250 Ren, but 500 Ren.

    ¡°I said the advance payment was 250 Ren.¡±

    Did they understand the advance payment as 500 Ren?

    Well, that¡¯s good for me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Of all ces, it had to be Libra Department Store.¡±

    Libra Department Store gift certificate.

    It was a bit irksome due to my old habit¡ªboycotting any and all goods rted to Libra before my regression¡ªbut I decided not to be petty about that anymore.

    So, it¡¯s rather good. It¡¯s the most popr gift certificate, so even if I cash it in, themission is only about 3~4%.

    [Yes. Please wait for 30 minutes.]

    Having replied, I sat at my desk and picked up a pencil.

    * * *

    3 a.m. A luxurious vi in a cypress forest.

    Having finished her day¡¯s work, Elise is lying on the sofa, looking at her smartphone to rx.

    Kuaaa-! Kssssss¡ª!

    She gently snaps her fingers, drowning out the white noise of Asher and Kain¡¯s martial arts fight outside the window.

    [Bn: Elise. How about Dorsia this week? I barely managed to make a reservation.]

    [Hmm. Not sure.]

    [Tyric: Saw your interview. Yourments were cool.]

    [Thanks.]

    [Silbin: My dad also mentioned you, Elise haha, Are you thinking about writing an article?]

    [Not really interested in writing articles.]

    Here, Bn is the second son of the conglomerate Lostday, Tyric is the youngest son of a congressman, and Silbin is the eldest son of the Versio Knights¡¯mander.

    Following her father¡¯s advice, she¡¯s managing her connections to some extent, but Elise finds it all rather bothersome.

    Because she can guess what these people might be thinking.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Her mother¡ªand other people¡ªsay that being pretty is a sin, but no matter how much she thinks about it, it¡¯s an irresponsibly cruel statement.

    This excessive and vulgar attention focused on her appearance, these annoyances, are they all supposedly ¡®my fault for being pretty¡¯? It doesn¡¯t make sense.

    Beauty is innocent.

    It¡¯s the flies that stick around without knowing their ce that are guilty.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elise. I finished my Latinelposition.¡±

    At that moment, La appeared from the corner of her vision. She extended five sheets of paper with a slightly tense expression.

    Elise raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. This. Can you check if the meaning and interpretation are correct?¡±

    Elise took it from her. An assignment to describe fivendscapes in Latinel. With a condition of more than 1,000 characters per page, it¡¯s quite a hassle¡­¡­

    Elise sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do it, did you?¡±

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    La mped her mouth shut, startled by the pointed remark.

    ¡°How did you know? Was it obvious?!¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that obvious.¡±

    Thenguage proficiency, sentence structure, and word difficulty aren¡¯t particrly high.

    La, it¡¯s just a bit better than your level. I wouldn¡¯t suspect a ghostwriter.¡±

    ¡°Really?! Awesome! But how did you know?¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done all this in one day.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    La¡¯s talent is exceptional. To be frank, she¡¯s on par with, if not superior to, Elise.

    The problem is, she doesn¡¯t put in the effort.

    La has the highest potential of the ¡®Spectrum¡¯ among the people Elise knows, but at the same time, she¡¯s theziest and loves to y the most.

    Especially, she despises physical training so much that her athletic ability is even less than that of an average middle school student.

    ¡°So, you mean you didn¡¯t suspect me, right~?¡±

    La was sprawled on the sofa, grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯d rmend doing it on your own if possible¡­ Who did you hire?¡±

    Latinel is the highest and oldestnguage. As an ancient civilization, countless words have yet to be deciphered, making thenguage itself a form of social power.

    The high cost of textbooks reflects this, and many prideful linguistics professors and fallen nobles speak Latinel.

    Therefore, if someone is willing to ghostwrite a Latinel assignment, they¡¯re likely to be someone Elise knows-

    ¡°I asked on a flyer?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°This one.¡±

    La handed over a crumpled piece of paper.

    [At Your Service.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise stared nkly at it. La chuckled and said,

    ¡°Elise, you should try it too~ They do a good job.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°It only costs 1,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°1,000 Ren?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. 500 Ren upfront, and 500 Ren uponpletion.¡±

    1,000 Ren. Considering the hourly rate of Elise¡¯s weekly Latinel tutoring, it¡¯s incredibly cheap.

    ¡°Forget it. What can I learn from someone who does such a simple assignment?¡±

    Elise shrugged.

    The result is bound to be amateurish. It¡¯s not at all awkward for La¡¯s level.

    ¡°No~ I asked them to adjust it to my level.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise was slightly interested in that statement, but soon shook her head and stood up.

    ¡°More importantly, when are you going home?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did your car arrive, Elise? Then take me with you. Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Elise and La left the vi together.

    ¡°Are you guys leaving now?¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow~¡±

    Two men waving their hands in the grassy yard, soaked in sweat.

    Elise waved back lightly and got into the sedan with La. She immediately spoke to the driver, who was gripping the steering wheel.

    ¡°Drop La off first today.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Haah~ I¡¯m going to sleep for a bit.¡±

    As soon as the car started, La fell asleep. Elise, with her arms crossed, was memorizing Latinel vocabry when she nced at La.

    The flyer sticking out of La¡¯s pocket.

    ¡°¡­Hmph.¡±

    She wondered if she couldplete the assignment with something like that. Even for La, it seemed a bit pathetic. When will this guy grow up?

    Elise shifted her gaze to the window.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her eyes fell back on the flyer.

    There was no particr reason.

    She was just curious.

    Curious about who was selling their knowledge of Latinel as a mere errand.

    She checked the phone number on the flyer with a quick side nce¡­

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    And saved it on her smartphone.

    * * *

    Wednesday.

    This morning was particrly tiring, but my mood was particrly good. It was thanks to earning 1,000 Ren overnight.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t be too excited.

    Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are the days with college board assignments.

    On those days, it¡¯s more of a summons than going to school, so everyone always gathers at Clemen Hall.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s quiet.¡±

    I arrived at Clemen Hall at 8:45. It was still quiet, probably because there was still time until 9:00. Everyone seemed busy with meditation, studying, or breakfast.

    I sat down in any seat. Unconsciously, I found a certain head. It was the only red hair in Endex.

    Soliette.

    Since our meeting that day, my eyes have always been searching for her.

    No, they naturally find her.

    Because she¡¯s such a special person.

    While admiring her back with my chin resting on my hand, the front door of the hall opened.

    ¡°Nice to meet you~¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    A rather lively voice echoed. Everyone was taken aback and turned to look in that direction.

    A girl with pigtails wasing in, holding a box in her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m ¡®Asillen ¡®, the person in charge sent from the University Association~ Why isn¡¯t it Chedric? We all have schedules too~ Three or four of us will take turns evaluating you~¡±

    She cheerfully introduced herself and put down a ¡®box¡¯ on the desk. Then, she quickly pulled out a file and read it.

    ¡°Endex¡¯s college board. From thest assignment, out of a total of 153 people, 26 failed, so from today, it will proceed with 127 people~?¡±

    As she said, the ce was a bit empty.

    From the start, the college board has a national pass rate of 25%, and even in Endex, it¡¯s a brutal process that only goes around 40~50%.

    ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t 127 still too many~?¡±

    Asillen muttered ominously while looking at her wristwatch. I also checked the time on my smartphone.

    9:03 AM.

    ¡°Anyway. The ability I will evaluate today is ¡®Mana Observation¡¯~¡±

    Snap- Asillen flicked her finger. Then, a fireball sprang up in the air.

    It was a blue-colored ¡¸Will-o¡¯-the-wisp¡¹.

    ¡°But before that, let¡¯s exin briefly. What is a ¡®Magic Form¡¯~?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a form made of mana.¡±

    The immediate response.

    Of course, it¡¯s Elise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ A form made of mana. A magic form can implement a very simple magical phenomenon. Like this will-o¡¯-the-wisp. Then, what is a ¡®magic spell form¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a spell made of two or more magic forms.¡±

    This time, too, it was Elise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ A spell made of two or more magic forms is a magic spell form. With this magic spell form, you can implement much moreplex and amazing phenomena than a magic form. Like flying an airship, expanding space, and so on~¡±

    I also know the basics.

    The appearance of a ¡®magic form¡¯ is aplex figure where circles and lines are intricately intertwined.

    If two or more of theseplex figures are connected, it¡¯s a ¡®spell¡¯.

    When this spell ispleted in the correct order, then a ¡®magic spell form¡¯ is implemented.

    ¡°What do you all see this will-o¡¯-the-wisp as~? First, the one with yellow hair!¡±

    Asillen pointed at me.

    Why me again.

    ¡°What do you see this fire as? Answer me.¡±

    The blue ¡¸Will-o¡¯-the-wisp¡¹ flickering in the air.

    ¡°¡­¡­It looks like fire.¡±

    Fire is fire, what else?

    Then Asillen shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°Nope! Anyone knows the answer?¡±

    Elise raised her hand.

    ¡°Good, you there!¡±

    ¡°It appears as a magic form.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Asillen raised her finger. From its tip, mana sprouted like a stem and formed a ¡®form¡¯.

    ¡°This is the magic form of the ¡®Will-o¡¯-the-wisp¡¯.

    Asillen looked at me.

    ¡°If you all really want to live with mana, you should be able to observe ¡®phenomena¡¯ in a ¡®magical¡¯ way like this. Those who ept phenomena as they are, are not professionals~¡±

    She said, looking at me and grinning.

    ¡°Got it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I remained silent. Then Asillen bit her lower lip slightly.

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Asillen, who nodded, smiled again.

    ¡°Then, how should we observe this magic form?¡±

    ¡°With the eyes of a mage.¡±

    This time, too, it was Elise. Asillen made her fingers like a gun and pointed at her.

    ¡°Right~ Of course, you can also get help from tools. But, the help of tools is limited, right? You can¡¯t be pulling out a microscope in a pressing situation~ Ultimately, you have to see with your naked eye, that is~¡±

    Asillen pointed at her own eyes. She forced them wide open.

    ¡°The easiest way is, of course, the Magic Body. It¡¯s about connecting the mana passage of the meridian to the optic nerve and sending mana through it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    At that moment, I felt a chill.

    In the end, it¡¯s all about the magic body.

    It¡¯s all about the meridian.

    ¡°Feeding mana to the eyes is the easiest part of the meridian. It¡¯s the basics of the basics.¡±

    It¡¯s an impossible basic for a terminal cancer patient.

    ¡°So, if you can¡¯t even do that in today¡¯s assignment, you won¡¯t be able to avoid failing, right?¡±

    Asillen, who had said up to that point, gripped the lid of the box.

    ¡°So, now we¡¯re going to start the official evaluation task~¡±

    Snap-! She flung it open. From inside, paper birds noisily sprang out.

    p p p¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s surprising!¡±

    ¡°Eh!¡±

    The seniors each watched them with surprised faces.

    The size and appearance of the paper birds varied, but they all flew out the window in the same way.

 Chapter 16: Paper Birds (2)

    <strong>Paper Birds (2)</strong>

    ¡°Alright~! The paper birds have flown out the window~¡±

    The paper birds disappeared into the distant sky. The retinas of the seniors watching them turned blue, as if they were trying to leave traces of the paper birds in their eyes by filling their optic nerves with mana.

    Of course, I just sat there.

    ¡°There are a total of 100, and of course, these paper birds were also made with magic forms!¡±

    Asillen tapped her wristwatch, tap-tap.

    ¡°It¡¯s 9:25 now, so catch them from 9:30 to 1:00! You¡¯ll get 1CP for catching exactly one bird, no more, no less. However, depending on which bird you catch, bonus CPs will be added!¡±

    The difficulty of the birds was marked on the ckboard.

    The smaller the size, the fainter the trace left when flying, the higher it seemed.

    Here, ¡®Traces¡¯ refer to the ¡®traces of mana¡¯. Because everything made of mana inevitably leaves a trace.

    ¡°The seven hardest birds to catch are a bonus of 1.5CP. The next hardest ones have bonus points of less than 1CP!¡±

    The seniors were about to get up from their seats.

    ¡°Listen to the end~ I have to exin the second ss, too.¡±

    They sat back down.

    ¡°In the second ss, from 1:10 to 3:00, you will observe the magic form of the caught paper bird and write a report. Depending on thepleteness, up to 3 points of CP will be given! Do you understand?¡±

    Asillen looked around at the students.

    ¡°¡­¡­I.¡±

    Then someone raised their hand. It was a somewhat timid-looking man.

    ¡°We are, uh, 127 people, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°I know~¡±

    ¡°Then, inevitably, the students who can¡¯t catch a bird-¡±

    ¡°They will naturally fail.¡±

    Asillen cut off the student¡¯s words. It was a voice of contempt.

    ¡°There are too many of you, 127. The college board is not a learning process, it¡¯s a stage to prove what you¡¯ve learned.¡±

    She muttered a bit coldly, then smiled brightly again.

    ¡°But! If you can¡¯t catch it, you can borrow a paper bird~ I¡¯ll allow you to steal or snatch it until 1 o¡¯clock! However, if you submit the same magic form of the paper bird, I will only give points to the one with higherpleteness.¡±

    In other words, if two people analyze bird A, they don¡¯t give points to both, but only to the better one.

    If you can¡¯t catch a paper bird, you fail.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been 30 minutes now!¡±

    Asillen shouted in a bright voice.

    ¡°Start!¡±

    At that moment, everyone ran outside.

    I was swept away without realizing it.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡­What am I supposed to do.¡±

    I¡¯m walking down the street looking at the sky. I think I¡¯ve been moving outside for about 30 minutes, but I can¡¯t see a single paper bird.

    How far could they have flown in 10 minutes.

    ¡°There were turkeys too, weren¡¯t there.¡±

    Turkeys, pheasants, peacocks, pelicans, I¡¯m sure there were big ones like that.

    ¡°Can¡¯t seem to find any, what a wild goose chase.¡±

    I scratched the back of my neck.

    Probably, the task is not to chase with bare body and bare eyes like me.

    Paper birds naturally operate with mana. The intention of the examiner would be to detect that mana or to track the mana path left on the path.

    I can¡¯t do it.

    I never received proper training. I¡¯ve never been taught to develop mana affinity.

    Abilities rted to mana are extremely important for prior learning.

    ¡°¡­Where should I go?¡±

    Before I knew it, I was outside the main entrance of the Endex.

    This is the street known as the ¡®Magic Market¡¯. It¡¯s filled with shops selling herbs, textbooks, and artifacts.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Suddenly, I stopped in front of a sign.

    [Artifact Shop: Thrice Manaology].

    Items and machines rted to mana are usually called ¡®artifacts¡¯, and this is a shop that specializes in handling them.

    I stretched my neck to look beyond the ss window.

    There were many items like mana spectrometers, disassemblers, catalysts, but an artifact that looked like a monocle caught my eye the most.

    Suddenly¡ª¡ª Asillen¡¯s words echoed in my ears.

    -Of course, you can get help from tools. But, the help of tools is limited, isn¡¯t it?

    The help of tools.

    I casually opened the door.

    ¡°Excuse me. Is anyone there?¡±

    Then, the owner appeared from behind the counter. He was an old man in a suit, but he was robust. He raised his eyebrows as he wiped a prism with a white handkerchief.

    I pointed to the monocle.

    ¡°What is this? A mana microscope?¡±

    The owner shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s much better than that. It¡¯s called a magic optical microscope, almost at the level of an artifact. The model is SZX-9500.¡±

    Artifact level, huh. That¡¯s a tempting phrase.

    ¡°With this, can I see magic forms?¡±

    ¡°Exaggerating a bit, you can even see mana particles.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I nodded my head. With this, I could find something like a paper bird right away¡­.

    Suddenly, a current flowed through my brain.

    Zing- My fingers trembled.

    ¡°¡­Can I touch this?¡±

    Then, the owner silently looked at my name tag.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Are you an Endex student?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m in ss. College board.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You must be in the same grade as the youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Youngdy¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Miss La.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Only then did I look at the wall of the artifact shop. The patterns embroidered on the wallpaper itself were the symbol of the Hilton family.

    ¡°This is a Hilton brand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you close with the youngdy?¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯re not close.¡±

    La was an incredibly wealthy person before and after regression, but I didn¡¯t particrly want to get close.

    ¡°Then you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re close. I almost lost a finger because of her.¡±

    The owner showed a small smile.

    ¡°Then touch it gently. That tiny thing is 300,000 Ren. It¡¯s such a sensitive artifact that it can easily break.¡±

    ¡°¡­300,000.¡±

    300,000 Ren.

    The amount of money that can receive various high-end treatments including cancer treatment for a year without any worries.

    I suddenly thought it was very unreasonable and shitty, but the world is originally shitty. It doesn¡¯t change byining. Rather, it¡¯s just treated like a fool.

    ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡±

    Anyway, can I ¡®remember¡¯ such an expensive andplex artifact?

    Let¡¯s try it first.

    I swallowed my saliva with the magic optical microscope SZX-9500 on my palm.

    I murmured quietly.

    ¡°¡­Memorize.¡±

    Suddenly, the muscles inside my chest contracted strongly. The vision almostpletely faded. My waist naturally bent.

    ¡°Khuh¡­¡­.¡±

    Trembling, I opened the ¡°Notepad¡±.

    [85 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    ©¸Heart

    ©¸Latinel I

    ©¸Untitled

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +8

    The capacity was exactly 70%, filled up to 70%, and more than half of the mana was consumed, but somehow, I remembered.

    I returned the magic microscope and bowed my head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank for. You only touched it.¡±

    It made sense when I heard it.

    * * *

    I went back to the street.

    My heart still ached a bit, but there was no time to rest.

    I slowly lifted my head. In that posture of looking up at the sky, I closed my eyes.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±

    A deep breath that rxed my whole body.

    Then, I summoned the SZX-9500 to my naked eye.

    [¡ª¡ªLoad]

    For a moment, my entire eyeball felt like it was burning. It felt like a cold needle was poking at my retina.

    I opened my eyes again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

    It wasn¡¯t the world I knew.

    Had the ¡°memory¡± I summoned into my eyes dyed my vision like a microscope?

    What I saw became clearer, and I could see things I couldn¡¯t see before.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that it?¡±

    The streaks of mana strewn across the high sky. The traces left by a hundred paper birds are imprinted on my retina.

    Their colors, textures, and rity are all different. Faint or bold, warm or blue, white or dark.

    Among them, there is a particrly thin and pale white band that seems to crumble if I hold it in my hand.

    I followed it.

    I circled the streets through the magic market of the Index, climbed up the steep road with difficulty.

    I reached the back mountain of the Endex site.

    I stood at the entrance and observed the scenery. I zoomed in on where the ¡®band¡¯ led.

    The ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹ instantly magnified hundreds of times, piercing the other side. A vast wide-angle view was captured at a nce.

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    A huge tree with countless branches, and a very small paper bird sitting on it. A sparrow-like creature.

    I quickly held my breath.

    Bending down, I moved forward quietly.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­I walked up the mountain path as if I were sleepwalking for several tens of minutes.

    ¡ª¡ªChirp chirp.

    Before I knew it, I heard the sound of a sparrow from a tree that had gotten closer. It was within sight even with the naked eye.

    This should do it.

    I picked up a pebble from the ground.

    Chirp chirp¡ª¡ª

    Just as the sparrow chirped and pped its wings, I took advantage of the opportunity and threw the pebble.

    Thud-

    The creature, hit in the head, fainted and fell to the base of the tree.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    After nearly an hour, I straightened up. I approached, rubbing my stiff back, and picked up the sparrow.

    ¡°¡­¡­That was easy.¡±

    Surprisingly easy. Although there was almost no mana left in the retina, and I had sweated so much from moving quietly that I was on the verge of dehydration.

    I turned around with the paper bird in one hand.

    Just as I was about to go down the way I came up.

    -It¡¯s up here, right?

    -Yes, just follow.

    There were guys approaching this way.

    A gang all too familiar.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh? What¡¯s that guy doing there?¡±

    The guys looked up at me from the bottom of the mountain path, and I looked down at them.

    The guy in the front, literally blocking my path, was Elise for some reason. Behind her were Kain and Asher, standing like bodyguards.

    ¡°That bastard¡­¡±

    Kain spotted me. More precisely, the sparrow in my hand.

    ¡°Did youe to find this?¡±

    I asked, showing the sparrow. Elise didn¡¯t answer. Instead, Asher took a step forward.

    ¡°Oh~ right, right. Rat. I came to find that, but there¡¯s no one around?¡±

    He smirked, creaking his neck from side to side as he added.

    ¡°The person in charge definitely said it¡¯s okay to steal or snatch. You heard it too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I heard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Whatever you do at the college board is legal. They say students die every year frompetition.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I just nced at Elise. She was still serene, gazing at me with her emotionless eyes, her contempt hidden.

    I was in a quandary.

    Should I fight?

    Or should I run away?

    Either way, both seem impossible. I¡¯m almost out of mana now.

    ¡°What are you doing? Are you scared? Why are you just standing there?¡±

    Asher asked, chuckling.

    Then, an idea popped into my head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    It seemed like a pretty ingenious idea. If it works as I think.

    I focused my eyes on the paper bird in my palm. I squeezed out thest remaining mana and summoned the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹.

    ¡°Kuh.¡±

    My vision briefly changed again, apanied by pain.

    The magic form engraved inside the sparrow was revealed. It was very small, but countless lines and shapes of mana were tangled inside.

    I remembered it clearly. I meticulously captured the very minor parts of the form, and even the flow of mana circting the circuit, into the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ as if taking a picture.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Will you get beaten, or will you just give it up?¡±

    Asher cursed. I ignored him. Because Asher is ackey. Because the real noble among those bastards is someone else.

    Elise.

    I looked at her and went down the mountain path.

    ¡°Hey buddy~ Why are you like this~ I don¡¯t like beating kids~¡±

    ¡°Wow~ That bastard really seems to want to fight¡±

    Asher and Kain loosened up. The two of them cracked their necks, shoulders, and fingers in turn, took off their outerwear, loosened their watches, and prepared to fight with all sorts of nonsense.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    I offered the paper bird to Elise.

    Let¡¯s go peacefully, peacefully.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise slightly furrowed her brow. Kain and Asher blinked their eyes with dumbfounded expressions.

    ¡°Take it. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    Despite my urging, Elise just stared at the paper bird. As if she was suspicious of something.

    ¡°Why? You were going to rob me anyway. I¡¯m just giving it to you.¡±

    I tried to put the paper bird directly into Elise¡¯s hand, but-

    ¡°Has this crazy bastard lost his mind?¡±

    Kain suddenly grabbed me by the cor. My body was lifted into the air, and the paper bird fell to the ground. It was quite a powerful grip.

    I was slightly out of breath.

    No, I was seriously out of breath.

    ¡°You moronic bastard, who do you think you¡¯re touching-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. He¡¯s giving it. It¡¯s not fake. I don¡¯t know how he found it, but he did.¡±

    Elise twisted her lips expressionlessly. Kain immediately let go of me.

    ¡°Cough.¡±

    As soon as my feet touched the ground, I was gasping for breath. Kain pushed my shoulder.

    ¡°Hey, prick. Know your ce. Before you end up crippled.¡±

    ¡°Ah, my throat hurts.¡±

    I rubbed my throat and looked at Elise. The paper bird was already in her hand.

    ¡°You, make sure you use it. Because I gave it to you.¡±

    I earnestly requested Elise. Sincerely, I hope you get to use it.

    But this woman, instead of thanking me, squinted her eyes as if it was ridiculous.

    ¡°A psychological victory, huh. How petty. Just like you.¡±

    Then she turned around gracefully. Like she was dancing a waltz.

    ¡°Ah~ what a waste. I was looking forward to beating the shit out of Shion.¡±

    ¡°You should know that you¡¯re alive thanks to Elise.¡±

    Asher and Kain followed Elise, chattering away.

    ¡°¡­¡­Those bastards are always following Elise.¡±

    I licked my lips as I watched their retreating figures.

    I did ask Elise, but in fact, it doesn¡¯t really matter who submits that paper bird.

    Whoever submits it will get zero points.

    Even if their eyes are good, they can¡¯t be better than my ¡¸Magic Microscope: SZX-9500¡¹.

 Chapter 17: Paper Birds (3)

    <strong>Paper Birds (3)</strong>

    ¡ª??????.

    At precisely 1 p.m., the bell rang, signaling the end of the first period at the College Board.

    I was in the Endex Correction.

    Of course, I was empty-handed. I no longer had the mana to summon the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹, and I didn¡¯t even feel like catching it anymore.

    ¡°Haah.¡±

    I yawned and leisurely returned to the Clemen Hall.

    -¡°You¡¯ve caught one of the seven most difficult ones. Congrattions! What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Inside Clemen Hall, it seemed that the scoring was already underway.

    -¡°Elise Petra.¡±

    A name that flowed particrly clearly from beyond the door.

    A voice that you could recognize just by the tone.

    Damn woman.

    I opened the door to Clemen Hall.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    Gerkhen. With an icy face, he showed his paper bird to Asillen.

    I quietly sat in the very back.

    ¡°A sparrow~! You¡¯ve caught this little one very well! You also get a bonus CP of 1.5 points!¡±

    Asillen, who had scored Gerkhen, quickly turned to look at me.

    ¡°Name?¡±

    I answered briefly.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Asillen flicked her head and scanned me up and down.

    ¡°No bird, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shing-!

    A line drawn on the scoring paper.

    It seemed I was thest, as Asillen returned to the podium.

    ¡°There are a total of 33 seniors who didn¡¯t catch a paper bird, which is¡­¡­¡±

    She paused for a moment, then swept her gaze over the empty-handed ones, including me. The others also nced this way. Their expressions were filled with mockery, or relief.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite understandable!¡±

    What does she mean by ¡®understandable¡¯?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll distribute the answer sheets now~¡±

    She threw a bunch of answer sheets. The scattered sheets rearranged themselves in mid-air andnded in front of everyone¡¯s desks.

    ¡°Then, from now, 1:10 p.m. to 3 p.m.! Observe the paper bird and write the magic form on the answer sheet!¡±

    * * *

    Scribble- Scribble-

    The sound of pen tips etching on the answer sheets. asional sighs and silence. Unconsciously scratching their heads or touching the back of their necks, massaging their eyeballs.

    A typical exam scene, but there¡¯s one difference.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s noisy.¡±

    I nced at Elise.

    No one knows which paper bird¡¯s magic form she is observing and describing right now. They can¡¯t see it. Because she has a mana curtain around her.

    That too is a magic form. Cast by Elise herself.

    And not only her.

    Each of them is hiding their answer sheets and paper birds in the best way possible, preventing any ¡®peeking¡¯ or ¡®cheating¡¯.

    In fact, the 32 who failed to secure a paper bird are eagerly seeking a chance for aeback.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    On the other hand, I¡¯m rxed.

    Of course, because I don¡¯t have a paper bird in my hands right now. I have no intention of stealing or peeking.

    Therefore, I can screw over ¡®one¡¯ person. I can sprinkle a bit of spicy chili powder.

    I hope that ¡®one¡¯ who will get a taste of that chili powder is Elise¡­¡­.

    I picked up my pen. First, I wrote [Shion Ascal] in the name field of the answer sheet.

    Even without a paper bird, an answer can be written. That¡¯s the most important clue for this assignment.

    -However, if you submit the same paper bird¡¯s magic form, only the one with higherpleteness will be scored.

    If more than one answer sheet is submitted for the same bird, only the more perfect answer is scored.

    Moreover, the score that can be obtained in the second period is even greater than that of the first period.

    You¡¯re behind.

    I opened my notepad with a small smile.

    [91 / 100]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    ©¸Heart

    ©¸Latinel I

    ©¸Paper Sparrow

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +6

    The magic form of the paper sparrow is already remembered in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    So, what I have to do is simple.

    Just copy and paste this memory onto the answer sheet.

    [¡ª¡ªLoad]

    I clenched the pen and recalled the memory. Then my fingers wriggled on their own.

    With a swift stroke, as if drawing a line at random. But the result engraved on the answer sheet was the magic form of the sparrow, without a bit of error or hesitation.

    The correct answer that SZX-9500 observed most urately was drawn by borrowing my hand from the memory of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    Dozens of circles and triangles inscribed in them, magic form. Countless lines connecting the form (Ê½) to the magic form (ÐgÊ½). Even the cunningly hidden rune letters at the edges of such a pure magic form.

    Complete.

    I got up. I walked to the desk at the front and handed in my answer sheet.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. I will submit.¡±

    Then, the seniors who were focusing on the paper bird briefly focused on me.

    Of course, it¡¯s only for a moment. After checking my face, they sneered and poured all their nerves back into the paper bird.

    ¡°Ah, yes. Congrattions on the gold medal. Just leave it.¡±

    The person in charge, Asillen, even went so far as to not even lift his head and just kept using his smartphone.

    Iid the answer sheet on the desk and went outside.

    * * *

    3:10 PM.

    The point at which Wednesday¡¯s college board has already ended.

    In the hallway outside the Clemons Hall, Elise is looking at the reviews of today¡¯s college board on her smartphone.

    ¡ª¡ª¡¸ View all posts ¡¹¡ª¡ª

    : Paper bird, damn it, I¡¯m going to tear it apart as soon as I get home

    : Review of this assignment¡­¡­

    : Thoughts when angry or sad

    It¡¯s a studentmunity called ¡®Rbit¡¯.

    Since the college board is conducted not only in Endex but also in other magic schools, the atmosphere of themunity can roughly infer the difficulty.

    : [Deminol T] The overall difficulty of this year¡¯s college board is determined by the assignments of the first week.

    : [Getel T] Short analysis of today¡¯s assignment. Difficulty ¡ü

    It seems that not only themunity, but also the instructors on the admissions board think this college board is quite difficult.

    It¡¯s a very good signal for the top tier like herself. The harder it is, the more discrimination will intensify.

    ¡°Ah, my eyes hurt like hell. Elise. Have you finished everything?¡±

    Then Kain asked. His eyes were bloodshot like a ghost¡¯s.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t finish it all, damn it¡¯s so freaking tiny.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did well in the first period. Even if you only get two points in the second period, it¡¯s enough.¡±

    Given that the difficulty is quite high, being in the safe zone with about 80% of the maximum would be enough.

    The maximum CP given for this task is 5.5 points whenbined for the first and second periods. Therefore, surpassing 4.4 points is the boundary for the top tier.

    ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Kain chuckled, patting his chest.

    Bang bang¡ª¡ª!

    -You fucking asshole!

    Suddenly, there was a shout and amotion. Elise also turned to look in that direction.

    -What a shitty guy! It¡¯s your fault for getting robbed, and you¡¯re freaking out.

    -Don¡¯t fuck with me, you bitch. You fought and threw up like a fucking child!

    Two seniors were fighting. At first, they were exchanging punches, then one charged and knocked the other down.

    Elise watched with interest.

    Watching fights was a hobby of hers.

    -Fuck you!

    -Get off me, asshole, before I kill you!

    Although itcked the finesse of the UMFC (Ultimate Mana-Fighting Championship), there was some fun to be had in watching these lower-ss fights.

    Because they were so brutal and petty.

    ¡°Elly, what happens to the if your Secret Friend fails?¡±

    Suddenly, La asked with a worried face. Asher answered instead.

    ¡°When you write a withdrawal form, they ask who you think the Secret Friend is. Why, is your Secret Friend one of those fighting?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Why are you assuming!¡±

    La yelled angrily.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not, it¡¯s not. Why get so defensive.¡±

    ¡°You idiot!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, why again-¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Elise cut off their conversation.

    ¡°Can you guys definitely score over 4.4 points on this task?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks to you.¡±

    Asher smiled. Kain also chuckled and nodded his head.

    On the other hand, La, with a dissatisfied face, rested her chin on Elise¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Elly, when are you going to stop helping Asher and Kain~ I did everything by myself.¡±

    Elise raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Sharing brings joy, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    She knew. If she shared her talent now, it would return as a greater power in the distant future. The value of Kain and AEsheres not from them as individuals, but from their ¡®family¡¯.

    ¡°Wow¡­ should I cry?¡±

    Asher pretended to wipe away a tear.

    ¡°Stop being disgusting. You don¡¯t need to be grateful. After all, today¡¯s task was tailored for me, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Elise Petra. Her innate spectrum is ¡®mana itself¡¯.

    Mana control, coordination, agility, response, resonance, sensitivity, affinity, all her agility is perfect and innate.

    A prodigy.

    Elise has learned dozens of mana forms, and has even invented a few of her own.

    Therefore, in terms of ¡®magic¡¯ and ¡®mana¡¯ in general, Elise herself is confident that her ability to understand, assemble, andprehend forms is superior to even Gerkhen, Soliette, and most active members.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    She turned around.

    ¡°Huh? Where are you going? We were about to pop some champagne.¡±

    Kain asked. La also grabbed Elise¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°I want to go too!¡±

    Elise replied curtly.

    ¡°The library.¡±

    ¡°Right now?¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, the trio¡¯s faces turned sour. La quietly released her clenched wrist.

    Elise, on the other hand, asked back.

    ¡°For review and recap. What about you guys?¡±

    Today¡¯s assignment was rtively difficult.

    It involved infusing magic into one¡¯s eyes to track the trail of a paper bird, following its path, capturing the bird, and then observing the magic form thatposed the paper bird until one¡¯s eyes were about to burst¡­

    It was a grueling task that took a full seven hours.

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay. Take care.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Go. See you tomorrow.¡±

    Asher and Kain bid their farewells while backing away.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. I had a promise¡­¡±

    La also made an excuse about a promise and pulled out her smartphone.

    ¡°Do as you please.¡±

    Elise left the Clemen Hall alone.

    She sent a text to the college consultant while walking through the Endex correction.

    [I¡¯ll get a perfect score on the second assignment too.]

    The reply came back quickly.

    [JR: Confirmed. Were there any particr issues?]

    [Issues?]

    [JR: Yes. Any characters you feel threatened by, or would like to threaten. I can investigate at any time.]

    ¡°Particr issues¡­¡±

    Today¡¯s college board was smooth, but there was definitely something unsettling.

    Shion Ascal.

    Why did he give me the paper bird?

    No, how did he find that paper bird with a D- grade?

    Not only that, but everything else is questionable.

    Challenging the college board with a D- grade, showing off his rationality, suddenly acting like a different person, not being intimidated by Kain and Asher¡­

    While contemting, she arrived at the library.

    [Nothing like that. Except for the two you know.]

    Elise sent a reply to the consultant.

    He¡¯s not worth worrying about anyway.

    A bug that doesn¡¯t even deserve to be called ¡®trash¡¯. A worm crawling on the ground. No, an amoeba that can¡¯t even be a worm. A single-celled organism. A narian.

    That¡¯s Shion Ascal.

    Elise opened the library door, filled with contempt in her heart. She went up to the third floor, reserved for seniors.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Elise, who was standing at the entrance without thinking, widened her eyes slightly.

    The reading room reserved for seniors.

    There was one person in that ce, which was still empty at the beginning of the semester.

    It was surprising enough that there was someone there, but the identity of that person was even more surprising.

    He was a failing student.

    To be precise, a man who would fail tomorrow.

    The gold medalist who left just 15 minutes after the start of the second period.

    Shion Ascal.

    That trash, bug, worm, amoeba, single-celled organism, narian was sitting at a desk.

    What¡­ is he studying?

    Without realizing it, Elise nced at his book.

    [For Mages, Middle School-Level Magic Comprehension]

    A textbook of middle school level, which not only showed a significant drop in level, but also cast doubt on his intelligence.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unbelievable.

    Elise¡¯s eyes cooled down. An inexplicable disgust and hostility welled up. It was the sentiment of a Homo sapiens confronting an ape.

 Chapter 18: Paper Birds (4)

    <strong>Paper Birds (4)</strong>

    ¡°Throughout my life, I¡¯ve suffered a fair share of injustices that I couldn¡¯t change, whether I wanted to or not. My mother, whose face I can¡¯t even remember, was neglected in a hospital and died. My father was betrayed by the family he had served his whole life and died. And I, in turn, was diagnosed with brain tumor, leukemia, and terminal cancer.

    It felt like the world was telling me something.

    That I shouldn¡¯t be alive. That I was a mistake.

    Damn this world.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Despite everything, I managed to survive and now I¡¯m here in the library of Endex.

    [Magic for Mages, Middle School-Level Magic Comprehension]

    [Magic Theory to Magic Forms]

    Magic Theory.

    I¡¯m thinking of studying again the academic foundation of magic forms and magic spell forms.

    I¡¯ve always been an almost Mage ¨C a dropout from Magic Theory.

    I got full marks in theory by cheating through my ¡¸Notepad¡¹, and almost failed in practicals. That¡¯s how I maintained a bnce of a D grade.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    After borrowing a few books from the first floor, I went up to the third floor and sat down.

    I won¡¯t use the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Not only because it¡¯s running out of space, but also to see the difference between studying on my own and remembering things through the ¡®Memo Pad¡¯.

    I opened the first Magic Theory textbook.

    ¡ª¡ª[Magic Theory for Middle School Students: Introduction]¡ª¡ª

    Magic is the study of mana. It is the field thatputes, analyzes, andpares mana. No need to think of it asplicated. It¡¯s just ¡®math that quantifies mana and derives answers through various forms¡¯¡­.

    Just when I was concentrating and reading,

    A pleasant scent wafted in.

    It felt like a flower had bloomed at the tip of my nose, and instead of a flower, someone sat down across from me.

    A woman who silently appeared and startedying out her books.

    She rested her chin on one hand and mumbled as she flipped through the pages of her book.

    ¡°Magic Theory for Middle School Students¡­ how low-level. Are you a monkey?¡±

    I looked at her. She had an air of arrogance, as if she was unting her nobility.

    ¡°Congrattions on failing. Time to drop out.¡±

    Her name was Elise Petra, who calmly suggested dropping out.

    She¡¯s from the Petra family, who owns Petra University and University Hospital, as well as several otherrge hospitals of ¡®hospital level¡¯, and is the golden child of Baresi Petra, a two-term congressman.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    I quite despise and loathe this person. She¡¯srgely responsible for my ostracization.

    She said with a nk expression.

    ¡°Is that so. Can you handle it?¡±

    Her gaze remained fixed on her book as she delivered a short, clipped warning.

    A quick nce revealed that it was ¡®Magic Algorithm¡¯, a university-level textbook.

    I asked briefly.

    ¡°What do I have to handle? All the bullshit you¡¯ve been spouting?¡±

    At that, Elize¡¯s hand stopped abruptly. She raised her head with a small smile.

    One hand was resting on her chin, and the other was on the page of her book as she red at me.

    ¡°Do you even know why you¡¯re being ostracized?¡±

    What could this question mean? Does she want to know if I know why she hates me, or why she torments me?

    There may be various implications. It¡¯s notmon to have a screwed-up life like me.

    I responded.

    ¡°Ha, you of all people¡­?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The reason why Elise hated me from the start.

    I know it.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    I was treated for leukemia at Petra University Hospital when I was thirteen.

    However, I ¡®identally¡¯ learned about the hospital¡¯s corruption by ¡®someone¡¯ and passed it on to a journalist.

    At first, I didn¡¯t even know it was corruption.

    Because I was thirteen.

    I was merely curious about why they were trying to test a new drug on me instead of using the optimal medicine to treat leukemia, so I asked a journalist who was admitted to the same ward.

    Then the news of the kickback scandal broke out.

    The whole continent was boiling with news.

    Elise¡¯s father fell from the parliamentary election.

    So, was it my fault?

    ¡­No way.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I looked around the library for a moment. Fortunately, there were hardly any people because it was the beginning of the semester.

    I leaned my upper body towards Elise. She frowned, perhaps ufortable with my approach.

    ¡°Listen carefully.¡±

    Elise Petra.

    A person whose personality is as twisted as mine, both before and after regression, a person I quite dislike.

    For her, I whispered each word, each letter, with sincerity.

    ¡°Shut up. Before I rip your mouth open.¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression froze terrifyingly cold for a moment. Her lips and chin trembled slightly.

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Soon, sheughed as if she was choked. She brushed her hair with her fingers and asked.

    ¡°Do you¡­ have a few lives to spare?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I have two. Maybe three. I haven¡¯t checked.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a lunatic.¡±

    I stood up from my seat. Elise also immediately stood up and blocked my way.

    Our eye levels were still about the same.

    When we met again after she graduated from college, I was much taller.

    I said.

    ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t, will we fight? Do you think I can¡¯t beat a piece of trash like you?¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t hit you. Not yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯Not yet¡¯?¡±

    Unfortunately, if we fight, I¡¯ll be beaten up, and the Petra family is still a big burden.

    Even though they are only being pushed by Libra, they are ¡®at least¡¯ the 14th in the continent.

    ¡°Instead, take this.¡±

    I shoved my finger in her face. I raised my middle finger.

    ¡°¡­You!¡±

    Elise¡¯s expressionless face broke for a moment. The angle of her eyes shot up to 11:10. She reached out to grab my finger, but I quickly pulled it away.

    As I turned around and walked towards the library exit, I said.

    ¡°Oh right. You should manage your hospital better. The service was a mess.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t say anything. Frozen, she just stood there, ring at me.

    The vein popping on her neck was quite scary.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    I quickly ran out of the library.

    I walked down the stairs and stepped onto the asphalt of the schoolyard.

    Whooosh.

    The night wind was cold. I buttoned up my coat as I walked.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold, so cold.¡±

    As I said it, I felt refreshed inside, but a corner of my heart felt lonely.

    ¡°Ugh..¡±

    With each footstep echoing on the pavement, an old memory resonates in my ears.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    It¡¯s not my memory.

    It¡¯s a memory passed down to me.

    However, it¡¯s a very important memory.

    ording to that memory, my mother died in a hospital due to neglect.

    They said it was a stormy day.

    My mother had a car ident, and she was rushed to a nearby small hospital with the perpetrator.

    The victim was my mother, and the perpetrator was a car carrying a heavily pregnant woman.

    Both were seriously injured, and the harsh rainstorm made patient transfer impossible.

    So, could the hospital and the doctors only save one of them? Was the situation so cruel that they had no other choice?

    I don¡¯t know about that.

    However, the pregnant woman¡¯s secretary threatened the hospital, unting her family¡¯s influence. The hospital willingly focused on the ¡®more important¡¯ person.

    My mother was neglected.

    ¡ªI heard it was so.

    Only one nurse cared for her as shey dying alone in her bed.

    ¡ªIt was the nurse¡¯s testimony.

    No, it was her testimony to me alone, as she refused to testify in court.

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    A thought came to me btedly.

    I took out a Secret Friend card from my pocket and looked at the name written on it.

    [Elise Petra]

    Suddenly, I stopped and looked back.

    The library¡¯s ss window. There was a woman looking down at me from that ce, too brightpared to the night sky.

    That woman.

    The life that survived instead of my mother, whom I can¡¯t even remember.

    * * *

    ¡°Ah~ when will this end.¡±

    Late at night. Asillen was grading the papers in the university association¡¯s office.

    It¡¯s the most annoying task for a person in charge. Moreover, there are as many answer sheets in the index as there are people. Other magic schools only have about 50~60 people.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Asillen quickly skimmed through the answer sheets and marked the scores.

    The grading criteria are as follows.

    Observe the paper bird and present even the ¡®big picture¡¯ of the magic form for 0.5 points.Describe even a part of the ¡®magic circuit¡¯ correctly for 1 point.Up to 1 point depending on the overallpleteness.Detect even the existence of the ¡®rune¡¯ cleverly hidden for 0.5 points.

    A total of 3 points.

    The assignment itself is quite difficult, so there would be about 1% full marks across the continent.

    ¡°Elise, Soliette, Gerkhen¡­ They¡¯re 6-star prospects. They¡¯re really something.¡±

    There are three people in the index. The elite trio who received perfect scores.

    Asillen continued grading.

    [Kieli Baran ©¦1st Period : 2 CP ©¦ 2nd Period : 2.2 CP]

    [Jerome Bain ©¦1st Period : 0 CP ©¦ 2nd Period : 0 CP]

    [Kain Traxil ©¦1st Period : 2.5 CP ©¦ 2nd Period : 2 CP]

    She mechanically flipped through the 127 answer sheets,

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    And then she paused. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her body instinctively leaned forward.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    She stared wide-eyed.

    It was a magic form the size of a fist.

    It was small in size, but it was densely packed with magic circuits.

    Eighteen shapes, one hundred and ny-nine line segments, seven rune characters.

    The answer to ¡®Paper Sparrow¡¯ was depicted with such precision that the structure of the geometric form and theplex and subtle dynamics of the circuit were clearly described.

    She picked it up and turned it over.

    There were no errors. No mistakes.

    Even the smallest details, down to the shape of the runes, were as urate as if viewed under a microscope.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    She hurriedly checked the name.

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­Who is this?¡±

    She didn¡¯t recognize the name.

    She searched the university association¡¯s database.

    [Shion Ascal ©¦ Grade D-]

    More striking than the dismal grade of D- was the bright yellow buzz cut.

    ¡°Was it him?¡±

    She remembered the face, if not the name.

    He was already infamous at the university association. The fool who imed to aspire to be a Knight of Libra, yet had bashed a prism with a golf club.

    Libra hated nothing more than ignorance and vulgarity.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Asillen looked at the grading paper again.

    [Shion Ascal ©¦ 1st period: 0 CP]

    Shion Ascal, 1st period score 0CP.

    He hadn¡¯t caught the paper sparrow.

    In other words, he had written the answer by peeking at someone else¡¯s paper sparrow. Yet he had submitted such a perfect answer.

    And that too, within 15 minutes of the start of the 2nd period.

    ¡°Does this make sense? Is he physically strong?¡±

    If he was naturally robust, it would be entirely possible. After all, they say the more robust a person is, the better the efficiency of their body.

    If he could observe and remember such a small form with just a moment¡¯s ¡®nce¡¯, that would be super-efficient, beating most ¡®Spectrums¡¯.

    Why was such a guy graded D- in grades 1-3?

    No, if he had such eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have failed to catch the paper sparrow, would he?

    Anyway.

    Asillen wrote a score on Shion Ascal¡¯s answer sheet.

    [Shion Ascal ©¦ 1st period: 0 CP ©¦ 2nd period: 3.5 CP]

    The maximum CP that can be obtained in the 2nd period is 3, but the college board has something called ¡®discretion of the person in charge¡¯.

    Since, in the view of the person in charge, it was the most outstanding among all the answers in the index, discretionary score 0.5 points.

    Of course, to give a discretionary score, you have to submit documents to a university professor affiliated with the university association and get approval, but this answer sheet will convince that young senior.

    Asillen sent a message via the association messenger.

    [Teacher Theia, I gave one person a discretionary score. Please check.]

    The person being reported to was Theia Esil, a chair professor at Edsi National University.

    However, the two were the same age. A peer, but a far senior, and far above.

    [Theia Esil: I¡¯ve checked, but please be careful with typos in the future. It¡¯s not ¡®Teacher¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®Professor¡¯.]

    ¡°¡­Yeah, yeah~¡±

    Asillen was about to turn off the messenger.

    [Theia Esil: Also, discretionary scores are extremely important and sensitive in college admissions. Before reporting to me, go through at least three reviews, and have sufficient discussions with the other proctors¡­¡­]

    A long text befitting a young senior.

    Asillen replied while skimming through it.

    [Yes]

 Chapter 19: The Sword and You (1)

    <strong>The Sword and You (1)</strong>

    Around the time the morning sun rose, I opened my eyes in my temporary residence.

    ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡­¡±

    Though I call it a temporary dwelling, it has now be a proper living space. Thanks to the firece, it¡¯s warm, the bed is soft, and the interior is somewhat cozy, like a log cabin.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m so sleepy.¡±

    The current time is 8:40 AM.

    It¡¯s Thursday, the day of my elective course.

    I changed into my crumpled school uniform. I didn¡¯t forget to take my sword with me.

    The family sword passed down from my grandfather, a treasure of the Ascal family.

    Today¡¯s elective course is ¡°Swordsmanship.¡±

    There¡¯s no particr reason why I chose this ss.

    My father, Dale Ascal, was also a knight who wielded a sword.

    * * *

    ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m ¡®Jeoly,¡¯ in charge of the Thursday morning elective, Swordsmanship. Please take your seats.¡±

    The location for the Swordsmanship ss was a regr ssroom. There were quite a few seniors. At a nce, about 70.

    It¡¯s said to be the most popr elective, and it seems to be true.

    ¡°First, let me make this clear. I do not teach swordsmanship. You should have already mastered that. Swordsmanship is a ss that builds on your base.¡±

    It¡¯s a shame for someone like me whocks a base, but it¡¯s true. At the senior level, it¡¯s not about learning something new, but applying what you¡¯ve learned.

    ¡°So, how much do you all know about Swordsmanship?¡±

    The teacher named Jeoly asked the students. Then, someone raised their hand.

    ¡°Swordsmanship not only involves the practice of swordy but also involves dissecting its elements for study and analysis, and sometimes even creating new techniques.¡±

    It¡¯s Elise again.

    Why does she always take the same electives?

    I nced her way and our eyes met. Elise silently cursed at me with a nk expression.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. As Elise said, Swordsmanship is a discipline that involves practicing and studying swordy.¡±

    Jeoly looked around at the seniors as she continued.

    ¡°Therefore, a ¡®Swordsmen¡¯ and a ¡®Knights¡¯ are quite different. Really different. Amongst many renowned swordsmen, there are many who are not knights, and there are many knights who do not use swords at all. The same goes for Lord Centre, who established Swordsmanship.¡±

    In reality, swordsmen and knights are quite different.

    While swordsmen are pure swordsman schrs who devote themselves to swordy with only a sword and a pen, a knights belong to a group who values magic more than swordsmanship.

    Of course, nearly 50% of knights use swords as their primary weapon.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all probably heard of this. Swordsmanship passed down through families or dojos. What they call ¡®Arcane Swordsmanship¡¯.¡±

    Jeoly spoke seriously.

    ¡°But the term ¡®Arcane¡¯ cannot be used lightly. Only the ¡®Swordsmanship Association¡¯ can recognize an arcane. Any arcane not approved by the Swordsmanship Association is a scam. In that regard, there seems to be a descendant of the Arkne family here.¡±

    She pointed to the very back of the ssroom.

    At the mention of the name Arkne, my eyes widened, but I deliberately held my breath.

    ¡°The Arcane Swordsmanship of the Arkne family is indeed a 5-star swordsmanship recognized by the Swordsmanship Association.¡±

    Instead, I slowly looked back.

    There was a Soliette with a slightly stiff face, flushed red with half the intensity of her hair color.

    Some might mistake that expression for shyness, but no.

    It¡¯s disgust.

    ¡°Anyway, Swordsmanship is not about swinging your sword here and there to create a technique. First, let me demonstrate.¡±

    Jeoly drew her sword.

    ¡°I will use magic.¡±

    As she infused magic, her de glowed blue.

    ¡°Like this, if you swing your sword imbued with magic.¡±

    Lines of magic were drawn in the air.

    One line, two lines, three lines.

    ¡°These lines of magic mix like this. This is called a ¡®stroke.¡¯ Does anyone know their meaning?¡±

    ¡°A stroke is the smallest unit that constitutes swordsmanship. At least three strokes must be connected to form a technique.¡±

    Of course, it was Elise again. Jeoly smiled faintly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. When at least three strokes are intricately connected, it bes a technique, and the technique works like magic. Why, even though you¡¯re clearly swinging a sword, lightning falls from the sword, or the sword distorts space, or the swordsmanship itself is too artistic¡­ The purpose of Swordsmanship is to create, research, and understand such techniques.¡±

    Jeoly looked at the clock. Not even 20 minutes had passed since the start of the ss.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s the first ss today, let¡¯s just swing our swords a bit. Follow me.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°This is the Swordsmanship Training Room.¡±

    The ce Jeoly led us to be the [Swordsmanship Training Room] on the 7th floor of the senior building.

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡±

    I admired the interior structure.

    First, the 1st floor. There are quite a few doors on both sides of the corridor. They all seem to be personal training rooms, and at the end of the corridor, there are severalrge sparring arenas.

    Next, the 2nd floor, which you reach by climbing the stairs. A balcony where you can watch the inside of the personal training rooms and the arenas.

    ¡°Today¡¯s ss is simple. Half of the 70 students, thirty-five, will go into these personal rooms for 30 minutes.¡±

    Jeoly opened the door to a personal room. The students rushed in to look inside.

    A room with cameras on all sides. The floor is set with dirt, sand, and grass, and a desk, chair, and tablet PC are ced in the corner.

    ¡°35 of you will deploy any swordsmanship in here. Even the most basic swordsmanship is fine. At that time, the remaining 35 will go up to the 2nd floor balcony.¡±

    Jeoly closed the door to the training room and pointed to the stairs leading to the 2nd floor.

    ¡°You will watch the inside of the training room from the balcony. And you will write a report.¡±

    ¡°A report?¡±

    Elise asked.

    ¡°Yes. Observing and understanding swordsmanship with your eyes is as important as performing swordsmanship.¡±

    I looked at the faces of the surrounding students.

    To be precise, I found someone.

    Soliette Arkne.

    She was standing quietly in the corner of the training room. With a cold and stern expression, as if she had no interest in the ss.

    ¡°Alright then. Shall we start with Team 1 entering the training room? I will call the roll. Gerkhen Kal Doon, Demolli, Sethan¡­¡­¡±

    And Shion Ascal.

    I entered the private room. The first thing I did was check the cameras around the room.

    Were they set up to record and rey the swordsmanship?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    I looked up at the balcony overhead. No one was on my side. They must have all gone to Gerkhen.

    ¡ªFor the first lesson, just swing around as you like. It¡¯s okay to use the swordsmanship you¡¯ve already learned, or the swordsmanship from dojos or academies. If you want to create apletely new, unique form, that¡¯s okay too.

    Jeoly¡¯s voice echoed from the ceiling speaker.

    I casually picked up the Ascal family sword.

    ¡°¡­¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never unsheathed this.¡±

    A sword too shabby to be called a family sword, a sword I had to sell before my regression due to medical bills. Yet, it was our family¡¯s treasure.

    I haven¡¯t unsheathed this since my father passed away.

    It was a foolish stubbornness. A crazy, idiotic pride that I would be worthy of the family sword first.

    And then, as soon as I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I immediately sold it. I¡¯m a real idiot.

    Sreeung¡ª

    I unsheathed the sword.

    There was no decoration on the de. Simple but elegant, as if it was solely dedicated to the purpose of killing.

    I ced two fingers on the de. I stroked it from bottom to top, as if tuning a violin.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThat¡¯s when it happened.

    ¡­¡­Shion. What do you think a knight is?

    Suddenly, my father¡¯s voice whispered in my ear.

    At that moment, time rewound.

    Back to a distant past, as if my consciousness was being sucked in.

    ¡­¡­A knight is, well, a protector.

    Once, I had seen my father wielding this.

    It was a very old memory.

    To a mere four-year-old child, it was the sight of the coolest and strongest person in the world.

    ¡­¡­Chang!

    The sound of the sword rang out sharply. My father¡¯s figure faintly appeared in a corner of the garden like a mist.

    I just stared at him.

    ¡­¡­A form, simply put, is a sequence of movements. Horizontal cuts, vertical cuts, thrusts, pull cuts, push cuts, these single stroke movements add up to form one sequence.

    Fantasies buried in a corner of my memory drawer vividly resurfaced.

    ¡­¡­A routine is the movement that performs this form. This is why the same form can vary greatly from knight to knight. Some wield the form as softly as a petal, while others strike down as bluntly and heavily as a hammer.

    My father clenches his sword as he looks at young me. I meet his face, his wrinkles, the blond hair he passed on to me.

    As vivid asst night¡¯s events.

    ¡­¡­A sword path is the way of the sword that this form and routine embody. Once a sword path ispleted, it remains like a swordsman¡¯s fingerprint. Because there are infinite possibilities for a sword path, there can be no ¡®same swordsman¡¯ in this world.

    With the most perfectly refined posture, without a single deviation, a sword path that was as stubborn and direct as his personality.

    ¡­This was it.

    Somewhat btedly,

    Clearly before my eyes,

    His swordsmanshipes back to life.

    ¡­¡­This is the Ascal family¡¯s swordsmanship.

    The father of the past cut down the straw mannequin.

    ¡ª¡ªSwoosh!

    Immediately after, as if a switch was flicked.

    My Mana Heart activated on its own. Mana surged up suddenly. The pathways in my veins opened. Mana overflowed like steam, scorching my whole body, and at the same time cooling and sending shivers down my spine.

    I slowly opened my eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    My retinas were dyed blue.

    The world lit up brightly.

    The lighting inside the training room was intense, and I could see particles of drifting mana. My father¡¯s swordsmanship entered that space. The sword path that had been engraved in the wooden sword rose like an afterimage.

    I moved my body naturally. I followed the trajectory of memory with the Ascal sword. My father¡¯s basic form sprouted from my grip. The sword flowed, turned, and sprang up. Blue mana seeped in between the strokes like petals.

    The realm of selflessness.

    In such a euphoric resonance of the sword and self, I realized.

    This is not a mere ¡°memory¡±.

    It transcends mere recollection, turning memory entirely into my own¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸Manifestation¡¹.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    At some point, I stopped my sword dance. The vibration of the sword de btedly rushed into my heart. My whole body shuddered violently, then slowly subsided.

    Suddenly, I looked up at the balcony.

    ¡°Who¡­¡­.¡±

    For a moment, a presence brushed past and disappeared.

    It was red hair.

 Chapter 20: The Sword and You (2)

    <strong>The Sword and You (2)</strong>

    Soliette Arkne blinked, leaning against the balcony railing. She had just witnessed something intriguing, but she had involuntarily stepped back, fearing eye contact.

    ¡°Choosing who is also important.¡±

    The words as if someone was addressing her at that time.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    Soliette turned around.

    It was Elise. She approached, fluttering the report she held in one hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s efficient to choose someone with the potential to yield good results, so your analytical skills can shine, and write the report about them.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Soliette bowed her head slightly.

    Elise asked dryly.

    ¡°Is your body okay now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette did not answer.

    Elise asked again.

    ¡°It must be boring. This kind of ss, for you.¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    The conversation is cut short. piece by piece, it¡¯s not easy to continue.

    Because of this, Elise sometimes has doubts.

    Did we ever really get along in the past?

    ¡ªWow. Gerkhen is really good at that. He could sell that raw footage.

    ¡ªIs that improvisation?

    ¡ªHe¡¯s a genius. I¡¯m so jealous.

    Suddenly, amotion arose somewhere. Naturally, it was from Gerkhen¡¯s balcony. Out of 35, 30 were clinging to Gerkhen. Even Kain and Asher.

    ¡°Do you know?¡±

    Then Soliette asked. Elise turned to look at her.

    ¡°About Gerkhen?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I do know of him, although not very well.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about over there?¡±

    Soliette pointed somewhere else. Elise nced over and frowned deeply.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Do you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    Elise added with a small smile.

    ¡°He¡¯s a psycho. And a dropout.¡±

    Then Soliette nodded calmly.

    ¡°I see. He just performed a sword dance.¡±

    ¡°Sword dance?¡±

    Elise asked, furrowing her brows.

    A sword dance refers to ¡®the act of unfolding swordsmanship beautifully and smoothly, without pause or hesitation.¡¯

    It¡¯s a level that can only be demonstrated when one has a decent mastery of a specific swordsmanship.

    ¡°Yes. That person.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise pondered for a moment.

    Is it a joke? Or a prank?

    Soliette is such a humorless person that it¡¯s possible. No, the Arkne family itself is notorious for being humorless, a well-known as a boring lineage.

    ¡°¡­Hehe.¡±

    Elise forced augh. Soliette looked at her with a ¡®why are youughing?¡¯ expression. Elise¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What kind of reaction are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Reaction? It¡¯s true. It was a real sword dance, but it was ordinary.¡±

    Ordinary.

    Even the adjective ¡®ordinary¡¯ would be apliment for Shion Ascal¡¯s pathetic life.

    ¡°Take a look.¡±

    Soliette said as she pulled out a gum from her pocket.

    ¡°Video recording. A student ID would do.¡±

    There¡¯s a video room in one corner of the balcony. If you want to watch a specific senior¡¯s swordsmanship video, you just tag your student ID and borrow it.

    Elise pursed her lips.

    ¡°I know. But your name will be left if you watch it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my student ID.¡±

    Soliette said, while chewing gum.

    Elise¡¯s eyes sank deeply.

    ¡°Ah. I apologize. I¡¯m trying to quit smoking.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    Elise, who had lowered her head, smiled faintly again.

    It was understandable. She, who had been in a major ident, must still have deep scars in her body and mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the smoking room.¡±

    Soliette pped something onto Elise¡¯s chest.

    It was a student ID.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Without a word in reply, Soliette left, her hand buried in her pocket. Elize gazed down at the balcony.

    There was Shion, with his yellow buzzcut.

    ¡°Sword dance¡­¡±

    It was nonsense, but because it was Soliette¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯tpletely disregard it.

    Elise looked back at the video recording room behind her.

    Again, she looked at Soliette¡¯s student ID in her hand.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    She clicked her tongue and moved towards the video recording room.

    There was no particr reason. She was just curious. Not about Shion Ascal, but about the truth of Soliette¡¯s words.

    * * *

    ¡ª You have 5 minutes left. Please work hard until the shift change in 5 minutes.

    5 minutes before the shift, in the personal training room.

    I reyed the video of the swordsmanship I had just ¡®reproduced¡¯ on the tablet on the desk.

    ¡°¡­Not great.¡±

    A sigh slipped out.

    Of course, the movements were clean as if refined, but there was no inspiration in my father¡¯s swordsmanship. As always, Ascal¡¯s swordsmanship was utterly ordinary, and so was my father¡¯s talent.

    Even the ¡®wooden sword¡¯ I hold now is ambiguous.

    The Ascal sword is a long sword with a length of 1.5m, but it¡¯s not enough to take advantage of the range. It¡¯s only a little longer than an average longsword with just 1.5m, and it¡¯s definitely shorter than a spear.

    Simply put, it¡¯s a colorless, odorless long sword with no special advantages or disadvantages.

    A sword that resembles my father.

    Before the regression, I even abandoned this swordsmanship. During my time in the underworld, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to choose, I just swung whatever I had.

    To put it bluntly¡ª Ascal¡¯s swordsmanship is just a piece of trash that naturally fades and disappears.

    If it was great in the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t have been a low-ranking knight.

    ¡°So what.¡±

    Despite that, I won¡¯t abandon this sword. I won¡¯t sell it off like before.

    Ascal style.

    It¡¯s a clumsy swordsmanship called ¡®style¡¯, but I will consider this insufficient and pitiful thing as my root.

    A tree without roots cannot grow.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just change the basics a bit.¡±

    However, I don¡¯t intend to ept the family¡¯s basics as they are. To avoid repeating my father¡¯s future, to avoid bing a person like my father.

    I love and adore my father too much, but I can¡¯t respect him.

    ¡ª30 minutes have passed. We will now change shifts.

    It was time for the shift change.

    I came out of the training room and went up to the balcony, and the students on the balcony went into the training room to change shifts.

    Standing on the balcony with a report and pen instead of a sword.

    There are many people to watch.

    First of all, Elise. She bes the president of the university and the magic tower in 10 years, but she is also very talented in swordsmanship.

    There¡¯s no need to mention Kain and Asher, who originally aimed to be knights.

    ¡ªAh. She¡¯s starting.

    ¡ªJust standing there?

    ¡ªShush. Just watch.

    But there was a particr spot where people were especially bustling.

    I headed there too.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    As expected, it was Soliette Arkne.

    She stood still, clutching her sword.

    After a while, she swung her sword with a whoosh¡ª a line of magic rippled like a wave. From there, Soliette began to disy her swordsmanship.

    It was a simple form made up of 7-8 strokes, woven like a, but even that was enough to elicit admiration.

    ¡°¡ªWow!¡±

    The cheering gallery. There was already a movement as if to draw waiting tickets for the video recording room.

    However, I somehow fell into deep contemtion.

    ¡°¡­¡­She¡¯s definitely different.¡±

    The Soliette of now and the Soliette of the future are very different.

    I¡¯m not talking about skill or development.

    The Soliette here is reluctantly following Arkne¡¯s swordsmanship. Just like fulfilling a ¡®curriculum¡¯ set by her family.

    I have a rough idea of Arkne¡¯s vision swordsmanship. I¡¯ve faced it directly.

    To exin it in brief, Arkne isrgely a ¡®linked sword¡¯.

    The First Sword Form, the foundation, is the Eight-Sword. The Second Sword Form is the Qi Fire Sword and so on¡­¡­ A total of eleven Sword Formsplete Arkne¡¯s Vision Swordsmanship.

    For reference, Sword Forms are somewhere between sword techniques and initial forms. They are too much like sword techniques to be initial forms, but they are notplete on their own.

    Arkne¡¯s vision swordsmanship unfolds these sword forms in session, and ultimately concludes as one.

    Hence, it¡¯s a linked sword.

    When the eleven sword forms connect into a single line, the entire swordsmanship spreads like a me. By the time it reaches that point, the sword no longer appears as a sword but truly rushes in as a me, ironically, Soliette¡¯s disposition is the exact opposite.

    She is a ¡®severing sword¡¯. She doesn¡¯t adhere to a specific form of swordsmanship, instead, she makes judgments based on her intuition at the moment.

    This severing sword ismon yet rare.

    It¡¯s both a shell and a pearl.

    An inadequate severing sword is a street thug¡¯s knife fight, but aplete severing sword is a gesture of a sage.

    A severing sword at its peak severs all connections.

    It destroys swordsmanship and cuts the chain of causality.

    However, the realm of pletion of the severing sword¡¯ is nearly impossible, and those who can wield it to a reasonable extent can be counted on one hand across the continent.

    Soliette, in the not too distant future,pleted such a difficult severing sword. At least, she reached the threshold of the Heavenly Realm.

    I still remember the memory of her from that time.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait. Memory?¡±

    But, the word ¡®memory¡¯ somehow feels off.

    I alternately looked at the sword at my waist and the report in my hand.

    I have no intention of spoiling her future severing sword.

    Rather, I hope that she in this life does not realize the severing sword.

    Her severing sword was a disaster born from her despair. It would push her into an abyss and inevitably make her unhappy.

    ¡°The severing sword¡­¡­¡±

    In that case, I strangely resonate with it. I¡¯m intrigued. I¡¯m tempted. Greed wells up.

    Could I possibly incorporate a part of that severing sword into Ascal¡¯s swordsmanship?

    Could I add a little bit of the Soliette from my ¡®memory¡¯?

    The Arkne family itself is a curse, a sword that was despised, but I can willingly ept that curse.

    ¡ª Whoa, did you just see that?

    ¡ª Crazy, absolutely crazy.

    Amidst the resounding exmations, I quietly turned around.

    Leaning against the railing with the report in my hand, I fell into a bit of deep thought¡­¡­

    * * *

    After the swordsmanship ss ended, Elise¡¯s private residence.

    A luxury apartment in Eds, ¡®Praesidium¡¯.

    ¡°Miss~ What would you like for a snack~¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m watching my weight.¡±

    ¡°Ay~ Where do you have any weight to lose~¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote when you start to gain.¡±

    Elise answered the maid and looked at herptop.

    [Shion Ascal]

    A video was ying on theptop. It was a video of Shion Ascal¡ªording to Soliette¡ªperforming a ¡®sword dance¡¯, borrowed from the record room under Soliette¡¯s name.

    Having already seen it once, she rewound it to watch it again, and again, and again. Elise analyzed it while twirling her pen.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She thought she understood to some extent why Soliette had shown interest.

    First of all, it was a sword dance.

    ording to the dictionary definition of ¡®the act of elegantly unfolding any swordsmanship without fault¡¯.

    However, it was not good swordsmanship. It was a textbook that even a lower knight would scoff at.

    Yet, Shion had mastered this swordsmanship.

    Not just to a simple extent.

    Perhaps, he had reached its ¡®end¡¯.

    ¡°Really¡­¡­¡±

    How much effort did it take to master this level of swordsmanship to such a degree of precision and smoothness? How much effort was poured into a bottomless barrel?

    It was pitiful beyond contempt.

    Elise closed herptop. She twisted the corners of her mouth as if to smile.

    ¡°How can he be so foolish.¡±

    She thought she understood a little why he was so enthusiastic.

    You¡¯ve put in so much effort.

    To master such a trivial swordsmanship to this extent, how much effort did you put in?

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of birth.¡±

    The direction was wrong. The vector setting was incorrect.

    Shion Ascal has no talent.

    If he truly had talent, he would have shown a spark of brilliance at least once, even while using such low-level swordsmanship.

    However, Shion Ascal merely unfolds his swordsmanship. Mindlessly.

    It seemed as if he had converted his remaining time into effort, but what a waste.

    Effort without talent is ¡®wrong¡¯.

    ¡°Knight of Libra¡­¡­ Can you really do it like this?¡±

    Elise, who muttered as if mocking, soon erased the existence of Shion from her mind.

 Chapter 21: The Sword and You (3)

    <strong>The Sword and You (3)</strong>

    Still.

    I remain in the swordsmanship training room.

    The ss ended a while ago, but I had a bit of work left.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Six straw dummies were ced in the training room. In the middle of them, I closed my eyes, gripping my sword.

    Now, I attempt to feel the old world.

    I try to find the memories before my regression.

    The memory of a certain swordsmanship I saw in the future that no longer exists.

    The memory of a woman who held vast talent.

    A story that exists only for me.

    Although it¡¯s a memory that has already faded into oblivion, the ¡°Notepad¡± that has apanied my life and experienced my entirety will surely, vividly remember it¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­the sword that severs. A severing sword.

    A faint voice permeates my ear.

    When was this?

    Above my dark eyelids, a memory before regression surfaces.

    ¡­¡­Rise, Shion.

    The hand offered to me, who¡¯s terribly battered and full of wounds. The gentle smile on her lips.

    No.

    I rewound the ¡¸Memory¡¹ a little more.

    The hand extended to me is withdrawn, Soliette¡¯s voice is rewound, and the view expands again.

    Numerous corpses lie scattered on the construction site¡¯s ground.

    In the midst of them, Soliette sheaths her sword, takes a few steps back, and then the bodies revive, standing once more.

    Then, I yed the ¡¸Memory¡¹.

    ¡­¡­Stop.

    Soliette, calmly stepping in between the killers trying to kill me.

    ¡­¡­Retreat now, and I won¡¯t take your lives.

    The soon-to-be corpses grit their teeth and re at her. They don¡¯t seem to have any intention of backing off. Their determination ismendable.

    ¡­¡­Yes. It¡¯s your damn stubbornness that brought this on. Don¡¯t me me. Fucking bastards.

    Soliette grips the sword at her waist. They charge at her then.

    They¡¯re toote.

    One¡ª two¡ª three¡ª four¡ª

    The circr sh shed precisely four times. Immediately after, they were brutally scattered on the sandy ground of the construction site.

    ¡­¡­the sword that severs. A severing sword. The severed sword.

    Saying so, she again extends her hand to me, who¡¯s terribly battered and full of wounds.

    ¡­¡­Rise, Shion.

    The gentle smile on her lips.

    ¡­¡­Shion Ascal.

    I opened my eyes.

    My head was throbbing. It felt like a cricket was living in my temple.

    ¡°The memory¡­¡­ is clear.¡±

    The memory before regression was vividly engraved.

    Indeed, the ¡®Notepad¡¯ knows all my memories. Were you secretly sneaking peeks, pretending to be a useless notepad? You bastard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    I loosened up my body.

    Now I intend ¡®Manifest¡¯ the memory I just had.

    Of course, I won¡¯t be able to replicate her sword exactly. Ick the magic, the intelligence, the experience, and the physical strength.

    Therefore, what I¡¯m trying to challenge now is just a single horizontal sh.

    A necessary start before any swordsman enters battle. But it was special as Soliette¡¯s ¡®severing sword¡¯.

    With a clink-

    I moved the scabbard to my back, gripped the handle with one hand, and swung lightly as I drew the sword¡­¡­

    Unsheathing

    ¡ª¡ªWhooosh!

    A shockwave urred. A gust of wind cut through the space. The curve spewed from the sword struck all around. The straw dummies in the training room were evenly cut, and theyy on the ground like wilted grass.

    As if awnmower had swept through, everything was settled in an instant.

    It was a scene that seemed utterly surreal to me.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I stared nkly at my arm. My veins and muscles were swollen as if they were about to burst. I could feel every joint in my fingers. My whole body felt heavy and numb.

    I had exhausted too much magic power with just one swing, but thanks to the adrenaline coursing through my body, I didn¡¯t feel any pain.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I swallowed and sat down on a chair.

    I looked at the tablet on my desk.

    I rewound the footage to one minute ago.

    [¡ª¡ª¡ªWhooosh!]

    ¡°¡­Is this for real?¡±

    Indeed, it was the sword I had swung.

    In a somewhat dazed state, I checked the ¡®Notepad¡¯.

    [95 / 100]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +4

    Just one swing of the sword had consumed four units of capacity.

    * * *

    Friday morning.

    I mindlessly changed my clothes and staggered to Clemen Hall.

    -Hey, party after ss today?

    -Oh, sounds good. Let¡¯s have champagne and all.

    -Exactly. We can¡¯t do it after the first week. Let¡¯s go today.

    From the back of the hall, theughter of the wealthy, including Kain and Asher, was irritating.

    What do these greenhorns know about champagne?

    ¡°Must be nice.¡±

    I sat down in the avable seat.

    ¡°Hey? Guys, the results from yesterday are out. Check the College Board app.¡±

    A kind male student announced the release of the grades. At that moment, everyone picked up their smartphones.

    Except me.

    ¡°¡­College Board app?¡±

    What¡¯s that? Do I need to download it?

    Just as I typed ¡®College Bo-¡® into the App Store.

    ¡°What the fu¡ªX!¡±

    Almost like a scream, closer to a fit, resounded. Clemen Hall shook.

    I nced over.

    ¡°Ah¡ªno, fu¡ª8! Why did I get a zero¡ª!!¡±

    A bear-like figure was throwing a fit as if he had been tazed.

    I smirked satisfactorily.

    Well, it seemed like my sniping was sessful.

    It¡¯s a shame that he wasn¡¯t my primary target, but his reaction was entertaining enough.

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m going crazy¡ª!¡±

    I watched with interest, as if watching a movie.

    ¡°Which son of a bitch stole it? No, this is fu¡ªing unbelievable¡­.¡±

    At that moment, he turned around abruptly. Our eyes met.

    I raised an eyebrow and said nonchntly.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who said it was you, dumbass? You don¡¯t even know what a magic form is, you gold medalist. Ah, fu¡ªk, who the hell is it!¡±

    Kain stomped around like a raging gori. I barely held back myughter and finished installing the College Board app.

    [Please scan your mana code on your student ID.]

    Mana code?

    It turned out to be the ¡®Senior¡¯ stamp engraved on my student ID.

    I scanned it with my smartphone camera.

    [Shion Ascal: CP Completion List]

    Prism Disassembly: 1CPPaper Bird Observation: 0CP, 3.5 CP

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°Ah, fu¡ªk! Fu¡ªk! Fu¡ªu¡ªu¡ªu¡ªck!¡±

    Kain was still causing a scene, but something was strange.

    Why do I have 3.5 points?

    Wasn¡¯t the maximum score for the second period 3 points?

    ¡°Ah, right, fuck. Some bastard must have copied mine and submitted it. Did I get zero because we tied? Really, fuck, who the hell-¡±

    But now, his raging antics were starting to get on my nerves. The big guy kept moving around, making a racket.

    Fiddling with my phone and muttered,

    ¡°Seems like the gori has a rag in its mouth.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fuck! What did you just say?¡±

    Wow, he has sharp ears.

    I looked at Kain. His face was practically a volcano. He was grinding his teeth as he red at me.

    ¡°What did you just say? Fucking, Shion.¡±

    I nodded my head and dly responded,

    ¡°Do you have a rag in your mouth?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then, Clemen Hall fell silent. Everyone looked at me with shocked faces, and the guys around me quickly moved away.

    ¡°You fucking bastard¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Just before he exploded, Elise came over. She stopped Kain who was about to charge at me.

    ¡°Let me see.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, but that¡¯s¡­¡±

    She snatched Kain¡¯s smartphone. She frowned slightly as she looked at the screen.

    ¡°File aint with the person in chargeter. Don¡¯t make such a fuss. It¡¯s your loss.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kain finally shut his mouth. Like a dog that had met its master, he stopped all his actions.

    Sit! He would sit if told.

    The door opened just then.

    It was Chedric, right on the dot at 9 o¡¯clock.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    He looked around at Kain, whose face was now tomato-red, and the somewhat flustered seniors, and said in a dry tone,

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kain sat down without a word.

    ¡°We will start thest college board of the first week right away. Stand up.¡±

    But he told us to stand up as soon as we sat down.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Chedric walked out. There were no further exnation. The seniors also got up, grabbing their bags.

    Chedric walked down the corridor. 127 people followed him. We all exited Clemen Hall. It felt like we were on a field trip as we walked through the schoolyard.

    We passed through the inner park of Endex and reached the main gate.

    Where are we going?

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall behind.¡±

    As soon as we exited the main gate, Chedric suddenly started running. The students, who had been standing dumbfounded, hurriedly chased after him.

    ¡°I¡¯m pissed off, what the hell is this again.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t have put on makeup¡­¡­.¡±

    Kain¡¯s swearing and La¡¯s grumbling. Elise ran without a word, and Asher ran rhythmically with some earphones on.

    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡­.¡±

    Of course, I was running too.

    My condition was obviously not good.

    Because of the aftereffects of reproducing just one stroke of the ¡®Severing Sword¡¯st night.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡±

    After just 10 minutes, my body was faltering. My breathing became ragged, and thump¡ª!

    A stone-like pressence ram into me from behind. It was Kain.

    ¡°See youter. You¡¯re falling behind today.¡±

    He twisted his lips into a smirk and took the lead. Countless other students also passed me.

    I let them go. Instead, I carefully observed the running postures of Chedric and Gerkhen, who were in the lead.

    It¡¯s not just a simple act; ¡®running¡¯ is a technique too.

    The movement of stretching the legs. The foot touching the ground and then kicking off again. The angle at which the knee bends. The arms swinging rhythmically, the core of the abdomen that doesn¡¯t shake in contrast, the breathing that maintains a constant rhythm.

    I saw all of that and followed it with ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯¡­.

    ¡°¡­Kheuuh.¡±

    But my chest was pounding as if it was about to explode. I could taste blood in my mouth. My whole body was shaking like a quaking tree.

    I was already out of stamina.

    ¡°Kheuk, kheuk, kheuk, kheuk.¡±

    The students who were still fine nced at me, chuckled, and passed by.

    In the end, I bent over, resting my hands on my knees.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­.¡±

    I can¡¯t keep up with this.

    That¡¯s what I was thinking when.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Something strange happened.

    I rested for exactly one minute, and suddenly my body felt better.

    My heart, which was about to explode, calmed down, and my calves and thighs, which had been tightly pulled, quickly recovered.

    It was quite a surprising recovery.

    Why is this happening?

    I wiped the sweat off my forehead and straightened up. I ran again, albeit awkwardly.

    ¡°¡­Kheuu, kheuuhhh.¡±

    But again, after just 5 minutes, my whole body¡¯s breathing was ruined.

    ¡°Heu¡­.¡±

    I ran until I was 3 seconds from death, then stopped. Then I rested again for exactly one minute.

    I didn¡¯t need more than that.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    I wiped the sweat off my forehead and straightened up.

    I didn¡¯t understand the principle, but after resting for just 60 seconds, I felt as refreshed as if I was born anew.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Of course, my stamina is still like that of a cancer patient. Naturally, because I am a cancer patient.

    But it seems like the ¡®efficiency¡¯ of my recovery has skyrocketed¡­.

    Could this be the effect of ¡®Embodiment¡¯?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good for me.¡±

    Anyway, I resumed running. I stepped forward, looking beyond the horizon.

    The sky was clear. The clouds looked like an artist¡¯s sculpture. The shining sun felt pleasant.

    After another 5 minutes, all of that became utterly detestable.

 Chapter 22: The Mine (1)

    <strong>The Mine (1)</strong>

    From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

    We ran without knowing where we were headed. It was not a jog or a sprint, but a run that was closer to a sprint.

    Everyone was drenched in sweat. Some studentsined of muscle pain.

    I ran for five minutes and rested for one. I felt like I was going to die, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t.

    Even though I was panting like a fish dragged out of the mud, I recovered quickly after a short rest.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    At exactly 11:20 a.m., Chedric stopped. Finally, we had arrived at our damnabe distant destination.

    ¡°Line up in the order you arrived.¡±

    I was in the top 90%. Around 110th out of 127.

    I quickly spotted the back of Soliette Arkne¡¯s head. As expected, she was at the front.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t want to live¡­ just kill me¡­¡±

    In contrast, La was right in front of me. She kept swaying, her face on the verge of exhaustion.

    ¡ªHey, what¡¯s that? Looks like a mine?

    ¡ªReally. We¡¯re screwed.

    At the seniors¡¯ uproar, I looked ahead.

    There was a massive rock mountain. Something ominous, damp, and dangerous, arge entrance.

    ¡°Before we start the evaluation task, let me introduce a special guest we¡¯ve invited.¡±

    Chedric pointed to the podium near the mine entrance. A wooden stage was connected to a red carpet.

    Just then, a sedan arrived. The car paused where the red carpet began, as if waiting for something.

    ¡°Everyone, apuse.¡±

    Chedric pped his hands. The students followed suit.

    Then the car door opened, and my face stiffened.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Long arms and legs emerged from the car. A magnificent physique and a luxury fit suit to match. Blue hair slicked back and sharp, arrogant eyes.

    A familiar figure. Not just to me, but to everyone here.

    ¡ªHoly shit.

    ¡ªHe¡¯s so handsome. What¡¯s he like in person?

    The man who elicited admiration from everyone was a direct descendant of Libra¡ªJade, the second son.

    ¡®Jade Leroy Libra Geden.¡¯

    ¡ªWow¡­ This is my first time seeing a direct descendant of Libra.

    ¡ªThis is insane.

    His appearance was so perfect that almost all the students were in awe.

    To me, he only felt like a piece of shit, but that¡¯s probably Libra¡¯s gics. There¡¯s no w ¡®on the surface¡¯.

    ¡ªAh. Ah.

    Standing on the stage, he did a mic test and looked around.

    ¡ªNice to meet you. I¡¯m Jade of Libra. This mine is owned by Libra¡­ more urately, it¡¯s my property.

    It¡¯s not your property, but an inheritance you¡¯ll soon receive.

    ¡ªThere are non-renewable mines and renewable mines. This ¡®Limto Mine¡¯ is renewable. It has been closed for over a decade, but in one or two years, we will open the mine and produce nearly tens of thousands of tons of magical stones annually.

    Jade shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡ªBut before that, I dly agreed to cooperate after receiving a proposal close to a service from my alma mater, Endex, and the University Association.

    The guy I haven¡¯t seen in so long, as always, every word he says is so damn arrogant.

    ¡ªTherefore, I will provide this mine as the venue for your college board assignments.

    Eyes looking down at the students. I am bestowing this upon you ¨C that kind of eyes, filled with the same damn elitist consciousness as always.

    Just as I despised.

    ¡ªBut before that. Does anyone know how modern miners mine magical stones?

    ¡°They use machinery.¡±

    Kain answer.

    For reference, Kain is a magic stone tycoon. However, Jade doesn¡¯t even nce at him and continues.

    ¡ª¡±But what about before that artifact was invented?¡±

    At this point, a bad feeling began to creep in.

    ¡ª¡±Simple. It¡¯s intuitive.¡±

    He stretches out his gloved hand, and a pickaxe flies towards him, settling in his grasp.

    ¡ª¡±This is it. This simple object.¡±

    After all, why would we havee all the way from Endex to a magic stone mine?

    Think about it, it¡¯s simple.

    ¡ª¡±The purpose of this task is to mine Mana Stones. In the ¡®mine¡¯, you will be able to test your own mental strength and endurance. I¡¯ll leave the detailed exnation to the person in charge. That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    Having finished his speech, Jade tosses the pickaxe away. As if they had been waiting, apuse broke out. It spread in no time, and I quietly look up at him.

    Jade, the second son of Libra.

    The eldest son, Derek, is a damn bastard.

    More than anything, he values his own dignity and pride, and he¡¯s a madman who doesn¡¯t care about anything when ites to ¡®what he wants¡¯.

    Living for his own vanity, looking down on others¡­

    Surely that¡¯s the case.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Something feels off.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to my head. Or perhaps, you start to feel a strange familiarity with their face and demeanor.

    I¡¯m d to see him.

    I¡¯m d to meet you again, and to see you alive and breathing.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡±

    I raise my hand,ughing.

    p, p, p, p¡ª¡ª!

    I apud enthusiastically.

    Until my hands turn red, and the guys around me start to make noise.

    It was probably the most sincere apuse from anyone.

    Thanks to that, I even made eye contact with Jade.

    ¡ªHmph.

    He turns around with a slight twist of his lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s thank Mr. Jade for providing the venue¡­ and talk about the purpose of the task.¡±

    As Jade leaves in his sedan, Chedric speaks again in a more casual tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s simply to mine Mana Stones. Grades are evaluated based on the quantity and quality of the Mana Stones.¡±

    Mining Mana Stones.

    It looks hard at first nce, but it¡¯s not a task where strength is the key.

    Seniors can use the magic forms they¡¯ve learned, and they can also use their spectrum.

    The ¡®device¡¯ that modern miners use is not a suit that amplifies physical strength.

    It¡¯s a simple rod.

    A rod the size of a pickaxe, imnted with a magic form invented by some genius.

    ¡°We will now begin. Proceed.¡±

    At Chedric¡¯s words, everyone starts moving.

    * * *

    At the entrance to the Limto mine.

    Dressed in the miner¡¯s uniform provided by the manager, Kain is ring at someone.

    ¡°¡­Hey, Elise. I¡¯m going to kill that bastard today. I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s Shion Ascal. The guy who¡¯s just standing there yawning.

    Elise asks calmly.

    ¡°How are you going to do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mine, right? There¡¯s no cameras or anything inside.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be a hassle?¡±

    ¡°So, just let it go? Didn¡¯t you see that bastard disrespecting me?¡±

    Kain frowns. Elise raises an eyebrow and says.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mine, right? Won¡¯t he just get lost or something?¡±

    ¡°But still-¡±

    Kain tries to argue back but stops. He smiles as if he¡¯s thought of something.

    ¡°¡­Okay. I see what you mean.¡±

    Just then, the mine manager shouts out loud.

    ¡°Alright! We¡¯re about to enter soon! Please put the Mana Stones in the duffle bags we¡¯ve distributed! If you¡¯re worried about damaging your smartphones, just leave them behind! We¡¯ll keep them safe for you¡­¡±

    * * *

    It¡¯s dark and humid. Heat clings to my skin. Sticky substances smear on me, and the sweat pooling within the miner¡¯s clothes feels like mud. It¡¯s ufortable and shitty, but I¡¯m used to this extent.

    To be honest, I have an abundance of mining experience.

    ¡°It brings back old memories¡­¡±

    I walked down the mine tunnel.

    It¡¯s one of the many branching paths in the tunnel designated by the manager, like some kind of ant nest. So many narrow, winding paths.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Walking further, I noticed a stone wall in front. It looks like a regr dead-end, but the rails at my feet suggest that it was once a passageway. The rails seem swallowed by the wall.

    Evidence of a ¡®reimed¡¯ mine. This is where I begin my work.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Finding Mana Stones in the mines is simple.

    Trust your eyes or intuition.

    You just need to sense the mana within the wall, but I have a much more efficient method.

    A high-end artifact worth 300,000 Ren, stored in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    With my eyes open, I activated it. The world shifted. Every part of my vision was magically inverted. The flow of mana within the wall¡ªthe mana veins, like tree branches, imprinted on my retina.

    But Mana Stones are not branches, they are chunks.

    So, if I look a little more closely at the wall, I can see clumps coalescing between the spiderweb-like mana veins.

    That¡¯s the ¡®core¡¯ of the Mana Stones.

    Thud!

    I drove my pickaxe into it.

    Crunch¡ª¡ª!

    Part of the wall crumbled like a cookie. The Mana Stones was mixed in with the debris.

    It¡¯s simr to hunting golems.

    If you can find and destroy the core, mining Mana Stones bes this easy.

    ¡°At this rate-¡±

    Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Suddenly, a loud noise echoed. A gale rushed from behind me. My ears rang.

    I quickly turned to look.

    ¡ª¡ªRumble.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The ceiling of the tunnel I had walked through had copsed.

    I looked forward again. Of course, it was a dead end.

    I looked back again. The tunnel waspletely blocked.

    I let out a hollowugh. I muttered, the pickaxe slung over my shoulder.

    ¡°Which son of a bitch is it?¡±

    * * *

    ¡ª¡ªRumble.

    Looking at the blocked tunnel, Asher stretchedfortably.

    ¡°Ah~ That¡¯s refreshing. Hey, when are you going to let him out?¡±

    ¡°Why should I? He should find his own way out. If he¡¯s really a bitch, he can call the rescue team.¡±

    Kain removed his hand from the wall. Asher chuckled.

    ¡°Wow. Kain, you¡¯re amazing. You could skip college and go straight to the draft.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just realizing that now?¡±

    Kain¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ is rted to earth.

    Usually, a human¡¯s magic power disintegrates into mana once it¡¯s more than 2~3 meters away from the caster¡¯s body, unless it forms a very strong magic form.

    But not Kain.

    He could extend his magical vein nearly kilometers in length through the earth¡¯s natural mana.

    Using this, Cain trailed Sion from a distance, and at the opportune moment, activated the mana spell ¡°Earth: Copse¡± to bury him.

    ¡°Are we done having fun? Can we split up now?¡±

    Elise pulled out her pickaxe and spoke.

    ¡°Ah. Okay.¡±

    ¡°I guess I need to mine about 500 pieces.¡±

    Kain and Asher dispersed in different directions.

    And so, Elise was left alone. She was the only one left in the ustrophobic mine.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡±

    She took a deep breath first.

    Pointlessly, her heart pounded like crazy.

    Her breathing quickened, and her chest ached as if it was being crushed.

    Her hands and feet trembled. A panic that felt like the ground beneath her would give way at any moment washed over her.

    Elise hated confined spaces.

    She hated being alone.

    To an unbearable extent.

    In fact, this was her illness.

    The diagnosis was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

    What trauma caused it, she didn¡¯t know. Whether she had forgotten, or it had been forgotten, or someone had erased it.

    But the fact that she had been ¡®trapped alone-¡® was engraved as a definite trauma in Elise, and it was still tormenting her.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡±

    Of course, she had already prepared for such a situation.

    Elise unzipped her messenger bag. She pulled out a rabbit doll and infused it with magic.

    Then the rabbit perked up its ears. It even opened its mouth and spoke.

    ¡ªHello!

    It was a 30,000 Ren magic form, ¡¸Doll Magic: Cookie¡¹, purchased from an auction.

    A work of doll magic artisan Kanna, implementing this form imnts an artificial intelligence named ¡®Cookie¡¯ into the doll.

    ¡°Mining Magic Stones is simple.¡±

    Elise spoke to Cookie while activating her magic body.

    ¡°First, strike with the pickaxe.¡±

    Thud¡ª!

    The pickaxe was embedded in the wall.

    ¡°Then radiate man.¡±

    Her mana flowed into the wall. Not long after, rustle¡ª! The entire surface disintegrated into a pile of dirt. Elise created a gust over it.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª.

    The light dust particles all dispersed, leaving only the heavy chunks of Magic Stones.

    ¡°Easy, right?¡±

    ¡ªHello!

    The rabbit responded. Elise smiled faintly. The suffocating feeling that had choked her had disappeared before she knew it.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    A roaring sound echoed. At the same time, the ground beneath her disappeared. Her body¡¯s bnce twisted.

    She didn¡¯t even have time to react.

    It was a fall.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

 Chapter 23: The Mine (2)

    <strong>The Mine (2)</strong>

    ¡­10 minutes ago.

    Soliette Arkne was walking alone in the mine tunnel.

    The dim corridor was heavy with the dampness and mana-infused dust that fluttered about. All manner of filthy substances clung to her body. As dirty and unpleasant as it was, her expression remained unchanged.

    She was silently advancing through the tunnel.

    By the time her red hair was thoroughly coated in dust, she reached a dead-end wall.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Without a word, Soliette gripped her pickaxe. Red magic surged from her hand, adhering to the pickaxe.

    She swung it with all her might.

    Thud-!

    She embedded it in the wall and detonated it.

    ¡ª¡ªBoom!

    The area was devastated by the deeply channeled magic.

    All sorts of rubble were shattered, and she was picking up only the magic stones rolling out from within when¡ª

    ¡ªHey, is someone there?

    A voice came from the other side of the blocked path.

    ¡°Yes, someone is here.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Soliette?

    In just two words, he recognized who she was. Soliette slightly furrowed her brow.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡ªIt¡¯s Shion Ascal. Do you remember me?

    ¡°Yes. I remember.¡±

    Shion Ascal. The subject of her swordsmanship report.

    ¡ªReally?

    Thud! At that moment, a hole was made in the wall.

    Soliette took a few steps back. An eyeball appeared through the small hole.

    ¡°¡­We meet again.¡±

    It was Shion Ascal. He gave a smile with his eyes and thenpletely broke through the wall.

    Crash¡ª!

    Beyond the copsed wall, he looked at her and spoke.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette tilted her head.

    What was he thanking her for?

    ¡°I was trapped. The wall suddenly copsed. You saved me by breaking it.¡±

    He pointed behind him. The path was buried in rubble.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°And also, that time.¡±

    Shion scratched the back of his neck and slightly averted his gaze. He seemed somewhat embarrassed for some reason.

    ¡°That time too. I was grateful you showed me the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­The way?¡±

    ¡°The girls¡¯ dormitory wall. I identally climbed over it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that was you.¡±

    So, that pervert was this guy.

    Looking at the magic stones in his basket, Soliette spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯ve mined quite a lot?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s easy if you know the trick.¡±

    ¡°The trick?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You just need to find the core of the magic stone by eye. Want me to show you?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    Soliette declined.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll show you. Let¡¯s see¡­.¡±

    Ignoring her refusal, Shion looked around.

    ¡°There are points in the mine too. The core of the mana vein. If you just strike there with a pickaxe, like this¡ª!¡±

    Then he struck the wall with his pickaxe.

    ng-

    A sound like striking metal echoed.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    That was it. There was no special change or trick, and Shion raised both arms in confuShion.

    ¡°Ah, this seems a bit hard. Just a moment.¡±

    He pulled out the pickaxe and struck again.

    ng¡ª!

    A slightly louder sound resonated.

    That was it.

    Shion wiped the sweat from his temples and spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite hard. This is, like hitting a moon rock, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Soliette crossed her arms. She looked at the wall with slightly narrowed eyes.

    ¡°¡­It feels ominous. Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just one more hit should do it.¡±

    Shion swung his pickaxe down again.

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    Shion was confident this time. He smiled.

    ¡°Phew. It¡¯s done. Now¡­¡±

    Suddenly, his words were cut off. His once beaming face hardened. He turned to look at Soliette, his neck creaking.

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute. What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said, ¡®Is that okay?''¡±

    ¡°No, before that.¡±

    Soliette answered obediently.

    ¡°I said, ¡®Something feels ominous.''¡±

    Gulp- Shion swallowed his saliva. He licked his lower lip and asked again.

    ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true or false yet.¡±

    ¡°I mean your feeling, your intuition.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it feels ominous.¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it-¡±

    Shion hastily pulled out his pickaxe.

    That was the moment.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Something exploded within the wall. Soliette immediately grabbed Shion¡¯s arm and deployed a magic circle. The magic took the form of a fabric, wrapping around the two of them.

    It was a high-level magic circle, ¡¸Defense Magic: Guardian Veil¡¹.

    * * *

    I opened my eyes. The first thing I felt was a headache.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Holding the back of my head, I got up and looked around. Fortunately, Soliette was nearby.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    She looked just as groggy as if she had just woken up.

    She looked at me and asked.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. My mistake.¡±

    ¡°What mistake?¡±

    I should have paid attention when Soliette first said ¡®it feels ominous.¡¯

    It seems that her ¡®intuition,¡¯ which was like a ghost before the regression, is still urate even now in her teens.

    ¡°Look at this.¡±

    I pointed to a piece of magic stone that I had split in half. The magic stone, devoid of the color and texture of steel.

    ¡°It seems this was a ¡®Strong Magic Stone.''¡±

    Not all magic stones are the same.

    Strong Magic Stone, Water Magic Stone, Synthetic Magic Stone (which are illegal), Fire Magic Stone, etc¡­

    Among them, the Strong Magic Stone is particrly dangerous. Because the magic nuclei are very strongly bonded, if you forcibly strike it, it explodes like just now.

    Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know why a Strong Magic Stone is strong? Unless you wrap a strong force around the pickaxe, it won¡¯t break.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She¡¯s right, in terms of magic.

    Unless I had strengthened the pickaxe with ¡¸Perion¡¹, and hit the magic nuclei precisely without a single error using ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. It must have exploded on its own then.¡±

    It¡¯s my fault, but there¡¯s no need to stubbornly correct her when she¡¯s saying it¡¯s not my fault.

    Soliette leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Rest. The rescue team will be here soon.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to mine? There are plenty of magic stones here.¡±

    It seems like we fell to the bottom of the mine¡ªa dump-like ce, but the blue dots are clear all around. That¡¯s why it¡¯s not dark at all even without a single ray of light.

    It¡¯s a paradise of magic stones.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not mining.¡±

    Soliette took out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. As soon as she put her fingers to it, it caught fire.

    She seemed indifferent to the grades.

    I mumbled, looking up at the gaping ceiling.

    ¡°Well. You¡¯re not interested in college anyway.¡±

    The ceiling is very high. It seems like we fell about 30m, but there are no special injuries. It must be thanks to Soliette¡¯s magic circle.

    ¡°¡­Why do you think I¡¯m not interested in college?¡±

    Soliette asked dryly. It was a somewhat irritated tone.

    I lowered my gaze slightly. Her eyes were sharply narrowed.

    ¡°College Board, it¡¯s something the family forced upon you, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At this, Soliette¡¯s expression grew icy. Through tightly clenched teeth, smoke from her cigarette flowed out like a frost.

    ¡°I seem to recall saying the same thing when you broke into the girls¡¯ dormitory that time¡­¡­¡±

    After taking only one drag from her cigarette, Soliette crushed it underfoot and said spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡±

    Her voice wasced with hostility. A clear warning not to cross the line.

    It seemed I might have misspoke a bit.

    ¡°¡­¡­Heh.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    It had been so long since I¡¯d heard her speak like this. Her unchanged tone and voice, as pleasing to the ear as ever, almost brought tears to my eyes.

    Soliette furrowed her brow.

    ¡°What are you grinning at? Have you lost your mind?¡±

    I shook my head in denial and retorted.

    ¡°What does it matter? Let me ask you, do you like your family?¡±

    Soliette Arkne.

    Before her regression, she had ranked second across the entire College Board continent, but she didn¡¯t enroll in any university. Instead, she mysteriously disappeared.

    Her sudden vanishing, after spectacrly conquering the year-end exams, was quite a shocking deviation.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she clenched her fist. Thump-thump- her neck shifted from side to side, making a threatening sound.

    ¡°No, right?¡±

    Now, I was trying to cross that ¡®line¡¯. To trample it defiantly.

    To Soliette, who was much more raw and sensitive than her future self, and from a guy she¡¯d only met twice.

    I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯m not exactly sociable, having lived my life with revenge as my only goal.

    ¡°Your family is shit.¡±

    The purpose of this life given to me is only toplete retribution. Everything else¡ªespecially interpersonal rtionships¡ªare nothing more than worthless trash.

    But.

    Even if my purpose is only that, I don¡¯t want to miss the ¡®opportunity¡¯ in front of me.

    ¡°Did that shitty family of mines send someone like you?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s tone became serious.

    ¡°No. Would the Arknes hire someone like me?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡±

    She nodded without a doubt. It was a strangely convincing eptance.

    ¡°So why do you keep acting tough? Do you want to die?¡±

    I looked at Soliette, whose words were bing increasingly harsh. The wall she was leaning against was studded with gemstones, which brightly illuminated her.

    The blue light spreading in her red hair. Her transparent eyes like jewels, and her lips tightly closed with determination and resolve.

    ¡°You know¡­¡±

    I once loved the beautiful figure before me.

    Her existence was like a star to me, and I never failed to think of her whenever I looked up at the sky.

    It was such a trivial, fleeting emotion.

    ¡°Just.¡±

    But to confess this feeling, to live loving someone, the time given to ¡®us¡¯ is far too short.

    ¡°I need money.¡±

    I pulled out a flyer from my pocket and handed it to her.

    [At Your Service]

    Solietteughed in disbelief.

    ¡°¡­¡­Was it you? The so-called ¡®expert¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah?¡±

    I¡¯m a quasi-expert. An expert who¡¯s been rolling around in the underground world wherews and ethics don¡¯t exist, in that crazy society. Delivery, cleaning, driving, background checks, stalking, searching¡­e to think of it, they¡¯re all odd jobs, but still.

    ¡°Get lost. If you keep running your mouth without knowing anything, I might just kill you.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª Soliette burned the flyer. The ashes blew into my face.

    ¡°I do know, actually.¡±

    I replied, nonchntly.

    ¡°Why do you keep trying to distance yourself from the family?¡±

    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±

    Soliette put a finger to her lips. Her gaze was sharp as a de, and the air turned icy.

    ¡°Watch your mouth. This is yourst warning.¡±

    This was the limit.

    One more step from here would be crossing the line.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    Whether it was thest warning or not, we were running out of time.

    Soliette was wearing out even more severely than I was.

    She was already, to some extent, worn down to the point of destruction.

    I didn¡¯t want that.

    I didn¡¯t want her to die.

    Even if recovery was too much to hope for, I at least wanted her self-destruction to stop.

    The ¡®regression¡¯ I experienced was the chance to save her.

    So¡­

    I said it.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Knightmare, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    With that single statement, the atmosphere shifted drastically.

    Uncontrolled mana flowed from her body, shaking the cave, and Soliette expressed her anger in the most explicit terms.

    ¡°¡ªThis fucking bastard.¡±

    She rose to her feet, her eyes burning like mes as she red at me.

    Her threatening demeanor didn¡¯t scare me. It was rather cute, but one thing bothered me.

    Our eye levels didn¡¯t match.

    I was still the shorter one.

    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you. I¡¯m saying I can help.¡±

    I was sincere, but Soliette¡¯splexion turned cold. She even began to gather magic in her hands.

    Is she going to attack me?

    Whoosh¡ª¡ª!

    Soliette shot a mass of magic upwards. It stretched out like a harpoon and stuck to the ceiling.

    ¡°Rot here for the rest of your life.¡±

    She spat out the words and shot upwards, like a rocket.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    I mumbled, staring nkly upwards.

    ¡°That¡¯s about 30 meters.¡±

    To pull out 30 meters of magic and use it like a wire. She¡¯s truly a monster.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Left alone, I scratched the back of my head and bit my lower lip.

    I had acted impulsively, but now I was a bit worried.

    Did I do the right thing?

    Can my efforts move Soliette Arkne even a single step?

    ¡°¡­I should pray.¡±

    At some point in the past, someone said my presence brings misfortune. That they became unhappy because of me.

    Thinking back now, it might¡¯ve been true.

    People from my past life that I liked, loved, or admired.

    Those who liked me, helped me, thought of me.

    Everyone who was with me for whatever reason got hurt or died.

    Soliette was one of them.

    Before my regression, she pitied me and showedpassion. It was no different from how one treats a lost dog or cat, but I was okay with it.

    Because I loved her.

    Because she allowed me to.

    ¡­Was that why?

    Soliette Arkne.

    Seven years from now, she wouldmit suicide.

    ¡°¡ªOh my.¡±

    Suddenly, a voice echoed in the darkness of the mine, interrupting my thoughts.

    ¡°Oh dear.¡±

    Feigning surprise, she looked at me with exaggerated gestures as if to draw my attention¡ª

 Chapter 24: The Mine (3)

    <strong>The Mine (3)</strong>

    Behind the mine. There¡¯s a woman looking at me, her hair a mysterious blend of gold and white, fluttering in the wind.

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Elise, wide-eyed, feigning surprise.

    I felt a momentary headache.

    ¡°What is it now?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯? Shouldn¡¯t you apologize first? I fell because of you.¡±

    She pointed at the fragments of the mana stone. I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°¡­When did you start listening?¡±

    ¡°I have good ears.¡±

    That meant from the beginning.

    As I sighed, Elise shook her head in what seemed to be contempt.

    ¡°Threatening Soliette with Knightmare for money? Why are you even alive? Just overdose on mana stones and die.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just about the money.¡±

    I know quite a lot about Soliette. Probably more than Soliette knows about herself.

    The woman I loved in the future is the same person who is connected to this present.

    ¡°Not about money? Do you like her?¡±

    Elise snorted.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, I was at a loss for words. I couldn¡¯t think of a rebuttal.

    Then Elise¡¯s mouth opened slightly. Her expression was filled with shock, contempt, and horror.

    I quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it either.¡±

    There are people who rot from the inside out, who kill themselves, if you don¡¯t reach for them, if you don¡¯t forcibly bring them out.

    That¡¯s Soliette.

    That¡¯s why I deliberately provoked her.

    ¡°You need to objectify yourself. Do you think you¡¯re objectively better? Soliette-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in it for the money, okay? And keep it down. It¡¯s so hot.¡±

    I started to take off my miner¡¯s uniform, then stopped.

    ¡°Oh, no. Why is it cold?¡±

    The wind was chilly. So cold it felt like the sweat all over my body would freeze.

    I put the miner¡¯s uniform back on.

    ¡°¡­Did you hurt your brain?¡±

    Elise sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

    ¡°Soliette went up there, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a High-Flyer. I¡¯m not even a knight aspirant. Besides, could you stop talking?¡±

    ¡°You started talking first, you know? Got a hole in your brain?¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Sssssssss¡­

    A strange breathing sound echoed from somewhere.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Both of us froze.

    Sssssssss¡­

    A wind sound, like a cry, swept through the underground. An abnormal chill froze our bodies, and our breath fogged up with each exhale.

    Elise swallowed calmly. I looked into the darkness of the mine. My body flinched almost instinctively.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a ghost.¡±

    A magical entity was detected in the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹.

    An indistinct outline and faint form. A chill radiating like an aura. An unstable magical energy glowing red like eyes, a power resembling a human.

    More urately, a power trying to ¡®mimic¡¯ a human¡ª a ghost.

    ¡°¡­A ghost?¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    I carefully moved my foot.

    Thump-

    I kicked a piece of rock. At that moment, the ghost turned to look this way.

    Elise spoke in a tone that suggested she was in agony.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    I looked at it. Its aura was already dyed red.

    Ghosts instinctively detest the ¡®living¡¯, and one that has taken on such a human form would be difficult for me to handle at my current level.

    I¡¯d likely be cursed the moment Ie into contact with it. Now that I¡¯ve been spotted, I can¡¯t run away either.

    I looked back at Elise. She smirked confidently.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Handle it yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Am I the only one here? You¡¯re here too, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I can run away on my own.¡±

    She really has no manners.

    Well, I¡¯d rather die than beg her for help¡­.

    Just then.

    I saw ¡®something¡¯.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    A faintly glowing blue dot within the ghost¡¯s ethereal form.

    It¡¯s tiny, almost like dust, but it¡¯s definitely ¡®visible¡¯.

    The magic core.

    I picked up a pickaxe. Elise furrowed her brows.

    ¡°A pickaxe¡­ That¡¯s just like you. So like you.¡±

    Ghosts are magical entities.

    Therefore, the way to confront them is through ¡®magic¡¯.

    ¡°The weak point of a ghosts are their magic core. However, it¡¯s too small to observe with the naked eye, and it constantly moves around like a fluid, so it can¡¯t be destroyed with physical force.¡±

    I recited verbatim what I had once read in a textbook.

    It¡¯s all true. There¡¯s no falsehood in textbooks.

    ¡°The textbook says so.¡±

    ¡°Go get yourself killed.¡±

    Elise looked disgusted, but right now, I can see it. The magic core, no bigger than a grain of sand, floating within the ghost¡¯s magic, is clearly visible to my ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹, clearer than a pebble.

    ¡°¡­Hey! Come at me, you bastard!¡±

    I shouted at the ghost.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Elise let out a hollowugh as if she was amazed.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Almost simultaneously, the ghost shrieked, filled with mana.

    I gripped the pickaxe tightly. I activated ¡¸Perion¡¹ throughout my body, including my dynamic vision.

    The ghost charged, cutting through the air. Its leap was like a gust of wind. But with my amplified nervous system, it was enough time for me to strike it.

    Screeeeech¡ª¡ª!

    The moment it came close, I swung the pickaxe.

    Pinpoint.

    The pickaxe de precisely hit the magic core.

    Whoooosh¡­.

    The ghost, having its magic core pierced, immediately dispersed, and with a thud- something fell to the ground as it vanished.

    It was the remnants of the magic core. I put it in my pocket.

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    A dull sound echoed from behind.

    ¡°Where, did it go.¡±

    Huff, huff- Elise was turning her head left and right. It seemed like she was looking for the ghost that had already died.

    I spoke to her.

    ¡°Ghosts also have magic cores, you know. I saw it and stabbed it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense-¡±

    ¡°Ah, no need for a thank you.¡±

    I am your benefactor, after all.

    Elise was momentarily stunned, but soon furrowed her brows and took a step forward.

    ¡°But if a ghost appeared, then that means-!¡±

    She stumbled over something.

    Nearly falling over, she irritably looked down.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Her eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise, who was stepping back in shock, stumbled.

    I approached the spot. Something was buried in the dirt.

    I looked closer.

    ¡°Something¡­ happened here.¡±

    It was a corpse.

    The skeletal remains of a person, dressed in miner¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°Ugh, ugh, clean that up.¡±

    Ignoring Elise, who seemed to be having trouble breathing, I noticed a notebook in the pocket of the miner¡¯s clothing. I picked it up and opened the pages.

    It was worn out, but the writing was legible.

    ¡°March 1, 1995¡±

    1995.

    It was a work log from 18 years ago.

    ¡°[¡­Next week is my son¡¯s birthday. The little rascal seems to want some expensive sneakers, but what can I do? I¡¯ll just have to scrape together some overtime pay.]¡±

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Elise, who had covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, approached.

    ¡°A work log. The name is Hans. A man. He has an eleven-year-old son. It¡¯s 18 years ago, so the child would be about twenty-nine now.¡±

    Elise responded indifferently.

    ¡°idents aremon in mines.¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡±

    I flipped the page with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°[Lately, there are guys who im to see strange things in the mine. We¡¯ve been working overtime a lottely, so the inexperienced young ones are bound to be tired. I decided to take over from today. What could happen from a few days of overtime?]¡±

    The warning signs were already there, but Hans volunteered for overtime to earn money.

    And the result was¡­.

    ¡°[It¡¯s a ghost! I saw a ghost! A ghost is haunting this mine! It¡¯s definitely a ghost. Those guys who said they saw something were right. No, it wasn¡¯t something. Damn it!

    But my family wille to save me. If I just wait a little, Libra will¡ª¡ª]¡±

    The following pages were hard to read.

    The handwriting became more and more rough, the hunger that seemed to eat his own flesh, the guilt and longing for his family, the resentment towards Libra, the self-me for volunteering for overtime¡­..

    ¡°A haunted ce¡­ can¡¯t be used as a regeneration mine.¡±

    That¡¯s when Elise spoke. I snapped back to reality.

    Ghosts are beings made up entirely of magic. They often ur in ces with a high concentration of mana, such as under the ground, in the mountains, in the deep sea, and on remote inds. Legally, mines haunted by ghosts are closed.

    It¡¯s because of the amendment to the human rightsw 20 years ago.

    The curse of a ghost is even more vicious than cancer.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡±

    I shook my head.

    The Libra of the past ¡®already¡¯ knew that ghosts were haunting this ce. The person in charge of the mine, or someone from the Libra family, would have encountered a ghost while searching for Hans. And they would have briefly contemted.

    Whether it was a day, two days, or if they didn¡¯t contemte at all.

    As a result, Libra chose to bury the living between the upper and lower floors.

    ¡°¡®That can¡¯t be¡¯? Do you even know what thew is?¡±

    Of course, Jade wouldn¡¯t have known about that past.

    The process of inheriting Libra¡¯s session started 7 years ago, and that rascal didn¡¯t even know what he had in the first ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s a reimed mine that¡¯s about to open soon. Libra will never give it up.¡±

    So, the development from here is obvious.

    Libra, Jade, will try to cover up this fact again, by any means necessary.

    Instead of that.

    ¡°No, they can¡¯t give it up.¡±

    I bit my lip. I gripped the pickaxe tightly.

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    I smashed it down on the remains.

 Chapter 25: The Mine (4)

    <strong>The Mine (4)</strong>

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    I struck down the skeleton with the pickaxe. Elise, startled, grabbed my shoulder.

    ¡°What are you doing-¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to tell them?¡±

    I shook off her hand. I looked into her eyes and said,

    ¡°You go out and tell people. ¡®I¡¯m Elise of the Petra family, this mine is haunted by ghosts. This corpse was buried alive by the Libra family to cover up the ghosts.''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that, Elise¡¯splexion calmly settled. She stepped back slightly, crossed her arms, and red at me.

    ¡°Go out there and say that. Fight with Libra. I¡¯ll cheer for you.¡±

    p, p- I even pped in front of her nose. Elise remained expressionless.

    ¡°You can¡¯t, can you? You, too, against Libra.¡±

    At this point, no family can match the power of Libra. Petra ¡®or the like¡¯ are not a family that can stand against them.

    Especially now, with the re-election of the council only 1 year and 9 months away.

    ¡°¡­¡­So.¡±

    Elise finally opened her mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to clean it up voluntarily?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    If Jade¡¯s side happens to find the corpse, it will be melted in molten iron.

    Even if they don¡¯t find the corpse, it will be buried here forever.

    Rather than that, I¡¯ll take it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up. Why not.¡±

    I disassembled the skeleton with a pickaxe. Corbone, shoulder bone, femur, tibia, fib, skull, rib, jawbone, sacrum¡­¡­ I divided them into manageable pieces and stuffed them all into a duffel bag.

    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind¡­¡­ I¡¯ve seen all kinds of loyalty.¡±

    Elise mumbled with a nk look in her eyes.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better to be a pet dog of Libra than to live like a dog. It¡¯s quite a fitting survival strategy for a parasite like you.¡±

    Suddenly her tone turned cold. Raw contempt stabbed my eardrum.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll recognize you for that? Libra, an orphan like you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I shouldered the duffel bag full of remains.

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    Elise, who quickly loosened her expression, sat on a chunky rock. She crossed her legs and continued.

    ¡°Struggle on your own. I¡¯m curious to see what will happen.¡±

    ¡ª¡ªScreech!

    Suddenly, a horn sounded. A shout came down from above.

    ¡ªAre you okay down there!

    It was the rescue team.

    I quickly turned to Elise.

    ¡°Hey. You go up first. And, we were never together. You didn¡¯t see any ghosts.¡±

    I pushed Elise and handed her the duffel bag. Elise furrowed her brow.

    ¡°Why are you passing it on?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll suspect if I have it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What a nonsense. Why would I protect Libra-¡±

    ¡°Oh, then say it? Go up and say it? That you saw a ghost here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°If you shit your pants, Jade will think it¡¯s good. Right? He was bragging about reopening the mine.¡±

    Elise, who bit her lip slightly, seemed to be considering, then let out a small sigh. Then she spread three fingers.

    Middle finger, index finger, thumb. Magic formed a triangle at her fingertips. It clung to the duffel bag and shrank its ¡®size¡¯ to that of a thermos.

    My eyes bulged.

    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°First time seeing a shrinking spell?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a high schooler use it.¡±

    ¡°Pitiful.¡±

    Elise sneered and put the duffel bag in her pocket. Just then, the rescue team shone a light down.

    I hid myself, and Elise walked towards the spot, waving her hand.

    ¡°Over here. Over here.¡±

    ¡ªAh yes! We¡¯ll lower the rope!

    I sat back and retreated. I should wait for about 5 minutes.

    ¡ªCome up!

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ming.¡±

    While Elise was climbing up, I opened Hans¡¯s work diary again to kill time.

    Reading each page as if chewing it over, thest sentence of thest page.

    The words he had written with such force gripped my hand.

    ¡ªI wanted to give a birthday present¡­ Dad is sorry¡­

    The father buried here was one of the countless people killed by Libra.

    One of the countless victims who lived an ordinary life and then died meaninglessly in an instant.

    Someone¡¯s father, like my own.

    ¡°¡­Why are you sorry.¡±

    Why are they all assholes?

    I clenched my teeth and closed the diary.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    But this time, something caught my eye. A rabbit doll, lost and rolling in the dark corner of the cave.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t Hans¡¯s.

    Then¡­

    ¡ªIs there anyone else there!

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m here! There¡¯s someone here!¡±

    I stuffed the doll into my arms and shouted.

    * * *

    The task was temporarily suspended under the pretext of lunchtime. In the meantime, the Libra family¡ªmore precisely, the ¡®execution team¡¯ was dispatched, and they temporarily blocked the copse of the underground and resumed the ss.

    ¡°¡­I will end the College Board¡¯s task.¡±

    So, at 7 p.m.

    The students who came out of the mine after half a day of mining were all covered in sweat and dust.

    Chedric said, looking around them.

    ¡°I heard there was a small disturbance. However, such things aremonce in mines.¡±

    Elise peered around for Soliette. The girl at the front had a bulging duffle bag and was covered in ck dust.

    She must have worked hard.

    ¡°Therefore, I hope that disturbance can also be considered part of the task. The total score for this task is 4CP. Not only magical abilities but also endurance, perseverance, and quick-wittedness can be evaluated¡­¡±

    Whether the seniors are listening to his words is unknown. They¡¯re all exhausted and panting.

    ¡°Now submit the magic stones.¡±

    Elise immediately approached Chedric and offered her duffle bag. Chedric raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You¡¯ve collected a lot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple¡±

    She gave a slight smile and turned around, and one person suddenly came to mind.

    Shion Ascal.

    His duffle bag full of bones is now in my pocket.

    In other words, he doesn¡¯t have a tool to collect magic stones.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that guy?¡±

    Just then, Kain muttered. Shion was in the ce he was looking at.

    Shion, standing in front of Chedric, took out the magic stones from his pocket, not a duffle bag. It looked about twenty.

    ¡°Heh. Looks like he was properly trapped.¡±

    ¡°No, Kain! It¡¯s because of you that Shion ended up like that! Why do you lock people up like that!¡±

    La, who hade up beside him, puffed up her cheeks.

    ¡°What? Why are you suddenly like this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bastard!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with you. Did you eat something wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise crossed her arms without a word. She shook her head back and forth.

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Sacrificing your grades for Libra won¡¯t make them recognize you. The ¡®talent¡¯ they want is not at your level.¡±

    ¡°We will grade based on the quality and quantity of the submitted magic stones. The grading results will be announced this Sunday. Now, dismiss.¡±

    Finally, Chedric announced the end of the task. The students began to disperse one by one.

    ¡°Kain. How many did you dig?¡±

    La asked. Kain smiled proudly.

    ¡°About 500.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying! 500 won¡¯t fit in a duffle bag!¡±

    Elise nced at Shion as she walked down the road with her group.

    He was already with some officers.

    ¡ªShion student. Can we talk for a moment?

    Was he caught?

    Well, if he has the guts to show Knightmare in front of Soliette, he¡¯ll handle it well.

    ¡°Elise. What are you doing?¡±

    La leaned into her face.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Elise was startled, but she passed by pretending not to care.

    * * *

    ¡°Shion student. Can we talk for a moment? About this incident.¡±

    At the entrance of the mine. As I was about to go down to the index, a man showed his police ID and spoke.

    [Edsi Police Department]

    [Inspector: Eldgell]

    ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, shall we go? You must be busy studying, so there¡¯s no need to go to the station. Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    He pointed to the police car parked on the side of the road. I looked him up and down.

    He seemed to be in his mid-forties, model-like, slim yet sturdy. He was neat from head to toe, but his sunsses were annoying.

    Could he be one of Libra¡¯s people?

    ¡°Yeah, fine.¡±

    I got into the passenger seat without a word. The inside of the police car was tidy. There was a radio, a magic spell injector, a ck box¡­

    ¡°What did you see there?¡±

    The man asked as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat.

    Instead of answering, I stared at his sunsses.

    ¡°Why are you wearing sunsses in the car? It¡¯s even night.¡±

    ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°Then I have no choice but to ask if you have a warrant.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    His lips twitched. I leaned back into the car seat and said,

    ¡°Let¡¯s be courteous in the car.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    He sighed and took off his sunsses. I looked into his eyes.

    Iris holding a gray hue.

    ¡°Now answer.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Iughed without realizing it. I knew right away because of his eyes.

    ¡®Belingham Kantar¡¯ from the northern part of Edsi, Krael.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh. What did you see there?¡±

    He is a vassal of Libra. But he¡¯s not Jade¡¯s man, not Derek¡¯s man, not Gianna or Zia¡¯s man.

    He is a man of Cyril, precisely Cyril Draka Libra Mullick¡¯.

    ¡°The current head who oversees the sessionpetition of Libra, the monster who elevated Libra to its current status. He¡¯s been serving the guy who harbors billions of worms inside him for over a decade, so there¡¯s no need for unnecessary lies.¡±

    ¡°I saw a ghost.¡±

    I answered honestly. Then, one of Belingham¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly.

    ¡°Did you see it alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Alone.¡±

    This was a lie.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    Belingham swallowed a small breath. I added a word while looking at the rearview mirror.

    ¡°There was also a corpse there.¡±

    ¡°A corpse?¡±

    Belingham pulled out a file. He frowned as he speed-read it.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this to the rescue team.¡±

    I answered indifferently.

    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t mention the ghost either.¡±

    Then he looked at me. I turned my head and faced him as well.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    He seemed to be asking for an exnation, and I gave him one.

    ¡°Because I disposed of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, his gaze tilted slightly. His eyes scrutinized me from my shoes to the top of my head.

    ¡°Please properly maintain the floor. There, it seems like strong magic stones have been produced as the mine regenerates. So it can withstand even a magic stone explosion. Concrete won¡¯t do.¡±

    It was my advice.

    Belingham, who had been listening silently, asked calmly.

    ¡°Why did you dispose of the corpse?¡±

    ¡°Why? You know. Didn¡¯t you investigate?¡±

    A response in the form of a question.

    Belingham shook his head.

    ¡°¡­¡­We, the police, don¡¯t just go around investigating people.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I smiled. Why are you acting like an amateur?

    ¡°Police never work alone. The principle is to work in pairs. And this, this car. The ck box doesn¡¯t work, does it?¡±

    I tapped the ck box. Even when I pressed the button hard, it was unresponsive.

    Those Libra guys strangely hate video recording.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Belingham was momentarily speechless.

    Was it because things were too sudden, or did he think it wasn¡¯t necessary to be perfect when dealing with a student?

    Or, did he intend to ¡®clean¡¯ me up casually?

    I looked beyond the car¡¯s front ss.

    ¡°You just asked why I did such a thing.¡±

    The scenery was bleak. The sun that had set was dark, and the mountain range had already turned pitch ck, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±

    My dry voice flowed from between my teeth.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m also a person of Libra.¡±

 Chapter 26: The Mine (5)

    <strong>The Mine (5)</strong>

    Silence filled the car. asionally, the leather seat creaked, and the stale air circted.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    A soft sigh.

    Soon, he spat out a sentenceced with a hollowugh.

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re the son of Dale Ascal, the fallen star of Libra. Shion Ascal, who grew up in the Libra Orphanage for 13 years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough reason, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Thud- Belingham closed the file. He put his sunsses back on.

    ¡°Yes. Shion, your judgment and actions were clumsy. But the higher-ups might appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s very kind of you.¡±

    I extended my hand to Belingham. It was a handshake. Seeing this, he twisted his lips.

    ¡°Well. Since you say you¡¯re a person of Libra, let me add something.¡±

    ¡°Are we not at the handshake stage yet?¡±

    I spoke instead. Belingham, who had his line stolen, rubbed his nose and just nodded.

    I withdrew my hand.

    ¡°Have it your way, then.¡±

    I immediately opened the car door and stepped out.

    As I was about to walk away alone, a car with its engine running sped towards me.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    As I red, the driver¡¯s window rolled down with a whirring sound.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Belingham handed me a thick envelope. I took it and asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what you call a gift card.¡±

    Libra Department Store gift cards. Ten of them, each worth 500 Ren.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing? Something like a card.¡±

    There was even a ck card in the envelope. A simple card engraved only with LIBRA and a celestial symbol.

    An unlimited ck card, perhaps?

    ¡°Every holiday season, Libra runs a program. It¡¯s usually for college students, but students from Endex can participate as well, if they have a rmendation card.¡±

    The Libra Development Program. Under the guise of nurturing future talents, it¡¯s an opportunity for super-elite education, training, andpetition provided by Libra.

    ¡°Libra is a Libra. They always give back.¡±

    After saying this, he closed the window.

    Vroom¡ª¡ª! He stepped on the elerator as if to speed away, and the police car raced down the mountain road.

    I muttered while watching its rear bumper.

    ¡°Always rewards, my ass.¡±

    But it¡¯s a result, nheless.

    The card I now held in my hand. It¡¯s not as impressive as an unlimited ck card, but with this, I can take a big step closer to Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡­But.¡±

    Belingham Kantar.

    He was one of the most awkward opponents I faced while dealing with Libra.

    A super-elite who passed the [Supervisor Qualification Exam], known as the final boss, as a current senior knight from Edsi National University.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t that far away after all.¡±

    Before my regression, during the days when I was known as a sniper of Libra, it took me a full eight years to face him one on one.

    Now, I¡¯ve confronted him even before graduating from high school.

    I chuckled at the absurdity.

    Snap-

    Then someone snapped their fingers. Startled, I turned to look.

    It was Elise.

    Why does she keep, appearing out of nowhere?

    ¡°Again? What Now?¡±

    At that, Elise¡¯s face contorted as if she had smelled trash.

    ¡°¡­¡­You really are incredibly stupid, aren¡¯t you? A goldfish?¡±

    She handed me a duffel bag the size of a thermos.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    I had forgotten about this.

    I took the duffel bag, but I was still in a state of confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to undo this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll undo itself in 30 minutes, so stop venting out your stupidity.¡±

    Elise frowned and turned away.

    She started to walk down the path, but then she suddenly stopped in the middle. She repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists, then turned to look at me again.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why aren¡¯t youing down?¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go? Are you going to stay here forever?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s suddenly acting like this. Did she eat something wrong?

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Suddenly, a fact dawned on me.

    I checked the time. I looked around at the surroundings.

    8 PM, a dark forest leading to a mine. The path itself is wide enough for a car, but the trees are densely packed on both sides, and the chilly surroundings give off a creepy vibe.

    ¡°Go ahead first. I¡¯ll follow.¡±

    I said and started walking down the path. Only then did Elise start walking again.

    From behind, even her simple walk seemed perfect and aristocratic.

    She, who seemed wless, actually had a fatal weakness.

    A ustrophobia and panic istion disorder that was almost like a disease.

    She can¡¯t be alone in confined spaces, and even in open spaces, she can¡¯t stand ces that feel ¡®closed off¡¯ like night, sea, and mountains.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    So even now, as she walks, she keeps ncing back.

    Because she can¡¯t be alone.

    When our eyes met a few times, I said,

    ¡°I won¡¯t run away. Go ahead without worring.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Run away? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. With your goldfish-level intelligence, you might get lost-¡±

    ¡°I get it.¡±

    I waved my hand dismissively. Elise snorted and walked ahead.

    I walked down this path aimlessly. But there was always a gap of ten steps between Elise and me.

    Probably a distance maintained by Elise. Neither too close nor too far.

    After about 30 minutes of walking,

    I saw the headlights of a luxury sedan not far away.

    It was Elise¡¯s chauffeur waiting for her.

    ¡°There it is. Are we good now? I¡¯m going ahead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯Are we good now¡¯? What¡¯s supposed to be ¡®good¡¯?¡±

    Elise asked back. I was about to leave her without a word, when suddenly,

    ¡°Oh, right. This.¡±

    I pulled out a doll from my pocket.

    It was a rabbit doll with one ear torn off.

    ¡°Is this yours? I found it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Elise swallowed. She stood still for about 10 seconds, as if buffering.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it mine?¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°Is that so? Then it must have belonged to the skeleton.¡±

    I threw the rabbit on the ground. Elise¡¯s eyes followed it.

    Well, even the future political prodigy is just an eighteen-year-old high school student now. Her poker face is severelycking.

    ¡°Take care. Today¡¯s event, let¡¯s bury until we die.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You mean ¡®bury it until we die.¡¯ Whatnguage is ¡®bury until we die¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    I passed her and turned on my smartphone. I essed a certain website.

    [The Dark Web]

    The famous site developed andunched directly from the infamous underworld, themunity where everything from the underworld gathers, is the ¡®Dark Web¡¯.

    Right now, I¡¯m only using it to cash in department store gift cards, but it¡¯s possible to hire experts in almost all fields, such asundering, auctions, errands, etc.

    Dark WEB

    [Lv.3 Easy Cash]

    [ept Mission / Issue Mission]

    [DP Owned: 900]

    Easy Cash is my ID, and DP is the currency of this Dark Web. The exchange rate is 1:1 with the Edsi currency, Ren. The 900DP is from cashing in the gift card I received for doing Raye¡¯s task on her behalf.

    I clicked the [Issue Mission] button.

    [Issue Mission: List of missing persons from 15 years ago. (500DP)]

    The mission cost is a whopping 500DP.

    It¡¯s like life to me, but well.

    Thanks to you guys, I earned 2,500 Ren.

    Let¡¯s consider it a conversion.

    * * *

    A smoothly advancing luxury sedan. Inside, the driver nced at the youngdy and asked,

    ¡°Was the task okay?¡±

    ¡°It was fine.¡±

    Elise answered vaguely.

    Right now, her attention was focused elsewhere.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The rabbit doll on herp. The torn cookie.

    Right now, a certain difort is blooming in her mind.

    It¡¯s not because of this rabbit.

    Just 15 minutes ago.

    The meaningful words Shion Ascal gave before he left.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯Are we good now¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The driver looked back at her. Elise waved her hand.

    ¡°Look ahead, ahead.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Are we good now.

    His words have a strong nuance that he has ¡®done¡¯ something for her.

    Was it necessary to say such a thing? He just walked down with her.

    ¡°Could it be¡­¡­¡±

    Because of this rabbit he picked up, she keeps having excessive thoughts. She ends up specting.

    Elise closed her eyes for a moment. She reyed Shion¡¯s words.

    ¡®There it is. Are we good now? I¡¯m going ahead.¡¯

    Those three words, they fit too perfectly.

    If by any chance¡­

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    She sighed. She shook her head.

    That¡¯s impossible.

    Except for Petra¡¯s closest aide and her attending physician, no one knows about her trauma.

    So it¡¯s a needless worry.

    She must be too sensitive because it¡¯s her senior year.

    In the first ce, Shion Ascal is not someone she should care about. He looks like an ape and has the intelligence of a goldfish.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep a bit. Tell me when we arrive.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    Elise leaned her head on the headrest.

    ¡°¡­¡­Zzz¡±

    She fell asleep immediately.

    * * *

    Saturday afternoon.

    Taking a high-speed train called ML (Mana-Liner) from the capital of Edsi, it took an hour to reach a rural vige called ¡®Sanperu¡¯.

    Looking around the scenery here, rather than apartments, luxury vis, orvish mansions, small houses are tightly packed along the coast like barnacles.

    If you walk the streets at noon, you can asionally hear the sound of waves, and the grass on the not-so-high hills is tousled by the sea breeze.

    I found a small house in this peaceful vige. I pulled my cap down low andpared the address.

    ¡¸Edelyn, San Prue, Yan Street, AO 59¡¹

    This is the ce.

    I raised my hand and knocked.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    After a brief wait, the door swung open without hesitation.

    Quite surprising.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    A man in histe twenties tilted his head as he looked at me.

    ¡°¡­Ah. Hmm. Are you Eden Zolden?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    I peered inside the house. His mother, wife, and what appeared to be his son and daughter were gathered in the living room.

    It was a typical weekend in a family home.

    I spoke to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m from the Edsi Post Office. Mr. Eden Zolden. Is your father Hans Zolden?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    Eden seemed taken aback by the sudden question.

    I asked again.

    ¡°Is he not?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The remains of Hans Zolden have been found on Mount Dakan in the capital of Edsi.¡±

    I said it as dryly as possible.

    I had appropriately altered the factual details.

    From the Limto Mine to Dakan Mountain, a 20-minute distance.

    ¡°What, what do you mean¡­¡±

    Perhaps it was too sudden. Eden gasped for breath. His lips were parched, and his arms and legs trembled weakly.

    I delivered the lie to him.

    ¡°It seems he fell while climbing the mountain and could never get up again.¡±

    Sometimes, a lie can be easier.

    It can be better to be deceived.

    After all, before I knew the cause of my father¡¯s death, I was happiest showing my allegiance.

    ¡°So, this, this coffin¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in Eden¡¯s widened eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hans Zolden.¡±

    He immediately ran outside and knelt in front of the coffin. His mother, who had followed him out, gasped for breath as she looked at my face.

    ¡°Ah. I, I am, the wife of Hans Zolden¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Pretending to be a civil servant, I handed her some documents.

    ¡°Then, please sign here. This is a dental record analysis¡­¡±

    The [Darkweb] guys are so perfect that they do all this if you give them money.

    ¡°¡­Father!¡±

    Then Eden opened the coffin.

    Inside were a miner¡¯s uniform and a skeleton.

    Only the name tag ¡®Hans¡¯ on the chest defined him, the skeleton I had barely assembled.

    The moments that followed, how should I describe them?

    Hans¡¯s son was sobbing, clutching the coffin, Hans¡¯s wife was clutching her chest, sitting down crying, and the grandchildren who knew nothing just blinked their eyes.

    ¡­Thank you.

    Suddenly, I heard Hans¡¯s son muttering.

    A word of thanks.

    I hesitated for a moment because I didn¡¯t know what he was thankful for, but soon I understood.

    If.

    Just if.

    If someone found my father¡¯s remains for me.

    The traces of him that I can¡¯t even find now, the traces that he was ¡®with me¡¯.

    Wouldn¡¯t I feel a simr emotion and say the same thing?

    Knowing that, isn¡¯t that why I came here?

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I quietly looked at the remains.

    There was no expression on the skeleton, but somehow it seemed to be smiling.

 Chapter 27: Weekend (1)

    <strong>Weekend (1)</strong>

    Elise Petra¡¯s schedule is busy even on Saturdays.

    Intensive supplementary training at the Selenacio academy, private tutoring on the magic body, magic spells, and Latinel, and even on-site lessons to prepare for future mage courses.

    She wakes up at 4 a.m. and works until 10 p.m., a grueling 18-hour day, before returningte to her vi.

    ¡°¡­Elise! We thought you weren¡¯ting~ You¡¯re the main character here.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Selenacio¡¯s top student!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re getting prettier by the day¡­¡±

    The party was in full swing.

    Music red from the speakers, lights shed, and the parking lot was filled with luxury cars.

    Not only the seniors from Endex, but also alumni who had already entered prestigious universities had gathered for this ¡®senior party¡¯.

    ¡°Elise. I heard you got perfect scores on all your assignments?¡±

    ¡°The College Board is making it tough this year. There are even rumors that a few people might die. It¡¯ll probably work out in your favor though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Elise responded to them with appropriate warmth. She wore a faint smile, but also radiated a coldness that said, don¡¯t bother me too much.

    She greeted everyone briefly and then headed up to the second-floor balcony.

    KAin and La were already there.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Elise? Shit, my grades weren¡¯t adjusted.¡±

    Kain spoke, clutching a whiskey bottle.

    ¡°Some bastard must have stolen my answers and used them. I was lucky to make up for it in the mine, but it was a close call.¡±

    Elise nodded and sat down in a chair. She closed her eyes slightly, letting the cool breeze soothe her tired body.

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Suddenly, La shouted. Elise was startled.

    They don¡¯t even give me time to rest.

    ¡°The number has dropped to 90!¡±

    It seemed that the number of students who have been dropped from the College Board had been announced.

    Although it¡¯s only the ¡®University Association¡¯ that knows how many points each student has, the total number of students is announced in advance by the school.

    ¡°Ah~ finally. That bastard Shion failed twice in a row, right?¡±

    Kain stretched out.

    ¡°I hated seeing that bastard¡¯s face. It feels like a thorn has been removed.¡±

    He then gulped down his whiskey. Sometimes, Kain says what Elise wants to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s a natural process.¡±

    However, Elise didn¡¯t want to feel anything for Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Useless talent should be eliminated. It was overconfidence in the first ce for such a person to challenge the College Board.¡±

    Her disdain was as natural as breathing, and the news of his disappearance made her feel much better.

    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m going to miss Shion¡­¡±

    When La puffed up her cheeks, Kain snorted.

    ¡°Hey. You were the one who hated him the most. You even said you¡¯d cut off his fingers.¡±

    ¡°He was ugly back then. He had a disgusting scar on his bald head.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re crazy about looks. Isn¡¯t he still bald?¡±

    Just as Kain was muttering in disbelief,

    ????¡ª

    Elise¡¯s phone rang with a ssical ringtone.

    The liquid crystal disyed a name that was quite surprising.

    [Soliette Arkne]

    ¡°Why would Soliette¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow! Soliette?!¡±

    La was making a fuss. Kain showed interest as well.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t sheing to the party? I sent her a direct message. She left me on read though.¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    Elise put her finger to her lips. Kain shut up immediately, and La mimed zipping her mouth shut.

    She pressed the ept button on the screen.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡ªHey. This is Soliette.

    ¡°Yeah. I know. What¡¯s up?¡±

    Soliette was the one to call first. It was quite refreshing, being the first time since ¡®that incident¡¯.

    I wonder if we still have that much of a connection left.

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    But Soliette didn¡¯t say anything. She seems to want to ask something but kept hesitating.

    ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡±

    ¡ªUm¡­ That¡¯s the thing.

    ¡°Ask. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Elise chuckled and looked at her nails. They were nicely trimmed, but they were broken because of the mine.

    I need to take care of them right away.

    ¡ªDo you know about Shion Ascal?

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Soliette spat out an unexpected question.

    The highest-grade apartment in Edsi, ¡®Presium¡¯. A penthouse of 150 pyeong (about 496 square meters), equipped with a magic training room, a physical training room, and an armory.

    Soliette was alone there.

    No servants, no cleaners, no chefs, no one was allowed in.

    She doesn¡¯t allow anyone in her personal space.

    Because it¡¯s bothersome if she¡¯s not alone. Because she doesn¡¯t want to care about others, not even a little bit.

    Above all, because they interfere with her ¡®work¡¯.

    ¡ªDidn¡¯t I tell youst time? He¡¯s a lunatic.

    Elise¡¯s voice flowed from the smartphone.

    Soliette nodded.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Right. I¡¯ll add one more line to that. He¡¯s a seriously twisted, self-obsessed lunatic.

    For some reason, Else seems to hate Shion a lot.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡ªDon¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s already confirmed to be disqualified with two failures-

    -Click.

    She hung up the phone. Then she looked around her room.

    In her ¡®room¡¯, which is as big as an average house, there were many pictures. There were many scrapped articles.

    They were all hanging on the wall. The whole room was filled with them.

    All of them were Soliette¡¯s efforts to uncover some ¡®truth¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There are too many questions in this case, with too many moments and too many people involved.

    The time, pain, and death of that day are nailed into her heart like a stake.

    Soliette looked up at the wall.

    [Where is he ? ? ?]

    A sentence written in red pen.

    She had friends too. Precious people she had spent over 12 years with.

    They all died.

    No, they were murdered.

    Soliette looked at a corner of the wall. A newspaper headline was attached there.

    [Unprecedented serial killer ¡®Knightmare¡¯.]

    Knightmare.

    A pun recing Night with Knight.

    A nickname referring to the monster who sequentially murdered thirty knights or knight aspirants.

    [¡®Knightmare¡¯ serial killer finally apprehended!]

    [A great achievement of the joint investigation by the Knight Order and the Police Force!]

    However, the news articles that followed were decidedly bright and cheerful. Exmation marks were liberally sprinkled throughout the sentences, and the people in the photos were all smiles.

    Thump-

    Soliette, who was staring at it, clenched her fist. She gritted her teeth.

    [Serial killer ¡®Knightmare¡¯mits suicide in prison¡­¡­.]

    The case ended with a suicide.

    However, Soliette had met him before hemitted suicide. She had seen the man the media imed to be the ¡®Knightmare¡¯.

    When she looked into his eyes, Soliette instinctively knew. Her intuition told her.

    He was not the real culprit.

    He was a phantom created by the media, a scapegoat put forth by the real culprit.

    [Case closed due to suicide. Will the victim¡¯s family feel sadden or relieved?]

    Therefore, there was no need to feel sadden or relieved.

    Because she was still on the hunt. For him, who must be somewhere out there, breathing, blending in as an ordinary human¡­

    But these days, the investigation was not making any progress. She was acutely aware of her limitations.

    She didn¡¯t even hope for help from her family.

    She had been treated like a mental patient suffering from PTSD, no matter how many times she exined.

    What she needed was simply a person.

    A person who could be used and discarded as needed, for a fair price.

    A human tool.

    Rustle¡ª

    Soliette pulled a flyer out of her pocket.

    [Service Offered]

    She looked at it and reyed the day¡¯s events. About ¡®someone¡¯ who had been talking about the Knightmare.

    She quietly reviewed it. About his words, which had crossed the line long ago.

    ¡ªYour family is shit.

    A dull, contemptuous voice.

    Pretending to know everything about her, when he knew nothing.

    ¡ªI do know, actually. Why do you keep trying to distance yourself from the family?

    Just that was enough to make her grit her teeth and twist her insides.

    That damned bastard, he dared to touch her raw nerve.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s because of the Knightmare, isn¡¯t it?

    Knightmare.

    That monster is already her nightmare.

    Not a single day has passed without dreaming of that day.

    The moment she falls asleep, she is absorbed into the swamp of memories. Shattered des, torn arms, gouged out eyes. Their disassembled-gruesome pieces lying in the morgue.

    She can¡¯t move forward from that moment, nor can she step back.

    That¡¯s the end of the dream.

    When she wakes up from the nightmare, everything is empty and quiet. It¡¯s unclear whether she¡¯s alive or dead.

    In a space where she is alone, she barely confirms ¡®life¡¯ by piecing together the shattered reality¡­

    ¡°¡­Fuck.¡±

    Soliette pressed hard on her forehead. Dizziness shook her body. But she shouldn¡¯t be swayed by such a guy.

    Deep breath.

    With her eyes closed, she regted her breath. After calming down slowly, she opened her eyes again.

    She looked at the screen of herptop.

    [Swordsmanship Recording: Shion Ascal]

    A recording of Shion Ascal¡¯s swordsmanship in ss. Soliette¡¯s assignment report, which she had been watching and analyzing for an hour.

    The one-line review: Mediocre.

    So mediocre that it¡¯s inferior.

    Knights call this kind of swordsmanship ¡®low-grade¡¯. A patchwork of swordsmanship picked up here and there, hastily put together, often used by low-grade knights.

    His skill level seemed high, but his overall swordsmanship was nothing to write home about. Even that skill level was achieved through easy techniques, so there was no need for praise.

    Half a point out of five.

    Bang¡ª!

    Having finished the report, Soliette closed herptop irritably.

    Tap-tap-tap-tap¡ª

    The temporary residence in the old mansion, where a firece was burning. Azy Sunday morning that felt like my body was slowly roasting.

    Having returned from Sanperu, Iy in bed, looking at the ¡®Magic Core¡¯.

    It¡¯s a ghost¡¯s magic core that I caught in Limto mine, and I¡¯m considering where to use it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    The byproducts of ghosts are usually used as catalysts or intermediates. Of course, like other magic cores, it can be made into essories, but there¡¯s a superstition that using a ¡®ghost¡¯s¡¯ magic core will bring a curse.

    In fact, its appearance is somewhat eeriepared to other magic cores. Should I say it throbs as if it¡¯s alive?

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll take 3,000 Ren.¡±

    Of course, I¡¯m thinking of selling it. I need to start cancer treatment between April and May at thetest.

    I opened the [Darkweb] app on my smartphone.

    ©¤©¤Dark Auction.

    Dark Auction. An underground auction house operated on the Darkweb. My ount level is still low, so I¡¯ll be ripped off with appraisal fees andmissions, but there¡¯s no other route for a minor like me.

    [Please first take a picture of the item and upload it.]

    As I was about to take a picture with one hand while holding the magic core in the other,

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Suddenly, my palm turned blue. The magic core on top of it melted away in white. An unexpected dissolution. The liquefied substance seeped through the incredibly short mana circuit in my palm.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡±

    I shook my hand in a hurry, but it was already toote. The transparent liquid quickly prated my skin.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I nkly looked at my palm. A faint blue light flowed through my skin before fading away.

    ¡°What the hell. My money.¡±

    I muttered nkly.

    Is this the effect of my Spectrum?

    I hurriedly opened the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    [94 / 103]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: -1

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡±

    I opened my eyes wide. I stared hard at a certain part of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    For reference, that -1 is the result of acquisition. If you work hard and practice, the capacity steadily decreases.

    The problem is not that ¡®-1¡¯.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a percentage?¡±

    The capacity has changed.

    Before and after regression, it was ¡®100¡¯, so I simply thought it was 100¡¯%¡¯. But now, it had increased by ¡®3¡¯.

    I stroked my chin.

    3,000 Ren evaporated, but thanks to that, my capacity increased, and I learned that I could increase my capacity.

    ¡°No¡­¡­ But still, 3,000 Ren is too expensive.¡±

    It still felt like a loss.

    Let me repeat, whether it¡¯s a notepad, a magic core, capacity, or whatever, if I die, it¡¯s all useless, right?

 Chapter 28: Weekend (2)

    <strong>Weekend (2)</strong>

    The smell of meat grilling on the hot te, theughter of families, the tter of dishes ¨C this is [The Wayward Meat].

    ¡°Shion! The grills are here!¡±

    Even on weekend evenings, I¡¯m working part-time in the kitchen.

    I n to do this for at least another one to two months. It takes up a lot of time, but there¡¯s no risk of getting hurt or dying on the job, and not only do I get a weekly wage of 600 Ren, they also give me meat to fill my bottomless stomach. Why would I quit?

    ¡°The grills and dishes are here!¡±

    My immediate goal is to pass the College Board exams with high scores. I could make more money doing deliveries, cleaning, and organizing like before, but if I get injured and it affects my College Board exams, it¡¯s all for nothing.

    ¡°Ah, but this is so fucking hard to clean.¡±

    Ssh¡ª! I angrily tossed the grill into the sink.

    I¡¯m getting irritated. The grease on the scrubber won¡¯te off, and the detergent isn¡¯t working. After cleaning about 200 of them, I¡¯ve hit the limit of what my usual tricks can do.

    ¡°I need to bring about ten more scrubbers¡­¡­¡±

    Then, suddenly, an idea pierced through my temples.

    What if I use ¡¸Perion¡¹ on the detergent?

    I¡¯ve never used it on consumables before, so I¡¯m curious.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked around. Everyone was too busy to notice me.

    Swipe- I put my hand on the detergent bottle.

    ¡°Load.¡±

    I muttered the spell and activated the magic. I drew the magic to my fingertips. I summoned the memory of ¡¸Perion¡¹, letting it seep into the liquid in the detergent bottle.

    Swoosh¡­¡­

    A dull current arose from my palm. The colorless magic. It flowed like smoke into the detergent bottle.

    ¡°¡­¡­Did it work?¡±

    I only used about 20% of my mana, but what about the effect?

    I soaked the scrubber in the detergent. I scrubbed the grill with it.

    Squeaky clean-

    ¡°Wow?¡±

    The scrubber swept away all the grease and burnt meat residues from the grill. Like magic, in an instant.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s strange.¡±

    The effect is more excellent than I imagined, but that makes it even more suspicious.

    No, let¡¯s think about it for a moment.

    What does it mean that the performance of the detergent has been amplified? Does it mean the acidity has increased? Or the alkalinity?

    This isn¡¯t about confusion or doubt, it¡¯s a matter of cause and effect.

    ¡®Enhancement of ingredients¡¯ doesn¡¯t necessarily lead to ¡®amplification of performance¡¯.

    If that were the principle, then hydrochloric acid would be the best detergent in the world.

    ¡°The grills are here!¡±

    In the midst of the dishwashing where water, grills, and detergent are intertwined, a clear thought arises.

    ¡ª¡ªWhat is the essential function that the future artifact ¡¸Perion¡¹ seeks?

    It¡¯s the amplification of magic and the body. It involves not only organs such as the mana circuit and the heart but also the entire human body including muscles and blood. Its mechanism is both magical and chemical.

    ¡ª¡ªHowever, is the Perion invented by Libra and the Perion ¡®remembered¡¯ by my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ really the same substance?

    I think I need to think more deeply about this.

    ¡°Dishes are here¡­ What? You¡¯ve already finished the grills? Anyway, dishes are here!¡±

    Looking at the tower of dishes piling up in the sink again, Ie up with a hypothesis.

    First of all, the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ operates ording to my will. It¡¯s my spectrum, so it¡¯s natural.

    So.

    Perhaps the Perion remembered by the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ also operates ording to my will.

    In other words, it might amplify the target I choose ording to the ¡®purpose¡¯ I envision.

    The basis is this detergent right now.

    I thought of the detergent as a ¡®cleansing substance¡¯, and it was amplified as such.

    ¡°¡­¡­Edit.¡±

    Suddenly, that wordes to mind.

    If, like the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ writes and erases, I can also freely edit and modify the effects of Perion¡­¡­

    ¡°The grills are here!¡±

    The grills came pouring in again.

    I pressed the Perion detergent hard and poured it into the sink. Bubbles frothed on the surface. They looked somehow different from before, and indeed they were.

    ¡°¡­¡­Finished! Everyone worked hard!¡±

    Closing time, 11:20 PM.

    ¡°You did well today. You¡¯re indeed the ace. Thanks to you, Shion, I think we served more tables.¡±

    The boss handed me my weekly wage and a bag of meat.

    ¡°Take care of your family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Family.

    It¡¯s not a joke, this guy has been under the illusion for a while that I have arge family to support. Maybe because I take home meat by the kilogram every day.

    I eat it all by myself.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It¡¯s not too bad. Thanks to him, the things I receive are increasing every time Ie to work.

    I left the meat shop and walked to Endex. The curfew had already passed, so the main gate was of course closed.

    I climbed over the wall nonchntly.

    Whiiiiing-

    As soon as I crossed into the Endex grounds, my smartphone vibrated.

    [College Board Score Notice]

    It seems the scores for this mining assignment havee out.

    Honestly, I¡¯m confident about the score.

    Of course, I only submitted exactly 23 magic stones from the mine. If you only consider quantity, I¡¯m obviouslyst.

    But it¡¯s not all about quantity.

    Chedric clearly stated that the grading criteria were ¡®quantity¡¯ and ¡®quality¡¯.

    I focused on quality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­¡±

    Identifying magic stones is quite a difficult task to begin with. You can¡¯t distinguish the ¡®grade¡¯ by size or appearance, so even if it looks like an ordinary pebble to the naked eye, it could be an A-grade magic stone.

    It¡¯s not for nothing that there¡¯s a profession called magic stone appraiser.

    However, I had the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹, so I made full use of it and collected only the best ones to submit.

    The result?

    [Shion Askal: CP Completion List]

    1. Prism Disassembly: [Pass (1CP)]

    1. Paper Bird Observation: [0CP / 2.5CP], [3.5 CP / 3 CP]

    1. Mine: [4.3 CP / 5 CP]

    Total: 8.8 / 11.5 CP

    Mine score 4.3CP.

    Total so far 8.8 CP.

    Satisfied with the decent score, I was walking when.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    My legs froze in ce. My eyes were glued.

    I was staring nkly at some part of the Endex park.

    In the faintndscape, there was a man running on the track.

    A man who looked like a statue, sweating and exercising. A man with such perfect looks and talent that it made me curse the world without realizing it.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    There were many others watching him.

    Especially from the girls¡¯ dormitory side. They were stuck to the windows like barnacles. Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t that a telescope?

    ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s the same as ever.¡±

    I had met Gerkhen before my regression.

    Whether before or now, he was the alpha dog, and I was a hyena at the bottom.

    He was the best swordsman on the continent, and I was a ghost with cancer.

    He had ambitions that no one else could hold, and in the end, he became the firstmoner congressman in Edsi.

    He received the support of all themoners, but I hated him.

    It wasn¡¯t just a simple feeling of inferiority.

    Perhaps, because our master was the same?

    Because it seemed like our master favored him over me?

    Or because he ended up betraying our master?

    I¡¯m not sure.

    I can¡¯t understand him, and he can¡¯t understand me.

    From the beginning, he had very little interest in me.

    People who live to develop themselves and people who live to bring someone down are just too different.

    ¡°Keep up the good work.¡±

    I said to his running back. But suddenly, he stopped. Then he turned around with his sweaty face. He looked directly at me. I didn¡¯t avoid his blue pupils. Instead, I asked back.

    ¡°Huh. What.¡±

    Then he withdrew his gaze and started running in the park again.

    ¡°¡­¡­He has really sharp ears.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    I hate this guy too.

    Monday came around again, at the Clemen Hall.

    As usual, Elise, who came to school 30 minutes early, paused as she was about to sit down.

    It was because of Soliette in the corner of the back row. A seat that was as good as her designated seat, shaded by a tree outside the window.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Elise, who clicked her tongue, took a step towards her.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Good afternoon.¡±

    Soliette nodded nonchntly. There was no awkwardness or hesitation that she had expected. Elise sat on her desk and asked quietly.

    ¡°Why did you ask about the expelled student yesterday?¡±

    The reason, in fact, she already knew.

    It¡¯s because he mentioned ¡®Knightmare¡¯.

    ¡°Is the expulsion confirmed?¡±

    Soliette asked. Elise crossed her legs.

    ¡°You saw it. He couldn¡¯t even submit the paper bird, and he only gathered a handful in the mine.¡±

    Two failures at the College Board meanspulsory expulsion.

    ¡°If it¡¯s expulsion, then it¡¯s done.¡±

    Soliette nodded sullenly. Elise didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Perhaps, this expulsion might be a blessing in disguise for Shion Ascal.

    If he doesn¡¯t disappear from sight, he might be killed by Soliette.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elise returned to her seat. As it neared 9 o¡¯clock, the seniors started to trickle in.

    ¡°Elly~ You¡¯re early as usual~ Ugh!¡±

    She pushed away La, who was trying to cling to her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Hey Asher. What did you do with him yesterday? I didn¡¯t see you in the middle.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe. I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination. Ah, my back hurts.¡±

    As Kain and Asher sat down chattering nonsensically, it struck 9 o¡¯clock.

    Drrrr¡ª

    The front door opened, and Chedric appeared. Standing at the podium, he looked at his wristwatch and waited.

    He was counting the ¡®seconds¡¯.

    Elise also looked at her watch out of curiosity.

    9:00:57. 58. 59¡ª

    ¡ª¡ªTrrrr!

    Exactly one second before, the back door hurriedly opened.

    Elise didn¡¯t look back.

    A senior who barely makes it to school on time? He¡¯s just pathetic andcking.

    ¡ª¡­Huh?

    ¡ªWhat¡¯s with him?

    But the other seniors were different. They looked back out of curiosity and each wore a shocked expression. Like they had seen a ghost.

    ¡°How, how did that bastard?¡±

    Even Kain spat out a clich¨¦d line.

    ¡°What¡¯s this, no, uh¡ª¡±

    As if to rece the stuttering Kain, Chedric spoke.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. That was close.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise thought she had heard wrong. Therefore, she looked back a bitte.

    At that moment, her pupils widened.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t miss it, did I?¡±

    The person who everyone was sure would be expelled.

    The man who was fiddling with his slightly damp hair and sitting in the very back seat.

    Shion Ascal.

    Elise nkly followed him. All the gazes in Clemen Hall were simr.

    Facing those numerous eyes, Shion Ascal twisted the corners of his mouth in a mocking smile.

    ¡°All 90 members are present. Since everyone is here, we will begin the first College Board course of the second week. Follow me.¡±

 Chapter 29: Proof of Skills (1)

    <strong>Proof of the Skills (1)</strong>

    ¡°This ce is the Baramil Stadium.¡±

    After exiting the main gate of Endex, we arrived at the stadium located in the capital after about a 15-minute walk.

    Pointing at the round dome reflecting the sunlight, Chedric continued his speech.

    ¡°This stadium is divided into a No-Mana-Zone and a regr Mana-Zone.¡±

    Indeed, there are two entrances to the stadium.

    [Mana Zone] and [No Mana Zone].

    The No Mana Zone is literally an area where mana barely exists, and the Mana Zone is an area where the mana density is higher than average.

    ¡°Today, we will conduct a ¡®minibine¡¯ here.¡±

    Combine.

    It¡¯s a method usually used by knight orders to collectively evaluate knight academy students. It¡¯s a kind of evaluation stage that tests physical abilities, mana, swordsmanship, etc., by gathering the students of the Magic College.

    ¡°In thebine, we evaluate Mana-Agility and Non-Mana-Agility separately, that is, magic and physical abilities, and then proceed with the draft based on those scores.¡±

    Draft is literally ¡®yer selection¡¯.

    ¡°From the first to the tenth ce ording to the grades of the first assignment of the college board, Prism Disassembly, a total of ten people be team leaders and draft team members. Each team leader picks five people each, making a total of 60 people forming ten teams.¡±

    60 people form ten teams.

    The total number is 90.

    30 people are left.

    ¡°Conduct thebine from 10 am to 1 pm. The candidate team members should strive to show their value, and the team leaders should strive to form the best team. However, not being picked doesn¡¯t mean you immediately fail.¡±

    At that, sighs of relief flowed from various ces.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not picked for a team, you can form your own team. A team without a team leader can have any number of team members.¡±

    I looked around.

    Would the best option be for the 30 dropouts to form one team andpete?

    ¡°We will conduct a group assignment with the team formed that way. We will announce what the assignment ister.¡±

    No, that can¡¯t be. The hardest thing to handle on the continent is people. I¡¯d rather raise 30 cheetahs or leopards.

    ¡°I will call the team leaders. 1st ce Gerkhen Kal Doon, 2nd ce Soliette, 3rd ce Elise¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­4th ce La, 5th ce Kain, 6th ce Asher, 7th ce Delrek, 8th ce Benhur, 9th ce London, 10th ce Calverton.

    ¡°The ten of you will autonomously oversee and conduct the minibine.¡±

    Leaving those words, Chedric left somewhere.

    The 90 people left at the entrance nced around for a moment and then slowly moved. Naturally, they flocked towards the ten team leaders.

    ¡°Everyone, stay still! The team leaders will have a meeting first!¡±

    Kain pushed them away and gathered only the team leaders. It must have been Elise¡¯s order.

    ¡ª¡­Okay. So.

    They gathered in a circle and whispered something, but only Kain¡¯s loud voice could be faintly heard.

    ¡ªRight. As Elise said. Yeah. Elise is right. Yeah. So, as Elise said?

    Are you some dog raised by Elise?

    ¡ªOkay.

    Anyway, Kain stepped forward as soon as it was over.

    ¡°First, each team leader will pick eight people for evaluation! Gerkhen Kal Doon will pick first, so line up!¡±

    Just like a draft.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    The seniors who were not team leaders formed ten lines of eight people each.

    I was at the very back.

    ¡°Hey, Gerkhen Kal Doon. You pick first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At Kain¡¯s words, Gerkhen Kal Doon looked around at the seniors and pointed at them one by one.

    ¡°You. You. You¡­¡­¡±

    He picked ten people like that, and then it was Soliette¡¯s turn.

    I didn¡¯t expect much. I just nced at her face.

    Then, our eyes met.

    Soliette¡¯s clear red eyes. Her small lips moving as if mumbling. The dry, jade-colored voice flowing between them.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Step forward.¡±

    Perhaps, she had been watching me all along.

    Soliette picked me first. I had a rough idea why. Probably because I had mentioned ¡®Knightmare¡¯ in the mine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    We, Soliette¡¯s team, entered the Mana Zone first. Various evaluation items were already prepared in the Mana Zone.

    First, mana control.

    Second, mana cooperation.

    Third, mana agility.

    Fourth, mana adaptability, and so on¡­¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with this.¡±

    Soliette led us to the ¡°Mana Control¡± section.

    ¡°It¡¯s a spinning top.¡±

    The mana control evaluation is simple. You control a specially made top with mana.

    The method is to inject mana appropriately into the top and bottom of the top and make it spin. Knowing this ¡®feeling¡¯, maintaining the subtle mana dynamics and bnce, and rolling the top.

    The evaluation factors are rotation speed, duration, and destructive power.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Soliette called my name first. There was a strange color in her eyes. A tangled ¡®mixiture¡¯ of hostility, curiosity, and expectation.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I responded and held the top in my hand. The top was connected to a string.

    Normally, you would do it without a string, but it seems there¡¯s this consideration because we¡¯re still high school students.

    In that case.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Soliette stared at me. It was a look of ¡®let¡¯s see what you can do¡¯.

    To meet her expectations, I blew mana into the top string¡­¡­

    Thaaaang¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The top shot up.

    And then it fell back down.

    Thud,

    Thud,

    Thud,

    Jingle¡ª

    After bouncing a few times on the ground, it was cut in half.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette looked at the top. Her eyes were a bit nk. I probably had a simr expression.

    Pfft- snicker- Theughter of a few students mixed in like background noise.

    I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead and shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, this isn¡¯t my specialty.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Soliette nodded with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Next. Let¡¯s move on to coordination.¡±

    Then she hastily pointed to the next one. The remaining seven students grabbed her in confusion.

    ¡°Miss Soliette. What about us, us?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°We have to do it too. No, this is an evaluation.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, right. Yes. Everyone, please try.¡±

    Soliette started the evaluation again. A rather handsome guy asked with a smile.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going first?¡±

    ¡°Anyone. Please hurry up.¡±

    It was a somewhat irritable answer. The man seemed taken aback, but soon stepped forward.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Um, then I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    ¡°Your name?¡±

    ¡°Kielli Berkoonta. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡±

    Kielli stepped forward.

    Whiiiiiiing¡ª¡ª!

    His top spun well. Very beautifully, and bnced. Soliette crossed her arms and nodded her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I saw. Next.¡±

    ¡°Me. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m Rohal.¡±

    ¡°Pleasee out.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Kielli.

    In the mana control test, all ten, excluding me, did better than me.

    ¡­¡­Next, mana cooperation.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You just need to emit mana on this ss wall and draw a shape. Shion Ascal first. Please draw a circle.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s first pick was still me, and I radiated mana on the ss wall. I slowly drew the shape.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then Soliette¡¯s mouth opened in surprise. Her eyes became cloudy like a flounder.

    I hurriedly exined.

    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering what shape this is, it¡¯s kind of inspired by an ultrasound.¡±

    ¡°I clearly told you to draw a circle.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡±

    Even the easiest ¡®circle¡¯ doesn¡¯t work. It just sparks and sparks on the ss wall like an electromaic wave.

    Soliette touched her temple and said.

    ¡°Next person.¡±

    ¡­¡­Third, mana agility.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You¡¯ll be shot with a mana bean bullet, and you need to defend with mana. Soliette¡­¡­ Arkne first.¡±

    Soliette called me again this time. However, her voice was already filled with anger, contempt, and disdain.

    ¡°Uh, uh.¡±

    I stood at the indicated spot. There was a gun barrel 10m ahead.

    Bang¡ª!

    The mana bean bullet was fired. I tried to quickly release mana, but-

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The bean left a mark on my forehead first.

    At that time, Soliette¡¯s sharply narrowed eyes were saying.

    ¡®Crazy useless son of a bitch¡¯

    ¡­¡­Fourth, mana adaptability.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. My Mana Zone evaluation is over. Please leave.¡±

    Soliette, who seemed fed up, ended the evaluation right away. She checked something in her notebook and went outside alone, and the others each said a word.

    ¡°Dude, what are you doing? You¡¯re fucking terrible at this.¡±

    ¡°Did you get picked by Soliette? Did she deliberately give you a hard time?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right? That¡¯s right? That¡¯s so funny¡­¡­¡±

    Theyughed and scoffed, and after that, my name was never called again.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    I was lying nkly, looking up at the ceiling of the Graham Hall.

    ¡°¡­¡­The damn mana talent is still the fucking same.¡±

    The talent for magic. The most important talent for students of Magic High School who aspire to attend a magic university and hope to work in the magic industry.

    I don¡¯t have that.

    I mean, I do, but it¡¯s not at the Endex level.

    It¡¯s just at the lower knight level, like my father.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I slowly raised my head.

    By the way, this is a [No-Mana-Zone].

    In this ce, where the mana in the air is less than 0.001%, only pure physical abilities are evaluated. In other words, it measures the ¡®physical ability in a state where not even a little bit of magic is flowing through the body¡¯.

    Because it¡¯s difficult to train or hone these pure physical abilities, men tend to have an advantage over women. However, the average difference is only 10~30%pared to ordinary people.

    You can¡¯t use Magic Body, but the ¡®Strong Body¡¯ that has been consistently receiving and soaking in mana is still there.

    The No-Mana-Zone is essentially a ce to evaluate that Strong Body.

    ¡°¡­¡­They probably won¡¯t ask me.¡±

    But here I am, sitting in a corner of the mat, lost in thought.

    Honestly, I¡¯m waiting for them to call me. I¡¯m quite confident in using my body.

    There are various evaluation items.

    [50m sprint] to measure speed and agility. [Bench press] to gauge upper body strength. [Long jump] to evaluate lower body explosive power. [High jump] to test the flexibility and power of the body itself.

    I¡¯ve been working hard on these exercises, both now and in the past, but they still haven¡¯t called me.

    They¡¯re just doing it among themselves.

    ¡ªHa ha ha. Hey! What are you! You¡¯re so slow!

    That Kain bastard seems to be intentionally making a fuss.

    ¡ªTry again! I¡¯ll give you another chance. Ready, set!

    While the other guys are all moving their bodies, watching the evaluation, or stretching, I¡¯m alone.

    It¡¯s been a long time since Soliette, the only one who called me, has ignored me.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡±

    I justy down on the mat. It¡¯s impossible for me to be chosen for the top team in the Mana Zone anyway. Let¡¯s be mature and let it go, be mature.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yawn.¡±

    When I lie down, sleepes to me.

    ¡°Because of this damn cancer.¡±

    Hypersomnia is one of the symptoms of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. It¡¯s sucking the energy out of my body to use for forced growth, so it¡¯s impossible not to feel sleepy¡­¡­.

 Chapter 30: Proof of Skills (2)

    <strong>Proof of Skills (2)</strong>

    ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m done with the evaluation.¡±

    Kain folded his record sheet in half. Elise also nodded her head, checking her wristwatch.

    ¡°It¡¯s 12:45, so it should be over soon. Let¡¯s share.¡±

    ¡°Roger.¡±

    Kain and Elise exchanged their record sheets. Elise just skimmed through it, but Kain¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    It was too meticulous. Not only the one-line reviews, but also the graphs and diagrams were perfectly organized.

    ¡°Elise. Can I swap this with mine? It looks like it¡¯s written by an expert.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, each team leader can only see 16 people. It¡¯s more important to see as many as possible without ovepping, rather than the quality of the data.¡±

    Most team leaders went through two cycles of eight people each. Meaning they had a grasp of a total of 16 people.

    Except for Soliette.

    Soliette only measured once, and that too only in the mana zone.

    ¡°¡­Elly. Is Shion sleeping?¡±

    That¡¯s when La pointed somewhere and chuckled.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal, sprawled out on the mat, fast asleep.

    Elise just nced and didn¡¯t answer, and Kain sneered with contempt.

    ¡°That idiot thinks he¡¯s winning. How did he not get kicked out?¡±

    ¡°I feel sorry for him. Oh, should I have called him? But he¡¯s really bad¡­¡±

    La mumbled. Elise asked indifferently.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, Soliette picked Shion for thebine, right? I saw how Shion was doing. He was really bad.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Elise smiled inwardly. So that¡¯s why Soliette picked that guy first, to give him a proper scolding.

    ¡°Oh, right. Hey, guys.¡±

    Then Asher grinned and chimed in as if he had remembered something.

    ¡°Do you want to try that, among us team leaders? It looked pretty fun when the kids were doing it.¡±

    He pointed to one side of the gym.

    It was a 10-meter rail. At the end of it was a wall of the same height, and below was an air mat fornding.

    It¡¯s called [High Jump], the flower of the no-mana zone.

    The method is simple. Run at full speed and touch the highest part you can reach. Then the scoreboard at the top will tell you the record.

    It¡¯s one of the most dynamic items in the physical evaluation and is popr, but it only measures ¡®height¡¯, so those with a tall stature or long arms have an advantage.

    But well, physical attributes are also considered talent in this field.

    ¡°¡­Sounds fun?¡±

    It was Kain¡¯s words. With a barefoot height of 192 cm and a wingspan reaching 2 meters, he was bound to be confident.

    Kain showed his record sheet and said.

    ¡°How about this. The one who jumps the highest gets to share the record sheet.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll join too.¡±

    At that moment, someone raised their hand.

    Everyone turned to look in that direction.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    It was Soliette. She stood at the starting line of the rail.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡±

    As soon as she said that, she ran straight away.

    One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps. She ran just enough to gain maximum momentum and pushed off at the end of the rail.

    Whooooosh¡ª¡ª

    A graceful takeoff, like an eagle soaring off a cliff.

    In the midst of all the seniors staring nkly, she pped the palm of her hand at the highest point.

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    With a sound like thunder, the numbers on the scoreboard changed.

    [578cm]

    ¡°Holy shit!¡±

    Asher gasped. The other team members also let out exmations close to shock.

    ¡°Is Soliette for real? Is that, like, a female powerhouse?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    At those admiring words, Elise merely licked her lips.

    578cm meant she had jumped at least 4m with a running start. And it didn¡¯t even look like she had given it her all.

    A truly unbelievable powerhouse, a monster gene indeed worthy of the ¡®Arkne¡¯ bloodline.

    ¡°Is there anyone else?¡±

    Soliette asked calmly as she walked off the air mat.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Asher and Kain subtly averted their eyes. It would be embarrassing if they jumped lower than Soliette. Gerkhen Kal Doon might be able to give it a shot, but he was currently in the mana zone evaluating team members.

    ¡ª¡ª????.

    Thankfully, the lunch bell rang just in time.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. It¡¯s lunchtime. Let¡¯s do thister. But I¡¯ll show you my record.¡±

    Kain handed Soliette his record sheet.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette walked away looking at it, and Elise quietly watched her retreating figure.

    ¡°Soliette is amazing¡­ Elly, what do you want to eat?¡±

    La asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±

    Elise answered vaguely, her gaze drifting somewhere.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go for sushi~¡±

    Rumble¡­¡­.

    Despite the recentmotion, there was still a lunatic snoring and sleeping on the mat.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    When I opened my eyes, there was no one around. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock in the empty no-mana zone.

    1:20 PM.

    Lunchtime.

    Gurgle¡ª.

    I was starving to death. Even though I eat six meals a day.

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry I could die.¡±

    I quickly got up.

    I was about to leave when I noticed therge numbers on the scoreboard.

    [571cm]

    It was a high jump.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty high.¡±

    In the no-mana zone, 5m 70cm means ¡®at least¡¯ double in the mana zone.

    ¡°Should I give it a try?¡±

    High jump. I¡¯ve always wanted to try it.

    I mean, I haven¡¯t even attempted it.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I walked to the starting line of the rail.

    Gurgle¡ª¡ª¡ª.

    I tried to ignore the rumbling of my stomach.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±

    One deep breath.

    Nothing too shy.

    Simply rxing the body and adjusting the muscles for running.

    After getting into position¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    I took a big step.

    One step.

    Two steps.

    Three steps.

    And then, I reached the end of the rail. I had covered 10m in just three steps.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    It was faster than I expected. I pushed off in surprise.

    **Vroooom¡ª**

    I felt my body lift.

    My senses were off.

    The ground beneath my feet was too soft, and the resistance of the rushing air was too light.

    For some reason, it felt like I was rising endlessly.

    I nced down at my feet.

    It was dizzying.

    The air mat on the ground was as small as a handkerchief, and the scoreboard seemed close enough to touch.

    With just my two legs, I had leaped this far.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    For a moment, I forgot my objective. I was supposed to touch the wall.

    In the middle of my descent from the peak, I pped my palm against it.

    Thud¡ª!

    My handprint was engraved on the wall, and my body descended for quite a while.

    About 3 seconds by my estimation?

    Whoosh¡ª

    My back hit the soft air mat first. In that position, I looked up at the scoreboard on the wall.

    [687cm]

    My palm had reached the highest point.

    The scoreboard stated that the record was 6m 87cm.

    I was more puzzled than amazed.

    To be honest, I was confused.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    6m 87cm is almost simr to the new draft record. That¡¯s why it¡¯s even stranger. My athletic ability shouldn¡¯t be this high.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Even if I acquired a natural physique thanks to the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, that¡¯s still a future story. At this point, where my tertiary growth has just begun¡­

    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±

    My eyes widened. A thought grazed my mind like a needle.

    ¡°Embodiment?¡±

    I ced my hand on my stomach.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    My pulse, faint but definitely there. My core is still throbbing like a heart, scattering magic throughout my body.

    But this mere ¡®throbbing¡¯ can hardly exin such a super-physical phenomenon.

    After all, the No-Magic Zone evaluates physical strength, not a Magic Body.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Then, one of the operating principles of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ that came to mind.

    ¡®Attunement¡¯.

    The process of mastering things that the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ memorizes, by repeating them with my body. A technique attuned once probably won¡¯t be forgotten forever and is not constrained by capacity.

    What if that¡¯s not limited to techniques?

    It¡¯s still a guess, but what if.

    What if.

    If the Perion in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is naturally integrating with my body?

    If that Perion is seeping into my blood vessels, muscles, bones, and other organs through the throbbing of my core, slowly sublimating the property of upgrade into my ¡®framework¡¯?

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not impossible.¡±

    It¡¯s a usible story.

    The ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is a product of the core, and therefore, broadly speaking, the Perion is also memorized in the core.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I silently spread my palm.

    Then clenched it.

    Spread it again.

    Then clenched it again.

    Suddenly, a remark from my master echoed in my ears.

    ¡­I know. You know and I know. That embodiment is likely to be useless. But still. It¡¯s better than not doing it.

    ¡°Useless¡­¡±

    A small smile crept onto my lips.

    ¡°It might not be.¡±

    1:40 PM.

    Soliette Arkne returned to the No-Magic Zone before lunchtime ended.

    She returned to retrieve something she had left behind.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Fortunately, it was still in its ce.

    A duffle bag in the corner of the hall. Soliette slung it over her shoulder.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She paused as she was about to turn around and leave.

    She didn¡¯t trust herself. So, she scanned the area she had just passed, and sure enough.

    There was a cell phone where the duffle bag had just been. She had left her phone behind while picking up the duffle bag.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known.¡±

    She cursed herself.

    Soliette shook her head as she picked up her phone.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Suddenly, the scoreboard in her peripheral vision caught her eye.

    Something was off.

    No, it seemed off.

    She stood still in her tracks. She slowly turned her head to look at the scoreboard.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Soliette was rarely surprised. Her eyes widened like a cat¡¯s.

    The record had changed.

    The problem was the number on the scoreboard.

    ¡°687cm?¡±

    [687cm]

    In the No-Magic Zone, those who are good at high jump usually hit between 5m and 5m 30cm. Even that is an incredible levelpared to the average person.

    But now, a figure close to 7m was recorded.

    It wasn¡¯t fake.

    The ¡®palm print¡¯ stamped at a position where she had to raise her head for a long time proved it.

    7m meant that someone had jumped over a 2-3 story building with just their physical strength.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon?¡±

    Naturally, that name came to Soliette¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t think of anyone but Gerkhen Kal Doon. At least not in the current Endex.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette meticulously examined the high jump track and air mat. To her, who had been chasing Knightmare for nearly a year, deduction had be somewhat of a hobby or a special skill.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    While she was investigating thoroughly, indeed!

    Something shiny on the air mat caught her eye. Soliette quickly crawled over and picked it up with two fingers.

    An object that wasn¡¯t there when she was doing the high jump.

    A very small and round, button.

    Judging by its size, it seemed to have fallen off the sleeve of an Endex uniform.

    Probably belonged to the person who hit 687cm. Soliette put the button in her pocket.

 Chapter 31: Proof of Skills (3)

    <strong>Proof of Skills (3)</strong>

    2 PM. After lunch, ny seniors gathered in the main hall of Baramil Stadium, where the stage was divided like a concert hall.

    ¡°We will now start the mini draft.¡±

    Chedric, the person in charge, said as he looked around at them.

    ¡°Team leaders, pleasee up to the stage.¡±

    Ten team leaders, including Gerkhen Kal Doon, Soliette, and Elise, ascended the stage and took their seats.

    ¡°Starting with overall first ce, Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    The first pick of the first round went to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    At first nce, it might seem fair for the tenth ce to have the first pick, and indeed it is, but the college board prioritizes skill over fairness.

    ¡°I choose Berrick.¡±

    Without hesitation, Gerkhen Kal Doon chose Berrick. Berrick walked out to apuse.

    He was a man with long hair.

    His Prism score was 13th. In ten years, he¡¯d be among the elite, holding a key position in one of Edsi¡¯s big mana-techpanies.

    Anyway, if I know his name, he¡¯s apetent guy.

    ¡°Berrick. Come up to the stage and sit in the chair behind Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Berrick took his ce on Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team. He looked quite proud.

    ¡°Next, Soliette.¡±

    The second pick of the first round was Soliette¡¯s.

    I suddenly felt nervous. My hands were shaking so much that I quickly put them in my pockets.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    Whether then or now, she¡¯s a woman who disturbs my peace.

    Just then, she nced at me. I didn¡¯t avoid her gaze. I told her with my eyes that I was confident.

    ¡°I choose¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette opened her mouth.

    I had an inexplicable intuition. It felt like she was going to pick me.

    It might just be a simple expectation. But-

    ¡°Kielli.¡±

    ¡°Huu.¡±

    Suddenly, I coughed.

    ¡­¡­

    The mini draft was over.

    First round, second round, third round, fourth round.

    The draft went around four times in total.

    Ten people were picked in each round.

    My name wasn¡¯t even called as a joke.

    -Let¡¯s do well. Really.

    -I¡¯ll work my ass off.

    The guys who were picked were full of pride on the stage, and those who weren¡¯t picked, like me, just scratched the back of their necks and gave awkward smiles.

    -Ah. My condition wasn¡¯t good today.

    -I was born in the No-Magic Zone. Honestly, isn¡¯t the No-Magic Zone useless?

    -I don¡¯t know. They say it¡¯s important.

    I didn¡¯t feel particrly frustrated or anything. There were 40 people who weren¡¯t picked.

    Of course, I was a loser among those 40.

    ¡°Those seniors who weren¡¯t picked will also be given 15 minutes to form teams.¡±

    No one looks at me. They avoid my eyes. They even subtly back away when I try to approach.

    It¡¯s probably because of somework.

    Elise.

    In fact, the moment she marked me, my school life was pretty much over. Not just in Endex, but in a year or two, the social circles of Edsi¡¯s capital will fall into her hands, so my social reputation is already fucked.

    ¡ªSo, we¡¯re a team of six?

    ¡ªSounds good, right? Our bnce is just right. What¡¯s your GPA?

    ¡ªHey, hey. We¡¯re just average among the 40. Let¡¯s just do it with the four of us.

    ¡ªShouldn¡¯t we push with our side numbers?

    ¡ªThat¡¯s overkill. Let¡¯s just pick about 20.

    The outcasts were chattering among themselves, but I was alone. It didn¡¯t seem like anything woulde from forcing myself into their conversations.

    ¡°15 minutes have passed. Submit your teams.¡±

    Time was up, and Chedric spoke. The outcasts all tried to ascend to the stage¡ª

    ¡°Choose a team leader and only they shoulde up.¡±

    Chedric stopped them. The ones on the stage snickered, and the outcasts below resumed their discussion.

    ¡ªHey, then you be the team leader.

    ¡ªNo, why?

    ¡ªJust do it. There might be bonus points.

    Having no choice, I stepped forward first. I ascended the stage and looked at Chedric. Behind Chedric, the eyes of the ¡®regr teams¡¯ selected through the draft focused on me.

    Chedric asked, ¡°Shion Ascal. Your team?¡±

    ¡°I submit.¡±

    ¡°Are you alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Pfft¡ª

    Someone snickered at that moment. It was La. She twisted her hair and avoided my gaze.

    Chedric wrote my name on the file.

    ¡°Team number 11, Shion Ascal confirmed. Go down.¡±

    A total of eighteen teams were confirmed. Ten regr teams, eight outcast teams. Most of the outcast teams consisted of 4-6 members, and of course, I was alone.

    Is this¡­ the loneliness of a one-man army?

    ¡°I will announce the group assignment.¡±

    p¡ª! Chedric pped his hands. Ny pairs of eyes focused on him. The sound of swallowing was loud.

    Chedric spoke without hesitation.

    ¡°It¡¯s an exploration.¡±

    Exploration. At the same time, groans erupted here and there.

    Quite an annoying assignment.

    ¡°Somewhere in Edsi, there are several regions with different characteristics artificially created by the university association. You have to explore there and write an ¡®exploration report¡¯.¡±

    Correction.

    It¡¯s not just quite annoying, but incredibly annoying. Exploration are annoying enough, but what¡¯s with the report?

    ¡°There are a total of 10 exploration sites.¡±

    Chedric projected tenndscape photos into the air. They werebeled [A], [B], [C], [D], [E]¡­ in alphabetical order.

    A was a foggy mountain, B was a deserted ind, C was a jungle, D was a desert, E was a swamp, and so on.

    ¡°Also.¡±

    Snap¡ª! Chedric flicked his finger. Then, thick envelopes floated up and were delivered to the team leaders, ten per team.

    Ten envelopes alsonded on my arms. The letters A, B, C, etc., were written on the surface.

    ¡°Inside envelope A, there are two magic forms rted to exploration area A. One is a magic form that will tell you the coordinates of the exploration area, and the other is a magic form containing the key to enter there. The same goes for envelopes B, C, and so on. You have to choose an exploration area, decipher the magic form, and find the exploration site yourself.¡±

    It seems like ¡®finding the assignment area is also part of the assignment¡¯ is a clich¨¦.

    ¡°Meet up by 9 a.m. on Friday. If you can¡¯t find it, you fail.¡±

    I suppressed a sigh that was rising to my chin.

    ¡°My Magic skills are still at middle school level, how am I supposed to solve this?

    ¡ª¡­Soliette. What should we do?

    Suddenly, a name pierces my eardrums. A voice calling Soliette as if they were close friends.

    My eyes turned in that direction.

    It was ¡®Kielli¡¯.

    First round, second pick. In other words, Soliette¡¯s first choice.

    It¡¯s not like that was supposed to be my spot.

    But it bothers me for some reason.

    Jealousy¡­ perhaps.

    I admired her, and loved her.

    Of course, the Soliette of the future and the Soliette of now arepletely different people. They shouldn¡¯t be the same.

    ¡ªI¡¯ll take care of it.

    ¡ªHey. You still need to gather with your team members.

    Soliette is talented in almost every field. Swordsmanship, magic, magic forms, even finance including stocks and real estate.

    ¡ªYes. After we gather, I¡¯ll take care of it.

    Because of this, she has a habit of trying to do everything on her own.

    ¡°Today ends with team selection. Since the assignment starts on Friday, there will be no assignments on Wednesday.¡±

    It¡¯s a relief to hear that. The unexpected break brought a strange smile to the other seniors.

    Chedric said as he put files into his document bag.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the group assignment.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª¡ª!

    At that moment, all the teams rushed out of the stadium. A few nced at me, alone, with a mix of pity and amusement, but only for a moment. In just one minute, all 89 of them disappeared.

    Only Chedric and I remained in the stadium.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at Chedric without a word. Chedric seemed slightly conscious of me, but soon packed his bag and left.

    I let out a pointless yell.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡ª¡ªAh.

    The echo reverberated in the stadium.

    In such a vast ce, there¡¯s only me.

    Just me.

    A group assignment without group members.

    It starts today.

    Back at my temporary residence, I¡¯m studying. It¡¯s thest chapter of [Magic for Mages, Middle School-Level Magic Comprehension].

    Fortunately, the discipline of Magic can be learned. At least I won¡¯t forget a form I¡¯ve seen once, thanks to the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong.

    It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll never forget something I¡¯ve seen once.

    It means I can ¡®Load¡¯ it by consuming magic power.

    Just like how I can bring in a Memory like Perion with the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I can also recall a pure Memory.

    Can¡¯t remember a form you¡¯ve definitely studied?

    Just bring in that Memory with the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    My ¡¸Notepad¡¹ keeps a Memory of all the experiences I¡¯ve had.

    ¡°This is doable.¡±

    As a result, I sessfully finished reading [Magic for Mages, Middle School-Level Magic Comprehension].

    I guess I¡¯m at least at middle school level now.

    Hmm.

    I took out the magic forms from the envelope I received today. One pair of magic forms per exploration site, a total of 20 magic forms.

    I have to choose one of these ten ces.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand any of it.¡±

    All the magic forms are still foreignnguages to me. No, they¡¯re not even anguage, they¡¯re just patterns. Damnplicated patterns.

    He gave up after staring intently.

    After all, he was only at the level of a middle school student. He could barely interpret magic forms, let alone magic spells. This was even a group project¡¯s magic spell, a problem of almost college level that could only be solved by putting several heads together.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Having tossed aside the magic spell, he picked up andscape photo of the exploration area.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell anything from such andscape. If he could, that would be a problem error.

    ¡°¡­Wait. This.¡±

    But, this exploration area [A].

    A mountain covered in fog.

    Looking at the fog and the mountain here, he felt a growing sense of incongruity. Something seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, and his chest felt heavy.

    Was it a memory from before his regression? But at this time, he had been lying in a hospital bed. There was no way he could have any meaningful memory.

    Therefore, he didn¡¯t know what caused this sense of incongruity.

    Instead, the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ might know.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He closed his eyes quietly. Slowly, he summoned the memory of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. As if searching for a file in a folder, he limited the period to ¡®March 2013¡¯, just before his regression.

    There would probably be no or faint memories of having ¡®seen¡¯ something directly around that time. He had been lying nkly, looking out the window for three months after being diagnosed with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. He had been a corpse since then.

    ¡­However.

    [Last night, there was news of a ¡®magic phenomenon¡¯ urring during the college board process.]

    Apparently, the sense of memory that the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ has is not only ¡®sight¡¯.

    [We have a reporter on the scene. Reporter ine, please tell us the situation.]

    The anchor¡¯s voice ying in his ears.

    The memory of ¡®sound¡¯.

    Hearing.

    [Yes. This is the artificial fog mountain in the Parascale region, where the college board project was carried out. Yesterday at 9 PM, there was amotion when a level 5 magic phenomenon, Dispel, urred during the college board process¡­]

    He had ¡®heard¡¯ news rted to this college board.

    [The beasts in the caves and underground couldn¡¯t ept the sudden change in the atmosphere and jumped out, threatening not only the seniors who were in the middle of the project, but also the residents of the city¡­]

    [Fortunately, it was resolved without any casualties and remained at the level of a happening, but a mandrake was found during the suppression operation¡­]

    [Next news. A monster was found near the fog mountain of Parascale and was killed¡­]

    At that moment, his eyes popped open.

    Mandrake.

    Forget about the monster or the fact that there were no casualties, mandrake.

    A crazy nt that screams like a madman when pulled out, resembling a human.

    ¡°Insane.¡±

    Contrary to popr belief, mandrake is not a elixir. It¡¯s more akin to poison, or even a drug.

    It¡¯s expensive.

    And it makes money.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, damn it.¡±

    Mandrake.

    Depending on the quality, the price is around 20,000 Ren per 100g on average, but the mandrake of the fog mountain is a whopping 500g.

    Even after deductingmission,bor costs, and taxes, it¡¯s over 40,000 to 50,000 Ren.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, damn it.¡±

    I absolutely have to get it.

 Chapter 32: To do list (1)

    <strong>To do list(1)</strong>

    ¡­At the same time, Monday evening.

    In the Eslomercial district, close to several magic high schools including Endex, there is a ce called [K-Slot]. It¡¯s a high-end study caf¨¦ that upies the 5th to 7th floors of amercial building.

    At this ce frequently used by magic high school students, the upper ss of Endex gathered today.

    ¡°Everyone,e out. Let¡¯s take a break and discuss.¡±

    Elise sent a group message from the 7th floor corridor. Immediately, the door of Room 4 opened, and Kain came out.

    ¡°Oh, Elise. How¡¯s your team doing?¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just started the segmentation.¡±

    Since quite a lot of magic forms are intertwined in this magic ceremony, they first need to breakdown the form into individualponents for proper analysis.

    This process is called ¡®segmentation¡¯, and since it¡¯s a simple and tedious task¡ªbasically grunt work¡ªthat doesn¡¯t require creative thinking or a shift in perspective, Elise left it all to her team members.

    ¡°Is that so? I picked a kid with a good head, and he¡¯s doing it all right now.¡±

    ¡°You mean Elling.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how did you know?¡±

    ¡°We went to the Magicpetition together. He¡¯s not very sociable, but he¡¯s quite talented. Which room is La in?¡±

    ¡°She was hanging out in Room 3.¡±

    On the 7th floor of K-Slot, there are a total of ten group study rooms, each 30 square meters. Elise is in Room 1, Kain in Room 4, and Asher, who is justing out, is in Room 7.

    ¡°Hey, did you guys see this? My minions sent it to me.¡±

    Asher approached with an excited face and showed his smartphone.

    ¡°That asshole¡¯s making a fuss again¡­¡­.¡±

    Kain, who started with a curse, had his eyes wide open in an instant. His jaw trembled and closed tightly.

    It was a rather loud reaction.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Elise also took a quick look. It was a single photo.

    ¡°¡­A high jump, huh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy. Some madman hit almost 7 meters in the No-mana Zone.¡±

    The high jump rail in the Nomana Zone. The number [687cm] that appeared on the billboard. A clearly engraved palm.

    Elise muttered nonchntly.

    ¡°It must be Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shit.¡±

    Kain bit his lip. In fact, Elise was also impressed inside.

    At this level, it¡¯s as much as an average knight, no.

    Since physical strength is purely a matter of talent, it¡¯s superior to ¡®most¡¯ knights.

    Asher blurted out.

    ¡°If it¡¯s 687, it¡¯s almost a new record for the Draft Combine. You know, right? In ¡¯94, Soliette¡¯s dad hit 701cm-¡±

    Squeak¡ª

    At that moment, the door of Room 6 opened.

    The person who walked out with a wobble, as if speaking of the devil.

    It was Soliette. Some guy was following her like a shadow.

    ¡°¡­Soliette?¡±

    Elise called her. Soliette raised a question mark in essence.

    ¡°Did you see this?¡±

    She snatched Asher¡¯s phone and showed her the screen.

    After a quick nce, she answered nonchntly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You saw it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you know who it is?¡±

    ¡°I think I might know. Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.¡±

    Soliette raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°This¡­ is still at the stage of spection, but it¡¯s evidence to find the owner of the 687cm.¡±

    ¡°This button?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I found it on the air mat. It¡¯s probably the only evidence. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no CCTV in the stadium.¡±

    ¡°¡­It sounds like a crime when you say it like that. To the point of checking CCTV?¡±

    Elise nced at the button as if uninterested. It was a normal school uniform button.

    ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡±

    Soliette put the button back in her pocket and left the bathroom.

    Elise turned on the faucet. Swoosh¡ª After washing her hands with soap, she went outside.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Just then, the door of the men¡¯s bathroom opened, and a presence emerged.

    It was Kielli.

    With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he nodded at Elise and walked towards Soliette.

    ¡°He¡¯s an unpleasant person.¡±

    Elise felt an inexplicable contempt.

    ¡­

    Study Room No. 6.

    Soliette returned with Kielli. The members of Room 6 were dissecting the magic form.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back? We¡¯ve mostly dissected it. It looks like a map-rted magic form to us, what do you think?¡±

    At the team member¡¯s words, Soliette nodded.

    ¡°You did well.¡±

    It probably wasn¡¯t a map-rted magic form, but they had almostpletely dissected it, which wasmendable.

    Kielli raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh~ You guys are fast, huh? But why is it so hot?¡±

    ¡°Hot? Should we turn off the heating?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just take off my clothes.¡±

    Hmm- He coughed and took off his school uniform coat. Soliette nced at him nonchntly, then froze for a moment.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    She silently stared at Kielli¡¯s cuff.

    The button.

    There was no button.

    When did it disappear?

    She didn¡¯t know if this was the first time he had taken off his school uniform coat. She hadn¡¯t been interested in the first ce.

    ¡°Hmm, whats wrong team leader?¡±

    Kielli asked, feeling her gaze. Soliette pointed tantly at the spot.

    ¡°The button. It¡¯s missing.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What button¡­ Oh, what¡¯s this.¡±

    Kielli fiddled with his cuff and chuckled.

    ¡°When did it fall off? It did feel a bit empty.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Watching him casually adjust his cuff, Soliette was lost in thought for a moment.

    Kielli licked his nostrils and lips and pointed at andscape photo of some exploration area.

    ¡°Team leader? So, are we definitely going here?¡±

    Soliette looked at it.

    Exploration Area [A].

    A mountain covered in fog.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette said expressionlessly.

    ¡°Our Team 2 will go here.¡±

    Endex, Sairen, Devon, Sudme, and other prestigious magic high schools¡¯ shopping districts ovep like a Venn diagram¡ª ¡®Eslo Street¡¯.

    [5~7 Floors: Study Cafe K-Slot]

    I came out and was looking at the directory of amercial building.

    ¡°Why does a study cafe take up three whole floors?¡±

    The study cafes I know aren¡¯t like this. Moreover, it¡¯s 30 Ren per hour. But they im to maintain an optimal concentration of oxygen and mana for studying and learning.

    Well, I¡¯m not here to study anyway.

    [3rd Floor: Maho Bookstore]

    My destination today is Maho Bookstore. It¡¯s thergest bookstore in the area, upying the entire third floor.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t need it, I need the textbook for tomorrow¡¯s Latinel ss. Neither the library nor the local bookstore carries such a high-level artifact like Latinel.

    I went up to the third floor. From the entrance, there were many people in school uniforms, martial arts uniforms, and robes, and books were everywhere.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    I roughly looked around the ¡®Language¡¯ section, but I didn¡¯t really need to search.

    The most luxurious and antique-designed counter. Above it, a gold-framed picturebeled [Latinel ¢ñ].

    ¡°Here it is¡­.¡±

    ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹

    The Latinel textbook was disyed like a luxury item in the middle of the shiniest counter. The price was 1,500 Ren.

    Last time it was 1,200 Ren, it¡¯s gone up by 300 Ren.

    Of course, I have no intention of buying it. How could I burn my hard-earned 1,200 Ren on a book?

    Instead, I put my hand on the cover of the textbook. I gently closed my eyes. I focused.

    ¡°Hu¡­.¡±

    Now, I¡¯m trying to ¡®Memorize¡¯ it.

    Of course, the content of this Latinel textbook is already saved in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, but what I want is more than that.

    I want to memorize not only the ¡®content¡¯ of the textbook, but also its ¡®form¡¯.

    The leather cover of the hardcover book, extraordinary in material and quality. The grip that feels like it sticks to your hand. The material of the paper, sturdy yet soft without being thick.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªMemorize¡±

    I memoried it all. My nerves and heart twitched, and a definite sensation settled in my palm.

    But it¡¯s not over yet.

    It¡¯s just the beginning.

    I took out an old book from the bag I brought in advance. I put my palm on the dust-covered cover.

    Now, I¡¯m going to infuse this old book with the ¡®form¡¯ of ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹.

    If youpare it to the function of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, it¡¯s copy and paste.

    However, since it¡¯s implemented in reality, it¡¯s the real Embodiment of Memory.

    ¡°¡­¡­Paste.¡±

    There¡¯s no CG-like special effect. As I mutter my intention, my nerves tremble, and the mana holding the Memory rises from my palm and seeps into the old book. The worn and frayed surface transforms into a purple hardcover, and gold letters are engraved on the cover.

    ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹

    It¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ saved money.¡±

    I¡¯ve lost quite a bit of mana, and a chill runs through my body, but this is more than satisfactory.

    I put down the ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹, which used to be an old book, next to the original.

    Comparing them, they look even more identical. I could even sell it as a new one.

    If I do this well, it¡¯s like copying money-

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Suddenly, the book melted.

    Melting away, literally. Like paint peeling off, the book covers were sagging and sinking¡­

    I hastily picked it up. The moment I did, the decay stopped.

    ¡°Ah, damn.¡±

    After all, this ¡¸real embodiment¡¹ seems to only persist when it¡¯s in contact with me.

    It¡¯s not a special restriction. After all, the concept of a ¡®medium¡¯ is fundamental.

    No magic form operates independently or permanently. It must either be connected to the mage or be supplied by a medium such as a mana stone or gem.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s useless.¡±

    I called ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹ back into the half-melted old book. The second real embodiment was quite easy, but this was a curse. I can¡¯t keep it with me all the time. It seems like it would work if I inserted a mana stone or mana core, but where can I get that now¡­

    Wait a minute.

    Mana core?

    ¡°A Mana core.¡±

    I do have a mana core.

    Not in my hand right now, but the mana core of the ghost that the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ swallowed.

    No, wait.

    Thinking about it, isn¡¯t what the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ swallowed, when you look at it broadly, ¡®memorized¡¯?

    ¡°¡­¡­Maybe.¡±

    I spread my palm. I stared at it and activated the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Bring back the mana core you swallowed, the mana core you saved, so that the ¡¸real embodiment¡¹ of the memory can be held in reality.

    As I muttered to myself, a faint stream of mana rose in my palm. It bloomed like a small lotus and condensed into a bud.

    It was a mana core.

    ¡°I did it.¡±

    I opened the Notepad.

    [ 93 / 103(-3)]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: -1

    As expected, the capacity had decreased. If I reabsorb the mana core, it will be restored.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it this big.¡±

    I reabsorbed about half of the mana core. 2 of the capacity returned, and the mana core, which was the size of a pebble, shrunk to the size of a bean. I hung it like a keyring on the bookmark of the ¡¸Latinel ¢ñ¡¹.

    This should be enough.

    Moreover, the mana core is superior to the mana stone. If a mana stone is ordinary fuel, a mana core is like a generator. It can absorb mana from the air like a human and convert it into magic power.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I gently put down the ¡¸real embodiment¡¹ of the Latinel textbook.

    1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes¡­¡­ 10 minutes passed, but it didn¡¯t melt.

    I nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°Complete.¡±

    Money saved.

 Chapter 33: To do list (2)

    <strong>To do list (2)</strong>

    Tuesday is the least burdensome day of the week. The only ss on the schedule is ¡®Latinel¡¯, an elective that doesn¡¯t require much studying.

    That¡¯s not to say I don¡¯t study Latinel at all. I do pre-study and review, and whenever I have time, I mimic Professor Beatrice¡¯s pronunciation. Considering the storage space Latinel takes up, I should quickly attune to it so I can free up some space in my ¡®Notepad¡¯.

    Creak¡ª

    I opened the door to the Latinel ssroom. The first thing that hit me was the antiquated scent of a wealthy household.

    I sat down and ced my textbook on the desk. A work that embodies Memory, held in ce by a mana core. It will persist until I retrieve the mana core.

    ¡°Elly~ Let¡¯s go watch a movie~ It¡¯s a highly anticipated one, ¡®The Ghost of Larnes¡¯~¡±

    Then, a bubbly voice from beyond the door.

    ¡°We have a group project this week, what movie are you talking about?¡±

    The response was dry and cold. It¡¯s only because the other person is La that it¡¯s this mild; when dealing with most people, even her casual speech carries a tone of scorn or reprimand.

    ¡°Ah~ I¡¯ve already finished the group project. And, you¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t watch this, I heard it¡¯s fun¡­ Oh, it¡¯s Shion.¡±

    La spotted me. She smilednguidly and reached into her bag.

    ¡°Hey Shion. I was just about to ask you¡­ Oh! What the hell!¡±

    She was approaching when she saw my desk and stopped abruptly, pointing at my textbook.

    ¡°You bought that?! Do you have money?!¡±

    A strange question. Am I being treated as a new kind of homeless person? Well, I am a homeless person, of course.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the money! Why did you suddenly buy it!¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Did you pour all the money you earned from working at the barbecue restaurant into this? You¡¯re so stupid!!¡±

    She suddenlyshed out with a furious face. I was taken aback.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°What! What did you just say!!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    She really must be crazy. I flipped her off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut off that finger-¡±

    ¡°Get in. Quickly.¡±

    Elise pushed the about-to-explode La inside.

    ¡°Nice to see you~¡±

    It was because Professor Beatrice had just arrived.

    ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    The professor, dressed in her usual antique attire, looked at me and smiled warmly.

    ¡°You remembered to bring your textbook today?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded politely.

    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s start the ss. Today, we¡¯ll start from page 37, chapter 2.¡±

    I carefully opened it, worried it might tear. Fortunately, the print and binding were just as they werest night. Without any torn or melted parts, it was like a new book.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to read and interpret a y script called ¡®Kasino Amarlia¡¯ together. However, this text is a two-person y, so we¡¯ll work in pairs. Shall we decide the pairs by drawing lots now? It¡¯s up to the goddess of fate.¡±

    Coincidentally, it¡¯s group work again today. Maybe they¡¯ve set a theme for this week. It would be perfect if even Fencing ss was group work.

    ¡°The first one is¡­¡­¡±

    Professor Beatrice elegantly shook the box containing the lots and drew one.

    ¡°Elise Petra. Please stand up.¡±

    The first name called. Elise rose from her seat. Her movements, her gestures, were as elegant as Professor Beatrice herself.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s pick the protagonist who will pair with Miss Elise.¡±

    She drew the next lot. I nced around, taking in the reactions of those around me.

    Faces filled with desire to pair with Elise, regardless of gender. After all, even among the silver spoons gathered here, Elise and La were top-tier.

    ¡°Hmm~¡±

    Professor Beatrice, looking at the lot, gave a slight smile. She revealed the name written on the paper.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    I thought I had heard wrong.

    ¡°Excuse me? I didn¡¯t hear that correctly?¡±

    I actually asked that.

    The professor pointed at me with a smile.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Yes, you. Stand up.¡±

    I got up awkwardly. I nced at Elise, who was also standing. Elise was pretending not to care about me.

    ¡°You two are Team 1. Please switch seats and sit together.¡±

    I looked at the seat next to Elise. La, with a fierce face, was there.

    I looked back at my own seat. Of course, it was empty.

    I spoke to Elise.

    ¡°Hey. Youe here.¡±

    For a moment, her jaw tightened.

    I was sitting with Elise. Our desks touching, side by side.

    It was ufortable.

    Elise, with her jaw clenched, was only looking at her textbook, emitting an aura of ¡®I have no intention of conversing with you¡¯, and I didn¡¯t particrly have the desire to lead a passionate conversation either.

    Rather, if I could, I¡¯d like to hit her. Really give it my all, even if it¡¯s just one hit. A p would be fine, please.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªAlright. Did everyone understand up to here?¡±

    Professor Beatrice had just finished exining the interpretation and pronunciation of the y script.

    Of course, I understood. The entire textbook was memorized in my ¡®Notepad¡¯.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s read the script with your partner.¡±

    From now on, it¡¯s amon ss where we exchange lines in a y.

    ¡°We¡¯ll practice for the next 20 minutes and then present. Today¡¯s presentation will be reflected in your performance evaluation and attitude score, okay?¡±

    As soon as Professor Beatrice finished speaking, the sound of exchanging lines echoed from all around.

    Of course, we weren¡¯t. Thanks to Elise, who was just mumbling to herself.

    I looked at her profile. I red at her intensely. After a while, Elise nced at me slightly, and I seized the opportunity.

    ¡°You start.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise seemed to want to ignore me, but Professor Beatrice happened to look our way at the right time. With a frown, she reluctantly muttered her line.

    ¡ª¡­¡­You¡¯re always like that.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head immediately.

    ¡°You got it wrong there. It¡¯s not ¡®always Hartica¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®always Hamtica¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise¡¯s eyes shed sharply like a knife. It was a murderous aura unbefitting of an eighteen-year-old, but it wasn¡¯t scary.

    In the underworld, there were psychopathic murderers who killed people with human heads, not knives.

    ¡°Try again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Try again, I said?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    A deep sigh, as if trying to suppress her temper. Elise recited her line again.

    ¡ªYou¡¯re always. Like that.

    This time, the pronunciation was correct. I snapped my fingers in satisfaction.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re doing well now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you, be, quiet?¡±

    Elise bit her lip tightly.

    ¡°How do you read a script quietly? It¡¯s my turn.¡±

    Ahem- I cleared my throat with a fake cough and recited my line.

    ¡ªWasn¡¯t it knowing that I¡¯m always like this, that you agreed to meet?

    Elise¡¯s trembling fingers, her ears perking up, her mouth slightly open. Even Beatrice, who had been watching us until then, nodded in satisfaction.

    I quietly waited for Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing?¡±

    It was time for the next line, but Elise was still silent.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you reading the next line?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Read it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She clenched her ballpoint pen tightly. Her shoulders shook as if her pride had been hurt.

    ¡°Professor. She¡¯s not reading-¡±

    ¡ªEven so. I thought you could change-

    ¡°No.¡±

    I cut off Elise, who was hastily reciting her line. Elise¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red. No, they were burning with embarrassment.

    ¡°¡®Even so Greca¡¯? Your pronunciation is strange.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth-¡±

    ¡°You just pronounced ¡®Even so Greca¡¯, right? It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s ¡®Even so Gretaek¡¯. ¡®So etaek¡¯. Roll your tongue a bit more.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise put her palm on her forehead as if she had anemia. Her head was so small that more than half of her face was covered.

    I said.

    ¡°Do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She let out a faint sigh. With her lower lip bitten, she nced at me and recited her line.

    ¡°¡ªEven so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re doing well now. Keep going.¡±

    The veins popped out on Elise¡¯s temples. Especially her ears, they looked like they were about to steam.

    Of course, I had no intention of backing down.

    ¡°Keep going, I said?¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­I thought. You could change.

    Suppressing the anger welling up inside, Elise read her line as if she was chewing it up.

    ¡ªI thought you could change. That was my misun¡­¡­

    Every time she said ¡®Latinel¡¯, I opened my ears wide.

    ¡°¡®Misun Obmius¡¯ is not correct, it¡¯s ¡®Misunderstanding Obmins¡¯.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­That was my misun-

    ¡°No. Not the first sound, but thest sound is different, right? It became ¡®MisunAbmins¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡­¡­That was my misun-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re rolling your tongue too much. Roll it moderately. It¡¯s not always good to roll it. It looks like you¡¯re pretending to have what you don¡¯t.¡±

    I pointed out every single pronunciation that Elise got even slightly wrong.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re arrogant.¡±

    She held back and spat out a word, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t that I said she was wrong when she was right, I was pointing out that she was wrong because she was wrong.

    I crossed my arms as if it was amusing.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re the problem. Shouldn¡¯t you be saying thank you for teaching me?¡±

    ¡°Who asked, you, to teach?¡±

    Elise forced a rxed smile, though her neck was already flushed as if ready to burst.

    ¡°Know your ce. There are far morepetent professors than a dimwit like you to tutor me¡ª¡±

    ¡ªLove me. Don¡¯t go far away~ Love me as I am~

    Just as Elise was boasting about her unasked-for connections, a voice resounded like a pansori performance.

    I found myself looking in that direction.

    ¡ªThought and hoped you would change~

    It was La. The one who abruptly stood up and started reciting lines with a serious face.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t say you won¡¯t~

    Her pronunciation was a mess due to her short tongue, but her eyes, nose, and mouth were already swollen. It seemed like she might start crying any moment.

    ¡°Um, Miss La? Maybe you should take a break¡ª¡±

    Even her partner seemed taken aback by her monstrous sensitivity.

    I said to Elise.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing better than her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Arrogant.¡±

    Elise repeated the same word.

    ¡°Alright~ It¡¯s been 20 minutes. How about each teames up and presents now?¡±

    p- Professor Beatrice pped her hands.

    Silence- The sound of Latinel ceased.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with Team 1, pleasee up.¡±

    Beatrice pointed at us with a bright smile.

    I looked at Elise. Without a word, Elise stood up and walked to the front, and I followed her, standing face to face.

    Beatrice spoke with satisfaction.

    ¡°It seems both of you have memorized the script. Good.¡±

    Come to think of it, both of us were empty-handed. She had been mumbling to herself for a while at the beginning, had she memorized it during that time?

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    At that moment, Elise adjusted her gaze first. For the first time, she looked into my eyes.

    ¡ª¡­¡­You¡¯re always like that.

    She recited in Latinel. Her pronunciation was smoother than during practice. It wasn¡¯t too stiff, nor too cheesy.

    I calmly epted her natural first line.

    ¡ªDidn¡¯t you agree to meet me knowing that I¡¯m always like this?

    ¡ªAh¡­¡­.

    Then, Elise mixed her gaze and slightly widened her eyes.

    Is this what they call non-verbal rhetoric, ad-lib filled with soul or something? Even the smallest action seemed to carry a sense of sorrow.

    ¡ªEven so, I thought you could change.

    I was taken aback by her seriousness,pletely different from practice, as if she was truly performing in a musical.

    ¡ªI thought you could change. It seems I was mistaken.

    She was so obsessed with her grades.

    ¡°Well done~¡±

    The two-person y presentations of all eighteen teams had ended.

    First ce is obviously us.

    ¡°First ce, as you might have expected, goes to the team of Elise and Shion. Apuse-¡±

    Professor Beatrice pped her hands. The silver spoon seniors also joined in. It was probably because of Elise. Anyone who saw it would say she acted superbly.

    ¡°To briefly evaluate, Shion¡¯s pronunciation is astonishingly urate and perfect. There¡¯s really nothing to criticize.¡±

    Well, of course. I¡¯m imitating someone¡¯s pronunciation, after all.

    ¡°Elise was also very good. In thest ss, her pronunciation was a bitckingpared to her word usage and vocabry, but it has improved a lot. Not to mention her acting skills.¡±

    Elise nodded her head expressionlessly. It was slightly awkward for me.

    In fact, I had intended to tease her under the pretext of teaching, but did I just help improve her grade for no reason?

    ¡°Let¡¯s end the ss here. Of course, there is homework for today.¡±

    Since the ss was almost over, I put my textbook into my bag.

    ¡°Write a y script. As a team, write a two-person y.¡±

    Freeze- All actions stopped. It wasn¡¯t just me. The person who had just been my partner, and who seemed to be extended until next week, was the same.

    ¡°Well, good work everyone. See you all next week. I¡¯m looking forward to it~¡±

    Beatrice ended the ss by elegantly waving her hand. The seniors began to stand up one by one from their seats.

    ¡°Ah¡­ this is annoying.¡±

    I muttered and ran my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying what I want to say. Can you survive until next week?¡±

    Elise sneered at me with a scornful look. La also came over at some point and joined in.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shion, don¡¯t get cocky just because you¡¯re good at Latinel. ¡­But where did you learn Latinel, Shion? Teach me too.¡±

    La¡¯s eyes sparkled. I answered briefly.

    ¡°Self-taught.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow. That¡¯s boring. Never mind. I have ces to learn too. I can do wayyyyy~yyy~y better than you.¡±

    She pulled out her smartphone. She tapped the screen rapidly with nimble fingers.

    Buzz-

    Soon, a small vibration came from my pocket.

    [At Your Service].

    Buzz-

    ¡°What are you doing, Shion? You¡¯re getting a call.¡±

    At La¡¯s words, I immediately turned around and ran out of the ssroom.

 Chapter 34: To do list (3)

    <strong> To do list (3)</strong>

    I headed straight to the library as soon as the ss ended, due to La¡¯s request for a two-person y.

    It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, and Ipleted it in 30 minutes, tailored to La¡¯s level of Latinel.

    [Thank you!!! As expected !!!]

    [Here¡¯s the remaining 1,500 Ren~ ^-^!!]

    I had asked for 3,000 Ren. Of course, she would have happily given twice as much if I had asked.

    But, there¡¯s something I realized while navigating the underworld.

    If you poke a baby bear, the mother beares out, and if you eat too much, you get a stomachache.

    The Hilton family is dangerous. They are one of the wealthiest families on the continent, but I had never heard any rumors about the Hiltons while navigating the underworld.

    A family with no good or bad reputation. A family instinctively avoided and shunned by the residents of the underworld.

    It¡¯s best to only take as much as you give.

    [I know a guy who¡¯s really pathetic, and you¡¯re much better than him~~ He¡¯s really pathetic!!!! His name is Shion Ascal, a total idiot lol. If he ever requests something from you, please reject him rofl.]

    [Wait a minute?!]

    [Did Shion Ascal request something from you first? His Latinel was suspiciously good!!!! ?_?]

    ¡°¡­¡­I should have asked for 5,000 Ren.¡±

    Anyway, I finished writing for La, and looked at the study material I had to work on.

    ¡¸From Magic to Mana Forms¡¹

    It¡¯s a second-level Magic book. This textbook isbeled as ¡®Magic High School 2nd grade level¡¯, but it¡¯s probably a 1st grade course by Endex standards.

    I opened the cover.

    [Introduction]

    [Magic leads to mana forms. Of course, the development of Magic is not a mana form. Magic is a pure academic discipline, and mana forms are empirical. Magic merely helps to understand mana forms more easily¡­¡­]

    To put it in a metaphor, mana forms are machines. Simple machines. Mana spells areplex machines.

    On the other hand, Magic is a tool that interprets those machines and teaches how to use them.

    Some geniuses possess the ¡®intuition¡¯ to handle these machines without tools, but the rest of us need these tools.

    [Chapter 1: Basics of Circuit Diagrams]

    The reason why Magic is a tool is because of this ¡®circuit diagram¡¯.

    [The most meaningful utility of Magic lies in discovering the ¡®circuit¡¯ of mana forms. It¡¯s about using the tool of Magic to analyze mana forms and construct circuit diagrams¡­¡­]

    If only a mana form is left, it¡¯s nothing more than a geometric pattern. Shapes and lines are mixed chaotically.

    But when you analyze them with Magic, you can finally see the ¡®circuit¡¯, and the blueprint that represents it is called a ¡®circuit diagram¡¯.

    The circuit diagram tells the order of mana to implement the mana form. Like an electrical circuit diagram.

    A mage can implement a mana form only by manipting mana without deviating from this circuit diagram.

    [Example 1: The mana form ¡¸Generation: Fire¡¹, and the Magic equation that exins the mana form. Pleaseplete the circuit diagram.]

    [TIP: It¡¯s important to find the starting point first.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Example.

    I stared nkly at it.

    There was a mana form. Onerge circle, onerge triangle inscribed in the circle, three small circles attached to therge triangle, and several lines connecting them.

    Underneath the mana form was an equation expressed in Magic. It seemed that solving this would yield the circuit diagram.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    I had no idea about the Magic equation, so naturally, I wouldn¡¯t know the circuit diagram of the mana form, right?

    I should know, right?

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    My eyes widened.

    I could see it.

    Suddenly, I could see the circuit diagram of this ¡¸Ignition: Fire¡¹.

    The example mana form in the textbook. Suddenly, a ¡®starting point¡¯ shed blue on the symbol-less form, and from there, a blue stem originated, winding around the mana form in the correct order.

    I did nothing, but the circuit diagram of the mana form naturally ¡®became known¡¯ to me.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    I blinked nkly. I didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but naturally, I suspected the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    [93 / 103 (-1)]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Perion

    ©¸Heart

    ©¸Latinel ¢ñ

    ©¸SZX-9500

    ©¸Paper Sparrow

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours 0

    It¡¯s the same.

    The capacity is the same, the Memory list is the same.

    Then what on earth¡­ wait a minute.

    ¡°Paper Sparrow?¡±

    Paper Sparrow.

    The magic form of Asillen, the person in charge, which I left without deleting just in case, or to be honest, I forgot to delete.

    Could it be because of this?

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute.¡±

    It¡¯s obvious.

    I ¡®Memoried¡¯ the ¡®magic form¡¯ of the Paper Sparrow. Not just the shape, but the entire movement of the magic circting in the form.

    And the magic form is superior to the mana form. The magic form itself includes the mana form, a broader and moreplex concept.

    Let¡¯s think about it here.

    If someone can understand the circuit diagram of a magic form, wouldn¡¯t they naturally be able to understand that of a much simpler mana form? Shouldn¡¯t it be so?

    Whether it¡¯s a magic form or a mana form, they both operate on the same magical principle.

    ¡°Like branches spreading out¡­¡±

    Simply put.

    Like the proverb, ¡°know one and you know ten,¡± the process of interpreting the mana form was intuitively carried out by applying the Paper Sparrow of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    In other words, the Paper Sparrow of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ became the base of my intuition.

    It¡¯s a ¡®database¡¯.

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t the group assignment¡­ Ah, I see.¡±

    The magic form of the group assignment is muchrger and moreplex than the Paper Sparrow. This Paper Sparrow is made up of four mana forms, while the group assignment has six? No maybe even more than that.

    Anyway.

    I understood the circuit diagram.

    Unexpectedly, not in the way of a prodigy, but in the way of a genius¡ª¡¯intuitively¡¯.

    ¡°¡­I wonder if it will work.¡±

    Nevertheless, there is a problem left. The next step after understanding is implementation.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve never seeded in implementing a mana form before. I didn¡¯t even know what a circuit diagram was while going back and forth between the hospital and school, and I didn¡¯t have the money to buy textbooks, let alone private lessons.

    I had just been scraping by, hoping to somehow finish my third year, cheating with ¡¸Notepad¡¹. In my own way, I was a physical type, having a father who was a knight, and indulging in self-gratification.

    It was a sick body, a sick mind.

    ¡°Phew¡­.¡±

    I raised my finger. On it, I invoked the magic form of ¡¸Ignition: Fire¡¹ as it was in the circuit diagram.

    Whoosh-!

    A small me sprouted. The magic power was reasonably consumed.

    ¡°¡­¡­It works.¡±

    A hollowugh escaped me.

    Something I¡¯ve never done in my life, yet so simple.

    Silently, I lit a fire on my finger.

    Extinguished it.

    Lit it.

    Extinguished it.

    I repeated this dozens of times.

    ¡°¡­¡­Perhaps?¡±

    Suddenly, I became interested.

    If this works, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to implement a paper sparrow directly into Asillen¡¯s ¡¸Notepad¡¹ memory?

    I ced my hand on the paper with anticipation.

    ¡°Ah, no, it won¡¯t work.¡±

    I gave up immediately.

    There¡¯s not enough magic power. It¡¯s absurdly insufficient.

    After all, memory and implementation arepletely different stories.

    It¡¯s only natural that ¡®implementing¡¯ is more difficult.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    I stretched out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest tomorrow.¡±

    I¡¯ve done enough for today. My head hurts like hell.

    As I got up, I noticed a person on the other side.

    A man who was an art and sculpture in himself, engrossed in reading a book propped up at an angle, Gerkhen Kal Doon Kal Doon.

    When did hee?

    I looked at the book he was reading.

    ¡°Explorer¡¯s Dictionary¡±

    It was an Explorer¡¯s Dictionary. Is he preparing for Friday¡¯s group project?

    I slowly approached him.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Rustle- Gerkhen Kal Doon looked up at me as he turned the page.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your team¡¯s exploration area?¡±

    If it¡¯s Mist Mountain, that¡¯s a bit¡­

    ¡°C.¡±

    Fortunately, it¡¯s not.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t ovep. Where did you get that book? Let me read it too.¡±

    ¡°Everyone else borrowed them, this is all that¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, really? Can you read it as quickly as possible and give it to me?¡±

    I almost pleaded. Gerkhen Kal Doon exhaled with a calm, expressionless face.

    Whether he likes it or not.

    There¡¯s no other way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this in return.¡±

    I offered him the chocte I had saved for when I was low on sugar.

    It¡¯s a foreign chocte given by the owner of a meat restaurant. He said he bought it when he went to the Kingdom of Balliast winter.

    ¡°How about it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon looked at the chocte.

    For reference, this guy loves sweet food. Chocte, hotteok, ice cream, slush, anything sweet. Thanks to his master, I know his habits and eating habits quite well.

    Even when eating popcorn, what was it, caramel popcorn? He alone would eat all of it.

    ¡°This is a foreign chocte. Look, the packaging isn¡¯t even in Edsi¡¯smonnguage-¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Okay. When will you finish reading? As soon as possible-¡±

    ¡°Thursday. I¡¯ll give it to you during the Swordsmanship ss.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    I handed over the chocte as a token. Gerkhen Kal Doon epted it without a word.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Rustle- As I heard the sound of the wrapper being torn, rustle-rustle- I left the library.

    Rustle-rustle-rustle-!

    He¡¯s tearing it up quite noisily.

    Is he already done eating and tearing up the wrapper?

    I returned to the old building. Even though I had only been studying, my whole body was exhausted.

    This is why they say using your brain is also work.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    However, on the path leading to the old building, there was the old man Belthos.

    It¡¯s natural for the old man to be there, but why is he cutting a tree on adder?

    ¡°What are you doing, old man?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m managing the trees.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s just the old building.¡±

    The old building used to be a ssroom building. So, the arrangement of the trees leading to the entrance is quite straight. The problem is that they¡¯ve been neglected for so long that they¡¯ve grown like ghosts.

    ¡°If they grow too wild, magical energy can inhabit the forest.¡±

    He¡¯s right. Trees, like humans, breathe and absorb mana.

    That¡¯s why mountains are the mostmon ces for magical phenomena.

    ¡°True. Don¡¯t you have more tools? I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°You helping is you staying still.¡±

    ¡°Hey. You don¡¯t know me. They¡¯re in the basement, right? Wait and see.¡±

    I searched for [Gardener] on YouTV and went down to the basement of the old building. There was a video titled [Find the Master: Gardener Edition].

    Holding adder and garden shears in one hand, I went back outside while watching the video.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I sat down with a thud after cing the tools on the ground. I fixed my eyes on the smartphone screen.

    ¡ªWhen cutting branches, the starting point is important. You have to cut from the main branches of the tree. Considering the direction of growth and bnce.

    ¡°What are you doing, kid.¡±

    Belthos old man called me from below.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll do it after I finish watching this.¡±

    I need to acquire some know-how. It¡¯s a one-hour video, so it should be enough.

    ¡ªWhen cutting branches, it¡¯s good to cut at a 45-degree angle. It helps the branch regenerate and creates a more natural shape¡­¡­

    Hmm.

    Nodding my head, pretending to understand, and admiring the work created by the gardener for an hour.

    ¡°I¡¯m done watching.¡±

    I turned off my smartphone and set up thedder. I climbed up and began to snip-snip- with the shears.

    As I¡¯ve said repeatedly, ¡®Look-See-Do¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean you can do everything well just by watching. It¡¯s just that the starting point¡ªtechnically called the Floor¡ªis at a much higher level than the average person.

    So, you can skip the beginner stage as soon as you learn and be an intermediate right away.

    Thanks to this, I can almost instantly acquire movements and senses below the intermediate level in any field, but to be like the master I just watched on YouTV, I have to put in proper effort.

    Of course, I can momentarily upgrade my level by infusing magic, but it¡¯s only temporary, so it¡¯s more convenient to put in effort like this.

    From the start, I need much less effort than others, and I can reach high levels much more easily. Once I see something, I won¡¯t forget it and can naturally incorporate it into my body.

    Some might say I¡¯m taking too much for granted, but isn¡¯t this much okay?

    I¡¯m on borrowed time.

    Snip-snip-

    I wiped the sweat flowing down as I trimmed the tree.

    This is surprisingly fun. I could make it a hobby.

    ¡°Done. Old man, how is it? I finished one.¡±

    I called the old man after 15 minutes. One tree was well trimmed into a mushroom shape.

    ¡°Stop making noise- Huh?!¡±

    The old man turned to look at me and his eyes widened. He almost fell off thedder.

    ¡°Whoa. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this?¡±

    Old man Belthospared the tree I had trimmed and the tree he had just trimmed.

    Honestly, I did a little better.

    ¡°What are you? Where did you learn that?¡±

    The flustered old man even spat out a dialect. I pulled out my smartphone from my pocket and grinned.

    ¡°It¡¯s called YouTV. Old man, you should take a look too.¡±

 Chapter 35: Team Without a Team (1)

    <strong>Team Without a Team (1)</strong>

    Team Without a Team (1)

    Today, Wednesday, is a holiday. In reality, it¡¯s just an extension of the college board¡¯s schedule. Everyone else is probably engrossed in their team projects.

    I also came to theke behind the old building to avoid feeling guilty about just ying around.

    Surrounded by tall trees on all sides, this secluded natural spot within the Endex grounds is where I first acquired ¡®Embodiment.¡¯ I oftene here.

    I¡¯m even considering buying a tent.

    ¡­Ssh!

    I entered theke and started to swim.

    Today¡¯s training is what¡¯s known as ¡®conscious Embodiment.¡¯

    Of course, my Magic Core, which has had the function of the heart transnted into it, is still beating on its own. But why, just like how simply breathing bes ¡®deep breathing¡¯ when done consciously and differs from normal breathing, I thought focusing consciously on the Mana Heart¡¯s pulse might be helpful.

    It¡¯s just a guess so far.

    From the beginning, Embodiment, ording to the master, is a method ¡®used by beasts,¡¯ so there¡¯s no known information about it.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    I focused on the sensation in my abdomen, specifically the Mana Heart. So that the Mana Heart¡¯s pulse could be asrge and strong as possible. So that it could pump as much mana as possible.

    Simply put, I¡¯m trying to increase the ¡®power¡¯ of the Mana Heart¡­.

    Gurgle¡ª¡ª.

    But I¡¯m hungry. It¡¯s not just a little bit hungry, it¡¯s not at a level that can be ignored with the excuse of concentration.

    Gurgle¡ª¡ª!

    I feel like I¡¯m going to starve to death.

    I opened my eyes.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    These days, no matter how much I eat, as soon as I close and open my eyes, I feel hungry. Obviously, it¡¯s because of ¡®growth.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡­Is there anything to eat here.¡±

    Theke is sorge that there should be fish.

    I put my face into the water. I narrowed my eyes and looked for fish. There were quite a few in the depths of theke.

    ¡°Puhah.¡±

    I shook off the water-soaked hair. I came out of the water and picked up the Ascal sword that I had ced on my clothes.

    Holding it, I went back into theke, traced the traces of the fish under the clearke, predicted their movements, and¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    I swung the sword.

    Ascal style, it¡¯s still embarrassing to call it a style, but anyway.

    Ascal style Severing Sword: First Stroke Unsheathing.

    ¡ª¡ªSwoosh!

    The sword cut through theke in a curve. The water surface that swallowed the de sshed sharply for a moment, but soon calmed down.

    After a while, dead fish floated up. Their bones were split, their flesh was torn, and they were horribly disassembled into bone fragments, flesh, and intestines.

    ¡°I can¡¯t eat this.¡±

    I think I need to make the wound a little lighter. So that the body is not damaged, just enough to faint or die cleanly.

    ¡°This is surprisingly hard.¡±

    I held the sword. I was about to Unsheath again, but I hesitated.

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    If you think about it, there¡¯s no need to use a sword, right? Where is the reason that I have to use a sword just because it¡¯s a severing sword? The sword is just a ¡®symbol.¡¯ It was Soliette who cut people with bare hands.

    I threw my real sword into the thicket. Instead of steel, I gripped leather. A sheath, imbued with mana. I swung it in a trajectory simr to before.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    A loud explosion echoed throughout the mountains, and a water column from theke shot up high into the sky.

    Soon, one, two, three, four, five, six, precisely seven fish floated up to the surface, unconscious. Most of them were in good enough condition to eat.

    In addition to that.

    [92 / 103 (-1)]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: -1

    The capacity consumed by Unsheathing had also significantly reduced. It wasn¡¯t explicitly disyed, but if we were to go by numbers, about 2?

    ¡°Let¡¯s catch about twenty more.¡±

    I smiled.

    ¡­¡­

    After wiping off the waste stuck to the fish, I first removed the scales. Then I cleanly sliced open the belly and meticulously removed the innards. After rinsing the stomach clean, I chopped off the head and removed the fins.

    [¡­¡­So, this is how you can easily clean a fish. It might be difficult at first, but just keep at it. I¡¯ve been doing this for over 15 years, so-]

    ¡°Easy.¡±

    I turned off YouTV. I skewered the 13 cleaned fish and ced them over the campfire. I had reced 15 years of an expert¡¯s experience with Look-See-Do.

    By the way, I had already eaten about 10 as sashimi.

    Crackle, crackle-

    As I waited for the fish to cook, stripped down like a primitive man, I looked over this team project assignment.

    ¡°¡­¡­How does this be a key.¡±

    The magic forms I had to decipher were two. One was a magic form that revealed the location, the other was a key magic form that allowed entry into the exploration area.

    Fortunately, I managed to extract the exploration area from the Memory of ¡¸Notepad¡¹, but the problem was this key.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    Still, I kept staring at it. Just in case my intuition might kick in.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmmm.¡±

    After a long while, I gave up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll know when I get there.¡±

    I¡¯ll just go and wait, surely another team wille, and I¡¯ll think about the rest then.

    Crunch-!

    I tore into the fully cooked grilled fish.

    The next day, Thursday morning.

    ¡°Nice to see you. Today, everyone looks quite tired.¡±

    Swordsmanship instructor Jeoly looked around the ss and said. Indeed, many students looked worn out. Even Elise and Soliette had slightly tired faces.

    Probably because of the team project, but who knew that the magic form would be so difficult?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Today, we¡¯ll just do theory and finish. We¡¯ll go straight into ¡®basic forms¡¯. Please open your textbooks.¡±

    As expected, Jeoly is a flexible instructor who considers his students.

    ¡°The most popr basic form in swordsmanship is the ¡®Five Basic Forms¡¯. These are the five most basic forms, and these Five Basic Forms form the base of many sword techniques.¡±

    But just 5 minutes into the start of the lesson, my eyelids are heavy.

    I¡¯m sleepy.

    ¡°The exnation of the Five Basic Forms is in your textbook, right? For now, just mark the three with asterisks.¡±

    Jeoly picked up the chalk.

    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously nning to lecture, are you? Your voice mixed with the sound of chalk on a ckboard is no different from a natural sleeping pill.¡±

    ¡°First, the triangr cut is literally a basic move with a triangr shape.¡±

    I looked at the textbook.

    [Triangr Cut: Three strokes form a triangle.]

    I almost fell asleep as I briefly bowed my head.

    ¡°The three strokes are continuous. However, there are advancing steps mixed between the strokes.¡±

    Jeoly drew his sword. As he stepped, he swiftly drew three straight lines.

    ¡°Now, this is the triangr cut. What do you think its characteristics are, Shion?¡±

    Then he suddenly threw a question.

    ¡°Uh¡­.¡±

    I don¡¯t know. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even look properly.

    ¡°Answer as you feel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ slippery?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Jeoly shook his head slowly. The other seniors chuckled a bit, but they didn¡¯t seem particrly interested. Even Kain and Aher. Perhaps the team project was too tough to pay attention to someone like me.

    ¡°Anyone else?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sword technique optimized for offense.¡±

    Someone immediately answered. Of course, it was Elise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The triangr cut is optimized for offense. Since the advancing step and the sword stroke are almost simultaneous, it¡¯s a basic move that puhes the opponent. It¡¯s the most basic bo¡¯, and an important fundamental. If you master this triangr cut perfectly, it will be very powerful in actualbat. Next, does anyone know about the circr cut?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s suitable for defense.¡±

    An immediate answer. But this time it wasn¡¯t Elise. It was a deep, low voice.

    ¡°It can also deflect the opponent¡¯s sword.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon. He looked at Jeoly with deep sea-colored eyes. Jeoly seemed a bit taken aback, but soon he awkwardly smiled and continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The circr cut is optimal for defending against or deflecting an enemy¡¯s attack¡­.¡±

    ¡­.

    ¡°I¡¯ll end today¡¯s ss a bit early. You need to manage your condition for tomorrow.¡±

    Indeed, Jeoly is an educator who cares about his students.

    He did lecture for a whopping 180 minutes without a single break, but he is a gentleman of Endex who ends the ss an hour early.

    ¡°Those who want to take notes, do so, and those who want to take pictures, go ahead.¡±

    The chalkboard notes roughly looked like this:

    [Triangr Cut: Three strokes form a triangle.

    Circr Cut: One stroke is circr.

    Z-Cut: Three strokes bend like a Z.

    Rapid Strike: Multiple strokes are haphazard.

    sh: One stroke is extremely thick.]

    In addition, I stored diagrams showing the sequence of strokes and Jeoly¡¯s theories in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹. The notes were quite conscientious, worth saving in Memory.

    ¡°However, there is homework today. Learn all these basic moves.¡±

    Kielli said as he closed the textbook.

    ¡°Senior students wille to help with homework checks in the next ss. Due to scheduling issues, next week¡¯s ss will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.¡±

    Fortunately, it¡¯s not a difficult assignment. Basic moves should be easy to learn by Look-See-Do.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time forst week¡¯s assignment, right? Please submit your swordsmanship reports.¡±

    The assignment was to research and observe someone else¡¯s swordsmanship and write a report.

    Naturally, I chose Soliette. There were no downsides, so I only wrote praises. Twenty lines of praise, three thousand characters.

    ¡°Just leave it on the desk when you leave~¡±

    The seniors began to submit their reports one by one. I also ced my neatly folded report on the desk.

    ¡°Team Leader Soliette. Shall we go together?¡±

    But suddenly, a voice annoys me.

    Kielli. Why does that bastard keep following Soliette around?

    ¡°Leader. You¡¯ve worked hard, do you want to go to a restaurant together today? I¡¯ve made a reservation at a really nice ce.¡±

    I came out into the hallway, walking a step behind Kielli, who was walking a step behind Soliette, ring at him.

    Why is the back of that bastard¡¯s head so t? And why does a man have long hair? Cut your hair, it¡¯s disgusting.

    ¡°Why not eat together? I also invited the team members.¡±

    ng-

    Something fell from his bag. It was an apartment key card. I quickly approached and picked it up.

    ¡°You know Dorcia, right? I barely got a reservation- Huh.¡±

    I grabbed Kielli¡¯s shoulder, who was babbling on his own, and stopped him.

    ¡°Ah, what the hell.¡±

    When the bastard turned to look at me with an annoyed face, Soliette didn¡¯t pay any attention and walked down the hallway.

    ¡°What. What is it?¡±

    Kielli asked, his eyes fixed on the departing Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡­You dropped this.¡±

    I held out the key card.

    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±

    The bastard looked me up and down. Tsk- He clicked his tongue and grabbed the key card. His and my fingers slightly touched.

    Such an idental mistake pisses me off. I understand how La felt when she wanted to cut off my fingers, it¡¯s absolutely shitty, but suddenly.

    In my head, there was a spark.

    It¡¯s not some fate-like current, or a tingling sensation that goes through the heart.

    ¡ªWhat. Weren¡¯t you in the same school as me? Your face looks familiar.

    However, a certain voice pricked sharply. A glimpse of the past shed before my eyes.

    It was a ¡®Memory¡¯ from before my regression.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, you bastard.¡±

    I quietly watched the back of the guy who snatched the key card nervously and ran towards Soliette.

    ¡°Memory is triggered.¡±

    Soliette asked me if I had received the patronage of the Arkne family, but in reality, there were a few in Endex who had received the patronage of the Arkne family. To be precise, ¡®families¡¯ that had received the patronage of the Arkne family.

    Nobles of a country called Silmurd, not Edsi.

    ©¤ Killian de Elrun. You know me, right? My name when I attended Endex¡­ In Edsi style, it would have been Kielli?

    ¡°Fucking Kielli. You¡¯re an idiot who can¡¯t even properly remember your own name.¡±

    I turned around, muttering with a sneer, and was taken aback. Elise was not far away.

    ¡°You really¡­¡±

    Her eyes, nose, and mouth looked down on me as if I was the most insignificant thing in the world. As if it wasughable, absurd, unthinkable.

    ¡°Your way of being jealous is so crude. Well, you haven¡¯t learned anything, so what would you know, huh.¡±

    To Elise, who was speaking as she pleased and convincing herself, I raised my middle finger. Her eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°¡­Get lost.¡±

    ¡°You get lost.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Elise turned around, shaking her head as if she found me contemptible, and Gerkhen Kal Doon approached, taking her ce.

    ¡°Take this.¡±

    He held out a thick book.

    ¡°¡­Huh? Oh.¡±

    It was the ¡®Exploration Dictionary¡¯ we had promised at the library on Tuesday.

    I n to take notes on this in my ¡®Notepad¡¯. The capacity is too insufficient to ¡®Memorize¡¯ it all at once, so I n to just store it page by page.

    ¡°The chocte, it was delicious.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon seemed to be expecting something, but I coldly said,

    ¡°There¡¯s no more. Go away.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The guy left, looking like a disappointed wolf.

 Chapter 36: Team Without a Team (2)

    <strong>Team Without a Team (2)</strong>

    Inside the Endex dormitory. The clicking of a mouse and the ttering of aptop keyboard echoed in Soliette¡¯s single room.

    [College Board says the most promising ss in nearly 20 years, Endex¡¯s promising list]

    [Scouter Jack Varian¡¯s Knights Mock Draft]

    Soliette was surfing themunity. Pressing the mouse with one hand, moving her eyeballs incessantly.

    [Why Endgame topped the box office.jpg]

    [I made a rocket with a stick.]

    This was Soliette¡¯s routine and an important task. She visits about 30 sites a day. Articles, wizards, magic users, universities, general, girls¡¯ schools, boys¡¯ schools, blind, openmunities, marriage informationpanies, etc¡­ She examines the posts with the mostments and rmendations, and spends more than 6 hours a day trying to understand the issues that attract public attention.

    The inte world, which she happened to encounter while reducing her sleep time due to nightmares, has be a very important hobby for her.

    Among them, themunity that Soliette mainly lurks in is ¡®ED¡¯, where users can operate anonymously regardless of their status, rank, ability, position, and wealth.

    She sorted the posts there by rmendation.

    [HOT. These days, the Endex Nomana Jump Draft Record is a hot topic ??]

    Jump height 687 cm.

    This record has been a hot topic in manymunities since the Endex campus newspaper bit the bullet. After all, it¡¯s a figure close to the draft record in the ¡®strong body¡¯ category.

    Soliette scrolled down quickly.

    [HOT. College Board survivor list, and Jack Benish¡¯s predicted ranking (2nd week revised version)]

    Another post caught her eye.

    It¡¯s the predicted ranking of the famous scout, Jack Benish. He himself doesn¡¯t have much talent, but he¡¯s a top-level analyst who is extremely focused on observation in ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    Click- She clicked.

    1. Gerkhen Kal Doon Kal Doon (¡ü1)

    1. Elise Petra (¡ü1)

    1. Soliette Arkne (¡ý2)

    Soliette, who was in 1st cest year, has dropped to 3rd ce, and Gerkhen Kal Doon and Elise have risen to 1st and 2nd ce, respectively.

    She didn¡¯t care.

    She pressed Control F and searched for someone else¡¯s name.

    [Shion Ascal]

    [No search results.]

    As expected, there¡¯s nothing. This person is a piece of trash whose existence is infinitely light, who can¡¯t even be evaluated by anyone. Even the dog next door would sneer at him for being so insignificant.

    Sometimes when she¡¯s browsing themunity, she thinks he¡¯s no different from a spammer who sends spam messages or a scammer who induces courier transactions in the second-hand market.

    There¡¯s no need to worry about him.

    Ding¡ª

    Then a private message rang.

    ¡¸?? : Team leader. I brought the car, should I pick you upter?¡¹

    Who is it?

    She looked at the profile picture and it was Kielli.

    Jack Benish¡¯s predicted ranking is 16th.

    Soliette usually doesn¡¯t care about gossip, but she¡¯s honestly curious about this person.

    Is Kielli really the owner of the button? The person who jumped 687 cm?

    As she was thinking, she moved her fingers three times.

    ¡¸OK¡¹

    * * *

    Thursday evening. Before leaving for Parascale, I visited [Thrice Manaology].

    Why, the same Artifact store that I memorized the SZX-9500 the other day.

    ¡°Do you think you can achieve anything by just touching it?¡±

    The goal was the same as that day.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m just looking at the Artifacts I want to buy.¡±

    There are three Artifacts to Memorize. A ¡®Portable Mana Analyzer¡¯, a ¡®Magic Hygrometer¡¯, and a ¡®Compass¡¯.

    The cylindrical Portable Spectrometer disperses mana like a spectroscope, revealing its properties and characteristics. The Magic Hygrometer measures the concentration of mana in the area like a hygrometer. The Compass is just apass.

    [98 / 103 (-1)]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +6

    Perhaps because they are all less advanced Artifactspared to the SZX-9500, they were Memorized quite leisurely.

    ¡°But do you actually sell anything here?¡±

    I asked, putting the item back down. This antique shop was filled with cutting-edge Artifacts, but the actual sales status remained the same asst week.

    The shopkeeper asked back with a smile.

    ¡°Are you worried about the Hilton family now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I had nothing to say.

    The wealth of the Hilton family has ¡®officially¡¯ not been revealed.

    Whether before or after the regression, it¡¯s all just an estimate, but the underworld guys say it¡¯s more than you can imagine.

    The wealth that the world has managed to grasp is only 10%, and the rest is said to be assets that are difficult or impossible to liquidate.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Anyway, thank you. I¡¯ll just buy this today. How much is it?¡±

    I picked up an item. It was a long stick that split into two from the middle, an Artifact that looked like a tuning fork, to put it simply.

    ¡°The Magic Tuning Fork? You?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The shopkeeper had a puzzled look on his face.

    The Magic Tuning Fork is made by mixing magic stone and steel in a certain ratio, and it¡¯s very easy to conduct mana, so it¡¯s mainly used by ¡®beginners¡¯. It¡¯s a kind of aid that people who have difficulty discharging or controlling their magic power use, so it doesn¡¯t suit an Endex student.

    ¡°I have a use for it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. 1,000 Ren.¡±

    I handed over the bloodly 1,000 Ren. The shopkeeper took out another Magic Tuning Fork from the counter drawer and said.

    ¡°Buy one get one.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡±

    I gratefully epted it.

    I should sell it at the second-hand market.

    I left the Mana Distillery for the third time and returned to my temporary residence. I packed my stuff into the duffel bag I got from the mining ss. I also packed a wristwatch and equipment for mandrake gathering.

    After making all the preparations, I caught a taxi on Endex Street.

    ¡°To Edsi Train Station.¡±

    I arrived at the first stopover, Edsi Train Station, in 20 minutes.

    Despite being night, [Edsi Station], one of thergest train stations on the continent, was crowded with people. Everything from skin color, hair color, eye color tonguage was diverse.

    I crossed the main hall and bought a ticket.

    ¡°One way to Parascale.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how the other team will get to Parascale. However, ording to the news I ¡®heard¡¯ in the future, they were supposed toe in droves. Of course, I still haven¡¯t solved the Key Magic Form, but I do have a n of sorts.

    [¡°The train is arriving at the tform. Please board the train after the doors have fully opened.¡±]

    The ML high-speed train of Edsi, with its pointed face, tore through the night sky of the tform.

    I looked at my wristwatch.

    It was 10 PM.

    It would take about 2 hours to reach Parascale, so I had a good 10 hours until the assembly time.

    ¡°¡­¡­I shouldn¡¯t bete.¡±

    Scratching the back of my neck, I boarded the stationary high-speed train.

    Friday, 6 AM.

    Soliette¡¯s team arrived in Parascale. Their mode of transportation was Kielli¡¯s 9-seater van, and they were now walking down a mountain path after getting out of the car.

    ¡°That magic form is really amazing. We thought it was a map spell.¡±

    One of the team members muttered. A paper bird was flying in front of them.

    The team members all thought it was a magic form rted to maps, but when Soliettepleted the magic form, a paper bird like this popped out.

    ¡¸Spirit Magic: Guide¡¹.

    The guide leading the team to the exploration site was this paper bird.

    They had seen the paper bird magic form in the previous ss, but because this paper bird had a specific ¡®purpose¡¯, it was much moreplex and difficult.

    ¡°It¡¯s good not to have preconceived notions when ites to magic forms.¡±

    Kielli said, as if giving some fatal advice.

    ¡°It means you need to broaden your horizons.¡±

    Soliette, who had actually implemented the magic form alone, was walking without saying a word.

    From the beginning, she didn¡¯t care about her team members. She didn¡¯t speak unless necessary, showed no slight change in expression, and only asionally stared intently at her smartphone.

    ¡°Ah! It stopped over there.¡±

    Then a team member pointed somewhere. Arge rock buried in the middle of the mountain. The paper bird was sitting there, chirping.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. So, team leader, what¡¯s the password?¡±

    Another team member asked. In this group assignment, the team members¡¯ task was to segment the magic form, and from then on, Soliette took on everything herself.

    ¡°Password¡­¡­¡±

    Kielli muttered, looking at Soliette¡¯s face. Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a password.¡±

    Kielli chimed in at the right timing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a password.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The team leader will show you from now on. Because that¡¯s the team leader¡¯s job.¡±

    Kielli pointed at Soliette. She had closed her eyes as if warming up her Magic Core.

    Everyone held their breath, worried they might disturb her.

    Not long after, when she opened her eyes again, her retinas were dyed red. A burst of mana sprouted from her body, gathering in her palms.

    The strands that were flickering chaotically like mes soon began to form a spell under Soliette¡¯s control. Numerous circuits intertwined in the air, and a magic core was drawn.

    ¡°Wow, wow¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, shush. Shush.¡±

    Countless lines and shapes intricately fit together like gears in a magic form. Into the brightly shining circr form, Soliette suddenly thrust her hand. She grasped something and pulled it out with a swish.

    It was a key of magic.

    Showing the key, which was burning red like her hair, Soliette said,

    ¡°It¡¯s a key.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh. Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s amazing. As expected of the team leader.¡±

    The team members admired her. She had implemented a spell that would take four average seniors several hours to gather magic power for, and she did it alone, and so easily at that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Soliette inserted the key into the rock. With a clunk, a part of the stone opened like an entrance. Soliette went in first.

    Kielli gestured to the dumbfounded team members.

    ¡°What are you doing? Come in.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±

    A passage like a cave, deep, damp, and dark. When the team members showed difort, Soliette at the front lit up the surroundings like a me with her magic.

    ¡°She¡¯s really carrying the team.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Exactly. Who said Gerkhen Kal Doon was number one?¡±

    At that moment, as the team members were walking, each admiring her so reliable, steady, and dependable figure,

    ¡°We¡¯re here~¡±

    A familiar voice flowed from the other side.

    ¡°Nice to see you~ You came through entrance number 3.¡±

    The person in charge, Asillen, was holding a torch in one hand. She had somewhat expected it since the paper bird appeared.

    As the Soliette team approached, she flipped through a file and said,

    ¡°Looking at your faces, you seem like Endex¡­ Are you a regr team?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a dropout team, right?¡±

    A dropout team? Kielli answered as if it was absurd.

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re a regr team.¡±

    Then Asillen tilted her head.

    ¡°Why are there six of you? There should be five in a team.¡±

    Six people? What a nonsensical thing to say.

    Kielli furrowed her brows.

    Anyway, it¡¯s certain that a regr team has five people. Because one team leader picked four people each. As for the dropouts, they could form a team of six or even ten on their own.

    ¡°There are five of us¡­¡­¡±

    As Kielli said that, she counted the number of people.

    At the front, Soliette, one person.

    Next, me, Kielli, two people.

    Behind me, Cellon, three people.

    Behind Cellon, Karius, four people.

    Behind Karius, Aryen, five people.

    Andstly, at the very back, someone in a hood¡­ six people?

    Chills ran down Kielli¡¯s entire body. It felt as if a spider was crawling up the back of her neck.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    He let out a bted scream. The team members were also startled and quickly scattered.

    ¡°Wh-who are you!¡±

    Everyone, except for Soliette, was panting and staring at the ¡®sixth¡¯ person at the very back.

    Whether a ghost or a spirit, the sixth person quietly raised their hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not from a regr team.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from a dropout team.¡±

    At that moment, Soliette¡¯s mana was directed at him. The heat, red like a bonfire, illuminated his face.

    A sharp and white face. Short, cropped blonde hair, and as always, rotten golden eyes.

    He introduced himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    Asillen peeked over his shoulder.

    ¡°And the other team members?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a team by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But why did youe with us?¡±

    At this point, it seemed like Soliette¡¯s team had realized the situation, and their expressions soured.

    Shion Ascal shrugged his shoulders and answered.

    ¡°I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette let out a faint sigh. Kielli felt as if his hair was standing on end.

    On the other hand, Asillen smiled.

    ¡°Good. The task was to get in here by any means. In the college board¡¯s view, it¡¯s the fault of the one who got cheated, right? Follow me~¡±

    Saying so, Asillen went inside, but Soliette¡¯s team didn¡¯t move. They red fiercely at Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll follow.¡±

    But the actual cheater walked ahead.

    How could he be so shameless, as if he had a face of steel.

    As he passed by her, Soliette asked him.

    ¡°Did you follow us?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion nodded silently.

    A tiny spark ignited in her hollow eyes.

 Chapter 37: Team Without a Team (3)

    <strong>Team Without a Team (3)</strong>

    In fact, I didn¡¯t n to cheat from the beginning. The original n was to ¡®watch¡¯ the magic form with the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹, ¡®Memorize¡¯ it as is, and ¡®Manifest¡¯ it in the magic bending.

    It was imprudent.

    It was overly optimistic.

    Once I tried it myself, I was short of magic. The capacity of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ was also insufficient. I almost burst my eyeballs while watching Soliette¡¯s magic form.

    So, I had no choice but to switch to n B, which was much more direct and efficient.

    The trick¡ª I used ¡®walk behind them¡¯.

    ¡°Did you follow us?¡±

    The price is an angry Soliette. Of course, she doesn¡¯t care about my grades, but she hates such tricks because she grew up in a knight¡¯s family.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I nodded silently and walked away.

    Inside the cave, there were quite a few stone chairs and ckboards. If there was a school in the Stone Age, it would look like this.

    Asillen looked at the watch and said.

    ¡°It¡¯s 6:30 now, so I¡¯ll wait until 9 o¡¯clock~¡±

    There were about 2 hours and 30 minutes left.

    I sat in a chair and yawned. My buttocks and back were hard, and the stares of Soliette¡¯s team stuck in the back of my head were hot, but it seemed to be well made.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Focus~ Concentrate! Concentrate~!¡±

    I opened my eyes at the sound of apuse. I wiped my half-drooling saliva and looked around.

    There were a lot of people. Much more than I thought. The noise was louder than the main hall of Edsi Station.

    ¡°Nice to meet you~ Are there about 200 people gathered here?¡±

    Looking closely, most of them had different uniforms. Not only Endex but also Devon, Sudme, Otali, etc¡­ It seemed that seniors from magic high schools all over Edsi had gathered.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about who came early orte, it¡¯s not in the evaluation items~¡±

    Asillen said.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Asillen, the person in charge of the college board. I was in charge of the fog mountain of the exploration area A, Parascale.¡±

    She continued with a tired face.

    ¡°Today¡¯s task is simple. Write everything you see, hear, and feel in this ¡®fog mountain¡¯ in an exploration report. The grade will be given ording to the quality of the report, and there are only two evaluation criteria.¡±

    The ¡®core elements of the exploration report¡¯ were already written on the ckboard.

    1. Mana

    1. Ecosystem

    ¡°How well and urately you observe and write about mana and the ecosystem. We¡¯ll only look at these two. Smartphones won¡¯t work, so it¡¯s useless to bring them~ It¡¯s a team y, but make sure to keep track of what and how you investigated! There are individual grades too~¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened. Someone in front of me raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±

    Then the guy in front looked back at me for some reason. It was Kielli. There was a faint hostility in his eyes.

    ¡°Can we fight while exploring?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Asillen chuckled.

    ¡°Of course~ When has the college board ever not fought? Just don¡¯t kill~¡±

    Just don¡¯t kill. That¡¯s quite cruel.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Kielli, who nodded his head, buried his body in the chair with satisfaction. I scratched my forehead.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start the task now~ The deadline is midnight, and we¡¯ll go out every 5 minutes in the order we arrived~¡±

    Asillen pushed therge ckboard aside. Behind it, there were about five passages.

    ¡°Through this entrance, you¡¯ll reach the Fog Mountain~ Soliette¡¯s team first!¡±

    He pointed at Soliette. Her team of five rose to their feet.

    ¡°Which passage will you choose~?¡±

    Soliette strode towards the far right. Her four teammates followed her.

    At the entrance of the Fog Mountain. Soliette and her four teammates surveyed the area.

    The surroundings were shrouded in fog. Visibility was barely 3 meters, and everything beyond was obscured.

    ¡°¡­The fog is insane.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obviously water-elemental mana?¡±

    The fog was so thick it was astonishing, but it made guessing the mana attribute easy. Of course, fog is water.

    Kielli spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by taking out the tools.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    A teammate pulled out a portable diluter from their bag.

    Click-

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Click- Click-click-click-

    No matter how much they flipped the switch, it wouldn¡¯t turn on.

    ¡°It¡¯s not turning on?¡±

    Kielli furrowed his brow.

    ¡°What? Why? Did you bring a defective-¡±

    ¡°Let me see.¡±

    Soliette extended her hand. The teammate handed over the diluter with a deted expression.

    Click-click- Click-click-click-

    It was dead.

    ¡°It¡¯s not defective. It¡¯s probably due to the mana density.¡±

    ¡°Mana, mana density?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    This was expected.

    In ces where the mana density is too high or too lowpared to the continental average, Artifacts may not work. So, in such dangerous ces, one must feel the properties of mana with their body or infer it from the environment.

    If the mana is water-elemental, the ce might be shrouded in thick fog like this, or the humidity could be so high that you get soaked just standing still, or it might rain like hell, and so on.

    Therefore, the mana of this Fog Mountain is likely water-elemental, but one should not jump to conclusions hastily.

    ¡°Put it away.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±

    The teammate put the diluter back into the exploration bag.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up now.¡±

    The exploration method Soliette¡¯s team had decided on was ¡®individual investigation¡¯. The five of them would scatter in different directions to explore the area, then regroup at an appropriate time topile information and write a report.

    ¡°Okay. Then, everyone take one.¡±

    Kielli handed out four paper cups to his teammates.

    ¡°They¡¯re connected, so you canmunicate through these.¡±

    Paper cup telephones. Yes, it¡¯s the same principle as the paper cup telephones we used to y with as kids, but the string here is magical power, which makes it quite different.

    This is Kielli¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    He can draw out magical power as thin as a thread. Normally, the limit is about 2~3 km, but in a ce dense with mana like this, it can be maintained up to 10 km.

    ¡°Contact me immediately if anything happens. I¡¯lle.¡±

    All the teammates attached the paper cups to their belts.

    ¡°You guys go ahead. I have something to discuss with the team leader. That¡¯s okay, right, team leader?¡±

    Kielli looked at Soliette. Soliette, who was about to start exploring, paused.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Phew. It¡¯s nerve-wracking.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re meeting at 4, right?¡±

    The team of three quickly dispersed in different directions, and Kielli spoke to Soliette, who was tilting her head.

    ¡°Team leader. What are we going to do about him?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°That yellow prick.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You mean Shion Ascal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Are we just going to leave him be?¡±

    Soliette responded calmly.

    ¡°Yes. Shit is shit because it¡¯s dirty. There¡¯s no need to go out of our way to step in it.¡±

    A very Soliette-like answer. Kielli smiled, showing the right side of his face. He was more confident on that side.

    ¡°Haha. Right. Then I¡¯ll do the same.¡±

    ¡°Yes. See youter.¡±

    Soliette started walking into the fog, then suddenly stopped as if she remembered something. She turned back to Kielli.

    ¡°But, I¡¯m curious about something.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What is it? Ask anything.¡±

    To Kielli, who was naturally smiling, Soliette asked in a dry tone.

    ¡°High jump. Did you do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    High jump, 687 cm.

    Kielli¡¯s sleeve stillcked a button.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡±

    Was he startled by the sudden question? He stuttered and scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°That¡­¡­ Let¡¯s talk about itter. After the task.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Then Soliette silently climbed up the mountain path.

    Just as her back was swallowed by the fog, Kielli clenched his fist.

    ¡°Woohoo!¡±

    Somehow, everything was going ording to n.

    After all, 687 cm would be the act of the person in charge. There¡¯s no one capable of reaching 687 cm except Gerkhen Kal Doon. As long as he doesn¡¯t go back to the No Mana Zone, there¡¯s no chance of getting caught, and it¡¯s not even that big of a lie, is it?

    It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t, I can reach around 550 cm. I¡¯m confident in my physical strength.

    Let¡¯s use this as an excuse to get a little closer and live without worrying about money for the rest of my life.

    ¡°Huhu¡­¡­ Ah, besides that.¡±

    Kielli, who had been grinning all along, suddenly turned serious and raised his finger. There were five threads attached to his index finger.

    Four were connected to his teammates, and the other one¡­¡­

    ¡°That son of a bitch.¡±

    He had secretly connected it to Shion Ascal while he was asleep.

    A lowlife who cheats. A real loser, certified by Endex.

    Even such a guy will do the exploration. He will also write a report.

    ¡°Just wait.¡±

    Kielli nned to rob him when he thought he had written enough of the report.

    Of course, the quality would be shoddy, but it bothered him that such a guy was still on the college board.

    Ziiing-

    Just then, the blue line connected to Shion Ascal vibrated. It meant that the guy was moving.

    ¡°You¡¯re toote.¡±

    Kielli twisted his mouth as he saw it.

    ¡°¡­¡­The environment is really fucked up.¡±

    I muttered as soon as I entered the foggy mountain.

    It felt like being trapped in a cloud. I couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead with the naked eye, so even though I was walking, I doubted whether I was really moving.

    At this point, there¡¯s no point in walking.

    I stood still for a moment and took out my magic fork. When I let the magic flow into the handle, a transparent film like a soap bubble appeared between the prongs of the fork. I summoned the ¡°Magic Hygrometer¡± into it. The film turned colorless and spat out numbers.

    [9,000ppm]

    It¡¯s a function of the Magic Hygrometer. A ¡®catalyst¡¯ that reduces magic consumption and facilitates the easy summoning of Memory.

    ¡°9,000¡­ 0.09%?¡±

    That¡¯s more than three times the continental average, which is incredibly intense. No wonder there¡¯s a magical phenomenon.

    I wrote a line in the report.

    [¡ô Mana Concentration

    The mana concentration in the air of Mist Mountain is estimated to be more than three times the continental average.]

    This time, I loaded the ¡¸Mana Analyzer¡¹ on the Magic Fork. The screen, which had been colorless until now, became transparent again.

    Actually, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to test it. With this level of fog, it¡¯s obviously going to be water attribute.

    In any region, the attribute of mana is typically ¡®elemental¡¯. The well-known water, wind, earth, and fire. There is mana with non-elemental attributes, but such cases are very rare.

    I infused the Magic Fork with man and activated the ¡®Mana Analyzer¡¯.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not working.¡±

    There¡¯s no particr reaction. It¡¯s supposed to disperse mana and emit a specific attribute Spectrum.

    It¡¯s probably because of the mana concentration.

    The limit of the portable Mana Analyzer is usually 7~8,000ppm. If the concentration goes above that, it doesn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Of course, I could just guess it¡¯s water attribute, but there¡¯s no need to leave it to chance.

    I gently looked at the Magic Fork. Clenching it tightly, I infused ¡®Perion¡¯.

    Whiiiiing¡ª¡ª!

    At that moment, the two strands of the horseshoe resonated with each other. The transparent screen flickered roughly. It was evidence of an upgrade.

    I swung it in the air. Fizz¡ª! The mana in the fog dispersed like sparks between the horseshoe, and a Spectrum bearing an attribute was emitted.

    It was purple.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a water attribute.¡±

    Fog is a phenomenon where condensed water vapor clings close to the ground. Simply put, it¡¯s a cloud that hase down to the surface. It¡¯s ¡®water¡¯.

    But this fog is purple. Purple is not one of the four elements. It¡¯s ¡®spirit¡¯. Usually seen in ces likemunal graves.

    I added a line to the report.

    [¡ô Attribute: It is presumed to contain a spiritual energy.]

    Now that I know the attribute, I turned on the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹. The fog that had been blinding washed away from my retina.

    It¡¯s a kind of mana vision filter. A function to properly analyze a specific magic form when multiple mana attributes are mixed, it works here too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    First, I¡¯m thinking of finding a hignd. If I go up high, I should be able to see a wider view.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    As I was climbing the mountain path, I suddenly detected some ¡®current¡¯ near the top of Fog Mountain.

    Thin mana streams were tangled together, rising into the sky, a strange scene.

    It¡¯s a precursor to a magical phenomenon.

    ¡°Do I have 8~9 hours left?¡±

    Today, Friday at 9 PM, a natural magical phenomenon will ur.

    The type is a 5th grade Dispel.

    A Dispel, a fairlymon magical phenomenon that urs 2~3 times a year even in Edsi, its effect is¡ª¡¯it extinguishes the mana in the area for a not-so-short period of time¡¯.

    In other words, the entire Mist Mountain will be a no-mana-zone.

 Chapter 38: Dispel (1)

    <strong>Dispel (1)</strong>

    I¡¯m perched high up on an elevated area. It¡¯s probably one of the highest points you can find on a mountain.

    I¡¯m atop a tree, a beautiful Arum tree that pierces through the fog. Sitting on one of its branches, I¡¯m observing the harsh terrain with my SZX-9500.

    ¡°¡­¡­It was mushrooms.¡±

    The most prominent element here is ¡®mushrooms¡¯.

    Mushrooms were abundant in various parts of this fog mountain. They formed clusters in all sorts of ces: between tree roots, under vines, in the shade of rock formations, on the slopes of cliffs.

    [¡ô Mushrooms

    The terrain is rugged, the trees grow tall casting deep shadows. The air is dense with mana, which easily umtes underground, and a consistently cool temperature is maintained. These are optimal conditions for fungi to thrive¡­¡­.]

    The term ¡®spirit¡¯ refers to the human soul, but it¡¯s not exclusive to humans. Animals have it, nts have it, even fungi have it.

    The dense mana made these spirits¡¯ wills more distinct.

    [Therefore, this fog is not a phenomenonposed of moisture. It¡¯s a product of mana mixed with spores exuded by the spirit-infused mushrooms.]

    Mushrooms are fascinating creatures. They seem like independent entities, but a ¡®mycelium¡¯ connects all mushrooms in the ground. Countless fungi operate with a single will.

    The source is the Explorer¡¯s Dictionary, noted in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    [¡ô Ecosystem

    The ecosystem appears diverse at first nce. Monkeys, wild boars, tigers, bears, deer, squirrels, as well as monsters like hellflies, fire lizards, and golems have been observed¡­¡­]

    The ecosystem of the fog mountain ¡®appears¡¯ like a typical food chain.

    In reality, it¡¯s not.

    [However, all the beasts and monsters of the fog mountain feed on mushrooms.]

    In this ce, only ¡®mushrooms¡¯ form the basis of life. All the numerous beasts and monsters on the surface eat only mushrooms, and nts live off the nutrients from the mycelium. As a result, there is no carnivory or herbivory, predation or prey.

    Ooo-! Oooe-!

    Just then, monkeys from a tree on the opposite side pointed at me.

    Seemingly intrigued by my presence at the top of the tree, they looked my way and waved their hands oddly.

    Anyway, all of them, including those monkeys, eat mushrooms. Regardless of being carnivorous or herbivorous, predator or prey, they all consume only mushrooms.

    [They might already be infected by the mushroom spores.]

    Infection. It¡¯s a grand word, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the mountain¡¯s fungi control all the flora and fauna like zombies. The very situation of carnivorous animals eating mushrooms as their main food can be said to be due to infection.

    [Bears ignore fish jumping in the river, and tigers don¡¯t even notice deer. It¡¯s an unnatural phenomenon. The entire ecosystem might be addicted to mushrooms, possibly intensifying the animals¡¯ aggression.]

    That¡¯s it for now.

    I put the report into my duffle bag. I muttered as I looked at the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s about to break.¡±

    Fungi ustomed to the ultra-high concentration of mana reaching 9,000ppm cannot survive in any other mana concentration.

    The dispelling that will ur at 7 PM willpletely copse this ecosystem.

    Then, all the beasts and monsters freed from the mountain¡¯s ¡®mushrooms¡¯ will likely run amok.

    Oooe-!

    Suddenly, a monkey came near me. It was a baby monkey.

    ¡°What the hell.¡±

    Oooe- Oooe-!

    It was quite cute, waving its arms around with a mushroom in one hand. It looked cute too.

    Ooo- Oooe-

    The little one pointed at my chest with its finger.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    I also looked in that direction.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Something flickered very faintly.

    It was a thread of magic power. Attached near the corbone, it seemed to be connected to somewhere far away.

    ¡°That guy.¡±

    I immediately thought of Kielli. That bastard¡¯s Spectrum was probably the thread.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you talented?¡±

    I gave the monkey a thumbs up.

    I can see it because I¡¯m an ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹, but what about this guy? A monkey version of Gerkhen Kal Doon?

    Ooh- ooh-ooh-

    The baby monkeyughed innocently. I ripped the thread from my body. I was about to burn it, but suddenly the little guy reached out his hand.

    Ooh- ooh-ooh-

    It was a gesture asking for it. Seems like a curious little fellow.

    ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡±

    I handed the thin thread to the little guy. He smiled brightly and handed me a mushroom.

    ¡°Why are you so smart?¡±

    Perhaps because it lives in a ce with a high concentration of mana, it¡¯s much smarter than an ordinary monkey.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    At that moment, the tree trunk shook violently.

    ¡°Ah shit, what now.¡±

    I looked at the ground.

    ¡ªHey. Just destroy everything for now. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s there.

    ¡ªOkey-dokey.

    ¡ªAre we setting a fire? If it¡¯s damp, it won¡¯t catch well.

    ¡ªWait and see. Let¡¯s cut down some trees first.

    It was another exploration team. They weren¡¯t the guys I saw at Endex. Looking closely at their uniforms, they seemed to be from Ritten.

    They were wreaking havoc, hitting here and there in the forest and setting fires.

    ¡°¡­¡­They were raised well.¡±

    Ooh-! Ooh-! Ooh-ooh-!

    Thanks to them, the monkeys living here faced a disaster. A mother monkey swooped down and snatched the baby monkey next to me. Then, very skillfully, she began to evacuate by climbing the tree branches.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡±

    I watched them with a slightly dazed expression.

    Using their long arms and legs to grip the branches, they leaped up with the momentum of a swing to reach the branches on the opposite side. There wan¡¯t a hint of hesitation or gap in their movements. They twisted their flexible bodies greatly, even making leaps that seemed impossible to humans.

    It was an amazingly smooth and natural skill. A movement they¡¯ve had since birth, ingrained in their instincts, honed in their bodies, and imprinted in their genes.

    Watching them, a thought suddenly urred to me.

    Maybe I could learn it too.

    Observe and Memorize it.

    Fortunately, my arms are long. They¡¯re quite longpared to my height.

    A natural-born warrior, as my old master praised.

    Creak¡ª¡ª!

    The leaning tree. I closed my eyes for a moment on top of it. I recalled the movements of the monkey I had just seen in my mind. I reyed the ¡®Memory¡¯ that seemed to fly through the bushes.

    I loaded it.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hup!¡±

    I jumped off the tree branch.

    Thud-! I nted my feet on the surface of the opposite tree. In that state, I stretched out my arm and grabbed the branch. I pulled my body up and jumped to grab the branch on the other side.

    However, I shouldn¡¯t move too forcefully. The key is a movement that doesn¡¯t ¡®overload the weight¡¯. Twisting the muscles and joints of the whole body flexibly to go from one tree to another, from another tree to yet another, flowing naturally like water¡­¡­

    As I was engrossed in tree climbing, I looked back. I had already crossed dozens of trees.

    ¡°It¡¯s working.¡±

    Today, I learned from the beasts.

    ¡°Hey. The magic form isplete. Shall we light the fire?¡±

    ¡°Just wait a bit. I want to take some pictures.¡±

    But the people of the surfaceck consideration in their actions. They have no manners. No thought. They seem like brats who have been raised without discipline.

    I tore off a reasonably thin branch. I roughly sharpened it with a knife. I held it between three fingers and threw it as is.

    Screeeech¡ª!

    It flew with a piercing sound and stuck in some brat¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    The guy screamed, clutching his shoulder.

    ¡°Shit, fuck! Hey, I¡¯m under attack! Help!¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Here, you idiot!¡±

    ¡°No, where¡¯s the enemy?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    I threw another one.

    Screeeech¡ª!

    This time, I deliberately stuck it in the ground.

    ¡°Ah, fuck! Hey, there must be a goblin! This must be a poison dart, it fucking hurts!¡±

    ¡°Idiot, I knew this would happen. Let¡¯s get out of here¡­¡­¡±

    They ran away in a hurry. They were more beast-like than the beasts themselves.

    Wooee-!

    Then the baby monkey from before appeared again. I gave him a thumbs up.

    ¡°I avenged you.¡±

    Wooee-! Wookeekee-!

    He bared his teeth in a smile and soon ran off to a distant ce with his family.

    Meanwhile, Kielli had sufficiently explored Fog Mountain. He took pictures of the peculiar vegetation he saw at the foot of the mountain with the camera he had brought, took pictures of beasts like bears and tigers, monsters like moss golems and fire lizards, and even tookmemorative photos with other magic high students he happened to meet.

    ¡°Shall we go find it now~¡±

    Around 3 PM, he stretched and prepared.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but the thread is tense. It means that Shion Ascal is running around frantically.

    ¡°That bastard. He seems to be working hard.¡±

    At this rate, there might be an unexpected harvest.

    Do you know? The guy who analyzes is a decent guy, so he might have written a good report.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go get it~¡±

    Kielli ran down the mountain trail with a bright smile.

    The direction was north, where the thread led.

    ¡­¡­30 minutester

    Midway up the Fog Mountain. Among the dense trees, Kielli fanned himself and sighed.

    ¡°Where the hell is this bastard trying to go?¡±

    It feels like I¡¯ve been running at full speed for 30 minutes, but it¡¯s only getting further away.

    Well, if you¡¯rest, you should at least try hard¡­ He¡¯s an overly passionate guy.

    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll achieve by working hard.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone really deep.¡±

    Not just deep, but really deep. Is he trying to reach the mountain peak or what?

    I should have waited for him toe down and then caught him.

    No, then I can¡¯t steal the report and pretend it¡¯s mine. I need time to giarize.

    Right now, Soliette¡¯s favorability score is more important than grades.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­ You¡¯re screwed if you get caught.¡±

    Kielli moved his legs again.

    ¡­¡­90 minutester

    ¡°Heh, heh, heh.¡±

    Kielli is panting, hands on his knees.

    I don¡¯t know how many minutes I¡¯ve been running, or how far I¡¯vee. There¡¯s no way to know.

    Without a break, I crossed four rivers, climbed up a mountain slope that was nearly 90 degrees, and even leaped over a cliff-like path.

    ¡°Ah, okay. Okay. I admit, he¡¯s got stamina.¡±

    I mumbled, wiping my sweat.

    Even a worm squirms. This half-wit has one thing going for him: his stamina. The fact that he ventured this deep is somewhat appealing.

    He must have written a good report. He must have been able to write a good one, that¡¯s why he came this far.

    ¡°If the content is shit, I swear I¡¯ll kill him.¡±

    Wiiing-

    At that moment, his paper cup vibrated.

    ¡°Huh. Why?¡±

    ¡ªKielli, we¡¯re gathered now, where are you?

    Kielli looked at his wristwatch. It was 4 PM. There were still 8 hours left until the deadline.

    ¡°I¡¯m investigating right now. Is Soliette there too?¡±

    ¡ªNo. We¡¯re just resting, gathered together.

    ¡°¡­¡­Call me when shees.¡±

    He ended the call.

    ¡°Damn, they¡¯re so annoying, useless bastards.¡±

    If they¡¯re not Soliette, they¡¯re meaningless.

    Kielli raised his finger. The thread was still taut. It meant the distance between them hadn¡¯t decreased.

    ¡°Is he riding a tree or what? Ah.¡±

    Grumbling, Kielli ran towards that ce.

    ¡­¡­180 minutester.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Kielli was lying down. Somewhere on the mountain ground, he was sprawled out, staring up at the sky.

    Thanks to the fog clearing up a bit, the moon was visible. Stars were scattered chaotically.

    The view is nice.

    Chijijik-

    The paper cup vibrated just then. Kielli ced it on his forehead.

    He didn¡¯t even have the energy to put it to his ear.

    ¡ªKielli. Are you listening?

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. What.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even have the energy to speak.

    He didn¡¯t care anymore that he couldn¡¯t find that guy, or that he couldn¡¯t catch him.

    He was just fucking pissed.

    ¡ªWhen are youing?

    ¡°I¡¯m about to go now.¡±

    He was exhausted. After practically sprinting while climbing for 3 hours, his energy waspletely drained.

    ¡ªWhere are you?

    Kielli propped up his upper body.

    ¡°¡­¡­Exactly.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know where he was.

    He seemed to have ventured deep into the mountain. He was surrounded by trees on all sides, there was a cave not far away, a cliff, and beyond the cliff was obscured by fog.

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    ¡ªHuh? Anyway, hurry up. Shion Ascal is here.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    At first, he thought he had misheard.

    ¡ªThe guy who cheated is here.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about.¡±

    How could Shion Ascal be there? He had been chasing him all this time and hade this far.

    ¡°How could that bastard be there-¡±

    Kielli raised his finger. The blue line connected to Shion Ascal. It had stretched out, indicating that he was nearby.

    ¡°!¡±

    Kielli¡¯s eyes widened as he followed the thread. It led to a tree not far away, no, right in front of his nose.

    A look of joy spread across Kielli¡¯s face.

    ¡°You¡¯re done for¡­¡­?¡±

    Wooe- wooe- kiki-!

    A baby monkey appeared where the thread touched. The creature seemed to be mocking him, pointing at him.

    Kielli stared nkly at the monkey¡¯s hand.

    Wooe-!

    There was a thread there.

    ¡°¡­¡­This fucking crazy bastard!¡±

    He yelled out in anger. The baby monkey trembled.

    ¡°Fuck,e here. I¡¯ll make monkey soup out of you!¡±

    The creature looked somewhere with frightened eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat your brain!¡±

    Kiki-! It cried out, quickly let go of the thread, and ran away.

    ¡°That crazy monkey bastard¡­¡­?¡±

    Kielli closed his mouth a littlete.

    Sssss¡ª¡ª

    There was a chilling sensation creeping up from behind him.

    His heart pounded. His spine felt cold. A stiff chill ran up the back of his neck.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    As he slowly turned around, a grotesque figure took shape in his eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­gulp-¡±

    Swallowing, he lifted the paper cup with trembling hands. But his voice wouldn¡¯te out, as if he had swallowed sand.

    ¡°Guys, guys.¡±

    ¡ªWhat?

    ¡°That¡­¡­.¡±

    There was darkness on the other side. Barely taking the form of a human, but not looking human at all¡­¡­. A monster.

    ¡°Save me-¡±

    Rustle¡ª¡ª!

    The moment he tried to speak, the creature charged.

    ¡°Ah, ahhhh!¡±

    A scream echoed, and Kielli¡¯s thread was cut off.

 Chapter 39: Dispel (2)

    <strong>Dispel (2)</strong>

    5 p.m. The foggy mountain, darkened by the setting sun, was as ck as pitch. It wasn¡¯t just because of the fog. The altitude was such that sunlight barely prated, making it truly dark all around.

    ¡°Wow. At this rate, we¡¯ll be in first ce, won¡¯t we?¡±

    The Soliette team was in the midst of writing a report there. As theypiled the information each had researched, it seemed like a fairly credible report would bepleted.

    Of course, Soliette¡¯s share was over 70%.

    ¡°Indeed. The ecosystem is almostplete.¡±

    The ecosystem of the foggy mountain had beenrgely sorted out. They had found and recorded all the beasts, monsters, and vegetation observed on this mountain.

    ¡°But this mana is¡­ it¡¯s water attribute, right?¡±

    However, the easiest part continued to cause unease.

    The mana attribute of this foggy mountain being water, or water attribute, was almost certain. After all, the fog itself would be a product of water attribute mana.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s more difficult.

    It¡¯s too easy, making them wonder if it¡¯s a trap.

    ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t this that thing? It¡¯s so easy that it¡¯s confusing. ¡­What does the team leader think?¡±

    Team member Aryen asked, gauging Soliette¡¯s reaction. She, wearing an MF-94 mask, had been crouched in thought for a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s uncertain? We can¡¯t even light a fire.¡±

    Aryen pointed to the traces of a campfire. They had tried to light it due to the chilly temperature, but the sparks faded as soon as they touched the fog.

    ¡°I just have that feeling.¡±

    ¡°Hey~ but-¡±

    ¡°¡ªYour feeling is right.¡±

    Then, a strange voice came from the bushes. Everyone turned to look at the source, startled by the alien baritone.

    There was a man with yellow buzz cut.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Are you here to cheat again?¡±

    Shion Ascal. The Soliette team grimaced as if looking at a nuisance, but he shamelessly approached and sat down on the ground.

    ¡°No. I came to help, not to cheat.¡±

    ¡°What help? Hey. Hide the report.¡±

    They quickly flipped the report over. Shion chuckled and scanned their faces.

    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t sweating at all, how can it be water attribute?¡±

    Aryen retorted at that.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you sweat even if it¡¯s cold? If you¡¯re in a water attribute fog.¡±

    Soliette had been lost in thought until then. To her, Shion was not just being treated as if he didn¡¯t exist, he simply didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°If you move, you¡¯ll sweat right away. Can you please stop pretending to know?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Shion raised a finger. It was a gesture to concentrate, and the team members unwittingly perked up their ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s Spirit.¡±

    Spirit.

    Aryen asked back at that strange word.

    ¡°¡­0? No attribute?¡± (0 and spirit can be misunderstood as one another)

    ¡°No. Spirit as in spirit.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    Then, all the team members had nk expressions.

    They couldn¡¯t evenugh. It was such a nonsensical, idiotic statement. If it was a joke, it was of the worst kind, and if he was serious, he was a lunatic.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Among the properties of mana, the most famous andmon are of course the ¡®elemental¡¯ series, including water, wind, earth, and fire.

    However, the properties of mana itself are countless. Metal, beast, emotion, light, darkness, etc¡­ as diverse as the Spectrum, and among them, ¡®Spirit¡¯ belongs to a very rare category.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the type of mana thates up in the College Board course.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you know Kielli is on the edge, right? He¡¯ll be here soon, so if you don¡¯t want to get hit, just leave¡­ or not.¡±

    Team member, Karius, stood up from his seat. He went behind a tree and picked up a paper cup.

    ¡°Kielli. Are you listening?¡±

    Hearing the voice directed at Kielli, Shion chuckled.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve warned you. Is the debt paid?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, paying off the debt-¡±

    ¡°¡­spirit.¡±

    The team members wished he would leave quickly, but Soliette was the one who found it strange.

    spirit, spirit, spirit¡­ She murmured quietly and then asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s your basis for thinking it¡¯s spirit? Perhaps-¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there too many mushrooms on this mountain?¡±

    In response to Soliette¡¯s curious question, Shion answered with certainty.

    For a moment, Soliette¡¯s eyes widened. Arjen, who had been ring at Shion until now, smirked.

    ¡°Hey~ Team leader, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There was a foreign substance in the fog.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    That¡¯s why Soliette wore a mask. She, with her sensitive senses, kept feeling something touching her skin and inside her nose.

    ¡°Right. This fog isn¡¯t just moisture.¡±

    Shion Ascal raised his eyebrows and continued.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the spores and byproducts of mana that fungi, or mushrooms, emit.¡±

    It was a perfectly reasonable inference. Soliette nodded with a face that had gained a big hint, and the other team members slowly changed their stance.

    Arjen was the first to raise the report.

    ¡°Ah, ah. That¡¯s right. In these, these pictures, there are mushrooms.¡±

    Pictures taken with a camera prepared for exploration, for ecological surveys. All of them had mushrooms. Even under the trees nearby, tiny mushrooms had sprouted.

    ¡°So, when the bonfire touches the fog, it goes out¡­¡±

    Arujen mumbled, and Shion answered.

    ¡°Because the spores block the oxygen? Probably.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    ¡°Definitely¡­¡±

    The team members looked at Shion with a newfound expression.

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡±

    Suddenly, Karius jumped out from behind the tree. Holding a paper cup, he cried out with a shocked face.

    ¡°It looks like Kielli got hit by someone?! He asked for help and then suddenly cut off!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Arjen asked in surprise, and Soliette moved first. The team members tried to follow quickly, but she stopped them.

    ¡°Sit and wait. You won¡¯t be of any help.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah. Right.¡±

    We can¡¯t catch up with Soliette¡¯s speed, and if we get lost, it will be more of a nuisance. It¡¯s better to just wait here.

    The team members sat down again.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    But Shion, who had been the main topic, coughed and stood up. Arjen held him back.

    ¡°Hey. You sit down too. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡±

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª!

    Suddenly, the sound of a me burning. Sparks of magic fluttering from Soliette.

    It was a Magic Body. But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary Magic Body. Her body was filled with deep magic from head to toe.

    A mere high school student had perfectly implemented the ¡®One Belt, Four Lines¡¯.

    Before the spectators could even marvel, she dashed off like the wind.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s some impressive Magic Body. Did she really extend it all the way to her feet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But how is her mana so red? That¡¯s fascinating.¡±

    While the team members were muttering in a daze, Shion Ascal quietly watched the direction Soliette had run off in, as if he had some lingering regret.

    ¡°Do you see anything by just looking?¡±

    Arjen sneered. He continued to stare in that direction as he responded.

    ¡°¡­¡­A little.¡±

    His expression was quite serious. After staring for about 5 minutes, he suddenly furrowed his brows and stood up.

    ¡°Hey, hey. We told you to stay put-¡±

    Shush-! He kicked off the ground and soared, quickly climbing up a tree. He grabbed a branch of a tall tree and moved to another tree, then another, disappearing like a monkey climbing trees.

    ¡°¡­¡­What kind of beast is he?¡±

    ¡°When did he learn to do that?¡±

    The team members marveled again, this time for a different reason than with Soliette.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s write the report.¡±

    They had no worries. Soliette was already a high school graduate, a 6-star prospect who was considered better than some active knights in some respects.

    ¡°Kielli probably ran into a bear or something.¡±

    A bear was nothing more than a small obstacle.

    After about 30 minutes of running, Soliette arrived at the location where Kielli¡¯s trail had ended. It was in the middle of a deep forest, and a crushed paper cup was scattered on the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She bent down to pick it up. Sniff, sniff- she even smelled it. There were no clues.

    She walked forward again. After a short walk, a cliff appeared. As she gently stepped forward, bits of rock and dirt fell down.

    It was a long way down.

    He couldn¡¯t have fallen here. If it was an idental fall, there would be no body to recover.

    That¡¯s when she turned around.

    ¡ªEeep! Eeep!

    A sound could be heard. She quickly looked in that direction. As the fog cleared, Kielli was revealed, tied up in the darkness of the forest.

    ¡°¡­¡­Kielli?¡±

    ¡°Eeep! Eeeeeeep!¡±

    Soliette ran over in a single stride and grabbed the dark rope that bound him.

    ¡°What-¡±

    She was startled and let go. It wasn¡¯t a rope. It was a squishy fluid.

    ¡°Eeeeeeep! Eeeeeeep!¡±

    ¡°What on earth¡­¡­?!¡±

    Suddenly, a warning of intuition rang in her mind.

    She quickly rolled to the side. St-! A dark spear stuck into the ground where she had been standing.

    ¡ªHehehe. You took the bait.

    A voice, as if the vocal cords were scorched, flowed from the direction of the attack.

    Soliette turned to look.

    ¡ªFoolish humans, me your own curiosity.

    It seemed to be a human, even an Edsi citizen, speaking proper Edsimonnguage, but its appearance was bizarre.

    At a height of two meters, his emaciated body resembled a stick figure. His arms, too long and protruding from the oversized cloak wrapped around his body, ended in hands that were toorge, as if they could touch the ground with a slight stretch.

    Moreover, his hands were not human. The thick, bulging veins and sharp nails made one wonder if they were grafted from some monster.

    ¡°¡­A monster.¡±

    He was a being who, while human, had forsaken his humanity, epting the physical body or magical power of a monster.

    Such demi-human beings were called ¡®monsters¡¯ on the continent.

    ¡ªYou seem useful. More so than that one.

    He shed a sinister smile.

    Soliette raised her Magic Body in abat-ready stance. Unfortunately, she had no weapon. The only thing she could use was the explorer¡¯s kukri knife at her waist.

    ¡ªYou have many parts worth taking.

    At that moment, his cloak rippled. Soliette looked closely at it.

    It wasn¡¯t a cloak. It was a deep, ink-colored shadow. A ¡®shadow¡¯ resonating with the monster¡¯s magic.

    Whooosh¡ª!

    He released the shadow like a harpoon. ng-! As soon as she deflected it with the kukri, sharp fragments rushed in one after another.

    Soliette deployed Arkne¡¯s defensive swordsmanship to repel them, but the de was too short and her hand was slightly cut. She frowned at the faint pain.

    The shadow showed her no mercy.

    Swoooosh¡ª!

    This time, it swung around like a circr scythe, as if intending to sever the ground where she stood.

    Soliette raised her kukri high.

    Zzzzzing¡ª!

    She generated magic in the kukri to block it, but the de split. Preparing for the next attack, Soliette split the kukri in two with her own hands. Holding one piece in each hand, she set the des upright.

    ¡ª¡­Hmm?

    But suddenly, the monstrosity, who had been frowning, stopped his attack.

    ¡ªYou¡¯re not moving from that spot. Why?

    He scratched his chin with hisrge hand and cocked his head.

    Thanks to his momentary distraction, Soliette caught her breath, but he seemed to realize something and snapped his fingers.

    ¡ªAha. It¡¯s because of that guy behind you, isn¡¯t it?

    He opened his mouth andughed. His gums were as red as a monkey¡¯s, and his veins reached up to his teeth.

    It was disgusting.

    Swoooosh¡ª¡ª!

    Again, a volley of shadows was fired. This time, it tantly curved towards Kielli behind Soliette. Soliette twisted her body to defend against all of it. Some of the shadow grazed her arm, and blood spurted from her hand, but it was bearable.

    ¡ªHahaha.

    He stomped on the ground with his foot,ughing heartily. Boom-! From the shockwave, shadow spikes sprouted. Soliette crouched to block the onught, which came like a tidal wave.

    Kwoooosh¡ª¡ª!

    The impact spread throughout her body. It felt as if her bones and joints were crumbling.

    ¡ªHehehe. Humans are indeed foolish.

    By this time, the odds were already slim. Soliette scanned her surrounding, trying to find a way to escape with Kielli, but the monster¡¯s shadow was flickering all around them.

    ¡ªTo choose death because of a worthlessrade.

    As the monster muttered bullshit, preparing to finished them.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª.

    An object flew from the forest behind them. Soliette saw its silhouette.

    It was arge rock.

    ¡ªYou guys are the problem-

    Thud!

    It fell right on his head.

    ¡ª¡­¡­.

    The monster was momentarily speechless.

    ¡ªHa. You guys are the prob-

    He sighed slightly and tried to ignore it, but thud¡ª! Another one flew and this time, it squarely hit his jaw.

    ¡ª¡­¡­.

    The monster fell silent.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª.

    A third rock flew at a right angle.

    Thud¡ª! Unable to endure a third time, he raised his arm to catch it. The rock crumbled into sand in hisrge hand.

    ¡ªWhich bastard is doing this?

    The monster, with a vein popping on his forehead, looked in the direction the rock hade from. It was a dense forest. Conveniently, the mountain fog had descended like a gray curtain.

    ¡ªAren¡¯t you the bastard?

    Another voice flowed from the beyond the fog. To Soliette, it was a voice she had heard at some point. She asked while maintaining her tension.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion Ascal?¡±

    ¡ªA piece of trash like a mongrel who caught a monster on a whim and shoved it into his body.

    It was certain.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?

    He was provoking the monster from his hiding ce in the forest.

    ¡ªHa ha. Human jealousy is indeed disgusting. Babble all you want. Go ahead.

    The monster, on the other hand, sneered and shook his head, but.

    ¡ªYou limp-dick bastard. Who did you get it from? No matter what, you should pay the full price and a little extra for a Chimera transnt. If you fail like you, there¡¯s no turning back-

    ¡ªShut your fucking mouth or I¡¯ll rip you apart!!!!

    He exploded in an instant. His eyes were covered with dark blood vessels. The shadow wrapped around his body noticeably trembled.

    Kwaaaah¡ª¡ª!

    ¡ªYou¡¯re just a piece of human trash! How dare you! How dare you insult me!

    The shadow sprang up haphazardly, tearing through the trees. All of his nerves were focused on the bush where the voice hade from.

    Taking advantage of the situation, Soliette burned the shadow that was suppressing Kielli.

    ¡°¡­¡­Krrr. Ah, ah, I, that¡­¡­.¡±

    As soon as he was released, he vomited.

    That was still okay.

    ¡°Th-that, ugh¡­¡­ that¡­¡­.¡±

    But the sight of him trying to crawl away while vomiting.

    ¡°What an asshole¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette was utterly disgusted.

 Chapter 40: Dispel (3)

    <strong>Dispel (3)</strong>

    I dodged his attacks, weaving between the trees in the forest. The thickening fog was quite helpful.

    Screeeech¡ª¡ª!

    He was shooting shadows based on his senses, but I was dodging with my eyes.

    ¡ªDamn human!

    The bastard was spewing nonsense about damn humans, even though he was technically human himself.

    Anyway, such a pathetic creature was still a monster. The ¡®core¡¯ imnted in his Magic Core was, of course, a shadow.

    Coincidentally, I knew a monster whose Spectrum was shadow, or rather, darkness itself.

    One of the eight Masters of the underworld.

    He was probably a servant who served him, or a lesser being who simply admired and imitated him. In terms of monster hierarchy, he was third-rate at best. He was a Chimera monster who had transnted a monster¡¯s arm onto his body like a prosthetic.

    Of course, even a monster of that level, who had sold his soul for power, was on par with an active high-ranking knight. The monster mutation significantly erges the Magic Core, which means the amount of magic power avable is enormous.

    ¡ªWho are you calling a bastard!

    Right now, he was pierced by the word ¡®failure¡¯.

    Lower monsters are usually like this. When you point out the surgery that made them a monster, they lose their minds.

    Kwazuzuzuzuk¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The shadow curved into a crescent shape. I lightly jumped to dodge it.

    ¡ªYou piece of trash bastard!

    Such creatures always project their weaknesses or traumas onto others when they curse. He¡¯s the trash bastard.

    ¡°The bastard is you, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m a pure-blooded human-¡±

    Kwaaaaaak-!

    The moment I spoke, the shadow precisely swept towards me like a whip. I hastily did a back tuck.

    That was close.

    He seemed to have located me by sound, isn¡¯t that bastard surprisingly smart?

    Anyway.

    Right now, all I can do is buy time. No matter how pathetic a monster, there¡¯s no chance of winning at my current level. The ¡®average¡¯ magic power of a monster is at least 30 times that of a human.

    The difference in absolute magic power is too great.

    ¡°Two minutes¡­¡­.¡±

    However, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way to defeat him.

    Precisely, there¡¯s ¡®time¡¯.

    I looked at my wristwatch.

    20:58.

    Officially, I just need to hold out for 2 more minutes. When the dispel urs, the mana in the area will temporarily disappear, and then he won¡¯t be able to swing his shadows either.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    But, why is it so quiet?

    The attacks had stopped at some point.

    I climbed a tree to take a peek at him.

    ¡ªHaaaaa¡­¡­.

    He had gathered all his shadows and made a cocoon around his body. The wind in the area was being sucked into it, and the shadows at his feet were ominously swirling.

    Like in aic, patterns resembling saw teeth were gathering and pushing out, rotating.

    ¡­¡­It¡¯s dangerous.

    Quite a lot.

    If I don¡¯t respond, I¡¯ll die.

    The moment I felt that intuition, Perion erupted. Could it be the survival instinct of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹? I didn¡¯t issue any particr opinion ormand, but the heat rising in the Magic Core raced throughout my body.

    Whoosh¡­

    The speed of the leaves fluttering in the wind slows down. Watching the fallen flowers circling around my shoulder, I feel the eleration of thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    On the other side, Soliette deployed Defense Magic, leaving Kielli behind. She too had sensed the danger.

    At that moment, the bastard¡¯s cocoon slowly opened.

    ¡ª¡ªCreakkkkkk.

    Thepressed shadow visible through the gap. Those things that were rotating as if to explode against each other, eventually stopped all movements.

    And then they exploded in an instant.

    Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡ª¡ª!

    The bastard¡¯s shadow dispersed. I leaped as high as I could. Immediately after, fragments like crumpled scrap metal whirled around, grinding all the trees in the radius to dust.

    ¡­¡­Kugugugugung!

    The forest was torn apart in its entirety, and the formless trees copsed miserably. They shattered into thousands of pieces and stuck to the ground like liquid.

    The once lush forest had turned into a wastnd in an instant.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I slowlynded in that ruin. I looked at the monster that had exploded the shadow.

    ¡ªKhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

    Over the shoulder of the bastard who was splitting like a madman, there was Soliette. She had many wounds on her body. In contrast, Kielli behind her was safe.

    I asked her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you okay?¡±

    Soliette nodded silently.

    That woman is always like that. She doesn¡¯t want to lose people, whether it was then or now.

    Even if it¡¯s a team formed because of the college board, once it¡¯s a ¡®team¡¯, she won¡¯t let her team members die. At least not in front of her eyes.

    She¡¯s a woman who has lost too many precious people, and protecting people has be a habit for her.

    I looked at my wristwatch while biting my lip.

    5:59:50.

    There¡¯s still 10 seconds left.

    ¡ª¡­¡­You scum.

    51 seconds.

    The bastard¡¯s eyes looking at me move grotesquely. The right eye and the left eye roll around on their own.

    It must mean that he also found the recent killer move burdensome.

    ¡ªI won¡¯t forgive you. How dare you insult me. You¡¯re just a human.

    52 seconds.

    I looked up at the sky.

    Some currents were slowly gathering in the fog-covered night sky. Mana, spores, and wind were clumping together, and nature was preparing for its own transformation.

    A particrly magical natural phenomenon that cannot be observed with the naked eye¡ª¡ªthe precursor to the magical phenomenon ¡®Dispel¡¯.

    53 seconds.

    Dispel is an opportunity to remove and attach rank badges. Naturally, if the mana in the air disappears, my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ won¡¯t work either, but simrly, all life forms in the area will be unable to use magic.

    ¡ªKill him! Kill him! Tear his limbs and kill him!

    54 seconds.

    The bastard is vomiting blood, gathering shadows.

    Looking at the monster, no, the beast-like bastard, I suddenly be curious.

    55 seconds.

    The ¡®Perion¡¯ that is currently flowing in my veins.

    The most burdensome yet the most robust upgrade for me is the product of chemistry and magic.

    56 seconds.

    Then, even if the mana disappears, wouldn¡¯t Perion¡¯s unique ¡®chemical upgrade of the body¡¯ remain?

    ¡°57 seconds.¡±

    I closed my eyes, counting the seconds. I summoned Perion again. I felt the heat racing throughout my body, originating from the Magic Core.

    I opened my eyes.

    ¡ªDie! Pitiful human, garbage-like failure!

    The monsterunched eight shadowy tendrils at me. They blocked all space, seemingly intent on tearing me apart.

    ¡°58 seconds.¡±

    The shadowy des pushed towards me. The natural magic blooming from the horizon beyond them.

    The will of the spirit,posed of fungi, ignites, momentarily illuminating the night sky in blue.

    And so, 59 seconds.

    Chaeaeaeaeang¡ª¡ª!

    A clear, ss-shattering resonance echoed throughout the world. Simultaneously, his shadows crumbled into fragments. All the fog in the mountains dispersed, and the atmosphere cleared.

    ¡ªWhat!

    To the startled creature, I exined the phenomenon with a feigned surprised face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh my. Isn¡¯t this a 5th-grade magic phenomenon, Dispel?¡±

    My acting still sounds like reading anguage textbook, but whatever. I can learnter.

    I smiled faintly and clenched my fist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight fair and square.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­Dispel?

    The creature seemed slightly flustered, but soon wore a confident smile.

    ¡ªFoolish human. My body has been infinitely more powerfully modified than yours.

    The statement itself was true. Whether it was stone-arm surgery or something else, those two arms of his were definitely monstrous. They would be powerful even in a no-mana zone.

    I don¡¯t care.

    I¡¯m still full of it. The heat of Perion coursing through my body.

    ¡ªNo matter what you do, you can¡¯t beat a monster. We are infinitely superior to humans¡­¡­

    As he mumbled some nonsense, I charged at him. With one big step, I was at his jaw in an instant.

    ¡ª¡­¡­!

    In shock, he hastily raised his guard, but it was already toote.

    Thump¡ª¡ª!

    Inded an uppercut on his jaw. His mouth closed, cutting off his tongue. I grabbed his waist floating in the air and kneed it.

    Crack-

    His spine crumbled. Immediately after, I grabbed his face and smashed it into the ground.

    Thud¡ª!

    I climbed on top of him, half-buried in the dirt. I punched his already shattered face.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Once. I broke his teeth.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Twice. I broke his nose.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Thrice. I burst his eyes.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Four times. I crushed his forehead.

    Finally, topletely distort his face-

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Someone grabbed my shoulder. For a moment, my breath, which had momentarily stopped, resumed. It felt like my consciousness, which had been sucked away, was returning to the world.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked in that direction.

    It was Soliette. In her red eyes, I saw my blood-soaked reflection.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±

    I looked at the monster again.

    His face was already gone. Brain fluid and blood were flowing like a stream from his shattered skull.

    ¡°¡­¡­Right.¡±

    I nodded and got up, wiping the thick blood off my fist.

    That¡¯s when my eyes met Kielli¡¯s. He was sprawled on the ground.

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I said nothing and prepared for what was next.

    The monster was dead, but the situation was far from over.

    Gwaaaaaaa¡ª¡ª!

    A monstrous roar echoed from a nearby cave. Thump-thump- a massive beast was waking from its slumber.

    The ¡®Grizzly Bear¡¯ revealed its massive body, its eyes glowing a fierce red.

    The mountain, freed from the fungi, was returning to its original ecosystem¡ªa survival of the fittest.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s, it¡¯s a bear? What do, what do we do?¡±

    Kielli was panicking.

    ¡°What do you think we should do.¡±

    The bear was drooling as it looked at us. Anyone could tell it saw us as prey.

    Moreover, in a dispel state, the bear is very powerful. Its thick skin and muscles are as good as a fortress.

    ¡°We need to run.¡±

    I looked behind me. I thought it was a dead-end cliff because of the fog, but now that the fog was gone, the other side was clearly visible. There wasnd at a distance that seemed jumpable.

    ¡°We just need to jump about 20m.¡±

    I reached out my hand to Soliette.

    ¡°I can do it myself. Please take care of him.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯ was Kielli.

    Regrettably, Soliette was never one to ept help.

    I hoisted Kielli onto my shoulder in a sh.

    ¡°Wha, what!¡±

    He was surprisingly light. He must have lost weight.

    ¡°Hey Shion, hey, wait. You, you can make it, right? You can jump, right? Soliette! Can¡¯t the team leader carry him?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up before I throw you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know when the effects of Perion would wear off.

    I immediately started running. I kicked off the edge of the cliff and leaped.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­

    Feeling the wind fluttering all over my body-

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ªAaaaaaaah.¡±

    Feeling it, I-

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Thud.

    ¡°Aaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡±

    Wended on the other side. As soon as wended, Kielli slipped out of my arms.

    I looked back at the other side. Soliette was standing at the edge of the cliff, where the wind was howling.

    It probably meant nothing to her, but my heart sank.

    The future her, the one who had given up on the pain of living, seemed to ovep with the current her.

    ¡°What are you doing! Jump!¡±

    Gwaaaaaaa¡ª¡ª!

    From behind, the Grizzly Bear roared. Soliette, who had nced back slightly, jumped calmly.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­

    In the wind swirling at the cliff, a leap like a bird of prey.

    But the distance was a bit short.

    I reached out from the edge of the cliff. Soliette barely grabbed my hand.

    Swooooosh¡ª¡ª!

    Her body scraped against the cliff. The sound of impact echoed quite loudly.

    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t fall.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked down at Soliette from the cliff. Soliette looked up at me from the cliff.

    Her face was full of bruises. There was severe bleeding from her shoulder and side. Her body was covered in dirt.

    I sighed lightly and asked her.

    ¡°¡­¡­You weren¡¯t trying to kill yourself, were you?¡±

    Soliette moved her eyes without answering. Strangely, she was looking at my sleeve. After a while, she asked in a dull voice.

    ¡°Did you lose a button?¡±

    It was a nonsensical question.

    ¡°What are you talking about. Just climb up.¡±

    I pulled Soliette up. As soon as she reached the ground, she looked around.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Kielli?¡±

    ¡°There¡­¡­ What?¡±

    I was about to point to the bushes, but I stopped. He was there just a moment ago, but now he was gone.

    ¡°¡­¡­He seems to have run away in the meantime?¡±

    Did he vomit and run away because he was afraid of being hit?

    He¡¯s quick on the uptake.

    ¡°Hmm. He¡¯s an asshole.¡±

    Soliette also mumbled as if she found it ridiculous, and got up.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡±

    She spoke as if nothing had happened. I also chuckled and dusted off my pants.

    ¡°Yeah, I have something to look for too.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette had an indifferent face, and I listened quietly.

    Aaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The scream of a mandrakeing from not far away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As I turned to find it, Soliette said to me.

    ¡°Yes. Thanks to you.¡±

    I pretended not to hear and walked away.

    Honestly, I was quite surprised, but I didn¡¯t want to seem uncool.

    ¡°Thanks to you¡­¡­¡±

    Instead, I muttered as I walked down the mountain path. I even smiled secretly.

    ©¤©¤©¤Kaaaaaaaah.

    Was it thanks to the approaching mandrake?

    I was feeling pretty good.

 Chapter 41: Dispel (4)

    <strong>Dispel (4)</strong>

    A world where sound has disappeared.

    Thump, thump, only my rapid heartbeat echoes in the silence.

    In it, I am cautiously digging the ground. My body is drenched in sweat, and my hand clutching the shovel trembles like mad.

    A moment far more tense than when I was facing the monster¡­

    Due to the slowly creeping side effects of Perion, my body feels like it¡¯s about to shatter, but I can¡¯t give up on this guy, even if it kills me.

    I must not give up.

    ¡°¡­¡­Done.¡±

    Finally.

    If there¡¯s the ugliest newborn in the world, would it be like this? An ugly child, but you can¡¯t say it¡¯s ugly because you¡¯re conscious of the parents¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°Because of you, it feels like I¡¯ve been through hell.¡±

    I grabbed the creature¡¯s side and hoisted it up. Its grotesquely distorted face glowed and screamed.

    Joohhhhh- Kwaaaaaaaak-

    Something like that, I guess.

    Of course, I can¡¯t hear it. I¡¯m wearing earplugs upgraded with Perion.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I carefully put the mandrake into a triple vacuum box.

    Thud-

    Afterpletely sealing it, I slowly removed the earplugs, and the sound was definitely blocked.

    Now, if I take this to get appraised and sell it, I can afford medical treatment.

    Of course, at the best medical facility on the continent.

    ¡ªAh, ah. This is Asillen. Seniors, can you hear me?

    A loudspeaker echoed above my head. I looked up. Paper birds were flying in the night sky.

    ¡ªThis is Asillen in charge. Due to the unexpected natural magic phenomenon ¡®Dispel¡¯, the college board assignment will be terminated early.

    The current time is 9:21.

    The effect of Dispel just disappeared. The duration was exactly 20 minutes, as per Memory.

    ¡ªEveryone, please follow the paper bird down. I repeat, due to the unexpected natural magic phenomenon ¡®Dispel¡¯¡­

    I put the triple vacuum box into the duffle bag.

    The 5th grade magic phenomenon ¡®Dispel¡¯ naturally disappeared after 20 minutes, but the university association decided to terminate the college board early because the environment before and after was too different.

    Of course, not only this Fog Mountain, but all other exploration areas also at exactly 9:20.

    ¡°Okay~ You only need to submit the report by 1:00 AM today~ I¡¯ll be waiting, so take your time~¡±

    At the entrance of Parascale Fog Mountain, right next to the city, Asillen in charge sat down with a desk spread out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s submit our report as it is. It¡¯s okay, right?¡±

    While other teams seemed a bit confused by the sudden Dispel, Soliette¡¯s team had nothing special to add or modify in the report.

    Mana of the spirit attribute caused by mushrooms, or fungi.

    The information that Shion Ascal generously shared, would be a high-level answer known to only a few teams at most. The team members were already excited at the thought of getting good scores.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Soliette also nodded, and then.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­¡±

    Someone quietly approached.

    It was Kielli.

    He, with his annoyingly good recovery, seemed to have already healed as he scratched the back of his neck and spoke.

    ¡°Team leader. Want to go together? My car is still parked.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette stared at him without a word.

    ¡°S-sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go with your team members.¡±

    Despite this, Kielli seemed awkward. Soliette, furrowing her brows, asked.

    ¡°Do you have something left to say?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡­¡±

    He spoke in a creeping voice.

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d keep that incident a secret¡­¡­¡±

    A secret. A guy who still cares about his face even after being pushed to that extent.

    Soliette unknowingly let out a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡±

    ¡°Phew. Thanks, really. I¡¯ll definitely repay-¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±

    Kielli, who responded gloomily, disappeared. He, standing in front of his team members, pretended to be tough and got in the car.

    Anyway, the group assignment was finally over.

    Soliette brushed her chest as she watched the departing van. Even the mere word ¡®team¡¯ was too burdensome for her now.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The now alone girl looked somewhere. There was someone walking down the street alone.

    Shion Ascal, who seemed tired and was limping.

    He was alone like her, and unlike her, he had been alone from the start.

    His destination was¡­¡­

    Soliette raised her head and looked at the signboard letters in the distance.

    [Parascale Station]

    Creak¡ª

    A discordant sound as if gears were misaligned echoed inside my body.

    Creak¡ª

    The pain, as if my organs, muscles, and bones were all twisted together, spread throughout my body.

    Creak¡ª

    It¡¯s so painful that I can¡¯t even make a sound.

    In the face of this unreal pain, it seems like my sanity has flown somewhere. Like falling from a cliff into a deep pit, falling, and falling again¡­¡­

    The pain in my knees and pelvis must be growing pains, but the much more severe abdominal pain is probably Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    I suffered for a while and then opened my eyes. My whole body was soaked in sweat.

    ¡ª¡ªtter, tter.

    Still, the mana liner moving along the rail.

    In that train, I absentmindedly looked at the seat in front of me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was startled for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. It felt like a dream.

    There was an unreal person in front of me.

    She was sitting upright, looking at me, with no slouch or hunch.

    Blue eyes, a prominent nose, and arge square bandage on the cheek.

    Soliette Arkne.

    She seemed to have been waiting for me to wake up and handed me a flyer with her bandaged hand.

    [At Your Service] it said.

    I gave a small smile.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    The lingering pain churned like an aftereffect, but I forced myself to endure.

    Soliette asked.

    ¡°Do you know anything about him?¡±

    ¡°Who is he? The monster just now?¡±

    I deliberately asked back.

    ¡°¡­¡­From the mine.¡±

    ¡°Tell me who he is.¡±

    Soliette kept her mouth shut, as if she didn¡¯t even want to utter that word.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you say it?¡±

    But, she can¡¯t win this way. She can¡¯t do anything.

    If she can¡¯t face it directly, it¡¯s not hatred, but fear.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    Soliette sighed. Perhaps it was a deep breath.

    Eventually, she spoke her revulsion.

    ¡°Do you know anything about Knightmare?¡±

    Do I know.

    I do.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Before regression, Soliette had chased him all her life. In the process, I was a very small helper.

    I was just a ¡®very small¡¯ helper.

    She eventually found the answer herself. Shepleted her revenge with her own hands. She chose emptiness in the end.

    I don¡¯t want such an ending.

    There must have been a better choice for her back then.

    ¡°The one thing I know is.¡±

    Therefore, the only thing I, who have returned to the past, can say to her now is.

    ¡°That Knightmare.¡±

    I looked into her eyes. They weren¡¯t very hopeful. As always, they were half-rotten like a fish.

    ¡°Is alive.¡±

    Knightmare, whom almost everyone on the continent thinks is dead. I know of his survival, which even Soliette may not yet be sure of.

    He is definitely alive and breathing. He is hiding somewhere on the continent, watching us.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, her eyes slowly widen. Like a child facing the world for the first time, various colors of emotions spread and mix. Her bandaged hands clenched tightly.

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡±

    She tried to say something, swallowed it, took a deep breath and swallowed again, just swallowing the words swirling in her mouth¡­¡­

    ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡±

    Someone interrupted. We all looked up there.

    It was a crew member.

    ¡°I will check the ticket.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes.¡±

    I fumbled in my pocket.

    ¡°No, not you.¡±

    The crew member with his head down gestured to the person opposite me. It was Soliette. I also pointed at her and asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­This person?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She is sitting in an empty seat. I will check the ticket.¡±

    I looked at Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She was speechless. She swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

    The train attendant spoke again.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am. Let me check your ticket.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am. It¡¯s the early morning train, so you¡¯re free to board and then-¡±

    Bam!¡± Soliette jumped out of her seat.

    ¡°Ma, ¡®am!¡± (attendant)

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The attendant tried to grab her, but she shook him off.

    ¡°No, not ¡®who are you,¡¯ but ¡®wait a moment.''¡± (attendant)

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Just a moment¡ª¡± (attendant)

    (Soliette is purposely being confusing here, so if your confused, that¡¯s okay)

    Soliette fled with rming speed. She disappeared from the seat to the end of the hallway in a sh.

    ¡°Ah, guest!¡±

    I grinned and looked out the window. The view of Edsi¡¯s capital was bing familiar.

    It would be here soon, but before it did, I picked up my smartphone. I turned on the Dark Web app.

    Dark WEB

    [Lv.3 EasyCash]

    [Recipient / Orderer]

    ¡­¡­.

    [Auction House]

    The auction house.

    It¡¯s still level 3, so the fee is 30%, but the level of the dark web will rise as well.

    [Request to register an item for auction].

    ¨C Mandrake 500g

    ¨C Best condition

    I¡¯ve included a picture of the mandrake I took in the mountains.

    I¡¯m bragging a little bit, but it¡¯s not even the slightest scratch. Mandrakes are very vulnerable to impact, and when they are cut from the ground, they tend to break off limbs and even fingernails and toenails, but not me.

    Everything is perfect.

    It¡¯s a ¡®pristine¡¯ nt in the truest sense of the word.

    [acknowledging a request to register ¡®mandrake¡¯].

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you with ¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m a little disappointed. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m cutting off a leg, it¡¯s just a root, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with the status.

    You never know, it mighte in handyter.

    I opened the seal on the triple vacuum box I¡¯d kept beside me, and clicked.

    Crack, crack, crack, crack.

    I snapped it shut.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I tapped the box.

    If we open it here, it¡¯ll be a disaster, so let¡¯s just leave it and go home. Go home.

 Chapter 42: Stepping Stones (1)

    <strong>Stepping Stones (1)</strong>

    Saturday morning. The suite room of Parascale¡¯s only four-star hotel. The person in charge, Asillen, is reporting to the association.

    ¡°¡­¡­Nothing special happened. Except for the dispel.¡±

    The video conference being conducted viaptop has only two participants.

    One is herself, the person in charge,

    ¡ªDispel. An unpredictable magic phenomenon, so let¡¯s exclude it.

    The other is Theia Esil, this year¡¯s external advisor to the college board and the supervisor dispatched for situation management.

    An unexpected magic phenomenon urred during the college board, which led to an unnecessary one-on-one meeting.

    ¡ªHowever, a monster was found.

    ¡°More urately, a trace.¡±

    Asillen shrugged her shoulders and replied.

    ¡°Most of the bodies were eaten by bears when they were found.¡±

    ¡ªA monster was defeated by a bear. Because of the special situation called dispel. It¡¯s convincing.

    The knights and investigators who were dispatched also spected that in an environment where magic cannot be used at all, a bear bes the top predator.

    ¡ªWhy was the monster there-

    ¡°It ran away. I heard from the underground world¡¯s host, because he couldn¡¯t pay for the surgery.¡±

    It¡¯s amon urrence. Those who undergo modification surgery in the underworld mistakenly believe they will enjoy wealth and honor when theye to the surface.

    In the underworld, I¡¯m a loser, but on the continent, I¡¯m the strongest?! It¡¯s such a rosy delusion.

    On the contrary, it¡¯s the opposite.

    A monster thates up to the upper world, that is, the continent, is considered a vition of the taboo, and is killed without question.

    ¡ªI see. Asillen, the person in charge. I won¡¯t question your responsibility for the duty of surveince and management. The failure to detect the foreign body that invaded the task area isrgely due to the negligence of the university association.

    Just when Theia was saying ¡®It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s the association¡¯s fault¡¯ in a very difficult way.

    Ring-!

    The smartphone rang. Asillen was startled and turned off the smartphone on the desk. She swallowed her saliva and looked at the monitor.

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    Theia¡¯s eyes had already cooled down.

    I¡¯m screwed.

    I touched the reverse scale of the young old man.

    ¡ªWe¡¯re in the middle of a report. And you¡¯re at work. Silent mode on the phone. It¡¯s basic.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m an investigator, you know. So¡­¡­ an important bounty hase in.¡±

    Asillen is a third-ranked active knight and an investigator of the university association.

    The University Association is not simply an ¡®association¡¯ because it is toorge and has its own institutions for various purposes, and the parliament also tolerates it, and Asillen is a member of the investigation department.

    ¡ªIt must be a very important bounty. It should be. Definitely.

    In the intimidation of the young old man, Asillen carefully checked the text message.

    Fortunately, it was quite, no, incredibly important news.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Noah Lucille¡¯¡­¡­¡±

    Noah Lucille.

    A serial killer who killed as many as 77 people, and a top-ss criminal who escaped from Recordark XIII a year ago.

    It was a statement from the host of the underworld who imed to have heard his sighting.

    ¡ªThat makes sense.

    Fortunately, Theia Esil also recognizes the big name. After all, it¡¯s the ¡®Demon of Mirina¡¯ that once made the world buzz.

    Asillen patted her chest.

    ¡°Now, do you mind if I go back to grading?¡±

    ¡ªGo ahead. Let¡¯s end the meeting here.

    Ding-

    Theia was the first to end the call.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, such an old fart. Always telling me to go, but she¡¯s the one who hangs up first.¡±

    Asillen picked up the report, shaking her head in disbelief. She leafed through the 22 bundles of paper.

    ¡°It must have been tough~¡±

    As expected, it was a total disaster. Most of the teams had definitively identified the mana attribute as ¡®water¡¯, and their reasoning was far from convincing.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about a goblin?¡±

    One team even had the audacity to im they had discovered a goblin in the mountains.

    Shush- Shush-

    As Asillen was grading with a red pen, a certain name caught his eye.

    ¡°Huh? Is this that guy?¡±

    Shion Ascal. He had earned discretionary points in the paper bird observation, but this time he hade alone for the group project.

    Asillen unfolded the report with an interested expression.

    ¡°[¡ô Mana

    : The mana concentration in the air of the Fog Mountain is more than three times the continental average, and it is presumed that mana contains a spiritual energy¡­¡­

    (Abridged)

    ¡­¡­Therefore, this mist is not a phenomenonposed of moisture. It¡¯s a magical power imbued with spirit. In other words, it¡¯s a byproduct of the spores released by mushrooms mixing with the mana in the atmosphere.]¡±

    ¡°Oh~ He got it right away?¡±

    The Fog Mountain was the most difficult exploration area. It was tough enough to identify the ¡®spirit¡¯ property, let alone associating it with fungi, which was the key point.

    [However, all the beasts and monsters of the Fog Mountain feed on mushrooms. They may already be infected with the mushroom spores.]

    He even caught the spore infection.

    It¡¯s almost simr to what the professional association personnel investigated. No, how can a guy with a D- grade do so well on the college board? He¡¯s an odd character.

    [¡ô Dispel]

    The report even had a section on ¡®dispel¡¯. Dispel was a phenomenon unrted to exploration, so there was no need to analyze it.

    Asillen read it anyway.

    [Firstly, fungi possess the will of the spirit. It is no different from ¡®consciousness¡¯. They can think and act like humans.]

    She turned the page with a rustle.

    [I saw the scene of the dispel. The natural mana formed a special magical power, and spores were mixed in it. In other words, the fungi of the Fog Mountain were clearly involved in the magical phenomenon of dispel, and they were able to be involved.]

    She read on with interest.

    [But why didn¡¯t they stop the dispel? Why, rather, did they be a part of nature and cause the dispel?]

    [I specte that it¡¯s because they are alive.]

    Asillen¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly.

    [The fungi have made the mountain¡¯s ecosystem their own. But their consciousness was not satisfied at that point. They wanted to thrive more, and to do so, they released spores. So that their spores could go outside the mountain and take root in another area¡­¡­.]

    [However, the mana concentration outside the Fog Mountain was infinitely lower than inside the mountain. Therefore, as soon as the spores left the mountain, they withered and became trapped in the mountain as mist, unable to go outside. That¡¯s why the mist in this mountain has thickened.]

    Shion Ascal had his own theory about why the Fog Mountain became what it is.

    Quite convincing.

    [The conscious collective may have realized then. That they are forever trapped here. That their world is confined to this narrow mountain. That as time passes and the mountain bes saturated, they can only wait to suffocate.]

    Hmm- Asillen let out a small sigh as she read.

    [Therefore, before they met such a slow death, they destroyed themselves.]

    Now it was thest page of the report.

    [Therefore, dispel was not a phenomenon created by the coincidence of nature.]

    [It was a method of suicide they tried themselves.]

    [They wanted to announce their existence to the world rather than slowly dying. Ironically, they proved their consciousness and self-determination through a self-destructive magical phenomenon called dispel¡­¡­.]

    ¡°¡­¡­Suicide.¡±

    Asillen muttered under her breath. It was quite an interesting report. It gave the person in charge something to think about, even though it was a senior topic.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    This time, it could be selected as the highest-grade model answer. Why, it¡¯s the teaching material thates out when private educationpanies solve the college board¡¯s past questions.

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    Asillen drew arge circle on the entire report.

    It meant a perfect score.

    Saturday. A precious weekend where I can lie in bed and stretch out.

    I am suffering from growing pains.

    My joints feel like they¡¯re twisting 360 degrees, and my skin feels like it¡¯s going to tear. Isn¡¯t this going to tear my organs?

    Ding-

    Then a text came. I reached out with my creaking arm and picked up my smartphone.

    [I sent the first draft, check it.]

    ¡°What¡¯s this first draft.¡±

    When I squinted and looked, it was an unknown number.

    Ding-

    [You have to present it next Tuesday, so make sure you can memorize it.]

    But just by looking at the tone, I think I know who it is.

    It¡¯s Elise.

    ¡°This crazy woman is knocking on the window all of a sudden¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m dying of pain. I threw my smartphone and buried myself back in bed.

    Then the door opened.

    ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡±

    It was old man Belthos. The old man had a crutch in one hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a painkiller.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    A painkiller. Was old man Belthos such a person who expresses his emotions so honestly?

    ¡°How did you know? That I¡¯m in pain.¡±

    Of course, it won¡¯t help. It¡¯s not a pain that can be endured with a painkiller.

    If this growth pain was before regression, I would have already fainted. I¡¯m enduring it with my mental strength.

    ¡°The sound of a lost dog whining can be heard down in the basement.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡±

    I scratched the back of my neck and looked at the painkiller. It was a regr Tylenol.

    Ding-

    [Are you memorizing it? Why aren¡¯t you replying after reading it.]

    It was Elise again. I ignored her as is.

    Old man Belthos asked.

    ¡°Do you n to live here all your life?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­. Until I get caught?¡±

    If I get caught by the school, I¡¯ll find a ce to live. I can¡¯t afford rent now.

    ¡°But how do you find this ce? Didn¡¯t I build it well?¡±

    My room has a bit of a winter cabin style. The recycled wood doesn¡¯t have a fine color, but it has everything necessary, such as a bed, dining table, chairs, and a firece.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s better than the basement.¡±

    Old man Belthos turned around grumpily. Iughed and opened the painkiller.

    I¡¯m not sure how much it will help.

    Ding-

    [EasyCash customer. The rider has left to collect your item!]

    [It will arrive at your designated location in 1 hour and 37 minutes.]

    It¡¯s a dark web alert saying that they¡¯reing to get the mandrake.

    So I can¡¯t just sit here.

    I blew Perion into the Tylenol pill. To ¡®upgrade¡¯ the pain-relieving effect of the painkillers.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit creepy¡­¡­.¡±

    If I use Perion indirectly like this, the side effects will be much less than when I use it directly on my body.

    Crunch-

    After chewing two pills and getting up.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It was excruciatingly painful until I casually got dressed, but the effect of the medicine kicked in quickly. After about 10 minutes, I was able to walk reasonably.

    Ding-

    [Hello? Didn¡¯t I ask if you¡¯re memorizing it?]

    I left Elise¡¯s message unread.

    Cadic Hills, a wealthy neighborhood about 40 minutes by bus from Endex.

    I¡¯m sitting on a park bench in that affluent neighborhood, quietly catching my breath.

    With both hands in my pockets, hood pulled up, I¡¯m watching the wealthy people walking their dogs or jogging and waiting.

    [The rider is nearby!]

    At the same time as that alert, thud¡ª

    Heavy footsteps.

    The presence of someone approaching, stepping on the ground.

    I casually stuck to the bench and pointed with my finger at the triple vacuum box containing the mandrake. Someone quietly approached and sat next to me, putting it in a paper bag.

    Literally a paper bag. A bag the size of a sandwich.

    The triple vacuum box fit snugly inside.

    Is this the dark web rider?

    He fiddled with his smartphone and then quietly disappeared.

    Ding-

    [The rider has collected your item!]

    This is the core of the dark web: anonymity, honesty, and the system. Anonymity and honesty may seem contradictory, but they can be reconciled within the system.

    The dark web app itself is the ¡®system¡¯ of the underworld that connects anonymity and honesty. In just 5-6 years, it will surge as a tremendous ck enterprise.

    In that sense, I¡¯m somewhat of a pioneer. After all, the app only came out two years ago, in 2013.

    [Hey]

    A message came in then. It was Elise again.

    [I asked if you¡¯ve memorized it.]

    [Not replying?]

    I¡¯ve been ignoring her for about three hours. Elise hates being ignored more than not being read, so I¡¯m deliberately doing what she dislikes.

    I was about to put my smartphone away when¡­

    [I asked if you¡¯ve memorized it!!!!!!!]

    Quite a few exmation marks. She must be angry.

    I chuckled and sent a reply.

    [Why should I read your script?]

    Ding-

    The reply came immediately.

    [You replied pretty quickly. Then why don¡¯t you make it? Who would want to do it with a moron like you!]

    I replied immediately this time.

    [??]

    ¡°Your fucking insane!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    At the same time, a voice echoed from somewhere in the park.

    I looked in that direction. There was Elise, dressed in a tracksuit.

    She was fiddling with her fingers, muttering.

    Ding-

    [Are you fucking insane? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re the only one who loses if you don¡¯t cooperate? You¡¯re barely hanging on with your keyboard skills, you should at least take care of your manners¡­¡­]

    I picked up a small stone. Whisk- I threw it in her direction. It traced an arc in the air, and plop-.

    Itnded lightly on Elise¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Elise lifted her head. She looked around confusedly at the innocent trees, the clear sky.

    I threw another stone at her.

    Plop-

    ¡°Huh, what the¡­¡­?¡±

    She looked around with a dumbfounded face, then btedly spotted me.

    ¡°Oh. There you are.¡±

    I waved and took off my hood.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve met, let¡¯s do it right away. What do I need to memorize?¡±

    Elise¡¯s face turned ferocious in an instant.

 Chapter 43: Stepping Stones (2)

    <strong>Stepping Stones (2)</strong>

    ¡­Elise and I are sitting on opposite ends of different benches in the same park.

    In other words, Elise is sitting at the end of the bench next to the one I¡¯m sitting on.

    Physically quite far apart, at a distance where no one would ever think we know each other.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t see any particr errors.¡±

    I had studied Elise¡¯s script on my smartphone. It was good enough to read.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious you wrote it.¡±

    The writing is decent, but the content is a bit brutal.

    There¡¯s a man and a woman. The woman is a noble, and the man is a servant of the noble. The man steals the secrets of the family he served, causing significant damage to the family, and is eventually caught by the female noble. The woman tries to kill the man, but she exhibits superhuman, sensual, and merciful patience and lets him go.

    A two-person y dramatizing the dialogue of this process.

    Anyone can see that Elise wrote this.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    I put down my smartphone. Elise chuckled. How dare you judge me? So, you think what I wrote isn¡¯t good? Something like that-

    ¡°So, you think what I wrote isn¡¯t good? Don¡¯t even think about judging.¡±

    She says it¡¯s the correct answer.

    ¡°¡­But there are a lot of words to change in the dialogue. For starters, change ¡®Dunae¡¯ to ¡®Duare¡¯ here. It¡¯s a line that says, ¡®I will kill you,¡¯ right?¡±

    At that, Elise frowned in annoyance.

    ¡°Dunae is a sophisticated way to say ¡®kill.¡¯ You don¡¯t even know-¡±

    ¡°I know. But Duare is the plural form of that Dunae.¡±

    In Latinel, there are sophisticated, intermediate, and low-level words, and within those, they are divided into plural, singr, and neutral forms.

    If you kill one person, it¡¯s singr, if you kill more than one, it¡¯s plural, if you kill something that¡¯s not a person, it¡¯s neutral.

    In that respect, ¡®Duare¡¯ is a sophisticated plural verb used by nobles.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really stupid, you know.¡±

    Elise smirked, curling her lips.

    ¡°Do you kill the same person twice? Well, if I could kill one person twice, I would want to do that too.¡±

    She nces at me with a sarcastic look. There are many people in the park, so she doesn¡¯t even want to make eye contact. Just in case someone might see.

    I calmly retorted.

    ¡°Nobles can use the plural form to emphasize their words. Did you forget?¡±

    For colloquial emphasis, the plural form is sometimes used. A sophisticated expression of nobles, like ¡®I¡¯m about to explode with emotion.¡¯

    It¡¯s a verb conjugation thatmoners can¡¯t use.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Elise rolled her eyes with a puzzled expression and swallowed slightly.

    It seems to have urred to her btedly.

    ¡°Just like what you said earlier, it¡¯s an emphasis like ¡®I want to kill you twice.¡¯ Why would you do this if you know it well?¡±

    Latinel is an unnecessarily difficultnguage, but I don¡¯t find it difficult.

    This is because all the contents and applications of the textbook stored in the ¡®Notepad¡¯e up naturally, are assembled, and applied as if breathing.

    The Latinel textbook also works as my intuitive ¡®database.¡¯

    ¡°There are quite a few other words to change, I¡¯ll modify and send them to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise got up from her seat. Without saying a word, she disappeared into the other side of the park.

    ¡°What¡¯s with her.¡±

    Anyway, I picked out the words to modify in the script and sent them to Elise.

    Sunday.

    I was in good condition from the morning. The growing pains had subsided, and I wasn¡¯t sleepy. It was a day that shouldn¡¯t be wasted.

    I quickly went to theke and practiced Mana Heart breathing training. I learned the ¡®Five Basic Forms,¡¯ which was a homework assignment from the Swordsmanship School. I checked the final version of the two-person y that Elise sentst night.

    In the midst of spending time so diligently.

    [Item Appraisal Complete]

    [Appraisal Details: Mandrake 537g, Excellent Condition]

    [You have acquired 10,000 Darkweb EXP.]

    [Congrattions. Your level has risen to level 13.]

    The appraisal of the mandrake waspleted. The Darkweb level also rose in an instant.

    By the way, I should earn as much experience as possible now. After the Darkweb bes famous, this experience will be extremely valuable.

    [Your top-grade mandrake will be exhibited at the 73rd Bark Auction in 2 days, 21 hours, 9 hours, and 37 minutes.]

    ¡®Bark¡¯ is a wordy that distinguishes the grades of the auction.

    It goes up from Aark, Bark, Cark, Dark, with Dark being the top grade.

    Aark is for items under 10,000 Ren, Bark is for 10,000~100,000 Ren, Cark is for 100,000~1,000,000 Ren, and Dark is for items beyond that standard.

    ¡°¡­If this sells, it will umte a lot.¡±

    If I add the gift certificate Belingham gave me, the profits from [At Your Service] that came in addition to La, and the sales price of the mandrake, I can afford to make an appointment.

    I sat on a stone chair I had made near theke and dialed somewhere. The phone number was familiar to my hand.

    Doo-roo-roo¡­ Doo-roo-roo¡­

    After the dial tone rang a few times, a machine voice came on.

    ¡ªThis is Edsi National University Hospital. For medical appointments, press 1-

    I pressed 1 firmly. Soon, a person answered the phone.

    ¡ªYes. I will help you with your medical appointment. Have you ever received treatment before?

    ¡°I haven¡¯t before¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I swallowed my words.

    Before my regression, I had received treatment at Edsi National University Hospital. They diagnosed me with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    ¡®You have at most 1 year.¡¯

    I was desperate, but I couldn¡¯t give up on treatment, and I lived 10 times that 1 year. Of course, thest 3 years¡ªduring the terminal stage of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core¡ªI was practically dead, but if it wasn¡¯t for that wolf pup, I could have lived another 1~2 months.

    ¡ªHello?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Oh right, that¡¯s not the problem.

    While I was receiving outpatient treatment at the National University Hospital for 7~8 years, I saw news about aplete cure for Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it.

    They say that the National University Hospital is the fucking best on the continent.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, the subject of theplete cure was not a human.

    It was a pig.

    Even so, I searched for where that hospital was and who the doctor was, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    The emotion that ran down my spine at that time is still vivid.

    Was it a joke of fate, a trick of God, no.

    There¡¯s no need for such descriptions.

    It was just fucking awful.

    ¡°No, I dialed the wrong number.¡±

    I hung up the phone. I took a deep breath, looking up at the sky for a moment. Then, I dialed another hospital.

    Beep, beep, beep.

    After a few short dial tones, a human voice came through.

    ¡ªLibra Medical Center. This is Aden Edsi Hospital.

    Libra Medical Center.

    A high-end hospital of the highest standard on the continent, run by a family I despise to death.

    I bit my lip.

    ¡°¡­¡­Professor Yu Hains. Is it possible to make an appointment?¡±

    ¡ªAh, I¡¯m sorry, but Professor Yu Hains¡¯ outpatient treatment is until the end of next year-

    ¡°I suspect it¡¯s Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. It¡¯s almost confirmed too.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    The other party¡¯s words were cut off.

    Indeed, Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is the worst incurable disease on the continent that kills anyone, whether they are ordinary people, knights, mercenaries, supervisors, adversaries, professionals, or endbringers.

    I said, as if sighing.

    ¡°I know Professor Yu Hains has quite an interest in Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. Could you ask him once?¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­Yes. I will ask and contact you again at the same numberter.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­ I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    I put down my smartphone.

    ¡°The dishes are here~!¡±

    At 10 PM, I¡¯m working part-time at a barbecue restaurant. It¡¯s the weekend, so there are a lot of people, but the work is always easy.

    I quickly clean the dishes and grill with Perion detergent, and when it¡¯s roughly organized, I go outside the kitchen to throw away the food waste-

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    An alleyway where the food waste bin is ced.

    Today, there was an unexpected person there. I could see the back of the head of a train fare evader.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    The fare evader, who was loitering in the alleyway, quickly turned around.

    She, who had hidden her noticeable red hair in a beret that only detectives would wear, was, of course, Soliette Arkne.

    Soliette looked around and came crunching over here. She pursed her lips as she looked at me.

    ¡°What is it? Ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can we talk for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I opened the lid of the food waste bin. The spreading smell made Soliette¡¯s nose twitch.

    ¡°I have a question.¡±

    She asked in a nasal voice. The wrinkles on her face also trembled due to the stench.

    ¡°What.¡±

    I dumped the bag full of food waste into the bin.

    ¡°Is knight-¡±

    ¡°I know he is.¡±

    Bang-! I closed the food waste bin. Only then did Soliette breathe through her nose.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you be sure that Knightmare is alive.¡±

    Certainty.

    Looking closely at Soliette¡¯s face, her dark circles were quite dark. Has she been worrying without sleeping all this time?

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure.¡±

    I spoke with certainty. Soliette asked in a trembling voice.

    ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There is clear evidence that Knightmare is alive. It¡¯s evidence that Soliette herself found in the future, almost obsessively.

    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±

    She, noticeably shaken, took a moment to catch her breath.

    ¡°Is that true?¡±

    There was a deep suspicion in her tone.

    It was understandable. Probably, until now, everyone in this world would have treated her belief as delusional.

    ¡°Yes. There definitely is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette clenched her teeth hard. As if gaining some kind of certainty from that, she handed me her wallet from her inner pocket.

    ¡°In that case, I want to hire you.¡±

    I looked at the contents. Ten 1,000 Ren bills, 10,000 Ren in total.

    Chasing Knightmare with just this much seemed a bit insufficient.

    ¡°Just this?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Just this, I said.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a monthly sry.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like a sry.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Anyway, 10,000 Ren a month. Even for Soliette, that would be quite arge expenditure.

    Of course, her personal ount probably has millions of Ren, but if she uses that, her family would catch on.

    ¡°This is a contract.¡±

    Soliette added a piece of paper.

    [Commission Agreement]

    The client ¡®Soliette Eunice Arkne Ciel¡¯ and the retainer ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯ enter into the followingmission agreement.

    It was a contract.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know your full name, so I put Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Right. That¡¯s all there is. I¡¯m not a noble.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please read it.¡±

    I skimmed the contents.

    Article 1.

    The retainer will cooperate with the Knightmare tracking mission proposed by the client.

    Article 2.

    If the retainer and the cliente into contact or meet in public, they will not acknowledge each other.

    Article 3.

    All conversations between the retainer and the client will only be on official matters. It¡¯s okay to exchange opinions that help with the mission, but unnecessary conversations, such as asking about each other¡¯s past, are forbidden.

    Article 4.

    The retainer and the client will meet on a predetermined date each week to exchange detailed information rted to themission.

    Article 5.

    The client will pay the retainer 10,000 Ren as consideration for the contract.

    Article 6.

    The client and the retainer will keep all information and materials acquired under this contract confidential.

    Article 7.

    The client and the retainer promise not to betray each other¡¯s trust for any reason during the contract period.

    I chuckled softly.

    The contract was saying, hire me, but don¡¯t cross the line. Especially Article 3, it probably meant not to ask about the incidents rted to Knightmare, that is, the precious people he took away.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? The contract just says 10,000 Ren?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a typo. It¡¯s 10,000 Ren per month. I¡¯ll correct it.¡±

    Soliette spoke confidently. I narrowed my eyes and waved the contract.

    ¡°20,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette¡¯s mouth opened slightly.

    ¡°And, if I find Knightmare for you.¡±

    I pondered for a moment. How much should I ask for as an incentive?

    I stroked my chin and nodded.

    ¡°A sess fee of 10,000,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking insane?¡±

    Soliette, taken aback, cursed with a breathless, expressionless face.

    It¡¯s her habit. When surprised, her mouth reacts before her actions.

    Thump- I flicked the contract with my finger.

    ¡°Why. Can¡¯t you afford that much? You could sell one of the swords you have stashed in your family¡¯s armory and make that much. 10,000,000 Ren as a bounty for Knightmare is cheap.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    Soliette sighed. As if her head was throbbing, she rubbed her forehead with one hand.

    ¡°Do you only chase after money?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Rather, it¡¯s good.¡±

    However, she quickly nodded with a relieved face. As if she had been looking for someone like me all this time.

    ¡°Then, please give me the evidence first.¡±

    At that, I held out my hand. Soliette asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°What for.¡±

    ¡°I need money to get the evidence. Give me a down payment. About 10,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Consider that as the down payment. I¡¯ll give you your sry when you bring the evidence.¡±

    ¡°The sry is 20,000 Ren, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Fuck.

    Soliette muttered a very small curse, but anyway, 20,000 Ren was reasonable.

    I responded with a smile.

    ¡°Okay. Contract established. After the college board ends on Monday,e to theke behind the old building at midnight.¡±

 Chapter 44: Stepping Stones (3)

    <strong>Stepping Stones (3)</strong>

    [Request: All murder case files since 2009 (including the underworld)¡­]

    That evening, I put in a request on the ¡¸Darkweb¡¹ to acquire Edsi¡¯s case files. I needed only one file, but I asked for two years¡¯ worth of case files, randomly mixed, to avoid any suspicion.

    [Taskpleted: 2011~2013 murder/death records (including underworld records)]

    The cost was exactly 10,000 DP.

    The Darkwebpleted the request in almost three hours and sent all murder/death records for nearly three years in file format.

    ¡°What was it again¡­¡±

    There were a tremendous number of them, but there was no need to go through each one.

    I closed my eyes for a moment and pulled up the past Memory in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. Suddenly, the file number of a specific case was embedded in my consciousness.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    [UNON-2012-19281]

    Among countless murder/death cases, there was only one that Soliette needed.

    UNON means it¡¯s an underworld case, 2012 is the year, and 19,281 is the case number. It¡¯s the 19,281st murder/death case that urred in the underworld in 2012.

    ¡°How did you find this?¡±

    I ask with renewed admiration. Not at me, but at Soliette.

    Assuming that ¡®if Knightmare didn¡¯t die, he would surely kill at least one person while living-¡® she had examined all the murder cases of all years from after the fake Knightmare was imprisoned to the present. The evidence that Soliette, before her regression, found with a nearly mad obsession and persistence.

    I still can¡¯t dare to guess how she looked at and analyzed hundreds of thousands of corpses with what kind of heart.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    [Deceased: Unknown]

    A case file where not only the murderer but even the deceased is unknown. The underworld is a ce where hundreds of people die every day, but this corpse is different.

    The body is left with countless wounds, not even leaving a form, and the types of those wounds are all different.

    ¡°73 wounds. None of them are the same, and there are no traces of magic.¡±

    Then, does it mean some lunatic used 73 different weapons to kill one person?

    I¡¯m still curious.

    Just how pissed off was Knightmare to have messed up the corpse like this?

    Anyway.

    This corpse is definitely Knightmare¡¯s doing. That doesn¡¯t mean Knightmare carries around 73 weapons. Surely there isn¡¯t a psychopath who bothers to change weapons 73 times while killing a person.

    There might be a guy who carries around about 33, but 73 is too unrealistic.

    In other words, these 73 different wounds are Knightmare¡¯s ¡°Spectrum¡±.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I got up. I was thinking of going to the library to print this case file.

    Giving it in physical form would be more interesting to read than sending it as a file.

    Monday morning.

    The soles of my feet from the exploration still hadn¡¯tpletely healed, and it was the first day of the third week of the college board.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    In the temporary residence of the old building, I woke up, massaging my body all around.

    ¡°Magic College Entrance Exam. Now that I¡¯ve experienced it firsthand, I understand. The schedule is literally murderous. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m a cancer patient, but I¡¯m damn tired.

    No wonder the dropout rate is higher than the failure rate.

    ¡°¡­I still have a long way to grow.¡±

    I checked my physical condition in the mirror. I seemed to have grown about 2 cm in three weeks, but I still had a long way to go. I can¡¯t believe I have to endure this damn growth pain for another half a year.

    On the other hand, unlike my previously skinny self, I had a fair amount of flesh and muscle. It was thanks to constantly eating meat. Since I mainly eat protein among carbs and fats, I think I¡¯ll have a better physique than before my regression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­.¡±

    I stepped outside my dwelling. I arrived at Clemen Hall, casually drinking a protein shake.

    But I ran into a familiar person at the entrance of the hall. My client¡ªSoliette.

    She walked into the hall pretending not to know me, as per our contract, and I did the same.

    ¡°Ah, Hi Solie~¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    La greeted Soliette, and La was surprised that Soliette responded to her greeting.

    Anyway, Clemen Hall was even emptier thanst week.

    ording tost night¡¯s announcement, exactly 80 people. That¡¯s precisely two teams missing from the group project.

    ¡°¡­When is that motherfucker Shion going to die?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, he¡¯s like a cockroach.¡±

    Kain and Asher muttered, ring at me. I responded with augh.

    ¡°Just wait for 15 years.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, you bug?¡±

    The front door of the hall opened with a creak. I quickly took my seat.

    ¡°Nice to see you.¡±

    It was always the same Chedric.

    ¡°Before we start the assignment, I have a brief announcement.¡±

    He ced a stack of papers on the podium.

    ¡°This Wednesday, the college board has a special activity. It¡¯s job shadowing.¡±

    Special activity. It¡¯s not a college board assignment, but it¡¯s like a P/F (Pass&Fail) ss where you get deducted points if you neglect it.

    ¡°I will distribute the choices, so write down your first to third preferences. If your rejected from all three preferences, you will be randomly assigned to a job shadowing site thatcks personnel. Keep that in mind.¡±

    Chedric scattered the papers with telekinesis. I caught one and read it familiarly.

    [Job Shadowing Application Form]

    Among the list of avable jobs were the knight order, prison, police station, parliamentary police, magic tower, nationally recognized mercenary group, shop, agency, graduate school, bodyguard team, and many more.

    Most people would want the knight order and magic tower, and the second and third choices would probably be the parliamentary police and nationally recognized mercenary group.

    I don¡¯t particrly want to go to such ces.

    However¡­.

    Prison.

    For some reason, the prison caught my eye.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of prison it is, but the most famous prison on the continent is Recordark.

    More precisely, Recordark 1~13.

    The higher the number, the harsher the environment and the worse the criminals imprisoned, and the Recordark in the capital is Recordark I.

    If it¡¯s Recordark, the person who I owe a great debt in my previous life would be imprisoned there.

    ¡°Again, I will be able to meet him.

    [1st Preference: Prison]

    I wrote down ¡®prison¡¯.

    Of course, it could be a different prison than Recordark, but well, who knows?

    ¡°I will give you five seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2¡­.¡±

    The rest of my preferences were the knight order and the magic tower.

    This way, I¡¯ll most likely get assigned to the prison. There won¡¯t be any lunatic who would put prison as their first preference.

    ¡°1.¡±

    Immediately, the paper flew back to Chedric.

    ¡°Also, today¡¯s college board assignment will be handled by ¡®Shelton¡¯ from the magic tower.¡±

    Shelton¡­ Shelton.

    Wait a minute, Shelton?

    Could it be the Shelton I know?

    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±

    At Chedric¡¯s words, the gaze of the 80 peoplended on the front door, and a disgusting man dressed in a white gown appeared with a sluggish smile.

    ¡°Go and rest, Mr. Chedric.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    He stood in front of the podium as if to rece Chedric. I stared nkly at him.

    I was stunned. A hollowugh escaped me.

    ¡°Hello. I am Shelton, a magician and senior researcher in the Department of Magic Science at the Magic Tower.¡±

    I know him.

    He looks neat on the outside, dressed like a scientist or doctor in a gown, but he¡¯s a bug bastard crazy for money.

    ¡°I will be in charge of the assignments for this Monday and Friday.¡±

    He¡¯s like the trumpet of the magic tower, a true gold omnipotent who doesn¡¯t distinguish between morality, ethics, means, and methods in front of money.

    ¡°I¡¯m new to this role, so I might be clumsy, but I will ensure that there are no problems with the evaluation itself.¡±

    I¡¯ve never seen anyone as money-crazy as him in my life, but he lived damn well until the moment of my death.

    He even built a theme park named after himself, and it was damn sessful.

    He¡¯s like a living specimen that proves the futility of good and evil.

    ¡°Before we start the assignment. Do you all know what an enchant is?¡±

    Shelton smiled, showing a hint of his teeth. There was a faint blue aura on his teeth.

    It¡¯s ¡®Mana Enchanted Grills¡¯, something like dentures that you wear on your gums.

    Wearing it supposedly enhances the taste of food and makes your breath fragrant, but it probably costs at least a million Ren.

    A money-crazy man who has an apartment¡¯s worth in his mouth. I want to snatch it and sell it.

    ¡°It refers to the act of granting a magic form, or magic spell, to a regr object.¡±

    Of course, the answer is from Elise.

    ¡°Correct. Many people confuse enchantments with Artifacts, but they are different. Artifacts are cutting-edge items thatbine technology, magic, and engineering. Once considered state-of-the-art, they can be obsolete in an instant. On the other hand, enchantments are antiques.¡±

    Enchantments are one of the research areas that the Magic Tower focuses on.

    Why?

    Because it makes money. An insane, astronomical amount of money.

    ¡°There are no old enchantments. They¡¯re just ssic.¡±

    I hate the Magic Tower. Their actions¡ªalthough they justify them as rational¡ªare devoid of emotion, like sociopaths. And yet, they¡¯re incredibly good at making money.

    There probably aren¡¯t many people on this continent who are like the Magic Tower. Even the magicians affiliated with the Magic Tower despise its top brass.

    ¡°Today¡¯s assignment is ¡®Magic Capacity Evaluation I¡¯. Show us your magical talent and passion for creation.¡±

    p, p-

    He pped his hands. Then, the door opened, and researchers in white gowns poured in.

    They set up three bookshelves on the spacious lectern of Clemen Hall and brought in a box rattling with magic stones.

    ¡°Here, there are various enchantment books. There are three bookshelves, each representing advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels. All the books here cost more than 5,000 Ren each. Haha.¡±

    Shelton smiled when he talked about money.

    ¡°These magic stones are all uniform C-grade. They cost about 1,000 Ren each.¡±

    I nced at the seniors. Many faces were worried at the mention of enchantments.

    It¡¯s not that they¡¯re wrong, enchantments are part of the college curriculum.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Compared to what professional enchanters do, this is incredibly simple and straightforward. It¡¯s not a magic spell, it¡¯s a magic form. Look, purification, heater, apass, a fan¡­. These are essentially worthless enchantments that are independent. What can you do with just 5,000 Ren? Haha.¡±

    Sheltonughed and continued his speech.

    ¡°Now, it doesn¡¯t matter what object you choose.¡±

    An assignment that I thought woulde someday, purely evaluating abilities rted to magic.

    But why does the person in charge have to be this guy?

    ¡°From 9:30 to 6:00. Enchant any object you want!¡±

    The 80 seniors all got up and rushed to the front of the lectern.

 Chapter 45: Stepping Stones (4)

    <strong>Stepping Stones (4)</strong>

    ¡°You¡¯re free to roam around while working on the assignment. After all, it¡¯s impossible to cheat on this task. You can even take a walk to clear your mind. Feel free to order as much food as you want during lunchtime~¡±

    What should I choose? I¡¯m contemting while eyeing the bookshelves. There seem to be about 100 books each on the advanced, intermediate, and beginner shelves.

    Let¡¯s start with the beginner level.

    I picked up a book from the beginner shelf.

    [Enchantment: rm]

    I flipped through the pages¡ªthere were 30 in total. The rm Magic Form took up 8 pages, and the enchantment process was 22 pages.

    In fact, this ¡®enchantment process¡¯ is more important than the Magic Form. It¡¯s what maintains the Magic Form¡ªor Magic Spell¡ªon an object. Without a proper enchantment process, the enchantment would fade in just 10 minutes.

    The process can be summarized as follows: imnt the Magic Form into an object, then ovey the enchantment process on top of it using a magic stone as a medium, and you have a basic enchantment.

    I do know about enchantments. After all, the underworld is rife with illegal enchantments.

    Tap, tap.

    Suddenly, a small figure approached me. He stood next to me, looking at the same bookshelf.

    ¡°Shion, do you know how to enchant?¡±

    It was La.

    ¡°Do you think that guy knows? He can¡¯t even figure out a circuit, he¡¯ll fail.¡±

    Kain sneered nearby.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Those books are expensive, don¡¯t steal them. You¡¯ll get caught. Even if you worked part-time for a whole month, you couldn¡¯t afford one.¡±

    Asher joined in.

    ¡°Ah, you guys, go away! You¡¯re annoying!¡±

    La pushed the two of them away. They were making a racket amongst themselves.

    ¡°Anyway, Shion. Should I teach you~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I also nced at the intermediate and advanced bookshelves. The intermediate books were usually 30-40 pages, and the advanced ones were 40-50 pages.

    If you ask why the books are so thick when the Magic Form is essentially the same, it¡¯s because of the volume of the Magic equations exining the Magic Form.

    Of course, as someone who possesses intuition, I don¡¯t need such Magic equations.

    ¡°Should I teach you!!!!¡±

    ¡°You startled me.¡±

    ¡°Stop offering.¡±

    La made a face like a bulldog.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ maybe.¡±

    I can handle this level of Magic Form with a paper crane.

    ¡°Ah! You seem like you don¡¯t trust me!¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Look! Look at this!¡±

    Then La showed me some kind of bracelet.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Sapphire level Artifact. It¡¯s from the Romelord line, and it¡¯s an intermediate enchantment. I only brought this level to school to be discreet. I have better ones at home, and this one alone contains two Magic Spells.¡±

    Suddenly, she was showing off. La cleared her throat and patted her chest.

    ¡°Ahem. That¡¯s to say, I know a lot about enchantments.¡±

    ¡­¡­What kind of logic is that?

    ¡°If you own several cars, does that mean you can make cars well?¡±

    ¡°What? Why are we talking about cars all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your logic just now-¡±

    ¡°Ah~ That¡¯s why men~ They only know about cars, watches, and such.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway. What about this?¡±

    La pulled out a book from the lower shelf. It was titled [Enchantment: Purification].

    ¡°With this, you can even drink sewage water from a cup.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±

    ¡°What about this one?¡±

    La switched the book. It was [Enchantment: Deodorization].

    ¡°If you make this into an artifact, it can absorb all smells. When you¡¯re trying to hide your identity¡­¡±

    Suddenly, she mmed up. A quick nce revealed her eyes darting around, as if she¡¯d made a verbal slip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like either. How about this?¡±

    ¡°What, which one?¡±

    She pulled out [Enchantment: Heater] from the upper shelf.

    At first nce, it seemed incredibly practical. It would be great to learn and use on my underwear. La flicked her finger.

    ¡°Ah~ a heater~ This one¡¯s a bit tricky. If you make a slight mistake, it can go wrong. And its performance isn¡¯t particrly outstanding~¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Seems like a subtle expert.

    ¡°Yep. Even if you use the best mana stone, the temperature only increases by 4~5 degrees. It¡¯s useless in hot ces. Things like temperature are covered by Magic Body anyway, right?¡±

    The Magic Body of the One Belt, Four Lines type basically allows humans to withstand harsh conditions, such as extreme cold or heat.

    I can¡¯t use it.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll just go with the heater.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead~ I warned you~ No, I definitely helped you~¡±

    La left with a yful stride, and I picked up [Enchantment: Heater].

    Next, it¡¯s time to choose a mana stone.

    Most seniors pick up mana stones without much thought. After all, all mana stones are of the same C-grade.

    But there are definitely differences. Even if they¡¯re the same grade, they¡¯re divided into ¡®cost levels¡¯.

    The elites likes of Elise, Gerkhen Kal Doon, and Kain are proof. They¡¯ve been choosing mana stones since a while ago.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    I quickly found it with the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹. Among hundreds of mana stones in the barrel, the one with the clearest core and the roundest shape. As I was about to turn around with the little hatchet-like stone in my grip.

    ¡°Hey, stop there.¡±

    A voice called out to me. I turned towards it. Asher was smirking and snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Let me see that. Swap it with mine.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Asher was momentarily stunned, and Kain burst into realughter.

    ¡°Pfft! Ah, that crazy bastard is hrious.¡±

    ¡°Is this bastard for real?¡±

    Ignoring the two idiots, I returned to my seat. I spread out [Enchantment: Heater] on the desk. The first page was filled with Magic equations, but there was no need to calcte. The circuit diagram of the Magic Form was intuitively understood.

    Next, I carefully looked at the enchantment form.

    Since the enchantment form is a type of Magic Form, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    It shouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    It shouldn¡¯t be, right?

    I frowned and red at the enchantment form. Only when I strained my eyes did a faint blue light flicker from the starting point of the enchantment form.

    The circuit that had been unfolding from it, however, had twisted and tangled on its own, eventually copsing without even finding a turning point or endpoint.

    It¡¯s a failure.

    No, is this enchantment harder than a paper bird?

    That can¡¯t be. There must be some other reason-

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I looked at the magic stone in my hand.

    ¡°Medium.¡±

    An enchantment always requires a medium. Simply put, it¡¯s a ¡®medium form¡¯.

    On the other hand, my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ paper bird is a Magic Spell purely made with the Mage¡¯s magic, without a medium.

    Since they are different types, the operation of the circuit is also different. Therefore, intuitivepatibility is impossible.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m screwed.¡±

    If this is the case, I can¡¯t understand the enchantment. Should I give up on this task? Damn useless Shelton. There¡¯s nothing to stack as data right now¡­¡­

    ¡ªIt¡¯s a Sapphire level artifact. Romelord line, and it¡¯s a mid-level enchant.

    I don¡¯t know why I can hear La¡¯s unique melodious voice in my ear.

    Actually, I do.

    I raised my head and looked at La¡¯s wrist. Every time she moved her hand, the bracelet jingled.

    A mid-level artifact of the Sapphire level Romelord line.

    The Sapphire level means that its value as a work of art is more than that of amon gem, Romelord is the name of a famous workshop that made the artifact, and mid-level is the level of the enchant.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I silently got up. I approached La and called her.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    La, who had been fiddling with y, looked up at me. Elise, next to her, frowned as soon as she saw me.

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°Not you. Hey, can I take a look at that bracelet for a moment?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A question mark appeared on La¡¯s forehead. It was suspicion.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty. It would be nice if you ¡®help¡¯.¡±

    I deliberately put an ent on ¡®help¡¯.

    She¡¯s my Secret Friend after all.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well~ that much is.¡±

    She stretched out her wrist. I looked at the artifact with my ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹.

    On the surface of the bracelet, there is a very small pattern of magic. It¡¯s much moreplex than what I just saw in ¡¸Enchant: Stove¡¹, and of course, it¡¯s a much higher level enchantment.

    I captured the entire circuit of the shape of the spell and the way the magic circtes in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°!¡±

    Pain shot through my eye. It felt like a capiry had burst slightly.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Nothing.¡±

    Then Elise said.

    ¡°Now get lost.¡±

    I checked my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ with one eye closed.

    [100 / 103 (-1)] (This is expressing 103 ¨C 1, because of the mana core he created)

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +2

    The capacity was tight, but the Memory was definitely done.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I returned to my seat and looked at the ¡®Heater¡¯ enchantment again.

    ¡°¡­¡­It works.¡±

    I understood it, but I used up all my magic.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked around and thenid down on the desk.

    The best way to recover magic is to sleep. Moreover, my magic recovery efficiency is more than twice that of an ordinary person.

    It¡¯s not a brag, but thanks to the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. Something about cancer cells that proliferate infinitely helping with magic recovery.

    ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡­¡±

    I fell asleep right away.

    12:40 PM.

    20 minutes before lunchtime.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Elise is in deep thought. She¡¯s scrutinizing the object in her hand, wondering what to choose. What to choose so she won¡¯t regret it. What to choose so she can reminisce about ¡®that was a good day-¡® for the next month.

    She is preparing for the biggest decision.

    ¡°Elly. Have you decided?¡±

    La asked. Elise shook her head.

    ¡°Please give me a little more time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to ponder so much about choosing a lunch menu?¡±

    La tapped the screen of her smartphone. Asher, Kain, and she had already chosen their menus 30 minutes ago, but Elise had been in torment since then.

    ¡°It¡¯s a regr meal day. Just a little more. Give me 5 minutes.¡±

    Elise¡¯s diet management is eternal. For her appearance, for her strong body, for her Magic Body, for her intelligence, for her concentration and insight, for her health.

    However, the cheat to maintain that eternity is today, once a month ¡ª¡ª ¡®Thursday¡¯.

    She can¡¯t waste the wait of 30 days, 720 hours, 43,200 minutes.

    ¡°¡­¡­5 minutes. Okay, but you have to tell me within 5 minutes. We need to order delivery. If iteste, we¡¯ll have to eat in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    A look of defeat appeared in Elise¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Right, if we have to eat in a hurry¡­¡­ I forgot about that variable¡­¡­ I made a mistake¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t make that enlightened face. If you choose the menu quickly, we won¡¯t have to eat in a hurry, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise had already buried her nose in her smartphone. La sighed and leaned back in her chair.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yaaawn.¡±

    Then a yawn was heard. There was a man in the back row slowly getting up.

    ¡°Hey Shion, did you sleep well?¡±

    La asked with a big smile.

    Grrrrr¡ª¡ª!

    Instead of an answer, a stomach growl was heard. La slightly narrowed her eyes and then opened them wide. She had a good idea.

    ¡°Oh, Shion, are you hungry?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s almost lunchtime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you lunch!¡±

    Shion, who was about to leave, froze in his tracks. He asked with an intrigued tone,

    ¡°I eat quite a lot, you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay! I¡¯m rich! Order anything you want!¡±

    ¡°Must be nice, being rich.¡±

    Yawning again, Shion epted the smartphone handed to him.

    ¡°We¡¯re nning to order from Seven Guy Burger. Pick anything from the menu.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have¡­¡±

    Shion poked at the delivery app screen, selecting his menu.

    ¡°Seven Burger, Spicy Bacon Burger, Spicy Chicken Burger, Hot Dog Burger, Chicken¡­¡±

    His finger moved about 15 times. With each selection, La¡¯s smile grew wider.

    The more he orders, the more he¡¯ll help!

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve chosen. Thanks.¡±

    La, who received the smartphone back, pointed at Elise.

    ¡°Just wait a bit~ Elly is still deciding.¡±

    ¡°Deciding?¡±

    Shion also looked at Elise. She was still flipping through the delivery app¡¯s menu.

    ¡°Just eat anything, why the fuss?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that, a vein popped on Elise¡¯s temple. She put down her smartphone and said,

    ¡°Are you buying for that monkey too? Then I¡¯ll order from somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Hey~ why are you like that. You were the one who first wanted Seven Guy Burger.¡±

    La mouthed ¡®Secret Friend¡¯ to Elise.

    It meant she should help because she¡¯s her Secret Friend.

    ¡°¡­¡­sigh.¡±

    Elise looked at her smartphone again.

    It took quite a long time, but she was almost there.

    After intensely considering several hypotheses, reviewing the process dozens of times, and imagining the future that would follow, she was about to make a decision she wouldn¡¯t regret today, tomorrow, and for the next month.

    Right here, right now.

    ¡°Bulgogi Burger,rge set.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Decision made! I¡¯ll ce the order right away!¡±

    La quickly checked and ced the order.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­ that was tough.¡±

    While Elise was wiping her sweat and looking satisfied, Shion said,

    ¡°Why did you even bother if you were just going to order the basic set?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can¡¯t you just keep your mouth shut?¡±

 Chapter 46: Fun and Games (1)

    <strong>Fun and Games (1)</strong>

    1:20 PM.

    The College Board course was still in progress, but there was an unusual sense of leisure flowing through Clemen Hall. It was lunchtime, so many seniors were ordering food like chicken and pizza, and there were many empty seats where people had gone out to eat.

    ¡°Ah, I really can¡¯t stand it. I really want to give that bastard Shion a piece of my mind.¡±

    In the midst of this peace, Asher was still grumbling with a red face.

    ¡°What¡¯s he so confident about? ¡­No, but what¡¯s he been eating since a while ago?¡±

    There were a lot of hamburgers on Shion¡¯s desk. Seven Burgers, Spicy Bacon Burgers, Spicy Chicken Burgers, and so on.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the same burger we have?¡±

    Asher didn¡¯t know that La had ordered it for him because he had gone for a walk with Kain when they were choosing the menu.

    ¡°Oh, yeah? Same burger. What a coincidence~¡±

    La also yed dumb. It was obvious that he wouldin if she said she bought it for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not eating it. I should throw it away.¡±

    Asher was about to throw the burger in the trash can, but quickly retrieved it. It was because of Elise¡¯s re.

    ¡°¡­¡­Could you not do the foolish act of lowering the quality of the meal?¡±

    Elise had been savoring her burger for a while now. She had ordered a Bulgogi Burgerrge set and was eating it almost melting in her mouth, taking five minutes per bite.

    It was a familiar sight for Asher and Kain. She always made a fuss on the days she ate regr meals.

    ¡°Ah~ I¡¯m going crazy, really.¡±

    Asher was trembling on his own.

    ¡°Can you just stay still?¡±

    Elise seemed to be bothered even by that.

    Asher, who forced a smile, went outside.

    ¡°Ah, that skinny pig bastard.¡±

    He didn¡¯t forget to curse at Shion as he left.

    I finished all the burgers in 30 minutes. I stuffed in 18 kinds of burgers and a whole chicken.

    It was just the right meal.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Now my stomach is full, and my magic power is more than half filled.

    I should try again.

    I took off my gray socks and put them on the desk. I can¡¯t take off my underwear right now, so I¡¯m going to try it on my socks and submit it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Holding the socks, I brought up the image of the Magic Form ¡¸Heater¡¹. I already understood the circuit diagram intuitively, so I implemented it and blew it in.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    The Magic Form stuck to the socks.

    Now, it¡¯s time for the enchantment.

    I snapped the mana stone. Because there are two socks. I put half of the mana stone on the sock. In that state, I implemented the enchantment.

    Vooooom¡ª

    The mana stone naturally vibrated and melted. It had seeped into the enchantment as a medium.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it over?¡±

    There¡¯s no special external effect. Maybe because it¡¯s a low-level enchant.

    I let a little magic flow into the socks. When I touched it, it warmed up like a heater.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Low-level enchanted item, if I had to name it, [Heated Socks]pleted.

    I repeated the same process on the other sock.

    It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, but I almost ran out of magic.

    Before I knew it, it was 5 PM.

    ¡°Those who havepleted can submit and leave.¡±

    Just then, Shelton spoke.

    Of course, most of the seniors are still pouring their heart and soul into it. They seem to be continually reviewing, just in case, but I don¡¯t need to do that.

    Understanding through intuition. I¡¯vepleted the enchantment in the way of a genius.

    I approached Shelton with a pair of socks in my hand.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯ve been dozing off the whole time. I guess you must have done it.¡±

    Shelton¡¯s voice was strangely lethargic, but I decided not to hold any prejudices.

    The current Shelton might not be the same money-crazed bastard as before.

    Yes, I think it¡¯s worth giving him a chance.

    ¡°What enchantment did you choose?¡±

    ¡°A heater.¡±

    At that, Shelton flicked through his tablet PC, searching my face.

    ¡°Shion Ascal, grade D-¡­ It seems too difficult for your grade?¡±

    Suddenly attacking with grades. That¡¯s low.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the enchanted item?¡±

    ¡°These socks.¡±

    I held out a pair of socks. A crease formed between Shelton¡¯s eyebrows. It looked like a coin slot.

    ¡°Socks¡­ These look like worn socks?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They were worn.¡±

    This time, his expression crumpled as if he was looking at a pile of garbage.

    ¡°They¡¯re quite dirty. Couldn¡¯t you have bought new socks? You were allowed to go out.¡±

    A snicker came from somewhere. There was no need to identify the culprit.

    There were too many whoughed.

    ¡°I suppose. I should have bought some.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Yes. Shion Ascal. I¡¯ve received a pair of socks. The item you enchanted today will be evaluated directly at the university association¡¯s workshop, and the grade will be determined before it¡¯s returned to you. You can go now.¡±

    He said that and pointed to the door. I stepped out into the hall, but I had no intention of going home.

    I n to wait a bit.

    That bastard Shelton, I feel like he¡¯s going to pull something.

    6:10 PM.

    The college board assignment: Magic Capacity Evaluation I waspletely over. The seniors had all packed up and left, and the person in charge, Shelton, was ¡®pretending¡¯ to tidy up the items in the empty Clemen Hall.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    He silently looked at his watch.

    In 10 minutes, the university association¡¯s supervisor would arrive, but he had something to do before that.

    He nced around. The bookshelves lined up near the podium were sturdy.

    These long objects blocked the CCTV at the front of Clemen Hall, and the CCTV at the back of the hall wouldn¡¯t capture him if he turned his back.

    Therefore¡­

    Pretending to put the enchanted item¡ªa bucket, worked on by Gerkhen Kal Doon, into a box, Shelton turned his back and took out a syringe.

    It wasn¡¯t an ordinary syringe. It was a ¡®disposable magic extractor¡¯ that cost about 20,000 Ren each.

    That was also the reason why he specifically chose Endex.

    ¡°I wonder how today¡¯s assignment went¡­.¡±

    Muttering unnecessarily, he stuck the syringe into the enchantment form of the bucket. As he sucked it up, the magic was extracted in liquid form.

    The magic of the mage remains in the newlypleted enchantment for about 2-3 hours, and this Artifact is targeted at that.

    Of course, doing this would destroy the original structure of the enchantment, but he was an expert among experts. He could rebuild a lower enchantment in three minutes.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Shelton transferred the magic of Gerkhen Kal Doon from the syringe into a special vial, quickly reconstructed the bucket enchantment, and packed it into a box.

    He then extracted from Elise¡¯s rabbit doll and Soliette¡¯s wooden sword in the same way.

    What does he gain from this?

    ¡®Information¡¯.

    Soliette, Gerkhen Kal Doon, Elise.

    Information about the magic of the trio, evaluated as Generation Talents.

    If he puts the magic extracted today into the ultra-high-performance analyzer of the magic tower and runs it, he can roughly sift through the unique attributes, potential, and even the list of possible ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ to bloom.

    If he offers it to a scoutingpany, they would pay at least 400,000 Ren per person.

    For three people, that¡¯s a total of 1.2 million Ren.

    It¡¯s a business overflowing with profit, worth taking the risk.

    ¡°Heheheh¡­.¡±

    Shelton carefully ced the three vials containing their magic into his bosom.

    He carefully turned around to avoid being caught on CCTV, opened the door, and stepped outside¡ª

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    A sudden shock hit his shoulder.

    His body floated up as if a car had hit him, and he tumbled over half a dozen times as he fell in the corridor.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    An unexpected indoor collision.

    Someone was babbling an apology, but Shelton, who had fallen, first checked the condition of the vials in his bosom.

    They were broken.

    The vials, each worth 400,000 Ren, were all shattered.

    The magic that had been in a liquid state inside naturally evaporated in an instant.

    ¡°Damn it-!¡±

    Shelton, his hair standing on end, looked up at the perpetrator.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Was it something important, by any chance?¡±

    A senior from Endex, with red eyes and golden hair.

    He gritted his teeth as he red at the guy.

    ¡°Was it important? Of course!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll pick it up for you.¡±

    The guy picked up the ss shards scattered on the floor. Shelton put his hand on the back of his neck. He seemed to understand why people grab their necks first when they have a car ident.

    The pain was one thing, but thinking about the loss made his blood pressure rise.

    ¡°¡­¡­You. Do you know how much you¡¯ve just broken? More than your body¡¯s worth-¡±

    ¡°Oh, is there such an expensive item? What kind of item is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shelton was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Huh? What kind of item is it?¡±

    The guy asked again, but he couldn¡¯t exin.

    No, he couldn¡¯t exin.

    Because if he gets caught, he¡¯ll go to prison.

    ¡°¡­¡­Never mind. It wasn¡¯t that expensive.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Even if it¡¯s not expensive, I shouldpensate-¡±

    The guy rummaged through his pocket and pulled something out. It was three pieces of paper.

    ¡°I only have 30 Ren right now, but this is¡­¡­¡±

    He said, pursing his lips. Shelton interpreted it as an apologetic expression, but in fact, he was holding backughter.

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡±

    ¡°No, but still-¡±

    ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Before he could say anything, Shelton snatched the 30 Ren.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this much aspensation. You¡¯re lucky.¡±

    Shelton, who had stuffed the money into his pocket, turned around.

    Shion watched him trudge away, mumbling in a daze.

    ¡°¡­Wow, that guy is really crazy.¡±

    Shaking his head, he left the corridor.

    A moment of silence descended on the corridor where the two had disappeared.

    Without any sound, in the quiet ce, rustle-

    Footstepsnded.

    The one who quietly appeared picked up the ss shards on the floor. He sniffed the scent of magic.

    ¡°¡­It has a scent.¡±

    The scent of magic. He could smell it. His own magic had a unique scent. If it was a side effect, it was a side effect. It caused problems with things like stealth.

    ¡°Was it on purpose?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    He muttered softly. At first, he thought it was just a retaliation against Shelton, who had criticized his enchanting as ¡®dirty¡¯. But considering the traces of magic that urred when the vial broke and this scent¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon silently looked at the other end of the corridor.

    Shion Ascal had already disappeared.

    Temporary residence in the old building.

    As soon as I returned, I took off my underwear and put it on the desk. I was nning to use the enchanting I learned today.

    Of course, I don¡¯t have a mana stone as a medium, but I have something to rece it.

    [nts that circte magic like mandrake can also be used as a substitute for mana stone or mana core.]

    This is information I found in the ¡¸Explorer¡¯s Dictionary¡¹ I borrowed from Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    In fact, the amount of magic in a single root of mandrake measured by SZX-9500 is about the same as a D~E grade mana stone.

    If I use this well, I should be able to attach a ¡¸Heater¡¹ to my underwear.

    ¡°If I use ¡®Memorize¡¯¡­¡±

    However, I don¡¯t want to consume the mandrake as a one-time use.

    Is this a Scrooge¡¯s heart? It¡¯s not such a rare and expensive nt.

    Anyway.

    The way to Memorize this mandrake is simple. You just have to eat it.

    It¡¯s a substance that needs to be taken like Perion to have an effect.

    It¡¯s a bit uneasy, but, well.

    It¡¯s just one root, I won¡¯t die.

    I put the root in my mouth.

    Gulp.

    I felt hot inside. Heat surged up. Sweat formed on my forehead.

    Feeling these very certain effects, I muttered.

    ¡°Memorize¡±

    [101 / 103 (-1)]

    It was Memoried in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take up much capacity.

    Maybe because it¡¯s one root, not one leg.

    I opened my hand.

    Now, the next step is to emit the just Memoried mandrake as a mana core.

    A mana core with the properties of mandrake, consuming just 1 capacity¡­

    ¡°¡ª¡ªLoad.¡±

    Then, a ginseng-colored mana core condensed on my palm.

    It¡¯s only the size of a pinky nail, but it¡¯s much more efficient than a C-grade mana stone.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Now, let¡¯s attach this to my underwear and properly do the ¡¸Heater¡¹ enchanting.

 Chapter 47: Fun and Games (2)

    <strong>Fun and Games (2)</strong>

    On a night when the moon hung high in the sky.

    After my shift at the barbecue restaurant, I was waiting for someone in the pond forest behind the old building.

    The clock on my smartphone read 11:59:58, 59, 00.

    Rustle-

    Right at the stroke of midnight, I sensed a presence approaching.

    I turned around and was slightly surprised. There was a ragged figure.

    It was Soliette.

    ¡°¡­Ah, you startled me.¡±

    She looked around quickly, then removed her ragged hood. Her clear skin, gem-like eyes, and red hair were revealed in turn.

    Although exposure is fairlymon on the continent, Soliette and the Arkne family are a bit different. They are much more vivid and sparkling.

    ¡°From now on, we willmunicate with this.¡±

    She handed me something. It looked like an ordinary notebook at first nce-

    ¡°It¡¯s a shared notebook.¡±

    ¡°¡­A shared diary?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shared notebook.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shared diary sold at the Artifact shop.¡±

    A shared diary. It¡¯s literally a diary that is shared, but it¡¯s a bit magical.

    When you write in one diary, the same content appears in the other diary. They are interconnected.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shared notebook.¡±

    But Soliette was adamant.

    From the beginning, she had crossed out ¡®Diary¡¯ on the coverbeled ¡®Shared Diary¡¯ and reced it with ¡®Notebook¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Alright. Shared notebook. Let¡¯s sit down for now.¡±

    I gestured to the stone seat across from me. It was a piece of furniture I had made myself for today¡¯s special guest. You could call it customer service.

    As Soliette sat down, she asked.

    ¡°Did you bring the evidence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I took out a document envelope. Soliette¡¯s eyes were fixed on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the file of a death case that urred in the underworld.¡±

    ¡°A case file¡­ please exin in detail.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple. If that bastard Knightmare hadn¡¯t died yet, I thought he would probably kill at least one more person in his lifetime?¡±

    I n to return to Soliette, the words she said before regression, to Soliette now.

    ¡°So, I conducted a full investigation of all death and murder cases from July 2011, when Knightmare was caught, to the present. There were a lot in the underworld.¡±

    This insane amount of grunt work,paring, analyzing, and observing hundreds of thousands of cases one by one, was done by Soliette herself.

    She gave up on college entrance exams and secluded herself, spending almost a year holed up in a small room to find the results.

    ¡°¡­Are you crazy? You¡¯re saying you investigated all of that by yourself?¡±

    Soliette asked in a tone of horror. I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    It seems even you think what you did is unbelievable.

    ¡°Yes. Among them, I found a case file suspected to be the work of Knightmare.¡±

    Soliette swallowed. Before she could say anything, her hand reached out.

    ¡°Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Read it.¡±

    I handed her the envelope. She quickly took it and tore it open, pulling out the file inside to read.

    ¡°73 different wounds¡­ What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°Knightmare¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ is metallic magic, specifically ¡®swords¡¯. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette nodded.

    Knightmare uses swords. But he has no foundation. There¡¯s no system to his swordsmanship.

    This is a fairly well-known fact.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t really need a sword. As long as he can concentrate his magic into a sharp form, it bes a sword.¡±

    His magic is essentially no different from a sword. This is Knightmare¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ , a very unique magical attribute on the continent.

    ¡°The victim in that case file suffered 73 different wounds. But each wound was different. It¡¯s as if they were torn apart by 73 different weapons. Yet, no weapon was found at the scene.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡±

    Soliette let out a loud exmation. It was an unusually intense reaction for her.

    ¡°Yes. He just poured out his magic. He didn¡¯t swing it, he didn¡¯t cut with it, he just threw it all out like an object.¡±

    Knightmare had ejected his magic. Seventy-three bursts of metallic magic rushed in like a shower, and the victim was torn to shreds and died.

    A unique death.

    There is only one suspect on this continent.

    ¡°How about it?¡±

    I looked at Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She said nothing. But the moonlight was reflected in herrge eyes. A deep blush spread across her face.

    If you listened closely, you could hear her heartbeat faintly in the quiet forest.

    Thump. Thump.

    I smiled faintly.

    ¡°Convincing evidence, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Soliette asked nkly.

    ¡°¡­Did you really find this all by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was done alone.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie.

    ¡®You¡¯ did it alone.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ve received the evidence.¡±

    She clutched the file to her side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone yet.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡­.¡±

    She seemed to feel something was missing, and she held the evidence file as if it were a newborn baby.

    ¡°Okay. Then.¡±

    I reached out my hand to her.

    She blinked and looked at my hand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, no, for quite a while, she seemed lost in thought, then she shook her head coolly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    She said. With a slightly angry tone.

    I frowned.

    ¡°What can¡¯t you do?¡±

    ¡°Have you already forgotten the contents of the contract?¡±

    ¡°Would I forget?¡±

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t forgotten, then what the hell are you doing? If you think the contract only limits ¡®personal conversation¡¯, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Money.¡±

    ¡°Also ¡®actions¡¯¡­¡­what did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said, give me money.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Give me a monthly sry of 20,000 Ren.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s mouth closed. She must have mistaken my gesture for a handshake.

    ¡°Ahem-¡±

    She coughed awkwardly. She seemed embarrassed and was unnecessarily touching the back of her neck, but she didn¡¯t hand over the money.

    I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t bring it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Please wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not trustworthy. Give that back.¡±

    I reached for the evidence envelope. Soliette hastily hid it behind her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m still a student. Do you think it¡¯s easy to get 20,000 Ren in cash?¡±

    ¡°Did someone beg you? You said you¡¯d give it. Did anyone threaten you with a knife?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You got a free ridest time. You¡¯re a repeat offender.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Soliette stuttered. Unable to say anything, she sighed with a slightly reddened face.

    ¡°Please give me just one more day.¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hold back myughter. Soliette red at me with a narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Alright. Exactly 48 hours. Bring 20,000 Ren.¡±

    A monthly sry of 20,000 Ren would be difficult for her too. She wouldn¡¯t be able to receive any support from her family. She wouldn¡¯t even think about it.

    I knew this, of course, but I wouldn¡¯t let her off. I¡¯d drain Soliette to the bone.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t give it in 48 hours, I¡¯ll sue.¡±

    She needs to learn how to live diligently.

    She needs to understand the value of life and money.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really ruthless. Alright.¡±

    Soliette nodded sullenly and stood up from her seat.

    Thud, thud-

    I watched her leave without looking back, and after a while, I stared at thendscape where she had disappeared.

    A dark dwelling with no lights on. Soliette, who had returned to her dorm, checked her bank ount on herptop.

    [3,132,015?]

    3 million Ren.

    She had enough money, but if she withdrew money from this ount, her family would inevitably interfere.

    She couldn¡¯t let that happen. To her family, she had to be Soliette who was ¡®focusing on the college board¡¯, and the existence of Shion Ascal must not be discovered by them.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Suddenly, as she was pressing her temples and thinking hard,

    Zap-!

    A spark of static electricity shot up.

    She looked somewhere.

    The dressing room was wide open. Inside, luxury items were overflowing.

    She could count on one hand the number of clothes she had bought herself. Most of them were delivered on their own, asking her to ¡®please wear it just once¡¯.

    ¡°Problem solved.¡±

    She could sell them second-hand at the store. If she sold just three, even if she only got a quarter of the original price, she would have 30,000 Ren.

    The answer was surprisingly close. Soliette let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    However, Soliette¡¯s worries did not end there.

    She looked at the case file ced on her desk.

    [UNON-2012-19281]

    Shion Ascal. He had investigated all the murder case files for nearly two years. Including even the underworld, there must have been hundreds of thousands of cases.

    He analyzed so many files alone and discovered a case where Knightmare¡¯s actions were likely.

    It was a method that Soliette could not even dare to imagine.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s obsession was that impressive.

    However, Soliette¡¯s question here is not ¡®how¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    It¡¯s ¡®why¡¯.

    It¡¯s too much trouble just for money. It¡¯s a task that requires too much time and too much effort.

    Therefore, the only reason she could ept was this.

    ¡°Shion Ascal has also been chasing Knightmare until now¡­¡±

    Then, does he also hold a grudge against Knightmare?

    Like herself two years ago, did he also lose someone precious to him because of him?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette silently looked out the window. The scene from the fog mountainst week hung in the night sky.

    Shion Ascal, who had held her hand on the cliff.

    There was no button on his sleeve.

    The record of ¡®683cm¡¯, which is still a topic in themunity, is probably his.

    Nevertheless, he is hiding himself. He is avoiding things that attract attention.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Soliette gently closed her eyes. She cut off the thoughts that were about to continue.

    She shouldn¡¯t dig too deep. He is just a retainer hired by her, and she is just his client.

    Just as he should not dig into her past, she should not arbitrarily cut into his past.

    That¡¯s the rtionship between a client and a retainer.

    After sorting out her thoughts, Soliette opened her eyes. She logged onto themunity site with herptop.

    Soon, the clicking sound of the mouse and the tapping sound of the keyboard quietly filled her room.

 Chapter 48: Fun and Games (3)

    <strong>Fun and Games (3)</strong>

    Tuesday morning, at Endex.

    On the way to the Latinel ssroom.

    ¡°Elly~ Where did you get assigned, Elly?¡±

    La asked Elise, who was beaming.

    ¡°I put my first choice as the mercenary group and got in right away~ What about you~ What about you~¡±

    They were talking about the workce experience on Wednesday.

    Elise, while checking the assignment due today¡ªa two-person y script, asked back.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your first choice the knight group, La?¡±

    ¡°Ha~ I struggled a lot. I like knights too, but somehow I felt the mercenaries would be more wild, so I changed at thest minute. These days, I like bad boys. What about you, Elly?¡±

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise deliberately sighed.

    ¡°¡­¡­You look.¡±

    Then she showed the text message on her smartphone. La¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Gosh. Recordark? You¡¯re going to the prison!¡±

    Recordark.

    Elise got assigned to the ce everyone avoids.

    ¡°What will you do, Elly!¡±

    ¡°What can I do¡­¡­.¡±

    She swallowed the words she was about to say. It was because of the yellow guy appearing in front of her.

    Shion Ascal. Just looking at his face made her feel bad, he nced at her and then entered the ssroom.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute. Elly, doesn¡¯t Shion seem bigger? He used to be smaller than me.¡±

    La said, putting her hand on her forehead. Elise didn¡¯t care. Whether that crazy guy grows to 5m or shrinks to 30cm.

    Elise entered the ssroom and sat down with La.

    ¡°Right. Elly, can you look at this? It¡¯s for the assignment.¡±

    La showed her two-person y assignment. Elise quickly skimmed it.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not bad.¡±

    Just La¡¯s level. Did she also ask [At Your Service] for this?

    ¡°Right? Look at this too~?¡±

    La showed another page. Underneath the Latinel dialogue, she had written the pronunciation in Edsimonnguage. It was a crude script.

    ¡°[At Your Service] did everything. Ipletely memorized the pronunciation with this. Hehehe¡­¡­.¡±

    La whispered as if she hadmitted a huge crime. Elise smirked.

    To her, the owner of [At Your Service] was more pathetic than La.

    Just how poor must he be to sell Latinel like this.

    ¡­¡­Wait.

    A poor Latinel expert?

    Without realizing it, Elise looked somewhere. Doubt filled her eyes. From his hair, he looked like a scoundrel, Shion the scoundrel-

    ¡°Nice to see you~¡±

    Professor Beatrice came in. Elise straightened up.

    The woman standing in front of the podium spoke in a friendly tone.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s sit in the teams fromst week.¡±

    Again, she¡¯s paired with that damn Shion.

    Elise was really annoyed, but she tried to hold it in.

    ¡°Shall we present the two-person ys you wrote? Anyone who wants to go first-¡±

    ¡°Me!¡±

    La was the first to raise her hand.

    ¡°Before I forget!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Come on up~¡±

    Professor Beatrice smiled warmly at her.

    The assignment, the two-person y presentation, was over.

    Among them, La was quite impressive.

    ¡ªVermor~ It was indeed the person I thought of~

    Thanks to writing the Latinel pronunciation inmonnguage, her short tongue pronunciation had improved quite a bit, but her unique emotional excess was still there.

    ¡ªAhhhh~ I want to cry~ Whenever I see you, tears~e out~

    Anyway.

    In this two-person y assignment, Elise and I received high evaluations again.

    Professor Beatrice had an almost moved face at the emphasis expression of advanced verbs, and asked who wrote the script.

    As Elise fiddled with the script and only mumbled her lips, I spoke instead.

    Elise wrote the script, but I took care of the detailed modifications of those words.

    Professor Beatrice praised both of us.

    We were first again this time.

    ¡°¡­¡­Then. Let¡¯s start the ss in earnest.¡±

    Coincidentally, today¡¯s Latinel chapter was also ¡®inflection¡¯. Professor Beatrice lectured while writing neatly on the board.

    ¡°Like the word ¡®Duare¡¯ that came out in the two-person y of Shion and Elise, Latinel has various inflections. There are up to 13 variations of the same meaning word¡­¡­.¡±

    So time passed, and it was 12:50 in the afternoon.

    Around the time my hunger was gradually strangling me.

    ¡°Although there are about 10 minutes left, let¡¯s end today¡¯s ss here.¡±

    Professor Beatrice ended the ss 10 minutes early.

    ¡°Today¡¯s assignment is to memorize the words on page 53 of the textbook.¡±

    The homework is to memorize words. Other seniors seem ufortable, but it¡¯s rather good for me.

    Whether it was then or now, I always got full marks in memorization subjects. Of course, because I cheated with ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°And¡­¡­ You all know that there is a festival at the magic school in two weeks, right?¡±

    Festival.

    There is also a festival at the magic school. It¡¯s not just in Endex, but a fairlyrge festival that the six magic schools in the capital participate in together. Celebrities, famous knights, and singers oftene.

    Being a senior doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re excluded. Rather, the college board gives a week¡¯s break to coincide with that time.

    ¡°We, the Latinel ssroom of Endex, are nning to do a y. The theme is ¡®Poprization of Latinel¡¯. We are going to trante and adapt one of the 23 Latinel ys intomonnguage and perform it.¡±

    It seems like it¡¯s going to be annoying again.

    I was slowly preparing to escape.

    ¡°The y to be performed at the festival is of course not rted to grades. However.¡±

    But Professor Beatrice took something out of her bosom. It was an envelope with a gold border. The name of some social club was elegantly embossed on the front.

    [Sermones Laeterni]

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise, sitting next to me, was shocked. Her body trembled so much that the vibrations traveled through the desk. Her eyes, which had been as dead as a rotten fish throughout the ss, once again sparkled like gemstones.

    Sermones Laeterni.

    I had heard of it too. A very picky and exclusive Latinel social circle. Not only the children of prestigious families, but even Senators and tycoons aspire to join.

    ¡°If a y of satisfactory quality is produced, I will offer this invitation as a reward.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes sparkled, but only for a moment. Most seemed to give up. Perhaps because of me, or maybe Elise.

    ¡°The ones in charge of the festival y will be the two who performed the best in today¡¯s two-person y.¡±

    Professor Beatrice pointed at us.

    ¡°I think it would be good if Shion and Elise took charge. What do you all think?¡±

    Professor Beatrice pointed at our desk.

    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to act. You¡¯re in charge of the y itself. Of course, the actors will be the most noticeable.¡±

    If I don¡¯t have to take the lead, it might be surprisingly okay.

    Sermones Laeterni will undoubtedly help with my future ns.

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    I asked Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There was no response, but she was probably contemting. Torn between her dislike for me and her desire for the invitation.

    While she was thinking, I raised my hand first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Great! And Elise?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Whether she had made up her mind or not, Elise also sighed and answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it too. It¡¯s an honor.¡±

    ¡°Great. You can choose any script from these 23 Latinel ys.¡±

    Professor Beatrice ced three thick books on our table.

    ¡°You can reinterpret it, or you can ssically Manifest the original. If you need personnel or a stage, arrangement for it, Endex will provide ample support for the costs.¡±

    The books were Latinel y I (1-7), Latinel y II (8-15), and Latinel y III (16-23).

    ¡°Then let¡¯s end it here for today. Everyone, you¡¯ve worked hard~¡±

    Beatrice left with a light and cheerful step.

    I looked at the table of contents of Latinel y I.

    Most of the titles were unfamiliar, but for some reason, the third y ¡®The Bard¡¯ caught my eye.

    ¡°Uh¡­? Wait.¡±

    This.

    The Bard.

    I know this y.

    Not that it¡¯s not, but by some coincidence or something, a musical reinterpreting The Bard hit it big about five yearster.

    I have a memory of going to see it myself. With Theia Esil, and Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°That time¡­¡­¡±

    While I was nkly recalling old memories, suddenly Elise grabbed all three scripts.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll adapt the y, you just correct the lines.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was about to nod without thinking, but I paused.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then leave.¡±

    ¡°I said no.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elise, with a scowl on her face, asked as if she was annoyed.

    Let¡¯s rewind what I just said.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s untrue, but whether by coincidence or something else, a musical that reinterpreted this poet became an enormous hit 5 yearster.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    I¡¯ll write that musical, just like that time.

    Future copyright? I don¡¯t care. After all, that author was also a performing artist obsessed with Libra¡¯s sponsorship.

    Elise waved her hand dismissively.

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re greedy doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll work. You¡¯re an ignoramus with no literary sensibility-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it together and then decide. We still have two weeks anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Have you even read this?¡±

    Elise asked, shaking the three volumes of Latinel ys.

    More importantly, her forearm muscles are impressive. Isn¡¯t it heavy? It looks like it weighs about 10kg each, and she¡¯s holding them in one arm.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve read it. We¡¯re doing ¡®The Bard¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elise¡¯s face contorted again. Is her concept for today a newspaper? Why does she keep crumpling?

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The Bard is the least recognized among the 23 Latinel ys-¡±

    ¡°Elly~ I¡¯m jealous~¡±

    La rushed in.

    ¡°Write me in as a supporting role~¡±

    At that moment, our conversation stopped. We exchanged nces in front of amon enemy.

    If we write La as a supporting role, the y will fail.

    ¡°Sorry. I have something to do.¡±

    Elise almost ran out, and La blinked her eyes and looked at me.

    ¡°Shion~ If you write me in as a supporting-¡±

    ¡°Oh, hello?¡±

    I also pretended to answer a phone call and went outside. A text message had just arrived.

    [The Bark Auction has ended.]

    It¡¯s a message from the dark web notifying the end of the auction.

    [EasyCash¡¯s top-grade mandrake was finally auctioned off for 63,500DP.]

    [After deducting a 40%mission and a 3,000DP appraisal fee from the sale price of 63,500 DP, 35,100DP has been deposited.]

    When converting DP to cash, about 30% will be deducted for moneyundering costs and such, so it¡¯s practically the same as 20,000 Ren.

    Themission is a rip-off, but there¡¯s no other suitable tform besides the dark web.

    Ding-

    My smartphone rang again. A message appeared on the screen.

    [College Board: Announcing the work experience location for Senior Shion Ascal.]

    [Desired location: Prison. Recordark ¢ñ]

    [Pleasee to Recordark by 10:00 AM on Wednesday. Transportation is up to you.]

    Tomorrow, the work experience location for the special activity.

    It¡¯s Recordark.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±

    I unconsciously licked my lips.

    I¡¯m somewhat looking forward to it, feeling good, and also worried.

    He will be there now, but isn¡¯t it too early to meet?

    Isn¡¯t it a problem to meet too early?

    With various thoughts, I smiled and put my smartphone in my pocket.

 Chapter 49: Recordark (1)

    <strong>Recordark (1)</strong>

    That night, Elise had fully familiarized herself with the y ¡®The Bard¡¯. Of course, she had read it when she was 15, but she read it again.

    The plot itself is simple. A famous Bard of the kingdom is invited to the pce by the king, where various events rted to his past unfold, and in the end, it¡¯s a typical romance with the princess (or prince).

    It¡¯s nd and dry. There¡¯s no vor to it.

    No wonder it¡¯s not the least popr among the Latinel¡¯s 23 ys.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡±

    Elise closed ¡®The Bard¡¯.

    She opened ¡®The Cunning King¡¯, a tragedy considered the best among Latinel¡¯s 23 ys.

    She had to do this. She couldn¡¯t make a deep impression with a t y like ¡®The Bard¡¯.

    She couldn¡¯t let that ignorant fool¡ªwho somehow digests Latinel so well despite having no culture to speak of, a mystery of the world¡ªruin the y.

    She couldn¡¯t trust that underachiever who probably doesn¡¯t read a book a month, whose thought process is broken¡­

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    But it was also true that she had no choice. His Latinel skills were objectively superior, even though she hated to admit it.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    How did ite to this?

    If she had studied Latinel by reducing her sleep by an hour, no, 30 minutes, from the age of 8.

    Would she have avoided this humiliation?

    She pressed her temples and opened her smartphone messenger.

    [Ban: Elise, what are you doing~?]

    [Tyric: You¡¯re doing a y at the festival, right?]

    [Silbin: I should go see the festival lol]

    [Bel: Is it scheduled for April?]

    There were still many men waiting for her response, but today there were quite a few women as well.

    [La: T^T Elly, include me, include me, include me, include me T^T]

    [Iliya: Elise, you¡¯re doing the festival, right? Don¡¯t you need people?]

    It was because of the Magic High Festival. The rumor that she was doing a y had spread, and Professor Beatrice did not set a condition that ¡®all actors must be Endex students¡¯.

    Because of this, she was frequently contacted by college students who were either into musicals or were actually majoring in theater and film. Since it¡¯s an Endex festival, famous people from Endex woulde, so they probably wanted to make an impression.

    ¡°¡­¡­Enough.¡±

    She didn¡¯t need any of that now.

    Swish swish swish swish-

    Elise scrolled down her messenger and sent a message to the guy she had saved as [Trash].

    [Change the y. The Bard won¡¯t do.]

    Elise hated this the most. Sending the first message to this worthless guy.

    She had to endure it for the sake of Sermones Aeterni.

    [I¡¯ll say it again. Change the y. The Bard won¡¯t do. I¡¯m not even asking for The Cunning King. Do The Legs of Brus.]

    After all, she wouldn¡¯t have to see him again after graduating from high school. If they ever met in the adult world, she could thoroughly crush him using adult methods.

    She just had to endure until the festival.

    Elise, you can endure this much, right?

    [By the way, have you read all of Latinel¡¯s 23 ys? You haven¡¯t, have you?]

    Ding-

    A reply came.

    [Trash: Ah, so noisy. I¡¯ll be the one to revise the script. You just focus on practicing your acting. I¡¯m the writer after all.]

    ¡°¡­¡­This trash.¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth.

    [You¡¯re thinking wrong. Your thoughts are wed. No, your very existence is wed-]

    ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡±

    Elise cooled her anger with a sigh. She tried hard to suppress her rage.

    What was needed now was persuasion and coaxing. The more you push such a person, the more they will resist.

    [You¡¯re thinking wrong. Of course, your thoughts might be right. But it¡¯s too risky.]

    [The Bard ranked 23rd and 22nd out of the 23 Latinel lines. It¡¯s thest ce. asionally, it ranks just before thest when the condition is good. In all public opinion polls, votes.]

    [On the other hand, The Cunning King has already been made into several musical operas, and even adapted into a movie. The ratings are very high. Do we really need to take such a risk?]

    [I¡¯ll attach a link. It¡¯s a column by Professor Stellin of Edsi University who evaluated the 23 Latinel lines. The Cunning King is ranked first, and The Bard is 23rd. Read it.]

    Elise sent a message, suppressing her anger and adding words she didn¡¯t mean to make it as gentle as possible.

    Ding-

    A reply came.

    [Trash: Let¡¯s take a risk. Good. I¡¯m more convinced thanks to you.]

    Elise squirmed in her seat. She drummed the chair with her back. She rolled her feet.

    [Trash: The problem is that it¡¯s already a known work. Why remake something famous? It¡¯s not creative. It¡¯s not challenging. Let¡¯s go with The Bard. I¡¯ll write it properly. You should take this opportunity to take a risk too.]

    Unable to bear it, Elise moved her fingers at high speed.

    [You¡¯re thinking wrong. Your thoughts are wed. No, your very existence is wed.]

    [Why you¡¯re obsessed with it, I don¡¯t know, but you just need to follow my words, okay?]

    Ding-

    [Trash: You¡¯re worse at Latinel than me.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s fingers stopped abruptly.

    Ding-

    [Fish Trash: I¡¯m joking. Trust me. I¡¯ll revise it better. No, at least look at it and decide. I¡¯ll send it by Saturday. If it¡¯s not good, you can rewrite it, right?]

    She held back the curse that was about to spill from her mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­Alright, fine. Do as you please.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry about it.

    If the script he ims to revise is not good, she can suppress it with authority and power.

    No, she should start writing now because it¡¯s obviously not going to be good.

    Elise was about to pick up her pen when she paused. She looked at the clock on her smartphone.

    [00 : 00]

    It¡¯s midnight.

    It¡¯s Wednesday, a day with an immediate problem.

    ¡°Recordark¡­¡­¡±

    She is going to that prison tomorrow.

    Although she told La that her first choice was Magic Tower, her first choice was that ce from the beginning.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡­¡±

    The person Elise despises and hates the most.

    At present, Shion Ascal is hot on his heels, but he is still the undisputed number one, a real human trash criminal.

    Tomorrow, she is going to meet him.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m already disgusted.¡±

    Elise, who muttered under her breath, looked up at the night sky and was lost in dark thoughts.

    The next morning.

    I arrived at the job experience site.

    Above the gate-like entrance, I could see the engraved [Recordark I].

    Recordark is the name of the prison, and I signifies that it¡¯s the first Recordark. There are a total of 13 Recordarks in Edsi, and the higher the number, the harsher the environment.

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Today, I¡¯m in that Recordark.

    It¡¯s both a wee and a shitty feeling.

    However, Recordark I is a prison located in the capital of Edsi, a ce that is almost like a dream for the prisoners.

    That doesn¡¯t mean the quality of the prisoners is good. It¡¯s just a little lesspared to the higher-numbered Recordarks.

    The person who probably I owe a favor in my previous life is still here.

    He¡¯s a life prisoner.

    Ah, how do I know this so well?

    I was a prisoner too.

    ¡°Do youe often?¡±

    Someone called me out of my thoughts. It was Elise.

    She ran the back of her hand through her hair and tossed it over her shoulder. The tinum locks fluttered unnecessarily.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Haven¡¯t you given up on ¡®The Bard¡¯ yet?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst night that I wouldn¡¯t give up?¡±

    Elise bit her lip. She exhaled a hot breath through the gap.

    ¡°Recordark. This ce suits you well.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    How did she know? It¡¯s an unexpected correct answer.

    ¡°Could you stop giving me that rotten look? It ruins my mood from the morning. It¡¯s like bugs crawling around. Well, you¡¯re a stubborn piece who doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s doing, without a speck of culture¡­¡­¡±

    This crazy woman suddenly bursts into a rant. She must really dislike The Bard.

    ¡°If you had read even a few Latinel fairy tales, or at least read a paper, you would know why you¡¯re being stubborn-¡±

    ¡°Hey. Shut up and get lost.¡±

    Elise¡¯s words abruptly stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she red at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your mouth is really foul.¡±

    ¡°Before it gets more foul-¡±

    She had already hurriedly distanced herself.

    Anyway.

    The number of seniors who chose, or were chosen for, Recordark for their job experience is a total of 63. There are many from other magic schools, among them from Endex are me, Elise, and¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡ªWow. He¡¯s handsome.¡±

    ¡°¡ªIsn¡¯t that Gerkhen Kal Doon?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    Even his name exudes the charisma of a man born in the desert.

    ¡°Ah, nice to meet you, nice to meet you~¡±

    Just then, the entrance of Recordark opened, and a man wearing a hat came out.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gaejin, the deputy warden of Recordark Prison.¡±

    A man resembling a weasel, Deputy Warden Gaejin.

    I don¡¯t know him.

    He wasn¡¯t there in the future when I was imprisoned.

    ¡°Endex students, you¡¯re seniors, right? Wee. Pleasee in. It¡¯s cold outside.¡±

    He guided us inside. The 63 seniors passed through the corridor and entered the prison.

    ¡°This is the hall.¡±

    A tall hall. For security reasons, there are a tremendous number of doors and locks between the corridors leading to the prisoners¡¯ living spaces.

    In my time, it was all digital.

    ¡°If you pass through the corridor here, you¡¯lle to the prisoners¡¯ living spaces. They¡¯re basically double rooms, corridor-style. As you walk down the corridor, the prisoners will reach out through the bars, but don¡¯t be startled. They¡¯re guys with anti-mana chips imnted in their Magic Cores. They can¡¯t use magic.¡±

    As Gaejin spoke, a guard unlocked the first lock.

    He unlocked the second lock.

    He unlocked the third lock.

    Only then did the door open.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªWoooooooooooo.

    At that moment, a wave of jeers surged like a tidal wave. Trash like paper and scraps of cloth poured out from between the bars.

    It was the prisoners¡¯ own way of weing, filling the ceiling and floor of Recordark with vibrations.

 Chapter 50: Recordark (2)

    <strong>Recordark (2)</strong>

    ¡°¡ªWoooooooooooo.¡±

    The deafening sound of jeers filled the entire ce, intermixed with the coarse curses of the prisoners. They gripped the bars and shook them violently.

    Most of the still young seniors seemed overwhelmed, but I was used to it.

    These excess humans are trying to act tough ¨C it¡¯s easier to think of it that way. Like how Maltese or Chihuahuas bark loudly.

    ¡°Just ignore those excess humans.¡±

    The deputy warden said something simr.

    ¡°You will be here for 8 hours.¡±

    8 hours.

    That¡¯s a long time.

    ¡°Your activity radius will be limited to the first floor, the living space. Don¡¯t worry, the really vicious ones aren¡¯t here. We are Recordark ¢ñ after all.¡±

    p p ¨C Gaejin pped his hands.

    ¡°Now, let me tell you about your bonus assignment.¡±

    Assignment.

    Elise¡¯s eyes sparkled. Gerkhen Kal Doon also lifted his gaze to look at the deputy warden.

    ¡°It¡¯s a treasure hunt.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Isn¡¯t that too childish a game to y in a prison?

    The other seniors also widened their eyes. At their stunned reaction, Gaejin chuckled.

    ¡°There¡¯s a treasure hidden in this prison. The prisoners know its location. Interview the prisoners, gather information, and find the treasure.¡±

    At the mention of interviewing prisoners, everyone¡¯s faces soured.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust the prisoners too much. They are full of pure malice and lowly jealousy. Their daily lives consist of lying whenever they open their mouths.¡±

    ¡ªWoooooooooooo.

    Just then, a wave of jeers rang out. Gaejin raised his arms as if conducting in the midst of it.

    ¡°Feel their malice. In your lives, there will be viins worse than these. Whenever that happens, remember today¡¯s experience. It will be of great help.¡±

    ¡­Well, it might be a useful assignment in terms of life lessons.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as you interview at least three prisoners properly, you¡¯ll pass. If you find the treasure, a rmendation letter in the name of Recordark will be added as a bonus.¡±

    The seniors stiffened at the mention of the rmendation letter.

    While Gaejin¡¯s rmendation letter is of course trash, a rmendation letter from the institution of Recordark is at least worth including as a ¡®spec¡¯ on their resume.

    ¡°Shall we start?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon shut his mouth tightly, and Elise ran her hand through her hair, tossing it over her shoulder. The tinum strands fluttered unnecessarily.

    Did she not wash her hair today?

    ¡°Hey, guards!¡±

    Gaejin called out to the guards lined up on both sides of the corridor.

    ¡°Escort them!¡±

    ¡°¡­ying favorites from the start, huh.¡±

    The special activity was unfair from the start.

    The guards casually led themoners like me to the corridor-style cells, the bars of the prisoners, while the noble ones like Elise were taken to quiet visiting rooms.

    They probably willfortably interview one prisoner at a time brought by the guards.

    Well, I had already anticipated this.

    ¡°Who should I choose.¡±

    I surveyed the corridor-style prison cells.

    There were many prisoners, some with grim expressions, others with deliberately smug smiles, watching us.

    For me, even interviewing them is a hassle. I just want to kill time and meet the man I came to meet.

    The problem is that he¡¯s currently in a ¡®solitary confinement¡¯ cell in the istion area.

    The istion area ispletely separated from the living space. When you go out of the first floor, there¡¯s a yground, and you have to cross it to get there.

    So, I need to find an excuse to go to the yground, and get a key from the guard¡­

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A good idea came to me.

    I approached a certain cell. Inside was a man covered in scars all over his body. He was quite big, and his eyes were sharp.

    A typical thug.

    No doubt about it.

    Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter who it is.

    ¡°Excuse me~¡±

    ¡°You, what are you doing? That guy¡¯s face is too scary.¡±

    Someone stopped me. I nced in their direction. It was a group of three men and two women. They weren¡¯t wearing Endex uniforms.

    I ignored them and spoke to the prisoner.

    ¡°Excuse me. Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    The prisoner, who had been sitting on the bed, furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Excuse me¡ª?¡±

    He raised his body, catching the end of my sentence.

    I nodded my head.

    ¡°It seems you can hear me.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­.¡±

    He let out a hollowugh, then slowly approached the bars, ring at my face. I said to him,

    ¡°I have something to ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have something to ask¡ª?¡±

    The prisoner¡¯s arrogance distorted. His attempt to look as vicious and tough as possible was somewhat pitiful.

    I calmly asked,

    ¡°Can I interview you?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is this guy talking about¡ª!¡±

    Bang! The guy grabbed the bars and thrust his face towards me.

    ¡°Hey, kid. Do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I just looked at him. He bared his teeth and ranted.

    ¡°What are you looking at, I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out¡­ No, listen to me, kid. You¡¯re from Endex, right? Then go learn how to deposit money from the guards over there and deposit it for ¡®Jerome¡¯. Or, do you have any cigarettes now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    Honestly, it¡¯s a bit pathetic. Is the method of extorting money the same now as it was then?

    Oh right, now is then, isn¡¯t it? Since I¡¯ve regressed.

    The prisoner narrowed his eyes sharply.

    ¡°Hey. Answer.¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. I just looked him in the eye. Then, his expression cooled down.

    He red at me, and I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze.

    ¡°¡­Look at this guy? Ha.¡±

    He chuckled. I also twisted the corners of my mouth.

    ¡°You really want to die-

    ¡°This guy¡¯s a small fry.¡±

    I casually tossed out those words.

    At that moment, hisplexion hardened like wax, and the other guys in the next cell suddenly held their breath.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    The guy grinded his teeth. His eyes turned a murderous blue.

    As such, prisoners have a stupid thought process. The insult they hate the most is a ¡®belittlingment about their crime¡¯.

    ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡±

    The guy asked again, trembling between his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes.

    I took a step towards the bars.

    ¡°Your eyes arecking. They¡¯re not the eyes of a killer.¡±

    I willingly gave an additional exnation, even offering a friendly smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a petty thief, right? Or maybe you got caught pickpocketing.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey you¡­ you fucking brat¡­¡±

    The guy hung his head low. He silently chewed his words. I watched him leisurely.

    But then,

    ¡°Ptui¡ª!¡±

    The guy suddenly spat phlegm. The thick, dirty liquidnded between my nose and eyes.

    ¡­This was unexpected.

    I gently closed my eyes. A sigh naturally escaped. I wiped it off before the yellow phlegm reached my lips.

    I almost indirectly kissed this crazy bastard.

    ¡°Haah¡­ you son of a bitch.¡±

    ¡°What, son of a bitch? Hey, kid. I¡¯ve memorized your face. When I get out, you¡¯ll see-¡±

    ¡°You fucking bastard¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Bang! I kicked the guy¡¯s bars. The sound of the metal shaking was loud.

    ¡°What, what the hell is this-¡±

    The startled guy tried to step back a few steps.

    I didn¡¯t let him.

    ¡°You fucking son of a bitch. Hey, you fucking, shit, hey¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±

    I reached through the bars and grabbed the guy¡¯s hair. I pulled it hard and mmed it into the bars.

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    The sound of metal echoed from his thick skull.

    ¡°Ah! What, let go!¡±

    ¡°You fucking son of a bitch¡ª¡ªshit!¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª! I mmed the guy¡¯s head into the bars. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, all equally.

    ¡°Ugh! Let go, don¡¯t let go, you crazy, ugh!¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    Rhythmically, like ying a xylophone.

    ¡°Shit, I¡¯ll hang you upside down and chop your fucking head off first, use it as a washboard, you fucking piece of shit¡­¡­¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª! Bang¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Ugh! Ah! Guard, guard!¡±

    The guy iled and called for the guard. Blood sttered from his forehead, and his hair had been ripped out long ago.

    ¡°Help, help! Ah! Guard!¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    The prisoners, who had been so noisy, became quiet as I beat the guy, and the guards, who had been quietly watching, rushed in shouting urgently.

    ¡°Student, what are you doing! Student!¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª! I kept hitting.

    ¡°Student! You can¡¯t do that! Let go!¡±

    ¡°Guard! Help! This bastard is crazy! Ah! My head is being ripped off, ah¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No, hey! Everyonee and stop him! What are you doing! Come and stop him!¡±

    Several guards rushed in and grabbed me. I roared and shook them off.

    ¡°Let go¡ªfucking¡ªbastard¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ah, ugh!¡±

    Then, they really all got shaken off. I was slightly surprised. I should have controlled my strength a bit.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­. This fucking¡ª¡ªbastard!¡±

    I grabbed the prisoner¡¯s hair again.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Stop! We understand, so stop!¡±

    ¡°Student, we understand, but you can¡¯t do this!¡±

    Quite a few guards clung to me, and finally, a guard who had mastered Magic Body appeared. Only then did I pretend to be exhausted and fall away from the bars, rummaging through the guard¡¯s key pocket.

    I didn¡¯t really need to steal the actual item.

    I just had to ¡®Memory¡¯ while holding the bunch of keys¡­¡­

    [101 / 103 (-1)]

    ¡ö Diary

    ¡ö Memory

    ¡­¡­

    ©¸Untitled

    ¡ö Notes

    Done.

    A file has been added.

    I calmly spoke while beating the prisoner¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve memorized your face. I¡¯ll kill you when you get out. Try to stay there as long as you can.¡±

    By the way, I¡¯m serious about this.

 Chapter 51: Recordark (3)

    <strong>Recordark (3)</strong>

    Meanwhile, Elise and four others from ¡®good families¡¯, were conducting interviews in a rtively calm visiting room.

    ¡°Yah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±

    A lion¡¯s roar could be heard from somewhere, but they ignored it. Elise tapped her ballpoint pen on her notebook and asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t know where the treasure is hidden, do you?¡±

    The prisoner shook his head.

    ¡°I know. I know where that is. The ce where the treasure is hidden. Of course, I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you. So, that is¡­¡­ Do you happen to have a cigarette?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise touched her temples. A quick-witted guard sent the prisoner away.

    This was already the third time. Pretending to know the location of the treasure, asking for a cigarette, and when given one, instead of telling, asking for a snack.

    ¡­¡­Bang¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Elise nced at the guard.

    ¡°There¡¯s bit of a ruckus out there. It¡¯s been noisy since a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, indeed. Please wait a moment.¡±

    The guard hurriedly left the visiting room and came back in.

    ¡°Yes. There seems to be a bit of trouble between the senior and the prisoners. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Besides, these prisoners don¡¯t seem to want to tell us anything, do they?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. Prisoners don¡¯t easily share internal information about the prison. They¡¯re afraid of being marked as snitchester.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Elise rubbed her eyes.

    She was quite tired. She had barely fallen asleep at 6 a.m. yesterday and hadn¡¯t even had a proper shower.

    She stood up, brushing her disheveled hair back over her shoulders. She stopped the guard who was about to follow her.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯m going to take a walk. In the exercise yard. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s fine.¡±

    She walked out into the first-floor corridor outside the visiting room.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªLet¡ªgo¡ªof¡ªme¡ªshit!

    Outside was aplete mess.

    A man being dragged away by several guards. A prisoner covered in blood inside the cell, and other prisonersughing at the scene. Gerkhen Kal Doon and the seniors trying to take advantage of their good mood to hastily conduct interviews.

    Elise ignored them.

    She quietly went out to the exercise yard under the cover of themotion and walked as far into the corner as possible.

    Of course, she needed a key to get to ¡®that ce¡¯, but she already had it in her hand, thanks to her father¡¯s prior persuasion of the warden.

    With the feeling of breaking the rules, feeling her heart pounding, she finally arrived at the entrance to the [Istion Zone].

    From the beginning, Elise intended toe to this prison. The reason she had lost sleep was also because of this.

    ¡°Haaah¡­¡­.¡±

    After calming her mind and body with a deep breath, Elise inserted the key into the tightly closed iron door.

    Creak¡ª

    The door opened.

    She took a step beyond.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A dim incandescent light faintly illuminated the interior, and there wererge solitary cells lined up in the corridor.

    She was not alone.

    Although not visible, there was someone here.

    She was not alone.

    Elise repeated this to herself as she walked down the corridor. She also tightly gripped the rabbit doll, ¡®Cookie¡¯, in her messenger bag.

    Thud¡ª¡ª.

    The sound of her footsteps echoed emptily in the istion zone of Recordark.

    She peered inside.

    A man was slumped on the bed. Not in a prison uniform, but in a stark white patient¡¯s gown.

    Elise called his name as if biting her tongue.

    ¡°Yael.¡±

    ¡ª¡­?

    For a moment, he looked in her direction. He immediately shed a bright smile.

    ¡ªOh. You came. You came.

    He sprang up and approached her, looking into her eyes. He murmured softly, pressing his forehead against the ss window.

    ¡ªMy little sister¡­

    Elise gritted her teeth. The voice calling her ¡®sister¡¯ was filthy.

    ¡°¡­I told you not to call me that.¡±

    She despised this man. He was disgusting and repulsive. She wanted to deny the fact that this monster was her blood rtive.

    ¡ª¡­

    He opened his mouth as if shocked. He wore a pitiful expression.

    ¡ªOh, so it¡¯s a crime to call a sister a sister. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m locked up here. I didn¡¯t know that.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    ¡ªAh. Life is okay. They let me take a walk sometimes. They say I can meet other prisoners in about 4-5 years. That¡¯s good enough.

    Yael licked the window with his tongue. Elise closed her eyes tightly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯te to ask about that-¡±

    ¡ªI know, Elise. It¡¯s not your fault. Dad sent you, right? To stay quiet until the election is over.

    His answer was so correct that Elise was momentarily lost for words.

    Then Yael exaggerated his expression, as if he was acting in a y.

    ¡ªFather. Ah, my father. But I understand. The election was important then and now. Very important. Very¡­ That fucking bastard¡ª¡ª!

    Bang!

    He mmed his head against the reinforced ss. His face distorted in an instant. A desperate look shed in his eyes.

    Drip- Drip-

    Blood flowed from his forehead, mixing with the sudden transformation of his contorted face.

    ¡ªTell that son of a bitch. Tell our parents. I¡­ I¡¯m getting by.

    Whether he was trembling or breathing, he slowly lowered his head.

    ¡ªJust¡­ getting by¡­

    ¡°¡­Crazy.¡±

    Elise licked her purple-tinted lips.

    Bang! Yael hit the reinforced ss with his palm.

    ¡ªAnswer me¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Stop, stop shouting!¡±

    Elise shouted out in a fit.

    ¡ª¡­?

    Yael blinked for a moment, then smirked. He returned to his normal self and scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡ªAh sorry. My little sister doesn¡¯t like shouting¡­

    Thud¡ª¡ª.

    At that moment, a sound that shouldn¡¯t be here.

    Clearly, someone was stepping.

    Thud¡ª¡ª

    She quickly turned around. Yael also followed, turning his gaze.

    ¡°¡­You.¡±

    A ce unknown to most ordinary people.

    Thud¡ª¡ª.

    He stopped in front of a solitary cell.

    A cell surrounded by reinforced ss on all sides, with a sign like a namete attached, bearing the number [115].

    Elise¡¯s eyes were filled with astonishment. A vague smile spread across Yael¡¯s lips.

    ¡°?¡±

    In a ce where it was a crime for ordinary people to even enter, a madman was nonchntly tilting his head.

    Shion Ascal.

    Under the pale incandescent light in the darkness of the corridor, his buzz cut stood out.

    ¡­¡­It was quite an old acquaintance.

    A not-so-ordinary rtionship that started in a hospital and led to a prison.

    When I first met him a long time ago, he told me he had killed someone. He said he had personally cut off a person¡¯s neck.

    At that time, I was a critically ill patient in the hematology ward, and he was a patient in the psychiatric ward.

    I thought he was obviously a psychiatric patient, but it didn¡¯t matter to me at that time whether he was a psychiatric patient or a ghost.

    A fourteen-year-old outcast, a cancer patient, needed a friend. At least a talkingpanion.

    So I didn¡¯t avoid him. I held onto him, who only spoke strange words. We had a lot of conversations.

    He was the only person who epted me, and I was the only person who listened to his words.

    Maybe¡­¡­ he was the first friend I ever made in my life.

    Then, one day, now a faint memory, he told me a strange story. That Petra University Hospital was administering a new drug called ¡®Gelt¡¯ to me, not the most popr leukemia drug ¡®Maglev¡¯.

    He said that the father of a fellow patient in the same hematology ward was a journalist who knew a lot about leukemia, and suggested I go see him.

    I did as he said.

    I went to the journalist and asked.

    Why is Petra administering a new drug called ¡®Gelt¡¯ to us, not ¡®Maglev¡¯?

    The moment the journalist¡¯s face changed, he checked out of the hospital with his son, and the following week, a scoop about Petra University Hospital¡¯s rebate exploded.

    And me?

    Of course, I was kicked out of the hospital.

    It must have been a day when the rain was drizzling.

    I left the hospital with my hair shaved off due to chemotherapy, and I remember a beautiful child ring at me from the hospital balcony.

    That child might still me me.

    ¡­¡­Well.

    If the story had ended here, it would have been a shitty ending for me, but fortunately or unfortunately, there was more to it.

    Had it been about three months since I was admitted to another hospital?

    That journalist came to see me again. His suit was shy, and a dazzling watch hung from his wrist. Hisplexion, which had been sallow, was now cleanpared to before.

    He said his son was all better now, and asked if there might be another secret at Petra Hospital. He added that he would give me 20,000 Ren if I told him.

    At the outrageously expensive proposition, I thought of the man from the psychiatric ward.

    At that time, I thought I had been fooled by him. I believed I was kicked out of the hospital because of his impulsiveness.

    Out of revenge, I exposed that he had killed someone.

    The journalist left me with a somewhat strange face.

    He never came back.

    There was no promised money.

    I thought I had been fooled again.

    The story after that¡­¡­

    Hmm, there¡¯s none now.

    There was, but it disappeared.

    Because I regressed.

    But if I were to briefly mention that ¡®missing story¡¯, I, who was in my twenties,mitted a certain crime and was incarcerated in Recordark.

    ¡®He¡¯ was in Recordark at that time.

    To be precise, he was transferred from the psychiatric hospital to Recordark ¡®because of me¡¯.

    Yet, he didn¡¯t me me. On the contrary, he was a great help to me, who was still weak.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s an old story. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be kicked out of the hospital either. Are you okay?

    I came to respect him.

    I became friends with him again.

    But he didn¡¯t even tell me his name even when I left the prison. Let alone his name, he didn¡¯t even try to talk about his personal affairs.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t know too much. If you know, you¡¯ll die. Like that journalist back then.

    He carefully hid himself so as not to leak even a tiny hint, and I didn¡¯t dig deep either.

    Today, I finally learned his name.

    ¡°Yael.¡±

    The voice flowing from Elise¡¯s mouth.

    That was the name of my friend.

 Chapter 52: Recordark (4)

    <strong>Recordark (4)</strong>

    The control room of Recordark. That ce, which monitors the entire prison with hundreds of CCTV cameras, is unusually quiet today. Normally, thirty guards work in three shifts, but only five remain to manage the special activities of the College Board.

    ¡°Yawn¡­¡­¡±

    The work itself is neglected. The guards are either yawning while lying on the chairs, ying games on their smartphones, or nkly staring out the window.

    ¡°¡­¡­Look at the rain outside.¡±

    One of the guards muttered with droopy eyes.

    The scattering rain is a bit unusual, but there¡¯s no real concern. After all, the students of the magic high school are as strong as most prison guards, and more importantly, there are ¡®watchers¡¯ dispatched from the university association.

    Bang- Bang- Double kill-

    That¡¯s the person sitting in the back ying a smartphone game. Abatant taking a break.

    ¡°Oh right. A storm warning was issued 15 minutes ago.¡±

    At the words of the rookie guard, the chief guard furrowed his brow.

    ¡°15 minutes? Are those meteorologists crazy?¡±

    Whooooosh¡ª¡ª Just then, a gust of wind blew.

    Thick raindrops hit the window, and things like fallen leaves stuck to it¡­¡­ in an instant.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª.

    Suddenly, the whole world was dyed white. A distant cluster of light rose without any warning, and a dazzling sh flooded in through the ss window.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    The thunderous roar of thunder echoed btedly.

    After that, there was a ckout. All devices turned off in an instant and darkness descended.

    Ping- Ping- Triple kill-

    Only the sound of the smartphone game and the faint light of the screen flickered.

    ¡°Ah. What¡¯s this?¡±

    The guards, for starters, got up.

    ¡°Ah. Ahh. Can you hear me? Ah shit, the radio¡¯s dead. Hey. Try calling.¡±

    ¡°The phone¡¯s not working either? No signal.¡±

    Both the smartphone and the radio were dead.

    ¡°It looks like a magic storm. It¡¯s screwed up, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    A magic storm. A phenomenon where the magic swirling in the atmosphere interferes with the transmission of signals.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be restored in 5 minutes, you idiots~ Someone must have gone to the basement generator, just wait.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right?¡±

    At the words of the chief guard, they calmed down again.

    After all, there¡¯s a watcher here too, so what could possibly happen.

    Ring¡ª Ring¡ª.

    Suddenly, the sound of a bell ringing in the darkness. All the guards turned to look at it.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    It seemed that the watcher was receiving a call from someone. As expected, he¡¯s quick.

    ¡°Then shall we start?¡±

    The watcher said that and stood up from his seat. He picked up a bag of snacks on the desk while holding his smartphone to his ear.

    The rookie guard asked as if it was strange.

    ¡°Watcher, you can make calls? Is that phone specially made? Ours are all dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then the watcher just looked at him without saying anything. His dry expression was somewhat eerie.

    The guardughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡­ Did I overstep?¡±

    ¡°Who said that?¡±

    The watcher asked. It was a question with an unknown meaning.

    ¡°What¡­¡­ do you mean?¡±

    The guard replied confusedly, and the watcher blinked his eyes and asked again.

    ¡°I asked who said that. That I¡¯m a watcher.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been here. Did I say anything to you guys?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡­¡±

    The guard looked at his neck. There hung a [Guardian ID: Holden Croft].

    A chill ran up the guard¡¯s spine at that moment. Goosebumps covered his entire body.

    It was different.

    His face.

    It was evident enough to be noticed at a closer look.

    Swallowing his saliva, the guard ced his hand on the pistol at his waist. The man he thought was a guardian put his cell phone back in his pocket.

    ¡°Who are you-¡±

    The situation was resolved the moment he shouted.

    ¡ª¡ª5 minutes ago.

    Recordark¡¯s istion zone.

    ¡°¡­¡­How much did you hear.¡±

    In the flickering light of a faded bulb, Elise asked.

    ¡°What.¡±

    I pretended not to know, even though I heard everything. Elise quickly changed the question.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡±

    ¡°To find treasure. Aren¡¯t you here to find treasure too?¡±

    Elise fiddled with her eyebrows at my seemingly natural response.

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­ but did you follow me?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you paranoid?¡±

    ¡°Para¡­¡­noid?¡±

    Elise mumbled with a stunned face.

    ¡°I thought you were up to something. You sneaked out alone, so I thought you found something and followed you right away.¡±

    ¡°Snea¡­¡­ky?¡±

    A vein popped on Elise¡¯s temple.

    ¡°Yeah. You left the door open. You should close it if you open it.¡±

    Of course, Elise can¡¯t close the door. She has ustrophobia.

    ¡°Fine. I get it, so turn around and leave. I won¡¯t make it an issue if you leave now.¡±

    Elise pointed to the exit. I ignored her and approached her. Elise pped her hands as if to stop me.

    ¡°Stay there. Can you note closer? Your face makes me feel nauseous.¡±

    ¡°Then vomit.¡±

    She red at me, but I just stood side by side and looked into the cell.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    Sure enough, ¡®he¡¯ was there.

    My old friend was there.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at him. He looked at me. Neither of us said a word.

    ¡°Get out. Is your brain broken?¡±

    Elise pushed me away with a disgusted look. In that short gap, Yael raised one eyebrow slightly.

    It was enoughmunication.

    I pretended not to know him.

    ¡°Get out. Now-¡±

    Kuuuuung¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    Just as Elise was trying to kick me out, an ominous roar echoed. At the same time, all the lights went out. The interior was dyed pitch ck. Yael, beyond the reinforced ss, was no longer visible.

    ¡°Is it a power outage? Hey. Do something.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why can¡¯t you?¡±

    Elise radiated magic. A blue me flickered, illuminating about 3 meters around us.

    ¡ª¡ªKraaaaaa!

    ¡°You little shit!¡±

    Suddenly, Yael stuck to the ss window. Elise nearly fell over, and Yael chuckled.

    ¡ªHehehe.

    ¡°This, this crazy prisoner¡ª¡±

    Elise, trembling with a shocked face, nced at me and then left the cell.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Thanks to her, I was left alone to face Yael inside the reinforced ss. I met his blue eyes and made a gesture of zipping my mouth.

    It¡¯s a prison gesture that means I won¡¯t leak anything now.

    ¡ª¡­¡­Pfft.

    He, who had been making some strange expressions until now, soon smirked. He spoke with a smiling face, as he used to.

    ¡ªYou, must be disappointed?

    ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡ªYou seem to have followed Elise, but it probably won¡¯t work out for you.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡ªWhat am I talking about. Her ideal type is a tall man. You won¡¯t make the cut.

    Yael held his hand horizontally and ced it on his chest. You¡¯re too short- something like that.

    I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s unfortunate to hear.¡±

    ¡ªHa! You¡¯re honest.

    Yaelughed heartily once, then whispered with a somewhat sorrowful face.

    ¡­¡­Try not to act like you know me as much as possible. It¡¯s getting dangerous.

    I quietly watched Yael like that. Yael backed away and sat down on the bed.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­!

    Then, an ominous wind blew in from outside. Yael narrowed his eyes sharply and gestured with his chin.

    ¡ªGo. It¡¯s getting dangerous if you stay too long.

    ¡°Okay. See you again.¡±

    Yael responded faintly.

    ¡ª¡­¡­If possible, that is.

    ¡°I¡¯lle again.¡±

    To see you.

    Yael raised one eyebrow in a hook shape, and I returned to the corridor of the istion zone and went outside.

    Swoooooosh¡ª¡ª!

    Before I knew it, a fierce wind was shaking all of Recordark. Just 10 seconds after I went out, my whole body was soaked.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    In the middle of the yground, where almost a water curtain was pouring, Elise was standing, staring at the other side. Motionless like a ghost. I also looked in that direction and frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s with her.¡±

    There was a person.

    With a student who looked like a senior under his arm, and a bag of snacks in his other hand, he was approaching while stuffing his mouth.

    It¡¯s creepy.

    Not the behavior, but the appearance is eerie.

    His eyes were pitch ck. There was no white. It was as if the entire eyeball was painted ck.

    ¡°Huh? Who are you guys?¡±

    The guy who made eye contact said so, brushed past us, and stood in front of the door to the istion zone.

    Creak¡ª!

    The iron door shattered at his gesture.

    ¡°¡­¡­What a barbarian-¡±

    ¡°Wait and see.¡±

    I stopped Elise who was about to step forward.

    I¡¯m pretty good at remembering faces. Of course, even if I can¡¯t remember, the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ will, but in the first ce, that guy has such a distinctive impression that you can¡¯t forget once you see him.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite a strong guy.¡±

    Dark eyeballs. A physique that easily exceeds 2 meters.

    I know him. Shall I call it a grudge before regression, or a major customer?

    His name is Draven Jacobs. A.K.A The Pulverizer.

    He is a member of the point organization [Gloom Guest], which is even famous in the underworld, or will be in the future, and it seems he¡¯s not alone right now. A man is quietly revealing himself from the back of the yground.

    He has a face like a college student, but his neck is tightly bandaged and there are scars on his cheeks¡­¡­.

    ¡°Hey, this is a big problem.¡±

    Looking at him, I gave a hollowugh.

    It¡¯s a crisis where my lifespan is shorter than before regression.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    He greeted us as he looked at us. There¡¯s no need to receive a greeting, but I responded with a bright smile.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hello?¡±

    Then Elise looked back at me with a dumbfounded face.

    Bang¡ª!

    Just then, some noise echoed from the istion zone that Draven just entered.

    ¡ªYou, who, what, what are you doing, uh, aaaaaah-! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-!!!

    A long and desperate scream was mixed in. How can a person scream like that.

    Of course, it¡¯s not Yael¡¯s voice. From the beginning, this isn¡¯t the timeline where Yael dies.

    ¡°¡­¡­You should greet him too. Quickly. If you don¡¯t want to end up like that.¡±

    I hurriedly urged Elise. As expected, Elise didn¡¯t even pretend to listen.

 Chapter 53: Recordark (5)

    <strong>Recordark (5)</strong>

    Swoooosh¡­¡­

    The typhoon-like winds of Recordark were as sharp as arrows. The ground seemed to overturn, and the constant battering of the wind seemed to have slightly impaired my hearing.

    In the midst of this dizzyingndscape, Elise asked the man in front of her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He just smiled quietly.

    Crash¡ª¡ª!

    In the meantime, the iron door of the istion zone was flung open and crashed into the yground. We both turned around in surprise. From beyond the wide-open door, Draven reappeared.

    On his right side, he was carrying what looked like a prisoner from the solitary cell, and on his left, a senior from the magic high school.

    Draven put the two of them down on the ground and pointed at us.

    ¡°Hey, I caught these two, what about those two?¡±

    At that, Elise began to gather magic in her body.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll ask again. Who are you guys?¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem scared. Anyone could see she was ready to fight.

    She¡¯s not the type to choose suicide, so it seems like she hasn¡¯t developed her instincts yet because she hasn¡¯t faced a real strong opponent.

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    I grabbed Elise¡¯s wrist. Thud-! I was roughly shaken off at that moment. Elise red at me as if she was going to stab me with a knife.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands.¡±

    A sincere killing intent spread dangerously.

    ¡°Before I really kill you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re scarier than them.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what are we going to do?¡±

    Draven asked the man. The man was still silently looking at us. More precisely, at ¡®Elise¡¯.

    Eventually, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Elise Petra. I know who you are.¡±

    A simple question delivered in a voice as soft as a boy¡¯s.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±

    A very casual tone, as if dealing with a neighbor¡¯s friend.

    But his words, and the whole situation now.

    Sparked something in my head.

    [Recordark 13 escapee Noah Lucille, whereabouts unknown for over a year¡­¡­]

    [Demon of Mirina, where is he¡­¡­]

    [Breaking news: Recordark ¢ñ attacked during special activities of the college board¡­¡­]

    [One senior kidnapped, one solitary cell prisoner dead¡­¡­]

    [The whereabouts of the kidnapped senior are unknown¡­¡­]

    [The leader is presumed to be Noah Lucille¡­¡­ The dead student is the son of the prosecutor in charge¡­¡­]

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Shattered Memories.

    Memories that I had once read, seen, or experienced, but were buried in the unconscious, sprang up like des and dug into my memory.

    ¡°Oh, my head¡­¡­¡±

    I pressed my temples.

    Could it be that his question triggered my ¡¸Notepad¡¹?

    ¡°Do you know?¡±

    He asked again.

    ¡°¡­¡­I thought I asked you, who are you?¡±

    Elise¡¯s response was innocent. The man pursed his lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    But it¡¯s a bit strange.

    There was no name ¡®Elise¡¯ in the articles or case files I remembered. Elise wasn¡¯t originally involved in this case.

    Could it be because of me?

    Because I held onto her for just about three minutes?

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you don¡¯t know me. Well, that¡¯s understandable-¡±

    ¡°I do know.¡±

    I raised my hand abruptly, speaking in ce of Elise.

    ¡°-It¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t even bat an eye.

    Until I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Noah Lucille.¡±

    His eyes twitched for a moment. His head jerked sharply. Finally, he looked at me.

    I added with a faint smile.

    ¡°Right? I have a bit of an interest in crime and the underworld.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Noah Lucille?¡±

    Elise also asked. She looked quite surprised, which was, in fact, a natural reaction.

    ¡°You killed 77 civilians and were imprisoned in Recordark XIII. You were sentenced to death, but it was just when the Chairman was re-elected, right? The Chairman postponed your execution, and you rotted in prison for 18 years. And then-¡±

    ¡°I escaped. Because it wasn¡¯t my crime.¡±

    Noah cut me off.

    ¡°Exactly 18 years, 312 days, 5 hours, 33 minutes, and 17 seconds. That¡¯s how long I was locked up.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But¡­¡­¡±

    I scrutinized his face closely.

    His eyes, nose, and mouth were as pure as if they were painted with a brush, and there wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle or blemish on his skin.

    ¡°You look incredibly young. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re in your mid-forties. Is it your ¡¸Spectrum¡¹?¡±

    The face value of the man who was imprisoned at 24 was still 24.

    No, to be honest, he looked even younger than that. I would believe it if he said he was my age now.

    He lifted the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. You even know my age.¡±

    ¡°How could I not? You¡¯re the only one who escaped from Recordark 13. You¡¯re already a legend.¡±

    Recordark 13. The monster who escaped alone from that volcanic ind, which is a prison in name but practically hell.

    His imprisonment was 19 years ago, but his escape was just a year ago. Since it was a major headline at the time, Elise would know about it too.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    He put his hand to his mouth and chuckled. I pointed to the senior sprawled on the ground.

    He¡¯s not an Endex, but a senior from the prestigious magic high school ¡®Devon¡¯.

    ¡°Since I got it right, let him go.¡±

    Noah shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. This guy didn¡¯t get the answer right.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to kill him?¡±

    He answered immediately.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I asked him back.

    ¡°Then, will anything change?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I kill people hoping for something to change?¡±

    He responded with a question in ce of an answer.

    I looked at the student sprawled on the floor.

    A victim of Noah Lucille, in the memory of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    When this incident first urred, everyone thought it was just an unfortunate ident. But when the truth came out, the world was shocked.

    ¡°Valentin Otto. His father is a prosecutor, right? He prosecuted and investigated you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Noah¡¯s pupils dted. His bottomless ck eyes. It was a gaze that felt like it could suck you in.

    I tried hard to stay calm.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious, you see. And I have a pretty good memory. You imed your innocence throughout the trial, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    The ¡¸Notepad¡¹¡¯s Memory can evoke everything rted to this moment.

    But, there¡¯s no need to rely on it for memories about Noah Lucille.

    ¡°Yeah. You know a lot. You¡¯re well-informed.¡±

    He is a big shot who escaped from the harshest prison and founded a group called [The Spectres].

    A vengeful spirit seeking to kill all those who ruined his life and wasted his years.

    ¡°Nothing changes just because a few kids die.¡±

    I agree with his feelings to some extent, but the target is wrong.

    ¡°No. There is.¡±

    He took out a lump of iron from his pocket. Elise quickly reached out. Her blue magic was discharged and it sparkled upon touching it.

    It was a revolver.

    ¡°It eases my mind a bit.¡±

    ¡°Wai-¡±

    Bang¡ª¡ª!

    Before I could say anything, the deafening sound of a gunshot.

    Blue mes exploded.

    The skull burst.

    Bone fragments scattered like shrapnel.

    Blood, brain matter, and rainwater mixed and flowed.

    The spreading stream of liquid reached our feet.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise was frozen with her mouth half-open. I let out a heavy sigh. Noah leisurely wiped the muzzle with a handkerchief.

    ¡°You can think of it as saving a person. I was going to skin him, cut off every hair, nail, finger, toe, wrist, ankle, eyeball¡­ one by one.¡±

    I looked up at him. I asked as if talking to myself.

    ¡°This¡­ the kid is innocent, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Then, a response mixed withughter came back.

    ¡°I was too. I was innocent too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You may not know, but I already gave him a chance.¡±

    Noah raised his index finger.

    ¡°First. I went to the prosecutor, his father, and asked him my name. He couldn¡¯t answer. His face was just like it is now.¡±

    Then he raised his middle finger.

    ¡°Second. He made excuses. He said he had no choice at the time. He has a child, so please forgive him. What had no choice?¡±

    Finally, he raised his ring finger.

    ¡°Third. The apology was thest. He said hemitted a sin worthy of death.¡±

    And then he folded all his fingers.

    ¡°If youmit a sin worthy of death, you should die. But I didn¡¯t want to simply kill him. He had to live for another 18 years, 312 days, 5 hours, 33 minutes, and 17 seconds.¡±

    He nudged the corpse with his foot.

    ¡°Carrying this Memory.¡±

    I was at a loss for words.

    Indeed, if you consider the future, persuading The Spectres might have been impossible from the start.

    This is just the beginning, but in a few years, they will grow into a group that even the ¡®Master Cartel¡¯ of the underworld fears.

    ¡°But, what do you think? Do you think I really killed 77 people? Do I seem like the ¡®Demon of Mirina¡¯?¡±

    He asked. My face was reflected in his wide-open pupils. It must have been some kind of demonic eye.

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    I answered sincerely, shaking my head as if sighing.

    ¡°You were innocent.¡±

    Everything Noah imed was true. The police submitted fabricated evidence, the prosecutor knew but did not recant, and the judge suppressed the testimony of a crucial witness.

    As someone who traveled back in time, I know all of it.

    But.

    ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    The innocence of the future is meaningless in the face of the crimes of the present.

    Just like his innocence can¡¯tpensate for the time he¡¯s already lost.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Noah Lucille was silent.

    He probably knew the sincerity of my words.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Soon, he bit his lip slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment. He turned around, letting out a sigh that was barely audible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Hey, can we just leave like this? Don¡¯t we have to kill these guys?¡±

    At Draven¡¯s question, Noah turned his head and looked sideways.

    ¡°He got the answer right. I won¡¯t kill him.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Then Draven also scratched his head, as if he understood.

    ¡°The rest is up to you. Handle it well. His name is ¡®Belendex¡¯¡­ just amon murderer.¡±

    For some reason, Noah left behind ominous words and turned around.

    Whoosh¡ª¡ª!

    With a single leap, the two of them left, but the silence was only temporary.

    There was one person left behind by them.

    ¡°¡­¡­What the hell was that.¡±

    Draven pointed at the solitary prisoner brought out from the istion zone.

    We looked at him.

    ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡­¡±

    Creak¡ª creak-creak¡ª¡ª He got up, his joints creaking. His veins had already turned a ghastly color, and his eyes were bloodshot to the point of bursting.

    He looked like a zombie.

 Chapter 54: Recordark (6)

    Recordark (6)

    Creak¡ª creak-creak¡ª¡ª

    A grotesque sound flowed from his entire body. His skin was dyed a dark red, no longer resembling a human, and heat was radiating from every opening like his eyes, nose, and mouth.

    Dangerous.

    ¡°He must have been drugged.¡±

    It would be correct to say he was forcibly drugged, but with those symptoms, it was probably ¡®Neoz¡¯.

    A prohibited drug that can perform beyond Perion depending on the dosage, but its side effects and pain are 40-50 times greater.

    That¡¯s already a lethal dose. He¡¯s more of a ticking time bomb than I am. If he went to a doctor, he¡¯d probably be told he had ¡¯30 minutes left¡¯.

    Ahhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    He roared and charged at us. Elise pushed me from behind.

    ¡°Hey, you-¡±

    ¡°Can you buy us some time?¡±

    She started to warm up her magic. A blue aura rose around her.

    It was her Magic Body.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll buy you time, just make sure you do it right.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡±

    If we¡¯re dividing the roles of dealer and tanker, there¡¯s no other way.

    I summoned Perion. My body heated up in an instant.

    Then, he appeared before my eyes. He swung his fist at an abnormal speed.

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª! I thought I had dodged his attack, but it was abo. Heavy straight punches came at me from all directions like crazy.

    ¡°Damn!¡±

    I dodged some, blocked some, and looked back at Elise.

    She was mumbling with her eyes closed, probably preparing some magic, or rather, Magic Spell.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    Suddenly, he kicked. A simple kick carried a gust of wind. I quickly bent my waist backward, and the tip of his foot brushed past my nose.

    I took a big step back.

    ¡°¡­¡­This is insane.¡±

    The speed is no joke. And it¡¯s getting faster.

    It¡¯s an overload.

    His body is heating up and elerating like this, and the moment the drug effect wears off, it will explode.

    Probably in 10~20 minutes.

    That¡¯s more than enough time to kill two people.

    Thump¡ª He loosened his joints. Steam rose from his ears.

    Ahhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    He roared again and charged.

    ¡°How many minutes!¡±

    Even though I¡¯ve upgraded my entire body with Perion, his speed was like car racing.

    It was hard to keep up.

    Creak¡ª!

    His fist brushed past my chest. I dodged about half of it. But that half was enough to break my ribs.

    ¡°No, how many seconds.¡±

    I mumbled, clutching my chest. Elise didn¡¯t seem to hear, but the magic was slowly overflowing from behind me.

    Indeed, the wave is extraordinary.

    With this, the power is assured.

    Grrrrrrrr¡ª¡ª!

    He seemed to have sensed the threat and charged at Elise. I quickly tripped him.

    ¡ªGah!

    I climbed on top of the fallen man. I tried to pound him with my fists, but.

    ¡ªGrrrrrrrr¡­¡­!

    He purely stood up with sheer strength and crushed me.

    ¡°Damn, are you an elephant.¡±

    I moved my lower body while pinned down. I wrapped my legs around his face and squeezed.

    Grrrrrrrr¡ª¡ª

    Only then did the zombie seem to express pain.

    But the very next moment, my eyes widened.

    A burning pain surged in my side.

    ¡°Ah, fuck¡­¡­.¡±

    He had sunk his teeth into me. His yellowish gums were stained with my flesh, muscle, and blood.

    Spit-!

    As soon as he spat something out, blood gushed out, and my body went limp.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s done.¡±

    Thankfully, Elise opened her eyes just in time. She merely spread her palm. The zombie¡¯s body was enveloped in magic and whoosh¡ª it floated up. It was fixed 30m high, against gravity.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    I watched the spectacle while lying down.

    It was a real spell.

    It felt like a fantasy.

    Caw- caw- ca¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The zombie iling its arms in the sky. Elise suppressing it with magic so it couldn¡¯te down.

    If we just buy time, he will self-destruct.

    Therefore, end of situation.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±

    I slowly rxed. The world seemed to fade away, only the sound of my breathing and the rain could be heard, and my vision began to blur.

    ¡­¡­I opened my eyes. The sky was visible. It was still Recordark, but the rain had stopped and it had cleared up.

    I tried to get up but hesitated. There was severe pain in my abdomen. Not only that, blood was oozing from under my back.

    ¡°You woke up quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    I turned to look at her. There was a woman in my blurry vision.

    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    My focus gradually returned, and my vision became clear.

    Elise, soaked in the rain, was visible. The pieces of bandage stuck to her blood-soaked hands, the wire and scissors scattered on the ground, and the open emergency medical kit next to them.

    I asked nkly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Were you dreaming of bing a doctor?¡±

    Elise snorted.

    ¡°Do you know how many hospitals Petra has? How about you?¡±

    I looked at my upper body. The wound where he had bitten my side was already stitched up.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, you¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it seemed like I owed my life to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I silently looked up at Elise. Elise pursed her lips and snapped at me.

    ¡°What are you looking at? It¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not grateful either. If it weren¡¯t for me, you¡¯d be dead too, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Elise snorted. She wiped her hands with saline and said.

    ¡°I actually thought about leaving you to die. I despise you more than you think.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Since you bought us time, as you said, let¡¯s call it even. Let¡¯s pretend it never happened. We didn¡¯t enter the istion zone, and we didn¡¯t meet anyone in there.¡±

    Sigh.

    I smirked andid back down on the ground.

    ¡°Yeah. Whatever.¡±

    My consciousness is still a bit blurry.

    Is this a dream- I wondered, and also wondered if I really had regressed.

    It¡¯s all because of that woman.

    Elise Petra.

    I hate her. I despise her family, too, blinded by their ambition for the Senate. I loathe them so much that I don¡¯t want to build even the smallest ¡®connection¡¯ of giving or receiving help.

    Ironically, it¡¯s proof that I don¡¯t hate them as much as I hate Libra. Because if it¡¯s for the downfall of Libra, I¡¯d willingly be their loyal hound. I¡¯d do just that.

    After all, there¡¯s no original sin for Elise.

    Of course, if killing her would bring my mother back to life, I¡¯d at least consider it.

    But the world doesn¡¯t work that way. Killing her in the name of avenging my mother would be nothing more than venting my anger.

    Just like Noah Lucille today.

    ¡­So.

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    I shift my gaze from the clouds above to look at Elise. Her slender, tinum eyes, briefly revealing contempt, are staring at me.

    ¡°I hate you.¡±

    I just barely hate you.

    I can never have good feelings for you, who was born by killing my mother, or for your family.

    ¡°You, your fucking family, much more than you all think.¡±

    Just a bit short from hatred.

    Elise Petra stands at that point where I neither want to forcibly fill that hatred, or reduce it.

    And it¡¯s not because of Elise herself.

    ¡°So? Thanks.¡±

    She sneered. As if my malice was not a threat at all. As if she was grateful.

    ¡°Keep hating. The more you do, the more frustrated you¡¯ll be.¡±

    She gets up and walks away, step by step. With steady strides, she distances herself from me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I close my eyes as I watch her retreating figure.

    Suddenly, a voice from the past echoes in my ears.

    ¡­I have a favor to ask, friend.

    A memory that has now disappeared.

    Times thate like waves, existing only for me.

    ¡­When you leave here.

    I was a prisoner of Recordark. Not an ordinary prisoner.

    The charge was treason. The sentence was 20 years.

    But I didn¡¯t have the luxury of 20 years, so I made an escape, and I seeded.

    The cost was another person¡¯s life.

    ¡­destory them.

    Yael.

    He died for me. He sacrificed himself for my freedom.

    ¡­The family that made me this way.

    Of course, those moments are now nothing more than lost time, but I won¡¯t leave them lost.

    The lost time defines me, I continue within it, and in the end, it is me.

    Even if it¡¯s time discarded by the world, because I remember it.

    ¡­destroy Petra.

    Yael, praying for Petra¡¯s downfall in his fading heartbeat.

    His story, only revealed at the brink of death.

    But, I couldn¡¯t understand hisst words at that time.

    ¡­and protect Elise.

    You left a will to me, who didn¡¯t even know your name, to protect Elise.

    ¡°I thought it was nonsense.¡±

    Now I know your name along with it, but I didn¡¯t know the reason then.

    ¡°But what can I do.¡±

    Honestly, I thought you misspoke.

    From ¡®kill her¡¯ to ¡®protect her¡¯.

    I never imagined she could be your kin.

    ¡°Your sister¡­¡±

    I rummaged through the pocket of my Endex uniform. I grabbed a single card. I held it high up to the sky.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the dry sky.

    The bright spreading light illuminated the name written on the card.

    [Elise Petra]

    ¡°¡­¡­I hate her so much.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you really, really okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine. Stop asking.¡±

    Recordark¡¯s visiting room. The power outage caused by the magic storm was restored in 20 minutes, and all the seniors of the magic prison, except for the one who was already dead, gathered safely.

    Shion Ascal was¡­ somehow back and sleeping on the desk.

    ¡°If you¡¯re injured anywhere-¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not.¡±

    Elise waved her hand annoyingly. The guard finally backed off.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    It¡¯s been a tiring day.

    All sorts of people have already been dispatched to the scene of the crime. A senior and a prisoner were killed by an external intruder, so journalists will flock too.

    Elise was about to sit down when she noticed someone.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was on the chair next to her. Holding something in his hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nced at her. Then he shoved something into his bosom.

    ¡°No, what is it.¡±

    Thorns unknowingly rose in my voice. Gerkhen Kal Doon said in a tiny voice.

    ¡°A treasure.¡±

    Treasure. Does he mean an assignment?

    Elise gritted her teeth slightly and looked at Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°You¡¯ve collected it in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°It was under the statue in the living space corridor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Liar. I¡¯ll believe you if you show me.¡±

    Elise reached out. Gerkhen Kal Doon was very cautious. As if she was some kind of hedgehog.

    ¡°Never mind. Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m exhausted now? Go write a report.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    As she pretended to give up and suddenly turned around, Gerkhen Kal Doon also tried to get up but quickly sat back down.

    ¡°Really¡­¡­ I¡¯m so dumbfounded I¡¯m getting dizzy, dizzy¡­¡­¡±

    With thosest words, Elise copsed with a thud.

    She had fainted.

 Chapter 55: Debts (1)

    <strong>Debts (1)</strong>

    New Life (1)

    [The investigation intost night¡¯s Recordark I attack is still ongoing. Although the Edsi Police Department has seeded in identifying the perpetrator, they have yet to disclose their identity¡­]

    Elise turned off the news. The TV news was full of gossip about yesterday¡¯s incident.

    Slice- Slice-

    Instead, she listened to the sound of an apple being peeled while looking out the window.

    Slice- Slice-

    It was regr and neat. Quiet and calm. As peaceful as it was, it was strangely ufortable. It was also burdensome.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, who had sighed, eventually looked back.

    ¡°¡­I told you nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°I heard it wasn¡¯t on the news. Anyway, I¡¯m d.¡±

    It was her mother, Celine. Celine offered a te of apples and asked indifferently.

    ¡°What happened to it?¡±

    Here, the pronoun ¡®it¡¯ refers to Yael. It means that they no longer consider him a person.

    ¡°I met him.¡±

    ording to her father, he was the disgrace of the Petra family and his biggest mistake.

    The only reason they didn¡¯t kill him was simply because of ¡®kin¡¯.

    Both of her parents hated him terribly, and he also detested his parents to a terrible extent, so Elise had deliberately gone to see him.

    ¡°He said he would stay still.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. What about the other one?¡±

    ¡°¡­The other one, you mean?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more besides you.¡±

    It was Shion Ascal.

    Eliseughed nonchntly.

    ¡°He was caught on the yground CCTV.¡±

    ¡°We just happened to meet. Our assignment was a treasure hunt.¡±

    She made that excuse. Celine just raised an eyebrow without saying a word.

    ¡°¡­But, how did that happen? That person.¡±

    Elise quickly changed the subject. Celine answered dryly.

    ¡°He¡¯s not even a human now.¡±

    Yael.

    He was her own older brother. He wasn¡¯t crazy from the start. At some point, he suddenly went mad and killed his grandfather and the knights of the family.

    The doctor exined his disease in one word.

    Possession.

    ¡°He¡¯s already dead, isn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t even worry about him.¡±

    He was dead.

    No, now he¡¯s ¡®nonexistent¡¯ in this world. Officially, that¡¯s the case.

    ¡°But¡­ what about the kid who was killed?¡±

    ¡°The son of that chief Inspector? What can we do about it.¡±

    Celine ate a piece of the apple she had just peeled as if she didn¡¯t care at all. Listening to the crunching sound, Elise asked.

    ¡°Do you know who Belendex is, by any chance?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. The one you suppressed with magic?¡±

    It was a bit embarrassing to say that she had suppressed him by herself considering the situation at that time¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s a copycat. Of Noah Lucille.¡±

    ¡°A copycat?¡±

    Celine continued with a nk expression.

    ¡°Yes. Noah Lucille went to find his copycat and killed him. That¡¯s what will be announced to the public. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not involved in that case at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise thought of Shion Ascal.

    He had said that Noah Lucille was innocent, but it was probably nonsense to survive.

    From the beginning, that ¡®Demon of Mirina¡¯ couldn¡¯t be a victim of false charges. He¡¯s a notorious murderer who even appears in textbooks.

    ¡°More importantly, when are you going to go for the witness investigation? I can adjust the schedule for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go on the weekend.¡±

    Unnecessarily going on a weekday could mess up my condition.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Celine rose from her seat. There was no worry for her child till the end.

    Was it because she trusted me, or was it due to ack of interest?

    Considering my father never shows up, it¡¯s probably thetter.

    ¡°Yes. You may leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡±

    Suddenly, Celine turned around with a smirk.

    ¡°The new Elorence 2013 S/S collection will be delivered by this week.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Elise responded with a simr smile.

    Elorence. A master of luxury fashion, even their cheapest lineup costs 10,000 Ren per piece. In addition to Belinta, Zeolre, Lumiere, and others, Celine always offers me thetest luxury items that everyone in the world desires.

    ¡°Dress beautifully.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The rumor was that this S/S collection was especially good. Even though I¡¯ll only wear them once, just imagining the scent of the new clothes piled up in the dressing room¡­ it slightly lifts my mood.

    Sometimes, people filled with jealousy say, ¡®The person who wears it first should be more luxurious than the clothes,¡¯ but in fact, it¡¯s the opposite. I am already luxurious, so what I wear must also be luxurious.

    Ding-ding¡ª

    Suddenly, an rm rang on my smartphone.

    [Hey, are you okay? Do we need toe?]

    It was a message from Kain.

    ¡°Kain, huh? Traxil?¡±

    Celine had already peeked. Elise hid her smartphone with a roll of her eyes.

    ¡°What. Between mother and daughter. The demand for mana stones is rising these days, so he¡¯ll probably be thrilled. The trend of high stone prices will continue for the next decade or so, so stay close.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve been friends for 10 years already.¡±

    ¡°See? Then I¡¯ll go. Call me if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Celine waved her hand and left the hospital room.

    Click-

    The door closed quietly.

    And so, Elise was left alone.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alone in the hospital room.

    The sunlight outside the window wasnguid, but inside, there was only her.

    She first opened the window. The wind rushed in.

    Alone.

    She put her hand on her chest again. Her heart hurt.

    Because she was alone.

    Her breathing was rapid.

    Because there was no one but her.

    She tried to endure it by gritting her teeth.

    It didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise quickly got up. She opened the door while gasping for breath and ran out barefoot.

    Fortunately, there was someone in the hallway.

    A nurse.

    She looked at her with surprised eyes.

    ¡°Are, are you okay?¡±

    Now, she was not alone.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    Elise took a deep breath slowly.

    Her heartbeat quickly calmed down, and the panic subsided.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, if there¡¯s anything-¡±

    ????¡ª

    ssical music rang from her smartphone. It was a call. The name ¡®Inspector Renzet¡¯ was disyed on the screen.

    ¡ªMiss, it¡¯s Renzet.

    Inspector Renzet from the police station. Petra, one of the people especially friendly to Elise. Simply put, a person receiving ¡®sponsorship¡¯.

    ¡°Yes, Inspector. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡ªDo you know a witness named Shion Ascal?

    ¡°¡­I know him. We were together at that time. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Elise asked, brushing her hair back.

    ¡ªYes. Inspector Rena suddenly came and is conducting an investigation on the witness Shion Ascal arbitrarily¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Elise¡¯s brows furrowed.

    There are many allies like Renzet in various parts of the continent, but conversely, there are definitely those who are not friendly to Petra, not merely refusing ¡®sponsorship¡¯, but are clearly hostile.

    Among them, Inspector Rena Heller is a representative figure.

    ¡°Have you told my father?¡±

    ¡ªI haven¡¯t yet.

    ¡°Then stay put. I¡¯ll go right now.¡±

    Elise quickly put on her sneakers.

    ¡­I¡¯m sitting in the witness investigation room right now. Across from me is not a police officer, but a Inspector.

    ¡°In fact, this witness investigation is not important since the suspect has already been identified.¡±

    Her undernourished, fluffy orange hair sways in front of my eyes.

    ¡°Still, I just have one simple question.¡±

    The body odor of someone who just took a bath, whether it¡¯s shampoo or body wash, tickles my nose.

    ¡°Mr. Shion. You entered the Recordark istion area, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Inspector, Rena Heller. She, sitting on the investigation room desk, looked down at me and asked.

    I answered.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Anyone who looks at the CCTV can see that you entered there. We don¡¯t book for that. You could enter while treasure hunting. Just, wasn¡¯t there someone like this in the istion area?¡±

    Rena casually extended a picture of someone. I saw his face.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know who that is, and I told you I didn¡¯t enter the istion area.¡±

    I answered briefly and pushed the picture back in.

    ¡°¡­Hey. If you lie badly, it can be a big problem~?¡±

    Rena came over to the side and pulled out her smartphone. Her damp hair tickled my cheek.

    ¡°Look.¡±

    There was a video on her smartphone. It was a CCTV screen.

    ¡°You¡¯re crossing the yground, very confidently. At the end, there¡¯s the istion area.¡±

    This can¡¯t be. I didn¡¯t expect they would obtain the CCTV from Recordark¡­

    Actually, I expected it.

    As long as there¡¯s an excuse for treasure hunting, it¡¯s more rational to go openly than to hide.

    ¡°I only went near it. To look for treasure.¡±

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re lying. You entered here. I came knowing everything, didn¡¯t I? In the istion area, there was someone else besides you, right?¡±

    Rena whispered quietly in my ear.

    ¡ªElise Petra.

    I stared at her quietly, then retorted briefly.

    ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t go in.¡±

    At that moment, Rena¡¯s expression hardened. She tilted her gaze slightly, scanned my body, and then scoffed.

    ¡°¡­Tsk. Look, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to lose out here. Don¡¯t you know? Elise is fine. She¡¯s got plenty of backing. But do you think you¡¯ll be okay? What do you have? A house? A car? Backing?¡±

    Thunk¡ª Rena kicked the leg of my chair.

    ¡°You know what they call people like you? Lower-ss citizens. And when lower-ss citizens get caught lying, it¡¯s game over. The nobles won¡¯t help you. So just tell the truth, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Rena drummed on the desk. I remained silent, then picked up the photo that wasid on it.

    ¡°Good~ Now we¡¯re getting somewhere. In the istion area, Elise was talking to the person in this photo, right? Just tell me that. I¡¯m not asking for much. It won¡¯t harm you, and you won¡¯t be held responsible.¡±

    The photo.

    Probably, Rena Heller thought it was a picture of a person named ¡®Yael¡¯.

    Looking at it, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t recognize this face.¡±

    It¡¯s not a lie.

    I¡¯ve never seen this face before.

    It¡¯s not Yael. The appearance ispletely different.

    I don¡¯t know where she picked up this photo, but the most important part is a wild goose chase.

    The Petra family is not ipetent. Rather than blindly erasing information, it¡¯s more efficient to spread multiple pieces of false information.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but you¡¯re barking up the wrong tree. I, a lower-ss citizen, don¡¯t know this person.¡±

    I pushed the photo back towards her. Rena¡¯s lips twisted into a grimace.

    ¡°Hey, do you know who that is? Do you know who you¡¯re covering for?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a murderer. Not just a murderer who killed one or two people. Elise Petra was with that murderer. You still won¡¯t talk?¡±

    Well, Yael is indeed a psychopath and a murderer.

    It¡¯s a definite Achilles¡¯ heel for Petra in the uing re-election.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Ironically, I dislike the Petra family itself, no less than this Inspector Rena Helder.

    If she is trying to bring down Petra, I might be willing to help.

    ¡°I won¡¯t talk.¡±

    But not for Yael.

    I hope he livesfortably and diesfortably. I hope he doesn¡¯t get tossed around and oxidize because of someone like me, like in his previous life.

    Now, she won¡¯t push it any further.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say you don¡¯t know, but you won¡¯t¡­ I clearly gave you a chance to speak honestly. You didn¡¯t take it. Now get lost.¡±

    Whooosh¡ª! Rena, who had torn up the photo, mmed the door. I got up from my seat and was about to leave when I turned to look at her.

    ¡°But, don¡¯t you have a business card?¡±

    ¡°What? Why do you need a business card?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Rena looked at me like I was crazy and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Heh. Hehe. Ah, a business card. Right. I should give you my business card¡­¡­.¡±

    She took out a business card from her pocket, pretended to hand it to me, then crumpled it up.

    She flicked the crumpled card at me like a piece of trash.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    I silently picked up the discarded item.

    [Rena Heller] [Inspector, Criminal Division]

    [Affiliation: Edsi Inspector¡¯s Office]

    Rena Heller.

    The Chief Inspector ten years from now.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve received your business card.¡±

    Among the people I know, she is one of the very few who can be called ¡®just¡¯.

    In this rotten world, she is a person who fervently pursues and holds onto the most insignificant value.

    Among public officials, she is probably one of the few.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you from time to time. When I have something to report.¡±

    Rena waved her hand and said.

    ¡°Hey. Just get lost. Before I find some crime to pin on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving even if you tell me not to. I have a ss at 1 PM.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Just get lost. It¡¯s disgusting that someone like you is my junior. So disgusting.¡±

    Rena shook her head vigorously.

    I neatly put her business card in the inner pocket of my uniform and went outside.

    ¡ª¡ªGrrrr!

    Suddenly, a strong hunger rose from my stomach. The people in the police station corridor nced at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Where¡¯s the cafeteria?¡±

    I hurriedly looked for the cafeteria, then stopped.

    Sniff- Sniff-

    I smelled the air. A familiar scent flowed into my nostrils.

    ¡°This¡­¡­.¡±

    It was the scent of Elise¡¯s perfume.

    ¡°Is she also being investigated?¡±

    I walked nonchntly.

    Whether it¡¯s Elise or whatever, I feel like I¡¯m going to die of hunger right now.

 Chapter 56: Debts (2)

    <strong>Debts (2)</strong>

    At the bus stop of the Edsi Police Station, I¡¯m sitting on a bench waiting for the bus.

    ¡°Ah, that was delicious.¡±

    My stomach is already full.

    The cafeteria in the police station, cost-effective. I think I ate about 6-7 servings of pork cutlet, wheat noodles, and hamburger steak, but it only cost me 20 Ren.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m full.¡±

    The swordsmanship ss this week is in the afternoon, so I have plenty of time.

    As I¡¯m waiting for the bus, rubbing my bloated stomach, someone quietlyes and sits at the very end of the bench.

    That is, at the farthest edge of this long bench from me.

    A floral scent wafted over.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡±

    It was Elise.

    She spoke while keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead.

    ¡°Do you know who Belendex is?¡±

    She¡¯s talking nonsense. Did she eat something wrong somewhere?

    Anyway, Belendex is the guy who bit me in the side in Recordark.

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    ¡°You know?¡±

    Elise squinted one eye and asked again.

    ¡°He¡¯s the murderer who died yesterday, Belendex.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ correct, but¡­¡±

    Elise, who had stopped speaking, shook her head back and forth.

    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s my fault for asking you.¡±

    With that, she immediately stood up from her seat.

    Whether she has something to say but doesn¡¯t want to, or whether she came even though she has nothing to say.

    To her, who came and is about to leave again, I calmly added.

    ¡°He¡¯s the real culprit.¡±

    Elise¡¯s small back stiffened. She turned her face to the side and asked again.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the real culprit. The real culprit of the Noah Lucille case.¡±

    In other words, the owner of the crime that Noah Lucille was framed for. The so-called ¡®Demon of Mirina¡¯.

    The human garbage psychopath who killed 77 people in the city of Mirinae was already in prison.

    Already 10 years ago, for a different murder.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise seemed to be stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head.

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Belendex is Noah Lucille¡¯s copycat. He¡¯s a copycat, so Noah Lucille is the one who actually killed him.¡±

    Hmm. It seems like she picked up nonsense somewhere, or rather, heard nonsense somewhere.

    I asked.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So, ask your brain. Your im that Noah Lucille was framed is wrong. If Noah Lucille was really framed in the first ce, why would he kill the real culprit? Rather, he should keep him alive to correct-¡±

    ¡°He has no intention of correcting it.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡­.¡±

    At that moment, Elise¡¯s words were cut off. I shrugged my shoulders and continued my words.

    ¡°Because it won¡¯t be corrected. Because 19 years have passed.¡±

    His time won¡¯te back.

    The 19 years that have already passed, the life that has disappeared, and the stolen future will nevere back.

    Unless you regress like me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know. You haven¡¯t even lived 19 years properly yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­I lost.¡±

    Elise spat out a pretty cute word. She red at me with a furrowed brow and crossed her arms.

    I said to her.

    ¡°But who was that prisoner in the istion zone at that time? The Inspector kept asking.¡±

    For a moment, her body flinched on the bench, but she soon wore a somewhat high-handed expression.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s a non-existent person. You should not think any further.¡±

    Then she shot me a sharp look.

    ¡°Petra is much more ruthless than you imagine. It means you should forget.¡±

    It¡¯s almost a threat.

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Of course.¡±

    I nodded obediently. Elise quietly flicked her hair.

    ¡°Now, disappear.¡±

    She told me to disappear, but she was the one who got up first.

    Did she really eat something wrong?

    Anyway, Elise walked somewhere. There was a luxury sedan at her destination.

    ¡°What a hateful 19-year-old.¡±

    Again, I hate Elise. The same goes for Petra.

    They are rted to my mother¡¯s death, directly and indirectly, so there¡¯s no reason to like them.

    Therefore, Yael¡¯sst will and request, ¡®Destroy Petra but protect Elise,¡¯ is hard for me to fulfill, and I still find it difficult to understand what it means.

    But it can¡¯t be helped.

    I¡¯m a person who tries to keep promises. Especially a promise with a benefactor of life.

    So I actually worked under Elise Petra, and I learned about Elise¡¯s PTSD because of that experience.

    Even if it¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to do, I tried my best.

    Because you can¡¯t live life doing only what you want.

    Vroom¡ª!

    As I watched Elise¡¯s departing sedan, I muttered quietly.

    ¡°You¡­ need to be careful from now on.¡±

    As Elise said, Petra is very ruthless. Therefore, she has many enemies.

    Therefore, with the election approaching, Elise will also be involved in various incidents, including kidnapping, attempted assassination, and more.

    The future Elise, who has experienced all these incidents, grows into a monster even more than her parents and the elders of the family, but Yael wouldn¡¯t want that to happen¡­

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯sing now.¡±

    The bus I was waiting for appeared in the distance. I got up from the bench and stretched out my arm.

    Inside the sedan returning to the mansion, Elise was lost in thought, looking out the car window.

    She had personally viewed the video of Rena Heller investigating Shion Ascal. It was thanks to the secretive and proactive cooperation of Superintendent Renzet.

    However, during that interrogation process, Shion didn¡¯t say a word to the Inspector. He was consistently silent, even against the Inspector¡¯s persuasion.

    It¡¯s a strange thing.

    The words he said in Recordarkst night still echo in my ears.

    ¡ªI hate you. You, your fucking family, much more than you all think.¡±

    He was the first person to show such direct hostility towards her. It was also the first time she had faced such pure and clear malice with her own eyes.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s strange.

    With just one word to Rena, ¡®I saw the person in that photo-¡®, he could have caused quite a stir. Even if he didn¡¯t know who Yael was, he could have put her in a difficult situation.

    Why on earth did that monkey-like guy¡­

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Just then, the driver in the front seat asked.

    Berthe Condolf. He is the third-ranked elite Knight. He¡¯s also her father¡¯s valet.

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Elise casually brushed off the question.

    Of course, she is the only direct descendant of Petra, and in the future, she will inherit everything, but her parents¡¯ valets are still burdensome to her.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The escort knight focused on driving and continued.

    ¡°Mr. A has been transferred to the psychiatric ward, Miss.¡±

    Mr. A is Yael. The family¡¯s valets, that is, my father¡¯s closest aides, call Yael ¡®A¡¯.

    It means they don¡¯t even utter his name.

    ¡°So what? He¡¯s going back to prison soon anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true.¡±

    Red light.

    As the car came to a temporary halt, the escort knight stretched his arm to the backseat and handed her something.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    Seeing it, Elise was taken aback. It was the rabbit doll ¡®Cookie¡¯.

    ¡°It was found inside the istion zone.¡±

    ¡°¡­That was a close call.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The doll is an approved item for removal, so they thought it was a guard or prisoner¡¯s possession.¡±

    Elise epted the rabbit.

    Cookie, back in her hands again.

    It¡¯s strange and she feel sorry.

    She put a lot of effort into making it, but was it because she only used it as a means to treat PTSD?

    She kept losing it carelessly, and even though she lost it, it finds its way back to her.

    ¡­I won¡¯t lose you anymore.

    A thought brushed past Elise¡¯s mind like an electric current.

    This Cookie has an automatic recording feature that works once every 48 hours.

    As soon as Elise returned home, she disassembled Cookie.

    After all, the main body of Cookie is not the doll¡¯s clothes or cotton, but the Magic Spell and mana core. As long as they are not damaged, no matter what the appearance, Cookie is still Cookie¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s it.

    Elise breathed magic into Cookie¡¯s mana core. The part of the Magic Spell connected to the mana core responsible for recording glowed blue.

    ©¤It¡¯s okay. The doll is an approved item for removal, so they thought it was a guard¡¯s possession.

    The voice of the escort knight, Berthe, was yed. It was about 15 minutes ago.

    Elise rewound the time.

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª The mana core and Magic Spell flickered blue again, and thump-.

    When she thought it was about time, she released the magic.

    ©¤Yael.

    The voice at that moment was Elise herself, calling Yael. What a remarkable timing.

    Elise yed the recording, feeling smug about herself.

    ©¤Oh. You came. You came. My little sister.

    Her mood soured again.

    The word ¡®little sister¡¯ always gives her chills.

    If a man who gruesomely dismembered people andughed disgustingly amidst the carnage called her ¡®little sister¡¯, anyone woulde to hate the word itself.

    ©¤¡­I told you not to call me that.

    There was a bit of static noise, but Cookie recorded it clearly.

    ©¤Oh, so it¡¯s a crime to call a sister a sister¡­.

    There was nothing special about the conversation itself upon hearing it again.

    Despite that, Elise recorded those conversations on herptop.

    ¡ª¡ªKraaaaaa!

    ©¤You little shit!

    It was the moment when Yael took advantage of the magic storm to startle her.

    Judging by the thump- and the shaking sound, Cookie must have been dropped at this time.

    ©¤Eeeek!

    ¡°¡­¡­Delete.¡±

    With her face turning red, Elise removed this part from the record.

    Anyway, at this point, Elise left the istion zone.

    So from now on, it¡¯s just Shion Ascal and Yael.

    ©¤You, must be disappointed?

    Yael said. As he feared, he started a conversation with Shion Ascal.

    What kind of useless talk could it be?

    ©¤What about?

    Shion Ascal in the recording responded. Elise was on high alert. She clutched her smartphone just in case.

    Depending on the situation, she might have to report to her father. She might have to clean up after Shion Ascal.

    Yael¡¯s crime is not just murder, so if he revealed that ¡®secret¡¯ to Shion¡­

    ©¤You seem to have followed Elise, but it probably won¡¯t work out for you.

    ©¤What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?

    ©¤What am I talking about.

    But, the flow of the conversation is a bit strange.

    ©¤Her ideal type is a tall man. You won¡¯t make the cut.

    ¡°What is he saying¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise frowned. She didn¡¯t have an ideal type in the first ce. But that¡¯s not the problem.

    However, what came next.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s response was a bit strange.

    ©¤That¡¯s unfortunate to hear.

    ¡°¡­¡­Unfortunate?¡±

    ©¤Ha! You¡¯re honest.

    ¡°Honest?¡±

    After this, the conversation is hard to hear due to the wind and storm sounds.

    ¡°¡­¡­Uh.¡±

    Elise unknowingly shivered. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt a chill. Something about her throat felt eerie and dreadful¡­

    She silently rewound the recording.

    ©¤What am I talking about. Her ideal type is a tall man.

    ©¤That¡¯s unfortunate to hear.

    ©¤Ha! You¡¯re honest.

    That¡¯s unfortunate to hear.

    Thinking about it, Shion Ascal¡¯s physique is not just ¡®tall¡¯.

    Then, the meaning of ¡®unfortunate¡¯ is¡­¡­

    Chills ran down her spine. Concentrated hatred, contempt, and loathing surged from deep within her chest.

    No, it can¡¯t be.

    There¡¯s no way.

    He hates her. He said so himself.

    However.

    If by any chance, no, if by one in a hundred thousand chance, it¡¯s some bullshit like ¡®I started to hate you because I liked you too much¡¯, then Shion Ascal is a man who must die. A man who must be killed.

    Of course, she¡¯s familiar with this kind of situation.

    Elise Petra¡¯s beauty is so wless that even she acknowledges it, and because she has lived the so-called ¡®life of an idol¡¯, receiving envy and jealousy from the same sex, and love and admiration from the opposite sex.

    Naturally, she had many stalkers, and many people obsessed with her.

    But this time, the target is different.

    If that monkey-like bastard dares to harbor even a tiny bit of vile intentions towards her¡­

    Her lips instinctively gnawed.

    Wasn¡¯t the person he admired, that pitiful and pathetic person, Soliette?

    Could he be a lunatic who likes anyone beautiful, regardless of their age or gender?

    Elise silently thought and got up. She forcibly suppressed her anger and murderous intent.

    Instead, she picked up one of the stuffed animals that filled her bed and dissected it. She stuffed Cookie¡¯s mana core and Magic Spell into its body.

    It was a rabbit again.

    A slightly whiter rabbit.

    Elise nodded indifferently and muttered.

    ¡°Cookie, resurrect.¡±

 Chapter 57: Tomorrow (1)

    <strong>Tomorrow (1)</strong>

    The Endex on a Thursday afternoon is peaceful.

    The incident that urredst night at Recordark is stered all over the news, but Endex seems unaffected.

    After all, there are no College Board scores assigned to the special experience, and the deceased are from other magic high schools.

    The current Endex admission is much more important than the already deceased seniors from other schools.

    ¡°Nice to see you. It¡¯s already the third week of Swordsmanship.¡±

    Perhaps for that reason.

    Instructor Jeoly started the ss as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Today we have a bit more people, they are all your seniors. They are college students from Endex.¡±

    There were many cadets in the swordsmanship training room. They were all dressed in the uniform of the prestigious magic university¡¯s knight department.

    ¡°They are the kind seniors who took the time to help with your assignments, so let¡¯s wee them with apuse.¡±

    p, p- The seniors also pped. The cadets had a smug expression.

    ¡°You will pair up to check the assignments.¡±

    Upon hearing that we would pair up, I inadvertently looked around. Then, I made eye contact with Elise. Her expression froze instantly. Her sincere killing intent whirled like a de.

    I quickly turned my head.

    She must have gone crazy all of a sudden.

    ¡°It¡¯s alphabetical. You can go into one training room per pair. First, training room 1 is Gail and Gitten, training room 2 is Gerkhen Kal Doon and Baran¡­¡­¡±

    A name caught my ear as I was half-listening.

    ¡°Training room 13, Shion and Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked back at Soliette. She was only looking straight ahead.

    The two of us stood in training room 13.

    A male cadet was waiting at the door.

    ¡°Haha. Who is this? Long time no see, Soliette?¡±

    He spoke to Soliette first. His smiling face was quite mixed.

    ¡°Yes. Long time no see, Mr. Stegen.¡±

    Stegen?

    I know the name. I saw him once in the Knight Council before, no, before the regression.

    He¡¯s probably not a bad guy. I remember him being quite a funny person.

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯ll be a junior next year, shouldn¡¯t you call me senior?¡±

    Stegenughed out loud, but there was no change in Soliette¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡­¡±

    He looked a bit awkward and looked at me next to Soliette.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    I thought that was the end of it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    Stegen opened the door to the training room.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, my head spun. My legs stumbled over each other. The side wound from Recordark throbbed heavily.

    I almost fell, but managed to keep my bnce.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette nced at me and went into the training room.

    ¡°Oh, are you anemic?¡±

    I shook off the feeling and followed her.

    ¡­¡­Edsi National Magic University, Knight Department, first-year cadet.

    A former 4-star high school student who was admitted to the best university on the continent this year, and a promising 3-star knight who is honing his sword.

    ¡®Stegen Ren Joel¡¯ feels nervous after a long time.

    It¡¯s almost the same as the trembling of the heart when taking the final entrance exam.

    Perhaps, it was because of Soliette.

    He had been watching her from afar since his days at Endex, but back then, he could barely exchange a few words with her. Soliette was always on a high pedestal. They were both nobles, but their statuses were different. She was as distant as a flower on a cliff.

    But now, things were different.

    He had be a first-year knight student at Edsi National Magic University, with a guaranteed future.

    Moreover, she was now deeply wounded. She was going through a very difficult time.

    If only he could fill her sorrow and loss. If only he could create such a movie-like story¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Shall we start right away?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette and¡­ was it Shion? Anyway, the man responded.

    Stegen nced at the score sheet.

    [Shion Ascal]

    It was Shion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with you.¡±

    Stegen pointed at Shion with his finger.

    Since Soliette was bound to be perfect, he could show his prestige and skill as a first-year knight student at Edsi National Magic University by using Shion as a teaching aid.

    ¡°Draw your wooden sword.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shion Ascal drew his wooden sword.

    ¡°Hmm. Your stance is good.¡±

    His posture was straight, and his body was surprisingly not bad. He looked a bit smallpared to other swordsmen, but his reach seemed oddly long.

    ¡°Well. You know the Five Basic Forms, right?¡±

    ¡°It was homework. I¡¯ve practiced.¡±

    ¡°Show me.¡±

    He executed the Five Basic Forms in the air.

    Triangle cut. The wooden sword smoothly drew three sides. There was a regr rhythm in his advancing steps.

    Circr cut. A round vertical cut swept through the air. The wind rose and brushed his clothes.

    Curved cut. The first and second strikes of the wooden sword connected in a straight line and a diagonal line, and the third strike sprung up the next moment, forming an ¡®N¡¯.

    Rapid thrust. He jabbed seven times in 1.5 seconds. It was exactly the passing cut line.

    sh. He raised the de of the wooden sword and cut through the air honestly. A heavy sword wind was carried in one blow.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Stegen, a first-year knight student at Edsi National Magic University, was slightly surprised.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s initial movements were textbook perfect. All actions were urately textbook level, and there was no part to fault.

    This was not supposed to happen.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. Not bad. You¡¯re good at following. Just like the textbook.¡±

    Stegen, a first-year knight student at Edsi Magic University, revised his strategy.

    Shion tilted his head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a pass if I do it ording to the textbook?¡±

    ¡°Pass¡­¡­ yes, but. Are you going to live a life that¡¯s always just passing?¡±

    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like that.¡±

    He¡¯s a guy who only hopes to maintain the status quo. Stegen snapped his fingers left and right.

    ¡°No. The textbook is just a standard. You can¡¯t be a good swordsmen by just following the standard. You need to incorporate variations into the standard. Understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    ¡°You seem to not understand. I¡¯ll show you the triangle cut first. Stand there.¡±

    Stegen drew his wooden sword. Then, leaning his center of gravity a little more forward, he stepped quickly like fencing and swished¡ª!

    He swung almost simultaneously on all three sides.

    At first nce, it was just a fast triangle cut, but if you stop thinking there, you¡¯re a novice.

    At the tip of his sword was a ¡®spin¡¯. A whirlwind-like wind actually stirred Shion¡¯s hair.

    ¡°How about it? This is called ¡®spin¡¯. If you apply rotation to the tip of the sword, the burden inflicted on the opponent is upgraded.¡±

    It¡¯s a very difficult technique. If the sword doesn¡¯t draw a delicate curve, it¡¯s prone to miss.

    ¡°By doing this, you don¡¯t have to swing hard to double the power. You know how masters seem to swing lightly, but each strike is incredibly strong? They¡¯re all utilizing this ¡®spin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    Shion seemed uninterested. Stegen was offended.

    Does he not know how valuable this lesson is? Even in his own dojo, only the top students can learn this, a lesson worth tens of thousands of Ren.

    ¡°¡­Right. You won¡¯t know by just watching. Try to block it. Draw your sword.¡±

    Stegen gritted his teeth slightly. Then, Shion also raised his wooden sword.

    ¡°Can you handle it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Stegen immediately unfolded the Five Basic Forms¡ªTriangr sh. He intended to actually hit at least once.

    After all, it¡¯s just a wooden sword.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    ng¡ª¡ª!

    Three friction sounds rang out in just one second. The wooden sword clearly drew three sides. It left a clear trajectory. There was definitely spin and vibration.

    But, not one touched his skin.

    All were blocked.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    A defense so clean that even he, an ¡®Edsi Knight School freshman¡¯, was taken aback.

    ¡°Hmm~¡±

    The opponent himself doesn¡¯t even seem to know what he did, murmuring in admiration.

    ¡°Indeed, adding spin does put more power into it. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°¡­That, that¡¯s right? See.¡±

    ¡°Can I try it too?¡±

    Shion asked, fiddling with his sword. Stegen asked back, pretending to be rxed.

    ¡°Sure, why not. But¡­ junior, where did you learn swordsmanship?¡±

    ¡°My father was a knight.¡±

    ¡°Really? Which knight order-¡±

    ¡°A lower-ranked knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A lower-ranked knight is, frankly, just a civil servant. A lower ss that isn¡¯t even recognized as a knight. It takes a whopping 15 years to be promoted from a lower-ranked knight to a middle-ranked knight.

    He, an ¡®Edsi Knight School student¡¯, would be a high-ranked knight just by passing the graduation exam.

    Stegen brushed his hair and said.

    ¡°Give it a try.¡±

    He raised his wooden sword.

    Since Soliette is watching, he has no intention of going easy. Let¡¯s give the junior a proper education.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to do it slowly but surely.¡±

    Shion gripped his wooden sword.

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±

    The distance between them was about five steps. It was plenty of room for Stegen. He could see and respond to any mischief.

    ¡°Here I go.¡±

    In an instant, the guy¡¯s foot lifted off the ground.

    First Step.

    In simple terms, ¡®first step¡¯, in long terms, ¡®the act of taking a step that breaks the static state¡¯.

    Unlike other steps, the First Step has a very significant meaning of dynamic transition from exploration tobat.

    It¡¯s a very important ability as it¡¯s directly connected to the right to attack first¡­¡­.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    Shion¡¯s body sprung forward like a spring. In just one step, he closed a distance of five paces.

    The first stroke of the Triangr sh, swung by the man who had approached him in an instant.

    A vertical sh from the upper right to the lower left.

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    Stegen blocked as usual, but a sound like a cannon echoed from the collision of the wooden swords.

    Kwaa¡ª¡ª!

    His eardrums vibrated. The rotation at the end of the sword had caused the air to explode.

    ¡°Kuk!¡±

    The shock was insane. Saliva flew from his mouth. His shoulder and arm twisted involuntarily, and his standing foot was pushed back.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡±

    The moment he unknowingly gritted his teeth, the second stroke rushed in.

    A horizontal sh pushing up from the lower left to the right. The spin of the de looked too dangerous to receive with a bare body.

    Should I turn on the Magic Body?

    As he hesitated, the second strike approached.

    Kwoong¡ª¡ª!

    This time it was like a bomb. His grip actually burst slightly. The surface of the wooden sword was scorched.

    It¡¯s not over yet.

    Now, thest of the Triangr sh.

    The third upward strike.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Stegen, a ¡®Knight School freshman¡¯, watched the wooden swording at him. The saw-like de, which was spinning with a whirlwind, somehow felt slow to his eyes. Like slow motion¡­¡­ Wait.

    Isn¡¯t this a strobe light?

    Standstill-!

    The wooden sword stopped when he felt the threat to his life. The whirlwind also dispersed in an instant.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Stegen unknowingly swallowed his saliva.

    ¡°Checking the feel.¡±

    Shion, who muttered so, suddenly dropped his wooden sword. He walked to the corner of the training room andy down on the floor.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Stegen and Soliette blinked their eyes and watched him.

    Soliette asked first.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Shion looked back at them. Hisplexion had turned blue.

    ¡°I overdid it a bit yesterday¡­¡­.¡±

    He fell asleep without finishing his sentence.

    No, did he faint?

    No, is he dead?

    ¡°¡­¡­Soliette. Is he a friend you know well?¡±

    Instead of answering, Soliette pointed at Stegen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Blood.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Blood?¡±

    ¡°Your hand is bleeding.¡±

    Stegen also looked at his hand. Blood was flowing from his palm.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. That junior friend suddenly used Magic Body¡­ Haha.¡±

    ¡®Knight School freshman¡¯ Stegen thought so.

    It must be Magic Body.

    Of course, it¡¯s Magic Body.

    Because if it¡¯s not Magic Body, such power wouldn¡¯t have been produced. It shouldn¡¯t have been.

    Who swings a bomb with their bare body?

    ¡°He¡¯s quite¡­ a hitter. He seems talented. Is he aspiring to be a knight who uses a sword?¡±

    ¡®Freshman¡¯ Stegen tried to sound cool as he looked at Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡®Freshman¡¯ Stegen also silently gave full marks to Shion Ascal on the score sheet.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s Soliette junior¡¯s turn. Let¡¯s test the Five Basic Forms.¡±

    Even though the love that took care of Soliette¡¯s wounds seems to have gone down the drain, ¡®Stegen¡¯ doesn¡¯t care.

    With his conditions, he can meet someone better than Soliette.

    After all, the flower on the cliff is beautiful when viewed from afar, what kind of crazy madman would climb up the cliff to pick the flower?

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re bleeding quite a lot.¡±

    Soliette slightly furrowed her eyebrows. Stegen also looked at his palm.

    Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip¡ª¡ª

    It¡¯s flowing like a turned-on faucet.

    Stegenughed and said,

    ¡°Oh, this is okay. Just, ah~ I should have turned on Magic Body~¡±

    Trying to act casual, he unknowingly raised his hand and brushed his hair. His entire head was smeared with blood.

    ¡°Ah, my mistake. But you know, Soliette junior? Thebat power of a knight, you see. Depending on whether Magic Body is on or off, the difference can be at least double, up to five times. I¡¯m the type who has a big difference whether Magic Body is on or off¡­ If I had just turned on Magic Body, haha. Ah~ this Shion guy is quite sneaky. Turning on Magic Body without saying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 58: Tomorrow (2)

    <strong>Tomorrow (2)</strong>

    I took a sick leave.

    No matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn¡¯t move, and my head was spinning as if I was on a roller coaster.

    I was prepared for the deduction, but fortunately, Jeoly knew that I was directly involved in the Recordark incidentst night.

    Thanks to that, I received a ¡®special leave¡¯. It means there¡¯s no deduction even if I miss ss.

    ¡°¡­¡­The side effects are harsh.¡±

    It must be because of Perion again. It seems fine, but it goes down in an instant.

    Anyway.

    The current time is 11:45 PM.

    I¡¯m looking at the water from the back of the old building.

    By the way, I¡¯ve already made a hospital appointment.

    [Reservation Completed: Libra Medical Center, Aden Edsi Hospital]

    [Wednesday, March 28, 15:00.]

    Libra Medical Center, Aden Edsi Hospital. Thest Wednesday of March.

    Since today is March 21, it¡¯s exactly a weekter, which is about two weeks earlier than before the regression.

    At that time, I only got the test early, but the treatment schedule itself was very dyed.

    ¡°¡­¡­Life is shit.¡±

    I mumbled like that at the thought of starting chemotherapy again.

    Rustle-

    A human figure, draped in a nket, appeared from the bushes.

    It¡¯s Soliette.

    She trudged over and sat on the stone chair. Like me, she looked at theke and said,

    ¡°The third week¡¯s assignment in Swordsmanship is the Three Sword Forms.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, is that so?¡±

    The theme of the third week seemed to be sword forms.

    When you link more than three initial forms, it bes a sword form. If the initial form is a raw material, then the sword form is a pir. The pir that supports the building called swordsmanship.

    Here, the Three Sword Forms refer to the three most popr sword forms using the Five Basic Forms.

    The ¡®Five Basic Forms Three Sword Forms¡¯ can be seen as the basics of swordsmanship.

    ¡°And, please take this.¡±

    Soliette handed me a thick envelope. I looked inside.

    Twenty bills worth 1,000 Ren each.

    Exactly 20,000 Ren.

    ¡°Thanks for the sry.¡±

    ¡°How do you n to proceed with the investigation?¡±

    Soliette asked that first.

    Of course, she doesn¡¯t worry about me. She has little interest or curiosity about my physical condition.

    Of course, I don¡¯t feel bad or bitter about it.

    Because that¡¯s Soliette. Because we met for work now.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I need to reconstruct.¡±

    Knightmare is definitely alive, but knowing that fact alone doesn¡¯t mean I can track him. I still don¡¯t know Knightmare¡¯s identity.

    As I said, I was just a very small helper for Soliette, and she herself ended it with her own hands.

    ¡°¡­¡­Reconstruction, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I have to go to the scene where he killed people, reconstruct the incident, and fumble around in time.¡±

    For a moment, her expression froze coldly.

    I continued without caring.

    ¡°I have to trace his footsteps by going over all the incidents that have been revealed and those that haven¡¯t.¡±

    With that, I handed over the case file I had prepared in advance. The ¡®Knightmare Case File¡¯ that she must have read hundreds, thousands of times more than me.

    ¡°You decide the order.¡±

    The official death toll of the Knightmare incident was 17.

    Although this was significantly less than the Demon of Mirina, the social impact of Knightmare was different because it specifically targeted knights.

    I said to her,

    ¡°But, you won¡¯t be able to avoid what you want to avoid. You can¡¯t pick and choose your investigations.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Fuck. Understood.¡±

    Soliette murmured faintly. She took out a cigarette with trembling hands and lit it. The end of the cigarette glowed red.

    I leaned against a stone chair, looking up at the night sky. Suddenly, old memories surfaced from within its cold texture.

    Soliette had two people she cherished. One was her family, and the other was a close friend of that family.

    Jared and Felix.

    Their names are still unfamiliar to me, but to Soliette, they werepanions from birth. They had spent more days together than apart.

    Jared was Soliette¡¯s older brother by three years. From him, Soliette learned how to face the world and its attitudes.

    Felix was Jared¡¯s close friend, and the man Soliette loved. They always argued over trivial things, but it was because they liked each other. Because they were unsure of their feelings.

    Perhaps, she could have be Felix¡¯s lover. Maybe they could have promised eternity with Jared ¡®s blessing.

    That future was stained with blood in an instant.

    She realized her feelings were love only when the people she loved died.

    Before my regression, I wanted to be their substitute.

    Of course.

    It was impossible.

    When she killed herself, I realized I shouldn¡¯t even try to rece them.

    When she gave up on this world, I finally let go of my lingering feelings for her. I discarded all emotions of regret and affection.

    It¡¯s the same now.

    I just don¡¯t want to miss the chance to revive Soliette.

    I just hope she lives longer.

    In this life, I hope she finds her own worth.

    Because even if you love someone, they are not more precious than you.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Understood.¡±

    Soliette exhaled smoke. A sigh filled with color bloomed thickly in the night sky. She rubbed her cigarette into her personal ashtray and said,

    ¡°I¡¯ll ry it soon. Which case to start with.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    She got up.

    I didn¡¯t see her off as she retraced her steps.

    Ding-

    Just as I was about to immerse myself in thought, an inconsiderate rm from my smartphone.

    [Elise: Are you writing the script? Everyone seems to know what the oue will be except you.]

    It was Elise. I replied casually.

    [Yeah, writing.]

    [Elise: Okay. Good. I¡¯m curious, when will you finish the script and when will you find more people? You¡¯re a retarded kid who can¡¯t grasp reality or self-objectify. Why are you living? Die.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Did she suddenly go crazy?

    ¡°She must want to be the protagonist.¡±

    Anyway, you¡¯re going to be the protagonist since you¡¯re a woman.

    [Are you crazy? You be the protagonist, and you find the people. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pick a good script.]

    Once, I watched a musical that reinterpreted ¡®The Bard¡¯.

    The reason why the memory of that time is clear without needing to rely on a ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is not just because the people who went with me were Theia and Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    It was simply fun.

    Even I, who hated this world due to the Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, and Gerkhen Kal Doon, who seemed indifferent to anything other than promotion, were engrossed in the y to the point of forgetting everything at some moment.

    The story of ¡®The Bard¡¯ can be summarized as follows:

    First, the protagonist, The Bard, is the most sessful storyteller and singer, that is, a bard, in the kingdom.

    As usual, while performing on the street, he is invited by the king one day and goes to the pce. He stays there for a week preparing for the performance, when suddenly¡­

    A series of terrible murders ur.

    First, the chambein dies, then the regent, the baron, and even the prince die in the storm of serial killings, and The Bard gets caught up in it unknowingly¡­

    (Spoiler Alert)

    In fact, The Bard was the culprit.

    The Bard had a secret of birth.

    He was the illegitimate child of the king and a maid, that is, of royal blood.

    However, the queen, nobles from the maternal side, and the chambein, fearing a session dispute, pressured the bard¡¯s mother, and she eventually fled the pce and settled in a distant countryside with the young bard.

    The queen did not even allow that. She sent an assassin to kill his mother. They tried to kill the young bard as well, but he was hiding under the floor.

    He witnessed his mother dying from that floor.

    Therefore, The Bard is a revenge y. A reinterpretation that overturns the original genre of ¡®romance¡¯.

    However, love clearly existed in it. It was a tragedy caused by love alone.

    [Lunatic: I¡¯ll secure the roles as you said. I¡¯ll be the protagonist. But the deadline is three days. If it¡¯s not fun, or if your low-quality temperament shows, I¡¯ll cut it off immediately.]

    ¡°I want to throw a punchline.¡±

    I held back. Because Yael would swear at the same time.

    [Understood, now get lost.]

    Elise¡¯s reply ended there.

    Clemen Hall on Friday. As usual, Elise went to school with Kain, Asher, and La.

    As soon as she sat down, she started humming a tune without realizing it. Is it because of the protagonist role? She¡¯s feeling unusually good.

    In fact, she had already written the script based on ¡®The Cunning King¡¯. Shion Ascal¡¯s script would obviously be the worst.

    ¡°Did something good happen?¡±

    Kain asked. Kain and Asher looked tired together.

    They went to a clubst night.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Elise changed her expression to a sly one.

    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re going to be the protagonist~ That¡¯s nice~ I wish I could~ You don¡¯t even let me in~¡±

    It was a sharp criticism. La crossed her arms as if she was very upset.

    Elise quietly defended herself.

    ¡°¡­You said you didn¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    ¡°No! Who wants to be a background!¡±

    She had suggested the role of a tree to La. La¡¯s face would be the only part visible on a tree panel. Like a photo zone in a theme park.

    ¡°I think being a talking tree isn¡¯t too bad.¡±

    Elise replied naturally.

    It was a y with an invitation to ¡®Sermones Laeterni¡¯. She couldn¡¯t risk ruining it by unnecessarily involving La.

    ¡°Wow¡­ Elly, that¡¯s too much. Really. Fine. I¡¯ll ask Shion.¡±

    This time, Kain and Asher frowned.

    ¡°What are you asking that guy for? He¡¯s about to get dropped.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    La looked at them with an expression that said they were pathetic.

    ¡°You guys have been saying that for three weeks now, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­That bastard is holding up pretty well, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    When Asher turned to Kain and asked, Kainughed as if it was ridiculous.

    ¡°Exactly. How on earth, or why is that guy still alive¡­ Ah, my hangover is pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Shion.¡±

    Speak of the devil.

    Just then, Shion appeared.

    He walked in shakily and sat in the very back seat. La, being very careful, started to head towards him¡­

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    The front door of the hall opened, and the voice of the person in charge was heard. La quickly sat back down.

    ¡°Second time, huh?¡±

    This week¡¯s Friday person in charge was Shelton again.

    His specs as a wizard of the Magic Tower and a senior researcher are superior to those of Chedric and Asillen.

    ¡°Today¡¯s assignment is not only for Endex but also for all the seniors of the magic high schools participating in the college board¡­ It might be a bit tough for you all.¡±

    Everyone in Clemen Hall tensed up.

    The person in charge said it would be tough. It meant it would be seriously hard.

    ¡°You all will be entering the ¡®Magic Space¡¯.¡±

    At that, the tension in the room became higher than the oxygen level.

    Magic Space, simply put, means ¡®a space made of magic¡¯.

    It looks like a narrow shack from the outside, but when you go inside, it¡¯s as wide as several sports fieldsbined, or it¡¯s definitely underwater, but you can breathe, all these ces are Magic Spaces.

    50 years ago, it was a mysterious space that only urred naturally, but these days, with the advancement of technology, artificial construction has be possible.

    ¡°Be on your guard. Everything inside the Magic Space is real. Therefore, it can hurt you, and in severe cases, it can lead to death. The medium that maintains the Magic Space is the ¡®Magic Core¡¯.¡±

    The Magic Core is simply a higher version of the mana core. It can hold much more information than a mana core of the same mass, process much more magic, and is generally much more expensive, high-performance, and rare in all aspects.

    Therefore, the Magic Space created with the Magic Core will be almost as real as reality, and the dangers there will be as real as those in reality.

    ¡°The purpose of the assignment is only one.¡±

    Shelton said with a grin.

    ¡°Survive as long as possible for 30 hours.¡±

 Chapter 59: Magic Space Adaptation Training (1)

    <strong>Magic Space Adaptation Training (1)</strong>

    ¡°First, we will distribute smart watches before the task begins.¡±

    I nced at Shelton as he exined the task.

    Not a mana stone, not a mana core, but a mana nucleus. It reeked of something foul.

    ¡°This is a smart watch embedded with a mana stone. It will transport you into the magic space and stabilize your coordinates. Please put on your watches.¡±

    I reluctantly strapped the smart watch onto my wrist. No matter how much I disliked it, I couldn¡¯t just y truant.

    ¡°Each smart watch will be assigned a number. If your watch gets damaged, you will be disqualified from the task and forcibly returned.¡±

    Ding-

    A number appeared on the screen.

    [3333]

    Quite a nice number. I¡¯m satisfied.

    ¡°The task will begin in 3 minutes. The official name of the task is ¡®Magic Space Adaptation Training¡¯. As I mentioned, the goal is to endure for 30 hours, and after 27 hours, the number of survivors remaining will be disyed on your smart watch.¡±

    He pointed at his wristwatch as he spoke.

    ¡°Even if your watch isn¡¯t damaged, if you find yourself in a physically critical situation during the task, the watch¡¯s safety mechanism will return you early. Of course, we will be monitoring the situation.¡±

    I examined the smart watch. At first nce, it looked like a regr square-shaped watch.

    ¡°However, we cannot monitor mental stress. Although we can measure stress levels, we will not forcibly return you even if your stress or heart rate increases abnormally. After all, it¡¯s your grade. If you¡¯re mentally stressed, just press the surrender button on your watch.¡±

    Shelton looked around at the seniors as he spoke.

    ¡°One minute left. Prepare yourself for a very eerie space. It might be fun to find out what secrets are hidden?¡±

    The seniors each had tense expressions. I was curious about what he had nned.

    If it¡¯s not a money-making job, he wouldn¡¯t lift a finger, but if he¡¯se twice as a college board representative, he must have received an order from the magic tower.

    ¡°Try to keep your eyes closed as much as possible.¡±

    Shelton didn¡¯t give us time to think.

    ¡°Now¡­ let the task begin.¡±

    I closed my eyes too.

    Rumble¡ª¡ª!

    The floor shook. For a moment, the magic power surged dazzlingly, and my vision was filled with white.

    Whooosh¡­¡­.

    Before I could even register the change in reality, a gust of wind blew from somewhere. I snapped to attention. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in the cold.

    I quickly opened my eyes.

    ¡°¡­Where am I?¡±

    It looked like a hotel corridor. Red walls with candle-like lights twinkling at regr intervals, but the end of the corridor was not visible, as if swallowed by darkness.

    Vibrate-

    The smart watch vibrated.

    [Objective: Endure for 30 hours]

    Whooosh¡­¡­.

    The wind blew again. Goosebumps covered my body. My nose turned cold.

    How can it be so cold?

    I shivered and activated the enchant effect of my thermal underwear¡ª¡¸Heater¡¹.

    ¡°¡­Is this really indoors?¡±

    Thanks to that, I felt somewhat better, but the winter-like cold was still there. I walked with my coat tightly buttoned.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡±

    Every breath I take sends out a white puff of air, and my face and limbs, not fully covered by my thermal underwear, feel as if they¡¯re about to crack from the cold. My ears, in particr, feel as if they¡¯ve been torn apart.

    ¡°That damn Shelton is no help at all.¡±

    I muttered, scanning the surroundings.

    The hallway was filled with rooms, all numbered in the 200s.

    ¡°Must be the second floor, huh?¡±

    Suddenly, a green object glittering at the end of the hallway caught my eye. When I zoomed in with my SZX-9500, it turned out to be a vending machine.

    I rushed over and peered into the vending machine. It was filled with quite useful items. Drinks, water, meal kits, windbreakers, umbres, gloves, gas masks¡­

    There was also a framed notice next to it.

    [Holents Hotel wees all guests. The Holents Hotel has a total of 3,530 rooms and various facilities and services, including restaurants, bars, swimming pools, spas, fitness centers, and conference rooms.]

    ¡°Holents Hotel¡­¡±

    Why does it feel familiar? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of it before.

    Beep-

    Suddenly, my smartwatch vibrated.

    [Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]

    ¡°A clue?¡±

    I looked at my smartwatch. The number ¡¯10¡¯ appeared on the screen. The vending machine had a reader for tagging something instead of a coin slot, and there were numbers like prices attached to the items.

    Meal kits were 2. Windbreakers were 5. Gas masks were 20.

    So, am I supposed to earn coins like this and survive? Why is the gas mask so expensive?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I slowly looked around. There was no one.

    In that case.

    I stealthily reached out and grabbed the corner of the vending machine.

    Kuwaang¡ª¡ª¡ª! I shook it wildly. Enough to make the vending machine jolt violently.

    Thump thump thump thump¡ª¡ª! I hit the front of the vending machine with my elbow. Not once, but dozens of times in a row.

    But no matter how much I shook it, it was intact.

    ¡°Phew¡­ it¡¯s sturdy. Is it made of mana-processed stic?¡±

    I ced my palm on the transparent panel of the vending machine. I pushed it until it made a squeaky sound.

    ¡°¡­¡­Memorize.¡±

    After memorizing this material itself into the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I looked around.

    There was still no one.

    In that case.

    I stealthily took out the Magic Fork from my pocket. I heated the prong part with magic.

    The Memory to be invoked is: the mana-processed stic of this vending machine.

    The shape is: a blunt weapon optimal for breaking something.

    Then, the magic of the prongs twisted like a transparent crystal and formed the shape of a blunt axe.

    This is also a real Embodiment.

    ¡°¡­¡­????~¡±

    I hummed a tune and gripped the axe. At the same time, I deployed the ¡®severing sword¡¯.

    Ascal style, first stroke¡ª Unsheathing.

    The axe at my hip shot out like a bullet.

    Crack¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The vending machine was dented. The transparent panel was shattered.

    From now on, it¡¯s free.

    I put all the things like meal kits, drinks, and water into my bag. I wore clothes like windbreakers, gas masks, gloves, etc., which would help against the cold.

    ¡°I can survive.¡±

    Just as I turned around in a good mood.

    Someone appeared at the crossroads of the corridor.

    ¡°Tell everyone he¡¯s back again- I rapped, I spoke, I didn¡¯t die-¡±

    A woman with shit-colored hair, rapping off-beat.

    ¡°Whatever you do, I resurrect- You¡¯re my subordinate- I¡¯m not scared- Even if a ghost appears, I win¡­?¡±

    It was La, who had ash-gray hair justst week.

    ¡°¡­Who are you.¡±

    She paused abruptly, scanning me from head to toe.

    I checked my own appearance.

    A ck windbreaker with the hood up, a gas mask hiding the rest of my face under the hood, and an axe clutched in one hand.

    I reached out to her, whose eyes were bulging-

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±

    La screamed first and ran away.

    Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­

    ¡°!¡±

    A faint scream heard from somewhere. It was faint due to the distance, but it was enough to make Elise squirm.

    ¡°Hu, hum!¡±

    She managed to keep herposure.

    Elise was alone in the vast hotel corridor, but so far, she was holding up.

    Was it because the hotel itself was an open space?

    Or was it because she didn¡¯t feel ¡®alone¡¯ since a while ago?

    Either way, Elise was walking, looking for someone.

    Right now, she needed someone to apany her. Preferably someone easy to control-

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Suddenly, a long, thin foreign object flowed around the corner of the corridor.

    She shivered for a moment at the sight of the red hair that appeared before the face, but then she calmly called out the name.

    ¡°¡­Soliette.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ah. Elise. Nice to see you.¡±

    Even in this creepy ce, Soliette was peaceful. Was it the unppable nature of the knight family?

    ¡°Yeah. Nice to see you. Have you found anything?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but the hotel feels familiar.¡±

    ¡°Familiar?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I visited a hotel like this when I was young, but doesn¡¯t it seem like a phantom might appear?¡±

    Phantom.

    Ghosts and phantoms are different.

    The ¡®ghost¡¯ we encountered in thest mine ss was a ss 1 carcinogen and a ss A hazard, while a phantom is purely a spiritual entity. They even research it in the magic tower.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s a coincidence that we met, shall we join forces?¡±

    Elise asked nonchntly. She was wondering what reason she would give to persuade her if she said no.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Fortunately, Soliette nodded obediently.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start investigating.¡±

    The two walked side by side down the corridor. Soliette tried the doorknob every time a room appeared, but no door opened.

    ¡°Hold on. Let¡¯s stop for a moment.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise discovered something. On the wall of the corridor she was looking at, there was a picture frame.

    [Holenz Hotel Safety Rule No. 5: Please refrain from going out as much as possible from 10 PM to 6 AM.]

    Wee-ing- Wee-ing-

    Both of their smartwatches rang at the same time.

    [Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]

    Both had received the same message.

    ¡°Hmm. It seems to be a rule of this hotel, but if it¡¯s after 10 PM, we still have plenty of time.¡±

    At Soliette¡¯s words, Elise slightly lifted her gaze. She looked at the analog clock just above the safety instructions.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem otherwise when you look at that?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡­ Ah.¡±

    Soliette, who also looked up in the same direction, widened her eyes.

    ¡°1, 2, 3.¡±

    Elise counted three seconds with her mouth, and during that time, the second hand of the clock moved a whopping 24 spaces.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for it to be like that for no reason. It means that time here is eight times faster.¡±

    Wee-ing-

    As if confirming the answer, the clock rang.

    [Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]

    Soliette nodded her head.

    ¡°Then, this analog clock must be the real time.¡±

    ¡°Thirty hours here would be equivalent to ten days.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t matter since we¡¯re not actually enduring ten days.

    ¡°Then isn¡¯t it a problem? In just a little while, it¡¯ll be 10 PM¡­ It¡¯s already that time as we speak.¡±

    It was exactly 10 PM.

    Kyaaaaaah¡ª¡ª!

    Almost simultaneously, a scream rang out from somewhere. Elise was slightly surprised, but soon forced a smile.

    ¡°¡­Those who are scared of scary things will have a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Elise?¡±

    ¡°Do I look not okay to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m obviously fine. Hmph. What are you worrying about.¡±

    Soliette looked at Elise¡¯s pale earlobes. She saw the beads of sweat forming at the tip of her nose.

    She didn¡¯t point it out explicitly.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s find a way to get into the rooms first. Aren¡¯t you cold, Elise? I don¡¯t feel the cold, so I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­A little.¡±

    As she said, the biggest problem was the cold.

    Elise was enduring to some extent by activating Magic Body, but that also meant her mana and stamina were being consumed.

    ¡°There are stairs.¡±

    Just then, stairs appeared at one end of the corridor.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The current floor was the second floor. The hotel lobby is usually on the first floor, so it would be right to go down first.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The two were about to go down the stairs-

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I saw it.¡±

    They quickly ducked down.

    There were two monsters below. They had the physique of an average adult male, but their entire bodies were swollen like tumors, and things like bones, eyes, and ears were attached here and there on their dark red skin like fragments, giving them a rather gory appearance.

    Elise looked at Soliette.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the right.¡±

    Soliette also nodded her head.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go to the left.¡±

    They were enemies programmed with magic anyway. They should be able to suppress them sufficiently.

    Taaat-!

    The two dashed out like the wind. Elise first lodged a magic bullet into the vital point of one of them. Soliette delivered a flying kick to the jaw of the other.

    That was the end of it.

    The two monsters that were ambushed quickly lost their form.

    [Coins Acquired from Battle: 20]

    Looking at the watch ringing- Wee-ing-, Soliette shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°It seems they give coins for defeating monsters.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go down.¡±

 Chapter 60: Magic Space Adaptation Training (2)

    <strong>Magic Space Adaptation Training (2)</strong>

    [Room 311]

    Soliette and Elise surveyed the double room they had reserved.

    ¡°It¡¯s warm. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    A twin bedroom of a decent size. It was surprisingly clean, and above all, warm.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Elise, having deactivated her Magic Body, nced at the room¡¯s clock. As expected, time was flowing eight times faster.

    ¡°It seems the key is to keep earning coins and hold out in the room.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems so.¡±

    Elisey down on the bed.

    The side effects of Magic Body seemed to be creeping in. Her entire body feltnguid and soft. After all, the One Belt, Four Lines type of Magic Body was not a technique that a high school student could master. Operating it for 1-2 hours would lead to exhaustion.

    To Elise, Soliette asked,

    ¡°You¡¯ll be busy soon.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Elise slightly lifted her head while lying on the bed. Soliette added,

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the election.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    The re-election was not far off. Precisely one year and three months away.

    However, the behind-the-scenes work and power struggles were already in full swing, and when the election season arrived, Elise herself would have to help with the campaign.

    ¡°We¡¯re not a family of the Round Table.¡±

    Elise said so, smiling a meaningless smile.

    The families of the Round Table refer to the ¡®thirteen families guaranteed by the parliament.¡¯ They inherit the Senator¡¯s position semi-permanently, but can be reced if they lose a ¡®challenge.¡¯

    ¡°But Petra is a family likely to challenge.¡±

    But the qualifications and conditions for this challenge are too stringent. It must be a family that has served three terms in one generation and must receive the consent of more than eight of the thirteen families of the Round Table.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Elise only raised her eyebrows.

    Her father¡¯s goal was, of course, to be a family of the Round Table, but it wasn¡¯t a topic she particrly enjoyed.

    ¡°Remember when you called me.¡±

    She naturally changed the subject.

    ¡°When I called?¡±

    ¡°After the college board at the mine. You asked about Shion Ascal.¡±

    Elise looked at Soliette, moving only her eyeballs while lying down.

    ¡°Why did you ask?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well.¡±

    Then Soliette stretched out. She sat in the chair as if lying on the bed. It was strangely sensual.

    ¡°It was nothing. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Simple curiosity? I¡¯m curious why you would be interested in such a trash-like person.¡±

    Trash-like person. Soliette slightly widened her eyes.

    ¡°A pitiful man who dreams of being a dog of Libra.¡±

    Elise knew. She knew that Shion Ascal was the son of a low-ranking knight who had grown up in the Libra Orphanage and devoted his life to Libra.

    Was it because of that?

    He harbored the grandiose dream of being a ¡®Knight of Libra,¡¯ and even spoke about it openly in front of everyone.

    ¡°It seems like you really dislike Shion Ascal, Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s lips trembled slightly.

    As she said, she couldn¡¯t deny it honestly now.

    She disliked Shion Ascal. It was a primal disgust, so much so that she didn¡¯t even want the fact that she disliked him to be discovered.

    The more he didn¡¯t fail at the college board, the more he stubbornly survived day by day and showed his face, the deeper the ¡®hatred¡¯ became.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s mutual. That trash might even think of me as trash. In this world, only that trash would think so.¡±

    Shion Ascal also, likewise, dislikes her.

    Of course, she had heard a bit of a ¡®horrible¡¯ conversation in the Recordark, but it must have been Shion Ascal¡¯s low-quality joke.

    ¡°Mutual¡­ does it mean you both dislike each other?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, what about you?¡±

    Elise sharply shot back.

    ¡°Soliette, you can¡¯t possibly like that person either.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette pondered for a moment and then nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t like him either.¡±

    She neither dislikes nor likes him. She only considers him as a tool.

    After all, it¡¯s just a contractual rtionship tied with ¡®money¡¯.

    ¡°Besides, would you like to get some sleep? It¡¯s already been three hours.¡±

    Soliette pointed to the clock. It was suddenly 1 a.m. In real time, not even 30 minutes had passed.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you okay not sleeping?¡±

    Elise is getting sleepy. No, she¡¯s been sleepy for a long time. The side effects of using too much mana vary from person to person, and in Elise¡¯s case, it¡¯s sleepiness.

    Of course, among the side effects, it¡¯s the best kind. It¡¯s much better than vomiting blood, damaging organs, or developing malignant tumors.

    Soliette pointed to the cigarette.

    ¡°Yes. If you let me smoke this, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She lit the cigarette as if she had been waiting. She took a big puff. The taste of the tobo was breathtaking.

    ¡°Huuuu¡­¡­¡±

    She exhaled the smoke and looked at Elise. She was already asleep.

    Soliette looked at her smartwatch.

    [28 : 13 : 05]

    In this ce, where 3 hours is a day, the day is almost over. Elise¡¯s sleeping time is only 1 hour-

    ¡°¡­¡­Eek!¡±

    Suddenly, a loud moan echoed. Soliette turned around in surprise. Elise was awake. Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

    Soliette calmly asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, with a nk face, was panting and murmuring.

    ¡°I had¡­ a bit¡­ of a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    The hotel itself is indeed creepy. The walls are all blood-red, as if soaked in blood.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tough task. It seems like we won¡¯t be able to sleep properly for 30 hours.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    Elise, lying on the bed, massaged her temples as she spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go monster hunting again soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes. To rest properly, we¡¯ll need to catch at least five.¡±

    [24 : 14 : 35]

    I¡¯m still walking down the hallway. The temperature kept dropping, but thanks to being fully armed, it was bearable, and instead of resting in the room, I searched around the hotel and found clues.

    I asionally ran into a few seniors, but they all fled. Was it because of my intimidating appearance?

    [Holents Hotel Safety Rule No.1: Please refrain from going out between 10 PM and 6 AM.]

    [Holents Hotel Safety Rule No.2: Do not be surprised if theyout of your room suddenly changes, or if the person next to you disappears. It¡¯s a natural phenomenon.]

    [Holents Hotel Safety Rule No.3: Do not touch anything that appears to belong to the deceased.]

    [Holents Hotel Safety Rule No.4: There are no rooms in our hotel that contain the number ¡®4¡¯. If you happen to find one, please ignore it and do not enter.]

    Starting from these strange warnings.

    [Holents Casino, which has attracted the attention of the localmunity and residents, is finallypleted]

    [Opening ceremony conducted with the tribute of General Manager Gellock¡­]

    [¡­Multiple murder cases detected inside the Holents Casino¡­]

    [Holents Hotel turned into a hellishndscape in an instant¡­]

    To the snippets of newspapers rted to the Holents Hotel.

    ¡°¡­Holents.¡±

    The word is unfamiliar yet familiar. It seems like I¡¯ve seen it somewhere, but it¡¯s vague.

    Anyway, I found the elevator while walking. There was a floor guide written next to the button.

    [30th floor: Suite Floor]

    [21st ~ 29th floor: Guest Rooms]

    [20th floor: Guest Rooms: Front Desk: Swimming Pool: Party Hall]

    [5th ~ 19th floor: Guest Rooms]

    [There is no 4th floor.]

    [2nd ~ 3rd floor: Guest Rooms]

    [1st floor Lobby: Front Desk: Casino: Restaurant: Cafe]

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go to the casino.¡±

    I pressed the elevator button. Ding-! It arrived as soon as I pressed it.

    I carelessly stepped beyond the opening door.

    Sob¡­ sob¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    But there was a child inside. A child who was crying with his face covered by his hands.

    Sob¡­ sob¡­

    The sound of crying echoed in surround sound. Was it an elevator phantom?

    I approached the kid.

    ¡°Hey, why are you crying?¡±

    I tried to soothe him and put my hand on his forehead, but suddenly the child raised his head with a jerk-!

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    He had no eyeballs. The sockets werepletely empty, and tears of blood were streaming down.

    I looked straight at him. There was no need to avoid him.

    This kind of thing is everyday life in the underworld.

    ¡°¡­Cute.¡±

    I murmured and put my hand on his forehead. He seemed startled and disappeared the moment I blinked.

    Ding-

    In the meantime, the elevator door opened again.

    It was the 1st floor, the casino.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot here.¡±

    Slot machines were lined up in the empty space, and there were various tables for card games, roulette, etc., but there was not a single person.

    ¡­Ah, there¡¯s one.

    ¡°Ah, Ahhhhhhh!¡±

    One senior. But he wasn¡¯t wearing an Endex uniform.

    He was iling about in the empty casino, screaming.

    ¡°What, what is this! How, how did this happen, don¡¯t, don¡¯te! Don¡¯te closer!¡±

    I wonder what he shouldn¡¯t touch. He was fluttering around like a butterfly in the empty casino, almost frothing at the mouth.

    ¡°I give up! I give up, I give up!¡±

    He smashed his own smartwatch.

    He disappeared somewhere at that moment. It must have been a forced transfer.

    ¡°¡­What the hell is he doing?¡±

    I looked around the casino. A desk for currency exchange caught my eye on the other side. There was a silhouette of a person behind the opaque ss window.

    Knock, knock- I knocked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is anyone there?¡±

    ¡ªYes. There is.

    ¡°Can I use this casino too?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    A smile formed on my face without me realizing it.

    The old me quite liked addictive things, and one of them was gambling.

    ¡°How do I use it?¡±

    ¡ªYou need to exchange coins for chips.

    ¡°Mana coins?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°You mean, exchange the mana coins in this smartwatch for chips?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡ªYou can exchange 10 coins for one chip.

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to buy about ten chips.¡±

    100 mana coins. It¡¯s the fortune I earned while searching for information about this Holents Hotel.

    ¡ªPlease tag this reader.

    There was a reader right in front of the desk.

    ¡°Is there anything I should be careful about?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°So there is?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°Can you tell me?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°Can you tell me if there is?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    ¡°Can you say it?¡±

    ¡ªit.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you tell me the precautions?¡±

    ¡ªthe Precautions.

    ¡°Ah, what is this?¡±

    My head hurt for a moment, but I decided to think of it as the limit of an AI that is still underdeveloped.

    I tagged my smartwatch to the reader.

    ¡°Please exchange 100 coins.¡±

    100 coins disappeared from my watch, and the counter put out ten chips.

    ¡°Thank you-¡±

    ¡ªHowever, there is a precaution. Once you touch this chip, you can never go back to the way it was before.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡ªIt¡¯s a precaution.

    ¡°¡­¡­So, what can¡¯t I go back to?¡±

    ¡ªYou can¡¯t go back to before you touched the chip.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s somewhat philosophical.

    Once you touch the chip even once, you¡¯re already in a ¡®touched state¡¯, so you can¡¯t go back to an ¡®untouched state¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, never mind. Thank you.¡±

    I held the chip in my hand. The texture was quite peculiar. It seemed like it was made by mixing mana stones, or was this entirely a mana stone?

    Fascinating.

    I turned around with a beaming face, ready to do anything in the casino, and was taken aback.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    It was suddenly filled with people.

    Wasn¡¯t the casinopletely empty just three seconds ago?

    I stood still and scrutinized their faces.

    They were pale enough to see their veins clearly, but like mannequins, they had no veins, and their hands and feet were definitely there, but they were blurry.

    They were at the casino¡¯s bar, at the slot machines, at the tables, sitting in front of the roulette, doing something, but no voices could be heard.

    Only silence.

    The sound of cards being shuffled, the roulette ball bouncing, the slot machine spinning, echoed chillingly, but there was no human voice.

    The wind brushing against the clothes was chilling.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I walked silently to a table. Six phantoms were ying hold¡¯em.

    Gulp-

    I swallowed and asked them.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is there a seat avable?¡±

    At that moment, everyone in the casino turned to look at me.

    Ching-ching-ching- The slot machines spun, and the roulette ball spun- amidst all this, hundreds of phantoms were looking at me.

    Without a single one missing.

    I waved my hand and said.

    ¡°Just keep doing what you were doing.¡±

    I asked the dealer at the table again.

    ¡°Is there a seat?¡±

    The dealer didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I asked if there¡¯s a seat?¡±

    Thump- I lightly tapped the table with the handle of the axe in my hand.

    Only then did one of the phantoms vacate a seat, and the other phantoms also focused on their gambling.

    I put the chips on the table and said.

    ¡°Deal the cards.¡±

 Chapter 61: Magic Space Experience (1)

    <strong>Magic Space Experience (1)</strong>

    At the same time, in the control room set up inside the magic space.

    ¡°¡­Senior No. 3,385 has been eliminated by Senior No. 1,953.¡±

    ¡°Senior No. 1,089 has given up.¡±

    ¡°Senior No. 333 has been eliminated by No. 958.¡±

    Dozens of staff from the Magic Tower¡¯s Department of Magic Science were busy monitoring the seniors.

    ¡°Alright. Those in charge of VIPs, just check the VIP status, and the rest of you, do your jobs well.¡±

    Of course, most risks can be managed by the magic artificial intelligence algorithm of the smartwatch. If the wearer is likely to suffer a serious injury¡ªsuch as dismemberment or disability¡ªthe AI would make a judgment and force a transfer before anything happens.

    However, magic artificial intelligence is not as urate as human eyes.

    To be honest, it can¡¯t differentiate the ¡®ss¡¯ of humans.

    Monitoring through cameras ced throughout the hotel is meant topensate for this.

    ¡°Keep a close eye on the events on the 4th floor as well.¡±

    Shelton pped his hands to encourage them.

    This Holents Hotel is an artificial magic space that the Magic Tower manifested from some facility 15 years ago. It¡¯s also arge-scale Magic Spell barrier installed with a top-grade mana nucleus, having acquired a small uninhabited ind on the continent.

    As such, all the events happening in the hotel are independent. They are incidents caused by the ¡®intelligence¡¯ inside the mana nucleus.

    ¡°Money calls money, everyone. Do you know how much money has been invested here? If this seeds, we can open a new horizon for artificial intelligence. Let¡¯s all have a sense of ownership. What¡¯s the progress?¡±

    Shelton asked the middle manager.

    ¡°psed time is 7 hours, 10 minutes, and 5 seconds. Out of a total of 4,803 people, 1,308 have already been eliminated or given up.¡±

    The total number of participants is 4,803. Nearly 30% of the seniors from all over Edsi couldn¡¯t evenst half a day.

    There were physical crises, defeats in battles, but the biggest reason was probably due to the phantoms.

    ¡°Oh dear. So many have already been eliminated?¡±

    The phantoms of this artificial magic space are real. They¡¯re not fake. They are entities directly drawn from the mana nucleus where spirits are condensed.

    That¡¯s why phantoms emit ghostly energy. A vibe that the living instinctively fear. If exposed for a long time, one would suffer from countless mental disorders such as nightmares, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, schizophrenia, etc.

    ¡°They¡¯re too weak. Are these the guys who are going to the Magic University? They can¡¯t even endure this?¡±

    Shelton scoffed.

    If you work in this field, you¡¯ll encounter not only monsters but also phantoms and even ghosts. If you think about it, all of them are money, so there¡¯s no need to be scared.

    ¡°Just now, Senior No. 3,333 went into the casino and exchanged for chips.¡±

    ¡°No. 3,333¡­ Ah, that Shion Ascal? The one who smashed the vending machine?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. He¡¯ll be out soon.¡±

    Shion Ascal. The guy who smashed a vending machine that would have easily fetched 1.2 million Ren on the Monday College Board.

    ¡°But, well, 1.2 million Ren is chump changepared to this experiment.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. He was a variable, after all.¡±

    Even Shelton had taken notice when the guy smashed the vending machine.

    This project itself is a prototype for Magic Tower¡¯s massive project, ¡®Commercialization of Artificial Magic Space and Artificial Intelligence,¡¯ so we need to scrape together any variable we can get.

    If he smashes it, it¡¯s actually a thank you, but sadly, the casino is a dead end.

    As soon as you touch the chip, or the belongings of the dead, you start seeing phantoms. This hotel is full of phantoms, and therefore, you are forcibly exposed to their residual energy¡­

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Shelton¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be scared, does he? Check it out.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    The middle manager zoomed in and analyzed the expression of Shion Ascal, who was sitting at the gambling table.

    ¡°Yes. It seems so. ording to the facial analysis, his happiness is 99.983535¡­¡±

    [22 : 50 : 05]

    I¡¯ve been pretty serious about gambling for a long time. Seven poker, hold¡¯em, ckjack, slot machines, roulette, etc¡­ I didn¡¯t discriminate.

    Of course, it was an excuse that ¡®I needed money,¡¯ but in fact, I liked the dopamine rush when I won at gambling.

    There¡¯s not much joy for a terminally ill patient. The bullshit about spending the rest of your life meaningfully is always spouted by those with a lot of life left.

    Does gambling have no meaning?

    Anyway.

    I relived that day¡¯s experience and took all the phantoms¡¯ chips. I won with good hands, and I won with bad hands.

    I didn¡¯t even use the SZX-9500. After all, it¡¯s impossible to see through objects that aren¡¯t magical.

    ONLY psychological warfare.

    ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll be going~¡±

    I quietly stood up when a good amount of chips had piled up on my table. The phantoms who had their money taken stared at me with lifeless faces.

    ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll only take half of the other money.¡±

    I left half of the piled-up chips on the table. The phantoms¡¯ expressions seemed to soften a bit.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    I returned to the counter.

    ¡°Please exchange these.¡±

    I held out 40 chips worth 100 coins each to the counter. I had taken 200, but I gave half away, and I nned to keep the remaining 60 without exchanging them.

    I felt like I could find a use for these chips.

    ¡ªYes. Please tag your smartwatch to the reader.

    As I brought my watch to the reader, the counter took the chips.

    Ding-

    My watch vibrated.

    [Acquired: 4,000 Mana Coins]

    I was about to leave the casino satisfied.

    ¡°Hey, stop right there.¡±

    But then, guys wearing gas masks popped out from behind the pirs. Two of them were familiar faces, and the other one was a face I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this¡­ It¡¯s Shion, isn¡¯t it?

    One of the familiar faces¡ªAsher looked into my eyes through his gas mask and smirked.

    ¡°You¡¯re quick to catch on, wearing a gas mask.¡±

    I just wore it because it was cold.

    ¡°Do you guys know him?¡±

    The unfamiliar face asked Asher.

    ¡°Ah~ Let me introduce you. This is Shion, a famous loser.¡±

    Asher pointed at me, chuckling under his breath.

    ¡°Hey Shion, this is ¡®Mel¡¯. You know him, right? A five-star prospect.¡±

    A man with sky-blue hair sprouting like wheat stalks over his gas mask.

    If his name is Mel, then I know him. He¡¯s the eldest son of the Elstrom family, whose father is a Senator. Normally, being the son of a Senator means you¡¯re born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and indeed, ¡®Elstrom Brothers (EB)¡¯, run by the brothers of their family, is one of the top five filmpanies in Edsi.

    ¡°So tell me honestly. You made money at the casino, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Asher asked. I nodded.

    ¡°I did make some.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Honest. I saw you winning it all.¡±

    Asher teased. Mel took a step closer from his side. He looked down at me and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Didn¡¯t you know? There were a lot of hyenas eyeing you while you were gambling.¡±

    Mel pulled something out of his pocket. It was fragments of a shattered smartwatch.

    ¡°We¡¯re saying we protected you. Until you finished your gambling safely.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ Is that so? So?¡±

    ¡°Give us half as protection money.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I pretended to consider, then slipped a casino chip onto my finger.

    ¡°Should I give it in chips? I have a lot that I haven¡¯t cashed in yet.¡±

    At that, Asher and Mel stepped back in surprise.

    ¡°Fuck, this fucker! Who do you take us for, idiots?!¡±

    Suddenly, Kain exploded and knocked my arm away. The chip rolled away.

    ¡°You know that touching that makes the phantom visible, right? This fucker wants to die-¡±

    I took a step back to avoid the guy trying to grab my cor. Kain, as if he had suddenly gone mad, pulled up his Magic Body.

    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re avoiding¡ª?! No, we¡¯re not asking for all of it, just half, you fucking bastard, hurry up¡ª¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. Press it down.¡±

    Asher had to stop him, Kain was so desperate.

    After all, that guy is afraid of phantoms beyond imagination, despite his bulky size. He can¡¯t even watch horror movies.

    ¡°Ugh. Idiots.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Mel took off his gas mask as I muttered as if it was pathetic. He pushed my shoulder, ring at me with sharp eyes.

    ¡°Hey. What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the number?¡±

    ¡°What did you just say? What¡¯s the number?¡±

    ¡°I want to send you the money.¡±

    I showed them my smartwatch. Mel exchanged nces with Asher and Kain, then nodded immediately.

    ¡°Send it to 1,058.¡±

    I transferred 2,000 coins to 1,058.

    ¡°I sent it. Check it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­2,000 coins. It¡¯s in.¡±

    Mel and Asher looked at each other and smiled.

    ¡°Then get the fuck out! It¡¯s almost curfew!¡±

    Kain dragged them away. I watched the backs of the guys running somewhere and chuckled softly.

    Of course, I have no intention of letting them go.

    Let¡¯s see what happens next.

    ¡°Ah. Excuse me.¡±

    I grabbed a male phantom nearby. Half of his face was blown off. Maybe he died from a shell in his previous life. He looked horrifying enough.

    ¡°Could you, um, follow those three guys running away?¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­.

    The phantom said nothing. He seemed to be at a loss for words.

    Knowing this would happen, I kept some chips without cashing them in.

    ¡°Instead. Here.¡±

    I flicked a chip. The phantom caught it with one hand and then walked somewhere. It was the direction where Kain and Asher had run away.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    These phantoms have at least a minimal cognitive ability.

    It means they¡¯re not simply ¡®made¡¯.

    ¡°Now I understand.¡±

    Thanks to this, I¡¯ve roughly figured out the inside story. What this vast magic space was originally, and how it was created.

    I walked through the first-floor lobby. There were no people around because it was time to refrain from going out.

    Of course, there were plenty of phantoms.

    I greeted them with my eyes as I reached the exit of the lobby. A gate leading to theplete outside. I opened it.

    The cold wind rushed in first.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    The cold is unbearable. I wonder if they made it this way on purpose to prevent people from going outside the hotel.

    It¡¯s very cold, but bearable.

    In the chilling cold that felt like my flesh was being torn off, I turned on the SZX-9500.

    At that moment, a vast web of magic covering the sky was revealed. It was a giant Magic Spell that epasses the sky and the earth, centered on thergest core in the sky¡ª ¡®Mana Nucleus¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­That bastard Shelton.¡±

    Looking at it, my lips itched. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    A very pleasant method came to mind.

    A way to screw not only Shelton but also the entire Magic Tower that nned this damn project.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s cold.¡±

    But before that, I¡¯m going to freeze to death.

    I came back into the hotel and closed the door. But someone was approaching from the other side of the lobby. It was the phantom whose half face had been blown off.

    ¡°Did you find out where they are?¡±

    I asked him. He stood silently. It seemed like he meant to follow him.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    Before we screw Shelton, let¡¯s go find the guys who took my chips.

 Chapter 62: Magic Space Experience (2)

    <strong>Magic Space Experience (1)</strong>

    ¡°Ah¡­ This is rxing.¡±

    On the 30th floor of the hotel, in the Presidential Suite, one of only ten such rooms even on the suite floor.

    Kain and his trio were sprawled out on the spacious sofa, resting.

    ¡°This is nice. But we¡¯ve booked the rest of our time here, right?¡±

    Kain asked again. Asher sighed. He¡¯s been acting like a dog that needs to poop, looking out the window nervously, not letting us enter the bedroom or study. Only the living room is safe, he says.

    ¡°Yeah. You need to fix your anxiety.¡±

    ¡°What anxiety? You¡¯re crazy.¡±

    Only then did Kain stretch out like a pile ofundry, seemingly relieved.

    Seriously, why is a guy his size scared of a phantom? He looks like he could take on a grizzly bear.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I want to drink wine. There are a few in the vending machine.¡±

    Kain mumbled absentmindedly. There¡¯s wine in the vending machine on the 30th floor. It¡¯s amon brand, but right now, even that seems luxurious¡­ His eyes were sparkling at the wine.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the wine during a mission? Kain, you¡¯ve be a senior and you¡¯ve lost it.¡±

    Mel sat in a massage chair. While receiving a mechanical massage, he asked,

    ¡°Hey, how are Elise and the others doing these days?¡±

    ¡°Elise is the same as always. She¡¯s in the same academy as you.¡±

    Asher answered. Mel murmured while entrusting his body to the massage chair.

    ¡°Elise, she just won¡¯t fall for me, she won¡¯t. Ah, this feels good.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Kain and Asher¡¯s expressions hardened. Mel hastily waved his hands.

    ¡°No, no. Not anymore. I was like that in middle school, but now I actually dislike her. She¡¯s too different. But, doesn¡¯t she have something with Gerkhen Kal Doon? I heard a rumor that he¡¯s being sponsored by Petra, thatmoner.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man.¡±

    Asher cut her off when suddenly,

    Knock, knock-

    There was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Damn, what the hell is that all of a sudden?¡±

    Kain flinched as if he¡¯d been electrocuted.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, why is there a knock?¡±

    Knock, knock-

    Someone in the hallway knocked again. Asher slowly got up and approached the door.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! Why are you going, you idiot!¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fun.¡±

    Kain also joined in to tease. Asher grinned and swung the door open.

    ¡°Who¡­ Oh, what?¡±

    Outside was an unexpected figure. Even Kain, who was nearly hyperventting, looked at him and immediately calmed down.

    ¡°Shion? Why are you here?¡±

    Shion Ascal. Did hee to get revenge for being swindled-

    ¡°I also booked a suite on the opposite side.¡±

    Shion grinned and pointed to another suite on the opposite side of the hallway.

    Well, we only took half of his money. He must have enough left to book a suite by himself.

    Asher wore a wary expression.

    ¡°¡­Really? But why?¡±

    ¡°Ah~ I realized I should thank you. You guys protected me while I gamble, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right?¡±

    In truth, it was a lie. Even if they hadn¡¯t protected him, everyone would have fled due to the phantom and the aura emanating from the casino.

    ¡°So, a gift.¡±

    Shion extended a wine bag. Asher nced at it and asked,

    ¡°Wine? Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°They sell it in the vending machine on the 30th floor.¡±

    Asher was suspicious. Why was this guy, who had been so uptight until now, suddenly acting like this? Was he trying to curry favor again? Wasn¡¯t it toote?

    He had many thoughts, but he epted it anyway. Could there possibly be poison in the wine?

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you want a drink too? Opportunities to drink with someone from our social stratum aren¡¯tmon, right?¡±

    At that, Shion waved his hand with a smile.

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t drink.¡±

    ¡°What? Wow~ This loser¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s enough. Go.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡±

    Hisst response was just like his loser days. Of course, he¡¯s still a loser now.

    Asher closed the door with a sneer.

    ¡°Uh is bullshit. That guy is funny.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Wine? Bring it here.¡±

    Kain¡¯s eyes were fixed on the wine bag. Asher shook the wine bag and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from Shion~¡±

    ¡°Why would he?¡±

    ¡°He said he¡¯s grateful for protecting him while he was gambling?¡±

    ¡°¡­Just give it to me.¡±

    Kain took the wine bag. He quickly pulled out the contents.

    ¡°Ah~ This is what I saw on my way here.¡±

    It was the wine he had noticed in the vending machine on the 30th floor.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Don¡¯t drink it. I can¡¯t trust that guy, Shion. He might have put something strange in it.¡±

    ¡°I know, you bastard. Do you think I would drink it? Do you think I¡¯m that clueless?¡±

    Kain put down the wine. His face was craving it, his lips licked a few times, but he soon sank into the sofa with a sigh.

    But then.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    His face, which had been looking straight ahead, suddenly stiffened.

    Gulp-!

    His Adam¡¯s apple trembled as if it were shaking. Cold sweat filled his pores. The trembling of his body transferred to the sofa, vibrating like a massage chair.

    ¡°What. Is there another problem?¡±

    When Asher asked, Kain, trembling, raised his finger.

    ¡°¡­Wha, wha, what is that.¡±

    ¡°What? Where?¡±

    Mel and Asher looked in that direction, but there was nothing.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing there?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, there¡¯s nothing, fuck! That monster-like¡­ you, you, how did you get in here.¡±

    Kain¡¯s eyes were fixed on thin air. It was as if he was seeing some furry Grim Reaper. Mel and Asher also concentrated their psychic energy to see that ¡®something¡¯.

    ¡°¡­No. There¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You, you, don¡¯t, don¡¯te, don¡¯t, sleep! Aaaaaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Suddenly, Kain screamed.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±

    ng-! The high-pitched scream shattered the wine ss, and Asher and Mel covered their ears.

    ¡°Ah, shit! Hey Asher, why is that crazy guy screaming?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, fuck¡±

    ¡°You do something about it!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª!

    Kain had even summoned his Magic Body and was waving his arms left and right. The air waves that arose ¨C whoosh- bombarded the room.

    ¡°Uh, ugh! Bastard! Madman! Get out, get out, get out¡ª¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No, hey, stop it- ugh!¡±

    Thwack¡ª! Asher, who was trying to calm Kain, took a punch to the sr plexus, and was considered fatally injured and was sent back early.

    ¡°Kuh, kuhahahahaha¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Still, Kain didn¡¯t stop. He iled his arms and legs like a beast. His limbs, swollen with muscles and magic power, were weapons in themselves. Every time he thrashed about, the ceiling lights flickered, and the floor shook as if there was an earthquake.

    ¡°Crazy bastard. He¡¯s definitely a 5-star prospect.¡±

    Mel turned around with a disgusted look. If he stayed here, he would be swept up by that possessed-infested grizzly bear. Just like Asher just now.

    He should run away for now.

    He opened the door to the suite and stepped out into the hallway-

    ¡ª¡ªThud!

    His head shook.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, his focus blurred, and the world turned upside down. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, his body was stuck to the floor.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    Mel was puzzled. Did he get hit in the head? Or did he trip over something?

    More importantly, where is he now? What time is it?

    Stagger-

    While he was fumbling with his temporarily broken cognitive abilities, someone¡¯s footstepsnded in front of him. Thanks to that, Mel barely came to his senses.

    Who is it? Who dares to touch me, the son of a Senator-

    To find out, he had to move. He had to see the culprit.

    Mel desperately raised his head. In his upwardly tilted view, there was someone smiling brightly.

    ¡°Hello, Mel.¡±

    This blond guy¡­ what was his name? Gianfranco? Ferragamo Toronto?

    Is it because he¡¯s so insignificant, or because he got hit in the head, he can¡¯t remember his name.

    Whooosh©¤©¤

    The guy raised something. The red light in the hallway flickered.

    It was an axe. The rusty de triggered Mel¡¯s survival instinct. His back shivered with fear.

    ¡°Ah, save me¡­¡­.¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    The guy swung down the axe.

    My head was split.

    No, not my head. If my head was split, I wouldn¡¯t be able to think.

    It was the smartwatch on my wrist. The axe de was stuck in it, and fragments sttered near my eyes.

    ¡°Garcia you¡­¡­.¡±

    Mel mumbled in a daze and was sent back early.

    Swoosh¡ª

    I gently stepped on the debris of the suite.

    It was a mess. The sofa was disassembled into some particle unit, and the floor and ceiling of the room were so full of holes that they seemed about to copse at any moment.

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely a 5-star.¡±

    Surely Kain is a 5-star prospect. Especially hisbat abilities areparable to a 6-star, a true physical fighter. A monster that a guy like me could never beat in a head-on fight.

    Kain¡¯s mental state probably wasn¡¯t as bad as aplete wreck. He justcked a bit of immunity to these phantom types.

    That powerful Kain went on a rampage andmitted suicide.

    Not actual suicide, but he smashed his smartwatch.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    I flicked a casino chip into the air. The male phantom reached out to catch it.

    It was a man whose face was split in half.

    It might sound a bit cute when described in words, but if you look closely, you can see bone fragments, blood vessels, teeth, and the tongue all clearly exposed through the split face, which is quite disgusting.

    ¡°This works.¡±

    I picked up a wine bottle rolling on the floor.

    At first nce, it looks like an ordinary wine, but this is also a utilization of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. It¡¯s a transformation by infusing an existing object with only the Memory of its ¡®form¡¯.

    So this wine bottle is¡­

    I disassembled the Memory. The mouth of the wine bottle rolled inward, and the bottom shrank, contracting thin and small.

    It¡¯s a casino chip.

    The chip itself is a mana stone, so there was no need for a separate ¡®medium¡¯ to maintain the Memory. It¡¯s not for nothing that phantoms can handle chips.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I looked at the watch on my wrist.

    [20 : 30 : 00]

    9 hours and 30 minutes have passed.

    Based on this ce, it¡¯s been 4 days and 4 hours.

    There¡¯s still plenty of time left, but I need to move diligently toplete the n.

    Rumble¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Ah, surprise.¡±

    Suddenly, a loud noise rang out from behind. Turning around, the door to the suite was closed on its own.

    Why did it suddenly do that?

    I pushed the doorknob. Surprisingly, it opened without resistance.

    ¡°¡­¡­Where is this?¡±

    But the hallway was strange.

    It was bright red all around, and rooms were lined up without gaps on both sides.

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    They were all room 444.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­ a bit creepy.¡±

    I let out a hollowugh.

 Chapter 63: Magic Space Experience (3)

    <strong>Magic Space Experience (3)</strong>

    ¡­30 minutes ago.

    Elise and Soliette had been hunting monsters in session. Monsters appeared anywhere in the hotel, making it the most convenient way to earn coins.

    ¡°The variance is high.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    However, there was quite a variance in the monsters they were dealing with. Some monsters required a lot of effort to hunt, while others were easily handled with a single punch.

    Because of this, Elise was now having a slightly ominous thought.

    Are these monsters really monsters?

    [Acquisition due tobat: 20 mana coins]

    The phrase disyed on the smartwatch, ¡®Acquisition due tobat,¡¯ also bothered her.

    If it¡¯s simply about getting coins by killing monsters, shouldn¡¯t it be ¡®Acquisition due to hunting¡¯?

    She spected that the true identity of these monsters might be¡­

    Other seniors.

    Thud-!

    Elise pulled out several meal kits from the vending machine.

    ¡°Shall we go now?¡±

    However, there was no need to specifically inform Soliette of her spection. After all, the entire process of the College Board is apetition.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The two returned to [Room 311] with the meal kits. Elise extended her check-out time by calling the front desk through the room inte.

    ¡°¡­Can you really go without sleep?¡±

    She then nced at Soliette. She had lit a cigarette as soon as she entered.

    ¡°Yes. My record is probably 62 hours.¡±

    ¡°Your body won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a desire to live long¡­ but even I feel unusually tired here.¡±

    Soliette lit her cigarette and sighed deeply.

    ¡°It feels like something is weighing down on my shoulders.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a phantom hotel. You said you¡¯ve been here a few times before, right?¡±

    She hasn¡¯t encountered a phantom directly yet, but it¡¯s obvious. The chill in the hallway must be the work of a ghost.

    ¡°I was too young, so my Memory is faint, but the hotel structure itself is familiar. That hotel also didn¡¯t end well.¡±

    When I was young.

    Repeating that word, Elise felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

    Compared to that ¡®young age¡¯, they have changed too much now.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you remember the old days when you¡¯re like this?¡±

    She cautiously recalled the past to relieve the tension. However, Soliette rejected it, exhaling smoke from her cigarette.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elisey down on the bed without a word.

    She was well aware of Soliette¡¯s wounds. Jared and Felix. Those two were idols of Endex. When they were murdered, Elise was as shocked as Soliette¡­.

    Elise closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them.

    Soliette was sitting with her back turned. Elise tried to speak, but held back.

    Nofort would beforting to her now.

    Perhaps forever.

    ¡°¡­.Huh?¡±

    Suddenly, Elise was startled.

    There was something strange about Soliette¡¯s back.

    Her face was toorge, and her shoulders were too broad.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Soliette¡¯s back.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    No, it really wasn¡¯t.

    Only the red hair was simr, it was the back of apletely different person.

    ¡°What¡­.¡±

    Goosebumps rose on her back.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    At that moment, ¡®it¡¯ turned around.

    Hair stuck all over therge face. Thick eyebrows like a seagull. The bulging eyes andrge mouth drew a grotesque smile¡ª¡ª.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh!¡±

    Elise screamed and jumped up.

    Again, she was on the bed.

    ¡°Uh, um. Are you okay?¡±

    Then Soliette asked. Elise looked at her in surprise.

    It was the normal Soliette.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±

    It was another nightmare.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay. It was just another nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. A nightmare?¡±

    Soliette asked back. Elise nodded.

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe it¡¯s better not to sleep like you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I see. Hmm. Hmm.¡±

    But why does she keep humming?

    ¡°Hmm. A nightmare. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    It¡¯s annoying for no reason. Elise nced at Soliette.

    She looked at her a little more closely.

    Something was strange.

    This time it was because of her eyes.

    ck eyes.

    Why are they ck? The symbol of Arkne is clearly red and white.

    ¡°Soliette, your eyes¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Why are you like this? Hmm. I am Soliette. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression hardened.

    It seemed that the other party also noticed because of her reaction.

    ¡°Hmm. Hahaha. Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette, no ¡®it¡¯ opened its mouth wide.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ªHmm. Hmm. Hmm¡ª¡ª HmmHmmHmm¡ª Hmm¡ª¡ª¡±

    Itughed. Like a doll, it moved its jaw. At such a grotesque sight, Elise stepped back.

    ¡°Hmm. Haha. Hmm. HmmHmmHmm. Hmm. HahahaHmmHahaHmmHahaHmm¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±

    Each time itughed, its face swelled. The face, already twice the size of its body, seemed to touch the ceiling of the room, and it rushed towards her,ughing¡ª¡ª.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªHmmHahaHmmHahaHmmHaha!

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise opened her eyes again.

    ¡°Haah, haah, haah¡­¡­¡±

    This time, everything was dark. She caught her breath and turned on the light.

    Click-

    As the switch turned on, the room was dyed red.

    ¡°Where is this again¡­¡­ Soliette?¡±

    She called Soliette.

    There was no answer.

    There was no sign of anyone.

    No one was there.

    In other words, she was alone.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s breath was cut off for a moment. It felt like her lungs were shrinking. She quickly got up and opened the room door.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    There was another room right across.

    [Room 444]

    ¡°What, what is this.¡±

    She quickly looked around the hallway. It was all red. The ceiling, the walls, the floor, as if they were bleeding.

    Bang-!

    ¡°!¡±

    The door behind her closed on its own.

    [Room 444]

    The door behind her was Room 444.

    ¡°Haah, haah¡­.¡±

    Elise walked down the hallway, panting. She knocked on the door, clutching her chest.

    ¡°Open, open the door¡­.¡±

    Bang-! Bang-!

    As she knocked, she looked at the room number.

    [Room 444]

    It was Room 444 again.

    Elise staggered backward in a panic that threatened to shatter her sanity. She bumped into something. Another room was there.

    [Room 444]

    Again, she looked at another room.

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    [Room 444]

    Every room was Room 444.

    Elise found herself sitting in the hallway without realizing it.

    Her limbs went limp. Her lips turned pale, and her face turned purple.

    A nightmare, it¡¯s a nightmare.

    This ce, everything, must be a nightmare.

    Surely¡­ surely it¡¯s a nightmare.

    Her vision blurred.

    Her fingers wouldn¡¯t move.

    She couldn¡¯t breathe.

    As if sinking to the bottom of the deep sea.

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±

    Elise slowly let go of her body.

    Strange waves enveloped her.

    A hallucination from some time ago echoed in her ears.

    ¡ªYou killed them. You killed them. You killed them!

    Moment by moment, horrific scenes shed before her eyes.

    People drenched in blood. Spilling guts. Peopleughing in a hell where fresh blood was gushing.

    Yael.

    And then¡­.

    ¡ª¡ªThump.

    Footsteps.

    The sound of someone approaching.

    Another person.

    She was not alone.

    She was no longer alone.

    ¡°©¤©¤Haah.¡±

    Just knowing that fact made her breathe easier, and her suffocating chest felt relieved.

    Eventually, she felt her body being lifted.

    A person?

    A phantom?

    It didn¡¯t matter who it was.

    Elise nestled in his arms like a baby bird. She buried her face in his chest. She clutched hispel tightly.

    ¡­It was warm.

    Room, [Room 444]

    ¡°Why is she so heavy?¡±

    Iid Elise down on the bed of some Room 444.

    She was incredibly heavy for her appearance. Even though she was thin and frail, she must have undergone intense physical training.

    I¡¯ll probably have muscle pain tomorrow.

    Anyway, in this phantom hotel, the phenomenon of rooms disappearing or moving would be a rtivelymon event.

    It was even in the safety guidelines. Don¡¯t be too surprised if rooms change or people around you disappear.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I quietly watched Elise, who was almost unconscious.

    She, who almost died from stress disorder after trauma, was now quickly recovering just by the fact that someone was by her side. Her ragged breathing was surprisingly regr.

    Elise, as always, was a talented genius, but she couldn¡¯t ovee her ¡®PTSD¡¯ for at least 12 years.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I looked at my smartwatch.

    [15 : 55 : 27]

    There were still 16 hours left for the regr task. I could stay with her for a few hours.

    ¡°We¡¯re not that close, are we?¡±

    Even if we are Secret Friends, I didn¡¯t want to create a situation where we blush seeing each other upon waking up. Elise¡¯s physical condition seemed to have improved a lot.

    I took out the axe from my waist.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s better for you too, than being alone.¡±

    With that, I smashed Elise¡¯s smartwatch.

    Thud¡ª!

    The transparent de shattered the mana stone inside the watch.

    At that moment, Elise was sent back early.

    It would be the worst score in Elise¡¯s history, but she had to be sent back sooner orter.

    I came out of the room.

    [Holents Hotel]

    The Holents Hotel, prominently disyed on the wall of the 4th floor corridor. Blood dripped from the letters.

    I knew this artificial magic space, reconstructed based on a real incident. It was a tragedy that happened quite a long time ago, and since it happened in a foreign country, most people in Edsi didn¡¯t know about it, but it became quite famouster.

    First of all ¡ª¡ª the original name of this hotel was [Cadic Casino Hotel].

    The root of all evil was a general manager named ¡®Moss¡¯.

    One day, ten years ago, he released hallucinogenic gas throughout the hotel through the air purification system. The guests were eroded by it without knowing, and they began to see all living things in the hotel as monsters.

    The hotel turned into hell in an instant. The guests, trembling in fear, killed each other, and died in resentment.

    However, they could not diepletely even after death. They became ghosts filled with fear and hatred.

    The general manager did not leave even those spirits alone.

    No, the spirits themselves were the goal.

    He condensed countless resentful spirits into a single refined core.

    A ¡®Mana Nucleus¡¯.

    The motive waster revealed to be a due to the casino¡¯s failure and the debt that resulted from it.

    The investment cost was enormous, but it didn¡¯t make money due to poor management.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a lot.¡±

    I looked around the 4th floor. There were phantoms everywhere.

    The evidence that the above ¡®Cadic Hotel Incident¡¯ is still ongoing.

    The general manager was caught by the Magic Tower while trying to smuggle the mana nucleus.

    The mana nucleus was collected and should have been ¡®liberated¡¯, but as you can see from the situation here, the Magic Tower was not so righteous.

    If it¡¯s a mana nucleus made from human spirits, especially a mana nucleus that melted thousands of people, it would have tremendous potential and value.

    Indeed, this mana nucleus bes the nucleus of a famous theme park called ¡®Shelton Park¡¯ five yearster. With astronomical investments from various major families, including Libra, it rakes in astronomical amounts of money.

    Even the name Holents Hotel is an anagram of Shelton.

    ¡°Really¡­ they do all sorts of things.¡±

    In my opinion, the Magic Tower is full of bastards.

    They im to advocate for magical advancement and education of the generation, but inside, they are cruel, ruthless, and money-crazed monsters.

    The phantoms here are evidence of that.

    They are still entangled with the ¡®Mana Nucleus¡¯.

    Having been subjected to experiments without liberation for a long time, they will eventually be the artificial intelligence of Shelton Park.

    Of course, whether they retain the memories of their living days or their sanity is still unknown.

    But it is certain that they are ¡®trapped¡¯.

    On the boundary of life and death, neither living nor dying, as a potential means of making money.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this wrong?¡±

    I muttered softly. Just then, someone approached me. It was the man with a half-destroyed face who had been following me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He looked at me with eyes full of longing. Of course, he didn¡¯t have eyes, but well.

    I should free him.

    It¡¯s not because of a petty sense of justice. I¡¯m not kind enough to act on such a thing in the first ce.

    I just hate the future where these damned bastards scrape money together for something like ¡®Shelton Park¡¯.

    ¡°But. You have to cooperate. Not just you, but all the phantoms here.¡±

    I flicked a casino chip at the male phantom. He held it in his hand. He nodded slightly with his somewhat intact jaw.

    ¡°Good. Then.¡±

    Before executing the n, I must be the only one left here.

    Simply, I will have to get first ce.

    Of course, it can be done even if I¡¯m not alone, but if I try to liberate the mana nucleus, the remaining survivors might all go insane, and I also want to monopolize a bit.

    Swish- I took out the axe from my waist and held it in one hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by smashing this hotel desk.¡±

    I plunged the axe into the 4th floor.

    Crash¡ª¡ª!

    Something squelched like skin being peeled, and blood spurted out.

    Thud-! Thud-!

    Still, I kept hammering the axe.

    Until the floor of this 4th floor was exposed.

 Chapter 64: Collapse (1)

    <strong>Copse (1)</strong>

    [15 : 43 : 15]

    I descended to the lobby on the first floor. As I approached the front desk, a voice came from behind the curtain.

    ¡ªWee. This is the Holents Hotel.

    I swiped my finger across the opaque ss window of the desk. It was simr to the material of a vending machine, but with a slightly higher magical density.

    I summoned Perion to the axe of the cksmith. Just enough force to shatter this ss window.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    I greeted, gripping the handle of the axe.

    ¡ªA single room costs 20 coins per day, a double room is 50 coins per day, and a suite is 200 coins per day.

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    I swung the axe as it was.

    ¡ª¡ª!

    The first strike was dull. The ss window didn¡¯t break, it just dented in.

    I swung it again.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    Part of the window was punctured. I wedged the axe into that crack.

    Crack©¤©¤!

    I shook it and ripped off the entire ss window.

    ¡ª20 coins for a single room, 50 coins for a double room.

    Inside the desk was a doll with only an upper body. I struck its essence with my axe.

    Crash©¤!

    From the split head, parts like mechanicalponents spurted out like brains.

    I crossed over the desk. I smashed everything, including the card reader, inte, and surveince cameras. I wreaked havoc like a gangster.

    ¡°¡ªWhat are you doing. Who are you?¡±

    While I was relieving stress, a voice clearly targeting me.

    ¡°What kind of person does such a shabby thing.¡±

    It was Soliette.

    She saw the axe in my hand and chuckled. Then she gathered magic in her palm and fired it.

    ©¤©¤!

    A fireball flew like a baseball and knocked off my gas mask. My bare face was exposed in an instant.

    Soliette¡¯s eyes widened slightly.

    ¡°It was you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±

    I scratched my head. She fired a mix of contempt and question at me.

    ¡°You only need to endure for 15 hours, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about enduring, it¡¯s about surviving longer. It¡¯s a rtive evaluation anyway? I also don¡¯t like this hotel itself.¡±

    She made a face as if she couldn¡¯t understand. She was about to curse, but.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait. You don¡¯t like the hotel itself?¡±

    She looked at me seriously as if she remembered something.

    ¡°Do you know something about this hotel?¡±

    It seemed like Soliette knew something too when she asked that.

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    I came out of the desk and approached her.

    It wouldn¡¯t be revealed by just this much conversation, but I couldn¡¯t risk being exposed. After all, the right to force return was on their side.

    Then Soliette also whispered quietly.

    ¡­¡­There was a hotel our family invested in a long time ago. I even went there to y when I was young. This ce somehow resembles there.

    For me, it was quite a surprising coincidence. It was also fortunate.

    After all, it was a bit burdensome to do everything alone.

    ¡­¡­Cadic Casino Hotel. Right.

    ¡­¡­!

    Soliette made a face as if to ask how I knew. Her eyes sparkled like light bulbs.

    ¡­¡­You know. But that hotel had an unsavory-¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I pressed my lips to her ear. We were close enough for our breaths to intertwine, but Soliette stood still. It was an indifferent numbness.

    ¡­Listen carefully.

    I exined to her all my thoughts and ns.

    About this artificial magic space and the identity of the ¡®Mana Nucleus¡¯ that constitutes it.

    About the n to destroy it and liberate the phantoms.

    As I continued to speak, her expression became serious.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all.¡±

    I asked her from a few steps away.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then she stretched, pulling at her neck and shoulders. As always, action came before words.

    ¡°I will cooperate.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by putting on gas masks.¡±

    During the restriction hours, gas descends. It¡¯s a gas that makes all entities outside of the recognized area appear as monsters.

    Simply put, it¡¯s okay to be exposed to the gas when we¡¯re together, but if we¡¯re apart, we see each other as monsters.

    I smashed a nearby vending machine and handed her a gas mask. Soliette, who put it on, said,

    ¡°There are desks on the 10th and 20th floors as well.¡±

    ¡°Then we should go destroy them.¡±

    Swish- I tucked the hand axe into my waistband.

    Meanwhile, Kielli, who is considered a promising talent of Endex, is resting in [Room 1005]. He has caught a fair share of monsters and gathered clues, so his wallet is rtivelyfortable.

    ¡°Wow~ So Kielli, you¡¯re going back to the kingdom as soon as you graduate?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡±

    He¡¯s managed to snag one. A Sudme magic high spoon named ¡®Shelly¡¯.

    Unfortunately, he¡¯s in the middle of a mission, so even though he¡¯s booked a hotel room, he can¡¯t do anything. But here, you just need to get the number and do itter. It¡¯s a perfect rtionship to meet a few times and then discard.

    ¡°But I might stay in Edsi. My home country keeps trying to put me in the Edsi Council Knights.¡±

    ¡°Wow~ If you¡¯re in the Council Knights, that¡¯s the pinnacle of a knight¡¯s career!¡±

    As Kielli was promoting himself and Shelly was falling for him, a very good atmosphere was brewing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the pinnacle. I aim higher-¡±

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Higher-¡±

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Ah, what the hell is that noise.¡±

    Kielli deliberately showed his right face and frowned.

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    Shelly crossed her arms too.

    ¡°¡­Exactly. Who¡¯s making such a racket.¡±

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Kielli rose from the bed.

    It¡¯s a bit scary, but it¡¯s not a restricted time. Even if a monster jumps out, he¡¯s confident he can beat it.

    As long as it¡¯s not a guy who beats monsters with his bare hands, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Just stay here¡­¡­¡±

    Shelly cautiously grabbed the hem of his clothes. It was a gesture that unnecessarily aroused protective instincts. Kielli gave a professional smile and spoke softly.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll check who this rude friend is, and I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    Bang-!

    He flung open the door. There was some guy near the desk on the 10th floor.

    ¡°Hey, buddy! What are you-¡±

    Kielli almost instinctively stopped speaking. The guy¡¯s outfit was a bit strange. Windbreaker, gas mask, hood, hand axe¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­What the hell is that guy?¡±

    He muttered.

    Just then, the guy swung his axe at the desk.

    Crash¡ª¡ª!

    The ss window shattered. Kielli¡¯s shoulders jolted. The bastard even lodged his axe right into the head of the desk clerk.

    Squawk¡ª¡ª!

    The sound of flesh splitting resonated vividly.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Kielli gaped in shock. Almost simultaneously, the guy¡¯s head tilted slightly. The face inside the gas mask was looking at him.

    Short blond hair. Sharply cut eyes.

    That¡¯s all he could see, but Kielli knew who he was. He was too vividly engraved in his memory, like a nightmare from Fog Mountain.

    Shion Ascal.

    Thump!

    Kielli hastily closed the door.

    ¡°We¡¯re screwed.¡±

    He muttered, looking around the room.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Shelly, sitting on the bed, tilted her head.

    ¡°Is there someone outside?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Ah~ No, nothing. Just¡­ some noise between floors~?¡±

    He gave a vague answer while checking the window. He needed to see if it could be opened. He might have to jump out.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Crash¡ª¡ª!

    An axe was lodged in the room door.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Shelly screamed. The axe had split the room door in half, and the gas-masked monster appeared beyond it.

    ¡°Ki, Kielli! Save me!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, just a sec!¡±

    Shelly reached out desperately. Kielli desperately, no, frantically, lifted the window. Fortunately, it opened.

    ¡°Kielliiii!¡±

    ¡°Wait for 3 minutes!¡±

    He would fight if he could, but that guy was out of his league. He was a madman who beat monsters with his bare fists.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±

    Kielli jumped out the window. He wove threads of magic into a parachute as he free fell, but¡­

    ¡°Ah, what the hell! It¡¯s cold, damn it, why is it so cold!¡±

    Cold! Cold! Ah, cold! Cold!

    He kept repeating ¡°cold¡± until he hit the surrender button on his watch.

    ©¤©¤Monitoring Room.

    ¡°¡­¡­What kind of crazy things does that guy keep doing?¡±

    Shelton was slightly taken aback by the rampaging variable.

    Smashing a vending machine is one thing. But why did he break not only the lobby¡¯s front desk but also the desk on the 10th floor?

    ¡°The psychological prediction model is still not very urate, but there was a low probability choice. It was a 0.3% chance. Not joining forces to break through, not hiding to ensure personal safety, but choosing to annihte everyone including himself-¡±

    ¡°No, why is the desk broken in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°There were orders to keep all variables, and to reduce costs.¡±

    ¡°Ah, shit¡­ I was supposed to cut costs.¡±

    Shelton clicked his tongue.

    ¡°How about it. Let¡¯s leave it. We lobbied the college board to test such extreme variables in the first ce.¡±

    There¡¯s a need to loosen up today. If we unnecessarily restrict the seniors¡¯ actions and end up getting audited by the university association, it would be like scratching an itch.

    ¡°It¡¯s all about making money quickly.¡±

    The possibilities of what can be done with the mana nucleus currently being tested here are endless.

    The spirits trapped in the mana nucleus are merely phantoms for now, but with proper training and the imntation of a thought circuit, they can develop into almost perfect artificial intelligence.

    Shelton and the magic tower¡¯s ultimate goal is to construct a theme park using this.

    If sessful, all character dolls, sales staff, guides, NPCs in the magic space for experience, NPCs in the metaverse, etc., can be reced with spirit artificial intelligence, and can be used for free without cost.

    In this age wherebor costs are increasing day by day, think about being able to use thousands of workers for nearly 200 years for free, without even a second of rest.

    Those who consider morality and ethics in the face of such enormous economic value are idiots. What rights do those who have already lost have?

    ¡°Yes. However, there is the worst oue with a 0.0001095% possibility-¡±

    ¡°Goodness, you.¡±

    Shelton put his hand on the middle manager¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If you consider all the low probabilities, you won¡¯t make money. It¡¯s all about money.¡±

    Even with that lunatic senior causing such variables, it operates without problems, and the college board also ends safely?

    Rather, we might have to be grateful to him.

    Thanks to that data,mercialization will be advanced by 2-3 years.

    ¡°Sess is not perfect from the beginning. It¡¯s how you respond to variables. That¡¯s what makes or breaks the money.¡±

    Shelton leisurely muttered and sat in the massage chair.

    ¡°Keep monitoring.¡±

 Chapter 65: Collapse (2)

    Copse (2)

    Lobby, 10th floor, 20th floor.

    I had smashed all three desks.

    From now on, checkouts would not be extended, and therefore, the heating in the rooms would not work. The doors wouldn¡¯t lock, allowing hallucinogenic gas to seep into the rooms, causing people to see each other as monsters and fight.

    A hotel destined for destruction¡­

    Meanwhile, I hadfortably settled in the lobby on the first floor. The temperature was dropping below minus 30 degrees as time passed, but thanks to upgrading my thermal underwear¡¯s ¡°heater¡± enchantment to Perion, I could bear it.

    Here in the lobby, I did what I had to do.

    Simple. When their health and magic werepletely depleted, or when they were worn out from battle, I wouldfort those who came down to the lobby like sick beasts.

    [03 : 00 : 00]

    As time passed, exactly three hours remained.

    The number of survivors was disyed.

    [17]

    A very small number.

    Well, in the freezing cold where limbs could freeze, phantoms were running rampant, and Soliette was likely causing havoc upstairs.

    Most wouldn¡¯t be able to endure¡­

    ¡­Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Just then, I heard a scream from someoneing down the stairs.

    It was time to work.

    I got up from the sofa, clutching my axe.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªAaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    I caught someone running as if being chased. I was about to smack him straight to the ground, but he grabbed my arm first.

    My arm almost got pulled out for a moment.

    ¡°Ossey! Bruaga!¡±

    The guy in the gas mask spat out some aliennguage, and I was slightly taken aback when I saw his face. It seemed he recognized me through my gas mask as well.

    ¡°Ah! You! Shishishi, Shion! Shion, it¡¯s Shion, right!¡±

    La Hilton. She was holding my arm tightly and shouting hoarsely.

    I disguised my voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Shion.¡±

    ¡°You are! You are!¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around! Shion, save me! I bought you a hamburger when we met! Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Shion, behind you! Behind you!¡±

    La kept pointing behind me. I turned around. There was a rather scary-looking female phantom.

    ¡°There, phantom! There¡¯s a phantom!¡±

    Apparently, she had touched something, be it casino chips or whatever.

    I looked at her and nodded quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll save you. Calm down, let go.¡±

    Then La¡¯s face lit up.

    ¡°Re, really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    I took out a meal kit from my pocket.

    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    La extended both hands. Pretending to give her the meal kit, I swung my axe at her wrist¡ªspecifically, her smartwatch.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    She screamed, even though it shouldn¡¯t have hurt.

    ¡°You, you¡­¡­¡±

    Soon she realized what had happened, and her deer-like eyes filled with horror.

    I said,

    ¡°Trust me. This is saving you.¡±

    ¡°You, you aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±

    La was forcibly logged out, screaming.

    I looked at the smartwatch again.

    [3]

    Before I knew it, only three people were left.

    Excluding Soliette and me, it would naturally be ¡®him¡¯.

    ¡ª¡ªThud.

    Just then, the sound of footsteps descended. The scent of magic emanating from the Magic Body tickled my nostrils.

    Without even looking, I could tell who it was from past experiences.

    The final boss, Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    Even in this freezing cold, he looked around the lobby with an unscathed face.

    ¡°Did you cause this mess?¡±

    I feigned ignorance naturally.

    ¡°Not me.¡±

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon spoke in a dry voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s a way to win, but it¡¯s not efficient. Life is a marathon.¡±

    ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±

    He was suddenly talking nonsense.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°¡­¡­You should consider political factors as well.¡±

    ¡°Political?¡±

    Indeed, Gerkhen Kal Doon will be a Senator in the future. The reason he avoids causing a stir and keeps his words to a minimum is because of that.

    The best way not to make enemies is not just to say nice things, but not to say anything at all.

    ¡°You could be a public enemy. The college board is long. It¡¯s only the first quarter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m wearing a gas mask. To avoid being caught.¡±

    ¡°Rumors will spread eventually. There are many heads. The deduction will bepleted someday, and words are fast.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to spread it, are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon closed his mouth.

    His politics are simple.

    Reduce words as much as possible, but when necessary, only speak the truth.

    Pursue trust, but do not maintain it unconditionally.

    When trust needs to be broken, only when there is an unconditional price that surpasses it.

    Just like when he betrayed Theia Esil.

    It¡¯s not a criticism, it means he won¡¯t make enemies unnecessarily in rtively light situations like the college board.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon is right.¡±

    Suddenly, another voice flowed from behind Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    It was Soliette.

    ¡°Your method is wrong, Shion Ascal.¡±

    She criticized me and pped Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s cheek with her palm.

    Thud¡ª¡ª!

    At that moment, the focus disappeared from Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s eyes, and he staggered and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Uh.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was knocked out with a single p. It was slightly surprising.

    The final boss was defeated in an instant.

    ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t anticipate my betrayal. Hot.¡±

    Soliette had a somehow amused expression. Indeed, she used to enjoy such situations when ying games in the past.

    Should I say she¡¯s mischievous? She liked to trap others.

    Crack¡ª¡ª!

    Soliette smashed Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s smartwatch.

    ¡°What will you do now?¡±

    [2]

    Only the two of us were left.

    Ah, not just the two of us. There are already many phantoms around. Maybe a few hundred.

    I pped silently.

    p p- Then the phantoms looked at me.

    ¡°Deceive the eyes.¡±

    I scattered chips among them and said, ¡°Deceive the eyes.¡± The phantoms would surely know the location of the cameras and could deceive them in some way. They are supernatural and magical beings, after all.

    After scattering about ten chips, the numerous phantoms disappeared somewhere.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I gestured to Soliette.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    We walked side by side out of the lobby. The cold that could peel off the skin invaded my body.

    On the other hand, Soliette was fine.

    The Arkne family is like this. They fly around in the winter, but they are sick in the summer.

    I took out all the remaining casino chips from my pocket. Soliette, who had been staring nkly, spoke.

    ¡°Now, I would like a detailed exnation.¡±

    ¡°These chips are mana stones.¡±

    I piled all the chips on the ground. From the perspective of the SZX-9500, it was the point where the circuit of this magic space was located.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to use these as a medium to upgrade the Mana Nucleus.¡±

    The alpha and omega that maintain such a massive artificial Magic Spell is the ¡®Mana Nucleus¡¯ itself. A mass of spirits of thousands of people pulsating in the center of the barrier, that is, from the ceiling.

    ¡°Upgrade?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My Spectrum.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it okay to reveal your Spectrum?¡±

    Spectrums are usually treated as personal secrets. Especially for promising individuals. If leaked, not only the value judgment but also theplete disassembly analysis could reveal weaknesses.

    ¡°Secrets are for 6-star grades like you. Not me.¡±

    I put my hand on the chip.

    ¡°If you upgrade the mana nucleus itself with these mana stones, the spirits inside will break their own restraints.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re going to upgrade the ¡®inside¡¯, so they break the ¡®shell¡¯ themselves.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. When the mana nucleus copses, byproducts will flow out.¡±

    Probably, all the dark magic will run wild. The spirits of the dead will explode, and those freed from the tenacious restraint will gather their long-standing pain and hatred and scream.

    ¡°It will be painful.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just painful, that¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    Permanent mental illness, of course, they might even try tomit suicide on the spot.

    ¡°I will watch.¡±

    Soliette dered stubbornly.

    ¡°Well. Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I raised my hand over the stacked casino chips.

    After taking a deep breath, I blew Perion into it. Then the chips heated up like charcoal, soon liquefied, and seeped into the magic circuit connected to the mana nucleus.

    ¡°¡­¡­Step back.¡±

    Soliette and I took a few steps back.

    We looked up at this sky together.

    Perion rising along the vast circuit. It sprouted from the bottom of the magic space in several branches, like a spider web, reached the center of the ceiling of the magic space, and¡­¡­

    Boom-!

    It shook this axis greatly. Countless magic circuits were all dyed white.

    It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but admire, and Soliette¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    It was only for a moment.

    Crackling©¤©¤.

    A foreboding sound, like a ss window cracking, echoed.

    Immediately after, a far more horrific scream ensued.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Innumerable cries of agony that words could not describe.

    Men, women, the elderly, children, without distinction, everyone who had died unjustly here, screamed out cries filled with the emotions of that day. It overflowed like a massive tsunami, covering the earth.

    Cold sweat formed on Soliette¡¯s forehead.

    It was not something she could easily endure.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°I have a unique framework.¡±

    One of the few benefits of countless chemotherapy treatments. The leukemia and brain tumor I initially contracted were not ordinary diseases. They were magical diseases.

    Therefore, chemotherapy was no different from anti-magic treatment, and thanks to that, my resistance to magical things became quite ¨C very high.

    ¡°The copse will start soon. It¡¯s going to get harder, okay?¡±

    Up to this point, it¡¯s only been an indirect experience. Once the Mana Nucleuspletely breaks, the byproducts inside will directly rush in and seep into the body.

    I¡¯m actually looking forward to that moment, but Soliette won¡¯t be able to handle it.

    ¡°I will try to endure. My family, big or small, is also at fault.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    I slightly shook the Magic Fork. A swing that seemed to flicker with rtively little force. It urately pinpointed and hit the wrist of Soliette standing next to me.

    Crack-!

    Something broke.

    Her smartwatch was smashed.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Soliette, who had nkly raised her wrist, soon realized my betrayal and her face twisted in shock.

    ¡°¡­You damn-¡±

    In the middle of her cursing, she was forcibly returned. I smiled faintly and looked up. The wind, heavy with anguish, was swirling in the blood-red sky.

    Aaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The screams became much clearer, tearing through my ears. Faces of people formed like clouds, massively.

    They were bleeding.

    They screamed with their mouths wide open. Inside the wide-open mouth, there was another person¡¯s face. They too were bleeding and screaming.

    It was a cry.

    Within that trembling, there was regret. There was despair. There was resentment. There was hatred. There was sorrow. There was lingering affection. There was disappointment. There was frustration.

    Why did we have to end up like this?

    Why did we have to die like this?

    Why are you alive, and why are we dead?

    Haaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.

    Enduring the emotions they spewed, I prepared to breathe in the Mana Nucleus.

    Soon, debris will flow from the soon-to-be-destroyed Mana Nucleus. Even if it¡¯s just such a trivial amount of debris, it will be of great help to me and the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Crackling©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The shell of the Mana Nucleus cracked, and countless spirits were freed and flooded from the gap. They whirled around the void like a balloon with its knot untied.

    I spread my arms wide. Hands, or feet, or tongues, or the like clung to my body. Strange whispers and dark voices flowed into my ears.

    It didn¡¯t bother me.

    I just closed my eyes and turned on the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    [101 / 105¡­¡­ 110¡­¡­ 118¡­¡­ 127¡­¡­ 135]

    The capacity of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ increasing in real-time.

    Not only that. My pure Mana Heart, that is, the capacity of my mana itself, is also increasing. Each time I breathe in and out, the remnants of the Mana Nucleus settle in my body.

    I repeated the Mana Heart breathing and suddenly opened my eyes. I looked up at the sky, still screaming.

    Aaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    They are being liberated.

    At the same time, they are dying.

    Is this the end of suffering, or a second massacre stemming from my greed¡­¡­.

    Thump-.

    Someone touched my shoulder. I flinched and looked back.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    There was a man with half of his face missing. He reached out to me. I stared nkly. In his hand was a casino chip.

    Normally, humans and phantoms cannot touch each other, but it might be possible through this mana stone.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ yes.¡±

    I awkwardly took his hand. To be precise, I grabbed the ¡®mana stone¡¯. He shook the hand he held up and down.

    I looked at his face. He had no face, but his slightly bowed head somehow felt like a smile.

    He disappeared, leaving a casino chip in my hand.

    Crackling¡ª¡ª!

    Just then, the shell of the Mana Nucleus waspletely shattered. The copse of the magical space had begun.

    I stood still and watched the scene.

    ©¤©¤©¤Rumbling¡­¡­.

    The breaking barrier.

    The copsing dream of the theme park.

    The spirits floating in between.

    Lastly, the casino chip held in my hand.

    ¡°The rest is¡­¡­ up to my interpretation, huh.¡±

    For me, it was quite a harmonious and impressive sequence.

 Chapter 66: Collapse (3)

    Copse (3)

    The monitoring room detected the rapidly rampaging Mana Nucleus. The overflowing spirits had already exceeded the threshold, and the escaped spirits, taking the form of human faces, filled the interior of the barrier.

    Vrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    Vibrations shook the monitoring room. A surge of crimson magic power flowed in from beyond the screen.

    ¡°Damn it! Exin! Why is this happening?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ascertain the details.¡±

    Shelton jumped up and red at the surveince camera, but the camera screen remained the same.

    For the past 5 minutes, Shion and Soliette had been standing still, facing each other. It looked like a still image, but time was still passing.

    What is this, are they entranced by the phantom?

    Shelton grabbed the shoulder of the middle manager.

    ¡°Give me a probability, even if it¡¯s just a guess!¡±

    ¡°From a magical, scientific, and probabilistic perspective, it¡¯s inexplicable. The output of the Mana Nucleus has suddenly upgraded. It¡¯s a matter worth reporting to the academicmunity-¡±

    ¡°Report, my ass! So what happens now?¡±

    Boom©¤©¤!

    A massive shock hit the monitoring room. Several researchers fainted and fell to the floor.

    The middle manager spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­The resonance within the Mana Nucleus, the shell of the Mana Nucleus can¡¯t withstand it. It¡¯s causing its own copse. It¡¯s an impossible phenomenon. An unforeseen variable.¡±

    ¡°No, so, if it causes a copse, so what about the Mana Nucleus?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The middle manager let go of his hand.

    The hand that had been fiddling with the keyboard and mouse for 30 hours straight was neatly gathered on hisp.

    ¡°It¡¯s already irreversible.¡±

    ¡°What the©¤©¤!¡±

    Shelton felt like he was going crazy. The back of his head was hot as if it had been filled withva, and static electricity kept crackling on his back.

    ¡°So the solution is-¡±

    ¡°The Mana Nucleus has already copsed.¡±

    The manager pointed to the screen as if to confirm the kill.

    The drone camera overlooking the barrier.

    Crackling¡­¡­.

    In this artificial barrier, which Shelton and the tower had poured hundreds of millions of Ren into, cracks were being engraved.

    One by one, it was breaking into fragments.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Shelton stared nkly.

    His legs gave way.

    When he came to his senses, his knees were on the ground.

    60 million Ren. The cost invested in this Mana Nucleus.

    6 billion Ren. The value of the prehensive theme park¡¯ to be produced with this Mana Nucleus.

    That¡¯s the value when measured at the very lowest.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Fuuuuuuck!¡±

    Shelton roared like a beast and looked around at the researchers. He red at each one of them.

    ¡°You guys! This kind of! Design! And Fuck! How did you make it!¡±

    ¡°It seems to be force majeure. If we consider the probability, it¡¯s almost zero¡­¡­.¡±

    He shut the middle manager¡¯s mouth with his bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°You should have responded first instead of ming the probability, you, you dumb probability-heads¡ª¡ª!¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤Rumble rumble rumble rumble!

    The sound of an explosion echoed through the speakers.

    Shelton and the researchers turned to the monitor at the same time.

    Whoosh©¤©¤©¤©¤.

    The entire barrier was copsing.

    Like a wrongly pulled block in Jenga, so emptily.

    In an instant.

    More feebly than a sandcastle.

    Zzzzt-.

    Soon after, the entire screen cut off with noise.

    The monitoring room waspletely cked out.

    ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡­.¡±

    In that darkness, only Shelton¡¯s hollowughter faintly echoed.

    [0 : 00 : 00]

    I returned as thest one standing. The ce was Clemen Hall, but it was empty. There was no Soliette, no one else.

    Creak-

    Just then, the front door opened. A man in a gown walked in.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    It was Shelton.

    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯re first.¡±

    With a grim face, he red at me and asked.

    ¡°Just one question. Nothing happened in there, right?¡±

    He¡¯s getting informal because he¡¯s shaken.

    Now he¡¯s showing his true colors.

    ¡°Yes. Something did happen.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Suddenly, those phantom faces¡­¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s horrifying. I¡¯m still getting PTSD.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Anything else? I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m getting PTSD. Shouldn¡¯t I bepensated for psychological damage?¡±

    At the mention of psychological damagepensation, Shelton slightly shivered.

    ¡°That was part of the task, so there¡¯s no such thing.¡±

    ¡°Give me my money. At least the 30 Ren you took from me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk. Well. What could a D- like you do with a Mana Nucleus anyway. Live your life leeching off others.¡±

    Shelton sighed heavily and turned around. It¡¯s helpful to have a D- grade at times like this. I¡¯m not suspected at all, am I? Or is it not suspicious that a D- came in first?

    Thud-

    Shelton stopped and turned back to me.

    ¡°Hey. You said 30 Ren would do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    He pulled out 30 Ren from his wallet and stuffed it into my coat pocket.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else. Consider this psychological damagepensation, settled for 30 Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    As he was saying this absurd thing, he left Clemen Hall. Hisb coat pocket was ringing with his phone going off ¨C wiiing- wiiing- wiiiiiiing-.

    Those are unusual rms. I¡¯m really looking forward to what¡¯s going to happen next.

    ¡°Goodbye. You won¡¯t get far.¡±

    I smiled broadly.

    Of course, he¡¯ll have his own backup. He¡¯s a guy who¡¯s managed to pull together an investment of tens of millions of Ren on his own, so his ability is certain.

    So, a double tap might be necessary.

    I picked up my smartphone. I dialed a number I had saved before.

    Ring ring ring- ring ring ring-

    ¡ªHello.

    I thought she wouldn¡¯t pick up, but surprisingly, she picked it up right away.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah yes.¡±

    ¡ªWho is this?

    Her voice was full of thorns, as if she hadn¡¯t slept.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to make a tip.¡±

    ¡ªWho are you? Do I know you?

    ¡°¡­¡­Isn¡¯t this Inspector Rena Heller?¡±

    ¡ªYes, but who are you? Yawn.

    While yawning, I could hear the sound of her sinking into a chair.

    She must be busy with her work.

    ¡°I saw youst time in the Recordark interrogation room.¡±

    ¡ªWhat¡­ Ah, the yellow buzz cut one? Shion Ascal?

    I smiled silently.

    At least she remembers my name.

    ¡ªHey. Do you want to die? You¡¯re climbing up because I¡¯m looking at you. How dare you call Edsi¡¯s inspector?

    ¡°¡­¡­I told you when we met. I said I¡¯d call if I had a tip.¡±

    ¡ªWhat tip?

    ¡°There¡¯s been an incident at the College Board.¡±

    ¡ªThe College Board?

    Rena raised the end of his sentence.

    ¡°Yes. Do you know about the Cadic Casino incident?¡±

    ¡ªHow would I not know? It¡¯s an incident that¡¯s in the textbooks.

    ¡°That Mana Nucleus from then, it might not have been released.¡±

    ¡ª¡­What did you say?

    Rena¡¯s voice changed instantly.

    She deduced the whole story from just this 30-second conversation. Well, she¡¯s a guy who has all of Edsi¡¯s cases and precedents in her head.

    ¡°Try investigating. An interesting person mighte out.¡±

    ¡ªHey, wait-

    I hung up the phone after leaving just that.

    As I said, Rena is apetent inspector. In Edsi, which is almost like a caste system, she¡¯s a unique character who has risen to the position of chief inspector while taking down quite a few nobles.

    If I gave her this much information, she would handle it on her own.

    At the same time.

    Prestige, one of the top-tier apartments in Edsi.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    6-star prospect Elise Petra is still buried in bed.

    She¡¯s depressed.

    She¡¯s embarrassed.

    She¡¯s annoyed.

    It¡¯s hard to estimate how much CP she lost in this assignment.

    Of course, she can easily enter Edsi National University, but Elise¡¯s goal was more than that.

    Top of the entire College Board.

    She wanted to prove herself by standing at the very top.

    Rumor has it that Gerkhen Kal Doon and Soliette are at the full score cutline¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    A sigh slipped out. She clenched her pillow with both hands and axed the poor bed.

    Bang- Bang- Bang- Bang-

    Like a beaver cracking a m, she did this for a while, theny back down in a proper position and looked up at the ceiling.

    She¡¯s depressed.

    She¡¯s embarrassed.

    She¡¯s annoyed¡­ No.

    No.

    Nothing changes by just lying down like this.

    Everyone fails. The same goes for the legends of the continent.

    They all failed, fell, and copsed more than once, but what was important was the ability to ovee that failure and stand up again.

    Bounce back.

    She can definitely do that too.

    Because she has the talent that everyone envies. Because she has more than enough qualities to be a legend.

    Elise sat up.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    But her body won¡¯t listen. Physically, she keeps sagging as if she¡¯s been injured.

    She doesn¡¯t want to do anything, suddenly she doesn¡¯t want to live, everything feels meaningless.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She stared nkly at the door of her room. It was wide open.

    All the doors in her residence are open. They don¡¯t close. They can¡¯t be closed.

    Let¡¯s think positively, the problem that day might not have been just about the grades.

    It might have been fortunate that she didn¡¯t die that day.

    The Room 444 incident was the worst of the worst. The worst in nearly three years.

    The panic on the fourth floor that day was so suffocating to recall, and at the same time, confusing.

    What exactly happened to me there?

    Was I forcibly transferred just before I died, or¡­

    Did ¡®someone¡¯ really save me?

    ¡°¡­¡­There was someone.¡±

    She shook her head.

    There¡¯s no need to worry about this.

    There was definitely someone there. The faint memory, the touch, the warmth in her drowning consciousness was more certain than anything else.

    Elise trusts her memory.

    She didn¡¯t survive by simple coincidence, but because of some ¡®unknown man¡¯, she didn¡¯t die.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s more problematic.

    Who on earth?

    Ding-

    Her smartphone rang.

    Elise groped around the bed and grabbed it. There were many messages, but she ignored them.

    She searched for puppies on YouTV. She also searched for rabbits. She nkly watched them eat and run around, then put it down again.

    Ding-

    The smartphone rang again. She nced at it, and her eyes widened.

    [James: We¡¯re meeting at 7 today, right?]

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ right.¡±

    There was a meeting for the festival y.

    The casting was done even before the College Board assignment started.

    First, four people who take the Latinel ss together. James, Wendy, Brown, Del.

    Two Edsi National University students aspiring to be musical actors. Miller, Sasha.

    Including Elise herself, seven people.

    The meeting time is Saturday at 7 p.m.

    It¡¯s just an hour away.

    Elise forced herself to get up.

    Indeed, the will to keep a promise can ovee even this emptiness-

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    She copsed back onto the bed.

    If they talk about the y, they¡¯ll definitely ask about the assignment during the break.

    What should she answer then?

    Should she just set it as a taboo topic?

    Ding-

    [JR: I heard the rumors. But don¡¯t worry.]

    This time it was a message from the admission consultant.

    How did he know without her even telling him?

    [JR: The score difference is enough to turn the tables.]

    The rumor has already spread so much, and he¡¯s saying not to worry, but it seems to have worsened.

    Elise gritted her teeth.

    Who spread the rumor? Should she go and kill them?

    [It¡¯s okay.]

    It wasn¡¯t okay, but she replied that way and crawled out of bed. She rolled out of the bedroom with her strengthless body.

    ¡°Miss! Are you okay?!¡±

    Petra¡¯s servants rushed in. They all had worried faces.

    Elise spoke in a pained tone.

    ¡°Prepare¡­ some clothes¡­ I have to go¡­ for a y meeting¡­.¡±

 Chapter 67: Script (1)

    <strong>Script (1)</strong>

    Elise arrived at the meeting ce. It was a small theater they had rented for the next two weeks. They nned to rehearse the script here and perform the y on the festival day in two weeks¡­

    Before entering, she first pressed her ear to the door.

    ¡ªThis assignment was a real disaster. I mean, who the hell smashed all the desks?

    ¡ªExactly. But don¡¯t you think it gave us more discernment? Those who can¡¯t do Magic Body dropped out immediately because they couldn¡¯t stand the cold. I managed tost 23 hours.

    23 hours.

    For reference, Elise¡¯s record is less than 15 hours.

    The urge to turn around and run away was overwhelming, but she suppressed it desperately and knocked on the door.

    ¡ªAh. Elise must be here.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­.¡±

    After taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

    Inside the theater, the gazes of the six people she had personally cast were focused on her. All the contempt in their eyes was suspect, but she spoke calmly.

    ¡°Is everyone here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. All six of us are here.¡±

    Wendy answered. As she spoke, she licked her lips slightly.

    Why is she doing that? It¡¯s like she¡¯s mocking.

    Elise walked over and sat down on a chair.

    ¡°Shall we start?¡±

    She spoke as businesslike as possible.

    She intended to limit today¡¯s topic to official matters only. Anything rted to the College Board or grades was strictly off-limits.

    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re starting like this? Isn¡¯t Shion missing?¡±

    Senior James asked. Elise asked back in a low voice.

    ¡°Why do you ask about that person?¡±

    ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t he the one writing the script?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    As she answered, she pulled out seven copies of the script from her Charment bag.

    Charment is a high-end luxury brand. Not just any noble can afford it, and thepany even considers the buyer¡¯s reputation and fame when selling this ultra-expensive artifact handbag.

    ¡°Shion Ascal wanted to do ¡®The Bard¡¯ for the y. What do you all think?¡±

    ¡°What? The Bard is a bit¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Exactly. The Bard is not so great.¡±

    This is the normal reaction. Cultured people who have properly learned Latinel react this way. It¡¯s one of the least appreciated ys among the 23 Latinel lines, so they can¡¯t help but show their disapproval.

    ¡°He says he¡¯ll adapt it himself, but we don¡¯t have time until then. We only have two weeks until the festival.¡±

    Elise handed out the scripts one by one.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®The Cunning King¡¯. I adapted it.¡±

    She had written it herself and even had it bound in hardcover.

    [The Cunning King ¨C Author Elise]

    As she stroked the cover, Elise shrugged her shoulders with a sense of pride.

    ¡°Ah~ The Cunning King? Nice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the mostfortable to act. Because it¡¯s familiar.¡±

    The Edsi University students chimed in. Miller and Sasha. These two were theater and film students aspiring to be actors, minoring in Latinel, so they were trustworthy.

    Their cultural knowledge and wisdom were far¡ªmuch deeper than Shion Ascal¡¯s.

    ¡°Right, we¡¯re acting this in Latinel, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The acting is in themonnguage. There will be a few Latinel lines mixed in the dialogue.¡±

    The theme of the festival y is [The Poprization of Latinel], but if the performance is in Latinel, anguage unknown to the public, it won¡¯t be able to attract the public¡¯s attention.

    ¡°But we don¡¯t need staff?¡±

    College student Miller asked.

    ¡°I can pick out a few people. Those who are currently active in the industry.¡±

    The budget for this festival y set by Endex is 100,000 Ren. Of course, she could ask her mother for help, but it¡¯s also necessary to have the experience of doing it on her own.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. If there are staff who want to do it, send me the list. I¡¯ll select.¡±

    ¡°Do we not need to pay them? I mean, they-¡±

    ¡°We should. I¡¯ll set it to the industry average.¡±

    Considering the cost of stage props, appearance fees, and rental fees, it¡¯s going to be very tight, but if the ticket price is appropriately set, it should be covered to some extent.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked around the table.

    Shion Ascal is nowhere to be found here. Therefore, the invitation will naturally be her responsibility.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t the n from the beginning.

    A fairpetition was rather what Elise had hoped for.

    It¡¯s all because of the peculiar y, The Bard, that the bastard with a weird taste got himself into.

    ¡°Shall we start the script reading?¡±

    Elise opened the first page of [The Cunning King]. The smell of the paper reaching her nose was fragrant.

    Saturday afternoon at 6 o¡¯clock, the senior-only floor of the Endex library.

    [First crime scene. Pleasee to the alley of Geldio by 1 a.m. on Monday.]

    Soliette¡¯s message is written on the shared notebook on my desk. It¡¯s the first field trip with the client.

    I wrote a reply.

    [Confirmed.]

    Nothing after that.

    It¡¯s awkwardly noticeable.

    After some thought, I added a sentence.

    [Are you okay?]

    [I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s my fault for trusting you. You are a betrayer.]

    Soliette wrote back as if she had been waiting.

    [What are you talking about. You betrayed Gerkhen Kal Doon too.]

    [It was a nned betrayal. Yet you¡­¡­]

    The sentence that was being written roughly was cut off, and it continued in a slightly elongated handwriting.

    Even that is extremely aristocratic handwriting.

    [Enough. Pleasee to the alley of Geldio by 1 a.m. You should not write personal conversations in this shared notebook.]

    Anyway, she¡¯s upset. I put the notebook in the pocket of my uniform.

    I stared at thepletely empty note, the very reason I came to the library, for a while.

    On the day when the grueling 30-hour college board ended, I am trying to write a script.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Why don¡¯t I want to do it?¡±

    But I just can¡¯t find the motivation.

    Is it because of the hangover from the college board, or because I¡¯ve never written a y script before?

    [Title : The Bard]

    I can¡¯t move beyond the title.

    Should I just give up now?

    It¡¯s quite bothersome.

    I just poked at the poor notebook and looked around.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, a coffee machine caught my eye.

    Installed in a corner of the library, the machine was emitting a faint aroma of coffee beans.

    Coffee.

    Caffeine.

    One of the 48 habits I had quit a long time ago, in a promise to be healthier.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    But, let¡¯s think about it again.

    Is caffeine really bad for the body? Is it utterly harmful like cigarettes or drugs?

    Probably not.

    Despite this, should I be deprived of the joy and effects that caffeine can provide, simply because I¡¯m a cancer patient?

    That shouldn¡¯t be the case.

    Drinking coffee doesn¡¯t stop tomorrow froming.

    Rather, it might lead us to a brighter tomorrow by focusing us on today¡­

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I abruptly stood up. I ced a paper cup in the coffee machine and pressed the button.

    The machine whirred, filling the cup with a brown liquid.

    As I nkly stared at it, a question arose.

    What would happen if I added Perion to this coffee?

    Could Perion ¡®upgrade¡¯ the ¡®awakening effect¡¯ of caffeine?

    If possible, it seems like it would be a great help for writing.

    Why not give it a try.

    I drew upon the magic from the Magic Core.

    A colorless stream of energy flowed from my palm. I poured it into the liquid.

    ¡°¡­Did it work?¡±

    I gently shook the paper cup. The coffee sloshed around. On the surface, it seemed unchanged.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a carcinogen.¡±

    An alkaloidpound that awakens the brain and activates metabolism, upgraded by my magic.

    Even if it were a carcinogen, it wouldn¡¯t matter since I already have cancer, but just in case, I took a small sip.

    I smacked my lips, tasting it, and waited quietly.

    ¡°Nothing special.¡±

    It¡¯s disappointing, but what dramatic effect could I expect from just upgrading the caffeine in coffee? It would be fortunate if it could just chase away sleep.

    As I was thinking this and putting down the paper cup.

    ¡°©¤©¤?¡±

    My pupils dted. My heart pounded rapidly, and a passion surged from my brain. It felt like a fierce me was flowing from my essence.

    It was an awakening.

    I quickly sat down. I gripped a pen and stared at the notebook.

    A nk page of the notebook, only titled ¡°The Bard.¡±

    The nk page, like a silver screen, reyed a memory from some time ago.

    The theater where Theia Esil almost dragged Gerkhen Kal Doon and me.

    A time before the regression, now gone.

    The scene from then vividly came to mind, and I felt as if I was being drawn into that ce¡­

    ©¤The Bard tells stories. Among the stories are tragedies andedies. He tellsedies as if they are tragedies, and tragedies as if they areedies.

    The actor¡¯s lines echo. The audience¡¯s breaths can be heard. The fine dust and air of the theater touch my skin.

    I am now sitting in a seat at the Edsi Opera House.

    When I turn my head to the side, I see Theia Esil, engrossed in the y.

    When I turn the other way, I see Gerkhen Kal Doon, simrly absorbed in the y.

    ¡°¡­What the¡­¡±

    I hastily shook my head. In that moment, I was out of the opera house.

    Again, it was the Endex library.

    ¡°Chills.¡±

    A memory from the past that felt so real it could confuse reality. An experience that was too vividly intense.

    I almost got buried in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ without realizing it.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath. After calming down for a moment, I took another sip of coffee. But this time, I consciously restrained my focus.

    Like lying on a sofa watching TV, from a suitable distance, immersion, not burial.

    ¡ªThe Bard sings stories.

    In front of me, the lines of the musical that rise like a drama and the expressions of the actors.

    I transferred them directly to the notebook.

    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡±

    Feeling dizzy, I leaned back in my chair. I dropped the pen and notebook from my hand. Only about three sips of coffee were left, and it was already 11 o¡¯clock at night.

    [The Bard]

    The script is, probably perfect.

    After all, I melted the entirety of that musical, which I revisited through memory, into a script.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    My whole body feels like it¡¯s melting, and my head is quite dizzy. Is it the aftereffect of caffeine awakening? Or because I focused too much?

    I clumsily gathered my notes and got up.

    ng-

    But the door opened first.

    At the time when ordinary people¡¯s work ends, there was a human who came carrying things to study.

    Of course, it¡¯s Elise.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t say anything. Herplexion wasn¡¯t good either. Probably because of this college board. Because she dropped out of the middle rank.

    She sat down anywhere and opened a book. It was a college textbook again.

    ¡°Hey. The script is finished.¡±

    I said so and approached her. Elise still didn¡¯t answer. I put the script on her desk, which was only looking at the textbook.

    ¡°Read it. Don¡¯t be gloomy.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    She¡¯s not gloomy.

    ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re the lead, memorize all the lines.¡±

    At that, Elise¡¯s pupils shook slightly. She seemed to have something to say, her lips slightly puckered, but soon she shook her head without saying anything.

    ¡°Yawn¡­ I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    I yawned and went outside.

 Chapter 68: Script (2)

    <strong>Script (2)</strong>

    Tick-tock, tick-tock.

    In the library where the second hand moves quietly, it¡¯s ate night past midnight, and Elise is still studying with ¡®Cookie¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Exactly at 2 a.m., she quietly stretched.

    She stumbled a bit because of the college board, but it seemed she had managed to ovee it.

    She turned on her smartphone. There were many unread messages.

    She quickly scrolled through messages from guys offering hollow condolences, and messages from those who scratched her heart while pretending to console her, then she got up from her seat.

    [La: Elly, it¡¯s urgent! Call me ASAP!!!!]

    It was because of La¡¯s fussing text.

    Thud-

    Something caught on her elbow and fell to the floor.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    [The Bard].

    The script by Shion Ascal.

    Elise looked at it and pondered for a moment, but soon shook her head.

    She didn¡¯t have time to waste on such things now. She didn¡¯t even have enough time to memorize the script right now. She shouldn¡¯t be swayed by Shion Ascal.

    She went to the balcony of the library. She made a call to someone while facing the cold wind.

    Ring, ring-

    The guy picked up quickly.

    ¡°I read the text. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡ªElly! No, Elly! Elly, it¡¯s a big deal! Kain and Asher are fighting!

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    La spoke urgently and turned off the screen.

    ¡ªBecause of you, I¡¯m stuck in the middle rank too!

    ¡ªWow, this guy is unbelievable. Was that a situation I could control? Were you such a selfish guy?

    It was Asher and Kain.

    ¡ªNo, I know that! Admit that you¡¯re scared, you bastard!

    ¡ªIt¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared, it¡¯s just unfamiliar!

    The two were fighting seriously, beyond bickering. They were fiercely exchanging fists and magic.

    ¡ªLook at them! They¡¯re fighting!

    La pointed at them with a desperate face, no, a face enjoying the situation. Elise sighed.

    ¡°¡­¡­Where are you guys.¡±

    ¡ªAt the vi~ Oh, but Elly! I¡¯m really pissed off!

    La suddenly got angry.

    ¡ªAw, that damn Ascal bastard! He gave hope and took it away! If it weren¡¯t for that bastard, I could have been in the top 10!

    Elise looked at her with a nk face.

    Top 10.

    Even La is in the top 10.

    ¡°¡­¡­Handle it yourself.¡±

    Elise had nothing to say. She didn¡¯t have the leisure to stop Asher and Kain. She felt depressed again because her grades were lower than La¡¯s.

    She hung up the phone abruptly and returned to the library¡­?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    There was suddenly one person in the library.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    Elise quickly hid Cookie at her seat. She nced at the books he had piled up. [Rail Kanen¡¯s Theory of Human Rtions], [Understanding Geopolitics], [State, Reality, and Individual]¡­¡­

    Is his dream to be a politician?

    More than that, Elise had something she was curious about.

    Hmm.

    She coughed and approached him, then casually asked.

    ¡°Hey¡±

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon slightly raised his head.

    ¡°Were you the first ce?¡±

    Elise knew that thest two people left were Gerkhen Kal Doon and Soliette, but neither of them were the type to spread their rankings around.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He simply denied it.

    ¡°¡­Unexpected.¡±

    Moreover, Gerkhen Kal Doon was one of the candidates who had saved her.

    No matter how she thought about it, a person who could move freely in that terrifying corridor on the fourth floor¡ªand this was the most important part¡ªwho ¡®kept his mouth shut¡¯ was very likely to be Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    If it had been the top-ranking guys like Asher, Kain, or Mel, they would have subtly boasted about what they had done.

    ¡°Then Soliette must have been first.¡±

    Elise spected again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. I was taken down before I could see.¡±

    ¡°By whom?¡±

    When she asked as if leading him on, Gerkhen Kal Doon silently handed her a notebook.

    ¡°This. Did you drop it?¡±

    Elise took a quick nce. It was a notebook titled [The Bard].

    Gerkhen Kal Doon said,

    ¡°I read it unintentionally.¡±

    Elise twisted her lips and shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not mine-¡±

    ¡°It was well written.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I only read half of it out of conscience.¡±

    Well written? What did that mean?

    Elise¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. She didn¡¯t understand purely.

    ¡°Can I read more?¡±

    In the midst of this, Gerkhen Kal Doon asked for permission.

    Elise looked at him, floundering like a turtle that couldn¡¯t grasp the situation.

    ¡°¡­Surely.¡±

    She soon snorted and grabbed the corner of the notebook.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±

    She pulled it sharply.

    It didn¡¯t get pulled.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was not letting go.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Elise pursed her lips. She put strength into her fingers gripping the notebook, but Gerkhen Kal Doon didn¡¯t let go easily.

    ¡°Stop messing around and give it back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you just say it wasn¡¯t yours?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon looked skeptical.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not mine, but I received it. Let go of this.¡±

    Their eyes locked. Sparks flew for a moment.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Soon, Gerkhen Kal Doon let go first.

    Having retrieved the notebook, Elise packed up and left the library.

    Prestige, a top-tier apartment in Edsi.

    As soon as Elise returned home, she ced two items on the desk in her bedroom.

    One was [The Bard], written in a cheap notebook.

    The other was [The Cunning King ¨C Author Elise], produced in a high-quality hardcover.

    Of course, she hadn¡¯t read [The Bard] yet.

    ¡ªIt was well written.

    However, Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s words kepting back to her. Along with his face that really didn¡¯t want to give it back.

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. There¡¯s no way it could be interesting. It¡¯s the most nd, shoddy, and mediocre y among the 23 works of Latinel.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have to read it at least once to critique it.¡±

    Elise muttered as she sat down in her chair. She swiftly turned the pages of Shion Ascal¡¯s dirty, hand-stained notebook.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Characters

    1. The Bard

    2. Duke

    3. The King

    4. The Queen

    5. The Prince

    6. Count Zng

    7. Pce Minister

    8. Pce Maid

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

    There were a total of eight characters. Elise, with her chin resting on her hand, turned the page.

    [Bard: You¡¯re inviting me to the pce?]

    [Count Zng: Yes. Is there a problem?]

    [Bard: Not at all. It¡¯s just so sudden¡­]

    At first, it was dull. She read through the pages of the notebook, flipping them dismissively, as if it were all a joke.

    [Pce corridor. The pce maid looks around nervously in the darkness, a note clutched in her hand.]

    [Pce Maid: Who on earth¡­]

    [Suddenly, eerie footsteps rush from behind. The pce maid turns around.]

    [Pce Maid: Aaaahhhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª!]

    [A heart is pierced, and the scream is cut off.]

    Suddenly, someone died.

    Not in reality, but in the y.

    The pce maid, stabbed in the heart and even her neck cut, is hung in the middle of the pce corridor.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    Elise was dumbfounded, but her hands and eyes moved on their own.

    Her fingers found the next page. Her eyes read the sentences.

    After the pce maid was murdered, the pce minister was also killed during the investigation and deduction process.

    Two characters had died in the first act.

    In the next act, two more were killed, and from the moment half of the characters were wiped out in no time, Elise found herself unknowingly engrossed.

    [Prince: The murders began after that Bard arrived. Isn¡¯t that right? Then who should we suspect?]

    When the prince suspiciously used the Bard, I was the one who got angry.

    [Bard: The Bard tells stories through songs. Among those stories, there are tragedies andedies. I telledies as if they were tragedies, and tragedies as if they wereedies. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m just a Bard, one who tells and retells the stories I¡¯ve once heard and experienced.]

    At the Bard¡¯s mature response, I nodded in agreement.

    [Duke: Bard. I found this button in the grass.]

    When the Duke threw out something suspicious, of course, I thought the Duke was the viin.

    However, when all the murders led to thetter half where everything fit together like cogwheels¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She nkly looked at the clock. It was already 4 a.m.

    In two hours, she had read the entire book in no time.

    Without taking a break. Forgetting the flow of time, she waspletely immersed in it.

    She silently put down the notebook.

    ¡ªMeow!

    Cookie on the desk spoke up. Elise murmured softly as she looked at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ interesting.¡±

    The variation of romance into a thriller, the reinterpretation of The Bard¡¯s character, the plot of a revenge y, and the final twist were all incredibly good, to the point of disbelief.

    How could such literaturee from that bastard?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise brought her hands together on herp.

    Again, she alternated between looking at her neat hardcover and the shabby notebook.

    She had to put one of them away.

    If she insisted, she might be able to push through with her own [The Cunning King]. She could discard this script called [The Bard], and exclude Shion Ascal from the entire y process, pretending she didn¡¯t know.

    She picked up her hardcover of [The Cunning King].

    Swish- she turned the pages. She smelled it onest time.

    She threw it in the trash can.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    A sigh slipped out. Leaning back in her chair, she tilted her face upwards.

    She lost again.

    Not to the College Board, but here too, there was someone better than her.

    This time, she felt the difference in talent.

    And that too, from the guy she hated the most.

    Elise didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    Not just to Shion Ascal, but to the fact that there are ¡®others¡¯ who are superior to her in some ways all over the world.

    She wanted to be the most talented among her peers.

    Is it a natural curse? Or simply greed? Or perhaps, a blessing that leads her to the pinnacle.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise forced herself to get up. She picked up the cheap 1 Ren notebook and went out to the living room of her room.

    A servant approached her and asked.

    ¡°Miss, do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°This. Copy and bind it. Ten copies. Neatly.¡±

    She handed over [The Bard].

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The servant quickly took it and made ten copies of the script.

    [The Bard]

    It was much cleaner than the shabby notebook. She wanted to add a leather cover to it, but she decided to buy thatter and add it on.

    She ced The Bard back on her desk. She took out a highlighter and multi-colored pens from her pencil case. She turned the cover.

    ¡ªI¡¯m The Bard. Sometimes I cross the line at the tavern, climb to the moon, and recite a melody. I express the senses as stories.

    Elise analyzes and studies everything. Perhaps that in itself is her hobby.

    This time is no different.

    Although her pride is hurt, it¡¯s a really good script, so she needs to study hard.

    ¡ª(Showing a faint expression on her face) Why does the Bard cry? Even when the Bard cries, it¡¯s not crying. Don¡¯t be fooled.

    ¡°Make the expressionplex and subtle.¡±

    Elise delved into the script.

    Not only following the character descriptions faithfully, but also thinking about what expression to make and what appearance to show as she reinterprets it. While noting where to ent when speaking the lines and how to correct the speech. Drawing double lines on important parts and highlighting them.

    Only for ¡®Sermones Laeterni¡¯¡­¡­.

 Chapter 69: Script (3)

    <strong>Script (3)</strong>

    It¡¯s Sunday noon. Behind the Endex old building, I¡¯m tending to the garden by theke. Climbing up thedder I borrowed from old man Belthos, I snip away with the garden shears.

    The view of theke itself is beautiful, but the branches surrounding it have grown wildly, so I¡¯ve been trimming them whenever I have time.

    Thanks to this, I asionally have visitors.

    Deer, rabbits, even wild boarse to drink theke water. I feel like a monster might show up next.

    -Ding.

    An artificial sound breaks the tranquility. I pull out my smartphone.

    [Lunatic: Where are you?]

    It¡¯s a message from Elise.

    [Why]

    [Lunatic: Did you write this?]

    Is she talking about The Bard?

    [Yes]

    Suddenly, a calles in. Ring-ring-ring-

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    She¡¯s calling? Isn¡¯t this voice phishing?

    I answer anyway.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    ¡°Is this voice phishing? Want to die?¡±

    A small sighes from the other end.

    ¡ªVoice phishing, you idiot¡­ Did you really write this?

    Her voice sounds like she hasn¡¯t slept at all.

    ¡°Yeah. I did. Why? Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡ªThen I¡¯ll send you the address. Come here. It¡¯s a small theater.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Can¡¯t youe here?¡±

    There are still many branches to trim. They¡¯re much more valuable to me than Elise.

    ¡ªThere are 7 people here.

    ¡°¡­¡­What, so many?¡±

    I arrive at the small theater. As Elise said, people are already gathered. Four are seniors I¡¯ve seen in Endex Latinel¡¯s liberal arts ss, and the other two are college students.

    ¡°Friend. Is this really written by you?¡±

    James, a familiar face, asks. If I were to describe him simply, he¡¯s a typical well-bred nobleman.

    ¡°I read it as soon as I got it today. It¡¯s really well written.¡±

    He seems genuine. His praise for a mere D-moner like me is incredibly natural and smooth.

    ¡°Right. I didn¡¯t expect you to create The Bard like this. Are you really a high school student?¡±

    Miller, a college student, asks. I¡¯ve seen him on TV and screens before my regression. He bes quite a famous actor in the future.

    ¡°Let¡¯s decide on the roles first.¡±

    Elise, who said this, looks at me. It seemed like she wanted me to decide.

    ¡°Wow~ I¡¯m greedy. Is it because there are many roles that die early?¡±

    Miller fiddles with the script and speaks. James also straightens his posture for no reason.

    I point at Elise with my chin.

    ¡°The main character is, well, you.¡±

    No matter how rude, filled with narcissistic pride, and stubborn she is, it¡¯s hard to find visuals like Elise¡¯s.

    Even now, her face could p most celebrities, and as she grows, it will only be more refined.

    ¡°The next best actor should y Duke. ¡±

    As I mention Duke, Miller raises his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to debut in a musical next year. I¡¯m also waiting for good results from drama and movie auditions. I¡¯m currently active. I¡¯m minoring in Latinel, and my grades are A+. I canmunicate smoothly even with an ancient person, right?¡±

    Others seemed to agree as well.

    ¡°Alright. Then, Miller will y Duke. I have a secret to tell Duke.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    Miller chuckled. Elise wore a disgruntled expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shouldn¡¯t you tell me, the main character, too?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have a more realistic reaction if you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is some kind of reality variety show?¡±

    ¡°If you immerse yourself in The Bard, you¡¯ll react appropriately. Don¡¯t you know method acting?¡±

    ¡°Method acting, sure.¡±

    I dismissed her lightly.

    ¡°Also, we¡¯ll be singing in Latinel.¡±

    Elise pouted her lips.

    ¡°Only The Bard and Duke.¡±

    The original is a musical, so it can¡¯t be helped. Musicals require an enormous amount of practice time, and it¡¯s hard even at a student level, so we decided to cut down the songs to just two.

    ¡°La Vercit, Cro Bricscal.¡±

    These are Latinel songs titled ¡®Lonely You¡¯ and ¡®Ruthless Sword¡¯ respectively.

    La Vercit is a 2-minute original song to express The Bard¡¯s emotions, and Cro Bricscal is about 30 seconds of humming to emphasize Duke¡¯s mystery.

    ¡°James will y the young nobleman, Shasha will y the queen, and the king will be¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s how I assigned the seven roles.

    ¡°You¡¯re one person short.¡±

    Elise interjected. As she said, we were short of one role.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it? The role dies early anyway.¡±

    Despite her face saying she wanted to kill me, I shook my head.

    I didn¡¯t want to waste time practicing for the y, and there was someone else who fit the role better.

    ¡°How about La?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you trying to ruin the y?¡±

    ¡°No. From what I¡¯ve seen, she seems like she¡¯d die very realistically.¡±

    The first death, that of the role, is surprisingly crucial. It appears early in the y and dramatically shifts the atmosphere.

    If she could scream like she did when she saw the phantom at the hotel, it would be perfect.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. Most people will think it¡¯s a light-hearted y. If the first death is intense, it will draw attention.¡±

    Elise spoke as if she had read my thoughts. I was slightly surprised.

    ¡°Have you read a lot?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I haven¡¯t read that much. I just have an excellent sense.¡±

    She subtly avoided my gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make the call first.¡±

    I picked up my smartphone. The members of the y, including Elise, nodded silently.

    In the autonomous district ¡®te¡¯, the second most populous andrgest area after the capital Edsi, where various machines and ideas are constantly popping up, also known as the ¡®Trick-City¡¯, there is a vi owned by the Hilton family.

    ¡°You, you, you, you Shion!¡±

    At the end of a cliff facing the sea, built so that no one knows it¡¯s owned by the Hiltons, on the 13th floor underground of the vi.

    ¡°How can you call me!¡±

    Upon receiving Shion¡¯s call, La rolled around on the bed, shouting.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you! Anything! Not doing it! Not¡­¡­ Huh?¡±

    However, her expression changedpletely as soon as she heard certain words. Her mouth watered.

    ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡±

    La¡¯s face melted.

    ¡°So that¡­¡­¡±

    She licked her lips, moving them around, and finally burst into a grin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off just this once~¡±

    La rolled around on the bed again. She rolled dozens of times, but she was still on the bed. It was thatrge of a bed.

    ¡°Ah~ Mo~ Since you¡¯re so sorry~¡±

    La asked in aughing voice.

    ¡°So~ what role is it?¡±

    An answer came through the smartphone. La¡¯s expression hardened again instantly. Her mouth dried up.

    Her eyes wide open, she sat up.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?! I die in 5 minutes?!¡±

    She yelled out loud.

    5 minutes! Not 50 minutes, but 5 minutes! Does that even make sense?! What do you take me for?!

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it!!!¡±

    She hung up the phone immediately.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    However, she pondered for a moment.

    The festival.

    Thest festival at Endex.

    It¡¯s not somon to participate in thest festival as a senior.

    Especially since this y will be held on Friday, the highest highlight time. The handsome, famous seniors from Endex, her alma mater, will also be attending.

    ¡°¡­¡­Damn it.¡±

    La eventually called back. Fortunately, Shion picked up right away. That was a close call.

    ¡°Okay! Shion. I¡¯ve thought about it? Let me live for 5 more minutes. Just fill up exactly 10 minutes and I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    La had a dream.

    Whether on stage, in front of a camera, or anywhere else, to ¡®act¡¯. To be someone else.

    It¡¯s not just a simple romance.

    Because such an experience itself can help not only her career path but also the purpose of her family.

    No, it will definitely help.

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay. It¡¯s not possible? Okay.¡±

    But it¡¯s not even 4 minutes. This Shion guy is too cold-hearted

    La corrected him with a huff.

    ¡°Then just let me live for 3 more minutes.¡±

    This time, a slightly longer voice came back.

    The y¡¯s running time is roughly 90 minutes, so 1 or 2 minutes is huge. The character who dies first is a very important role, and it would actually have a huge impact if she died properly early on.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Hmm¡­¡­ Really? A very important device for the dramatic turn of the y¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but~ it¡¯s a very important role than it looks?¡±

    She seemed to be convinced.

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay. Then. Just one more minute. If you let me live for one more minute, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    La negotiated onest time. Shion Ascal was silent for a moment, and La was tense.

    After what felt like 10 minutes in 10 seconds.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you 30 more seconds.¡±

    ¡°Yesss!¡±

    La clenched her fists.

    ¡°So that¡¯s 30 more seconds of life! Okay!¡±

    She jumped up and down. Shion Ascal responded in a tone that suggested he had lost and hung up the phone.

    ¡°Phew~ I¡¯m pretty good at negotiating, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    La wiped the sweat from her forehead and stepped out of the bed. She looked around the vast 13th basement floor.

    This ce was a secret vi filled with all sorts of artifacts and state-of-the-art magic suits. It was the Hilton family¡¯s main house where La¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ could be fully utilized, and the ¡®Cave¡¯ where her father¡¯s legacy was stored.

    ©¤Did it go well?

    ¡®Eri¡¯ asked. La turned to look at it. On the desk, in an acrylic fish tank, was a magic lump that resembled the sun.

    ¡°Yeah. I think I can do the y.¡±

    It was an artificial intelligence that La had created herself. It wasn¡¯t entirely her own work from start to finish, but rather apletion of her father¡¯s legacy?

    Think of it as a very smart secretary.

    ©¤Congrattions.

    ¡°Thanks, Eri~¡±

    La stretched her body.

    ¡°Do we have anything to do today?¡±

    Her Spectrum was ¡¸Avatar¡¹.

    When equipped with gear or suits, the power of her entire body, including magic, bes tens of times stronger.

    ©¤There is a gunfight in the Bebeto region. It seems to be a power struggle between a bank robber and the police.

    ¡°Okay! I should go right away.¡±

    She reached out to the suit. The moment she did, the suit flew to her and clung to her body.

    The base of the suit was made of Mana-no Infium Fabric.

    It was a material that fused nano textiles and mana. At first nce, it was a tight-fitting suit that covered her from head to toe, but it was a manaposite material that was as solid as, if not more than, the armor of most knights, yet was highly stic and flexible.

    When the ¡¸Avatar¡¹ Spectrum is added to this, even a top-level Inspector would have a hard time dealing with her.

    ¡°Open the door!¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    The ceiling of the 13th basement floor opened. She hit the ground in her suit.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    With a single leap, she soared into the sky in an instant.

    Like a bullet shot from a cliff, she rushed to the coordinates of the shooting area that Eri had ryed.

 Chapter 70: Handshake

    <strong>Handshake</strong>

    It was 1 a.m., after the script reading and the part-time job at the barbecue restaurant had ended.

    As soon as I came out of the small theater, I called a taxi.

    ¡°Please drop me off here.¡±

    I stopped the taxi in front of some alleyway in Geldio, near the capital of Edsi.

    I had arrived here, prepared for thete-night surcharge. This was the ce where Knightmare first revealed himself andmitted murder.

    The victim was a senior at the Edsi Magic University¡¯s Knight Department. He was a promising knight who was expected to join the Parliamentary Knight Squad, and the sessor of the prestigious ¡®Tan¡¯ family, Berryo Tan.

    Case name: The First Nightmare.

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    Someone was already there in the alleyway.

    A hooded stranger, Soliette.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read this first case file many times myself.¡±

    She looked around as she spoke.

    ¡°But it¡¯s been over a year, and there won¡¯t be any evidence left. Can you reconstruct the scene here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no evidence, you say.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all over the ce.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Here. There.¡±

    I pointed at the surface of the alleyway. Soliette murmured in a puzzled tone.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sword marks?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The scars from two years ago were still vivid on the asphalt.

    They were the traces of a man who had desperately tried to survive, and Knightmare, who had torn him apart like a toy.

    I bent down and touched them.

    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait and see.¡±

    I had always wondered.

    Is the Memory that ¡¸Notepad¡¹ can call up only limited to mine?

    It¡¯s not that, we know that Notepad has many other functions besides Save and Load, right?

    Why, ¡®Files I did not create¡¯ can also be ¡®downloaded¡¯ and opened.

    Now I¡¯m trying to do such things.

    The cracks engraved on the asphalt.

    The Memory that these traces hold, the process of that day, I¡¯m trying to download it through ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Suddenly¡ª!

    A momentary sh like a lightning strike.

    The scene of Berryo Tan¡¯s resisting sword scratching the asphalt several times, and one of them slightly cutting Knightmare¡¯s shoe, passes through my brain like a bullet.

    The cost is nearly 30% of my magic power.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face had suddenly puffed up like a blowfish. She seemed quite sensitive because it was a crime scene.

    ¡°Was there a piece of shoe in the evidence list?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was the remains of an ordinary shoe.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­ ugh-¡±

    I tried to get up but almost fell due to acute anemia. Soliette made a mouth shape that didn¡¯t look like a smile at all.

    ¡°Hmm. Berryo Tan cut off a part of Knightmare¡¯s shoe at the scene. Quite a lot of it.¡±

    If it had been a shoe of the correct size, at least the big toe would have been cut off.

    ¡°But Knightmare didn¡¯t even bleed, let alone shed skin.¡±

    When the shoe was cut, there was no bleeding from Knightmare. If it was because of the Magic Body, the skin would have blocked it and the shoe would not have been cut.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying he deliberately wore big shoes?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯smon. It¡¯s the easiest way to hide oneself.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it strange? The foot size of the suspect who waster framed was exactly the same.¡±

    Knightmare deliberately deceived his footprints to be 310mm, and the ¡®fake¡¯ who was framed also had a foot size of 310mm.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Also.¡±

    I pointed to the wall of the alley. Berryo Tan died with his sword stuck in the wall, but Knightmare didn¡¯t bother to retrieve his weapon.

    ¡°He left his sword at the scene.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say he¡¯s left-handed.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°He is left-handed. The wounds of all the victims, including Berryo Tan, were mostly caused by a sword swung with the left hand.¡±

    When a right-handed person swings a sword and when a left-handed person swings a sword, the position, rotation, and traces of the sword are clearly different.

    This kind of fact would have been naturally caught by Soliette and the investigators, but Knightmare conspicuously revealed that he was left-handed.

    ¡°The person who was framed is also left-handed.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? It seems like he decided who to frame from the first murder.¡±

    A 310mm foot, left-handed male prosecutor.

    It¡¯s not an especially rare case, but if you add the case ¡®an expert who can easily y with and kill Berry Tan, whose entry into the parliamentary knights is almost certain¡¯, the Spectrum narrows down quickly.

    Indeed, the person who was framed is also a master from the desert.

    ¡°More than anything, do you know why Berry Tan came to this alley?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He was on patrol.¡±

    ¡°This kind of alley?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to, but he volunteered.¡±

    ¡°No. He came to buy drugs.¡±

    I made a definitive statement. Soliette flinched and shook her head.

    ¡°No. Berry Tan had a pretty good reputation. There were rumors that he was an inspiring person-¡±

    ¡°Believing such rumors is foolish¡­ no, it¡¯s naive. I¡¯ve seen nobles licking each other¡¯s boots more than once or twice. Here, take this.¡±

    I threw the [Berry Tan Back Investigation File] to Soliette. She caught it in surprise.

    ¡°To know the killer, you need to know the deceased.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She read it without a word.

    The record of Berry Tan exchanging messages with someone, SNS notes containing ng for drugs, even call records and the use of cash with an unclear source.

    The dark web is full of all kinds of experts, and among them, cyber grave robbers are not onlymon but obvious. It¡¯s information obtained by hiring them.

    ¡°This back alley was a drug deal contact point.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression hardened seriously. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the other side of the alley.

    ¡°Knightmare already knew about the knight called Berry Tan. His disgrace, and what he would do here.¡±

    The smell of rotten fish vibrated, and cigarette butts were scattered like grass on the path. At the end of the darkness, the full moon rose in full.

    ¡°He knew¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette dropped the case file she held in one hand. She looked around the ck stains in the area with sharp eyes.

    ¡°A serial killer¡­ But the victims of the subsequent murders are too unrted to each other. There¡¯s even a knight in his 60s among the victims.¡±

    The official name of the Knightmare case is¡ª Indiscriminate Knight Murder Case.

    In fact, the only thing inmon among the victims is that they are ¡®knights¡¯, and Knightmare seems to have killed any knight without any corrtion.

    ¡°Not a serial killer. There¡¯s another possibility.¡±

    ¡°What-¡±

    ¡°Contract killing.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes widened. Her entire face rounded like a full moon.

    To her, I told her what I had been thinking so far.

    ¡°Berry Tan was the drug heir of the ¡®Tan¡¯ family, and now his younger sister, Be Tan, has inherited the position.¡±

    The truth that the future Soliette had been tracking.

    ¡°From the first murder, a puppet was prepared to be framed, and from the first murder, there was a nned intention.¡±

    The answer she tried to uncover even if she had to stake her soul.

    ¡°The Knightmare we know¡­ might have been a nned contract killing from the beginning to the end.¡±

    It might be far more massive and intricate than anyone¡¯s imagination.

    ¡°It¡¯s still a possibility, but if so, there would be many high-ranking nobles involved that we don¡¯t know about.¡±

    There might be a formidable viin lurking, too difficult to handle.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette fell silent for a moment. I stood still.

    Whooosh¡­ The night wind blew. The streetlight flickered faintly, as if it might shatter at any moment.

    The scene of the incident was eerily quiet.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a reasonable inference.¡±

    Soon, Soliette spoke. I nced down obliquely. Her face held a certain degree of certainty.

    ¡°Reasonable¡­¡­¡±

    Looking at Soliette here and now, I think of Soliette in the future.

    The most imperfectly perfect being, blooming on the most precarious edge of the cliff of despair.

    ¡°If we dig into these incidents, won¡¯t we be in danger too?¡±

    What path had that Soliette walked then?

    What did she desire, and what truth did she reach?

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡­What on earth did she see that she had no choice but to kill herself?

    I didn¡¯t know until the day I died.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    Therefore, I will start to find out now.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, rather.¡±

    The truth that only you knew.

    The darkness you didn¡¯t tell me about.

    I will illuminate it with you, and I will not let you walk alone.

    I will not let you die.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­ let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Soliette looked at me and said. Her eyes under the hood shone like stars.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s reasonable.¡±

    I reached out my hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, but soon grabbed my hand with a relieved face, as if she realized there was no need to worry at all.

    As if she were gripping the Inspector¡¯s own sword.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s reasonable.¡±

    30 minutester.

    A 24-hour diner near the city of Geldio.

    After parting with Soliette, I¡¯m sitting by the window, eating ate dinner.

    In the midst of almost inhaling fries, c, five burgers, a whole chicken, chicken nuggets, and more.

    [Is it delicious? You¡¯re enjoying it.]

    A sentence appeared in the shared notebook. I looked out the window and was surprised. Soliette, in her hooded outfit, was staring at me from right in front.

    I thought she had gone home.

    I wrote a reply in the notebook.

    [Yeah. Why?]

    Then Soliette swallowed her saliva and entered the diner. She looked at the counter and ordered.

    ¡°Please give me a te of ham and burgers.¡±

    ¡°You mean a set?¡±

    ¡°A set?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Give me anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay~¡±

    Soon, she sat down with a burger set. After chewing a few times, she wrote something in the shared notebook with a slightly strange expression.

    [It¡¯s not very tasty.]

    I smiled quietly.

    The Soliette I know is not a gourmet. She dislikes eating anything, and ironically, she eats everything well because of it. There¡¯s no difference to her between eating a bug or a burger.

    She swallowed the burger with difficulty. Her face looked like she was being tortured.

    [See you next Sunday.]

    Then, after only 3 minutes, she got up from her seat and went outside.

    I focused back on my meal without much thought.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡±

    Suddenly, a staff member approached me.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. Did you see the person who was sitting here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­She just left.¡±

    I pointed out the window.

    ¡°Ah, I knew it! She dined and dashed!¡±

    The staff member rushed outside. Unfortunately for Soliette, she hadn¡¯t gone far and was quickly caught by the employee.

    ¡ª¡±Excuse me! Aren¡¯t you going to pay? I¡¯ll call the police!¡±

    ¡ª¡±Oh? Right.¡±

    ¡ª¡±You look perfectly fine!¡±

    ¡ª¡±¡­¡­Ahem.¡±

    She rummaged through her pockets. Finding nothing, she subtly nced at me through the window, like a dog asking for help.

    I had no intention of helping.

    ¡°She needs to learn her lesson.¡±

    Of course, it was probably because she wasn¡¯t used to paying in cash. After all, Soliette is a forbidden golden leaf of ¡®Arkne¡¯, a family even older than Petra, and if we¡¯re talking about rank, she¡¯s at least on par with Libra.

    I got up.

    ¡ª¡±You don¡¯t have money? It¡¯s 10 Ren.¡±

    ¡ª¡±I¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes were still fixed on me, but I pretended not to notice.

    ¡ª¡±Ah, I¡¯m going crazy! If you don¡¯t have money, at least do the dishes!¡±

    The staff member grabbed Soliette and shoved her into the kitchen. As she was dragged away, Soliette kept looking at me.

    Crash-!

    ¡°What are you doing! What if you break that!¡±

    With the sound of a dish breaking as myst memory, I left the diner.

 Chapter 71: Aerial Garden (1)

    <strong>Aerial Garden (1)</strong>

    Monday morning.

    The fourth week of the first quarter at College Board¡¯s Clemen Hall.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yawn.¡±

    By now, no one is surprised to see me at Clemen Hall, but today¡¯s scene is pretty unusual.

    Kain and Asher appeared to have had a fight and were separated; Elise was diligently reading and taking notes from a hardcover book.

    Curious about what she was so engrossed in, I zoomed in with my SZX-9500¡­

    Isn¡¯t that my script for [The Bard]?

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    Then Chedric appeared. As always, it was exactly 9 o¡¯clock.

    Does that guy have a clock in his head or something?

    ¡°We willmence the fourth week¡¯s Monday assignment for the College Board without dy. The assignment is called ¡®Experience and Art¡¯.¡±

    At this, a collective groan erupted. It seemed like a very exhausting assignment.

    ¡°For the entire day today.¡±

    Moreover, its all day.

    From the current time of 9:03 AM until midnight.

    Just as the seniors were on the verge of losing their minds at the thought of the remaining 14 hours and 57 minutes¡­

    ¡°Travel around Edsi.¡±

    A statement that left everyone in Clemen Hall bewildered.

    Travel?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was dumbfounded. Kain and Asher instinctively sought each other out, then growled again. La was asleep with her face buried in her desk. Elise seemed to be contemting her destination with her hand on her chin, and Soliette, who had safely escaped from the diner this morning without paying, turned on her smartphone first.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon¡­ took out his Endex library card from his card wallet.

    Is he nning to find his travel destination at the library?

    ¡°The journey you will undertake today is the ¡®experience¡¯ in ¡®Experience and Art¡¯.¡±

    The next part is important.

    It may be called a journey, but it could be hell from there.

    ¡°¡®Art¡¯ is the beautiful expression of that ¡®experience¡¯. It¡¯s okay to write an essay or travelogue, it¡¯s okay to draw a picture, it¡¯s okay topose music, and it¡¯s okay to take photos or videos. Bring back your experience in any form of art.¡±

    In other words, go on a trip and bring back your impressions, beautified.

    Fortunately, this assignment doesn¡¯t seem to have any practical implications.

    Chedric looked at his wristwatch and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s 9:20. Gather your materials and set off on your own. The assignment can be submitted to the University Association office at Endex by this Friday.¡±

    The seniors nced at each other and began to rise from their seats one by one.

    I sat and pondered.I remained seated, contemting.

    Travel.

    I had been to many ces before my regression, but I never really traveled. It was more like work.

    So, where would I want to go for a trip that I would want to cherish like art?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    No matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s no such ce.

    Instead, there are ces I want to go.

    A ce I desperately want to go.

    A ce where I want to smash the ground, light a fire, and slit throats.

    The main house of Libra.

    Aerial Garden

    Of course, there¡¯s no other ce.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I got up. I happened to make eye contact with Soliette, but we both pretended not to know each other¡­

    She gave me a slight nod.

    A very faint eye greeting, no, a chin greeting. Watching her leave, I thought.

    Isn¡¯t this a breach of contract?

    Anyway, I also left Clemen Hall.

    Ding-

    My smartphone rang.

    [Lunatic: Where are you going?]

    It was a text from the Lunatic.

    ¡°Hey~ Shion~!¡±

    Then La, who seemed to have just woken up, rushed over. She, who had dyed her hair back to ck, was shaking the script printout at me while looking at me with wide eyes.

    But why does she have a printout? Elise had a hardcover.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you give me a few more lines in this script~?¡±

    ¡°You have plenty.¡±

    ¡°Eing~¡±

    Ding- Another text from Elise.

    [Lunatic: Go and watch a y or something. I¡¯m going to watch a musical or a y too.]

    It seems to be because of The Bard, but is she feeling some kind of belonging all of a sudden? Why is she working so hard, it¡¯s tiring.

    [Lunatic: I¡¯ll rmend the Gale Opera House. I don¡¯t know where you are going.]

    I replied.

    [Shoo]

    [Lunatic: The y with the highest rating these days is Beso¡¯s Artes.]

    [Lunatic: What? Shoo? Are you crazy?]

    ¡°Comeon~ Just one more line~¡±

    ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I pushed La away and left Clemen Hall straight away.

    But thinking about it, I don¡¯t have cash. Because of the taxi night surcharge.

    I rummaged through my pocket.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    A few casino chips were caught.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    They¡¯re the leftovers from thest assignment.

    I sneakily looked back. La was ring at me with a chubby face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh. What.¡±

    ¡°Give me some money. For transportation.¡±

    ¡°What! No!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more line.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then La hesitated for a moment and took out cash. It was three bills.

    ¡°Are you really giving me one more line?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I keep my promises.¡±

    I was surprised as I put away the bills. I thought it was 10 Ren, but it was 100 Ren.

    La was nowhere to be seen. I muttered in disbelief.

    ¡°¡­¡­She really is rich.¡±

    Thanks to her, I can take a taxi.

    It¡¯s floating in the air, so it¡¯s aerial.

    When you look up from the ground, it looks like arge garden, so it¡¯s a garden.

    Moreover, Aerial Garden is the main house of Libra.

    ¡°Wow. As expected.¡±

    I muttered, looking up at the ce.

    In fact, it¡¯s not just a main house, Aerial Garden is a city that is practically a territory of Libra. In Edsi, even thergest nobles cannot own territories, but due to thew being limited to ¡®ground¡¯, Libra creatednd in the air and legally owns a territory. A massive territory with an area of 13? and a poption of 40,000.

    One of the items on my bucket list.

    To drop this Aerial Garden and bury it deep into the earth.

    ¡­Of course, with as little civilian damage as possible.

    ¡°The fare for the elevator is 50 Rens.¡±

    To enter the Aerial Garden, one must first take the ¡®Libra elevator¡¯ that goes up to the Aerial Garden.

    The entrance fee is 50 Rens. They don¡¯t even check IDs.

    ¡°Alright. Everyone can go in.¡±

    With the sound of tourists eximing in awe, I entered the elevator

    A spacious and transparent elevator that can hold up to 300 people at once.

    Inside, as the sky gets closer and the ground farther away, parents and children, lovers, all have joyful faces.

    Ding-

    As soon as the door opens, tourists pour out.

    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ again.¡±

    I stood still, looking at the other side. The sun and clouds were right in front of me. The moon in the daytime was as clear as a biscuit.

    The view from an altitude of 3,333m was indeed worth seeing.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 5 years.¡±

    The Aerial Garden was always open like this, but I couldn¡¯te often before the regression.

    I was cklisted for being caught nning a terrorist attack.

    Wasn¡¯t that too excessive?

    Anyway, the Aerial Garden is divided into six zones. From Zone 5 to Zone 1, and the Libra n¡¯s mansion, which is practically Zone 0.

    It looks exactly like an onion.

    The outskirts are typical cityscapes, and as you get closer to the center, it bes more morous, then from Zone 2, it transforms again into something secretive and magical, and Zone 1 and the main mansion has never been seen by the media.

    Especially Zone 0 is literally a space ¡®for the n¡¯ only, so unless you are a confidant recognized by Libra, or an elder of the family, or a close rtive, you can¡¯t even enter.

    ¡°¡­There are a lot of people.¡±

    On the other hand, where I¡¯m standing right now, the outermost Zone 5, doesn¡¯t even check IDs, so half of the people are tourists.

    The Aerial Garden is a quite famous tourist spot. Just looking down from the sky is thrilling, and there are many things to enjoy, such as monorails, parks, restaurants, cafes, clubs, hotels, swimming pools, and so on.

    But my destination is not just Zone 5.

    I took the monorail and arrived at the entrance of Zone 4.

    ¡°Please show your ID.¡±

    From here, they check IDs, but a student ID should be enough.

    ¡°Is an Endex student ID okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please show it.¡±

    The guard in Zone 4 only checked the authenticity of the student ID and nodded.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s confirmed. Please go in.¡±

    Zone 4 is simr to Zone 5 but more upscale. Luxury boutiques, department stores, five-star hotel casinos, apartments, and luxury mansions, etc. Therefore, wealthy tourists often visit.

    Most of the people who have a ¡®mark¡¯ in the Aerial Garden, that is, whose address itself is the Aerial Garden, live in Zone 4, but my destination is not here either.

    I kept walking and reached the entrance of Zone 3.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    The guard in Zone 3 was a knight. He scanned my face up and down.

    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a senior at Endex. I¡¯m on an assignment.¡±

    I extended my Endex student ID. The knight asked,

    ¡°¡­Assignment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To experience the brilliance of Libra-¡±

    ¡°Impossible.¡±

    He rejected it without even listening. Whoosh- He waved his hand with a stern face.

    ¡°Go back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Well, I can¡¯t get in even if I make a fuss. There¡¯s no workaround here. Unlike Endex, if I forcibly jump over the fence, I¡¯ll be shot on the spot.

    It¡¯s a shame, but I¡¯ll have to doodle around in Zone 4, draw some pictures, and go down.

    As I turned around and walked, a luxury car brushed past me.

    ¡°Loyalty!¡±

    Following that, a shout echoed from the Zone 3 gate. I nced over there.

    The knight who had turned me away was talking to the luxury car.

    ¡°Ah, yes! He said he came from Endex to do an assignment!¡±

    It seemed like he was talking about me, and the knight¡¯s head, which was stiff just a moment ago, was almost touching the ground.

    ¡°Yes! He said he came to experience the brilliance of Libra!¡±

    Even cold sweat was dripping down his face.

    ¡°Yes, I understand. Stu, student!¡±

    Soon, he pointed at me.

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    I went back to him and stood next to the car. It was a royal-ss sedan ¡®Kes Royce¡¯.

    The car body reflected the sunlight so brightly that it was hard to open my eyes. It was like a fluorescent light.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    As I asked, the backseat window, which vibrated oppressively, slowly descended.

    I inadvertently looked inside and my back stiffened. My eyes widened. Almost instinctively, my Mana Heart throbbed.

    The man in the backseat smiled faintly, as if he liked my reaction.

    ¡°So it was you.¡±

    Hairbed up without a single strand out of ce, skin as white as snow, and a chiseled jawline.

    A man who was literally like a sculpture.

    ¡°Are you a student known to Lord Jade?¡±

    The Zone 3 guard said that fucking name.

    Jade.

    The owner of the Limto mine, and the second son of Libra.

    ¡°Yes. From the mine¡­¡­.¡±

    He stopped speaking.

    Could it be, he heard about what I did in the mine from Belingham?

    I swallowed my saliva. Whether my appearance was pitiful to Jade, he spoke with a hint ofughter.

    ¡°You gave me a very enthusiastic apuse.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Anyway, there¡¯s no way he received a report. Belingham must have handled it within his own line.

    ¡°So, you came to experience the brilliance of Libra?¡±

    Jade asked,

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I answered briefly. Jade raised his eyebrows, as if he were already expecting the next words from my mouth.

    Of course, I knew what he wanted.

    Because I, who was obsessed and immersed in Libra to the point of madness, had scraped together even the most trivial pieces of information. Because my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ and I knew their tendencies and habits, not only their present and past but also their ¡®future¡¯.

    ¡°But¡­¡­.¡±

    I pondered intensely.

    Even so, it was a statement I sincerely did not want to make. It¡¯s a ttery that makes my heart cringe.

    ¡­¡­Looking back, it was because of such petty pride.

    An orphan without parents. Despite having nothing, I unted my worthless pride and died without achieving anything.

    I was torn apart like a bug.

    Now, I shouldn¡¯t do that.

    ¡°Huu¡­¡­.¡±

    I took a deep breath. I vomited out all these rotten things in my heart.

    Pride is old-fashioned. It must be discarded in order to achieve what I want.

    Therefore¡­¡­.

    Now I have to speak sincerely.

    ¡°That brilliance is now before my eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    Then Jade chuckled. He shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. He even sighed as if he couldn¡¯t help this guy.

    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic. You found brilliance while looking at me in this magnificent Aerial Garden?¡±

    He said that, but there is no one who loves one-dimensional ttery as much as Jade. He especially lovespliments about his appearance and business.

    Appearance is the only perfect thing about him.

    Business is always being chewed up.

    ¡°Well. I¡¯m much better than that germaphobe or the gambling addict.¡±

    The germaphobe would be the eldest son Derek, and the gambling addict would be the eldest daughter Johanna.

    They are siblings who despise each other whenever they get a chance.

    ¡°Take him. I¡¯ll let him in up to Zone 2.¡±

    At that moment, someone got out of the passenger seat. He guided me to the passenger seat, which was his seat until a moment ago.

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really-¡±

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    I had no intention of hitching a ride.

    I got into the Kes Royce. The interior was tremendous. The back seat was much more spacious than it looked from the outside, and there were countless stars embedded in the ceiling.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Loyalty!¡±

    The guard saluted and opened the gate to Zone 3.

    I stared intently at the scenery of the Aerial Garden revealed beyond the magic barrier.

 Chapter 72: Aerial Garden (2)

    <strong>Aerial Garden (2)</strong>

    Jade¡¯s Kes Royce advanced into Zone 3. Inside the sedan, where stars were embedded in the ceiling, I took in every detail of the Aerial Garden.

    Zone 3, unlike Zones 4 and 5, had no high-rise buildings, but was dominated by buildings that were carved like handicrafts. Artifact shops, magic spell shops, weapon shops, furniture shops, etc. Only the luxury of luxuries, the high-end of high-ends from all fields were gathered here.

    ¡°How do you n to describe the brilliance of Libra?¡±

    Just then, Jade in the back seat asked. His questions always had a predetermined answer.

    I spoke immediately.

    ¡°If possible, I would like to capture the portrait of Master Jade on a canvas-¡±

    ¡°My portrait?¡±

    Jade slightly furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You¡¯re audacious.¡±

    ¡°Yes. So, just this beautifulndscape of the Aerial Garden-¡±

    ¡°But.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    What do you mean, ¡®but¡¯? This crazy guy suddenly became ominous.

    ¡°You¡¯re really lucky today. Today is the only day this year that I¡¯m free.¡±

    I swallowed a sigh with effort.

    I¡¯m in trouble. I wrong choice of words, and I¡¯ll end up having to paint a portrait of Jade.

    ¡°So, I ask once more.¡±

    Jade¡¯s sharp eyes looked at the rearview mirror. His gaze was fixed precisely on me.

    ¡°Do you have talent in painting?¡±

    Talent in painting.

    Of course, painting was just a hobby for me, and I had never received a proper evaluation from anyone, but¡­¡­

    I probably have it.

    I know that I have a talent for painting, just as I know that I don¡¯t have a talent for magic.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking some time to answer. Are you not confident in yourself?¡±

    Jade urged.

    He doesn¡¯t speak lightly. He¡¯s as cold-hearted as he is devoid of affection, a narcissistic sociopath who only thinks about himself.

    Therefore, I am out of his sight in an instant.

    Ah, of course, he¡¯s not a crazy guy who will kill me as soon as I¡¯m out of his sight. At least until he dies, I won¡¯t be able to set foot in the Aerial Garden.

    ¡°No.¡±

    However, this is a crisis and an opportunity at the same time.

    I have to trust my talent.

    The Libra n dislikes ¡®urate¡¯ artifacts like images or photos. It¡¯s one of the strange traditions that have been passed down through the generations. They even invented and wore special artifacts to prevent themselves from bing subjects without their knowledge.

    Therefore, they are rather interested in art, and pour enormous sponsorships into the entire art industry, including painting and sculpture.

    Especially, the ¡®Libra Art School¡¯, which is operated by the family itself, is considered one of the top art schools on the continent.

    Therefore, ¡®talent in painting¡¯ is the most suitable link that can connect them and me.

    ¡°I am confident.¡±

    I answered like that and looked at the rearview mirror. Jade¡¯s eyes were still glued to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re confident¡­ Good.¡±

    He gave a deep smile. The driver in the driver¡¯s seat let out a faint sigh. Does he think I¡¯m babbling nonsense?

    ¡°If your words prove to be false, you will have to pay a fitting price.¡±

    ¡°Even if the brilliance blinds my eyes and chokes my throat, all I want is to capture it.¡±

    Now, tteryes as naturally to me as breathing.

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    Jade licked his lips. His face was filled with the arrogant emotions of a nobleman: anticipation, excitement, curiosity, amusement, and the magnanimity of looking down on themoners.

    He said,

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go to Zone 1.¡±

    Zone 1.

    A ce I couldn¡¯t even step foot in during my previous life.

    ¡°Sir Jade-¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    The surprised driver responded without thinking, and Jade¡¯s face turnedpletely expressionless.

    Indeed, a dangerous face. Perhaps the face of a murderer who could easily kill hundreds of people.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak back.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I apologize.¡±

    The driver answered, sweating cold sweat. I buried myself in the seat, calming my pounding heart.

    I was quite excited.

    As Jade said, it seems like my luck is good today.

    Zone 2 had many central facilities of Libra. The Libra Knights, magic spell research institutes, workshops, R&D centers, and various other ¡®departments¡¯ that Libra had established for its own purposes were all gathered there.

    ¡ªLibra¡¯s system is no different from a small country.

    Seeing the reality that I had only read about in documents was quite a new experience, but Jade¡¯s luxury sedan, Kes Royce, did not stop in Zone 2.

    It passed all of them and headed to a ce where only the ¡®first-ss¡¯ recognized by Libra were invited, the closest to the heart of the Aerial Garden.

    The huge magic barrier surrounded by rose vines¡ª Zone 1 of the Aerial Garden.

    The sedan arrived at the entrance.

    The driver stopped the car. A woman dressed in a suit, who seemed to be a housekeeper, approached.

    She looked at me in the passenger seat and spoke to Jade.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sir Jade.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a painter.¡±

    Jade introduced me as if he had been waiting.

    ¡°It¡¯s my invitation, is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    The housekeeper opened the door. The magic barrier was opened, and the sedan entered.

    The scenery of Zone 1 was rather ordinary. It was peaceful. Most of it was living spaces for the servants, such as residences, parks, flower gardens, and facilities for hobbies such as tennis and horse riding.

    ¡°Stop here.¡±

    Jade said in a certain garden. The driver immediately stopped the car.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out.¡±

    At the driver¡¯s words, I got out of the car first.

    I looked around nkly for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    It was a strange world. Flowers and trees of all shapes and colors, not just roses, tulips, and magnolias, filled the whole world.

    I¡¯ve heard about it.

    The so-called [Garden of Heavenly Purity], famous for its beauty even in the Libra Aerial Garden, where all the beautiful flora of the continent grows.

    ¡°You should provide the reason for your invitation yourself.¡±

    Jade, who had gotten out of the car, sat in a corner of the garden. Behind him, ck roses and vines were blooming.

    p, p-

    He pped his hands. Almost simultaneously, the housekeepers appeared and ced an easel in the appropriate spot. They also promptly set up a canvas of the right size for a portrait.

    ¡°What kind of paint do you use?¡±

    One of the housekeepers asked. Then, nine other housekeepers spread out oil paints. The brands were diverse.

    ¡°This one. Dephencroix.¡±

    I chose the oil paint of the brand ¡®Dephencroix¡¯. Jade asked,

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an oil paint produced by ¡®Dephen¡¯, which Libra invests in. It¡¯s the smoothest and has the best usability.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Jade nodded slightly.

    Again, I know everything rted to Libra.

    ¡°Do you have a preferred pose?¡±

    I sat in the chair. I first picked up a pencil for the sketch.

    ¡°I think a pose of contemtion or concentration would be best. Like when you¡¯re working.¡±

    Jade probably wants to show that he¡¯s a businessman. He has no talent to speak of, and his aptitude is the exact opposite of a businessman¡¯s.

    He would have been sessful if he had be a mercenary.

    ¡°You have taste.¡±

    Jade struck a pose. His head tilted slightly to the side, his gaze fixed slightly downward, his hand on his chin in a thoughtful expression.

    It¡¯s ordinary, but honestly, his face is art, so the pose itself doesn¡¯t matter.

    I started drawing the sketch with a pencil.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay long. I¡¯ll give you 30 minutes for the sketch. Complete it by today.¡±

    But, the time he¡¯s giving is just the end of the day.

    So, I¡¯m a bit worried.

    Is my talent enough to satisfy Jade?

    No, even if it is, when dealing with Libra, shouldn¡¯t it be more than just ¡®enough¡¯?

    ©¤©¤In the midst of such worries.

    Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

    It was an idea about the versatility of Perion.

    If the Perion of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ operates ording to my will, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to upgrade the intangible©¤in other words, to upgrade the ¡®essence¡¯ known as ¡®talent¡¯?

    If I upgrade the talent of painting I have, wouldn¡¯t I be able to show more than just enough ability, even if only for a moment¡­¡­.

    I closed my eyes. I called ¡¸Perion¡¹ into my body. Along with it, I set a special purpose with my will.

    What I want is: an upgrade of ¡®talent¡¯, not a simple physical body.

    Among them: the ability for ¡®painting¡¯.

    Buzzzzz¡ª!

    The Mana Heart overheated as it sizzled.

    Or it was exhrated.

    My eyes opened wide.

    I saw Jade on the other side.

    All the light in the world poured down on him.

    Light, heat, and wind mixed together and shimmered like intense colors.

    It was already andscape like a work of art.

    I threw my pencil on the grass. I started drawing immediately. I didn¡¯t need a sketch.

    I smeared oil paint from the beginning.

    Wherever my eyesnded, wherever my hand went.

    There was no pause in my brush strokes, no hesitation.

    Jade¡¯s appearance is more sculptural than I¡¯d like to admit. The ck rose vines swaying in the wind. Beams of light from the sun bending across thendscape.

    I captured it all on canvas.

    I interpreted it with my eyes and recreated it with my hands.

    I immersed myself in the moment.

    For a moment, I forgot everything.

    My regression, my deadline, my revenge, my feelings, I put them aside.

    I was just trying to paint a picture¡­¡­.

    * * *

    Area 1 of the Aerial Garden is literally the home of the Household. Only those who desperately want to be part of the family, especially those who have been recognized by the family, are allowed to stay.

    Today, however, Jade was at it again. He had allowed a certain Endex senior into Area 1.

    This was the reason why Belingham Kantar was sent to [Libra¡¯s Garden].

    ¡°Has he arrived?¡±

    Butler Shelin nodded at him. Belingham pointed a finger in the distance.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion Ascal. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Shion Ascal. The wannabe loyalist he¡¯d met at the Limto Mines.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why was he brought here?¡±

    The details of the Limto Mined weren¡¯t disclosed to Jade. He had mobilized a TF team under Gaju Shale Rock to suppress all information.

    ¡°He gave master Jade a rousing pleasantries, and he¡¯s currently working on a portrait for his assignment.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Rousing pleasantries.

    After all, Jade is a simple character.

    But the portrait is¡­¡­ actually being drawn by Shion Ascal. Though it cant be seen what or how he¡¯s drawing from this distance

    ¡°Interesting. I doubt a painting would satisfy Jade.¡±

    Belingham moved slowly toward him. Without making a sound, he stood quietly behind Shion Ascal.

    Flick.

    The brush moved, its trajectory tracing Jade¡¯s jawline. His eyes shed expressively.

    Whirr.

    Rose vines sprang up. ck roses bloomed. A beam of light descended.

    Whirr-!

    His brush strokes were full of confidence, as intense as the blending of light and scenery.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Belingham¡¯s mouth fell open.

    He was unknowingly drawn in. His feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The oil painting on the canvas was reflected in his grey eyes.

    He had been to art school a few times, but this was the first time he had seen such an intuitive and special drawing.

    A style of painting that seemed less ¡®learned¡¯ and more ¡®innate¡¯.

    Moreover, there were no corrections in his brushwork. It was as if he was simply pouring out the image in his head, continuously making brush strokes.

    ¡°?¡±

    Suddenly, Shion stopped his hand. Perhaps he sensed a presence. He turned around and was startled.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Belingham, who had suddenly appeared, looked flustered.

    Suddenly, Jade also stood up from his seat. Ignoring Belingham, he asked Shion.

    ¡°30 minutes have passed. Is it done?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s reasonablypleted.¡±

    Belingham craned his neck to examine the canvas.

    30 minutes? This was drawn in just 30 minutes?

    ¡°Reasonably?¡±

    However, Jade frowned.

    ¡°Reasonably¡­ You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡±

    It seemed he didn¡¯t like the word ¡®reasonably¡¯.

    With his rough strides, he approached in an instant, his expression as if he was about to expel Shion right then and there.

    ¡°The word ¡®reasonably¡¯ in my dictionary-¡±

    Does not exist.

    He was about to say this when his words abruptly stopped.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He nkly stared at the canvas. He stared at himself, captured within the canvas.

    His eyes slightly bulged.

    Belingham turned his head to the side to suppress hisughter.

 Chapter 73: Aerial Garden (3)

    <strong>Aerial Garden (3)</strong>

    The innermost recesses of the Libra Aerial Garden.

    Zone 0, where no one can observe or dare to invade, wrapped in the most advanced boundary magic of the present age.

    The mansion of the Libra n.

    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±

    In the library there, ¡®Johanna¡¯, the second child and eldest daughter of the family, received a report from Belingham. It was news that Jade had brought an insignificant senior from Endex to Zone 1.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised.¡±

    ¡°Considering Jade¡¯s personality, it¡¯s expected. It¡¯s Derek who should be upset. I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Johanna despises her own blood. To her, her younger brother Jade is merely ipetent, the eldest son Derek is nothing more than a merchant who has lost his essence, and the youngest Zia is a mental patient suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome.

    ¡°But he draws quite well. These days, such talent is hard to find even in art schools.¡±

    Among the considerable assets held by the current head, Sherlock, the Libra Art School is a business that has not yet been seeded.

    ¡°Perhaps, is Jade also coveting the art school?¡±

    When asked subtly by Belingham, Johanna sneered without expression.

    ¡°Jade is the guy who ruined the arm of the painter he was sponsoring at eighteen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was a famous incident.¡±

    How dare he insult his taste or something. It was a talent that stood out even in art school.

    ¡°And Derek is a guy who only gathers guys who draw decently and only thinks about how to evade taxes.¡±

    Derek was the main culprit who inted the market price of artworks by more than double recently. The purpose is, of course, tax evasion and embezzlement. All the artists he raised were for such purposes.

    Of course, their ¡®love for art¡¯ is somewhat sincere, but at least not as much as Johanna.

    The assets she inherited are the best hotels and casinos on the continent, stocks, department stores, etc., but the field she is currently focusing on is various training institutions of Libra, including the art school.

    Undoubtedly, Johanna does notck in fortune, needless to say all of Sherlock¡¯s humanworks will also fall into her hands the moment she grabs them, but above all, Johanna has an ardent love for art itself.

    ¡°More importantly, Belingham.¡±

    She nced at Belingham with sharp eyes.

    ¡°Whose side are you on?¡±

    Despite the sudden question, Belingham smiled faintly.

    ¡°I am always by Libra¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. I should write my name bigger when signing in the future. Sometimes it seems like you can¡¯t read it.¡±

    Johanna got up from her chair.

    ¡°Where is the painter Jade brought?¡±

    ¡°He is staying in the amodation in Zone 1.¡±

    The entry of an Endex senior into Zone 1 is something that happens 2-3 times a year. It¡¯s notmon, but it¡¯s not very special either.

    ¡°Do you know him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a guy I¡¯ve marked a bit. The guy who I gave a card. His talent iscking, but his loyalty seems useful.¡±

    Johanna raised an eyebrow.

    If Belingham, known for his harsh evaluation standards, praises loyalty, it means at least a born ¡®dog¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­I was quite free, so it worked out well.¡±

    She walked out of the office, her face expressionless.

    * * *

    I leisurelypleted Jade¡¯s portrait right there. Jade, who had promised only 30 minutes, held a pose for a whopping 1 hour and 30 minutes.

    However, I couldn¡¯t use that portrait as an assignment.

    Jade took it.

    I guess he liked it that much.

    Anyway, after that, Jade left for Zone 0, and I was guided to the amodation in Zone 1 by the housekeepers.

    ¡°It¡¯s ordinary¡­¡±

    The room itself is modern and clean. It¡¯s not overly luxurious, but it has everything necessary like a TV, massage chair, and all the brands are luxury.

    Even the bed is ¡®Begio¡¯. This king-size bed alone costs a whopping 200,000 Ren.

    I sat down on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth the money.¡±

    My buttocks arefortable. It feels like a cloud, moderately firm and moderately soft, is supporting my body.

    I looked out the window in that state. The ¡®Bloodline Barrier¡¯ of the Libra main house was right in front of me.

    The barrier is very smart, it refuses entry if there is no Libra blood mixed in, and even if you do enter, it tracks all your movements. If an unauthorized intruder enters, it can remotely twist the blood vessels and kill them.

    It¡¯s a bit bitter.

    Before my regression, it was a ce I couldn¡¯t even visit in my lifetime, but now I¡¯m this close as a mere high school student.

    ¡°Did I live wrong?¡±

    A hollowugh slipped out.

    I was tired.

    My whole body was weary.

    Knock, knock-

    At that moment, someone knocked on the guest room door. I was about to take a habitual defensive posture, but I let it go.

    It¡¯s Zone 1 of Libra. No criminals can intrude here.

    I went and opened the door.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the housekeeper ¡®Janna¡¯.¡±

    It was a female housekeeper in a suit. She asked as she entered the room.

    ¡°Is there anything you need?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost dinner time, do you have a preferred menu?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about the menu. I eat a lot, so is 5-6 servings okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand. Also, Jade said that if there¡¯s anything you want, you should take it. As payment for the painting.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    It was an unexpected gain.

    And there¡¯s no burden since it¡¯s Jade. If it were Derek, the correct answer would be ¡®I won¡¯t ept it¡¯, but Jade would get angry if I didn¡¯t ept.

    ¡°Can I think about it and let you know?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The housekeeper smiled and asked another question.

    ¡°But, you must have learned to paint? Jade likes it so much. They say your technique is unique.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never learned. It¡¯s a hobby.¡±

    ¡°A hobby?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m grateful that he likes it. It¡¯s like a dream just being here.¡±

    This was not an empty word.

    It really feels like a dream.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The housekeeper scanned me from head to toe.

    ¡°You seem to like Libra a lot?¡±

    Her tone was slightly suggestive. I looked at her silently for a moment.

    It seemed like she was trying to dig for information, but that¡¯s understandable. This is the heart of Libra, after all. I should give her the answer she wants.

    ¡°Yes, I like Libra. A debt is owed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s in debt, but Libra.

    They killed my father, after all. They even killed me ¡®once¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s the family my grandfather and father served. There¡¯s no reason not to like them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see¡­.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and pointed to the TV in the corner of the room.

    ¡°May I turn on the TV?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    It was a gesture to ask her to leave, but the housekeeper obliviously handed me the remote control.

    ¡°¡­.Ah, thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Click- I pressed the remote button.

    ©¤No~ This is absurd! Libra is throwing a tantrum right now.

    It was a current affairs debate show. The topic was the controversy over the acquisition of Libra¡¯s SNSpany ¡®Whiteboard¡¯.

    I shouldn¡¯t have turned it on.

    This is ufortable.

    ©¤This kind of bidding itself doesn¡¯t make sense! They¡¯re trying to acquire apany worth 1 billion Ren for just 200 million Ren!

    Among them, there was one panelist who was particrly vehemently opposed.

    Like looking at my past self, no, even more frothing at the mouth than that, a journalist named ¡®Denver¡¯.

    ¡­I know him.

    It¡¯s been a long time, and even though I¡¯m only seeing him on TV, his face is disgusting.

    ¡°That¡¯s the controversy these days. What do you think?¡±

    The housekeeper asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡±

    I tried to keep my words to a minimum.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no ¡®somehow¡¯.¡±

    The housekeeper kept digging.

    ¡°Especially that Denver guy, he seems to be a headache for Libra.¡±

    At that, I gave a small smile.

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    ©¤Look! Even in the industry, they evaluate this Whiteboard as apany worth 1 billion Ren.

    I almost fell for that guy in the past.

    Not that he wasn¡¯t, he was quite famous before my regression. He picked fights with Libra, tackled them, even held one-man protests.

    I thought he was a colleague of mine.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be a headache.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    The housekeeper looked at me.

    ¡°He seems to be on our side. He¡¯s raising the value of Whiteboard, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°But thepany¡¯s worth 1 billion Ren, right? Isn¡¯t Libra taking a big loss?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not losing. They just don¡¯t have to acquire it. Libra is already the majority shareholder of Whiteboard.¡±

    ©¤1 billion Ren, 1 billion Ren! They¡¯re trying to buy apany worth 1 billion Ren for 300 million Ren?! This is nothing short of robbery using the power of the family!

    Look at him, constantly emphasizing 1 billion Ren. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s shouting that Whiteboard is currently an undervaluedpany.

    If you fall for his words and invest in stocks, you¡¯ll end up holding the bag.

    It¡¯s a tactic often used by the eldest son, Derek.

    ¡°Thanks to his words, the price goes up. Then Libra can just pretend to lose and sell as is.¡±

    Denver also builds his reputation that way.

    He took a shot at Libra, and Libra feigned retreat after securing his own interests.

    After repeating this process several times, those who held a grudge against Libra naturally flocked to Denver, the ¡®authority¡¯.

    Denver listened to their stories. He collected only their most intimate weaknesses and ryed them back to Libra.

    Libra was thorough like this.

    He knew that nting one of the most famous opponents on his side was more valuable than cultivating hundreds of thousands of supporters.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that whiteboardpany is worth a billion Ren.¡±

    In fact, Whiteboard would be delisted in three years.

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    The butler looked at her watch.

    ¡°The food will be out soon. What gift will you receive from lord Jade?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll just go with a mana core.¡±

    ¡°Mana core. Understood.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    The butler stood at the threshold. She seemed ready to leave.

    But then she suddenly turned around and looked at me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tip?¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    I was slightly taken aback, but then I understood.

    Libra is a noble family of scales. Therefore, tipping is not only natural but almost aw.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    I rummaged in my school uniform pocket. I only had two ten-Ren bills. I had spent the rest on taxi fare and admission.

    Instead, I felt a few cold objects.

    ¡°¡­This is all I have right now.¡±

    In the end, I took out one of them. It seemed much better than 20 Ren.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Give it to me.¡±

    Janna held out her palm. I ced the item on it.

    It was a casino chip.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, the butler¡¯s expression hardened. It cooled as if it had been frozen, making a cracking sound.

    I hurriedly exined.

    ¡°Ah. That is, I brought it not long ago. It¡¯s made of mana stone, so it should be a bit expensive. Really.¡±

    She still looked at me with a cold face. A strange energy rippled in her clear eyes. It seemed to exude a murderous aura.

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    She twisted one corner of her mouth, then mmed the door shut with a bang.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I scratched the back of my neck in a daze.

    ¡°¡­If I had given 20 Ren, I would have been killed.¡±

    Outside the amodation in Zone 1 of the Aerial Garden.

    Belingham is leaning against the wall. He¡¯s waiting for someone.

    The footsteps of a certain noble, even their steps are rhythmic.

    ¡°May I ask how you feel, Miss Janna?¡±

    He asked yfully. The butler Janna, who hade out of the amodation, hardened her expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then she deactivated her disguise without a word. Her face changed. Her ordinary features became more noble, and the blue symbolizing her bloodline seeped into her hair and pupils.

    ¡°It seems something happened, Lady Johanna.¡±

    Johanna nced at Belingham. She held out something in her hand. Belingham took it.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s a cheeky one. I almost bit him to death.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    It was an unexpected remark. Belingham looked at his hand with a smirk.

    It was a small, round casino chip.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha ha.¡±

    Upon seeing it, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It naturally slipped from the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°He¡¯s got guts.¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s guts or recklessness, we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±

    Johanna loves gambling as much as she loves art.

    No, to her, gambling itself is art.

    From a young age, she learned about life in the casino of the Libra hotel.

    Minor sesses. Minor failures. Massive sesses. Massive failures.

    She knew that all of these results originated from ¡®betting¡¯.

    Just like the front and back of a chip, sess and failure were merely two sides of the same coin.

    Regardless of whether a person reigns in a splendid pce today, they must be prepared to sweep the dirtiest road with a broom tomorrow.

    She had lived for 30 years with such a mindset, building her own wealth through bold bets, confident sesses, and regret-free failures.

    Therefore, this ¡®casino chip¡¯ symbolizing her life is the message conveyed by that young, bright blonde.

    It¡¯s a polite yet cheeky, gentle yet audacious expression that says, ¡°I know who you are.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s even vaguely aware of Denver¡¯s presence.¡±

    Johanna said. Belingham put the casino chip in his pocket.

    ¡°He has an eye for understanding people and reading the political situation? Are you going scout him?¡±

    Belingham asked. Johanna shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s like advertising that I have a hand worth ying.¡±

    With that, she extended her hand to Belingham again.

    ¡°It¡¯s my property. I never gave it to you, so hand it over.¡±

    ¡°You caught me.¡±

    He took out the casino chip and handed it over. Johanna flicked it with her fingers as if ying it, then slipped it into her pocket.

 Chapter 74: Knowledge (1)

    <strong>Knowledge (1)</strong>

    Late at night.

    I climbed to the rooftop of my lodging. I unfolded the easel and folding chair I had brought in advance.

    I sat quietly, looking at the night view of the Aerial Garden. There was a moon in front of me, and the clouds on the horizon reflected the moonlight like a mirror.

    It was a view sufficient to be chosen as a subject.

    ¡°¡­¡­What do you think?¡±

    Suddenly, a voice flowed from behind me.

    There was a person who appeared suddenly without any signs. Did he fly from the sky?

    ¡°This is the Aerial Garden that Libra is proud of.¡±

    He said that and approached me. His gray hair fluttered in the wind.

    ¡°This view, isn¡¯t it perfect? For your assignment.¡±

    Belingham Kantar.

    I responded bluntly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Suddenly, Belingham handed me a box.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana core. I don¡¯t know why the senior wants this. Perhaps alchemy or enchantment is your future ambition?¡±

    He brought what I had mentioned three hours ago.

    I opened the box lid. The mana core was wrapped in luxurious velvet.

    ¡°The warranty is also included.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Mana cores have origins and grades. Ghost mana cores are the most despised, monster mana cores are average, and naturally urring mana cores from nts, minerals, and especially gems are recognized as the highest grade.

    [Origin: nt]

    [Grade: A]

    Jade¡¯s gift was a grade A mana core with a nt origin.

    It¡¯s a bit small, but this should be worth about 70-80 thousand Ren. As expected of Jade, he¡¯s generous.

    ¡°Wow. Amazing. Please convey my thanks.¡±

    Honestly, I don¡¯t feel any gratitude towards Libra. But seeing these words flow out so easily, it seems I¡¯m getting used to it.

    It¡¯s a good phenomenon.

    ¡°More than that, it¡¯s surprising. You¡¯ve easily won the favor of a direct descendant of Libra.¡±

    Belingham rested his hand on the railing.

    ¡°But if your ability doesn¡¯t back it up, you won¡¯tst long.¡±

    It was a warning, or advice. If guys like Asher or Kain said something like this, I would have let it go in one ear and out the other, but Belingham is an overseer.

    Among the various positions of a knight, the highest, a badge only monsters can reach.

    The minimum qualification to be an overseer is an active second-ranked knight. Usually, when you graduate from a magic college¡¯s knight department, you be a senior knight, and then you take a rank evaluation test.

    Most graduates receive an 8th rank evaluation, and elite knights from prestigious universities start from an average of 6th rank.

    But Belingham passed the qualification exam as soon as he graduated from Edsi University.

    To give you an idea, it¡¯s simr to passing the bar exam before graduating from university, and bing a chief prosecutor at the same time as graduation.

    ¡°Well. My ability may not be as good as yours. But I am confident.¡±

    Belinghamughed silently.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s say you have that level of ability and enter the Aerial Garden. Then you¡¯ll have to pick and choose from the direct family.¡±

    Something was off. Was he trying to acknowledge me? It felt good, but also shitty.

    He asked casually,

    ¡°Is it Jade, after all?¡±

    I tried hard to maintain a poker face.

    Jade was a rotten choice, but I couldn¡¯t let that show.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then who?¡±

    I held a palette in one hand, mixing paint on it as I answered,

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    ¡°Zia, Zia¡­.¡±

    Belingham repeated, with a hint of puzzlement.

    ¡°You mean the youngest Miss Zia?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°Because I know my ce.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    His reaction was lukewarm. Even Belingham didn¡¯t know what kind of ws Zia was hiding.

    It meant she was good at hiding herself.

    ¡°Do you not want to get involved in the session dispute?¡±

    Contrary to Belingham¡¯s spection, the future owner of Libra is neither Derek, Jade, nor Johanna.

    It¡¯s Zia.

    Only her.

    ¡°Yes. I think that¡¯s about right for me.¡±

    Rather than sticking with the loser and working like crazy to make them win, it¡¯s better to stick with the winner and pretend to be loyal.

    That¡¯s about the size of my ambition.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Belingham closed his mouth. He seemed a bit disappointed, but I didn¡¯t care.

    I picked up the brush. I mixed the right colors for the night sky. I applied the oil paint to the canvas. I captured thendscape on the canvas.

    ¡°The more I see, the more talent you have that would be envied in art school.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a hobby. There¡¯s no point in envying it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Belingham, who had been watching the canvas, asked again briefly.

    ¡°How about the college board? Do you think you can get into a national university?¡±

    I answered while painting the moon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a foregone conclusion.¡±

    Huh. Belinghamughed as if amused.

    ¡°I like your confidence.¡±

    At the same time, in Jade¡¯s office.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He was looking at his portrait hanging in one corner of the wall.

    The deep and intense colors seemed to transnt the light directly, and the dark roses in the background were as dark as if the shadows had been cut off with a knife. The vivid contrast of light and dark shed and glowed on the canvas.

    The emotional brushwork reminded him of a master¡¯s work, and a hot and unique respect for Jade himself was melted into it.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    He was very satisfied.

    Jade had this masterpiece framed in the most luxurious frame and hung it opposite his office desk.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    But, somehow, he was a little dissatisfied.

    Not with the canvas, but its position.

    It was fine when standing and admiring, but something seemed a bit off when sitting.

    He got up from his seat and picked up the frame. He moved it a bit to the right. As it was an artifact-grade frame, there was no need for nails.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    Jade stepped back and looked. He moved slightly from side to side and looked. He looked up close, and he looked from afar.

    It was slightly awkward.

    Jade picked up the canvas again and ced it right behind the office entrance.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He stroked his chin and contemted.

    The light was just right, and it was satisfying to admire from the office chair, but it wasn¡¯t very noticeable.

    Such a good painting shouldn¡¯t be hidden. Whether it¡¯s a guest or a secretary, it should be ced so that it can be seen immediately upon entering the office.

    Jade moved the frame again, this time behind the office desk.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    In this way, he spent his precious time, although there was honestly not much work, anyway, he devoted three precious hours to interior decoration.

    The next day, Tuesday morning.

    I returned to Endex without dy. It was thanks to Libra¡¯s side who took me directly.

    My condition was quite good. The driver¡¯s driving was so perfect that I slept all the way.

    [Latinel]

    When I entered the Latinel ssroom, Elise and La caught my eye first. They were sitting together, but their postures were different. Elise was reading a script, and La was giving Elise a soured gaze.

    ¡°¡­.Ah, Shion!¡±

    La, who had been doing so, called me and jumped up.

    ¡°Elly won¡¯t show me the script!¡±

    At La¡¯s nagging, Elise frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already received up to your part.¡±

    ¡°No~ I want to read the next script too!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too careless with your behavior. You¡¯ll show it to the other kids.¡±

    ¡°What?! No, I won¡¯t!¡±

    It was indeed a somewhat agreeable reason.

    I sat down without saying much.

    ¡°Shion! Writer! Tell her! I¡¯m also part of the drama team, why- Ah.¡±

    Just then, Professor Beatrice appeared. La quickly turned around and sat down.

    ¡°Nice to see you all~¡±

    Beatrice saw me.

    ¡°I heard that the script isplete. Can I see it?¡±

    I looked at Elise. Elise took out a rather old-fashioned book from her bag. It was a leather-bound version of the script [The Bard].

    ¡°¡­.Why don¡¯t I get one.¡±

    In the midst of La¡¯s envious gaze, Elise handed it to Professor Beatrice. Beatrice, who received it, smiled.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll read it during the break. Shall we start the ss? Please open page 77 of Chapter 5.¡±

    And so today¡¯s lecture began.

    ¡°This passage is from a Latinel newspaper. There was media in ancient times, and the words used in the media were different from those used in everyday life¡­.¡±

    She lectured on ¡®The Use of Latinel in Public ces¡¯ in her usual friendly tone.

    As usual, I fought off sleep and tried my best to look awake.

    ¡°Oh my. Time has flown by.¡±

    10:30 AM.

    90 minutes after the start of ss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a 20-minute break.¡±

    Professor Beatrice left the ssroom with the script, but returned before the break was over.

    ¡°Is this script really written by student Shion?¡±

    Her face, asking in an excited tone, was unusually flushed.

    ¡­.

    After the Latinel ss ended. I was surprised as soon as I came out into the hallway. There were a lot of people gathered.

    ¡°Ah. There he is. That¡¯s Shion.¡±

    Miller, a university student and member of the theater team, pointed at me. About ten people turned around at once.

    ¡°Hello~¡±

    ¡°Is that guy the writer?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    As I was scrutinizing the faces, Elise approached from behind.

    ¡°They¡¯re all staff. All active members. I picked them.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Now that I look, their outfits are saying ¨C I¡¯m a staff member. Laptops, microphones, sound equipment and the like are strewn all over the floor.

    ¡°Uh. Work hard.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I was about to pass by when Elise grabbed me.

    ¡°What are you irresponsibly doing?¡±

    ¡°Elly, you irresponsibly didn¡¯t give me the script.¡±

    At that moment, La interjected. Elise ignored her.

    ¡°If you wrote the script, you should also direct, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    I almost forgot. I pulled out a notebook from my bag.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°A storyboard.¡±

    It¡¯s a storyboard I drew before bed at Aerial Garden. A depiction of every scene from the musical ¡®The Bard¡¯ I saw, sketched out in pencil.

    ¡°This will be much better than me directing.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do with a storyboard¡­¡±

    Elise opened the notebook. Suddenly, her words cut off. Her eyes were fixed on the page. La also peered over her shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Wow. Shion is really good at drawing.¡±

    As La admired, Elise nced at her, and abruptly closed it.

    ¡°Ah, you really won¡¯t even show this!¡±

    Fuming.

    Elise put the storyboard in her pocket.

    ¡°Well. It seems better than you, who can¡¯t articte, directing. More importantly, have you prepared an outfit for the festival greeting?¡±

    ¡°Why do I need to greet? I¡¯m not an actor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for the curtain call. The press will be there.¡±

    Elise looked me up and down. I felt a little pricked.

    ¡°Do you only have a uniform for clothes?¡±

    A cowardly fact attack. I have nothing to wear other than my uniform. But I do wash it every day.

    ¡°Just buy something.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°There, at Eastgate. A set costs about 30 Ren.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about clothes to wear at official events. At least at the level of V¨¦lorent .¡±

    V¨¦lorent is a mid-level luxury brand that costs about 3,000 Ren per suit.

    ¡°Do my ancestors provide me with money? Huh? Does money rain when I pray?¡±

    Of course, I do have money. I¡¯ve collected quite a lot of Darkweb DP. The problem is that I need tounder it if I want to use it. The Edsi Tax Office is not an easy opponent.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise, who sighed, pulled out a wallet. A crisp card slipped out.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡ªMiller~ Can I see the script~? They won¡¯t give it to me.

    In the meantime, La had somehow stuck to Miller.

    ¡ªHa ha¡­¡­ Is that so?

    ¡ªThat¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! I¡¯m memorizing lines from a printout!

    ¡ªWell¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t a printout okay? You have it.

    Miller also refused with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

    ¡ªWhat do you mean it¡¯s okay! It¡¯s not okay at all!

    ¡°What are you doing. Take it.¡±

    Elise hurried me while holding out the card. I cautiously asked.

    ¡°¡­Something expensive?¡±

    ¡°Do as you please.¡±

    She coolly responded and walked away, her wallet tucked back into her bag. The staff and university students followed her.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with her.¡±

    I checked the card first.

    [Edsi Saerto Centurion ck]

    [Elise Vanessa Petra rice]

    Saerto Centurion ck. A dark card with no spending limit. The annual fee for this must be around 10,000 Ren. Truly, they live in a different world.

    I quietly spoke to Elise¡¯s retreating figure.

    ¡°She definitely said I could buy something expensive.¡±

 Chapter 75: Knowledge (2)

    <strong>Knowledge (2)</strong>

    Edsi, a city known for its affluent neighborhoods. A city of gold built on goldennd. The ¡®Berry Hills¡¯, where even the average rich can¡¯t hand out their business cards.

    And here I am.

    ¡°Even the air smells expensive.¡±

    As soon as I got out of the taxi, a luxurious scent hit me. Do the cars here use perfume instead of disinfectant?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I walked quietly, trying my best to not look like a country bumpkin.

    Berry Hills was decorated like a castle from the entrance, and the streets were filled with fancy hotspots like restaurants, clubs, stadiums, high-end cafes, and even a Magic Spell shop ¡®Adraca¡¯ directly operated by the magic tower.

    One ce caught my eye.

    A luxury boutique [Luxury Line]. I approached and opened the door.

    ¡°Wee¡­¡±

    The employee seemed surprised to see me. Probably because of my school uniform. I scanned the interior with a poker face. There were many luxury brands that I recognized just by name.

    ¡°Can I try this on?¡±

    I chose a brand called ¡®Lumiere¡¯. An insane luxury item that asks for 10,000 Ren for a single jacket.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, sir. We don¡¯t allow fittings in our shop.¡±

    ¡°But there are three fitting rooms over there.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are already customers inside, and we operate on a membership system, so only members can try on clothes.¡±

    ¡°Oh my~ You look so pretty~¡±

    Suddenly, the door of the fitting room opened, and apliment echoed brightly.

    I inadvertently turned to look.

    ¡°Oh, really? I wonder if this color suits me better~? Huh?!¡±

    The customer, who had been flitting around the fitting room, also seemed to notice me, her eyes widening.

    ¡°¡­Shion. What are you doing here?¡±

    It was La. What¡¯s she doing here instead of practicing for the y?

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t give me the script, so I¡¯m pissed. I¡¯m not practicing, I¡¯m shopping. I¡¯m on strike today.¡±

    Oh, I see.

    The employee next to me looked surprised and alternately looked at us.

    ¡°Do you two know each other?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the same ss.¡±

    La, who answered first, walked over and did a full spin, as if showing off her blouse with the luxury logo patterned like a check on a sky-blue background.

    ¡°How is it~ Pretty, right~? Do you feel like showing me the script now~?¡±

    I pointed to the Lumiere cks, asking the employee.

    ¡°How much is this?¡±

    ¡°Hey. Are you ignoring me?¡±

    La frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Someone else is here?¡±

    Another voice came then. The door of the second fitting room opened.

    It was another woman, and someone I knew.

    Someone only I knew. She doesn¡¯t know me yet.

    ¡°La. Who¡¯s that?¡±

    Tall, nearly 180cm in heels, slender, and beautiful, but somewhat intimidating. Her mysterious aura was amplified by her snow-white hair.

    Her name is ¡®Serena Sianna Aventher Lucy¡¯.

    She is a direct descendant of the former Chairman¡¯s family, Aventher.

    ¡°Oh. He¡¯s in our ss. His name is Shion.¡±

    At La¡¯s words, Serena pursed her lips.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s also an Endex? But why does he look so shabby?¡±

    ¡°He may look like that, but he¡¯s really good at Latinel!¡±

    Serena is not an easy person to deal with. It¡¯s best to avoid getting involved with her if possible.

    I refocused on my shopping. Lumi¨¨re cks, t-shirts, jackets. If I buy these, it should be enough for a ¡®killer outfit for formal asions¡¯.

    ¡°This dress is nice. Put it on my tab.¡±

    Serena¡¯s voice pierced my ear. What a bold credit purchase.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡­¡±

    The shop assistant seemed to have something to say but was hesitating. Serena frowned as she smoothed out the wrinkles on the dress.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ you have a lot of unpaid bills, so this time you need to pay before you leave¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    For a moment, her right eye erged, and her left eye squinted.

    Whether in the past or now, her expressions are quite rich. Her stubbornness, based on a sense of entitlement, remains the same.

    ¡°Ha! I can¡¯t believe this.¡±

    Of course, Serena¡¯s family, the Aventher, is a prestigious one. But like all prestigious families who are overly concerned with tradition, the family rules are quite unique.

    Their session policy is ¡®All or Nothing¡¯.

    Only one heir can inherit the family wealth, and the likely sessors is the twin sibling, Shierik.

    Here, Serena is on the brink of bing penniless.

    ¡°What did you just say? Say it again.¡±

    She has such a good lineage that there¡¯s no need to worry. She¡¯ll marry into another prestigious family or a conglomerate and regain her fortune in no time.

    That¡¯s what happened in her previous life.

    She started with a startup, became a wealthy businessman, and spread her infamy as the ¡®White Evil Lady¡¯ across the continent, only to fall into disgrace due to an affair.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. But could you at least pay for today¡¯s items-¡±

    ¡°Ah~ So, you think I won¡¯t pay? Are you afraid I¡¯ll run off without paying for these?¡±

    Serena swept back her pure white hair.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it, isn¡¯t it.¡±

    Sheughed lightly, then suddenly, like a wolf, she bulged her eyes and grabbed the shop assistant¡¯s hair.

    She certainly has the skill of someone who¡¯s done this more than once or twice.

    ¡°Kyak!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you bitch. Do I look like I¡¯d steal your measly money? Huh? Do you not know who I am? Huh? Answer me, you worthless wench.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry©¤ Kyak!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, answer me, you scar-faced beggar wench!¡±

    Serena swung the shop assistant¡¯s hair around, and the assistant iled about like a paper balloon. I hesitated for a moment but let it go. She¡¯s not someone I can stop.

    ¡°Uh, sis! Stop, stop it. I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll pay for today¡¯s stuff!¡±

    Instead, La quickly stepped forward and offered her card.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Immediately, Serena let go of the shop assistant¡¯s hair. The assistant copsed weakly.

    ¡°How much is it? For mine and my sister¡¯s. Please calcte it.¡±

    When La asked, the shop assistant, with her hair all messed up, answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s 40,000 Ren¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay. Here¡¯s my card¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you next month~ I didn¡¯t bring my card~¡±

    Again, the crazy woman, smiling calmly, put her hand on La¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Hey~ you don¡¯t have to¡­ payter, sis.¡±

    ¡°You just said I don¡¯t have to pay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    La, she¡¯s an ass.

    ¡°Then, Shion, I¡¯ll be off~¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    La left with Serena, and I handed my card to the staff.

    ¡°Here. Three sets of Lumi¨¨re, please.¡±

    Meanwhile, at a small theater where rehearsals for ¡¸The Bard¡¹ were in full swing.

    Elise was almost directing, checking the actors¡¯ movements while looking at the storyboard, directing the script, discussing concepts, and so on.

    It wasn¡¯t that hard. The storyboard was so excellent that all she had to do was follow it.

    Ding-

    Suddenly, a payment alert popped up on her smartphone.

    [Saerto Centurion ck Card Approved]

    [25,000 Ren in a lump sum]

    [03/26 3:13]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal had swiped 25,000 Ren.

    It was a reasonable price.

    He wasn¡¯t the type to care about others¡¯ opinions. He was a person without any courtesy or consideration.

    Ding-

    This time, a text message came.

    [Trash: Hey, can I also buy some food?]

    Elise sent a reply.

    [Do as you please]

    Ding- Ding- Ding- Ding-

    Then, payment messages flew in dozens of times, incessantly. Was he trying to set up a household? Was he thinking of buying a house?

    ¡°What¡¯s with these message sounds~ Elise, you¡­ got a boyfriend!¡±

    College student Shasha raised her eyebrows teasingly. Elise¡¯s face turned pale for a moment. Her eyes, nose, and mouth seemed to pop out like needles.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    Shasha quickly ran away, and Elise nced at Miller, who was studying the script.

    ¡°Mr. Miller?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, what is it.¡±

    Miller turned to look at her.

    ¡°Can you tell me now?¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°The setting of Duke.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Miller must have received it from Shion Ascal.

    There is a secret to the Duke in the y. She understood that it was also part of the twist, but why hide it from the protagonist herself?

    ¡°He said he¡¯ll tell you just before the y.¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Really. But it won¡¯t matter much to your acting, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Miller said so, and Elise turned around, biting her lip.

    Is this how La, who didn¡¯t receive the script, feel? It¡¯s annoying for no reason.

    Ding- Ding- Ding-

    Even amidst all this, the messages on her smartphone, no, what the hell is this crazy guy buying so much of?

    At thekeside of the old building.

    As soon as I finished shopping and returned, I was fiddling with the Ascal sword, facing the wind.

    From now on, I n to polish my swordsmanship on Tuesdays. Thanks to absorbing the mana nucleus, I have plenty of magic power and capacity, so I can do it with a very amazing swordsmanship teacher.

    Who is it?

    It¡¯s someone only I know, and I can see them when I close my eyes.

    The tuition fee is mana.

    The time is in seconds.

    It¡¯s someone who can currently recite about 30 seconds at best.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the basics. I¡¯ve forgotten them all. So, I can¡¯t teach you.¡±

    The familiar tone and voice of Soliette from a different future. I learn by watching her. Of course, she didn¡¯t teach me swordsmanship, but if I could just watch and follow, there would be no better teacher than her.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin.¡±

    She defeated her father at an age far from thirty. Shepletely broke down Egeris, who is considered a monster in the history of the continent.

    ¡°I¡­ just see it. Their sword path. What kind of sword they will swing, how they will swing it. Therefore, I naturally think of the way to break it.¡±

    The time allowed for my recollection is just about 30 seconds. My mana capacity is only that much, and just following her sword a little bit will make me sick all day.

    It doesn¡¯t matter.

    Even if my body breaks down to learn just 1, if I can only follow you.

    ¡°When killing an opponent, I first named it a ¡®Traversing Sword¡¯.¡±

    I held the Ascal sword.

    After ¡®Unsheathing¡¯es ¡®Traverse¡¯.

    The exnation itself is simple. It¡¯s a sword that doesn¡¯t resist. Her Traversing Sword, already unsheathed, is wielded as if it is about to strike.

    Never ¡®pull¡¯. Because the act of ¡®pulling¡¯ and spitting out the sword is a regressive action.

    Therefore, her Traversing Sword only pushes.

    It¡¯s strange.

    Most swordsmen, when they cut something, pull the sword and then swing it. From bottom to top, or from top to bottom.

    Not Soliette.

    Her Traversing Sword shoots out like a bullet.

    A sword that seems to skip part of the action of ¡®shing¡¯, ignoring thews of physics of the world quite a bit.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s a ¡®Severing Sword¡¯.

    Swish©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡±

    I almost dislocated my shoulder with one push. My shoulder was sucked into the sword. Nearly half of the magic power of the Mana Heart was consumed.

    I sat down clutching my shoulder.

    There was no time for that.

    Thud¡­¡­

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    The tree hit by the sword I swung as a test. That thick guy is falling over.

    I quickly backed off a few steps.

    Crash©¤©¤©¤!

    The tree split in half and fell into theke.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I nkly watched the spectacle of the tree bending like a fishing rod.

    I opened Notepad out of habit.

    [110 / 135]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +10

    The first stroke of the Severing Sword, ¡®Unsheathing¡¯, no longer consumes capacity after repeated Attunement, but this Traversing Sword consumed a whopping ¡¯10¡¯ capacity from the beginning.

    ¡°Is the cost-effectiveness¡­ good?¡±

 Chapter 76: College Tour (1)

    <strong>College Tour (1)</strong>

    The next day, Wednesday morning at Clemen Hall.

    The day of my hospital appointment.

    ¡°Today is a special activity.¡±

    Chedric, who always appeared at 9 o¡¯clock sharp, said. A sigh of relief mixed with anticipation flowed through the hall.

    Special activities were almost like a break time.

    ¡°We¡¯re going on a college tour.¡±

    College tour.

    Clemen Hall buzzed. My heart also fluttered slightly. It was something I couldn¡¯t even dream of before my regression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know the colleges avable for the tour.¡±

    Chedricunched the beam projector. Names of universities came out in a row.

    [National Edsi]

    [Dantea] [Gouroa] [Kronos]

    [Lumies] [Bedium] [Witouz]

    [Sistina] [Nordpole] [Petra]¡­¡­

    These are the prestigious universities. Typically, the initials are taken to create an acronym, along with the rest to a certain extent.

    The universities located in the capital go up to Bedium, and Petra Magic College is also in the metropolitan area.

    ¡°You can choose the college you want.¡±

    College.

    Campus life.

    The absolute value unique to the current magic high school seniors, where life itself changes ording to the college signboard.

    The expressions of the seniors gradually became excited.

    ¡°Of course, there will be assignments even though it¡¯s a special activity. It will vary by college.¡±

    The faces that were excited a moment ago quickly fell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take participation. Starting from National Edsi University.¡±

    National Edsi Magic University is the top prestigious college on the continent, where even the so-called prestigious high school, Endex, has only 10-20 students admitted at best each year.

    Surprisingly, many students choose it.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon. Soliette. Elise. Kain. Asher. La. Kielli. Brown. James. And¡­¡­¡±

    I also raised my hand.

    ¡°Shion, is that the end with 10 people?¡±

    The moment Chedric called my name, everyone turned to look at me. I kept a poker face.

    I¡¯m fucking doing it.

    ¡°Next, Dantea.¡±

    Dantea is also a prestigious university that is ranked right after the national universities. Due to the rivalry between Dantea and Gouroa, the campus life itself is said to be more fun than at National Edsi.

    ordingly, the number of choosers was even more than National Edsi.

    ¡°13 people. Now next, Gouroa¡­¡­¡±

    At 9:30 a.m.

    The seniors came out to the Endex¡¯s athletic field. Several buses were already parked. These were luxury buses for the college tour.

    ¡°Is this it.¡±

    I got on the bus with a sticker that said [National Edsi].

    Inside, nine people were already seated.

    At the very back, Elise¡¯s gang was lined up. Kain and Asher were still apart from each other. In front of them, Kielli was burying his head as if to avoid my eyes.

    I sat in the empty seat next to him.

    ¡°Is everyone on board?¡±

    Chedric, the homeroom teacher of Magic ss A, boarded the bus to check the headcount.

    ¡°Ten. We will depart now.¡±

    Chedric ryed the message through the walkie-talkie and then got off the bus.

    As the bus started moving, I leaned against the window, intending to catch a quick nap-

    Thud.

    Something hit the back of my head. It was a piece of paper.

    I turned around. My eyes met Asher¡¯s. He moved his lips. What are you looking at-

    I threw a fist-sized potato

    ¡°Look, look at that-¡±

    Ignoring a stunned Asher, I turned back around, only to have another piece of paper fly at me.

    I looked around. Was there a rock or something simr nearby? I might as well kill him.

    Twenty minutes passed in the meantime.

    ¡°We have arrived.¡±

    The bus driver announced. I shifted my gaze outside the window. The view of National Edsi University came into sight.

    The first impression was grand. Starting from the campus fence, it was a magical barrier.

    ¡°Everyone can get off now.¡±

    Everyone disembarked from the bus. The ground of the magic university was blue.

    ¡°Hey, Shion. Have you really grown a lot?¡±

    To Asher, who was grumbling nearby, I responded with a smile.

    ¡°I did grow a bit. Can you tell?¡±

    My school uniform had be too tight, and I thought I might need to buy a new one soon.

    ¡°What? What the hell¡­ Oh? You¡¯re right. You¡¯ve grown a bit-¡±

    ¡°Wee, everyone from Endex. I¡¯m assistant professor Beison.¡±

    Just then, the assistant professor approached, waving a small g at shoulder height.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, to the campus.¡±

    He gestured towards the campus entrance. In the middle of the magical barrier, there was a giant ¡®L¡¯ shaped sculpture.

    ¡°You know what this L stands for, right? Some call it ¡®El University¡¯ because of this. But this is not the L from Edsi, but the L from Lemina.¡±

    Lemina is the Latinel word for magic.

    ¡°It means magic university. The entrance to the magic university is different from a regr university. But if you go straight in, you¡¯ll find it mixed with a regr university at the central square.¡±

    Was he introducing the university campus, or just talking to himself while walking?

    Anyway, the assistant professor walked, and we followed.

    ¡°Actually, we call this a city, not a campus. The campus is so wide¡­¡±

    Indeed, the area of Edsi Magic University is asrge as 30 square kilometers, practically making the university a city in itself.

    The magic university only has 200 students per grade, but since the campus area is shared with the regr university, including undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, the resident poption reaches a staggering 100,000.

    ¡°Anyway, more than half of this area belongs to our magic university. Laboratories, training centers, university knights, stadiums, dormitories, Magic Mountain, and so on.¡±

    Beison paused for a moment. He covered his mouth and yawned.

    ¡°Haah¡­ Honestly, the campus is toorge for a group tour. Should we split into groups?¡±

    He really looked bothered.

    Well, he is an assistant professor. He must havee because a professor told him to.

    I unconsciously looked around.

    ¡°Soliette! Let¡¯s pair up!¡±

    La clung to Soliette as if ambushing her, and Elise, feeling betrayed, ended up pairing with Brown from the drama team. Asher stood awkwardly next to Kain, who didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    But what are they, a couple? They awkwardly avoid each other¡¯s gaze and just beat around the bush.

    Anyway, the remaining people are¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at him. He looked at me.

    His eyes were icy. Like frozen seawater.

    His hair resembled dawn. The darkest before sunrise, yet holding a clear light.

    ¡°ording to your current standing, you¡¯re in pairs.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    I was paired with him.

    ¡°Alright. Gather around. Let¡¯s take a photo of Endex.¡±

    The ten seniors huddled together.

    Click- Beison took a photo with his smartphone.

    ¡°Today¡¯s college tour task is simple. I don¡¯t intend to give you anythingplicated. It¡¯s amon task for all senior magic high school students who chose our national university. Coincidentally, this week is the club recruitment period, right?¡±

    The assistant professor set the g in his hand on fire. The g turned into ten cards.

    ¡°I¡¯ll distribute the club cards, so let¡¯s experience it in advance. Whether it¡¯s an interview or a test, just get three approval stamps.¡±

    He threw the cards. There were about three spaces on the card to stamp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the clubs won¡¯t be too strict with high school students.¡±

    I looked at Gerkhen Kal Doon next to me.

    He¡¯s an awkward guy, but considering the task, it might be a blessing in disguise.

    How can I use this unrealistically handsome guy?

    ¡°Alright¡­ it¡¯s 10 o¡¯clock now, so until 4. At 4 o¡¯clock, the dean has something to say, so pleasee to Senbil. Senbil is the building in the center over there. Everyone, good luck~¡±

    Beison disappeared first. Literally, with a snap of his fingers, he was gone in an instant.

    Where he had been, a paper doll was left alone.

    ¡°It seems like Doll Magic.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon exined.

    I responded.

    ¡°I can see that too.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon and I walked the campus without saying a word. It was awkward to death, but indeed, there was a ¡®campus life¡¯ in college.

    There were many freshmen as it was the beginning of the semester, flowers were blooming in various colors, the chatter that buzzed in the ears was refreshing, and asionally, people singing or dancing on the street could be seen.

    Even in that bustling street, Gerkhen Kal Doon attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    In contrast, I was the odd one out next to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot here.¡±

    We arrived at a certain park.

    Is this the central park?

    Anyway, there were club booths everywhere. The themes varied. Latinel, singing, dancing, Magic, hunting, fishing¡­¡­

    ¡°Over there.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon pointed somewhere. It was a physical training club called [Body Incline].

    ¡°You go.¡±

    Anyway, the club recruitment was in full swing.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Among them, there was a particrly bustling ce.

    There was no particr attention-seeking or solicitation, but the line was incredibly long. The club¡¯s name was¡­ [Travel: Shiver].

    There were many club officials at the booth. One woman and seven men.

    But the situation was quite strange. The woman was sitting in the shade, and only the men were busy distributing application forms to the neers. As if a queen was ordering her ves.

    ¡°Seeing it again.¡±

    I understand.

    That woman is indeed a noble.

    ¡°Wow¡­ she¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    Like us, a senior from Sudme Magic High School, who was watching from the side, seemed unaware of the woman¡¯s bad reputation.

    ©¤Come on~ Take the application form.

    ©¤Our club only has one recruitment opportunity a year~

    A woman with snow-white hair and even paler skin, blending exquisitely under the sunlight. That troublemaker from the luxury boutique.

    C¨¦line Aventagher.

    She was yawningzily with her arms crossed at the club booth.

    But then.

    ©¤Huh?

    For a moment, her eyes opened slightly. My body shivered.

    The direction she was looking at was where I was.

    ©¤Hello~

    She even waved her hand. With a faint smile.

    I felt uneasy. Why is she doing this?

    Could she be remembering me?

    Then, the people around also turned to look at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Then I realized.

    She was looking at my side, not at me.

    It was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°I almost forgot.¡±

    Suddenly, I remembered.

    That woman likes Gerkhen Kal Doon. Whether that feeling is love, ambition, or possession is ambiguous.

    She stood up and walked towards us.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Gerkhen Kal Doon~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon acted stiffly. C¨¦line seemed to like even that.

    ¡°I heard about the tour. The task is to get epted into a club, right? How great is our travel club? Will youe for an interview~?¡±

    Her voice was sweet. Completely different from the way she was treating her subordinates.

    ¡°Here~¡±

    C¨¦line personally handed out the application form.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon did not ept it. Instead, he turned to me and asked.

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Me?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nodded.

    I answered.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m good.¡±

    There¡¯s no way C¨¦line would ept me. At least not now.

    ¡°Then. I also decline.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon politely refused and turned around, but, why is he using me as an excuse?

    As expected, C¨¦line¡¯s sparks flew towards me. She gritted her teeth at me. As soon as Gerkhen Kal Doon disappeared, her polite voice sprang out.

    ¡°Hey, who are you to say he¡¯s not going because you¡¯re not going? Are you close with Gerkhen Kal Doon?¡±

    If there¡¯s a brat who starts a conversation with informal speech, respond in kind.

    That¡¯s usually my principle.

    ¡°¡­We¡¯re not close.¡±

    Usually.

    She¡¯s too crazy of a woman.

    ¡°But why is he like that?¡±

    ¡°Ah! Sister~¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar and stupid voice flowed in. I would have been annoyed if it was usual, but now I was d.

    It was La and Soliette.

    La pointed at me and widened her eyes.

    ¡°Huh? Are you with Shion?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Shion.¡±

    ¡°This one.¡±

    I quickly turned around.

    I was thinking of escaping in this gap.

    ¡°Hey! Can you give me your phone number?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah! Sister, why are you asking for Shion¡¯s number?!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean asking? He¡¯s close with Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    ¡°What? Who? Him?¡±

    ¡°Quickly tell me your number. Hurry!¡±

    C¨¦line fiddled with her phone and snapped at me.

    I quietly recited.

    ¡°¡­019-2343-4304¡±

    Then, her long and white fingers moved like a snake.

    ¡°The signal isn¡¯t going through!¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s not 2343, it¡¯s 2342.¡±

    I purposely gave the wrong number, but she caught it. C¨¦line made a call.

    Beep- Beep-

    A call came to my phone. C¨¦line pouted her lips and waved her hand.

    ¡°Go. Come for an interview at 3. With Gerkhen Kal Doon¡­¡­ I¡¯ll pass you~¡±

    Suddenly, her crazy voice was filled with grace. I nced and saw Gerkhen Kal Doon wasing back.

    ¡°Interview. I applied for now.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon spoke to me.

    I asked back.

    ¡°What interview.¡±

    ¡°Body Incline.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    That was the physical training club.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon~ Come to Bnta Hall by 3. We rented the whole ce for the interview~ You can even eat at the buffet~¡±

    C¨¦line, who said so with a smile, was a bit pitiful to me.

    She may be a crazy woman in the world, close to a viin in reality, but she was a person who helped me a lot before my regression.

    What kind of help it was¡­¡­ is a secret.

    Then.

    ¡°Mr. Gerkhen Kal Doon. Pleasee this way. I¡¯ll guide you.¡±

    A club member wearing a T-shirt with [Body Incline] printed on it approached with a bright smile on his robust body.

 Chapter 77: College Tour (2)

    College Tour (2)

    ¡°¡­¡­This is our club room. Quite noisy, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The [Body Incline] club room, where I was led by a club member, was a training room from the get-go. The space,rger than six average gymsbined, was filled with exercise equipment and had natural elements like forests, dirt floors, and waterways.

    Real money is being wasted here.

    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll bring the president.¡±

    The man who brought us disappeared somewhere.

    In the meantime, I observed the people. I thought they would all be bulky, but half were as expected, and the other half were slim.

    The gender ratio was 7:3, with slightly more men, but there were quite a few women too. Most of them, regardless of gender, were stealing nces at Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Ah~ The one with that magic high assignment?¡±

    A rather booming voice. A short-haired man who looked like the club president appeared.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s real. I got the notice, but you actually came here?¡±

    He approached, wiping his sweat with a towel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t high schoolers usually hate physical training? Especially no-mana zones. We have a separate no-mana zone here too. Ah, I¡¯m the president of Body Incline, Aidman.¡±

    He introduced himself as Aidman and chuckled.

    ¡°By the way, our club trains both Magic Body and Strong Body. But these days, kids are too fond of Magic Body~¡±

    Aren¡¯t you one of those kids too? I held back my retort.

    ¡°So, I heard there¡¯s a kid who almost jumped 7m in the high jump?¡±

    Aidman crossed his arms, his face full of excitement.

    It seems that the rumor has already spread here.

    Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a rumor.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon, is that you?¡±

    Aidman¡¯s eyes pointed at Gerkhen Kal Doon like an arrow.

    They should be meeting for the first time, but he knows Gerkhen Kal Doon. No, he¡¯s been talking to Gerkhen Kal Doon since earlier.

    Am I invisible?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon shook his head. Aidman grinned broadly.

    ¡°What do you mean, no? What¡¯s the point of hiding it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nced at me without saying a word. Aidman shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Well. You might not want to talk about it. Anyway, if you want to get our club¡¯s approval stamp, you have to take a test. We only ept guys who can use their bodies decently. You know, ¡®physical arts¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Physical arts?¡±

    I asked back. I¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯ve never learned it. Whether it¡¯s physical arts, swordsmanship, or martial arts, it all costs money to learn properly.

    ¡°Ah, are you a senior too? Weren¡¯t you Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s manager?¡±

    Aidman seemed to have just noticed my existence.

    ¡°¡­¡­What high schooler has a manager.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Anyway. Our entrance exam is that.¡±

    Aidman pointed to a mud path.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The width is 10m. The length is 50m. You just have to cross that mud path in under a minute.¡±

    Cross 50m in under a minute. At first nce, it seems too easy. The mud is probably a bit sticky or slimy.

    But it doesn¡¯t seem too difficult.

    ¡°Does it look easy?¡±

    Aidman chuckled as if he had read my expression.

    ¡°Do you want to try it right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon seemed to have the same idea, as he was the first to stand at the starting line. Without any particr preparatory stance, he dashed off immediately.

    Whoosh!

    A blue afterimage lingered in the air. It was a sprint scattered by the wind. In the blink of an eye, Gerkhen Kal Doon was already on the other side.

    Not even a minute, he covered 50 meters in just 3 seconds.

    He doesn¡¯t even give us time to learn by watching.

    ¡°Oh¡­ They say it¡¯s a talent thates once every 30 years. Is it really?¡±

    The crew members, led by Aidman, apuded and marveled. Then I also warmed up.

    ¡°Friend. You don¡¯t have to do it. What was your name?¡±

    ¡°Shion. Ascal.¡±

    Aidman chuckled and bowed mockingly.

    ¡°That¡¯s Gerkhen Kal Doon, so it looks easy. Most high school students-¡±

    Like Gerkhen Kal Doon, I dashed off immediately.

    My first step dug into the mud. The ground beneath my feet squelched at that moment, but I had anticipated this much stickiness.

    As long as I maintain my body¡¯s bnce, it¡¯s enough to ovee. Even if I can¡¯t use Magic Body, my body alone, swoosh¡ª

    ¡°!¡±

    My foot sank.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    No, it¡¯s more than just sinking. The ground doesn¡¯t feel like ground. It¡¯s some sticky liquid.

    As soon as I step on it, my ankle sinks, when I step with both feet, I kneel, and from the third step, my lower body is swallowed up.

    The more I move, the worse it gets, and the mud soon reached my navel.

    I couldn¡¯t even take three steps before I was stuck like a stick.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. That¡¯s normal.¡±

    Aidman, beyond the starting line, murmured looking down at me. The other crew members nodded as if agreeing.

    Somehow, the situation feels a bit humiliating.

    ¡°It¡¯s specially developed mud. It has high viscosity but low friction, so it keeps sinking. It also has a property that absorbs magic, so it was developed for booby traps¡­ But it¡¯s too expensive, so we just use it for training. You¡¯ll need a certain level of Magic Body to ovee it.¡±

    Before I knew it, I was buried up to my shoulders. It felt like a giant was gripping my body tightly.

    ¡°Shall I help you?¡±

    Aidman asked.

    For me, the feeling was strange.

    His expression, voice, nuance, all the non-verbal expressions that belittled me, they all seemed to remind me of my past helplessness.

    ¡°Do I help, or not?¡±

    Aidman spoke again, but I just smiled quietly.

    I raised my arm.

    I held up my middle finger.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    Aidman¡¯s face,ughing awkwardly, was obscured by the mud. Before I knew it, I was buried up to my eyes.

    I can¡¯t see, I can¡¯t hear, I can¡¯t speak.

    Only the pitch darkness.

    I tried to flounder a bit, but there¡¯s nowhere to step or jump.

    First, let¡¯s stay calm.

    The depth of this mud is not infinite.

    In other words, even this specially developed mud will have a ¡®bottom¡¯. Just as even the deepest sea has an end if you go down endlessly.

    If I can touch that, if I can step on it even once, I can leap with that propulsion.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to how a hippo leaps out of the water.

    They don¡¯t swim, but push off the bottom of the water and surge upwards.

    Of course, humans aren¡¯t hippos, but if a human¡¯s body were as strong as a hippo¡¯s, it would be possible.

    I can be ¡®temporarily¡¯ like that.

    Gurgle¡­

    I conserved my breath as much as possible. My body sank squishily. I iled my limbs to increase my descent speed.

    ¡ªAnd then.

    Thud-

    I touched down.

    As expected, there was something like a ¡®te¡¯ under my feet.

    I nted my feet on it.

    It was hard. Hard enough to stand on.

    It¡¯s worth a try at this point.

    I called upon Perion. The heat of the Magic Core spread through my limbs. Pure power surged throughout my musculoskeletal system.

    What I desired was: the most simple and destructive ¡®physical ability¡¯ and ¡®strength¡¯ upgrade.

    I suffered side effects due to my stubborn pride, but well.

    It¡¯s much better than being wrapped in the same powerlessness as before.

    Better than having spaghetti dumped on my head or trembling trapped in a cab.

    Better than lying in a hospital bed, watching as the guys who were once in the same ss as me be famous knights on TV.

    Better than just watching the family that killed my father and ruined my life be the masters of Edsi.

    Better than suffering from such feelings of inferiority, powerlessness, and defeat.

    It¡¯s much better to fight and win on your own, even if it¡¯s out of stubborn pride¡­

    I opened my eyes. All around was dark, but my coordinates were clear.

    A straight line.

    Not bending at all, just above my head.

    I put power into the soles of my feet.

    I pushed off the ground and leaped.

    Kwaaaaaah-!

    My body ascended in an instant. The sticky mud fell off like dog hair, and the foreign feeling that had been holding me also disappeared.

    Fresh air rushed in.

    There was a ceiling right in front of my eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    In that void, I looked back.

    Below the crumbling ground scattering mud, Gerkhen Kal Doon and the crew members, including Aidman, were looking up at me. Time seemed to slow. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, and shock and surprise spread in turn.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad view.

    Swoosh¡­

    I¡¯m in the shower, washing off the mud. I¡¯m bracing for some side effects, but so far, so good.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    I was surprised when I looked in the mirror whilethering soap.

    Because of my wet body.

    ¡°When did my body get like this?¡±

    My body is good. It¡¯s not narcissism, anyone would say it¡¯s ¡®good.¡¯

    But it¡¯s not bulky muscles. It¡¯s not too massive, not too skinny, just perfectly attached where it¡¯s most needed, realbatpressed muscle.

    Why is my body like this?

    I¡¯ve never made time to work out.

    Is this also thanks to the ¡®Embodiment¡¯?

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Enough with the nonsense.

    I quickly finished the shower. A dried uniform was alreadyid out on the locker room bench.

    I changed and went outside.

    ¡ªYou should really join our club when youe to Edsi~ We won¡¯t bother you.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was surrounded by club members.

    ¡ªYou said you¡¯re going to the Knight Department, right? There are a lot of them here.

    ¡ªAnd¡­ oh, there he is, your friend.

    Who¡¯s calling me a friend on their own ord?

    ¡ªI¡¯m not his friend.

    Fortunately, Gerkhen Kal Doon corrected them.

    ¡ªAh, right? I thought so.

    What¡¯s with the ¡®I thought so¡¯?

    I approached them. Only the club president, Aidman, stood up first.

    ¡°You did well. Now, let¡¯s announce the interview results?¡±

    He looked alternately at Gerkhen Kal Doon and me.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon passed. Shion has¡­¡±

    His expression was grim.

    Well, of course, I would fail.

    ¡°Passed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Well, Shion, you couldn¡¯t swim 50 meters, of course, but your stamina and explosive power were excellent.¡±

    Aidman put his hand on my shoulder. He felt around the edges of my trapezius and deltoid muscles, then let out a satisfied sigh.

    ¡°Indeed. You have a good physique. You must work out a lot?¡±

    ¡°I do, but-¡±

    ¡°Are you also applying to the Knight Department?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Knight-¡±

    ¡°Your frame is a bit small for a knight, but it¡¯s not like there are no knights with your frame. You¡¯ll do fine if you work hard! Hahaha.¡±

    Aidmanughed heartily and handed me a club card.

    ¡°Here!¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon and I had passed stamps side by side.

    ¡°Then. I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon said politely. I also licked my lips and nodded.

    ¡°Alright. Good job.¡±

    As we walked out side by side, Aidman shouted from behind us.

    ¡°But, Gerkhen Kal Doon! That high jump! It wasn¡¯t really you, was it?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon turned to him and answered immediately.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Haha. Try a little harder. It looks like you could even break the draft record.¡±

    Aidman didn¡¯t seem to believe it, but.

    We left the building. The sunlight was refreshing. Maybe it was because I had taken a shower.

    I said to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Hey. This time, let¡¯s go where I say. I followed you, so it¡¯s only fair.¡±

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon replied.

    It wasn¡¯t a response to my words.

    ¡°It was you. 683 cm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    I stopped in my tracks. My legs froze.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon didn¡¯t.

    He had already moved ahead, and my eyes nkly followed his back.

 Chapter 78: College Tour (3)

    <strong>College Tour (3)</strong>

    ¡°Even on a second look¡­¡­¡±

    After Gerkhen Kal Doon and Shion had left, Aide, dressed in a striped tank top, was rewinding and watching the video.

    ¡°They¡¯re so different.¡±

    While Gerkhen Kal Doon had skillfully used Magic Body to avoid sinking into the muddy path, Shion Ascal had ovee it purely through physical ability.

    ¡°This kid¡¯s athletic ability is legendary. He could be a star when he gets to college, right? Is this kind of physical talent even possible?¡±

    Aide was in awe.

    Of course, one could argue that Shion Ascal had simply ¡®identified the weakness of the mud trap¡¯.

    Since it was a training exercise, there was a boardid at the bottom. If it had been a real situation, he would have died.

    But even considering that he had made the decision to jump off it, and actually doing so, was unbelievable.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he just activate Magic Body inside there?¡±

    A club member asked while eating popcorn.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s even more amazing.¡±

    The mud swallows magic. If he could activate Magic Body to that extent inside the mud, it¡¯s not at the level of a high school student. It¡¯s not even at the level of a college student. It¡¯s at least fifth rank or above.

    ¡°sticity, explosiveness, strength, flexibility, agility, quickness, bnce, power¡­ all of it¡­ this is a unique talent.¡±

    He kept rewinding and watching, and he kept chuckling. The more he watched, the more he chewed on it, the more ¡®real¡¯ it felt. Especially for Aide, who was particrly interested in physicality and strength.

    ¡°No wonder his body was so good.¡±

    ¡°Did you touch him again in the meantime?¡±

    A club member asked, as if incredulous.

    ¡°Yeah. When we greeted each other. His body isn¡¯t that big, but it felt like there was a boulder inside.¡±

    Aide clenched and unclenched his hand. He murmured, recalling the feel of Shion Ascal¡¯s shoulders, his trapezius and deltoid muscles, and a bit of histissimus dorsi.

    ¡°683 cm.¡±

    The high jump record that suddenly appeared on Endex and stirred up themunity for a while.

    The controversy that it was either Gerkhen Kal Doon or the person in charge ying a prank had already been settled.

    ¡°But it could be this guy.¡±

    A fascinating smile appeared on Aide¡¯s lips.

    We visited quite a few clubs. Starting with [Body Incline], the ssical music club [Song of Spring], the reading club [Twilight Moon], the Latinel club [Golden Garden], and the candy club [Sweet Hill].

    I received eptance notifications from two ces. Body Incline and Latinel.

    On the other hand, Gerkhen Kal Doon passed everywhere.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    From my perspective, I still needed one more ce, but we only had 30 minutes left.

    There wasn¡¯t even enough time for a proper interview.

    There was no choice.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey.¡±

    I called out to Gerkhen Kal Doon, who was walking ahead. He nced back at me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Shiver. The travel club.¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon responded immediately.

    ¡°Why. You don¡¯t listen to weaker guys?¡±

    ¡°I hate traveling. I¡¯m already on a journey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I know your hometown isn¡¯t here, but I need to get a stamp, okay?¡±

    I held up my smartphone. I sent a message to C¨¦line.

    [If I bring Gerkhen Kal Doon, will I pass?]

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon slightly furrowed his brows. I showed him my smartphone and asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re snooping on someone else¡¯s smartphone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re showing it to me.¡±

    Ding?

    Just then, a reply came.

    [C¨¦line: Try bringing him lol;]

    [If there¡¯s no definite answer, I won¡¯t bring him. We¡¯ve already got all our eptance stamps, so we don¡¯t need to go there.]

    [C¨¦line: Okay lol]

    [I promise to bring Gerkhen Kal Doon only if you promise to ept me. If not, I won¡¯t bring him.]

    ¡°I never said I would go.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon refuted, but I ignored him.

    [C¨¦line: Ah, okay. If you bring him, I¡¯ll ept you too. But what if you can¡¯t bring him¨C?]

    [I¡¯ll kill myself, what else]

    [C¨¦line: That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s make a promise. I hate people who don¡¯t keep their promises the most in the world?]

    I shoved the text message content in Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s face.

    ¡°See? I¡¯ve staked my life on this. If I kill myself, I¡¯ll write your name in my suicide note.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon looked at me with indifferent eyes and sighed deeply.

    Shiver, the interview room for the travel club, was splendid. As a club with a long history, the interview room was like a high-end social gathering, with ssical melodies flowing gently, and waiters serving champagne.

    ¡°¡­¡­This year¡¯s 13th batch is a bit unimpressive.¡±

    On the other hand, the interviewers had rather dissatisfied faces. C¨¦line also nodded gloomily.

    ¡°Last year¡¯s college board was the easiest, right~ They lowered the difficulty because the talent pool was so bad. I expected this~¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The seniors actually looked better.¡±

    Endex seniors also came for the interview. Elise, La, Kain, Asher, and so on. They were all juniors that C¨¦line knew. They were freshmen when she was in her third year.

    ¡°I guess Gerkhen Kal Doon isn¡¯ting¡±

    A club member sitting next to her said. C¨¦line mumbled, holding her smartphone.

    ¡°That would have been a sight to see. If he doesn¡¯te, someone¡¯s going to kill himself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Suicide?¡±

    Just then, the door opened. C¨¦line unknowingly straightened her posture.

    Indeed, it was the halo-shining Gerkhen Kal Doon. And next to him was a blonde head.

    ¡°Oh my. He¡¯s really handsome.¡±

    ¡°But who¡¯s that next to him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Shion Ascal. Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s friend.¡±

    C¨¦line smiled and waved her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re here~ Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon just slightly nodded his head. If an ordinary person had done that, she would have wanted to tear them apart, but when Gerkhen Kal Doon did it, it was just cool and reserved.

    Shion Ascal next to him approached and said.

    ¡°Keep your promise.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well. Okay. You can go.¡±

    He extended his card.

    ¡°Stamp it, please.¡±

    ¡°Ah, got it.¡±

    C¨¦line carelessly stamped the card.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon. You too?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon hesitated before extending his card. It was filled with approval stamps from various clubs.

    ¡°You¡¯ve collected quite a few~ Erase the rest.¡±

    She barely found a nk space and stamped it.

    ¡°Phew. Finally filled it.¡±

    Shion muttered as he put the card in his pocket. C¨¦line smiled brightly.

    ¡°Oh right. You know, right? We¡¯re not a university club, so high school students can join too.¡±

    At that moment, both of them flinched.

    ¡°They say it¡¯s a joint club. I¡¯ll ept you two~¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just ept him.¡±

    I pushed Gerkhen Kal Doon forward. Gerkhen Kal Doon resisted. C¨¦line tilted her head slightly and smiled. Her curved lips were sharp as a de.

    ¡°Joining would be, beneficial, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The two men quietly stared at her. Although they seemed to grumble internally, no words came out.

    C¨¦line waved her hand.

    ¡°Why are you looking like that? Go and eat. The buffet will be delicious.¡±

    She pointed to the food filling the interview hall. The two men licked their lips and trudged towards it.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon said,

    ¡°¡­¡­Thanks. Now we¡¯re really short on time.¡±

    Shion responded,

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    A hall overflowing with an atmosphere reminiscent of a ballroom.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    While I was getting food from the buffet, I locked eyes with Elise.

    She was with the college students. Most of them were from Selenacio Academy.

    How do I know? Selenacio has a blue flower-like emblem on their chests. They form their own cartel.

    ¡°I passed. Me too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You? How?¡±

    Elise¡¯s face showed genuine curiosity.

    ¡°I did a bit of human sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Ginseng cat? What kind of cat is that?¡± (Misheard: ?? ?? (insin gong-yang) as: ?? ?? (insam goyang)

    ¡°¡­¡­What.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying. Anyway, you¡¯re lucky. There are connections here you couldn¡¯t even dream of at your level. Be grateful.¡±

    I was dumbfounded. I didn¡¯t even want to join, how was I lucky?

    ¡­¡­But well, objectively speaking, it seemed that way.

    The Shiver club is quite famous.

    The founding purpose of this club is simply ¡®travel¡¯, but it¡¯s a high-ss club that chooses ces that ordinary people can never go to, or ces that people visit once or twice in their lifetime.

    They coborate with knights, magic towers, workshops to enterbyrinths or dungeons, go to the continent¡¯s best casino, Berrygas, or ride on a super-luxury cruise.

    You have to pay, but wouldn¡¯t they give some consideration to a poormoner like me?

    I sat down at a random seat with my food. I took a bite and my eyes widened.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    The taste was no joke. I quickly checked the time.

    There were only 20 minutes left, so I had to eat quickly.

    Excitedly-

    While devouring the buffet, I casually looked up at the balcony.

    Before I knew it, the interview was over, and C¨¦line, the club leaders, and several graduates in suits were leaning against the railing. They were babbling about various things, but C¨¦line seemed uninterested in their conversation.

    I buried my nose in my te.

    There was no need to worry about C¨¦line.

    Because it¡¯s all in the past now.

    That past, that future, will not repeat itself.

    ¡°¡­Alright, everyone.¡±

    A host appeared. He held a microphone and spoke in a grandiose manner.

    ¡°I would like to introduce to all new students and current students, the new president of our Shiver club, C¨¦line, from the ss of ¡¯12.¡±

    The spotlight shone on C¨¦line on the balcony. Her white hair was dyed by the light. She waved her hand like a movie heroine.

    Suddenly, an old thought came to mind.

    C¨¦line Sianna Aventher Lucy.

    Before the regression, she had tried to possess Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    She nned to bring Gerkhen Kal Doon into the family as a son-inw, push out her twin brother, Erick, and take over the family.

    However, Gerkhen Kal Doon was not a man to be owned by anyone, and C¨¦line was eventually driven out of Aventagher and became a tycoon¡¯s wife.

    Even there, she was entangled in adultery rumors.

    The rumor itself was false, but also true.

    She always had an unfortunate life ¨C I mumbled as if talking to myself. Her unique vagabond-like personality, numerous misdeeds contrasting her orphaned appearance, considering her sense of superiority, more than 80% was self-inflicted. However, the failure of her marriage was not her fault.

    Her husband was not heterosexual.

    It was a sham marriage.

    C¨¦line, perhaps because of that,mitted adultery.

    She told someone other than her husband that she loved him.

    I still don¡¯t know whether it was love or impulse.

    However, the person she loved did not love her.

    He just happened to meet her because of work, happened to save her, protect her, and use her.

    In other words.

    If it weren¡¯t for such coincidences, C¨¦line would not have liked or loved him.

    She would not have fallen into the abyss as an adulterous viiness from a tycoon¡¯s wife for feeling something akin to love for him.

    That¡¯s how it should be.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s live well in this life.¡±

    I mumbled, looking up at C¨¦line.

    For a moment, her eyes drifted in my direction. We made brief eye contact. I lowered my head as naturally as possible and wiped the sauce from the corner of my mouth. I slowly got up from my seat.

    ¡°Hmm. Delicious.¡±

    After roughly cleaning up my te, I stepped out into the hall. I shrugged my shoulders, looking up at the university sky.

    Ah, how do I know all this?

    Because it¡¯s someone I know.

    ¡­Yes.

    Because it¡¯s my story.

    Before the regression, C¨¦line was involved in an affair with a mere chauffeur.

    The chauffeur¡¯s name was Shion Ascal.

 Chapter 79: College Tour (4)

    <strong>College Tour (4)</strong>

    3:50 PM. On the way to Central Ville with Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°This is delicious.¡±

    I¡¯m walking through the university grounds, eating cup chicken. I bought it from a street vendor on the way.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Then, I witnessed a scene.

    It was Soliette. She was standing face-to-face with someone in an alley near Central Ville.

    The other person was a man with snow-white hair.

    ¡°Hey. Hey, stop.¡±

    I hurriedly grabbed Gerkhen Kal Doon. Gerkhen Kal Doon frowned and checked his watch.

    ¡°We only have 10 minutes left.¡±

    ¡°Just watch.¡±

    I activated the SZX-9500. Not only Soliette, but also the person she was talking to was clearly magnified.

    Snow-white hair and pale eyes. The man destined to be at the pinnacle of the prestigious Aventagher family, which has produced the most Chairmen in Edsi¡¯s history, ¡®Erick Aventagher¡¯.

    He¡¯s also C¨¦line¡¯s twin brother, but well.

    ©¤Soliette. Are you still unable to forget those two?

    Erick was poking at Soliette¡¯s sore spot.

    Probably because he likes Soliette. He must think that the onlypanion suitable for him is Soliette, as always.

    ©¤Nothing changes if you¡¯re tied to the past.

    ©¤Please be quiet.

    Soliette only showed the back of her head, but her voice was full of anger.

    ©¤You also can¡¯t exist without your past.

    ©¤That¡¯s true for all humans. But you are clinging to the past. You¡¯re pouring your present into the dead.

    Soliette clenched her fists. She looked ready to punch him at any moment.

    I found it quite interesting.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Before I knew it, Gerkhen Kal Doon was also focused. But when I looked, he was chewing on something. Chewy, like rubber. What was he chewing?

    I nced at my cup chicken.

    ¡°Hey. Why are you eating my chicken?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon awkwardly stopped his chewing motion.

    In the meantime, their conversation continued.

    ©¤¡­Forget it, Soliette. The dead don¡¯te back. Live in the present.

    ©¤Am I living in the past now? If this isn¡¯t the present, then what is it?

    ©¤No. You¡¯re living in the past. You¡¯re clinging to the past and can¡¯t fully-

    ©¤Shut the fuck up. Have you been watching dramas? If you keep spouting that bullshit, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re my senior. I¡¯ll smash your face in.

    ©¤¡­Pfft.

    Despite the rather explicit verbal assault, Erick just smiled as if he found it cute, and Soliette turned around and walked towards Central Ville. Striding. With a face as red as her hair.

    Suddenly, Erick shifted his gaze. It was exactly in our direction.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon acted nonchnt. I quickly turned off the SZX-9500 and counted the pieces of chicken. Four were missing.

    ¡°You ate four while I was distracted.¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go to Central Ville. We only have 5 minutes left.¡±

    We walked towards Central Ville again.

    In front of us, all the elite seniors who chose the national university were gathered.

    ¡°Endex,e over here~¡±

    Endex¡¯s assistant, Beison, called out, and I approached him.

    ¡°Ten people. All gathered. Now, submit your cards.¡±

    The ten of us handed over our cards. Beison flipped through them with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°All passed. Good.¡±

    It seemed that no one had failed. After all, excluding me, everyone else was a promising 4-6 star candidate. It would be strange if they failed.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go inside. Follow me.¡±

    We followed Beison into Senbil.

    There were many college students inside the building.

    They nced at us with faces of interest or fatigue, and we looked back at them.

    ¡°Here we are. The dean will be here soon, so please sit and wait.¡±

    We entered the ¡®Wise Hall¡¯ of Senbil.

    The interior was arge lecture hall. There was a podium at the front, and 300-400 seats were spread out in a fan shape.

    Model students like Elise quickly took the front seats. People like me, who were in the middle, should sit in the middle, right?

    But I¡¯m also in the top tier, aren¡¯t I?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ahem.¡±

    I sat in the very back for now.

    In the meantime, seniors from all over the continent filled the room. There seemed to be well over 300.

    ¡°Hello everyone~¡±

    Just as the lecture hall was nearly full.

    Assistant Beison stood at the podium.

    ¡°Ah, before the dean arrives. I, as an assistant, will briefly exin about the entrance exam for Edsi National University. You all probably already know, but¡­ honestly, I¡¯m just killing time.¡±

    The seniors quietlyughed.

    The entrance exam for Edsi National University. For someone like me who knows nothing, even the information everyone else knows is important.

    Libra doesn¡¯t even look at you unless you¡¯re a national university student. It¡¯s an ultra-elite school.

    Even ¡®departments¡¯ are considered, and if you¡¯re not in the Knight Department or a top department, you¡¯re out.

    ¡°First of all, we select 300 people every year. They are divided into the Knight Department and the Magic Department. The freshman quota for the Knight Department is 80. The Magic Department is 220, but the Magic Department is divided into 8 sub-departments.¡±

    In other words, to enter Edsi University, you have to be in the top 300 out of 10,000, and to enter the Knight Department, you have to be in the top 80 of those.

    Why 10,000? Because it includes repeaters and foreigners.

    ¡°The College Board¡¯s first and second quarters are conducted at your alma mater, but the third quarter is a university-specific exam. You know? Repeaters and foreignerse too.¡±

    Beison exined simrly.

    ¡°Well, so do your best¡­¡­¡±

    Knock-knock-

    Just then, there was a knock.

    ¡°Ah, the dean is here now. The dean has something to say, so listen. Please wee her with apuse!¡±

    Beison quickly ran to open the front door.

    I was a little nervous. My tongue was dry for no reason.

    If it¡¯s the current dean of Edsi¡­

    Someone appeared beyond the threshold.

    p-p-p-p-! The apuse of the seniors resounded.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The woman standing in front of the podium, without saying a word, looked around the area with her unique dry eyes. Those obsidian-like pupils seemed to pierce everyone.

    I sat up straight. I tightly gripped the edge of the desk. Indescribable emotions were swirling in my head.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Seniors of the College Board.¡±

    It had been too long since Ist saw her, now seemingly rejuvenated.

    ¡°I am Dean Theia Esil.¡±

    Her nonchnt self-introduction was familiar to me. As familiar as it was, it was also missed.

    ¡°University tours have always been a special activity in the College Board program. I also went on a tour.¡±

    Theia spoke softly.

    ¡°ording to the teaching assistants, there were no failures in today¡¯s assignment. Congrattions.¡±

    She nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°Until now, there must have been many dropouts and failures. It¡¯s always like that in the first quarter. Statistically, 70% of the College Board dropouts ur within the first 45 days. In other words, from now on, onlypetitive seniors will remain topete.¡±

    ording to her, I am also apetitive senior.

    ¡°I hope you work hard to reach your desired goals. But please discard any illusions of a rosy path once you get to university. Nothing changes when youe to university. Thepetition is eternal. So¡­¡±

    Theia paused for a moment. She nced at her wristwatch and licked her lips.

    Somehow, I felt like I knew what she was going to say next.

    A riddle.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s try a small riddle.¡±

    As expected.

    She likes riddles. Setting or solving problems is her only hobby.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to solve it, you can go home. If you solve it, I¡¯ll give you a small gift.¡±

    ¡°Is, is it a rmendation letter?¡±

    Someone in the front row asked in a trembling voice. A rmendation letter from Theia Esil would be an incredible asset.

    ¡°No. Let me make it clear here. I do not write rmendation letters. Be aware of consulting scams that im to get rmendation letters from celebrities.¡±

    She said in a public-spirited tone, then picked up a piece of chalk. She then began to draw the strokes of a Magic Form on the ckboard.

    In no time, a Magic Spellposed of eight connected Magic Forms waspleted.

    The seniors opened their mouths in astonishment. It must be a quite unfamiliar Magic Spell for them, but for some reason, its shape was familiar to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    I¡¯ve seen this problem before.

    It¡¯s a riddle I already know the answer to.

    ¡°This Magic Spell dislikes being together. What could it be?¡±

    I smiled. Unconsciously, myughter trickled out.

    Theia Esil.

    She was the one who taught me everything.

    From how to positively utilize the symptoms of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, how to open a bank ount, how to consume proper nutrition, how to survive in the underworld, to the Mana Heart¡¯s breathing method and my own Magic Body called ¡®Embodiment¡¯.

    She was the mentor of my life, who taught me how to live when I was essentially dead.

    The riddle was just one of the many teachings.

    ¡°If no one gets the answer in 30 minutes, I will give a hint-¡±

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    I raised my hand. All eyes focused on me. Theia blinked.

    ¡°¡­Answer?¡±

    She asked back. I responded firmly.

    ¡°Yes. The answer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stand up.¡±

    I stood up from my seat. Amidst the gazes of the seniors filling the hall, I spoke into her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cat.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    For a moment, Theia¡¯s shoulders trembled, but she quickly regained herposure. She looked at me expressionlessly, tilted her head slightly, and gestured.

    ¡°Come forward.¡±

    dly.

    I got up from thest row and walked down the stairs leading to the podium. I didn¡¯t care about the stares of the 300 or so seniors here.

    I was just walking towards my old mentor.

    When I stood beside her, she spoke.

    ¡°Exin.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I put my finger on the ckboard.

    ¡°¡­This Magic Spell isposed of a total of eight Magic Forms. But as you said, if it¡¯s a Magic Spell that dislikes being together.¡±

    All eyes in the hall followed my hand.

    ¡°I think this. Among these eight Magic Forms, if we erase the parts that share a circuit.¡±

    Shoosh- Shoosh- Shoosh-

    ¡®Dislikes being together¡¯.

    In other words, if wepletely erase the ¡®ovepping¡¯ parts of the Magic Form¡¯s circuit.

    ¡°Like this.¡±

    Arge circle for a face, ears sticking out, round eyes, nose, and mouth, and three whiskers protruding on each cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cat.¡±

    Only the cat remains.

    Heh- There were hollowughs in the hall. There were many faces that seemed absurd.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    I asked Theia. Theia remained still for a long time with an expressionless face. After alternating between looking at the ckboard and me about half a dozen times.

    ¡°¡­Correct.¡±

    She nodded.

 Chapter 80: Hospital (1)

    <strong>Hospital (1)</strong>

    ¡°You must have been surprised, Dean.¡±

    In Dean Theia¡¯sb. After the special activity was over, Theia¡¯s students were chattering in theb.

    ¡°Beison. Do you know who that kid is?¡±

    When the assistant professor asked, Beison shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He just popped out of nowhere. But his grade is D-.¡±

    Shion Ascal of Endex. The name of the senior who solved Dean Theia¡¯s riddle in just one minute.

    ¡°D-? Does that make sense? How could a D- solve that? It¡¯s a miracle that he¡¯s still on the college board with that grade.¡±

    It¡¯s not F, but it¡¯s no different from F. Even in Endex, if it¡¯s a D-, it¡¯s unlikely to pass the college board.

    Beison leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°Exactly. Maybe he had some kind of enlightenment during the vacation¡­ It took me 10 minutes to solve it.¡±

    ¡°But he solved it in just one minute.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Even so, one minute is too fast.

    ¡°Even if you know to erase the ovepping parts, it normally takes at least 10 minutes to find the ovepping circuits.¡±

    Although it¡¯s a Magic Spell for riddles, it actually works. It¡¯s not a fake Magic Spell.

    Therefore, you first analyze the circuit diagram, find the circuits shared between Magic Forms¡­ I thought it would take at least 30 minutes for such a process.

    Assistant Beison mumbled.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s someone who¡¯s done a lot of nonsense? He seems to have some sense in handling circuit diagrams.¡±

    The assistant professor countered.

    ¡°But his grade is D-?¡±

    ¡°¡­Exactly.¡±

    In the end, ites down to the average grade.

    No matter how close to nonsense the riddle is, you need to have a certain level of understanding and knowledge about circuit diagrams to solve the problem, and a D- student wouldn¡¯t have that.

    The assistant professor pointed to [Theia¡¯s Office] in one corner of theb.

    ¡°Thanks to him, the dean has disappeared.¡±

    Dean Theia Esil. She, who was promoted to dean this year, unlike previous deans, is still not giving up her professorship,b, and research activities.

    Rather, she is presenting more faithful and abundant papers, research, and Magic Spells to the world than ever before.

    ¡°But, he seemed like a fan of the dean?¡±

    Beison mumbled.

    ¡°A fan?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    When he stood at the podium, Beison was slightly surprised. His eyes were very bright as he looked at Theia. He made no attempt to hide his emotions.

    Thanks to that, Beison analyzed about 80% of his inner thoughts.

    Excitement, anticipation, desire, pleasure, longing?

    He probably misread the longing part.

    ¡°My ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ reacted on its own.¡±

    Beison¡¯s Spectrum is rted to emotions. It¡¯s also a human lie detector.

    ¡°Really? Well, the dean is as famous as any superstar.¡±

    Bang©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, the door opened wide. The dean¡¯s students quickly stood up from their seats.

    The dean was right in front of them.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡±

    Theia looked at them gently and nodded.

    ¡°How did the mana stone injection rate experiment go?¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s still in progress. Depending on the progress¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s in progress, why don¡¯t you go and see?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The ones who answered quickly scurried out of theb.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theb was empty. No, it was ab from which everyone had been chased away.

    Theia, left alone, muttered under her breath, biting her lip.

    A fan, of all things.¡±

    The idea that the guy whose future dream is to be Libra¡¯s knight is her fan is not even a funny matter.

    Theia took a seat where her students had been sitting. She picked up a piece of paper from the desk. It was her riddle, her Magic Spell.

    Senior Shion Ascal had solved it in a minute.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why does it have to be Libra again.¡±

    Her pride was slightly hurt, but as a riddle maniac, she was rather pleased.

    There had to be someone who could solve the problems well, for it to spur the motivation of the one who created them.

    ¡°Funny.¡±

    She forced a smile.

    4:30 in the afternoon.

    ¡°Hey, bro. I¡¯m in front of Senbil. Oh, do I need to take a bus?¡±

    Thanks to the special activities ending at just the right time, Kain and Asher were preparing to crash a college students¡¯ party.

    ¡°We¡¯re going. We¡¯re definitely going! Ah~ I should have driven. Are there many seniors from our Grizzly Hall there?!¡±

    Kain was excited, but Elise was not interested.

    She had a drama practice to rush to.

    ¡°Of course, bro! I¡¯m forever a Grizzly Academy member!¡±

    For reference, an academy refers to a swordsmanship dojo. Grizzly Academy is considered a top-tier swordsmanship dojo.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elise. Are you really noting? La and Asher are going. That Mel jerk ising too. It¡¯s been a while since we had a middle school reunion.¡±

    Kain, who had hung up the phone, spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Why don¡¯t you call him?¡±

    Elise pointed somewhere. Kain, who looked in that direction, grimaced.

    ¡°Damn it. Are you joking?¡±

    A guy standing alone, quietly looking at his phone.

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Erick ising today, how can we invite that guy?¡±

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m not going either.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders. Kain scratched the back of his neck and tried to persuade her.

    ¡°Really? You used to like Erick.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡±

    Elise was dumbfounded.

    She first met Erick when she was eight years old.

    As Kain said, she had a very brief, very slight crush on him.

    In her emotionally immature childhood, she was attracted to his outstanding looks and noble demeanor.

    But not now.

    It¡¯s not that she dislikes Erick, but she dislikes the Aventagher family. Such arge family would try to subordinate any woman.

    ¡°Everyone liked Erick when they were young.¡±

    La chimed in. Elise shot back at her.

    ¡°Why are you alone again? Soliette must have gone somewhere quickly, right?¡±

    La had paired up with Soliette without saying a word today. So Elise had spent the whole day with Brown.

    ¡°Ooh~ Elly, are you jealous~?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Is that so?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ I only have Elly~?¡±

    La clung to Elise with a beaming smile. Elise pushed her away.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. You guys go on your own.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Elly, are you really not going? It seems like it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    La¡¯s eyes widened. Elise pointed to the road of the university campus.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already called a car.¡±

    A sedan was already there.

    ¡°I have a drama schedule too. You guys have fun.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, the drama¡­ Should I practice too, Elly? Are all the kidsing?¡±

    ¡°Only the second act kids. You die in the first act, so you don¡¯t need toe.¡±

    Elise sent a text message while answering.

    [Hey. I¡¯m going to practice for the drama today. Come and watch.]

    [I¡¯ll send you the address.]

    Then she nced at Shion nearby.

    He definitely received a message, but he didn¡¯t check it. Rather, he frowned as if annoyed. It¡¯s unbelievable.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elly, did you upset him again? Shion said I have a very important role too?¡±

    La blocked her view.

    ¡°Sorry. I have to go.¡±

    Elise, who apologized casually, walked towards the sedan and sent another message.

    [Not replying? Are youing to watch the drama practice or not?]

    Of course, his storyboard is enough, but still, he¡¯s Shion Ascal, the writer. He shoulde to watch the drama practice at least once.

    ¡­¡­Honestly, I¡¯m curious how he solved Theia¡¯s riddle so quickly.

    But no matter how long she waited, there was no reply. Should she go and tell him directly¡­¡­?

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    He suddenly disappeared. Elise looked around and sighed.

    Why am I the one looking for this monkey-like person first?

    Elise got into the sedan alone.

    ¡°Have you arrived, Miss?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the theater.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She leaned her body against the car window. The sedan started smoothly.

    But then.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Someone was sitting at a bus stop not far away, inside the university.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    Why does he keep catching her eye?

    Her mood worsened significantly.

    Just then, he got on a bus.

    Bus 253-A. Elise takes public transportation once every six months.

    ¡°¡­¡­I told him toe and watch the drama practice.¡±

    Watching his back, Elise spoke to the driver.

    ¡°Do we have some time until 6 o¡¯clock?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We do.¡±

    ¡°Then shall we follow that bus?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The driver didn¡¯t ask why, but she exined anyway.

    ¡°He¡¯s our drama writer. But he doesn¡¯te to the theater.¡±

    It¡¯s not actually stalking. It¡¯s more like chasing a writer who is neglecting his duties.

    The sedan chased after the bus.

    The bus ran for quite a while, and Shion Ascal didn¡¯t get off.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s going a long way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an express bus. Please rx.¡±

    ¡°I see there¡¯s such a distinction in buses.¡±

    Elise waited with the mindset of going for a drive.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    She dozed off while looking at the peaceful suburban scenery.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    At the driver¡¯s words, Elise blinked her eyes open.

    ¡°We¡¯re in Asan. The writer has gotten off.¡±

    The bus was stopped at a station, and Shion Ascal had finally disembarked.

    But where is this?

    Elise inadvertently looked ahead. A scenic mountain range. In the middle of a forest dyed with the crimson of the sunset, a modern building stood.

    [Aden Medical Center]

    Aden Medical Center.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    She tilted her head.

    This ce is a top-tier family hospital operated by Libra.

    But why is Shion Ascal here?

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    She was lost in thought for a moment.

    A rpse? Impossible. If his leukemia rpsed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sneak around the college board.

    Perhaps he knows a patient here? That seems a bit more reasonable.

    Ding-

    [Trash: No time today. Have a ce to go.]

    Suddenly, a reply came from Shion Ascal.

    ¡°He¡¯s reallyte¡­¡±

    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Whether his leukemia has rpsed or he knows a patient here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll turn the car around.¡±

    Either way, it¡¯s a side she doesn¡¯t particrly want to know.

    It¡¯s a personal matter of Shion Ascal¡¯s that she doesn¡¯t need to bother with.

    Above all, if asked whether she desperately hopes for him to live or die, Elise would rather hope for his death.

    ¡°Shall we go straight to the theater?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have to practice. Without the writer.¡±

    Elise dislikes Shion.

    Very much so.

    The reason is probably because of his leukemia.

    The very bad memory of her father being disappointed in her is rted to that¡­

    ¡°Keep today¡¯s events a secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    In the suburbs of the capital, Edsi, a little outside the overcrowded city, there is a quiet outskirts called ¡®Asan¡¯ with a very scenic [Aden Medical Center].

    It¡¯s a hospital sponsored and operated by Libra. Although the scale itself is woefully inadequatepared to Edsi National University, the quality of treatment and personnel themselves are of the highest level on the continent, an elite medical center.

    [¡°No time today. I have a ce to go.¡±]

    After sending a reply to Elise, I entered the hospital.

    The clear air circted calmly inside. I approached the desk in there and stated my name.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. You have an appointment with Professor Yu Hains. You can go to the consultation room in the Yu Hains section on the third floor.¡±

    Libra Medical Center is quite unique. Not only is it strictly by appointment, but the internal structure is divided by professor¡¯s names, not by medical subjects.

    After all, for the wealthy, the name of the doctor is the most important.

    [Professor of Magical Diseases: Yu Hains]

    I entered the Yu Hains section on the third floor. A nurse first confirmed my name.

    ¡°Mr. Shion Ascal, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You may go in.¡±

    He opened the door to the consultation room for me. I hesitantly entered.

    In the entirely white space, a single man was seated.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Yu Hains. This man, with his dark hair falling to his shoulders, is the top authority in the field of magic diseases, including Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    He looks to be in histe twenties to early thirties, but his career is impressive.

    ¡°You¡¯re young. Sit down.¡±

    He said, sizing me up from head to toe. It felt strange to be spoken to informally right off the bat, but I sat down in front of him anyway.

    ¡°Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is strongly suspected¡­ Have you been diagnosed at a hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core can only be confirmed with a test, but you do have Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. He said that a diagnosis can only be confirmed with a test, but then he said I have Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core?

    Yu Hains exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s my ¡¸Spectrum¡¹. I can¡¯t exin it in detail, but I don¡¯t need equipment like MRI or X-ray.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I was momentarily dumbfounded.

    Well, an authority should have this level of special ability. It makes sense why he would speak informally at our first meeting.

 Chapter 81: Hospital (2)

    <strong>Hospital (2)</strong>

    I asked cautiously.

    ¡°¡­Will this remain confidential?¡±

    If it bes known that I am a patient with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, my market value will plummet. Therefore, for me, Libra Medical Center is a gamble.

    I need to be the core of Libra, and if my secret leaks out from Libra, it would be a disaster.

    Then, Yu Hains made a face like a merchant refusing to haggle.

    ¡°Why ask the obvious? Even if the direct line of Libra, the current head, no, the Chairmanes, we do not disclose patient information.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Knowing his future self, I found him quite trustworthy. Not only that, but as soon as I heard the news that a pig with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core had bepletely cured, I looked up all the information rted to this professor.

    ¡°So then-¡±

    ¡°Currently, there are two methods for Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. First is chemotherapy to slow the progression of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. The second is surgery topletely remove the Magic Core.¡±

    ¡°If the Magic Core is removed, I heard you can¡¯t live more than 5 years.¡±

    ¡°However, the expected life span of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is at most 6 months. Living for 5 years is a miracle¡­ Have you tried to learn the Magic Body?¡±

    The professor asked about the Magic Body.

    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t learned One Belt, Four Lines.¡±

    ¡°Did you not pierce the ¡®belt¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the eyes to see magic. It¡¯s fortunate in misfortune.¡±

    The biggest problem with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is indeed the ¡®belt¡¯ of One Belt, Four Lines.

    After all, Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is a disease that is extremely distant from ordinary people. It¡¯s an incurable disease that only the very unlucky ones get when humans who handle some degree of magic stimte the Magic Core excessively or when the Magic Core is injured by external factors.

    ¡°If a person who haspleted One Belt, Four Lines gets Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, whether they are human or monster, their life expectancy is terribly short. Even the strongest-looking knight in the world dies within 3 months of diagnosis, their whole body bing a lump of cancer.¡±

    In other words, I¡¯m the luckiest among the unluckiest.

    How delightful.

    ¡°There is noplicated treatment for Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. If you want drug treatment, I will inject ¡®Mapuneia¡¯, and if you want surgery, I will remove the Magic Core.¡±

    Up to this point, I knew about the treatment, but he is the one who treated a pig with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. Whether it¡¯s a pig or a human, he must certainly know some method.

    ¡°Is there another way? A better¡­ way?¡±

    Of course, removing the Magic Core is out of the question.

    Drug treatment is problematic due to side effects. If I take the drug, it will be incredibly difficult when I take the college board exam.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then, Yu Hains looked at me for a long time and pushed up his sses. The light in his eyes behind the lenses sparkled. He answered as if he had been waiting for this moment.

    ¡°There¡¯s something called a Mana Quark Therapy.¡±

    ¡°Mana Quark?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a treatment method that elerates only the ¡®quarks¡¯ among theponents of mana to 60% of the speed of light to destroy the cancer tissues in the patient¡¯s body. Even patients with a survival rate of 3% in the terminal stage have been cured.¡±

    Mana Quark.

    I didn¡¯t understand the principle, but it was in my Memory. It was the same as the pig treatment method.

    ¡°How much is that? I want to do it right away-¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t receive it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t exist in Edsi. The machine itself only exists in the Kingdom of Salon, and the kingdom does not permit treatment of foreigners.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what. So can¡¯t I use it at all? The Mana Quark thing?¡±

    Yu Hains shook his head. His bob-like hair swayed from side to side.

    ¡°We are currently making it. To be precise, ¡®I¡¯ am.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    Yes.

    This is why I came to find you.

    This guy eventually makes it.

    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s making, but anyway, he seeds andpletely cures a pig with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    Moreover, he does it with his own efforts, without any investment or help from anyone.

    ¡°Will it take about 10 years?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alreadypleted.¡±

    ¡°What? Where-¡±

    ¡°In my hospital.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this your hospital?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a visiting professor. I run a private hospital separately.¡±

    That makes sense. He¡¯s always been a famous doctor.

    Doctor.

    No, Professor.

    ¡°If I receive that treatment from Professor Yu Hains, what is the cold-heartedplete cure rate?¡±

    ¡°Less than 1%.¡±

    Yu Hains spoke honestly.

    ¡°Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core patients can¡¯t live forever like ordinary people. As long as you use magic, Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core will continue to proliferate.¡±

    I agreed with that.

    It¡¯s much better than meaningless hope torture. 1%, or even 0% is okay. I don¡¯t n to live long.

    ¡°But you can significantly dy the progression of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, right?¡±

    Of course, there are stages to Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. Why, just like other cancers have early, middle, andte stages.

    Myst three years were stage 4 of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. I felt dizzy when I moved violently, and I fell into aa the day after I used magic and worked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can dy the progression. And the side effects will be significantly reduced.¡±

    Without such symptoms, if I can just stay alive until Libra copses.

    If I can bring them down with my own hands.

    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t need drug treatment, I want to receive quark therapy. How much does it cost?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why again.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t received permission from the council yet.¡±

    Yu Hains looked into my eyes. There was a different meaning in his gaze than his words. Of course, I caught it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve considered all of that. Have you ever seen a cancer patient waiting for permission?¡±

    As soon as you start drug treatment, it interferes with the College Board.

    So, rather than wasting money on drugs-

    ¡°It¡¯s 200,000 Ren per session.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was momentarily stunned.

    ¡°Today¡¯s medical fee is 2,000 Ren.¡±

    It felt like I had been hit on the back of the head with a blunt object, but btedly, I remembered this man¡¯s nickname.

    I almost forgot.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Sure.¡±

    ¡®The Hand of Ren¡¯.

    While most doctors are often nicknamed ¡®The Hand of God¡¯, this doctor is known as ¡®The Hand of Ren¡¯¡ªthe currency of Edsi¡ªbecause he performs as much as he is paid.

    It¡¯s understandable.

    He is the top authority in the field of magical disease.

    ¡°But I have a question.¡±

    However, there was one thing that had been bothering me.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why have you been speaking informally to me since earlier? Even if you¡¯re a doctor, have we met before?¡±

    A bench in a park near Endex. After returning from the hospital, I¡¯m looking at the receipt in my palm.

    ¡°¡­¡­He didn¡¯t even give me a single Ren discount.¡±

    I muttered, clicking my tongue.

    The total amount I paid today is 22,000 Ren.

    The medical fee is 2,000 Ren, and 20,000 Ren is the deposit for Mana Quark Therapy a monthter.

    ¡°Still.¡±

    It feels like I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

    Even if the cancer doesn¡¯t get better, if I can skip the side effects of cancer treatment itself.

    If I can dy my death, the progression of the cancer, even a little¡­¡­

    Rustle-

    Suddenly, there was a ticklish vibration in my chest.

    ¡°What¡¯s this.¡±

    I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out the cause. It was a shared notebook. As soon as I opened a page, a new sentence appeared.

    [What are you doing there?]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The moment I read it, a cough came from somewhere.

    I looked in that direction. There were many people on the park path, but my eyes only captured one person.

    Soliette.

    She approached with her red hair fluttering and sat on the bench opposite me. Then she wrote another line in the notebook.

    [What a coincidence.]

    I replied as well.

    [Indeed.]

    I quickly stuffed the receipt into my pocket.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The two of us just sat there.

    Soliette also had a thoughtful face. Probably because of the nonsense Sherick spouted at the university today.

    Suddenly, something came to mind. I picked up the shared notebook and wrote a sentence.

    [You know three Sword Forms, right Soliette?]

    Tomorrow is the swordsmanship ss, and I don¡¯t even know what three Sword Forms are.

    I missed the ss and didn¡¯t read the textbook at all.

    [Of course.]

    [Can you teach me?]

    I lifted my face. Among the peopleing and going in the park, I looked at Soliette on the bench. Her gaze was fixed on the notebook.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    As if contemting, she puckered her lips, wrote a line, and then got up from her seat.

    I looked at the notebook without much expectation.

    [Meet me by theke at 22:00 tonight.]

    An unexpected reply hade.

    10 PM.

    Soliette, armed with two wooden swords, headed to the forest behind Endex¡¯s hill. This ce, now familiar, was morefortable and cozy than the empty apartmentplex, Presidium, or the bustling Endex dormitory. The forest by theke was beautiful.

    The branches, as if someone had groomed them, embraced theke like clouds. Thanks to this, at night, the sky was reflected in theke. The moon and stars were embedded in the water surface like round cookies and chocte chips, allowing one to see the sky without having to look up.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    There was someone waiting for her.

    He looked at her from where he sat, and Soliette threw him a wooden sword.

    ¡°Stand up. I¡¯ll show you right away.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°The swordsmanship ss is tomorrow, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    He reluctantly stood up. Soliette swung her sword in the air, warming up.

    ¡°The first of three Sword Forms is ¡®Eclipse¡¯. You probably know it.¡±

    ¡°What would I know? I don¡¯t. It sounds fancy, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know Eclipse? It¡¯s the most famous sword form in the world.¡±

    Soliette looked as if she had found someone who didn¡¯t know what a carrot or a cucumber was.

    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t go through the standard swordsmanship curriculum.¡±

    Shion chuckled, tapping the back of his neck with his wooden sword. Soliette frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. What was that swordsmanship you showed in the first ss?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s our family¡¯s swordsmanship. My grandfather and father didn¡¯t get a good education. Neither of them even graduated from high school. Education wasn¡¯t so good back then, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    This was a story Soliette didn¡¯t know. It was practically non-existent in her world. She had been born into the highest nobility, the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me.

    ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s Eclipse?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eclipse is a sword form based on the Triangle Cut.¡±

    Basically, the Triangle Cut involves three cuts while stepping. But Eclipse involves a total of 9 to 15 cuts while stepping. This movement of the sword is likened to the moon transitioning from a waning moon to a crescent moon, hence the name Eclipse.

    ¡°You can think of it as a greatly expanded version of the Triangle Cut.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Show me.¡±

    Soliette raised her wooden sword. She took the first step and made six cuts, five on the second step, and four on the third.

    ¡°This is it. Move your sword while stepping, but pay attention to the center of gravity. If you cut too much, you¡¯ll copse under the strain, and if you cut too little, the sword form won¡¯t beplete.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    He looked a bit puzzled.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Eclipse because it¡¯s simr to the moon rising and setting. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s simr, but try it.¡±

    ¡°Do I cut six times, five times, and four times like you?¡±

    ¡°Just do three times each for now. 3, 3, 3. It¡¯ll be hard enough for a beginner.¡±

    Eclipse is the most famous basic sword form, but if it¡¯s your first time, even 3, 3, 3 can be quite difficult. The steps and the sword often get tangled.

    ¡°Do it as slowly as possible. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±

    Soliette spoke as a swordsmanship instructor would guide their students.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Shion Ascal gripped his wooden sword.

    And then¡­¡­.

 Chapter 82: Before the Break (1)

    <strong>Before the Break (1)</strong>

    Shion Ascal gripped his wooden sword. Soliette watched him quietly, focusing her eyes and ears on him.

    She needed to observe and understand not only the movement of the sword but also the subtle tremors of his joints and muscles to teach him properly.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡±

    Taking a deep breath, he immediately unfolded his swordy. He swung his sword as he stepped into the first step.

    One, two, three, four, five, six.

    Six straight lines were etched into the air.

    ¡°Six?¡±

    Soliette slightly furrowed her brows. The tip of the sword was straight and the bnce was good, but six strokes were too much. If he pushed too hard at the beginning, it would put a strain on the next two times.

    Shion took the second step. At the same time, he made five strokes.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes widened slightly. There was no overload she had feared. Instead, it was as natural as flowing water.

    Then, the final third step.

    Whoosh©¤!

    The grass was swept away. He had advanced 10 meters in just three steps, and four sword marks were swirling in the moonlight.

    6, 5, 4.

    In total, he made fifteen strokes,pleting the already finished Eclipse.

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Soliette closed her eyes. She bit her lower lip. She let out a slightly deep sigh.

    This man, it¡¯s definitely not his first time.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    Just then, he turned around and asked her nonchntly. Soliette furrowed her brows.

    ¡°¡­What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Is it funny?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense?¡±

    ¡°You, it can¡¯t be your first time. Do you think it¡¯s good to deceive like that?¡±

    Even if he had a basic understanding and sense of swordsmanship, he couldn¡¯tplete 15 consecutive strokes for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s really my first time? I just learn quickly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a little fast. ¡­Damn.¡±

    A curse naturally attached to the end of her sentence.

    ¡°What. You wrote a report about me.¡±

    Suddenly, he rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a crumpled swordsmanship report. Soliette was slightly surprised.

    It was a report she had written about Shion Ascal¡¯s swordsmanship during the first week of swordsmanship ss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Look. [A half-star low-grade swordsmanship not worth learning]. Like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ahem.¡±

    She coughed awkwardly.

    Indeed, the swordsmanship of Shion Ascal she had seen at that time had no foundation. There was no system. There was no order. There was no concept. Nothing was established.

    He would take what looked good from there, give up again if it was too hard after bringing it, and the ragged swordsmanship was made in such a way.

    To put it aggressively, it was ¡®trash low-grade swordsmanship¡¯.

    ¡°¡­So. Who have you learned the sword from so far?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s my father, and there¡¯s one instructor I know. His name is Dent.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the name. May I ask which swordsmanship school he graduated from?¡±

    ¡°Would there be such a thing? He¡¯s a low-ranking knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Soliette lost her words for a moment.

    She fell silent, lost in thought.

    If he really is a beginner¡­

    If he had been swinging his sword aimlessly until now, and this was his first encounter with such a system and concept.

    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is really true.¡±

    Soliette lifted her eyes. She looked at Shion Ascal standing in front of her.

    He was a bit undersized for a swordsman, but he already had the skill to handle a sword.

    He had the ability to radiate steps and absorb swordsmanship.

    Of course, the world is wide. Talents with such abilities are asmon asundry.

    After all, even Soliette had mastered the Eclipse sword form at the tender age of 4.

    However, he has the untamed potential of a ¡®body¡¯.

    A body that can leap up to 683 cm and kill a monster with bare hands.

    Strong Body.

    Of course, a strong body is only one of the manyponents of talent, but a natural-born fighter like Shion Ascal would benefit from it in almost all aspects.

    After all, you can learn swordsmanship with effort, but you can¡¯t reconfigure your body to fit.

    ¡°You have¡­.¡±

    Therefore©¤©¤

    Soliette could say this to Shion Ascal.

    ¡°You have talent.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    He blinked his eyes nkly for a moment. Then he shook his head with a hollowugh.

    He had a face that didn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡­Swordsmanship.

    I had never learned it from my father. I learned how to swing it from Instructor Dent at the orphanage.

    A thousand downward strikes. A thousand upward strikes. A thousand body blows on a log. Teachings like that.

    Being a dirt spoon far from a swordsmanship instructor, I first encountered ¡®systems¡¯ like sword forms and initial forms in this swordsmanship ss.

    Of course, I have some concepts I¡¯ve picked up here and there. I¡¯ve been around a lot of ces.

    ¡°You have talent.¡±

    So, Soliette¡¯s reaction is strange to me.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts of seriously learning swordsmanship?¡±

    Her eyes sparkled. Like someone who found a pearl while grilling ms.

    ¡°Why. Are you going to teach me Arkne swordsmanship?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    When asked back, Soliette made a thoughtful face.

    Of course, Arkne swordsmanship is not necessarily a state secret. There are quite a few swordsmen who use Arkne swordsmanship even though they are not Arkne people.

    This is called Arkne Ryu, and it is rather directly taught by the Arkne family. Their ¡®Arkne Swordsmanship Academy¡¯ is already counted as one of the top-tier swordsmanship academies in Edsi.

    Since the most important ¡®arcane¡¯ is only passed down to the bloodline, there is no need to hide the swordsmanship itself.

    ¡°Never mind. Just-¡±

    ¡°1,000 Ren.¡±

    Soliette suddenly called out a price. She held up one finger as if she had won a bargain.

    ¡°1,000 Ren per session.¡±

    Iughed. Hahaha.

    ¡°I won¡¯t learn. Are you crazy to ask for that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t. Bullshit. There are plenty of people who would learn even if I charged 10,000 Ren. The monthly fee for the Arkne Swordsmanship Academy alone is 20,000 Ren-¡±

    ¡°Then let them teach.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    She was at a loss for words, her tongue flicking in her mouth. After a brief pause, it seemed like she would spit out a curse, but surprisingly, she nodded her head.

    ¡°One day a week for 30 minutes. I¡¯ll teach you for free. But, there¡¯s a condition.¡±

    She pointed at my neck. Why my neck of all ces? Why not my chest?

    ¡°You teach me Latinel in return.¡±

    ¡°¡­Latinel?¡±

    Ah, so that¡¯s why she pointed at my neck.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t interested in that sort of thing.¡±

    I was puzzled.

    Soliette, of course, has an unmistakably noble ent, even in themonnguage. The distinct, clipped, posh ent is very natural for her.

    Despite this, she detests refined things. Latinel, balls, polo, those kinds of old-fashioned hobbies.

    ¡°I may not be interested, but I need to learn now. The person behind this is at least a big shot, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    It seems like she has a simr reason to mine.

    The person behind Knightmare is a big shot. Someone with the power to disguise a contract killing as a serial murder, and even cover up the murderer without leaving a trace.

    To reach them, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn Latinel, thenguage of the nobles.

    ¡°Okay, deal. I¡¯ll teach you Latinel, you teach me martial arts.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Sword, what? Martial arts?¡±

    Soliette made a face.

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Swordsmanship is far more valuable than martial arts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good with swordsmanship.¡±

    The swordsmanship I¡¯m pursuing is in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    No, to be precise, it¡¯s in my memory.

    ¡°I have someone else to learn from.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s Severing Sword.

    Because you, your future self, are my swordsmanship teacher.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Soliette red at me with a dumbfounded face. Anyone would think she¡¯d been bitten by a mosquito on her lips.

    ¡°Now, continue teaching me three Sword Forms.¡±

    ¡°You said you don¡¯t need swordsmanship, what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No, sword forms and swordsmanship are different.¡±

    It¡¯s faster to see it once than to memorize it from a textbook. Among them, Soliette is the perfect teaching material for my ¡®Database¡¯.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll show you once. In order, it¡¯s the Linked Form, and the Five Flower Form.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, Soliette moved her sword.

    First is the Linked Form. Because it¡¯s a series of continuous movements without rest.

    Her steps while deploying the sword form were elegant, and her sword was graceful. It was a movement melted with perfect basics, but there was something more than basic in her. There was a brilliance that a practitioner could not have even if they devoted their whole life to it.

    Even in the dark night, a talent as brilliant as a star.

    A martial art that seemed to dance with the ripples of theke wind.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    Soliette Arkne.

    You are indeed a sword genius who will be remembered by the world¡­ No.

    The world will remember you as a sword genius.

    I am lying on the grass field.

    It seemed like I had almost mastered three Sword Forms. The result of learning from Soliette had been converted into ¡®Notepad¡¯ capacity.

    [113 / 135]

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +3

    The exact capacity taken up by three Sword Forms was 3.

    Oddly small, but probably because there¡¯s already a base.

    Why, isn¡¯t it natural to find it difficult when you suddenly try to learn a high-level skill? But if you learn the lower skills step by step and climb up like stairs, it¡¯s surprisingly easy.

    In other words, thanks to having first stacked ¡®Five Basic Forms¡¯ in the Database, three Sword Forms only requires a capacity of 3.

    ¡°¡­But,¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette spoke, like a current affairs program host.

    ¡°If, as you say, Knightmare is a contract killer.¡±

    I looked at her. She was squatting on the grass.

    ¡°Like Berry Tan benefiting from Be Tan¡¯s death, there must be someone who benefits from that death.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    Soliette clenched a handful of grass from the ground.

    ¡°We need to investigate.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll do it. Just give me the money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I get a receipt?¡±

    She asked. I chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh. I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°No, what receipt. You can¡¯t get caught by your family, either.¡±

    ¡°¡­Family.¡±

    Soliette ripped out the grasspletely. She muttered as she threw it into theke.

    ¡°My family. They treated me like a lunatic. They said I was chasing a dead person. I actually went in and out.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It was fucking awful. They kept prescribing drugs. Bastards.¡±

    ¡°You got out somehow.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I got out by pretending to be what they wanted.¡±

    After all, the Arkne family is not an easy one.

    They are the most ancient sword family on the continent. As such, they demand ¡®strength¡¯ from their members more than any other family. Things like physical and mental strength.

    ¡°So, until I met you, I even doubted myself.¡±

    Soliette ripped out more grass and threw it into theke. At this rate, her surroundings would be a wastnd.

    ¡°Whether I really had a delusion, and was forcibly chasing the already dead Knightmare.¡±

    I gathered some pebbles and pushed them towards Soliette.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a lunatic hoping that Knightmare is alive.¡±

    Instead of grass, she picked up the pebbles and flung them into theke. Plop-! Plop-! Plop-! They skipped across the water.

    ¡°¡­Thanks to you, I¡¯m convinced that Knightmare is truly alive.¡±

    Soliette gazed at the moon reflected in theke.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stuck in the past?¡±

    Her voice was earnest. It was a question born from self-reflection.

    Was she better now than in her previous life?

    I responded nonchntly.

    ¡°You know, not me.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Soliette was momentarily stunned. She stared nkly into the void before picking up another pebble and throwing it into theke.

    Plop- Plop- Watching the skipping stones, she asked again.

    ¡°¡­What about you?¡±

    ¡°I live in the past.¡±

    I answered immediately. Soliette looked surprised and turned to me.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. If someone irreceable dies, it¡¯s okay to live your whole life in sorrow. No one can me you for that.¡±

    I have no future.

    For someone without a future, preserving the past is the best option.

    If I can spend the rest of my life helping the connections from my past.

    If I can spend the rest of my life destroying Libra.

    I couldn¡¯t ask for more.

    ¡°¡­It seems you¡¯ve also lost someone precious.¡±

    Soliette seemed to ept this on her own.

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±

    I simply replied.

    Because, in a way, it was true.

 Chapter 83: Before the Break (2)

    <strong>Before the Break (2)</strong>

    The next day.

    In the fencing training room of Endex.

    ¡°Today, as I mentioned before, we will evaluate three Sword Forms.¡±

    Professor Jeoly of Swordsmanship spoke to the seniors.

    ¡°The number of attempts is unlimited. You can try as much as you want for three hours. I¡¯ve invited teaching assistants to help you with your practice.¡±

    There were many people around him. This time, they were teaching assistants, not college students.

    ¡°As I mentionedst week, three Sword Forms are very important. So, today is no different from a mid-term check before the first quarter exam, I¡¯m giving you as much practice time as possible.¡±

    For me, who had missedst week¡¯s ss, it was a rather aggressive progression.

    ¡°Come to the evaluation room after you¡¯ve practiced enough. Is there anyone who wants to do it right away?¡±

    Jeoly asked, pointing to the evaluation room. First, Gerkhen Kal Doon, and then Soliette raised their hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. So,e in. Starting with Mr. Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon went into the evaluation room with Jeoly. Soliette also went ahead and stood in front of the closed door.

    ©¤Elise. Are you going ahead?

    Kain, who was watching, asked Elise.

    ©¤What about you guys?

    ©¤We¡¯re going to warm up a bit. There¡¯s also G senior over there. We¡¯re going to spar a bit.

    For reference, G is a quite famous knight. A man who often appears in entertainment shows. Was it Jeon Cham Cham? Or Jeon Jeon Shi. He came with his manager.

    ©¤You guys go. I¡¯ll go right away.

    ©¤Oh. Hey, Asher. Let¡¯s go.

    ©¤Okay.

    Kain and Asher seemed to be nning to practice with the knight named G, and Elise took the next spot after Soliette.

    I naturally stood behind Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­What about you.¡±

    Elise sighed as if she was fed up with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the test right away too. Why.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She had a face that seemed to pity the world, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Just then, the door opened.

    ¡°Good job. Go upstairs and rest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was Gerkhen Kal Doon who had finished his evaluation in the meantime.

    ¡°Next person,e in.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was Soliette¡¯s turn, and her evaluation ended in just two minutes.

    ¡°Next, Ms. Elise.¡±

    Elise, who was next, came out almost three minutester.

    ¡°¡­¡­What can you do? I heard you missedst week.¡±

    Perhaps she got a perfect score, Elise was smirking and meddling.

    ¡°Wipe your feet and wait. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    She went upstairs with a grumble.

    I opened the door to the evaluation room. I raised my voice even though they didn¡¯t call me.

    ¡°I¡¯m here. Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion Ascal?¡±

    Professor Jeoly on the other side looked at me with doubtful eyes. I held the Ascal sword with confidence.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Your basics are really¡­ outstanding. It seems like you¡¯ve been practicing for years.¡±

    I showcased three Sword Forms¡ªEclipse, Linked Form, and Five-Flower Form¡ªin the evaluation room and received high praise from Jeoly.

    ¡°Shion Ascal, you¡¯ve scored full marks. Go upstairs and rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I left the evaluation room and went upstairs. Naturally, the only ones on the second floor were Gerkhen Kal Doon, Elise, and Soliette.

    Soliette was leaning against the second-floor railing, pretending not to know anything, Gerkhen Kal Doon was reading some book, and surprisingly, Elise was waving at me.

    ¡°Did you give up on the evaluation? Come here.¡±

    Why is she like that? Is she nning an assassination or something?

    ¡°You look suspicious.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    I sat down on the sofa next to her. Soliette nced over at us.

    Elise handed me a paper filled with numbers.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the cost for the stage y. Read it and discuss if you have any issues.¡±

    Stage costs, lighting costs, staff hiring costs, etc¡­ There are quite a lot of costs, and I don¡¯t quite understand them.

    ¡°There are a lot of numbers. Is there a three-line summary?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The budget for the stage y has exceeded, and an additional cost of 20,000 Ren has urred.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t handle this. You deal with it.¡±

    I hastily threw the paper away.

    ¡°What did you do to incur additional costs? Justy down and rest.¡±

    Iid down on the sofa.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise sighed as if she was frustrated, and I turned my head and was surprised. Soliette was right behind the sofa where I was sitting. She was definitely standing by the railing just a moment ago.

    Elise picked up the paper with telekinesis and said,

    ¡°We have 2,300 seats, so we can cover it with ticket sales.¡±

    ¡°What? Is it an opera house? Is there such a facility inside Endex?¡±

    What kind of high school festival has 2,300 seats?

    The theater I went to before had a capacity of 4,000 seats.

    ¡°You know the Palette Theater, right? They often host musicals and ssical performances there, didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been there. But can we fill all 2,300 seats?¡±

    At that, Elise chuckled. The wrinkles around her eyes wriggled as if they found it amusing.

    ¡°The rumor is spreading quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°What rumor¡­¡­ Ah, is it that my script is too good?¡±

    Elise did not respond to that. There was no non-verbal agreement either.

    ¡°It¡¯s notmon for a 6-star prospect to do a y.¡±

    Instead, she put herself forward.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Anyway, if we fill all that- Huh.¡±

    I was about to speak when I was startled. Soliette was right next to the sofa. Where did she learn to teleport? Why does she get closer every time I look?

    ¡°There are a total of 70 invitation tickets. There are only 30 VIP seats. You probably don¡¯t have anyone to invite- Oh my.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders. It was because Soliette, who had teleported close enough to touch, was there.

    ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°Continue your conversation.¡±

    Soliette silently picked up her smartphone. She was probably surfing themunity.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. Anyway, you don¡¯t have anyone to invite to the VIP seats, do you? So let me take care of it-¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I cut her off.

    ¡°Does the ticket price go up if a lot of VIPse? No, we haven¡¯t set the ticket price yet, right?¡±

    ¡°35 Ren. It¡¯s a price that can avoid a deficit if we sell out.¡±

    ¡°So, what if we raise it a bit and there¡¯s a surplus? Do you give me the surplus? I wrote the script.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    Elise opened her mouth wide. She took a couple of breaths without saying anything, looking as if she was amazed. She looked like a monkey coveting a banana.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a profit from the festival, it¡¯s all donated, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine too. But let me donate it to where I want.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You only have such thoughts in your head. Do as you please. But if there¡¯s a deficit, you have to handle it alone.¡±

    What does she mean by deficit? Does she think I¡¯m going tounder money and swallow it?

    ¡­¡­Honestly, it¡¯s not a bad method, but there¡¯s a real ce to donate.

    Orphanage.

    Libra¡¯s Orphanage, which moved to the countryside.

    I don¡¯t know what the facilities there are like, but they probably can¡¯t live asfortably as before.

    ¡°Besides, do you have any VIPs to invite? To influence the ticket price, they should have some name value.¡±

    ¡°I do. You¡¯ll be surprised if theye.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯d be surprised even if a bum is sitting in the VIP seat.¡±

    If you look closely, he¡¯s a bum, but externally, he¡¯s a neat guy.

    His name value is unnecessarily high enough to influence the ticket price.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette interrupted.

    ¡°Can I also get a ticket?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Elise and I turned to Soliette at the same time. It was that unexpected. Soliette is interested in the y?

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of talk on the inte.¡±

    Ah. This is also because of themunity.

    The Magic High Festival, which only happens once a year, is a subject of interest in themunity.

    ¡°I can give you one, but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Is the invitation ticket free by any chance?¡±

    Soliette asked about the cost first. Elise nodded in surprise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It¡¯s an invitation, so it¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°I will gratefully ept it.¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ¡°By any chance. Can I also get one?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon, who seemed to be focusing on his book until now, subtly raised his hand.

    Elise chuckled.

    ¡°Sure. Youe too.¡±

    After the swordsmanship lecture ended.

    I was standing in a public telephone booth in Endex Park. I searched for a contact on my smartphone and called somewhere.

    Drrrr- Drrrr-

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤Hello.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The call was quickly connected. I wasn¡¯t even ready yet.

    I coughed ten times before speaking.

    ¡°Ah. Yes. Is this¡­ Arbil Orphanage?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    Arbil Orphanage. The new name for the now-defunct Orphanage, which bes Arbil when you read Libra backward.

    I asked quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡­How are things? Are they okay?

    ©¤Pardon?

    ¡°No, I mean, I¡¯m just wondering if the kids are getting three meals a day.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Excuse me?

    This guy keeps asking me to repeat myself.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m asking if the kids, like, Bell Berry, are they getting three meals a day?¡±

    ©¤Ah~ Bell, Berry? Yes. They¡¯re doing well. Things are so-so. They¡¯re getting three meals a day, even if they can¡¯t have snacks, but the facilities like the yground are quite run-down.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ then. Are you epting donations now?¡±

    I shifted my position as I spoke. My back and the nape of my neck were strangely itchy.

    ©¤Donations?

    ¡°Yes. Donations.¡±

    I scratched my corbone and held up my smartphone.

    ©¤Yes. We do ept them now.

    For the record, they didn¡¯t ept any donations during the old Libra Orphanage days. Because of Libra¡¯s pride.

    ¡°Then just send me the ount number.¡±

    ©¤Ah~ Yes. 391-2031-1234 Arbil¡­¡­

    I wrote down the number he gave me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll donate a suitable amount. Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure how much the surplus from the y will be, but it should be enough to build a new yground for the kids.

    ©¤Yes.

    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    There was no response. Maybe he was telling me to hang up myself.

    Just as I was about to hang up the receiver.

    ©¤I heard you¡¯re working hard.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    At that moment, my body stiffened. I felt as if something had frozen.

    ©¤You can do it.

    I tilted my head slightly. I didn¡¯t quite understand, so I just asked outright.

    ¡°Are they doing well?¡±

    ©¤Of course~ Berry is now the leader of the Orphanage. She controls the kids so well with her smartphone. Sometimes the teachers even have to ask Berry for help.

    ¡°Hmm. I see.¡±

    I let out a hollowugh. It wasn¡¯t exactly given to her for control purposes.

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s a relief. They¡¯re doing well.¡±

    I hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

    For a moment, I leaned against the booth. I stared nkly at the ceiling and muttered to myself.

    ¡°How can she tell just by my voice.¡±

    I deliberately called from a public phone, just in case. Of course, it¡¯s been about 7 years with this Vanessa teacher¡­¡­

    ¡°Ah, what the hell.¡±

    I can tell just by her voice too.

    That¡¯s ridiculous.

    I chuckled softly. I walked out of the booth and sat on a bench.

    Now I¡¯m thinking about preparing a letter.

    If I want to make a surplus by selling the tickets at a high price, I have to invite that person.

    A ttering letter is nothing now.

    However, just sending a single letter might not be enough, so I¡¯ll have to draw a portrait with a pencil as well.

 Chapter 84: Dungeon Experience (1)

    <strong>Dungeon Experience (1)</strong>

    Aerial Garden of Libra. Jade¡¯s library.

    Jade returned home after two days of tireless work across various businesses. Most of the work was just showing his face here and there.

    ¡°This is a letter sent by a student from Endex.¡±

    His dedicated secretary handed him a letter, which was quite unusual for the ever-busy Jade. In his library, the only ce where he could rest, he received a letter not from a senator, a mayor, or a businessman, but from a student at Endex.

    ¡°¡­¡­Daniel. Do you forward fan letters to me?¡±

    How lightly did they think of the name Libra? Jade red at him with a reproachful look. The secretary bowed as humbly as possible.

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s a letter from the senior who visitedst time. I was going to reject it, but¡­ it came up.¡±

    ¡°Came up?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I heard that Johanna herself sent it up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    What nonsense was that impulsive, gambling-addicted woman up to this time?

    Anyway, Jade was ufortable.

    This Endex senior, too, should have been satisfied with one favor. What was he hoping for by sending a letter?

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    Jade tore open the envelope. The first thing that fell out was a small drawing. It was a pencil portrait the size of three business cards put together.

    The subject was Jade himself.

    It seemed to have been drawn with the help of his memory¡­¡­

    It was very well drawn.

    It felt very different from an oil painting, but the rough touch of the pencil actually highlighted Jade¡¯s appearance more.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It would be good to frame it and put it next to the monitor in his office. Jade, feeling a bit better, picked up the letter.

    [To Jade,

    As the Magic High Festival approaches, we, as your distant juniors, have prepared a special y as seniors. This y is a modern reinterpretation of the Latinel y ¡®The Bard¡¯¡­

    Your attendance would mean a lot to us. If you attend, the y itself will shine, and we will all feel great joy and honor.

    Our y may be very humblepared to your culture, like a firefly in front of the sun, but if you could spare even a short time to attend, we will show you a performance that will not disappoint¡­

    If you, Jade, who are like a star, leave even a small footprint, it will be a great memory for us and shine. Every moment of that day will be brilliantly special.

    With the highest respect,

    Shion Ascal, Senior at Endex.]

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Indeed. He was a guy who knew not only the meaning of admiration and respect but also how to express it very well.

    ¡°A y.¡±

    Jade stroked his chin and pondered.

    ¡°Daniel. Do you think I should go to watch a y at Magic High?¡±

    ¡°ording to rumors, not only 6-star prospects but also Edsi university students are participating. There¡¯s also a rumor that the script is very well done.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Since I have a schedule nearby, I can spare about 30 minutes.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem particrly bad. After all, all the spotlights will be on him, and he can also create a benevolent image of attending his alma mater¡¯s festival.

    ¡°Tell them I will attend.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Of course, he doesn¡¯t send a reply. If he were to lend his name to send a reply to a mere senior, Jade would kill his secretary.

    It¡¯s just a matter of leaking the information to the press. Choose the ones who can wield the pen well and write something like ¡®Benevolent Jade of Libra, nning to attend his alma mater¡¯s festival-¡®.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by for exactly 30 minutes.¡±

    This means to adjust so that there¡¯s not even a hint of backtalk like ¡®he doesn¡¯t have time to watch a high school y¡¯.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Secretary Daniel bowed.

    Friday dawn. I woke up to the sound of the rain pattering down.

    ¡°¡­¡­It hurts.¡±

    It was because of the pain.

    Is the side effectingte? The sound of tightening screws keepsing from my knees, wrists, and pelvis. My whole body is numb, and it feels like my insides are burning.

    I feel like swearing every time I breathe.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    I sat leaning against the wall. I nkly stared at the raindrops forming on the window. Then, I slowly got up and went outside.

    Old man Belthos was standing at the main gate of the dormitory. He seemed to be looking around the garden getting wet in the rain from under the roof.

    We¡¯ve cleaned up quite a bit of the branches together, so it¡¯s now decent to look at.

    ¡°What are you doing, old man.¡±

    I approached the old man. He nced at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching the rain.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow is the college board. Are you oversleeping?¡±

    ¡°Somehow.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re surviving a long time.¡±

    I smiled faintly.

    ¡°More than that. I can even surpass Edsi National University.¡±

    My current grades are stable. Of course, since my GPA is D-, I have to wait until the third quarter, whichbines the college board score and the internal score.

    ¡°Knight School, maybe I can go?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Belthos silently shook his head.

    This old man is ignoring me.

    Drip¡­¡­. Drip¡­¡­.

    The rain keeps falling without pause, hitting the ground. The smell of earth spreads thickly.

    Suddenly, I¡¯m curious about one thing.

    How much time does the old man have left?

    I don¡¯t know when the old man will die.

    But, the old man¡¯s time copses at some point.

    Probably, sometime when I was sick before regression.

    ¡°Old man.¡±

    I called the old man. The old man looked back at me.

    ¡°How does it feel to be dying?¡±

    The old man moved his eyes without a word. He looked back at the rainy scenery. He answered quietly.

    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m epting time. Slowly getting used to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I thought quietly.

    epting time.

    If you think about it, the death of a young person and the death of an old person could be different.

    A young person still has a lot of time left, and the time to ept is so heavy that when deathes, it¡¯s painful.

    An old person can slowly ept the remaining time, like getting soaked in the rain.

    Then what am I?

    As a regressor, what am I, who hase back to life and is repeating this pain again?

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting used to it.¡±

    It¡¯s always like that.

    The pain is bearable.

    The feeling of dying, never gets familiar.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.¡±

    Belthos old man¡¯s eyes slightly trembled.

    That¡¯s quite a reaction for the old man.

    That¡¯s how famous Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is. It¡¯s virtually synonymous with death. Among human diseases, it¡¯s one of the biggest fears, cancer, especially when faced with it, it¡¯s considered something like an unavoidable grim reaper.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Belthos old man did notfort me.

    He didn¡¯t advise me either.

    ¡°I saw thekeside. I¡¯m also looking at the garden spread out here.¡±

    He said that.

    ¡°You¡¯ve trimmed it well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡±

    I quietly smiled. I didn¡¯t have the strength to add anything else. I just leaned against the wall and fell asleep for a moment.

    When I opened my eyes again, I was on the bed.

    The morning sun was bright.

    Clemen Hall. Today, I arrived, leading my legs that seemed to be particrly loose.

    ¡°Nice to see you.¡±

    As soon as I sat down, Chedric came in. He almost waste.

    ¡°As you all know, next week is a break. Because of the festival.¡±

    Then, the seniors¡¯ faces brightened up.

    Even in the college board course, there exists something called a ¡®break¡¯. Only once in the first quarter. Of course, there are vacations in between quarters.

    ¡°Focus on today¡¯s assignment, so you can restfortably during the break.¡±

    I was still rubbing my sore knee. I hope it¡¯s a reasonable assignment.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon experience.¡±

    Ah, this fucking XXXXXXXX. (Just a lot of cursing)

    ¡­¡­

    ¡®Dungeon¡¯

    It¡¯s a familiar name to not only those in the magic industry but also to the general public. Because it often appears in various games or media like movies.

    I have a lot of experience myself. I¡¯ve done things like guiding, guiding, and carrying luggage in B~C grade dungeons.

    People who have never been to a dungeon think of dungeons as caves, ruins, or phantom inds, but it¡¯s not at all.

    [Tanveli Dungeon Office]

    Dungeons below D grade are directly managed by the office. It¡¯s an office operated by a corporation that owns the ¡®portal¡¯, the entrance to the dungeon.

    ¡°Hello. Endex folks.¡±

    In the lecture room of that office, all 76 Endex seniors gathered.

    ¡°I am Jeremy, the head of the Tanveli Dungeon Office.¡±

    The head standing in front of the ckboard spoke with a smile.

    ¡°First of all, this Tanveli Dungeon is a D-grade dungeon. It¡¯s owned by Tan Corporation. The area is 3.5?, and what kind of monster appears is something you all have to find out from now on.¡±

    p, p ¨C the director pped his hands.

    ¡°Let me exin about the dungeon first. Of course, some of you may have already done some research. First of all, the dungeon does not upy physical space. Is there a cave leading to the dungeon under the office? It¡¯s not like that. We only enter the dungeon through a ¡®portal¡¯.¡±

    He¡¯s right.

    It¡¯s still a phenomenon that¡¯s inexplicable both magically and scientifically, but the most convincing theory is that ¡®we enter one of the twisted worlds in the gap between worlds through a portal¡¯.

    I don¡¯t know what that means either.

    Just think that there¡¯s a dungeon in some gap that humans can¡¯t observe, and we enter there through a portal.

    ¡°Therefore, our office does not upy the entire dungeon, but only the entrance, the ¡®portal¡¯. Legally, the portal itself is the dungeon. Now then.¡±

    The director pointed to the tablet PC.

    ¡°There should be a tablet PC at each of your seats. Do you see it?¡±

    A tablet PC was ced at each individual¡¯s seat. The screen disyed a site titled [Dungeon System Membership Registration].

    ¡°If you click on the registration, something surprising will happen. Oh, it¡¯s okay for those who have already registered.¡±

    A surprising event. I know what it is because I¡¯ve experienced it before my regression.

    Click-

    I pressed the registration button. Then, a palm shape filled the screen.

    I ced my palm on it. At that moment, magic was sucked in, and the tablet PC started working.

    [¡­You are not an existing member.]

    [Wee to the ¡®Dungeon System¡¯.]

    [The registration process will begin.]

    The name of this site is, [Broadband Magic Spell: Dungeon System]. It¡¯s an app, a site, and a system invented by some super genius that someone like me can¡¯t even imagine.

    Thanks to this, dungeon capture and exploration have developed dramatically.

    [Please set your ¡®Dungeon System¡¯ ID. If not set, it will be assigned randomly.]

    Random.

    [Please enter your date of birth. We are not responsible for any disadvantages caused by forgery.]

    I entered my date of birth. 951111.

    [Registration isplete. You can now log in with biometric information linked to your magic.]

    ¡°Everyone seems to have registered. Then I¡¯ll send you an invitation.¡±

    The director manipted his smartphone.

    Ding-!

    A message arrived on my Dungeon System.

    [The manager of Tanveli Dungeon, ¡®JEREISME¡¯, invites you to the dungeon room.]

    [Yes / No]

    ¡°Please press the Yes button. Then you will move to the dungeon room. The dungeon room is a midway point between the portal and the dungeon. You know, like a waiting room before starting a game? It¡¯s like that.¡±

    I pressed the Yes button. Then, the space suddenly changed. The desk and chair disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Uh-oh.¡±

    I almost fell, but barely kept my bnce.

    ¡°¡­¡­What kind of waiting room is this?¡±

    The ce was pitch ck, devoid of furniture or anything else. Perhaps because it¡¯s a D-grade dungeon, there seemed to be some issues with the waiting room. C-grade or B-grade dungeons usually have waiting rooms decorated like train lounges.

    Anyway, one by one, the seniors began to appear out of nowhere.

    ¡°Wow. This is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Is it amazing? Is this your first time in a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Why is it so dark here?¡±

    I tapped my wrist twice. Then, a system window popped up on my retina.

    [Tanveli Dungeon Room]

    [If you do not want the invitation, please press the ¡®Exit¡¯ button.]

    [13 / 900]

    13 is the current number of people, and 900 is the maximum capacity.

    The current number quickly rose to 76, and soon the director also crossed over to the waiting room.

    ¡°Has everyone arrived? This is the dungeon room. I intentionally made it all-ck. What do you think?¡±

    The director spread his arms. I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted us to see.

    ¡°In this Magic Space, we will set our positions and then do random party matching. For your information, the position ssification in D-grade dungeons are only Guards and Forwards.¡±

    Guards are, as the name suggests, the ¡®blockers¡¯. In gaming terms, they¡¯re the tanks.

    Forwards are, as the name suggests, the ¡®attackers¡¯. They¡¯re the dealers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by setting the positions.¡±

    [Dungeon Manager ¡®JEREISME¡¯ has sent a message.]

    [Please set your position.]

    1. Guard

    1. Forward

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know what your position is, choose ording to your inclination. Guards should be able to confront directly. Forwards must be capable of long-range attacks.¡±

    I pressed number 1.

    Although my physical condition was a bit off, guys like me can¡¯t do anything but guard. Forwards are usually archers or wizards.

    ¡°Oh~ 38 guards. 38 forwards. It¡¯s a perfect match. Now, let¡¯s start the random party matching.¡±

    The director pressed hard on his smartphone screen. Another system window popped up.

    [Random party matching in progress¡­¡­]

    [Matchingplete]

    [Your party member is D-grade user ¡®EliseEEM¡¯.]

    EliseEEM.

    I slowly read the ID.

    El.ise.EEM.

    EliseEEM?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, this is annoying.¡±

 Chapter 85: Dungeon Experience (2)

    <strong>Dungeon Experience (2)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    In a corner of the dungeon room, we stood side by side.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Neither of us had anything to say.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Neither I, nor she.

    Ah, I wonder how the drama practice is going.

    ¡°Is the drama practice going well?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking about something you didn¡¯t even attend.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked away again. Elise crossed her arms.

    ¡°¡­¡­But why are you a guard? You¡¯re quite small for a guard.¡±

    ¡°I can be a guard even if I¡¯m small, you know? Don¡¯t you know about shift guards?¡±

    Guards are divided into shift guards, masher guards, and so on. Mashers refer to guys like Kain, and shifts are fast types like me now.

    ¡°Sure. Think whatever you want.¡±

    I tapped my wrist twice. My ID information appeared before my eyes.

    [Dungeon System]

    [ID: 5092]

    [User Grade: F]

    [Hunted Entities: 0]

    [Party Members: 1]

    ©¤EliseEEEM

    ¡°Your ID is EliseEEM? Wow, you¡¯re creative.¡±

    I decided to pick a fight for no reason.

    ¡°You monkey!¡±

    She suddenly exploded. I was taken aback.

    ¡°That was surprising.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise bit her lip. After ring at me for a moment, she cleared her throat and regained herposure. She elegantly swept her hair back.

    ¡°¡­¡­You should look at your ID. Before pointing out others¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my ID?¡±

    [ID: 5092]

    [User Lv: 1]

    It¡¯s a random ID.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with 5092? It¡¯s like a license te, and I like it.¡±

    Elise sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re not good. From the very trivial things-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than EliseEEM, okay? If it¡¯s EliseEM, it should be EliseEM, what¡¯s with the EEM? Is it a typo? Are you unable to correct your typo?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A vein popped on her forehead. She cracked her neck from side to side.

    ©¤Well, we¡¯re about to enter soon.

    Fortunately, the director spoke.

    A loose tension seeped in just as things were about to get heated.

    ©¤Before we enter. Has everyone chosen their weapons?

    I flicked the real sword in my hand. It was a broadsword given to me at the office. On the other hand, Elise was empty-handed.

    ©¤Including me, ten administrators, and the college board members will be watching from inside the dungeon, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll open the portal now.

    Whiiii- Portals opened here and there in the dungeon room. One opened right near us. I gestured towards it.

    ¡°You go first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shouldn¡¯t the guard go first?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said I¡¯m too small for a guard.¡±

    ¡°You reallyck manners.¡±

    Elise sighed and went in. I followed right after.

    [Entering Tanveli Dungeon]

    [Dungeon Grade: D]

    [Area: 3.5?]

    [Participants: 88 / 900]

    Along with the information window, the scenery of the dungeon that came into view was¡­ copsed buildings, toothless roads, and the moss and vines that seemed to be devouring them.

    It was like a world after the apocalypse.

    Ding-

    [This is the dungeon-wide message from the manager ¡®CHEDRIC¡¯.]

    [Today¡¯s task is simple. Kill as many monsters as possible and obtain loot. The cut-off is 5 PM, with a minimum of 10 kills.]

    ¡°Voice support is avable.¡±

    I swiped my hand to close the notification. Elise nced at me.

    ¡°You seem to know how to use the system.¡±

    ¡°Eh.¡±

    It¡¯s simple. Tap your wrist twice, and the status window appears. In fact, it doesn¡¯t have to be your wrist; you can tap any part of your body. But my old master did it this way.

    If you don¡¯t like your vision being cluttered with status windows, you can use the [Dungeon System] app on your smartphone or smartwatch.

    Like how Elise wears a smartwatch here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to kill as many as we can.¡±

    I stretched my shoulders. Thud-! Suddenly, there was a pain in my joint.

    ¡°¡­Hey. But I can¡¯t do much.¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes as I quickly changed my words.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°My condition isn¡¯t great. But I can help find the monsters.¡±

    Even before my regression, I didn¡¯t really have a position.

    I was more of a guide, porter, scout, treasure hunter, rather than a guard, forward, or supporter.

    Elise tilted her head and squinted at me.

    ¡°Again, neglecting your duties?¡±

    ¡°What neglect? The goal is to kill as many as possible, right? So a guide like me is important too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    While Elise was dumbfounded, I activated the SZX-9500. My vision expanded instantly. A monster was detected inside a copsed building.

    A fire-breathing lizard monster. About the size of an adult alligator.

    ¡°Smander. Can you handle it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Where is it?¡±

    Elise peered in the direction I was looking.

    ¡°Just follow me.¡±

    I ran towards it. Or, I tried to.

    My knees kept wobbling, so I slowed down. Even so, I kept my alert level high, but Elise followed at a walk.

    She asked me as she walked like a princess.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not a worm?¡±

    ¡°Quiet. Over there.¡±

    I pointed at the copsed building. There was a Smander in the window.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s really there.¡±

    Elise looked slightly surprised.

    A notification popped up.

    [Lv.3 Monster: Normal Smander]

    [Discovery ID: 5029]

    [Discoverer¡¯s Gain: EXP 3]

    ¡°Well, what should I do? Should I draw its aggro?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    Elise gathered her magic. Some Magic Spell rose like a tattoo on her arm. Of course, it¡¯s not a real tattoo, but a usage of Magic Body¡ªOne Belt, Four Lines.

    She twisted the ¡®line¡¯pleted inside her body to finish the Magic Spell and fired it immediately.

    The Magic Spell she¡¯s about to deploy is¡­.

    Boom©¤©¤!

    The Smander was squashed. An overwhelming telekic force crushed its body from all sides.

    The hunt ended in 3 seconds.

    I approached the spot.

    There was no corpse left. Instead, there was a colorless bead.

    This was also part of the dungeon system. Familiar terms like [Inventory] and [Drop Item].

    In the days before this system, it wasborious to butcher the corpse and carry it outside.

    I picked up the bead. It was gray.

    [Acquisition: Low-grade Gray Bead]

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I turned to look at Elise. She was standing as if intoxicated by herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised-¡±

    ¡°Next time, kill it more moderately. There¡¯s nothing left.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    In the dungeon system, the corpse of a mob is reced with a ¡®bead¡¯ ording to its grade.

    The more difficult the mob you kill, the more colorful the bead, and the more useful parts on the corpse, the higher the grade.

    Therefore, if this smander was hunted in the best condition, I would have obtained a [High-grade Gray Bead].

    This bead is the only ¡®form¡¯ that can take dungeon items to the outside world, so it¡¯s very important.

    ¡°Look.¡±

    I threw the bead on the ground with a thud. Then the corpse of the smander reappeared. It was a grotesque shape, with bones protruding between the skin and leather. Elise quickly turned her head.

    ¡°¡­I get it, so put it away quickly.¡±

    ¡°Once you take it out, you can¡¯t put it back.¡±

    If you drop the bead on the ground, it turns back into the original corpse, but you can¡¯t put it back in the inventory.

    ¡°Then why did you take it out? You¡¯re stupid.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s discard this and go for something else. It¡¯s not worth anything anyway. Follow me.¡±

    I guided Elise. Elise followed with a sulky face.

    Elise was engrossed in hunting. In just 3 hours, she caught a whopping 20 creatures. Smanders, Asphalt Golems, Crescent Bears, Harpies, and so on¡­¡­ It was quite fun thanks to her.

    It¡¯s not that, when she first encountered the dungeon, it wasn¡¯t this arcade-like. It was a job just to find a mob. It was a level where it was fortunate to find two in an hour.

    ¡°I have to admit. You find them like a dolphin.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you have a good radar or something? Why a dolphin?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to the dolphin.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Perhaps because she was so engrossed in hunting, Elise was quite hungry.

    Grrrr¡ª¡ª

    She was startled. She thought it was from her stomach, but fortunately, it was Shion.

    He was rubbing his stomach and mumbling.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Elise snorted as if she wasn¡¯t.

    Grrrr©¤©¤!

    The sound of the stomach growling got louder. Elise¡¯s gaze went down sharply. Did he hide something in his stomach? The sound is so dirty and vulgar.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t stand it.¡±

    Suddenly Shion took out a bead from his inventory. When he dropped it on the ground, it turned into the corpse of a Crescent Bear.

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to eat monster meat?¡±

    ¡°These are beasts. Beasts are good to eat. They¡¯re also tasty.¡±

    In the dungeon, self-sufficiency is the principle. Because you can only bring as much as is attached to the user¡¯s body from outside the dungeon.

    That ¡®transportable area¡¯ is strictly defined like a hitbox, so no matter howrge a backpack you carry, the excess part is cut off. That¡¯s why the dungeon bag specifications are strictly defined.

    It¡¯s not for nothing that many knight orders and mercenary groups employ ¡®porters¡¯ who are covered in wide bags all over their bodies.

    ¡°Turn your eyes away if you don¡¯t want to see the butchering.¡±

    Shion drew his sword.

    Thud-! He plunged the de into the carcass of the Crescent Bear.

    Just like that, he pulled it out. He skillfully separated the skin and flesh by inserting the knife into the exposed skin. Shwish shwish shwish shwish-

    Next, he scraped the surface of the bone, cleanly removing only the meat.

    Elise, who was nkly watching, suddenly realized.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, you were a part-timer at a meat restaurant. Why didn¡¯t you switch to that as your profession?¡±

    ¡°Start a fire. We¡¯re going to grill it.¡±

    Elise started a fire. Shion sharpened the bone of the Crescent Bear and skewered the meat like a skewer. He made six skewers like that and ced them on the campfire.

    Sizzling-

    Looking at the cooking meat, Elise whetted her appetite. Shion asked.

    ¡°Do you n to eat too?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the meat I caught, of course, I have to eat it, don¡¯t I?¡±

    She doesn¡¯t bother to pretend. She tries to maintain her dignity in everyday life, even if it¡¯s bothersome, but there¡¯s no need to do so in the dungeon.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, my shoulder.¡±

    Suddenly Shion grabbed his shoulder. He grimaced with his teeth clenched. Elise just watched him.

    It¡¯s a bit strange.

    No, it¡¯s very strange.

    He seemed to have been limping on one leg for a while, and it seemed like he was breaking out in a cold sweat.

    It¡¯s odd.

    She kept thinking about [Aden Medical Center].

    ¡°¡­¡­You. Do you have a problem somewhere?¡±

    Elise finally asked him. However, her expression was slightly ambiguous. One side of her lips was slightly raised, and her eyes were calmly settled, making it hard to distinguish.

    Shion asked back.

    ¡°What, are youughing or worrying?¡±

    ¡°If you think I¡¯m worrying about you, you¡¯re a psychopath who haspletely lost the ability to empathize and judge people¡¯s expressions-¡±

    ¡°Anyway. Don¡¯t you think it would taste better with some salt?¡±

    Shion mumbled, looking at the skewered meat.

    ¡°I have some.¡±

    Elise took out salt from her inventory. Shion¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°¡­¡­What. Where did you get that?¡±

    ¡°The guide brought it when I came to the dungeon before, I stored it in my inventory just in case. I also have pepper.¡±

    She also took out pepper with her other hand.

    In this way, the inventory of the [Dungeon System] is shared across all dungeons. This means that an item obtained in one dungeon can be retrieved in another.

    Shion took the pepper and salt and sprinkled them on the skewers.

    ¡°Is your inventory okay? Yours is 3¡Á3, isn¡¯t it? It would be a waste to take up two slots with salt and pepper.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at 4¡Á4~¡±

    ¡°What? How?¡±

    Shion looked slightly surprised. Elise smirked as if boasting.

    ¡°I once got an enhancement ticket.¡±

    The basic inventory of the Dungeon System is 3¡Á3. Although it can hold a total of 9 items, it can be upgraded using something called an ¡®enhancement ticket¡¯. This enhancement ticket drops in the form of loot when a monster is defeated, albeit at an extremely low probability.

    Elise happened to acquire this enhancement ticket and upgraded once to 4¡Á4.

    She was really happy back then.

    ¡°I am¡­ wait, I¡¯m at 5¡Á5?¡±

    However, Shion suddenly said something strange. Elise snickered.

    ¡°What kind of delusion is that? You¡¯re a newbie.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything. He was staring nkly into space as if he was looking at some system¡­

    In fact, his inventory, which only he could see, was a bit strange.

    [Inventory (5¡Á5)]

 Chapter 86: Dungeon

    [Inventory (5¡Á5)]

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    I quietly thought. No, why is it 5¡Á5 instead of 3¡Á3? Is this also because of the Embodiment? I¡¯ve heard that the [Dungeon System] reflects each individual¡¯s characteristics.

    Let¡¯s think about it again.

    Right now, my Mana Heart is pulsating like a heart, pumping mana throughout my body. This process hardens my physical body.

    Probably, Perion is involved in this process passively. It means that the Memory of Perion in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is being Embodied with my magic.

    This is the cause of my strong body.

    Then.

    This [Dungeon System] also reflects my characteristics, so is it upgraded in a simr way to my strong body? A strong system? I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m thinking.

    I think I need to ask the developer about this.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    Elise asked just in time. I shook my head.

    Whether it¡¯s because of a bug, or really because of the Embodiment, there¡¯s no good in revealing it unnecessarily. If it benefits me, I should keep quiet.

    ¡°Eat. It¡¯s all cooked.¡±

    I handed her a skewer. Elise took a bite. I also took a bite and asked.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    Elise just chewed. Chewed¡­ and chewed¡­ like a cow ruminating, deliberately slow.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    She just chewed. Chewed¡­ and chewed¡­

    ¡°If it¡¯s not good, put it down.¡±

    As I reached out to take it, she stopped me.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s, good.¡±

    Elise admitted. Satisfied, I checked the other [Dungeon System].

    There are various systems unique to the Dungeon System.

    Typically, there are [Inventory], [Mini Map], [Luck], [yer Shop], [Efficiency], etc¡­ Among them, I turned on the [Mini Map], which I didn¡¯t need to turn on because of the SZX-9500.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡­ like this before.¡±

    I looked at it with serious eyes.

    The mini map was too detailed.

    Originally, the basic non-enhanced, or ¡®non-enhanced mini map¡¯, would barely distinguish the height on a t surface.

    [Mini Map]

    Now, all the terrains on my mini map are clearly distinguished. Where the hignds are, and where the londs are.

    The same goes for the geographical features. The condition of the soil, copsed buildings, even the mountain ridges, I can tell at a nce just by looking at the mini map.

    Something is definitely different.

    An ¡®upgrade¡¯ of the system that wasn¡¯t there before I returned.

    Crunch-!

    The crunching sound was loud. I was startled and turned around. Elise was already chewing on her second skewer.

    At this rate, she¡¯ll take them all. Why does she eat so well, even though she¡¯s a silver spoon?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting right after eating this. We need to catch at least 40 to be in the top rank.¡±

    I said that and picked up three skewers at once.

    ¡°I was hoping¡­¡­ hah.¡±

    Elise looked at the skewers in my hand and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°¡­¡­Alright! Everyone, good job.¡±

    The dungeon experience ended without a hitch. Elise and I probably secured first cefortably. We caught 43 creatures, after all.

    ¡°How was your first experience with the Dungeon System? It¡¯s a D-rank dungeon, so there wouldn¡¯t have been any special loot, but if there was, congrattions. You can take it with you.¡±

    The directorughed heartily.

    The only special drop that coulde out of a D-rank dungeon would be an Enhancement Ticket, and even that has a probability of less than 0.001%.

    That¡¯s why Elise is surprising. How did she get an Enhancement Ticket?

    ¡°Also, you must have acquired a lot of orbs in the dungeon. You can keep those orbs in your inventory, or put them in your pocket and bring them out of the dungeon. Feel free to use them as you wish.¡±

    The Dungeon Office usually takes a tax. Depending on the grade and color of the orb, they can charge up to a legal maximum fee of 13%.

    But it seems like they¡¯re letting it slide today since it¡¯s for learning purposes.

    ¡°Today¡¯s task ends here. I heard there¡¯s a festival starting next week. You all worked hard, now take a rest!¡±

    The director said, pping his hands. The seniors responded with apuse. Their faces were cheerful at the thought of having the whole of next week off.

    ¡°The rest will be exined by your supervisor. Supervisor Chedric?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Good job.¡±

    Chedric shook hands with the director and took over.

    ¡°You all did well. The purpose of this dungeon experience was to familiarize you with the [Dungeon System] in advance. Since all the dungeons discovered on the continent are connected to this system, there will be no need to tackle a dungeon outside of the Dungeon System. It means that dungeons are not as dangerous as they used to be.¡±

    Indeed, since the invention of the [Dungeon System], high school students, college students, and even middle school students frequently use dungeons. Although I don¡¯t know about C-rank or above, D and F-rank dungeons are definitely safe.

    He continued his speech.

    ¡°Also, as some of you may have noticed, today¡¯s task was individual y. Depending on how you hunt, the contribution among party members is distributed, and your grades will be determined based on that contribution.¡±

    I¡¯m not worried about the contribution itself. Of course, Elise did all the hunting, but the [Dungeon System] counts discovery itself as a decent achievement.

    ¡°Then. Now I will distribute the midterm report cards before the festival. They¡¯re physical, soe up one by one to receive them.¡±

    Thud- At his words, the inside of the ssroom shook. The seniors looked around with tense faces.

    ¡°Gail. Gritton.¡±

    Chedric called out in alphabetical order.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon. Baran¡­¡­.¡±

    Physical report card. I was inexplicably excited. Honestly, I haven¡¯t messed up any assignments so far.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    I stood up abruptly. I took the report card that Chedric handed over.

    [Shion Ascal: CP Completion List]

    1. Prism Disassembly: [Pass (1CP)]

    1. Paper Bird Observation: [0 / 2.5CP], [3.5 / 3 CP]

    1. Mine: [4.3 / 5 CP]

    1. Exploration Team y: [6 / 6 CP]

    1. Magic Capacity Evaluation¢ñ [2.7 / 3 CP]

    1. Job Experience [Pass]

    1. Magic Space Experience [6 / 6 CP]

    1. Experience and Art [3 / 3 CP]

    1. University Tour [Pass]

    Total: 20.5 / 23.5 CP

    20.5 points out of a total of 23.5 points. If I get full marks for today¡¯s dungeon experience, I¡¯m in the ¡®extreme¡¯ upper ranks. In other words, I¡¯m a safe bet for the Edsi National University Knight Department.

    Of course, it depends on my internal grades.

    Edsi National University considers internal grades at a fairly high rate, so if you add up the grades and college board scores, I¡¯m probably simr to those with CPs in the 16-17 range.

    ¡°Okay. Now go and rest. I¡¯ll see you on Monday in two weeks.¡±

    In the meantime, Chedric announced dismissal. The seniors quietly left, each hiding their report cards.

    I also folded my report card and put it in my pocket.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why is she like that.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise caught my eye. She seemed to have a severe headache, her forehead pressed against the wall, clutching her report card.

    I zoomed in with the SZX-9500.

    The cause was apparent.

    7. Magic Space Experience [2.7 / 6 CP]

    Everything else was perfect, but the Magic Space Experience was 2.7 points. As a result, her total score is simr to mine.

    Wait, isn¡¯t it lower than mine?

    Right. It¡¯s lower than mine. She lost 3.2 points out of 23.5, making it 20.3 points.

    I have 20.5 points.

    A difference of 0.2 points.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Elise turned to look at me. Her eyes were sharp.

    I quickly turned around and left.

    ¡­¡­The next day.

    It was a clear Saturday noon with a gentle breeze.

    The Endex campus was buzzing with anticipation for the festival.

    Although the Magic Day Festival, held from the first Wednesday to Friday in April, involves six magic high schools in the capital, it actually has a strong inter-school character. It¡¯s about who¡¯s doing better, who¡¯s attracting more visitors, and so on.

    Therefore, the main gate of Endex will be wide open from Wednesday to Friday, and the campus will be full of stalls.

    ¡°Try some popcorn~¡±

    There were already many stalls doing trial sales. Most of them were freshmen.

    I walked among them. Then I spotted Gerkhen Kal Doon standing in front of a hotteok (Korean sweet pancake) stall.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nced at me. Just then, a freshman handed him a hotteok and said,

    ¡°I¡¯m a fan, senior Gerkhen Kal Doon! I¡¯ve read all of your scouting reports! You¡¯re going straight to Edsi University, right?¡±

    ¡°I have to get in first. Thanks.¡±

    He took the hotteok. As he took a bite, he turned to look at me.

    ¡°Eating hotteok.¡±

    It was probably his answer to my question, ¡®what are you doing?¡¯

    Gerkhen Kal Doon likes sweet food. Chocte, hotteok, ice cream, slushies, anything sweet. I know his habits and eating patterns fairly well, as we had the same master.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±

    I¡¯m somewhat jealous. Now, as soon as Gerkhen Kal Doon enters Edsi National University, he¡¯ll catch the eye of Theia Esil and be epted as her disciple. He¡¯ll experience tremendous growth in her workshop.

    Actually, it¡¯s too petty to be called jealousy. The gap between Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s talent and mine is virtually like that between a firefly and the sun.

    ¡°I¡¯m eating. Going.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon left. I approached the hotteok stall as if to take turns.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can I have one too?¡±

    The freshman nced at me.

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±

    There¡¯s quite a temperature difference from when he was dealing with Gerkhen Kal Doon. Is this also a talent gap?

    ¡°Are you a freshman?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±

    ¡°But honestly, there¡¯s not much difference between his face and mine, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? Here you go.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    I thought I heard her say ¡®crazy.¡¯

    Anyway, the female freshman handed me a hotteok. Then she made a quick hand gesture. It was a gesture to leave quickly.

    I took the hotteok and took a bite.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be 2 ren.¡±

    The freshman called out the price. I tilted my head.

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon didn¡¯t pay.¡±

    ¡°2 ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I handed over a 2 ren bill from my pocket. The freshman quickly took it.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±

    I turned around and walked away without saying much.

    However, a voice flowing from right behind me stopped me in my tracks.

    ©¤Can I have just one hotteok too?

    It was a familiar voice.

    No, it wasn¡¯t familiar, but it was a voice I had heard somewhere before.

    I slowly, hoping it was a misunderstanding, turned around as slowly as possible.

    ¡°Here you go¡­¡­ hotteok.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    The man who took the hotteok smiled at the freshman. The freshman blushed.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡­ a college student?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m a bit older than that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡­ Are you perhaps an active knight¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m an uncle. Keep up the good work.¡±

    And so he came towards me, hotteok in his mouth.

    Step. Step.

    One hand was stroking the bandage around his neck, and the other was waving naturally. His name was¡­¡­

    Noah Lucille.

    He was the founder of ¡¸The Spectres¡¹ that I met on Recordark.

 Chapter 87: Before the Festival (1)

    <strong>Before the Festival (1)</strong>

    Noah Lucille. He was waving his hand as he walked through the campus of Endex. His smiling face was unsettling, and his friendly words were ominous.

    ¡°Long time no see~?¡±

    I immediately retorted.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean. -Gulp.¡±

    He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the hotteok whole.

    ¡°I came to enjoy the festival too.¡±

    ¡°Then you got the date wrong. It starts next Wednesday.¡±

    What is he nning to do at the festival?

    Unfortunately, it¡¯s a future I don¡¯t know. From April, I was receiving intensive cancer treatment.

    Of course, it could already be a future twisted by me.

    ¡°Actually, I came to see you.¡±

    Noah said. This time, it seemed to be because of me.

    Of course, the reason why he came is-

    ¡°I think there¡¯s going to be a kidnapping.¡±

    ¡­¡­But surprisingly, he told me straight away. I licked my lips and asked again.

    ¡°Kidnapping?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There are some guys in the underworld who are short of money. Do you know Berhalsi?¡±

    Berhalsi. It¡¯s a mercenary organization active in the underworld. As usual with the guys in the underworld, they seem a bit loose, but their individual power ismendable.

    Among them, Berhalsi is a B-grade monster with quite a name in the underworld. Currently, they can crush one at my level with a single punch, probably at the same level as the college board manager.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course. They¡¯re targeting the festival.¡±

    The Magic High Festival attracts security personnel, including knights and police. Kidnapping someone during such a season might seem crazy.

    On the contrary, it¡¯s the opposite.

    The festival ¡®sucks in¡¯ the security forces of the area. Because manpower cannot be stretched or reduced like a rubber band as needed. If the festival concentrates manpower, on the other hand, the ¡®surrounding¡¯ bes hollow.

    ¡°Berhalsi also proposed to us. They said let¡¯s split it 5:5. But the target was quite a big shot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I closed my mouth. It was a silence with some intention.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Noah also looked at me without saying a word. It was a silence that said, tell me your intention.

    I finally spoke.

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    He dly told me.

    ¡°Someone close to you.¡±

    ¡°Close?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re doing a y.¡±

    Someone who is doing a y with me, someone close.

    It came to mind right away.

    Well, she was close to me in Recordark.

    Noah looked at my face and chuckled.

    ¡°You seem to know who it is?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­How could I not know.¡±

    There¡¯s a woman who suffers from various incidents due to the ambition of her family, which is trying to stand politically. A person who suffered numerous kidnappings, attempted assassinations, and even bombing of her private ne before regression.

    Elise Petra.

    ¡°So, are you also involved in this?¡±

    ¡°I decided not to. Thanks to the child who believed in my innocence.¡±

    Child.

    Something about the tone feels strange.

    A ¡®child¡¯ who trusted me?

    ¡°¡­¡­Child? Is that me by any chance?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a child to me. Would you like to be an adult then?¡±

    Noah grinned.

    Is he insane? Judging by the life he¡¯s lived, we¡¯re not so different.

    ¡°Today, I came to tell you this. Shall we meet againter?¡±

    ¡°Meet for what?¡±

    Noah turned around without a word.

    ¡°Hey. Meet for what?¡±

    The figure waving his hand above his head bes blurry. Fzzt- Like a TV screen cutting out, he flickers, and in the blink of an eye, he disappears.

    ¡°¡­Damn, it¡¯s suffocating.¡±

    I scratched my back.

    If Berhalsi really is after Elise, it¡¯s probably because of me. More urately, because of the ¡®y¡¯ we put on.

    If it was the Elise before my regression, she wouldn¡¯t have had time to be kidnapped, let alone put on a y. She would have been too busy studying or training in seclusion. There¡¯s still more than half a year until the election.

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing.¡±

    Elise. What could she be doing right now?

    Without any other option, I picked up my smartphone.

    [Hey. What are you doing right now?]

    At the same time, Elise was staring at her smartphone screen with a serious expression.

    [Jade, the second son of Libra¡­ Expected to attend the Endex school festival]

    Suddenly, articles about Jade of Libra attending the festival were popping up in the media.

    Ding-

    [Trash: Hey. What are you doing right now?]

    She ignored Trash¡¯s message without a second thought.

    Regardless of Jade¡¯s reputation and abilities, he¡¯s a big shot. He doesn¡¯t have a clear job, but being the direct descendant and second son of Libra, his name alone far surpasses any average Senator.

    If we were topare him to a celebrity, he would be a superstar. His actual antics are also close to those of a celebrity.

    ¡°Why would Jade suddenly¡­ Could it be?¡±

    Her eyshes fluttered slightly.

    That monkey-like human? Did Shion the monkey invite Jade?

    Elise read the news in detail.

    ¡°¡­30 minutes.¡±

    The running time of the y is 90 minutes, but he says he¡¯ll only stay for exactly 30 minutes.

    Of course, that¡¯s enough time to gather people. The ticket prices will naturally rise, and the level of celebrity will suddenly increase. Not only Senators, entrepreneurs, and almost-famous celebrities who want to exchange a word with Jade, but also ordinary people who want to see his rumored perfect face will flock.

    Ding- Ding- Ding-

    Her smartphone spat out alerts as if in agreement. It was obvious without looking. They would be messages asking for tickets.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    What a mess for a high school festival. Elise sighed.

    ¡°There are only three days left.¡±

    Although she suddenly felt tired because of Jade, this was also an opportunity to showcase herself.

    She had to do well.

    She had to do better than anyone else.

    Because her father mighte.

    Of course, she had already memorized all the lines. She had already nned all the movements. She had matched the harmony every day. She had prepared the magic Artifact to enhance the stage.

    The preparation for the y itself was perfect.

    However, if there was one problem¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise picked up the sheet music.

    ¡¸The Bard¡¹ itself is conducted in Edsimonnguage, but there is a part where they sing in Latinel.

    La Vercit.

    The pronunciation of this song keeps tripping me up. As the level of celebrities increases, so will the number of people who recognize Latinel proficiency.

    If I make a mistake, it will be spun around in a very elegant manner in their social circles.

    ¡°¡­I have no choice.¡±

    She picked up her smartphone, ignoring the messages that had piled up like a trash can.

    [Latinel Tutor]

    She found the tutor in her contacts. Initially, she thought of calling him.

    However¡­.

    A thought crossed her mind.

    She scrolled down a bit more.

    At the very end of her contacts, a certain pany¡¯ that she had saved a while ago.

    Elise looked over her shoulder for no reason and sent a message.

    [Can I ask something?]

    The reply came back immediately.

    [At Your Service: Please speak.]

    ¡°At Your Service¡±.

    The ce that ghostwrote La¡¯s Latinel assignment.

    It¡¯s nerve-wracking to actually put in a request, but it¡¯s anonymous anyway.

    [I am a student majoring in vocal music. I have to sing a specific Latinel song for this college entrance exam, could you possibly write down the pronunciation for me?]

    [Sheet Music File]

    [This is the song.]

    Elise sent the request while hiding her identity.

    [At Your Service: It¡¯s possible. I can write down the pronunciation of La Vercit in Edsimonnguage and send it to you. The advance payment is 1,000 Ren, and thepletion payment is 1,000 Ren.]

    It hurts her pride, but it¡¯s the easiest and quickest way to learn the pronunciation by attribute.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise was about to reply immediately but paused for a moment.

    She fiddled with her smartphone screen for no reason, pulling the scroll up and down.

    [Could you possibly sing the song directly and send it as a file? I can send you the MR file.]

    In the end, she added more to the message.

    Seeing is believing. Hearing it directly and reading it as a character have a heavenly difference.

    Of course, there were pop singers who sang La Vercit, and she had obtained that file, but the pronunciation was not quite right.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s no reply.¡±

    Also, Elise still harbors some suspicion towards this ¡¸At Your Service¡¹.

    She subtly asked other magic high guys, but thispany was not in other magic highs.

    In other words, it only exists in Endex, so the possibility that the person behind this is an Endex student is not zero.

    Rather, it¡¯s the most likely.

    The candidate is, at least as far as Elise knows, only one.

    A person who is very good at Latinel, but is so poor that they can indiscriminately sell Latinel-rted knowledge.

    Shion Ascal.

    Ding-

    [At Your Service: That¡¯s possible, but it will cost an additional 10,000 Ren.]

    A total of 12,000 Ren.

    That¡¯s about half of her monthly allowance.

    [I¡¯ll pay.]

    [At Your Service: Please send the advance payment of 6,000 Ren in the form of a department store gift card.]

    Elise made the payment through her smartphone and sent it.

    [At Your Service: Payment confirmed.]

    [How long will it take?]

    [At Your Service: Due to a backlog of orders, it could take a day or two. However, if you want priority, you can pay an additional 3,000 Ren and it will be done within 1-2 hours.]

    [I¡¯ll pay.]

    It¡¯s a bit unsettling to give an advance of 9,000 Ren to apany whose face she doesn¡¯t know, but La has been using this service for every Latinel ss.

    The reliability is sufficient.

    She made an additional payment of 3,000 Ren in department store gift cards.

    [At Your Service: Please wait a maximum of 2 hours.]

    Elise sank into her chair. She waited, staring at the ticking clock.

    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t really be him.¡±

    A student at Endex who is so good at Latinel. No matter how much she thinks about it, she can¡¯t think of anyone else.

    If he is the owner of ¡®At Your Service¡¯-

    [At Your Service: It¡¯splete. Here are the voice file of La Vercit and the sheet music file with the pronunciation in themonnguage.]

    [Voice File]

    [Image File]

    It arrived in just an hour. Elise first plugged earphones into her ears. She immediately yed the voice file. With her arms crossed, she listened, analyzing the pronunciation and song.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with this voice.¡±

    It¡¯s not so amazing that she would exim in admiration, but above all, the timbre is deep and the pronunciation is perfect.

    At least it¡¯s not Shion Ascal.

    It¡¯s good enough to be used as her own textbook.

    Elise put one hand to her ear. With the other hand, she took notes on the sheet music while listening to the song from [At Your Service].

 Chapter 88: Before the Festival (2)

    <strong>Before the Festival (2)</strong>

    Thekeside behind the old building.

    [Thank you for using our service.]

    Ipleted the request with a reply.

    ¡°Ah, my throat hurts.¡±

    La Vricet. In themonnguage, it¡¯s ¡®Lonely You.¡¯

    I tried my best to mimic the voice of a famous musical actor in my Memory who sang the same song.

    Of course, it won¡¯t be exactly the same. My timbre and his would be mixed half and half. But my pronunciation would be much better.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    A voice suddenly came from the bushes. I was startled and turned around.

    Soliette was standing there. Her expression was as usual, emotionless.

    ¡°¡­Did you hear?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Fortunately, it seemed she didn¡¯t hear.

    Soliette walked over with long strides and sat on the stone seat across from me. She seemedfortable, as if it was her seat all along.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She silently stared at theke. She quietly followed the tiny moonlight scales trembling on the waves as if they would shatter.

    After a while, she murmured quietly like a sigh.

    ¡°¡­To track Knightmare, we need to investigate the people Knightmare has killed.¡±

    It was something I had said once. I nodded at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She clenched her fist. She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. But¡­¡­¡±

    Her lips, which were about to say something cheerfully, faltered and stopped.

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    She couldn¡¯t dare to continue, and hung her head low. She hid her expression, but I thought I knew why.

    Perhaps, she was afraid that Jared and Felix might have a ¡®secret¡¯ that she didn¡¯t know about.

    Like Berry, some ugly aspect might be revealed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about those two.¡±

    I said nonchntly, picking up a pebble from the forest. Soliette quickly raised her head. She asked in a trembling voice.

    ¡°Did you already investigate them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I threw the pebble into theke. It flew and caused a small ssh.

    ¡°I know those two as well.¡±

    Jared and Felix.

    When I was a freshman, they were seniors, considered promising six-star students.

    When I was ostracized, they were idols that everyone looked up to.

    ¡°They¡¯re too good.¡±

    They are people who don¡¯t disregard others, don¡¯t judge arbitrarily, and can see the most beautiful light contained in even the most insignificant person.

    ¡°¡­As you know.¡±

    Some people can illuminate their surroundings just by existing. Like a star that emits its own light and warms others.

    Jared and Felix were such people.

    ¡°The two of them are just as you know.¡±

    I looked at Soliette.

    When I talked about them, for the first time, Soliette looked into my eyes. She looked at ¡®me¡¯pletely. Her blue eyes were soaked in memories.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate people you already know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Soliette got up from the stone seat. She turned around immediately. Pretending to stretch, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ahead today.¡±

    Without showing her face, she walked down the forest path.

    I looked again at thekeside.

    I heard the sound of her departing footsteps.

    Suddenly, scenes from a distant past surfaced.

    When I was with Jared, when I was by Felix¡¯s side, Soliette, who used to smile as innocently as a child.

    A sight I happened to glimpse once, yet it remains vivid in my memory.

    Back then, I found the scenery fascinating. It felt slightly surreal.

    Because it was a story from a world too far away for me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I picked up a pebble in silence. I threw it swiftly into theke. Plop- small droplets sshed.

    ¡°¡­¡­This is all I amount to.¡±

    This is all I amount to.

    A pebble causing tiny ripples in theke.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t have even tried to stand in for them. I shouldn¡¯t have dared to harbor such ambition.

    Oveing a person is, after all, that person¡¯s responsibility.

    Oveing a person doesn¡¯t mean you can be them.

    Because I am not a star.

    Soliette felt as if her heart was shattering. As if her chest was being torn apart. Her face involuntarily contorted, and her limbs kept copsing.

    This pain was too unbearable because it had been too long. It was too distressing because it had been too long.

    Jared and Felix came to mind.

    The time spent with them was longer than the time she had been alone.

    She thought they would be together forever.

    The faces of those who left before her surfaced before her eyes.

    All the moments she had taken for granted pierced her heart like a de.

    ¡°¡­¡­Fuck.¡±

    What should have been memories became pain. The stories that should have been shared withughter turned into tears.

    They were dead.

    Murdered by Knightmare.

    Now she can never meet them again, never see them again.

    Soliette loved them.

    The love she didn¡¯t realize when they were together, separation made her understand.

    She loved her own flesh and blood, Jared, and longed for Felix, her long-time friend.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡­¡±

    She has to suffer.

    Even if theye to mind again and she can¡¯t do anything, she can¡¯t avoid it.

    She can¡¯t bury the pain because it¡¯s scary. She has to endure this de-like storm.

    Just as Shion Ascal said, they were good people.

    They were too precious to simply forget, to simply bury¡­¡­

    ¡°Sniff.¡±

    Soliette blew her nose. She rubbed her swollen eyes. Tears flowed from the tip of her nose.

    As she wiped them away, she unknowingly smiled.

    It was a snorting, bovine-likeugh.

    Then she cried again. She covered her face with both hands and buried it in the ground. She trembled without making a sound.

    Scratch- Scratch-

    In that utterly miserable moment, the sound of writing came from somewhere.

    The sound of a pencil scratching on a notebook.

    Soliette nkly lifted her head. She couldn¡¯t see anything. The sand on the ground was stuck to her tears, turning into mud.

    Soliette wiped her face with both arms. The dirt on her arms made her face and hair even messier.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    She cursed as she pulled up her Magic Body. The heat burned everything that clung to her body. Only then could she see ahead.

    On the ground, a fallen notebooky.

    [Let¡¯s meet again on Thursday. I¡¯ll teach you Latinel then. You teach me martial arts.]

    [And since I took a break this week, I¡¯ll only take 3/4 of my sry. There won¡¯t be any such discount from next week.]

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Seeing that, her heart sank a bit.

    Payday was soon.

    In other words, she had to find another 20,000 Ren. Of course, she could sell the luxury goods piled up at home, but since she had to lie about her identity, she kept getting ripped off. Anyone would see that she was buying something worth 30,000 Ren for 3,000 Ren¡­¡­

    Well, there¡¯s nothing she could do.

    She would have to try not to get ripped off.

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Soliette, who had blown her nose, walked again.

    Monday. Festival D-2.

    This is the Palette Theater of Endex. In the theater, which boasts as many as 2,300 seats, the staff are installing various ¡®Artifacts¡¯, including a silver curtain.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot.¡±

    These are the items for [The Bard], the highlight of the Endex festival on Friday.

    Especially that silver curtain. If you hang it behind the stage, you can direct the y like a drama or a movie.

    That curtain is an Artifact that sprays mana three-dimensionally around it, so the entire background of the stage bes very vivid as if it were real. Scene transitions also be incredibly free.

    When you turn it on, will the scenery here change as if it were a real pce?

    ¡°Hey. If you¡¯re not going to work, just go.¡±

    The voice felt as if a needle were pricking against the skin.

    Already calloused, it didn¡¯t hurt or sting, but thanks to that feeling, the identity of that voice was clear.

    ¡°What.¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s Elise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see everyone working now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s a lot for a high school y.¡±

    ¡°Just go. Get the hell out.¡±

    Honestly, I don¡¯t want to be here next to Elise either.

    But what can I do? If something goes wrong, she could get her head chopped off.

    Then I would be a loser who can¡¯t keep a promise to a benefactor, even though I¡¯m a regressor.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey, but. Can I ask you something?¡±

    But before that, let¡¯s think. Let¡¯s deduce.

    If the underworld guys are nning to exploit the power vacuum that urs during the festival, they will target the time when the crowd is most concentrated.

    Anyone can see it¡¯s Friday.

    The y ends on Friday, followed immediately by fireworks and a masquerade from 7 p.m. to midnight.

    If Elise has a schedule to leave Endex before then, it¡¯s almost certain.

    ¡°Do you have any ns after the y ends?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t answer. I asked her again, who had her mouth tightly shut.

    ¡°Do you have any ns?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise whirled around to look at me. Her face was full of annoyance, but there was also a mix of disgust and suspicion.

    ¡°Right after the y ends, I¡¯m going for a Magic Tower experience. For two nights and three days. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, I wouldn¡¯t have time for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    I clicked my tongue.

    Elise was right.

    It was clear once I heard it.

    A Magic Tower experience essentially requires a reservation. At least a few months in advance.

    Elise had deliberately booked a Magic Tower experience during the festival season, a rest week, and that information had leaked out.

    Probably, Berhalsi would be targeting the route Elise would take to the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Before you go. Can you spare a little time?¡±

    I asked her that. If she could give me even five minutes, I could somehow hold her back as much as possible.

    ¡°If you have nothing to do, go and post some flyers.¡±

    Elise reached out into the air. Then, hundreds of flyers flew and stuck to her hand.

    ¡°Go. If you¡¯re not up for it, you can even rent a mascot costume somewhere.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I epted the flyers she handed to me.

    ¡°If I finish everything, can you give me 10 minutes? After the curtain call, in the dressing room.¡±

    At that, Elise nced at me with contemptuous eyes. How dare someone like you? That kind of face.

    Ah, it¡¯s infuriating. Should I just punch?

    ¡°What are you looking at.¡±

    ¨C It was at that moment.

    Thud-!

    Suddenly, the Palette Theater went dark. Then the silver curtain expanded.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±

    I unconsciously admired it. Elise also nodded her head in satisfaction.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s done~

    ¡ªp p p!

    ¡ªThey said it¡¯s thetest model, and it¡¯s true. Our theater¡¯s curtain isn¡¯t even this vibrant.

    The entire stage had transformed into a royal pce. It¡¯s almost like a magic space, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Go and post some flyers. From Wednesday, do some promotion too. Then I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    Elise said that and went up on the stage. I looked at the flyer in my hand.

    [Friday at 7 p.m., Palette Theater.]

    [Come watch the y ¡®The Bard¡¯. A surprising story for everyone, directly delivered by the Bard. At Your Service.]

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. I should do it.¡±

    After all, if the y goes well, it¡¯s good for me too. Because it means more money to donate to the Orphanage.

    I tucked the bundle of flyers into my arms.

 Chapter 89: Before the Festival (3)

    <strong>Before the Festival (3)</strong>

    It was Wednesday.

    The official start of the festival.

    The main gate of Endex was wide open, and the streets were filled with stalls and guests, but Elise¡¯s theater team was still rehearsing and practicing.

    Eight actors and eighteen staff members gathered together, focusing to the utmost on the script and continuity.

    Thanks to the reputation of the attending dignitaries, the actors, and the staff were highly motivated.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s take a little break and start again from the beginning.¡±

    As the day¡¯s first practice was ending, La brought a towel, pping her hands.

    ¡°Wow Elly~ You sing so well~¡±

    Elise wiped her sweat with the towel. The Duke, who was virtually the second protagonist¡ªMiller, also apuded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Especially your singing pronunciation has improved a lot. How did that happen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the result of practice.¡±

    A learning efficiency that was surprising even to Elise herself. It was thanks to the too-perfect tone and too-perfect pronunciation of [At Your Service].

    Miller said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved this much in such a short time through practice? Are you a genius? Your pronunciation seems better than Stephanie¡¯s.¡±

    Elise barely suppressed the corners of her mouth that were trying to twitch.

    After all, being fickle is the mindset that should be avoided the most in life.

    By the way, Stephanie is a famous musical actress.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±

    She sat down on the sofa for a moment to rest. She immediately plugged earphones into her ears and yed [At Your Service]¡¯s La Vercit.

    It was not a simple appreciation.

    She is not a sentimental person who is fascinated by something. Instead, she is a rational person who analyzes and deconstructs the emotions she feels.

    Therefore, while listening to [At Your Service]¡¯s La Vercit, she finds her shorings and devises ways to improve them.

    She was a little tired of listening to it all day, but the more she got tired of it, the more curious she became.

    Who is [At Your Service], after all?

    He must be a person overflowing with culture. He might be a professor who is proficient in literature. Or he might be a fallen schr who guards lost knowledge.

    Yes, the fallen schr is the most persuasive.

    It makes sense that he is distributing flyers in Endex since he is short on money and is selling his knowledge without hesitation. It fits the puzzle.

    Moreover, look at the emotion and tremor of the tone now ringing in her ears.

    What kind of story is held there, and what twists have led to such depth? The more she chews on it, the more curious she bes¡­¡­

    That thought came to her while reviewing the 4-minute-long La Vercit.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elise. Can we postpone the second practice for about 10 minutes?¡±

    When Elise took out her earphones, the Duke, no, Miller asked.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I have an urgent call. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    She nced at Miller. He was holding his smartphone with both hands. Perhaps he got a call from his master.

    ¡°Yes. Go ahead.¡±

    Elise said nonchntly.

    ¡­¡­.

    Mel Elstrom, the only son of the eldest son of the Elstrom family, had his pride wounded.

    And that happened twice.

    The first time was at the prestigious Selenacio Literature Academy against Elise.

    Mel had never once beaten Elise in the ten years since he entered the academy as a student.

    Of course, the gap wasn¡¯t so close as to hurt his pride, and everyone at the academy expected Elise to be the top student, but still.

    That was that.

    The second time was at the College Board; against who was it?

    He still couldn¡¯t remember the name of the bastard who had hit him in the back of the head with a cowardly method. Thanks to him, he suffered the terror of falling to the middle ranks in that assignment.

    But the Elstrom family is not a family that just takes it.

    An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

    He will repay the grudge, and mercy is at his disposal.

    Mel was going to strictly follow that family motto.

    ©¤Really, I just have to do as you say?

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    The conspiracy and mockery urred in the heart of the Elstrom mansion from a smartphone.

    ©¤It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you¡­ Libra ising too.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay~ You just have to be hospitalized. No. What are they going to do? You were hospitalized after an ident.¡±

    Mel¡¯s Elstrom family has a significant influence in the field of culture and arts, especially in theater, musicals, and movies.

    The ¡®Elstrom Brothers¡¯, ran by his family members, is a major filmpany that shakes the film industry.

    ©¤¡­So, I just have to get into a traffic ident.

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ We¡¯ll take responsibility for your career at Elstrom. You know, right?¡±

    Therefore, there are many ways to gain the favor of a college student dreaming of bing an actor.

    Just insert him into a blockbuster movie that is about to kick off.

    ©¤Then really hit me with a car. Make it about 5~6 weeks of hospitalization.

    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±

    ©¤You have to do that much to avoid suspicion.

    ¡°Hahaha. Got it.¡±

    The person on the call is Miller, a national university student of Edsi¡¯s Theater and Film Department.

    Mel had captured him, who had an essential role in this Elise¡¯s y.

    The role is some Duke or something. He doesn¡¯t know well, but it¡¯s an indispensable role, as important next to the protagonist.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely hit you. You won¡¯t be suspected at all.¡±

    ©¤¡­Then I¡¯ll also go to the movie audition. Keep your promise. At least a supporting role. You understand, right?

    ¡°A supporting role? Lead. Supporting. We¡¯ll see then.¡±

    ©¤Yeah! Thank you. I have to go now. If I¡¯mte, they¡¯ll suspect.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Mel ended the call. He sank his whole body into the massage chair with his smartphone down.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­¡±

    He muttered with afortable smile.

    ¡°Elise, and¡­ what was that name. Anyway, both of you are screwed.¡±

    I¡¯m standing in the middle of the festival. It¡¯s definitely the Endex campus, but there are many non-students, and they all seem to be dressed up. The festive sound naturallyes out of my mouth, the only one dressed in a doll costume.

    ¡°Festival.¡±

    ©¤We¡¯re doing a magic show! Magic show! A pure magic show with no Magic Spell!

    ©¤Come see the circus~

    ©¤Hotteok for sale~

    There are a lot of freshmen, clubs, and organizations. That hotteok guy who gave it to Gerkhen Kal Doon and charged me 2 Ren.

    Anyway, there will be little happening on the first day. Elise will be in the theater almost all day for practice.

    ¡°¡­¡­So this is why I became a solicitor.¡±

    I¡¯m voluntarily soliciting.

    The theater flyers I got from Elise are already posted all over Endex, and now I¡¯ve put on a bear costume.

    ¡°Ah ah. Ah ah.¡±

    After clearing my throat, I was about to spit out the words, ¡®We have a y at the Palette Theater on Friday. Come buy tickets.¡¯

    ¡°Friday at the Pale-¡±

    ©¤Ah ah! Ah ah! Everyone! How much do you know about Magic Space swordsmanship?!

    The echo of a loudspeaker swallowed my voice.

    ©¤Is there anyone here who can make me move even a single step?

    It was a rather annoying voice.

    From the tone to the way of speaking, it was rather annoying.

    ©¤The challenge fee is 10 Ren. If you can make me move even a single step, I¡¯ll give you ten times that!

    It was the rather annoying Asher.

    ©¤Ah yes. I am Asher. The official disciple of Granden Mirror Swordsmanship Academy and the former president of the ¡®Sword Sword Sword¡¯ club¡­¡­ Ah, a photo? Of course!

    Seemingly promoting his old club, Asher is gathering passersby.

    ©¤Any challengers? Challengers? If you can make me move even a single step here, I¡¯ll give you ten times the amount!

    Asher said, shaking his wooden sword.

    For reference, that guy is an elite 5-star prospect who inherited from the Granden Mirror Swordsmanship Academy. He can¡¯t match Gerkhen Kal Doon or Soliette, but he¡¯s strong enough to beat most college students.

    ¡°Can I try?!¡±

    ©¤Yes, yes. Come on.

    There were a few enthusiastic civilian challengers. They swung their wooden swords at Asher, but Asher easily blocked them.

    ©¤During the festival season, please visit the ¡®Sword Sword Sword¡¯ club at Melon Hall. You can experience swordsmanship and buy souvenirs; if you¡¯re lucky, you can see me, Asher.

    With one hand, he casually blocks the wooden swords swung by the challengers, and with the other hand, he promotes through the loudspeaker.

    It was annoying for no reason.

    Should I try it too? I¡¯m already in disguise.

    I approached him.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Oh~ This time, it¡¯s a cute bear.¡±

    Just as one challenger stepped down, Asher pointed at me.

    The spectators chuckled. I handed 10 Ren to an Endex junior who looked like a club member.

    ¡°Oh~ The bear is challenging. Here. Take this. You should be a little nervous.¡±

    Asher, grinning, threw me a wooden sword.

    ¡°Come on. Do your best.¡±

    I loosened up my body with the wooden sword in hand.

    If I were to lightly estimate the odds, it would be hard to win if he turns on his Magic Body.

    Suppose he doesn¡¯t turn on his Magic Body, of course. In that case, I can crush him with mybat experience and athletic ability.

    Right now, Asher was barehanded.

    ¡°Why are you so scared? Go ahead, do your worst.¡±

    Asher spread his arms wide.

    I took a step forward and swung my wooden sword. Whoosh¡­ as slowly as possible. In slow motion, like an ordinary person who had never learned swordsmanship.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Watching my tortoise-like swordy, Asherughed, and I seized that moment to strike hard and fast.

    ¡°!¡±

    Asher hastily raised his wooden sword. But it was toote. The sudden change in speed of my strike knocked his sword away, and naturally, his feet left the ground.

    I reached out my hand. Give me 100 Ren.

    ¡°Ah¡­ um. You¡¯re pretty good. Ha, ha. Ha ha. Ha.¡±

    Asherughed. There was a smile on his face, but the corners of his mouth were trembling. He must have been pretty pissed off.

    ¡°Alright. You made me take a step back, so 100 Ren. But let¡¯s do this. If you win again in a rematch, I¡¯ll give you ten times that.¡±

    Asher took out ten 100-Ren bills and handed them to his junior.

    ¡°The rules are the same. Just make me take a step back. Then, you can take 1,000 Ren.¡±

    Is he thinking of activating Magic Body?

    I scanned him from top to bottom. There was no sign of magic.

    Well, he does have some pride, after all.

    As I nodded, Asher twisted his lips.

    ¡°Alright. The duel is on. But this time, I won¡¯t let my guard down. You seem to have learned some tricks.¡±

    Whether you let your guard down or not, I have many ways.

    If the first was to break your guard with a changing sword, this time, the Severing Sword breaks the norm.

    I ced my wooden sword at my waist.

    ¡°Oh~ Have you been watching dramas or something? Sword drawing techniques, they¡¯re all illusions. Besides, you don¡¯t even have a scabbard; what kind of sword drawing technique?¡±

    As Asher said, Unsheathing is just a ¡®technique to draw the sword quickly.¡¯

    But what makes Soliette¡¯s Severing Sword different?

    Simple.

    It¡¯s because magic ignites at the moment the sword is drawn.

    However, even here, the Severing Sword defiesmon sense.

    The ignition of magic in the Severing Sword is embedded in the act of ¡®Unsheathing¡¯ itself.

    Since the explosive power of magic is entirely embedded in the ¡®action,¡¯ the Severing Sword releases the sword at a speed no form can be calcted¡­.

    I gripped the handle of the wooden sword. I thrust the sword as it was. Asher also raised his sword without letting his guard down, but a st urred the moment the des touched.

    Kwaaaaak©¤©¤!

    ¡°Huuk-!¡±

    A suffocating sound was expelled. He screamed and flew, whirling into the air, burying himself in the park¡¯s flower bed.

    ¡°Uh, uh¡­.¡±

    The eyes of the passersby were focused on him, who was nted like grass.

    I reached out my hand to Asher¡¯s junior. He hastily handed over 1,000 Ren. I roughly stuffed it into the doll mask.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s a bit refreshing.¡±

    The hand holding the wooden sword feels nice and firm. The impact is outstanding. It could be because the opponent is Asher.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I need to eat something.¡±

    But just one Unsheathing left mepletely empty. It¡¯s the worst fuel efficiency, but what can you do?

    Now that I¡¯ve made some easy money let¡¯s quit soliciting and enjoy the festival.

 Chapter 90: Before the Festival (4)

    <strong>Before the Festival (4)</strong>

    Thursday at midnight. Under the dazzling sky, fireworks are still popping by the quietkeside of the Endex district.

    I am waiting for someone.

    No, someone was already there.

    ¡°What¡¯s up.¡±

    Soliette dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. She was lying on the grass just beneath the stone bench.

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    Her smartphone was fixed before her eyes, her fingers busily surfing themunity.

    ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°20 minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why did youe early?¡±

    ¡°Because the view is good.¡±

    Bang-! Bang-!

    Then the fireworks exploded again. Soliette seemed uninterested. She said she came here because the view was good.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the festival?¡±

    ¡°What is there to do¡­ What did you buy so much for?¡±

    Soliette, who lifted her face, opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°I cheated a sucker.¡±

    I bought one of each type of festival food: chicken, hotteok, fish-shaped bread, roasted potatoes, chicken ribs, tanghulu, and so on.

    ¡°Do you want to eat some too? You should at least feel the atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Soliette put down her smartphone. She quickly got up, dusted off the grass on the back of her head, and stretched out. I also put a hotteok in my mouth, put the food together, and ced it down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    Today is the day I learn martial arts from her.

    ¡°Is it really martial arts?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Arkne¡¯s martial arts. In other words, the way she moves her body. I intend to watch and learn.

    It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t seen her using martial arts in the future, but I haven¡¯t seen her using martial arts.

    Why?

    Because that Soliette just stood still and swung her sword. Yet, no life could withstand more than three chains.

    It¡¯s real.

    At least not within my memories.

    ¡°Can you teach me the basics first? The martial arts that can be the backbone.¡±

    ¡°The basics? What are you talking about after killing a monster with your bare hands.¡±

    ¡°I was in a dispel state then.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well. Usually, the first is stepping, and the next is Body Flow. Arkne¡¯s martial arts are based on this Body Flow and stepping.¡±

    I¡¯ve heard of it.

    I¡¯ve only heard of it.

    ¡°Stepping is literally the way to move your feet. The cirction of the lower body¡¯s mana is important.¡±

    ¡°Mana cirction?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it ultimately One Belt, Four Lines?¡±

    I asked doubtfully. Soliette sternly refuted with a stern face.

    ¡°Martial arts is what you learn from childhood. At least our Arkne martial arts have nothing to do with One Belt, Four Lines.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Then my academic enthusiasm also surged.

    Before regression, Soliette had already severed ties with the family and abandoned everything of Arkne, and I had never considered that.

    ¡°Show me.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The basis of stepping is the cirction of the lower body¡¯s mana. Mana should be circting whether you¡¯re walking, running, sitting, or even sleeping.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you show me a little bit of that cirction?¡±

    I prepared the SZX-9500.

    Of course, no matter how advanced the SZX-9500 is, it can¡¯t see through the human body. However, it can faintly observe the flow of mana within the body.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette drew up the mana in her lower body.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Definitely, it¡¯s not One Belt, Four Lines. Without any lines, the magic power is just naturally circting in the lower body.

    It¡¯s simr to the concept of ¡¸Embodiment¡¹, but it¡¯s different because there is a ¡®structure¡¯ within that mana. My Mana Heart is just mindlessly pumping out mana.

    ¡°I understand. Up to here is cirction. What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Fixation. You hold it in ce.¡±

    Soliette put strength into her thighs. The moment she did, the magic power was held in her muscles.

    I pressed my eyes into her leg. Observing closely, I nodded my head.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s definitely different.¡±

    ¡°If One Belt, Four Lines is added to this, it bes like this.¡±

    A ¡®line¡¯ clearly urred. The mana particles held in the muscles stuck to the line and shone together like leaves sticking to a tree branch.

    ¡°Of course, in the state of Magic Body turned on, this martial art bes even stronger¡­¡­ Aren¡¯t you too close?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah.¡±

    I quickly stepped back a few steps. I almost smelled her skin.

    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t realize.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, once you master stepping like this, your steps will be nimble.¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette took a side step, a shuffle. That one-step-to-the-left-and-right thing.

    ¡°Watch.¡±

    Fshhhhhhh¡ª¡ª

    The shuffle became incredibly fast. Even heat rose from the ground.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡±

    I admired. Soliette, who stopped her movement, nodded.

    ¡°You really haven¡¯t learned this before, have you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been¡­¡­ a beggar until now.¡±

    This kind of exnation should be enough. Because I was actually a beggar.

    Whether it¡¯s magic power, martial arts, or academics, I¡¯ve never received systematic education.

    ¡°But you have that level of strong body.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ strong body?¡±

    Instead, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned systematically.

    ¡¸Embodiment¡¹ taught by my master Theia Esil. She taught me Embodiment and Mana Heart breathing method even while analyzing ancient papers.

    ¡°Then. Shall I try it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Try it. Slowly.¡±

    First, I let the mana flow into my lower body. Up to here, it¡¯s not much different from ¡¸Embodiment¡¹. My Mana Heart pumps mana into my whole body 24/7 like a heart.

    Next is ¡®anchoring¡¯.

    When it seems like the mana is mixing between muscle fibers and circting, I firmly- anchor it.

    In this state, I take a side step like Soliette.

    Pa-ba-ba-ba-

    At first, it wasn¡¯t particrly fast, and there was reasonable buffering. Still, after stepping a few times, the step became familiar.

    But the result.

    Pa-ba-ba-ba-ba-bat-!

    I managed to roughly follow along. The pavement didn¡¯t burn, but it did char appropriately.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    I turned to look at Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t say anything.

    Her eyes, looking at me, were foreign. Her pupils suddenly drained.

    Did something go wrong? It¡¯s unnecessarily grim.

    Cough. I asked again, clearing my throat.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Soliette swallowed.

    ¡°I just saw from you¡­¡­¡±

    Before she could open her mouth, she nodded her head first.

    ¡°I saw the genius halo.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    For me, it was an absurd statement.

    Last time, she said I seemed talented, but now a genius halo? Did I level up or something?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t add anything more. She was also at a loss for words, probably for a different reason than me.

    ¡°¡­¡­The genius is you.¡±

    Regarding talent, Soliette could be rated as the pinnacle in the 300-year history of the Arkne family.

    ¡°No. It took me a week to learn this stepping.¡±

    ¡°At what age?¡±

    ¡°Six.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±

    I¡¯m just following her, and the limit is clear. Whether it¡¯s martial arts or swordsmanship, the higher the level, the more you need the assistance of ¡®Magic Body¡¯, and the capacity of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ will eventually be filled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Try it again.¡±

    Soliette opened her eyes wide. A bit too wide to the point of being burdensome. Like a baseball.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of pressure.¡±

    ¡°If you see a diamond rolling on the street, you would react the same way.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t rolling on the street.¡±

    ¡°Do it quickly. My eyes hurt.¡±

    Soliette furrowed her brows.

    I followed the stepping again.

    Pa-ba-ba-ba-bat-!

    I seeded more smoothly than before, and Soliette¡¯s eyes blinked.

    ¡°I can see it. That halo is shing. Do you really not want to learn swordsmanship? Even Arkne would wee you.¡±

    ¡°You do your best. You¡¯re the greatest talent in Arkne history.¡±

    Before my return, she abandoned Arkne. Shepleted her Severing Sword as a result, but that shouldn¡¯t have happened.

    She should have stayed in Arkne.

    ¡°What are you talking about again. Don¡¯t bullshit when you don¡¯t know.¡±

    Soliette scrunched up her face.

    ¡°What. You are the greatest talent.¡±

    The one who canplete the origin of Arkne swordsmanship.

    A talent that can break through the extreme.

    That¡¯s Soliette.

    ¡°Did you see my father¡¯s interview? That¡¯s bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Why would I watch your father¡¯s interview¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­Soliette. You can reach the extreme of Arkne. You can achieve what the ancestors of the family couldn¡¯t.

    For a moment, a deep voice echoed in my ears.

    Igris, Soliette¡¯s father. The voice of that time when he called Soliette, who had cut off from the family.

    Why was this Memory triggered all of a sudden?

    ¡°Anyway. Your stepping is already wless. Next is the Body Flow. If you master these two perfectly, you can acquire ¡®Lightness Skill¡¯. Let¡¯s move on to the Body Flow-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop for today.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what did you say?¡±

    Soliette scrunched up her face.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but I already feel a strain on my body. Stepping is indeed aplex and challenging technique, and the process of observing and learning is quite burdensome.

    Even the capacity of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is consuming as much as 6.

    It¡¯s not for nothing that they say Soliette is a genius.

    ¡°I need to eat.¡±

    I need to recover.

    My recovery is through food.

    I tore into a chicken leg. I ate a whole potato. I chewed on tanghulu. I ripped into chicken thigh meat. I ate a fish-shaped bun. I chewed on a hotteok. I tore into chicken breast meat. Soliette red at me withser-like eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯rezy, you.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about. Did you buy the Latinel textbook?¡±

    For reference, this education is an exchange. I teach Latinel, and Soliette teaches the techniques.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette took out the textbook from her duffel bag.

    ¡°Did you buy it this time?¡±

    ¡°It was in my father¡¯s study.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    It¡¯s strange. Soliette, who is close to her father, or at least has yet to cut ties, is unfamiliar.

    Even now. Of course, they¡¯re not exactly in a father-daughter rtionship.

    ¡°Let me see.¡±

    I looked at her textbook. There was definitely some wear and tear.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start from the first chapter.¡±

    I said, chewing and swallowing the remaining chicken.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Kaedeius Radeoman. It means the emperor¡¯s man.¡±

    ¡­20 minutester.

    ¡°Are you a blockhead?¡±

    Unable to hold back, I blurted out, and Soliette pouted her lips.

    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t make sense. Why is the usage so inefficient?¡±

    Throughout the 20 minutes, Soliette only repeated this.

    Isn¡¯t it inefficient? It¡¯s inefficient. It¡¯s inefficient. It¡¯s inefficient-

    ¡°Just ept it and memorize it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s why it seems like there¡¯s no progress.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of developing a deadnguage? Just memorize it if I tell you to.¡±

    What¡¯s so efficient, and what¡¯s so inefficient.

    ¡°Memorize all these words by next week.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯rezy, but you¡¯re good at giving homework.¡±

    Mumbling under her breath, Soliette stuffed the Latinel textbook into her duffel bag.

    Iy down silently on the grass. I was quite sleepy. It was a side effect of moving my body intensely.

    ¡°¡­Do you check themunity?¡±

    Suddenly Soliette asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Look at this.¡±

    A smartphone appeared before my eyes.

    [Sound of a eating bamboo]

    Chomp chomp chomp- A is eating bamboo.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s interesting.¡±

    I responded without thinking, but something was strange.

    Where did Soliettee from?

    I turned to look next to me and was surprised. At a distance where our bodies could almost touch, Soliette was lying down.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    My heart thumped slightly, but I couldn¡¯t be fooled.

    Soliette was just indifferent.

    I¡¯m not as naive as I used to be. I¡¯m not an immature man who thinks about grandchildren just because our fingertips are touched.

    ¡°This too-¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to rest, so don¡¯t show me weird things.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She was about to push her smartphone toward me but quietly withdrew it.

 Chapter 91: The Play (1)

    <strong>The y (1)</strong>

    [Endex¡¯s Mysterious Bear Investigation]

    On Friday morning, precisely at 07:35:33, a video was uploaded to YouTV.

    It was a video of Endex¡¯s ¡®5-star promising yer¡¯ being thoroughly crushed by a mysterious examinee.

    ¡°What the hell is this? It¡¯s embarrassing. You idiot. Wow¡­ It¡¯s getting smashed so deliciously.¡±

    Kain chuckled as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. This damn video had somehow made it to YouTV¡¯s trending page, and it spread to almost allmunities in no time.

    ¡°But it was damn different, right?¡±

    Asher shot back, tearing at his hair.

    ¡°If you join, you¡¯ll lose, you idiot.¡±

    ¡°Did it seem like an active duty?¡±

    ¡°¡­Probably. He¡¯s not even a college student. At least a 4th rank.¡±

    It¡¯s definitely active duty.

    But aren¡¯t the active duty guys busy these days? There are a lot of dungeons and stuff. Why would theye to the Endex festival and cause a mess?

    ¡°4th rank is bullshit. So, what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­First, I¡¯m going to take down the video.¡±

    I¡¯ve already told my dad¡¯spany¡¯s legal team.

    If such malicious videos spread, it can damage the image in the future. These days, branding is so important. If you want to sell signature shoes, swords, armor, and the like, you must take down such videos.

    ¡°Whether you take it down or not. Hey, when was Elise¡¯s y?¡±

    Kain asked. Asher also checked his watch.

    ¡°¡­It starts at 7, so we have 7 hours left. Ah¡­ but who the hell is it? Honestly, it¡¯s my first time meeting such a master.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re a novice?¡±

    ¡°Ah, shit. Really.¡±

    Asher red at Kain. Kain avoided his gaze.

    ¡°It was a real master, okay? If you get hit once, you¡¯ll go straight to hell, you idiot. Won¡¯t you know if you watch the video? Look at it yourself.¡±

    Asher showed him his smartphone.

    The first attack was strange, like a snake. It was definitely very slow, but suddenly it got fast.

    ¡°This Changing Sword, honestly, I was off guard?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    ¡°But look at this shit.¡±

    The second one?

    It wasn¡¯t a joke.

    It was ¡®real¡¯.

    Just by Unsheathing, his guard was utterly broken. The timing was ultimately stolen, and there was no chance to respond.

    Literally a master.

    A master who creates and unfolds his own swordsmanship.

    ¡°It seems so¡­ but I think I¡¯ll win?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you son of a bitch, really annoying-¡±

    ¡°Huh? Hey. There¡¯s ament.¡±

    Then Kain¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Whatment.¡±

    ¡°Look.¡±

    He showed Asher thement window.

    [Verios: Ohhh]

    Verios. Edsi¡¯s second-ranked knight and a major YouTVer with 5.8 million subscribers. A man who can be called a superstar among many famous knights on the continent.

    When such a celebrityments on a video, what happens?

    The views explode~

    ¡°¡­Ah, why the hell is this person©¤©¤!!!!¡±

    Asher screamed.

    Thest day of the festival, Friday.

    Endex was a spectacle from every angle. Tourists who hade from afar to enjoy or observe, couples, friends, and college students sought every nook and cranny of Endex, and the students thirsted for their attention and wallets with all sorts of attractions.

    In this way, the vast grounds of Endex were dyed in a full-fledged festival atmosphere, but Elise had no interest whatsoever.

    She had no intention of enjoying the festival, nor did she have the time to.

    With the y only six hours away, the Palette Theater was busy preparing for the final rehearsal.

    The ticket price was a hefty 60 Ren, quite expensive for a high school festival y.

    However, it was all sold out, and even scalpers had attached themselves to the good seats. Jade of Libra yed a significant role.

    Elise was curious.

    Perhaps, her father alsoe to see her?

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    She became increasingly nervous as she thought about it, so Elise took deep breaths. Right now, mind control is more important than practice. Calm your mind and body peacefully¡­

    ©¤What?! No, what the hell is that?!

    A sharp sound echoed from the back of the theater. It was a shout that sounded like a window breaking. Elise and the other actors also turned in that direction. It was the primary staff in charge of sound.

    Elise narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Thank you. I almost regained peace-¡±

    ¡°Big trouble, big trouble! Miss Elise!¡±

    The staff almost screamed as they ran towards her. Only then did Elise realize something was wrong.

    ¡°Mil, Miller is!¡±

    ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t make a fuss. Tell me calmly.¡±

    Elise calmed the staff down.

    She didn¡¯t know what was happening, but this frantic behavior wasn¡¯t pleasant.

    ¡°Miller, on his way here, he had a car ident!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes bulged. An unexpectedly loud voice surged from her Magic Core.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    After checking the surrounding reactions, she cleared her throat.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I also, I also just received a text!¡±

    The staff showed the screen on their smartphone. There were pictures of a horribly crumpled car and Miller being taken to the emergency room.

    ¡°¡­He should have taken the subway.¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth. Suddenly, a headache came on. Miller, Miller, Miller. She repeated his name and looked around the theater.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    All the actors and staff were focused on her. They were just blinking their eyes, clutching their scripts.

    ¡°What should¡­ we do?¡±

    One of the staff asked Elise. Even the always-innocent La came over with a worried face.

    ¡°¡­Elly. What do we do? Are we doomed?¡±

    ¡°Doomed¡­ sigh.¡±

    Elise finally sighed. The back of her head was hot. It felt like she had been betrayed in a big way, and thanks to that, it felt like she could start a fire if she lit a match.

    ¡°What do you mean? What do we do.¡±

    Miller ys the role of the Duke, the second most important role after the protagonist. Without him, the y cannot proceed.

    He¡¯s the ¡®spoiler character¡¯ officially recognized by the author, Shion Ascal.

    There was no apparent solution.

    ¡°The y should be¡­¡±

    Cancelled.

    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish the sentence. She closed her eyes, clutching the script in her hand.

    They had worked so hard.

    At first, it was for Sermones Laeterni, but real passion had grown as time passed.

    She had even neglected her tutoring to put effort into it. All that hard work, just to be ruined by an ident¡­

    ©¤At that moment.

    ¡°What are you worrying about?¡±

    A voice, nonchnt as if it was no big deal, drifted from somewhere. Elise turned to look. Shion Ascal was leaning against the wall of the Palette Theater.

    ¡°Think about the loss if you quit the y. Just do it.¡±

    When did he show up again? Suddenly appearing and spouting such nonsense.

    Elise shook her head as if frustrated.

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even know the script you wrote. How are we supposed to do this without the Duke?¡±

    We can¡¯t just cast someone right away. The Duke requires not only acting skills but also a decent knowledge of Latinel. He has to hum Latinel for about 30 seconds and mix various Latinel words into his lines.

    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s my script.¡±

    Shion climbed onto the stage. He spoke while scratching his ear.

    ¡°So, I can do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

    Elise looked at him. His eyes were calm. Full of ease and confidence.

    But it wasn¡¯t a suitable solution.

    ¡°Whether you wrote the script or someone else did, it has nothing to do with acting. Acting is different from Latinel-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Shion Ascal. In his mind, he had the musical that had already recorded a hit with the public.

    He had gone over the y¡¯s script countless times while writing it.

    His repetition was not ordinary repetition.

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    He had memorized all the acting of the actors at that time.

    Because he had memorized it, he could imitate it.

    ¡°However.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­However?¡±

    Elise furrowed her brows. What does he mean by ¡®however¡¯? We¡¯re doing this y together.

    Shion, who had taken a step closer, whispered softly.

    ©¤After the y ends. Lend me ten minutes of your time.

    Elise shuddered slightly. Goosebumps ran up her ear. Her back felt creepy.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    She quickly wiped her ears. Swish- swish-

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Shion looked at her and made a face as if contemting momentarily.

    To speak or not to speak. He stroked his chin as he thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a force nning to kidnap you during the festival. So either cancel your Magic Tower tour schedule, or if you¡¯re going, make sure to have a lot of escort knights in the sedan.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking like a lunatic.¡±

    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me. This is the problem. Even when I try to help, you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°Are you a lunatic?¡±

    Although she said that, Elise felt like she knew.

    What he wanted from her, what he desired.

    Elise was familiar with this situation.

    She knew how to respond in such situations and how to use them to her advantage.

    ¡°Fine. Ten minutes.¡±

    It meant she would lend him ten minutes. At this, Shion also let out a sigh of relief.

    This lunatic he¡¯s strangely honest at times like this. That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more chilling.

    ¡°But the y has to be sessful. You could ruin the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Possibly.¡±

    Just then, a staff member came up. Thinking the conversation was over, he handed Shion the script.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the script.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t need the script. I¡¯ve memorized it all. I wrote it, after all.¡±

    Then, other staff members swarmed onto the stage. They professionally checked Shion¡¯s face, hair, clothes, skin condition, eye condition, and so on.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the hair. Let¡¯s go get it cut. I know a hair salon nearby.¡±

    ¡°Why the hair-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dirty.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Shion touched his hair. It had grown a bit dirty.

    After all, it¡¯s been almost three months since he shaved it off.

    ¡°We might need to shorten the length of the stage costume. Or should we add some insoles?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another costume. That would suit you better. Shion, you¡¯re surprisingly well-built.¡±

    ¡°What? Is that apliment or an insult?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. We need to get you to shower first¡­¡­¡±

    The staff members discussed amongst themselves and took Shion somewhere.

    Elise looked around at the actors, who were quite confused. Sasha, a college student among them, asked worriedly.

    ¡°Elise, will it be okay? We¡¯ve been practicing for two weeks¡­ Honestly, my career is at stake, and if he ruins the y, it would be devastating.¡±

    Elise felt the same way.

    A man who was too unreliable to fully trust, yet asionally showed a sharp side that made it hard topletely distrust him.

    ¡°We have no other choice.¡±

    Above all, there was nothing they could do now.

    She shrugged her shoulders and muttered.

    ¡°Trust him. At the very least, when ites to Latinel, that man is the best here.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure about anything else, but this was a definite fact.

 Chapter 92: The Play (2)

    <strong>The y (2)</strong>

    Two hours before the start of the y [The Bard].

    Elise was looking down at the first floor from the second floor of the Palette Theater.

    Endex was on the verge of bursting. Even in the evening, when the dusk slowly descended, the streetlights were bright, and people were everywhere ¨C inside buildings, in parks, onwns, at street stalls, everywhere.

    ¡°Elly! They¡¯re about to start letting people in! It¡¯s a full house!¡±

    La, who was next to her, was bouncing around.

    The 600 pre-sold tickets and the 1,600 tickets sold on-site. They were sold out.

    Almost all of the remaining 100 VIP seats were upied, so in front of the theater now were luxury cars, a red carpet, bodyguards, and reporters lined up.

    It was fitting for the festival of Edsi¡¯s top prestigious magic school.

    ¡°¡­¡­Where¡¯s Shion?¡±

    Elise asked about Shion Ascal first.

    ¡°He just arrived! But he¡¯s in the dressing room right now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    As time passed and the event approached, Elise became more anxious.

    Could Shion Ascal perform the y well?

    Realistically, it¡¯s tough. Some people have only memorized a few lines and screams after practicing every day for two weeks.

    Right here.

    ¡°¡­¡­La. You¡¯ve memorized all your lines, right?¡±

    She asked out of sudden anxiety. La looked at her incredulously.

    ¡°Elly, stop biting your nails. You seem more nervous than me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She kept biting her nails. It was a habit she had barely corrected when she was young. This is the first time she has been so psychologically cornered recently, other than PTSD.

    ¡°What¡¯s Shion doing in the dressing room? Makeup?¡±

    ¡°The makeup is all done. But Shion said he needs to prepare a bit more. He said something about jogging his Memory¡­ Oh, I¡¯m nervous.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He was the one who confidently said that he didn¡¯t need to memorize the lines.

    Still, the Duke only appears in the second act. He has a little more leeway if he needs time than the other actors.

    About 30 minutes?

    ¡°¡­¡­Start getting ready now. You too, La.¡±

    The final rehearsal is impossible, anyway. Thanks to some useless guy who got hit by a car on the day of the y, just five hours before the start. He should have been hit earlier if he was going to get hit. He should have just died.

    ¡°Yeah. Oh, Asher and Kain are here too. Should I call them for a bit?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°I have to be the Bard. So can you leave me alone?¡±

    Method acting. She ns to slowly immerse herself into the script from now on.

    In the actor¡¯s dressing room of the Palette Theater. I¡¯m sitting alone, looking in the mirror.

    The reflection in it is simr to the Duke in my Memory.

    I asked for the makeup to be done that way on purpose. Even while drawing a picture.

    ¡°The face looks pretty good.¡±

    The man who yed the Duke in this [The Bard] in the past became an overnight star in the musical world with just the role of the Duke.

    His Duke was so fiery, inscrutable, mysterious, cold, and charming.

    Now I have to follow him. I have to go on stage and Manifest his Duke through Method acting.

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    It¡¯s going to be difficult. It¡¯s going to beplicated. As a regressor, I wonder why I¡¯m even doing this y.

    Anyway, Duke is aplex character. His very existence is vital.

    In the y, Bard starts by killing the Minister of Internal Affairs, then a baron, a prince, a queen, and a king. Still, he confronts Duke in the final bloody pce and has a bold conversation.

    Through this conversation, Bard realizes.

    That Duke was the one who killed Bard¡¯s mother.

    That he recognized the Bard at first sight.

    And yet, the Duke used him to kill the king and queen, to swallow up the kingdom.

    Enraged, the Bard fights Duke and pushes him to the brink of death, but then, as the final twist and ultimate climax¡­

    Please enjoy the rest in the theater.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m annoyed.¡±

    Suddenly, I was irritated. A sigh slipped out. I resented Miller.

    ¡°That crazy guy should have just taken the subway.¡±

    Why did he have to drive in this traffic? What kind of trouble is this because of him? ying an actor that¡¯s not even in my destiny¡­

    Let¡¯s just focus.

    Resenting him won¡¯t bring that college bastard, no, that college boy back to life. Of course, he¡¯s not dead but in the hospital.

    I wish he would just die.

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    More importantly, is there any coffee?

    Even instant coffee would be nice. It would be good to have a cup of coffee.

    While I was looking around the waiting room.

    Knock knock-

    ©¤Shion! There¡¯s an hour left until the y starts! The audience ising in now!

    La said from outside the door.

    ©¤Are you ready~?

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m ready. Hey. Can you bring me a cup of coffee?¡±

    ©¤Huh! Coffee! Got it!

    La quickly disappeared and then quickly reappeared, flinging the door open.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee! Caf¨¦tte¡­¡­¡±

    She offered me the coffee and looked at me. Her eyes slowly widened. She shuddered. The coffee in her hand sloshed.

    I asked.

    ¡°What. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re not Shion! Who are you!¡±

    Suddenly, La yelled.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    I snatched the coffee from La¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­What. Are you really Shion?¡±

    Those suspicious eyes scanned me up and down, then she pursed her lips and made a smile-like expression.

    ¡°Oh wow¡­¡­ when you dress up, you¡¯re kind of-¡±

    ¡°Shut up and get out. Let me focus.¡±

    ¡°-Aaah!¡±

    I chased La out. I put thette on the table.

    Let¡¯s do the doping before the y starts.

    SETABLAX. The windows are all enchanted so that you can¡¯t see inside from the outside. Still, from the inside, you can clearly see outside¡ªeven magnified like a magnifying ss. It¡¯s a luxury enchanted sedan.

    Jade changes dozens of sedans depending on his mood that day, and this one is particrly favored on the ground.

    ¡°Like roaches.¡±

    Inside, Jade muttered as he looked out the car window at Endex¡¯s correctional facility.

    There are a lot of people.

    Like cockroaches emerging from their eggs, Endex during the festival season was swarming not only with families, lovers, and tourists, but also journalists.

    Self-proimed ¡®celebrities¡¯ who visited their alma mater, Endex, were also amon sight. They seemed to be escorted by bodyguards, but to the ¡®real aristocrat¡¯ Jade, they were just noisy.

    The fuss made by these insignificant nobodies was irritating. Their moving limbs, brushing clothes, smiles revealing teeth, all of these things annoyed Jade.

    ¡°Sir Jade, there are many cameras and journalists.¡±

    The chauffeur said, slowing down the sedan.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    He wanted to just get out, but the rules of the family were absolute.

    The Libra n should never be the subject of mere media or massmunication.

    For that sole purpose, an artifact was developed, invented, and advanced solely by Libra.

    ¡°Stop at an appropriate ce.¡±

    In other words, ¡®choose a point that you can be the center of attention.¡¯

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The chauffeur, understanding perfectly, slowly moved the sedan right in front of the VIP red carpet.

    Jade fiddled with the ne in his pocket.

    The top-tier diamond artifact, ¡®Sea Mist of Heaven.¡¯

    When worn, no camera, whether it¡¯s a smartphone, lens, or film, can capture the wearer¡¯s figure. It only appears as a faint mist.

    The reason why no media can find a photo of a direct descendant of Libra is all thanks to this artifact.

    For Jade, it was a ¡®reason.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s suffocating.¡±

    Jade muttered as he put on the ne. He was dissatisfied with this constraint. Leaving the wless appearance of Libra for future generations should also be a duty of an aristocrat leading the nation.

    Even though the eldest son, eldest daughter, and youngest child were highly reluctant to engage in external activities, Jade was the only one who especially liked to roam outside.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get off.¡±

    Five minutes before the start of the y. Jade spoke when he felt that the outside attention had somewhat concentrated.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The chauffeur got off first.

    Kyaaa-

    A tremendous admiration and cheer slightly seeped in as the front door opened and closed. Jade smirked.

    Soon, the chauffeur opened the back door for him. Jade got off as calmly as usual. There was a red carpet right in front of him. As soon as he stepped on it, the whole area fell silent. They were shocked by his appearance.

    As Jade took his second step-

    ©¤©¤©¤Kyaaaaaaa!

    A cheer close to a scream rang out. There were screams purely praising him.

    Themoners on earth were vulgar and pitiful. Still, such an experience should asionally be allowed as a reward for their trivialbor and life like a hamster wheel.

    Jade walked the red carpet more like a model than a model.

    ¡°Sir Jade, this way.¡±

    The bodyguards hired by Endex guided him to his seat. It was a well-decorated VIP seat.

    As expected of his alma mater. The treatment of guests was not bad for a high school festival.

    As soon as Jade sat down, the self-proimed celebs flocked to him.

    ¡°Sir Jade, you really came?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor. Do you remember the incident with the Knightsst week?¡±

    ¡°Sir Jade, you are always perfect whenever I see you¡­¡­.¡±

    There were sessors ofrge corporations, renowned knights, and movie actors who often appeared on the screen.

    It seemed like they had gathered people of a simr ss, but they were all infinitely trivialpared to Libra.

    ¡°Sir Jade. I heard that the Libra Knights are holding a selection process these days. Are you choosing a direct escort knight?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°I heard that the Limto mine is about to reopen. It seems like a tremendous amount of mana stones will be produced. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°An estimated 100 million tons.¡±

    While Jade was casually responding to small talk,

    ¡­Click.

    The sound of a switch being flipped echoed, and the stage went dark. The chatter of the audience gradually subsided.

    Jade rested his hand on his chin nonchntly. The y hadn¡¯t even started yet, but he checked his wristwatch.

    Only one minute had passed.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤

    The sound of the wind blowing could be heard, and as the stage lit up, the silver curtain imbued with mana began to disy the scenery.

    Everywhere the eye could see transformed into a park.

    A pond sprang up, and the park was filled with the chirping of birds.

    In the middle of it all, an actress made her appearance. With each click-ck of her footsteps, her aura rippled.

    A woman of such elegance and beauty that even Jade raised an eyebrow.

    Elise Petra.

    Her presence captivated the audience¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 93: The Play (3)

    <strong>The y (3)</strong>

    [Act 1]

    On stage, Elise spoke.

    ©¤Have you been waiting?

    Her voice was soft. It flowed smoothly into the ears.

    ©¤I am The Bard. Sometimes I cross the line at the tavern¡­

    She didn¡¯t say much, but the audience was already drawn. There was even a celebrity with a sullen expression, envious for no reason. Jade silently rested his fingers against his jaw.

    ©¤Would you like to hear my story? But you must listen to the Bard¡¯s story with one ear and let it flow out the other. You shouldn¡¯t dwell on it too much.

    She recited her wordy-like song lyrics as if she was having a conversation with the audience. She approached the front row directly and asked questions, even making eye contact with Jade.

    At her audacious demeanor, Jade chuckled.

    ©¤Stop!

    However, a man appeared, interrupting her words. The Bard looked surprised and turned to him.

    ©¤Are you the famous Bard?

    ©¤¡­Famous, you say? I¡¯m the only Bard around here with that name attached.

    ©¤I am the Viscount of Zng. His Majesty wishes to see your performance. It¡¯s a great honor for you, so prepare to leave¡­

    The scene on the stage then changed to a royal pce, and the white-haired king greeted the Bard.

    ©¤Bard, wee to the pce. I heard your melodies have spread to the outskirts of the kingdom, so I called for you. Can you perform a delightful show here as well?

    Characters appeared beside the king. The chambein, the interior minister, the Viscount of Zng, the prince, the queen.

    The Bard carefully examined each of their faces, reciting slowly.

    ©¤The gods have given me seven bundles of stories. If you allow me to unravel one story a day, I will finish all the songs here and then leave.

    ©¤Very well. Stay.

    Jade quietly watched the y.

    He had no particr thoughts.

    Of course, the quality of the magic school y was somewhat high, but the story itself was in and would continue to be t. After all, the Latinel y [The Bard], which is this y¡¯s original, is like that.

    Jade looked at his wristwatch again.

    It was the fourth minute.

    He had told the press he would stay for 30 minutes, but it would be eptable to leave earlier.

    ©¤Then, I will start the first song¡­

    The Bard sang a song. It was a rhythm simr to a musical. Jade¡¯s ears almost perked up, but it seemed to be a teaser, and the stage changed as the curtain fell.

    It was a dark corridor.

    The next character to appear was the maidservant. She held a note in her hand.

    ©¤Who on earth¡­

    The maidservant walked down the corridor with an anxious face.

    ©¤¡­Who is spreading the story of that day? I must inform the queen quickly.

    Although La¡¯s tone slightly came through at the end, she continued the serious drama.

    ©¤©¤©¤Tap tap tap!

    Suddenly, from the back of the audience, there was a sound like a beating in the theater through the surround sound.

    The audience was surprised, and the maidservant turned to look there.

    Her eyes widened in horror.

    Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤!

    A vivid scream shook the stage. It was a shriek that made the back of the neck stand up, but what followed was more imminent.

    Thud! Suddenly, someone appeared and stabbed the maidservant in the heart. A dagger protruded from behind her chest.

    ©¤Gurgle, choke¡­

    The assant pulled out the dagger. The maidservant, frothing at the mouth, staggered and fell. Holding the de in reverse, the attacker forcefully struck down on the maidservant¡¯s neck.

    Zzzzzzuck¡ª! The sound of a neck being severed.

    Drip, drip, drip, drip¡­ The sound of blood flowing.

    The tant murder scene and the blood covering the stagepletely changed the y¡¯s atmosphere. It was overwhelming.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The theater fell silent. The audience, including Jade, was momentarily stunned.

    After a short while, the entire stage was enveloped in darkness.

    Could it be a real murder? The audience began to worry one by one due to the overly realistic sequence.

    BOOOM©¤©¤©¤!

    With the sound of thunder, the lights came back on.

    This time, it was a dark window with heavy rain pouring down.

    It was the pce corridor. The maidservant¡¯s neck had been severed, and there was some writing in blood on the corridor floor.

    ©¤¡­Tsk.

    All the characters, including the prince, the young nobleman, and Bard, gathered beside the Minister of Internal Affairs, who was investigating the murder.

    ©¤What on earth¡­ What does this writing by the murderer mean?

    The young nobleman asked.

    ©¤Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure.

    The Minister of Internal Affairs dodged the question, and Bard stepped forward to answer.

    ©¤Cardious. In Latinel, it means ¡®revenge¡¯.

    ©¤Revenge? Bard, how do you know that?

    ©¤I learned Latinel a while ago.

    ©¤Hmm. You¡¯re learned for a jester. But if it¡¯s revenge, is it the act of an outsider?

    The young nobleman narrowed his eyes. The Minister of Internal Affairs nodded.

    ©¤¡­It seems highly likely.

    ©¤No.

    Again, the Bard stepped forward. The other characters looked at her with displeased faces.

    ©¤There¡¯s a storm outside right now. If there had been an intrusion from outside, there would have been some traces of moisture.

    ©¤So what, the culprit is inside the pce?! Among us?! No way. Bard, since you came, a murder has urred, so you are the most likely suspect.

    The young nobleman made a fuss. The prince¡¯s expression was not good either.

    ©¤I¡¯m just a Bard. Where would I have a reason for revenge?

    ©¤¡­That¡¯s true.

    The young nobleman licked his lips.

    The Minister of Internal Affairs spoke.

    ©¤¡­It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll call the soldiers to guard the scene, so please wait until dawn. His Majesty is resting.

    It was a suggestion to resume the investigation when the day broke.

    Everyone nodded.

    One by one, they left the stage, leaving only the Minister of Internal Affairs alone, gently looking at the murdered maidservant.

    ©¤Revenge¡­

    He murmured softly, staring at the Latinel word written in blood on the floor, when suddenly,

    Thud- something fell.

    The Minister of the Interior turned to look.

    Rain poured in through the suspiciously open window, and a wet note seemed to have fallen through the gap, rolling on the floor.

    ©¤What¡­

    The Minister of Internal Affairs, while suspicious, slowly approached and picked up the note. He cautiously unfolded it.

    ©¤Isabel¡­ Isabel?!

    The note bore someone¡¯s name. The Minister of Internal Affairs trembled as he gazed out the window.

    Screeeeech!

    A crossbow bolt shattered the window, charging in.

    Thud!

    A thick arrow lodged in his chest. As he clutched it, barely breathing, another bolt struck him.

    Cough, cough, cough¡­

    He fell t on the floor. Blood flowed from his chest and head. Wind and rain poured in through the shattered window, realistically sprinkling the audience watching the y.

    The Minister of Internal Affairs and the maidservant. Both died within 10 minutes.

    Twenty minutester, another one died.

    The third victim was the Marquis of Zng, whom Jade thought had an important role, no, had concluded was the ¡®culprit¡¯.

    Marquis of Zng!

    Under the raging storm.

    Hey dead, bloodied, on the pcewn.

    The audience watched with wide eyes. Their mouths moved like goldfish, and they were as quiet as mice.

    It had been like this since 20 minutes ago. Everyone was immersed in the y.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not Zng, then who¡­¡±

    Even Jade was murmuring to himself.

    It was even more surprising as someone who had previously experienced ¡°The Bard¡±. It was 180 degrees different from the y in his memories.

    ¡°Jade.¡±

    However, while Jade was deducing the culprit and predicting the story.

    The chauffeur approached and whispered.

    ¡°30 minutes¡­¡±

    It was a reminder that the promised 30 minutes had passed. Time had flown by.

    Jade nced at him with an annoyed look.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Of course, Jade had said she would only stay for 30 minutes. He really had to go.

    If he stayed longer, articles about ¡®Jade with nothing to do¡¯ would circte.

    This was not Jade¡¯s delusion. Johanna, or Derek. Knowing their personalities too well, they would create such trivial public opinion to get on his nerves.

    So, he couldn¡¯t sit here and watch the entire y.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early. It would be rude to leave now.¡±

    However, he was sitting here because it would be impolite.

    If he got up right now, not only would it disrupt the y, but it would also disturb the other audience members who were focused on the y.

    That, too, would be against the dignity of a noble.

    ¡°When Act 1 ends.¡±

    Fortunately, there is an intermission in the y. A break for the actors and audience to catch their breath between Act 1 and Act 2.

    ¡°Leave then.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will prepare so you can leave immediately.¡±

    The chauffeur quietly left the theater.

    Marquis of Zng!

    Behind the curtain. While the other actors were performing on stage, Elise was catching her breath, waiting for her turn.

    ¡°Elise, you¡¯ve done incredibly well so far.¡±

    Just then, a staff member approached and brushed off the dust on her face and the lint on her clothes.

    ¡°The Duke ising soon.¡±

    The Duke.

    A key character who appears in thest five minutes of Act 1.

    The most critical moment was approaching the stage that had been perfect so far.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Just think of him as Miller and continue. If Miss Elise leads well, Mr. Shion should be able to do a decent job. We¡¯ve made his visuals quite impressive.¡±

    At the staff¡¯s words, Elise nodded her head. She rxed her body, which had been tense for a moment.

    ¡°We¡¯re going up soon. Get ready.¡±

    ©¤The Baron has also died. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Bring everyone out, excluding His Majesty and the Queen. Right now. It¡¯s the prince¡¯smand!

    Just then, the prince delivered his lines.

    ¡°Now. Bard is going up!¡±

    With the staff¡¯s signal, Elise went back on stage.

    As soon as she took a step, a rainy yard, and a 2,300-seat audience spread out in front of her.

    ¡°Look, the Bard ising.¡±

    Under the rain, the prince, narrowing his sharp eyes, looked at her. Elise, bing the Bard again, approached him.

    ¡°Did you call for me, Your Highness the Prince?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I did. Did you see this?¡±

    The prince pointed at the corpse of Marquis Zng. The Bard put her trembling hands on her chest. The prince¡¯s lips curled up.

    ¡°¡­¡­The Marquis is also dead. Now, weave your favorite detective tale.¡±

    The prince sneered.

    ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    Suddenly, his servant approached urgently and whispered. His whisper was loud enough for the audience to hear.

    ¡°The Duke has just arrived.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The Duke?¡±

    At the same time as his line, a chilling background sound echoed loudly throughout the theater.

    Boom©¤!

    Unusual darkness descended at the end of the stage, and the audience¡¯s attention was focused.

    A nobleman slowly reveals himself for the first time from the dim distance.

    ¡°Yes. That Duke bastard was here too¡­¡­¡±

    The prince, looking at him, paused for a moment. Elise also turned to look and widened her eyes.

    It was Shion Ascal. But he was different from before.

    His previously messy blonde hair was neatlybed back, and his eyebrows were trimmed, making his overall impression calmer. His golden eyes were more vivid, perhaps due to lenses, and the dark nobleman¡¯s suit fitting his body perfectly created a strange atmosphere.

    He didn¡¯t look like Shion Ascal.

    Instead, he was eerily simr to the ¡®dangerous image¡¯ of the Duke that Elise had unconsciously imagined every time she read the script.

    ¡°Duke, Du, Duke. You were here too. No, where have you been this entire time? Where?¡±

    The prince, perhaps surprised, stuttered quite a bit in his lines, but it was forgivable as an ad-lib.

    After all, The Duke was a character even the prince feared.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Without a word, he scanned all the extras on stage, including the Bard and the prince, and then walked to the center of the stage.

    He twisted his lips as he looked at the horribly murdered Marquis Zng.

    It was a sneer.

 Chapter 94: The Play (4)

    <strong>The y (4)</strong>

    ©¤Where have you been all this time, Duke?

    The prince asked The Duke again. But The Duke did not respond. He merely nced at the corpse of Marquis Zng, the blood, and rain scattered on thewn, and slowly bowed his head. He closed the dead Marquis¡¯ eyes with a stern look.

    His gentle gesture was strange. Just 5 seconds ago, he was sneering at the sight of the dead Marquis, but now he was gentle.

    ©¤¡­Bard. You said the culprit is in the pce.

    The prince seemed to give up on The Duke¡¯s answer and looked at the Bard again.

    ©¤It was a simple matter when I thought about it. Look here.

    The prince smirked and looked around at the extras on the scene ¨C the servants.

    ©¤The murders started after the Bard arrived. So, who should we suspect?

    The servants¡¯ attention was all on the Bard. Their gazes were full of suspicion.

    ©¤It¡¯s simple, isn¡¯t it, Bard?

    ©¤¡­I¡¯m just The Bard who sings songs and recounts stories.

    ©¤Ha! Nonsense. It was suspicious from the start that a mere jester knew Latinel.

    ©¤I learned it from a nobleman who was an audience.

    Just then, The Duke stood up. The prince asked him.

    ©¤What do you think, Duke? Don¡¯t you think the same?

    The Duke looked back at the prince. His face was expressionless. There was no emotion or color. He was as pale as a corpse, as empty as a murderer.

    The Duke said only one thing to him.

    ©¤Your Highness, you talk too much.

    At that moment, the prince¡¯s expression hardened. He red at The Duke, shivered, and turned around, his cloak fluttering. The other servant extras followed him.

    Drip¡­ Drip¡­

    In the rain-soakedwn, the Bard was left alone with The Duke.

    She looked at Duke in his immacte formal attire, and Duke met her gaze.

    ©¤¡­Bard.

    He said.

    Not Miller, but Duke of Shion Ascal.

    To Elise, his Duke was so strange and so ufortable. But there was an inexplicable charm.

    Wait a minute, enough to turn the Bard back into Elise.

    ©¤This was lying on thewn.

    The Duke approached the Bard and held out something.

    The Bard looked at it. It was a button. Perhaps, it could be evidence of the murderer.

    The Duke had picked up the button from thewn while pretending to close Marquis Zng¡¯s eyes.

    ©¤¡­It¡¯s not mine.

    The Bard replied. The Duke looked at her with indifferent eyes. There was depth in that dry gaze.

    A silent 5 seconds, with no dialogue flowing.

    When even the breaths from the audience seats were clearly audible.

    Soon, The Duke twisted one side of his lips.

    ©¤I didn¡¯t ask if it was yours. I just said it was lying there.

    The Bard¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly. The Duke dropped the button into the air.

    ©¤It might not be yours.

    Rustle- The echo of the button falling on thewn was unusually loud.

    The reality, the echo and reverberation were so enormous that they stuck in the audience¡¯s ears.

    And so, The Duke exits the stage.

    The Bard hesitantly picked up the button that fell on thewn. She murmured while looking at it, glistening wet in the rain.

    ©¤Could it be. Me¡­¡­.

    Is the Bard the culprit, or is The Duke trying to frame the Bard as the culprit?

    With a sequence of ambiguous nuances, Act 1es to an end.

    The ckout curtain wrapped the entire stage.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    After Act 1, Elise took a deep breath backstage. Not far away, Shion was standing. He was quickly surrounded by staff.

    It was understandable. His appearancested only about 10 minutes, but he stole the scene from beginning to end.

    ©¤Please keep your emotions! We won¡¯t disturb you!

    With those words, the staff retreated, and Shion was left alone. Elise didn¡¯t bother to talk to him.

    But Shion yawned and muttered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    It was a sincere statement.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with him?¡±

    What does he mean he doesn¡¯t want to do it after he¡¯s done everything?

    Anyway, there¡¯s no need to doubt Shion any longer. She just has to keep acting for [Sermones Laerteni].

    And, to be honest, Elise wasn¡¯t that nervous anymore.

    Not only was her body almost entirely rxed, but she also asionally nced at the VIP seats while pretending not to during her performance.

    One seat was empty from beginning to end.

    It was the seat Elise had gifted to her father.

    She nced at it, wondering if he might be in the audience, but he was nowhere to be found.

    He didn¡¯te.

    So, there¡¯s no need to be nervous and prepare to do well. She can do it leisurely. Leisurely¡­

    Elise took a quiet deep breath.

    Intermission.

    The break between Act 1 and Act 2.

    In other words, it was the interval.

    The audience, immersed in the afterglow, sat in their seats for a while and conversed with each other. Not only about the dramatic fun and the spectacr production of the iron curtain but also about who the culprit might be.

    Jade was also itching to talk but soon got up with a heavy body.

    It had already been 45 minutes. He couldn¡¯t dy any longer.

    ¡°Oh, are you leaving, Mr. Jade?¡±

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re busy. That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°I hope we meet again next time.¡±

    Instead of following him, the celebrities in the VIP seats got up to greet him and immediately sat back down. Those who initially acted attached became frugal.

    Of course, some of it is understandable. Even he found it hard to move.

    ¡°Enjoy the show.¡±

    Jade left the theater alone and deste. Outside, a sedan was already waiting. The driver opened the back door and spoke softly.

    ¡°The theater team staff gave a hint. They said there¡¯s a camera recording the y, so they¡¯ll deliver it to youter in video form.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tell them to do as they please.¡±

    It was a fortunate thing to hear.

    After all, it¡¯s only natural to provide this level of service after inviting Jade of Libra.

    Jade got into the sedan. It felt like he had seen an interesting art y for the first time in a long time. Although it felt like he was cut off in the middle of a dump.

    ¡°Cassio. Did you watch the y too?¡±

    The driver was asked.

    ¡°Yes, I was standing behind and watching.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who seems to be the culprit?¡±

    Jade finally voiced what had been nagging at her.

    ¡°I thought the Bard was the culprit all along.¡±

    ¡°Hah. Only a fool would think that. Pretending to close the eyes of the fool, bending over thewn to pick up the only ¡®evidence¡¯. The intention to pass it to Bad and frame him. The culprit is The Duke.¡±

    Jade spoke as if he had deciphered it all. The driver also admired him with all his might.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ You are amazing.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, huh. It¡¯s just trivial.¡±

    He grumbled and sank into his seat.

    His sedan moved away from the crowded festival and headed towards a quiet road.

    In the audience, Soliette was eagerly waiting for the second act. She was surfing themunity on her smartphone.

    [The quality of the y at the Endex festival is unreal]

    She also wrote a few posts. She wasn¡¯t very good at trolling, though.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡±

    Suddenly, a man in the next seat muttered. Soliette nced at him.

    A man with a bandage around his neck and a cap on his head.

    He smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Soliette responded nonchntly. As she was a promising star herself, it wasmon for strangers to pretend to know her like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get more interesting.¡±

    He pulled out a doll from his pocket.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a doll. Thanks to this, the sword fight will feel real.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    He muttered as he shook the doll.

    ¡°This doll is connected to the prince. You can look forward to it.¡±

    He seemed a bit crazy.

    ¡°¡­Ah yes. Is that so.¡±

    Soliette subtly leaned her body to the other side.

    Just then, the curtain opened.

    It was the beginning of the second act.

    [Act 2]

    As the ckout curtain went up, The Bard was the first to be seen.

    -¡­¡­

    The Bard is sitting quietly in her room, staring at the mirror. A note is clenched in her hand.

    It¡¯sbeled ¡®Isabel¡¯. She looks at the note for a while as if she knows something, then carefully folds it.

    Immediately after, the ckout curtain falls and rises again, changing the scene.

    This time, it¡¯s Duke¡¯s room. He¡¯s lying on the bed as if reminiscing about the past, staring nkly at the ceiling in a rxed pose.

    After spacing out, he sits up and gives a hollowugh.

    -¡­¡­Isabel.

    He mutters the name ¡®Isabel¡¯ under his breath.

    Whoever ¡®Isabel¡¯ is, it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s the most crucial key in this y.

    Whooosh¡­¡­

    With the blowing wind, the scene changes for the third time.

    The king¡¯s residence. The queen frowns as she looks at the note in her hand. It¡¯s alsobeled ¡®Isabel¡¯.

    -What will you do?

    The queen asks the king. The king already looks mentally exhausted.

    -What to do¡­ I don¡¯t know. Is she still alive?

    -That¡¯s impossible. Isabel died more than 10 years ago.

    -Ah¡­¡­.

    The king¡¯s face contorted. He moaned as if on the verge of tears.

    ©¤It shouldn¡¯t have been this way. We shouldn¡¯t have driven her away¡­

    ©¤Stop that feeble regret!

    p-! The queen pped the king¡¯s cheek.

    However, the already-aged and sick king¡¯s crying did not stop, and the queen pushed him roughly onto the bed before leaving the room.

    ©¤There¡¯s a phantom of Isabel here. We must find and kill it¡­

    With a face distorted in rage, the queen exits, and once again, the scene changes.

    ©¤Damn it. That bastard!

    This time, it was the prince¡¯s room. The prince was gulping down alcohol from a bottle.

    ©¤Ipetent fools. They can¡¯t catch the murderer who¡¯s running rampant¡­ No. They¡¯re not catching him.

    Suddenly, as if he had a thought, the prince furrowed his brows.

    ©¤The Duke¡­ Could it be him¡­ Yes. Where has that Duke been all this time¡­ Damn it!

    The prince cursed and put a record on the yer.

    The soft sound of Latinel¡¯s song filled the room. Like a luby, the prince took a deep breath and sat down in his chair.

    ©¤Damn that Duke¡­

    Just like that, he fell asleep as if he was sleep-talking.

    ¡­¡­Creeeak.

    The window of the room opened. A murderer wearing a mask that covered his entire face appeared from beyond. He approached the prince and raised his dagger, twisted upside down.

    But.

    ©¤¡­I knew you woulde.

    The prince opened his eyes with a fierce smile. At the same time, the wardrobe opened, and knights jumped out. The knights, fully dressed in te mail, immediately charged at the murderer.

    ng-! ng-!

    The murderer fought them with his knife. Sparks flew fiercely.

    ©¤Die.

    Releasing actual mana, the fight dazzled the viewer¡¯s eyes.

    Gurk-! Grunt-! Gargle-!

    The prince¡¯s knights fell one after another as nned.

    ng©¤©¤©¤!

    But the prince was strange.

    James.

    The senior of Endex, he swung his real sword with all his might.

    ¡°Guh!¡±

    The Bard, Elise was quite taken aback.

    ng-! ng-! ng-!

    The swords shed thrice. Elise was pushed back in an instant. The prince¡¯s weapon was a hefty broadsword while Elise wielded a dagger.

    Not only that, his physical strength was as formidable as if he had activated Magic Body. His swordsmanship was unfiltered and excessively violent.

    As if he was trying to hunt down some beast.

    ng¡ª¡ª!

    The dagger and the broadsword collided. The de was knocked away. Elise¡¯s palm was slightly cut.

    She quickly looked up at the prince.

    His eyes were nk. Completely empty.

    As if he was being controlled by someone.

    ©¤Die.

    Just as he was uttering this eeriemand and about to bring down his broadsword on her head.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    Someone flew onto the stage. He wrapped his arms around her and thrust his sword forward, blocking the prince¡¯s strike.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    A clear spark flew. He immediately counterattacked, pushing the prince back.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She blinked in surprise for a moment, staring at the sudden arrival.

    The Duke.

    Elise, nestled in his arms, well, more urately draped over him, unknowingly sniffed.

    The scenting from him, the warmth transmitted, the touch¡­ it was eerily simr to what she had once felt.

    On the 4th floor of the Holents, in that nightmarish hotel.

 Chapter 95: The Play (5)

    <strong>The y (5)</strong>

    Chaeaeaeaeang©¤©¤!

    When the Prince¡¯s broadsword and the Bard¡¯s dagger first collided.

    Something was off from that moment. The explosion and the sound of the swords were too intense.

    Of course, they were seniors of Endex. They were not ordinary people who perceived real swords as dangerous, so they chose real swords for more vivid visual effects.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Even so, James, who yed the role of the Prince, was too abnormal. His movements were bizarre. Should I say his muscles and joints seemed to be operating independently? Like an emotionless doll, he was literally ¡®hitting¡¯ Elise.

    ¡°It seems too intense. It must be on purpose, right?¡±

    The staff dismissed it as a simple ad-lib, but I activated the SZX-9500. I frowned.

    As I thought.

    There was some bug-like magical entity in the Prince¡¯s essence. It was connected by a line of magic to somewhere in the audience, and if I traced the origin of it¡­

    Noah Lucille, clutching a voodoo doll.

    That crazy bastard.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s not time for the Duke yet.¡±

    The Duke¡¯s entrance was supposed to be next. After the Bard kills the Prince, he witnesses the scene.

    Chang©¤©¤!

    But there was no time. Elise¡¯s dagger had just been knocked out of her hand, and the Prince still lifted his sword with a nk expression.

    He was about to split her head open.

    I quickly jumped out. I intruded onto the stage. I pulled Elise away and blocked the Prince¡¯s broadsword. I rubbed the swords together and pushed him away forcefully.

    Tszuzzz©¤©¤!

    The Prince was pushed back, but he still gripped his sword with a vacant stare.

    I need to put him to sleep without killing him.

    I deployed the ¡®Traversing Sword¡¯.

    A sword that only moves forward. I focused on one point.

    Shu©¤©¤!

    A quiet, condensed stab. The stroke pierced a hole in the Prince¡¯s sword. The broadsword, now hollow in the center, crumbled like sand and scattered in all directions. The exploding fragments caught the stage lights and sparkled in all colors.

    It must have been a spectacr production for the audience.

    The Prince, whose sword was shattered, slowly lost consciousness.

    ¡°¡­¡­Whew.¡±

    I caught my breath. My heart was pounding. My heart was about to burst just from one stroke of Manifestation.

    I looked back at Elise. Her mask had already been torn, and her wounded cheek was touching my chest.

    Her cheeks were quite chubby, making her face look like a squished bun. No, is it swollen?

    ¡°¡­¡­So it was you after all.¡±

    I said to her. It was the Duke¡¯s line.

    Theposition and development had changed quite a bit, but it wouldn¡¯t affect the ending if we continued like this.

    Elise pushed me away with both hands. She also became the Bard again and continued the dialogue.

    ¡°When did you first suspect me, Duke?¡±

    I put my sword in my belt and said,

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter when. I have no intention of interfering with you.¡±

    The Bard¡¯s cheek trembled slightly. This time, it looked like a glutinous rice cake.

    ¡°I propose a deal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A deal?¡±

    The Bard asked with a serious face.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not much different from your performance. It¡¯s just a sword dancing as you sing.¡±

    I pointed to my chest with my finger.

    ¡°I get what I want.¡±

    This time, he pointed again at Bard.

    ¡°You willplete the revenge.¡±

    Thepletion of revenge.

    To me, it sounded quite romantic.

    ¡°Lend me your sword. A sword that cuts better than that dagger.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Bard took a quiet breath before responding.

    ¡°¡­¡­Alright. dly. I will be your sword.¡±

    With that line, the stage momentarily went dark.

    I whispered to Elise, who was right next to me.

    -Is your hand okay?

    Elise responded.

    -¡­¡­Focus on the y. It¡¯s the climax now.

    On the stage, the silver curtain projects the inner workings of the past.

    ©¤¡­¡­Your Majesty, the Queen Mother. I have news that the maid, Bel, is pregnant with His Majesty¡¯s child.

    It¡¯s a shback revealing to the audience the truth that Bard is the king¡¯s illegitimate daughter.

    ©¤Your Majesty, the Queen Mother. Please, let me live with the child¡­¡­

    The Bard¡¯s mother, Isabel, pleading on her knees to the Queen Mother.

    ©¤If you genuinely care for His Majesty, take your own life. You do not deserve to have a child.

    But the Queen Mother, with a cruel face, orders death, and Isabel, with the help of a servant, flees into the night.

    She gives birth to the Bard in a vige far from the capital and spends 12 years with her, but¡­¡­

    ©¤There is a dangerous seed. Isabel. Find her and her child and kill them.

    Immediately after the prince ascends to the throne as the sessor to nip any potential threat in the bud, the Queen Mother once again seeks Isabel.

    ©¤Kill them all!

    The vige is on fire. The knight dispatched by the Queen Mother kills not only Isabel but all the people in the vige, Bard¡¯s neighbors, friends, and even his siblings.

    ©¤Ugh¡­¡­!

    Isabel, her mother, is stabbed in the chest and dies in a hut.

    Underneath the dying woman, the young Bard is witnessing the scene vividly. Two eyes were shedding bloody tears¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­Returning to the present, in the middle of the royal pce.

    The Bard stares at the Queen Mother on the other side of the stage. Between them, countless knights are positioned as if to protect her.

    ¡°Now¡­¡­ it¡¯s time for thest verse of my performance.¡±

    The Bard sings La Vercit¡ª ¡®Lonely You¡¯ to all of them.

    The Latinel song echoes from her mouth.

    The mysterious toneyered on the ominous rhythm fills the theater. The y gradually intensifies.

    Eventually.

    ¡°¡­¡­How was it? My final performance.¡±

    After the song of about three minutes ended, the Bard asked, looking at the bowed king.

    ¡°Father.¡±

    ¡°Your father is already dead. Can¡¯t you see?¡±

    The Queen Mother said. She showed Bard the king¡¯s face directly. Hisplexion had already turned purple, and his throat was dyed ck.

    A small ripple appeared in Bard¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You killed him. Your pathetic revenge swallowed even your father.¡±

    The Bard, on the contrary, smiled and gripped his dagger.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m relieved. I don¡¯t have to kill him with my own hands.¡±

    She charged. Swinging her dagger at the knights trying to stop her, she rushed towards the Queen Mother.

    By the end of the y, the royal pce was already stained with the blood and bodies of knights. Everywhere the eye could see was hell.

    Amidst it all, the queen hardened her gaze at the Bard.

    ¡°¡­Filthy wench. You¡¯ve conspired with The Duke.¡±

    Outside the pce, The Duke was aiding the Bard¡¯s revenge.

    No, the Duke was also running for his own ambition.

    The queen shouted at the Bard.

    ¡°You¡¯re being deceived!¡±

    The Bard silently approached her. With each step, thick blood smeared the floor. She thrust his knife into the queen¡¯s throat, who was about to rant.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ being¡­ deceived¡­ by¡­ the Duke¡­¡±

    Even as she was dying, the queen wed at the Bard¡¯s throat. The Bard watched her death with wide eyes.

    ¡°¡­Gah¡­ ah¡­¡±

    The queen fell backward, spitting blood onto her face.

    Her pulse was already gone.

    Was this thepletion of revenge?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Bard looked at her hands, stained with blood. Her eyes were already filled with emptiness.

    ¡°It¡¯s over. Truly.¡±

    Murmuring like a sigh, she picked up the dagger that killed the queen, and held it towards her heart¡­

    ©¤¡­Cro Bricscal.

    Suddenly, a Latinel song without apaniment flowed in.

    A short humming, about 30 seconds long. A voice humming with perfect pronunciation.

    Bard weakly turned around.

    It was the Duke.

    He walked in grandly and sat on the throne. He mumbled while looking around the pce filled with blood and corpses.

    ¡°Nice view.¡±

    The Bard spoke to him, his voice dry.

    ¡°You got what you wanted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Like the Bard, The Duke¡¯s body was also covered in blood and wounds.

    ¡°Bard, did you get what you wanted?¡±

    At that question, the Bard tried to get up. Trying to answer, he suddenly froze.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Bard stared at the Duke¡¯s sword with empty eyes.

    In an instant, the past rewound behind the silver curtain.

    The death of her mother, Isabel, as seen from under the floor of the shack.

    The sword that pierced her mother¡¯s heart.

    That sword and the one the Duke was holding now.

    They were the same.

    The Bard dumbly looked up at the Duke. She suppressed her swirling anger and sorrow and said,

    ¡°¡­It was you.¡±

    The Duke quietly watched the Bard.

    He was still sitting calmly, but his silence was as good as a confession.

    ¡°It was a rainy day like today, probably.¡±

    He was still sitting calmly, but it was as good as a confession.

    Fire red in Bard¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Bard. Don¡¯t hesitate. Your revenge is alreadyplete. Now you just have to die as a traitor.¡±

    The Bard gritted her teeth. She spoke like a growling beast.

    ¡°You knew. You knew me from the start.¡±

    The dagger she was about to kill herself with, she twisted it towards the Duke again.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I recognized you at a nce.¡±

    The Duke stared at her and got up.

    ¡°I knew what you were going to do. Who you were.¡±

    ¡°Even though you knew¡­¡±

    The Bard shed tears. Seeing her sorrow, the Duke twisted his lips.

    ¡°I did well to spare you. You willingly became a pawn in my chess game.¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡ª¡ª!¡±

    The Bard charged with her sword raised. The Duke also drew his sword.

    ng-! ng-! ng-!

    A brutal battle.

    Swords shing, blood sttering, bones being chipped away.

    With every possible effect brought to life by the silver curtain, this final showdown is dramatically highlighted.

    Chaeaeaeang¡ª¡ª!

    Finally, a sound that shatters the theater.

    The Duke¡¯s sword soars high into the sky at the end of the fierce sh, and Bard doesn¡¯t miss the opportunity.

    He stabs Duke¡¯s heart with his sword.

    Kwazoon©¤!

    The Duke grabs the Bard¡¯s hair, but the Bard twists the sword still embedded in him.

    ¡°¡­¡­Kuk!¡±

    The Duke¡¯s heart is destroyed. The Bard res at Duke, who is vomiting blood from his mouth. His eyes are filled with a terrible hatred.

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±

    However, Duke is devoid of emotion. There is no fear of death, no anger towards Bard.

    With his still impassive face, he speaks to Bard.

    ¡°¡­¡­Do you think you can survive? In this country?¡±

    The Bard tries to pull his sword from The Duke¡¯s heart.

    ¡°If you think so¡­¡­¡±

    The Duke doesn¡¯t let her. Holding tightly to the sword embedded in his heart, he whispers into Bard¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose.¡±

    In the end, it¡¯s the Bard who first lets go of the sword. The Duke, with his dying voice, admonishes him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe those who prattle that nothing remains in revenge. They¡¯re the ones trying to take away what¡¯s most important to you.¡±

    At those words, the Bard¡¯s eyes take on a strange hue. It¡¯spletely different from the empty eyes that once prayed for death.

    The Duke nods, seemingly satisfied with this change.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die. You¡­¡­ didn¡¯t fail.¡±

    Soon after, The Duke pushes the Bard away. Staggering, he leans against the throne.

    ¡°You¡¯ve won, so don¡¯t look back.¡±

    The Bard turns around without a word.

    Leaving Duke behind, she walks out of the pce.

    She never looked back, not even once.

 Chapter 96: The Play (6)

    <strong>The y (6)</strong>

    Elise exited the stage. The script she had been reading ended here.

    The remaining scene was the ending, showing the Bard, who hadpleted his revenge, living again as the Bard.

    ©¤¡­It brings back old memories.

    However, The Duke was still on stage.

    ¡°?¡±

    Elise looked up at him from under the stage.

    Voices from the past flowed from the silver curtain.

    ©¤May I make a request?

    Bard¡¯s mother, Isabel.

    Her words to The Duke.

    ©¤If I am alive, my daughter will always be hunted. She will be caught and killed at any time.

    Isabel already knew.

    As long as she was alive, her daughter, the king¡¯s illegitimate child, would always be hunted by the kingdom. She would be threatened with death for her entire life.

    Someday, she would be killed.

    So she made a request to The Duke.

    ©¤I will offer you my neck, Duke. I don¡¯t know how much amoner¡¯s neck is worth¡­ but if it gets you what you want, please, spare my daughter.

    The Duke, recalling the past, responded.

    ©¤I kept my promise.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s monologue is hidden as a ¡®spoiler¡¯.

    Elise watched thest stage that he didn¡¯t tell her about.

    ©¤You probably don¡¯t know about my efforts, Isabel.

    Numerous scenes shed across the silver curtain like a zoetrope.

    When young The Bard was begging for money on the street, The Duke¡¯s gloved hand reached out to give her a coin.

    ©¤At first, it was because of the promise. If the young girl I willingly saved died, I would have failed to keep my promise.

    When the Bard was in danger of being killed by a robber, The Duke dispatched a knight to save her.

    ©¤Next, it was nothing more than sympathy andpassion.

    When she was freezing to death on the street, The Duke personally carried her to the hospital.

    ©¤But as the days went by¡­

    Duke kept watching The Bard.

    At first, it was because of the promise, then it was out of sympathy andpassion, but the passage of ten years strangely changed Duke¡¯s heart.

    ©¤The reason became ambiguous.

    In the end, it was not out of sympathy. It was not out ofpassion. It was not because of the promise.

    The Duke just watched her from afar.

    Without knowing the nature of the emotion welling up in his heart.

    From when the 13-year-old child became 24, and when he, at 23, became 34.

    ©¤But¡­ when I met that child again, who had be a woman¡­

    On the grassywn of the royal pce, when he faced Bard¡­

    ©¤I realized it. When our eyes met for the first time¡­

    Duke confirmed his feelings.

    ©¤¡­The human heart is truly strange. I didn¡¯t know it until now, Isabel.

    The Duke, who grew up without knowing the human heart, for some unknown reason¡­

    ©¤The daughter, of whom I killed¡­ it seems I¡¯vee to yearn for her.

    He hade to love her.

    The Duke chuckled, igniting a me in his hand and transferring it to the corpses in the pce.

    Whoosh!

    The bodies ignited like firewood.

    Now, his mes would burn the pce and destroy all evidence.

    ©¤I must be a traitor.

    Amid the mes, The Duke¡¯s monologue moved toward its end.

    ©¤The king¡­ the prince¡­ the queen¡­ all of the pce¡­ I killed them, the traitor who dared to plunder the court.

    He didn¡¯t want The Bard to die.

    He hoped The Bard wouldn¡¯t kill herself.

    He prayed that she would live again as The Bard.

    ©¤That is my ce.

    That¡¯s what he had thought from the beginning to the end.

    ©¤Your revenge ispleted because of me¡­

    The Duke looked at the sword impaled in his chest. A pale smile spread across his lips.

    The weapon that almost killed Bard.

    With it in him, she couldn¡¯t kill herself.

    ©¤¡­You must live.

    Amidst the soaring mes and the copsing pce, The Duke closed his eyes. He leaned against the throne and weed death.

    With that, the stage was dyed in darkness.

    His act had ended, and the theater fell silent.

    ¡°Elise. Get ready. The scene will change soon!¡±

    The primary staff member in the director¡¯s role pushed Elise with a cheerful face.

    Perhaps this staff member had been tipped off about Duke¡¯s secret beforehand.

    She took a deep breath. It was a bit of a burden.

    After all, Duke had just turned the y into a one-man show.

    ¡°Go up!¡±

    Elise stepped onto the stage again.

    She faced the audience, all of whom were focused without exception.

    For them, soaked in some kind of sorrow or lingering emotion, she now had to end this y.

    ¡°My story¡­ ends here.¡±

    Elise acted as Bard, shedding a single tear as she thought.

    The original ¡°The Bard¡± that Shion chose was a simple romance.

    She thought he had roughened the romance, adding mystery and murder.

    She was wrong.

    ¡°Am I crying?¡±

    His version of ¡°The Bard¡± was a detective drama and a romance at the same time.

    ¡°Why would the Bard cry? The Bard doesn¡¯t cry even when she¡¯s crying. Don¡¯t be fooled.

    The romance was solely The Duke¡¯s love for the Bard.

    ¡°¡­Everyone, please go. My story ends here.¡±

    After the y ended. Left alone in the dressing room, Elise was looking in the mirror.

    Her reflection was beautiful.

    Her skin was clean and white as jade, without any blemishes, e, ckheads, ormon wrinkles. Her prominent nose was neither too much nor too little, and her eyes, which are said to have the most significant impact on a person¡¯s impression, were beyond words.

    But above all, what Elise was proud of was©¤ her tinum blonde hair. Typically, it has a white and yellow color, like the flesh of a lemon, but when the sunlight shines on it, it glows brightly like a canary.

    The reason she often hears thepliment that she is ¡®elegant¡¯ isrgely due to the role of this hair, added to her beautiful appearance.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise gently closed her eyes.

    Just a moment ago, on the stage of the y, she had thought of Shion Ascal. When she had slightly leaned into, no, slightly brushed against his embrace.

    The touch, the warmth, the smell, they were exactly the same as the ¡®someone¡¯ who had saved her on the 4th floor of the Nightmare Hotel.

    Even if her emotions tried to deny it, her reason was saying so.

    Her senses were backing up that im.

    The person who saved her there was undoubtedly©¤©¤ ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯.

    In such a quiet dressing room, in Elise¡¯s mind, the puzzle was slowly being put together.

    The conversation that Yael and Shion Ascal had once had. Shion¡¯s words about being unhappy because he didn¡¯t match her ideal type.

    Somehow, his attitude seemed to know about her ustrophobia. The way he pretended not to know even after saving her on the 4th floor.

    She opened her eyes again. There was a mirror in front of her.

    Afterbining all these circumstances and looking at her appearance, she had no choice but to admit it.

    He, Shion Ascal was¡­¡­

    Suddenly.

    The door of the dressing room opened. ¡®He¡¯ appeared in the corner of the mirror. Elise let out a small sigh.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave.¡±

    Shion said nonchntly, pretending to be indifferent. Elise bit her lip slightly.

    ¡°¡­Ah. What¡¯s with these lenses?¡±

    He fumbled with his eye while looking in the mirror. He couldn¡¯t even take out the lens. Was he stupid, or was he trembling like this?

    ¡°Ah. My eye hurts.¡±

    Eventually, looking at him taking out the lens, Eliseughed bitterly.

    Now, at this point, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t know.

    There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Hey. I have something serious to say, okay?¡±

    Just then, Shion Ascal also started to get serious. Elise slowly closed her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you before that there¡¯s a force trying to kidnap you, right? That¡¯s true. It might seem like a lie-¡±

    ¡°You.¡±

    She cut off his rambling words. She looked at him and chuckled. His golden eyes, wet with moisture, quietly shook.

    Elise asked, clicking her chin.

    ¡°Do you like me?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    He opened his mouth halfway. He stretched out his neck. He tilted his ear slightly. As if he didn¡¯t even know what he had heard.

    ¡°What¡­ what?¡±

    Elise sighed.

    ¡°Haah. Control your expression a bit. You look stupid.¡±

    ¡°¡­This crazy-¡±

    Knock knock.

    Just then, someone knocked on the door. The atmosphere was awkward, but it worked out well. Elise quickly said.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The wee guest was Professor Beatrice.

    ¡°You two! I watched the entire y too.¡±

    She put her hand on her chest with a very moved face.

    ¡°¡­It was such a fine y.¡±

    Elise nced at Shion. He was still dumbfounded.

    Probably because he was hit right on the mark.

    Because his deep heart, the intimate emotions he never wanted to be discovered, were exposed, and that too by the person involved.

    ¡°At first, I was surprised. The murder case was so explicit¡­ But it was very suitable for the theme of poprizing Latinel. In the end, Duke¡¯s monologue and the twist were so beautiful.¡±

    Professor Beatrice wiped away her tears with her fingers.

    ¡°The audience was also immersed in the afterglow for a while. As they slowly made their way out, I heard hundreds of them murmuring, ¡®Should I learn Latinel too?''¡±

    The reviews were all positive.

    It was good to hear, but it was also ufortable for Elise. Her fingers kept fidgeting.

    The reward for working so hard on the y could only be received by one of the two.

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t think I can choose one.¡±

    Professor Beatrice pulled out two invitations made of gold foil.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to both of you. You can only get one if you¡¯ve been affiliated with Sermoneus Aerten for 15 years, and I happen to be in my 30th year this year.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Elise¡¯s body automatically stood up. As if someone had grabbed her by the hair. In fact, her hair stood on end.

    ¡°Please take it. Both Elise and Shion, you are fully qualified.¡±

    Elise reached out her hands cautiously, like someone facing a treasure. The touch of the invitation reached her fingertips. Professor Beatrice dly handed it over, and Elise slowly epted it. She ced it on her chest.

    Shion Ascal just took it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really worked hard. I¡¯m truly honored to have been able to teach you all¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Professor Beatrice covered her face with her hands.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll go ahead then.¡±

    The emotionally sensitive professor couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Elise also pretended to follow her and went outside.

    As she did so, she muttered without looking back.

    ¡°¡­¡­I think my message was delivered well. Behave yourself.¡±

    Elise quickly left the dressing room.

 Chapter 97: Cleanup

    <strong>Cleanup</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­What the hell did I just hear?¡±

    I was dumbfounded.

    It felt like I had been hit with a hammer.

    I thought about why Elise had just spouted such bizarre words, and ah.

    It could be misunderstood.

    Borrowing ten minutes. Waiting in the dressing room.

    More than that, isn¡¯t it dangerous to let Elise go now?

    I hastily stuck to the window.

    Outside the Palette Theater, there was already a waiting magic carriage limousine. Near it, I could see a knight and a wizard.

    ¡°The escort¡­¡­ is solid.¡±

    I was slightly dumbfounded.

    After all, how much does a magic carriage experience cost? Naturally, it¡¯s not just Elise going alone, so it¡¯s normal for the magic carriage to provide an escort.

    Then, was Elise not the original target of Berhalsi¡¯s kidnapping?

    But Noah definitely said ¡®a big shot close to me¡¯. He also added that it was rted to the y.

    No matter how much I think about it, other than Elise-

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute.¡±

    A thought that suddenly crossed my mind.

    Other than Elise, a big shot who left before the y ended.

    There is one.

    There is, but¡­¡­

    I came out of the dressing room.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it toote?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Noah was standing in the corridor. I almost punched him in the face.

    ¡°Surprise¡­¡­ What the hell? Where do you keep appearing from?¡±

    ¡°The y was fun. I was almost moved. I love revenge too, don¡¯t I?¡±

    Noah said that and handed over a bouquet of flowers. A note saying [Duke¡¯s Fan] was stuck in the lush roses.

    ¡°Are you crazy¡­¡­ No, more than that, you. What was your intention in casting voodoo? It could have been a big deal.¡±

    I asked that first. Noah raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°¡­¡­For your entertainment.¡±

    Is he really crazy?

    Anyway. Thanks to Noahing here, I definitely know who the big-shot Berhalsi is targeting.

    I mistakenly thought it was Elise and something strange and annoying happened, but.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not see each other again.¡±

    I said as I passed Noah.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I have to go to the big shot you mentioned.¡±

    Strictly speaking, there¡¯s no ¡®need¡¯ to go. Even if I don¡¯t go, it will be resolved on its own.

    But opportunities to score points are rare.

    Noah asked in a tone of surprise.

    ¡°It seems a bitte already. What are you going to do when you get there?¡±

    ¡°What to do. I have to clean up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Alone?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. I just left the Palette Theater. There happened to be a delivery rider nearby.

    ¡°Excuse me. Can I borrow your bike?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    I got on the bike. I immediately stepped on the elerator.

    ¡°No, excuse me!¡±

    The speed seemed slow, but whether I arrivedte or early won¡¯t matter much.

    ¡°Hey,e back! Hey, you son of a bitch!!!!!¡±

    The big shot Berhalsi is aiming for is probably that son of a bitch, no.

    It¡¯s probably ¡®Jade¡¯.

    * * *

    Jade¡¯s Setablex was moving along the deserted highway. The destination was Libra¡¯s Aerial Garden. Perhaps because the magic festival was in full swing, the area was quiet and calm.

    On that leisurely journey, Jade leaned back in his seat, listening to ssical music. The melody from the high-end speakers was quite elegant.

    ¡°Sir Jade, we¡¯ve been going in circles.¡±

    At some point, the chauffeur spoke up. Jade slightly opened his eyes and looked at the scenery outside the window.

    It was too silent.

    And too deserted.

    Even if it was due to the festival, it would be normal to see at least a person or a car.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    In fact, Jade had already noticed. Quite some time ago, he had detected unknown magic particles.

    ¡°¡­It could be a Mirage Barrier-¡±

    The chauffeur was in the middle of specting when suddenly¡­

    A massive object fell from the sky. It was a considerable weight.

    Boom¡ª¡ª!

    It crushed the sedan¡¯s bo, causing the car to bounce up and then settle back down. Immediately after, numerous new models appeared on the roadside surrounding the sedan.

    ¡°These damned ruffians!¡±

    The chauffeur got out of the car with a furious expression. Activating his Magic Body, he began to swing his staff at them.

    ¡°You damned bastards! What about safety!¡±

    ©¤¡­Oh dear. Is the person in there a Chairman or a King?

    A deep voice, echoing as if spoken in a cave, casually deflected the chauffeur¡¯s words.

    The man was a bounty hunter. He was nearly 3m tall, and with each step he took, the asphalt sunk beneath his feet.

    ©¤What safety? If you¡¯re going to prattle about safety, you should drive safely.

    His name was Berhalsi Lanominel.

    An A-ss monster of the underworld.

    ¡°Get lost! If you back off now, I won¡¯t hold you ountable.¡±

    Despite the monstrous appearance of the man, the chauffeur didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he drew the sword from his waist and red at the monster¡¯s head.

    ¡°Do you want to make Libra your enemy?¡±

    ©¤I don¡¯t n on making enemies. But you¡¯re not from Libra. Your pet should step down.

    Berhalsi flicked his finger. A crescent wave formed and distorted the chauffeur¡¯s body.

    ©¤What a nuisance.

    Berhalsi, chuckling, slowly walked up to the front of the bo. He waved at Jade, who was visible through the broken windshield.

    ©¤Master, please get out. Before I smash your car to pieces.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Without a word, Jade opened the door. He slowly stood on the pavement.

    Still, without losing his dignity.

    ©¤¡­Master, let¡¯s not make this harder than it needs to be.

    Berhalsi raised an eyebrow suggestively. Jade looked at the dead chauffeur and muttered.

    ¡°I need a recement.¡±

    ©¤That¡¯s right. Consider this a lesson, and next time, how about you bring someone stronger?

    ¡°I don¡¯t need someone stronger.¡±

    Jade put his hand in his pocket. Berhalsi and his gang of monsters tensed up slightly, but all Jade pulled out was a pair of gloves.

    A pair of gloves with a ck background and gold lines embossed on them. They didn¡¯t look particrly special, just a luxury item.

    ¡°I just need someone who can take a hit.¡±

    Jade, donning gloves, clenched and unclenched his fists, seemingly trying to familiarize himself with the sensation. The stiff leather made a sound: *squeak-squeak*.

    ¡°Fine. Just give me 30 million Ren. I don¡¯t ask for more. There¡¯s a very useful app called Darkweb these days. Once you deposit the money, I¡¯ll step aside.¡±

    Berhalsi extended his palm towards him. Jade lifted his gaze to meet his. There was no emotion in Libra¡¯s blue eyes.

    No anger, no fear, no terror, just a calm void of meaning.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a lot. For a mere pawn.¡±

    The words that sprang from his mouth were supremely arrogant and haughty, as if scolding a servant.

    Berhalsi¡¯s face twisted.

    ¡°¡­Indeed. This is the problem with nobles. Their pride prevents them from objectively assessing their situation.¡±

    The lion stretched his neck and arms, activating his Magic Body with his massive physique.

    ¡°No choice then. I¡¯ll have to resort to kidnapping.¡±

    Berhalsi stomped his foot. A shockwave radiated from his footstep, crumbling the asphalt beneath.

    It was a Spectrum called ¡¸Rapid eleration¡¹. The moment the Magic Body is activated, the physical body elerates to near sonic speed, while perceived time slows down immensely.

    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­¡±

    Berhalsi charged with the agility of a cheetah, a dark smile on his face, towards the nobleman on the other side.

    Meanwhile, Jade stood still, merely fiddling with his gloves as he watched him¡­

    Strange.

    That¡¯s what Berhalsi thought.

    His perceived time had stretched out like a thread. His thought process had also elerated.

    But now, Jade was too rxed. His eyes blinking as he watched him. The *squeak-squeak* of his gloves as he clenched and unclenched them.

    Everything was ordinary.

    As if he alone was in normal time.

    Berhalsi found it unsettling, but he was already within striking distance. The lion¡¯s fist reached out towards Jade. At the end of it, Jade was looking into his eyes.

    Suddenly, an explosion of murderous intent. The killing intent he had been holding back all this time. An overwhelming amount of magic swallowed Berhalsi¡¯s attack.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    For a moment, Berhalsi¡¯s intuition screamed. A series of thoughts shed by like a carousel.

    The nobleman standing before him was stronger than any monster he had encountered in the underworld for over a decade.

    Stronger than any knight he had killed countless times.

    Even stronger than those who control the Master Cartel.

    No, they¡¯re not even on the same level.

    They can¡¯t even stand on the same ne as this man.

    A towering superiority.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Berhalsi let out a hollowugh.

    Why was such a monster unknown until now?

    Why did I have to find out?

    ¡°©¤©¤You vermin.¡±

    Jade threw a punch. The surface of the glove made contact with Berhalsi¡¯s forehead.

    Hard.

    Or perhaps, just a touch.

    In that instant, Berhalsi¡¯s consciousness disintegrated.

    The shock at his forehead spread throughout his body. The skin closest to his head tore apart, and his internal organs and bones crumbled to dust.

    Just one punch.

    Berhalsi exploded, scattering a spray of purple blood.

    I detected a very suspicious barrier in the suburbs. A ¡¸Barrier Magic Spell: Distortion¡¹ that cunningly twists the inside to prevent escape.

    I peered into it with the SZX-9500, and sure enough, Jade was inside.

    ¡°¡­¡­It will be over soon.¡±

    ©¤©¤Fine. Just give me 30 million Ren. I don¡¯t ask for more. There¡¯s a very useful app called Darkweb these days. Once you deposit the money, I¡¯ll step aside.

    Berhalsi was threatening Jade.

    It wouldn¡¯t work. What they¡¯re doing is a suicide robbery. Not self-harm, but suicide robbery.

    Jade is a unique human.

    As I¡¯ve said before, if he had been involved in gangster activities rather than business, he would have be an enormous force, wouldn¡¯t he?

    We, no, the continent, should consider it fortunate that Jade is obsessed with unnecessary formalities and ceremonies and the ostentatious nobility.

    Why?

    Because he¡¯s strong.

    Extremely so.

    Among the Libra n, no, in the half-millennium history of Edsi, he is one of the few, dare I say, the greatest of the current era.

    A monster capable of taking on an entire family lineage single-handedly.

    Simply put a truly overwhelming force.

    The reason his strength, which is beyond normal standards, has not been revealed so far is simple.

    Due to the Libra tradition of not revealing oneself to the outside world, and more than anything, because Jade himself is obsessed with dignity.

    He doesn¡¯t create situations where he has to use his fists. If such a situation arises, he ¡®definitely¡¯ kills the other party.

    Therefore, until the internal strife of Libra, half of the people didn¡¯t know that Jade was the strongest.

    Even I was one of them.

    However, the person Zia, whoter rose to power and swallowed up Libra, had the most trouble with, and the person who almost killed her was not the eldest son Derek, nor was it the eldest daughter Johanna.

    It was the second son, Jade.

    Jade, Siloi Libra Geden.

    Crack©¤!

    Just then, Berhalsi¡¯s body burst. He was literally blown up by Jade¡¯s fist.

    Even if you stuffed a magic particle bomb into his mouth, it wouldn¡¯t explode like that.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Soon after, the barrier vibrated.

    It was due to Jade¡¯s speed, which had broken the limit. The ¡®sonic boom¡¯ caused by his movement, surpassing Mach speed, was shaking the barrier haphazardly.

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    A spectacle beyond my ability to follow with my eyes.

    Just the sound of something bursting for precisely 3 seconds.

    The barrier was already broken, and on the asphalt, not even a piece of flesh was left, only cells of what had once been living beings remained.

    ¡°¡­¡­Impressive.¡±

    As always, he¡¯s tremendous. I murmured quietly, capturing the spectacle.

    Jade, far away, looked back at me.

    Probably a distance of about 10 kilometers.

    I looked at him from there, and he looked at me.

    ©¤©¤©¤Whooosh!

    Immediately, a gale swept through. When I came to my senses, my body was glued to the ground. I blinked up, stunned.

    Jade was standing there.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    He looked down at me. Not a drop of blood was on his clothes.

    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±

    He took off his glove and threw it at my chest. I immediately understood what he meant.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Then he raised an eyebrow, and whooosh©¤©¤!

    Another gust of wind blew.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    This time, my upper clothes werepletely torn, and Jade was gone.

 Chapter 98: After the Play (1)

    <strong>After the y (1)</strong>

    [Cleaning]

    : The act of sweeping and wiping something dirty or messy to make it clean.

    [Cleaner]

    : A person whose job is to clean.

    In general perception, a ¡®cleaner¡¯ is someone who cleans dirty houses, picks up trash from the floor, or sweeps with a broom. However, in the underworld, it¡¯s a bit different.

    A cleaner in the underworld usually refers to ¡®someone who cleans up corpses¡¯.

    Born in the underworld and even expanded to the surface, it¡¯s a professional job in its own right. Without cleaners, the underworld would rot with corpses.

    They kill tremendously there, but they don¡¯t think about cleaning up.

    Of course, the cleaning targets are not only human corpses. Beasts, monsters, wild animals, or even the corpses of strange creatures are willingly cleaned up.

    As long as they¡¯re paid.

    Even in the underworld, the cleaner ys a vital role in aesthetics, so even nasty monsters don¡¯t pick fights or try to kill without reason.

    ¡°How many did you kill?¡±

    I was such a cleaner. A quite capable and savvy cleaner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.¡±

    Jade seemed to have killed roughly thirty people, but fortunately, it was done within the Barrier, so the range was limited.

    ¡°¡­¡­They really got crushed.¡±

    Instead, the corpses were gruesome.

    They were crushed to the point where they didn¡¯t even look like corpses. If I had to make aparison, it would be like this if a truck weighing tens of tons hit a person at a speed exceeding Mach.

    ¡°It would be perfect if we had a Corpse Eater.¡±

    ¡¸Corpse Eater¡¹. It¡¯s a Magic Spell that creates artificial life that eats away corpses using flesh and mana stones as a medium. There¡¯s no better creature for cleaning up unidentifiable corpses.

    The principle is simr to a golem, but it probably has yet to be invented in the current time¡­

    Wait a minute.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Of course, this ¡¸Corpse Eater¡¹ is a Magic Spell of the future. It¡¯s a cutting-edge technique that will be invented at least 3-4 yearster.

    However, the Memory of using that Magic Spell is clear in my head.

    If I have the Memory, as always, I should be able to call it up.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I closed my eyes. Like searching for a file with ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I searched up the memories rted to ¡¸Corpse Eater¡¹.

    [¡­¡­Magic Spell: Corpse Eater User Manual]

    [It¡¯s a disposable Magic Spell. The circuit setting is alreadyplete, so just stick it to the corpse, and ignite it with a mana stone.]

    Corpse Eater is not a difficult Magic Spell for the user. It¡¯s actually close to a finished product.

    The already set Magic Spell is like a talisman. When you stick it to a corpse and ignite it with a mana stone, the ¡¸Corpse Eater¡¹ immediately rises.

    ©¤Oh. Oh. It¡¯s getting up. Hey, this is amazing, right? Master. Theia. Look at this. It¡¯s eating the corpse, right? Where did you get this? Oh, oh. It¡¯s eating!

    ©¤From a nearby Magic Spell shop. Can you stop making a fuss?

    Not this Memory.

    I recalled the Magic Spell of the Corpse Eater.

    The spell that was full in the palm-sized talisman at that time, and the order of the mana circting in the spell©¤©¤ I recalled the circuit diagram and brought it into my grasp.

    Zzzzzz¡­¡­.

    The sound of skin burning echoed. It sucked up nearly 30% of my mana and took up 5 units of storage, but the Magic Spell of Corpse Eater rose like a tattoo on my palm.

    It was a sess.

    Now, I needed a corpse.

    I found a rtivelyrge chunk with the SZX-9500.

    This seems to be a Berhalsi corpse, is it a liver? Or lungs?

    I casually stuck the Corpse Eater on it. I took out ¡®1¡¯ mana core from the ¡®Notepad¡¯ as a substitute for the mana stone and shoved it into the flesh.

    Kuduk- Kuddudduk-!

    The flesh moved on its own and tore apart, hatching into a Corpse Eater.

    Its appearance is a bit disgusting, like a turtle. The word ¡®Eater¡¯ itself means turtle.

    The creature busily moved around, nibbling at the corpses it found.

    ¡°¡­¡­This person is a problem.¡±

    Suddenly, the driver¡¯s corpse caught my eye. Unlike other monsters, his body was rtively intact, making it all the more gruesome.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Don¡¯t eat that person.¡±

    I stopped the Corpse Eater from attaching itself to the driver. It nced at me and then focused again on the blood clots on the pavement.

    Crunch crunch- Crunch crunch-

    It¡¯s eating the corpses like some kind of snack. It¡¯s a familiar sight, so it¡¯s somewhatforting.

    ¡°It does work.¡±

    A future Magic Spell called into the present.

    It worked properly as if my Memory was not false, and rather, it seemed to eat faster and better than before, no, in the future, ah, what to say.

    Anyway, it seemed to eat faster and better than before.

    1 hour after the incident.

    ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    One of the members of ¡¸The Spectres¡¹, ¡®Inri¡¯, arrived at the scene.

    ©¤Check. What¡¯s the status of Berhalsi?

    Berhalsi, whose pocket was seriously depleted, hade up with a crazy n to kidnap a direct descendant of Libra, and asked The Spectres for cooperation.

    Of course, Noah refused tly.

    No matter how much of a fool Libra¡¯s Jade is, Libra is still Libra. There¡¯s no good in stirring up a ho¡¯s nest for no reason.

    ¡¸The Spectres¡¹ deliberately stayed away from the vicinity of the incident scene to avoid even the slightest suspicion.

    However, about 5 minutes ago, they received intelligence that Jade had safely arrived at the Aerial Garden, and Noah sent a member out of simple curiosity.

    That was ¡®Inri¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s clean.¡±

    The space itself is a mess. The asphalt is crumbling, the ground is sinking, there are many traces of battle, but there is only one corpse.

    Jade¡¯s driver.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s clean.

    ¡°Jade doesn¡¯t seem to have evacuated¡­ and Berhalsi is presumed to be dead.¡±

    Since there is no corpse, death cannot be confirmed, but there are no signs of Berhalsi¡¯s life within a radius of 1 km.

    ©¤Oh. Got it.

    As Inri, the situation was still not understood.

    Jade had only one driver as an escort, but he was dead, and there was a senior from Endex left.

    ¡°There is only one senior from Endex at the scene.¡±

    ©¤Really? Then it must be his doing.

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    Inri frowned.

    ©¤He told me he was going to clean up.

    ¡°By himself?¡±

    Inri asked in a whisper, quietly observing the ground.

    Just then, Libra¡¯s attendants arrived beside Endex Senior.

    ©¤I also think it¡¯s impossible for Shion Ascal alone¡­ Maybe he handled it with Jade?

    The men in suits conversed with the Senior, and Inri caught their words.

    ©¤©¤I took care of it¡­ No, I drove them away.

    ¡°He ims he did it himself.¡±

    ©¤Oh really?

    Shion Ascal just said so.

    ¡®He drove them away¡¯ by himself.

    ©¤Interesting. That kid seems to have a lot of secrets. You bettere back now. No need to get involved unnecessarily.

    Nodding, Inri immediately concealed himself.

    ¡°It will be treated as a line-of-duty death.¡±

    Six men in suits were dispatched from Libra¡¯s strategic nning room. They were dealing with the driver¡¯s corpse.

    I nodded calmly.

    The man who seemed to be in charge asked,

    ¡°But what exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t Lord Jade tell you?¡±

    ¡°Lord Jade is at the Aerial Garden.¡±

    Meaning they hade to understand the situation and respond voluntarily, without Jade¡¯s orders.

    After all, Jade wouldn¡¯t send people just to clean up a corpse. Whether the driver lived or died, his own dignity was more important.

    He asked,

    ¡°Was there an attack?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡±

    I hesitated.

    They still didn¡¯t know Jade¡¯s strength. You could tell just by their clothes. Suits with sky-blue ties.

    They were still at the bottom.

    ¡°There was an attack. But it was light.¡±

    Jade dislikes his strength being highlighted. Probably because his fighting style is brawling.

    So, even Libra¡¯s direct subordinates and core executives only ¡®roughly¡¯ know about Jade¡¯s strength.

    Roughly a second-ranked knight, or if a bit higher, a first-ranked knight¡­

    Both are wrong.

    Even if 100 first-ranked knights attacked him at once, he could beat them all to death.

    ¡°I took care of it¡­ No, I drove them away.¡±

    I changed ¡®took care of it¡¯ to ¡®drove them away¡¯ as it sounded too aggressive.

    The employees looked at me with a strange expression, but soon nodded.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They put the driver¡¯s corpse in a coffin and left.

    Now, all that was left for me was a pair of gloves. The gloves Jade had left behind.

    Could this be the cleaning fee?

    ¡°¡­Must be a luxury item.¡±

    I¡¯ll have it appraisedter.

    I carefully put the gloves in my back pocket.

    ¡­Friday night, 11:55 PM.

    ¡®Clemen Hall¡¯, temporarily transformed into a private room.

    The ce where the college board always took ce was now bustling with a ball to mark the end of the festival.

    However, only the invited upper ss could enter, so it wasn¡¯t crowded like outside. Rather, it was peaceful.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    In a corner of the ballroom, Elise stood alone, leaning against a window without uttering a word.

    Of course, many people approached her. Dozens of men came up to her, spitting saliva as they praised the y, but they all fled without daring to ask her to dance when Elise showed no reaction.

    All of them.

    ¡°Elly~¡±

    La, who had just finished a waltz with some man, approached with a beaming smile.

    ¡°Sorry! The kids just won¡¯t leave me alone! Ah~ I must have done really well in the y, right?¡±

    Whenever La made eye contact with people, she went around saying, ¡°I¡¯m the heroine~ I¡¯m the heroine~¡± referring to herself as the heroine.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    By the way, the entire drama team attended this ball. Thanks to Elise¡¯s special invitation, it was essentially an after-party for the drama team.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say you were going to the tower, Elly?¡±

    ¡°¡­I postponed it because I¡¯m tired. Just for a day.¡±

    Elise took a sip of the coffee in her champagne ss.

    ¡°Wow. Can¡¯t believe it. Elly postponed going to the tower?¡±

    She was supposed to leave today, but she wasn¡¯t sure.

    Elise herself didn¡¯t know why.

    Why, exactly, she was wasting a day here.

    ¡°But where did Shion go? The kids were talking a lot about the Duke. Oh right, Elly, did you see Asher getting jealous? He was fuming, saying the Duke is nothing special!!!¡±

    As La said, Shion Ascal was nowhere to be found.

    He had disappeared like the wind.

    Elise had a vague idea why.

    Heartbreak.

    Probably, because of me.

    ¡°¡­Excuse me for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay~¡±

    Elise left her spot. She disliked the noisy atmosphere, and her head was slightly aching. So, she went up to the rooftop of the hall.

    The view was wide open. Her hair fluttered in the wind that rushed in.

    Bang¡ª! Bang¡ª! Fireworks were coloring the sky.

    Elise folded her arms on the railing of the rooftop. She bent her waist and rested her face on them.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She quietly thought about Shion Ascal.

    He is, first of all, a strange person.

    A madman.

    ©¤Shut up before I rip your mouth open.

    Sometimes, the abusivenguage that he had hurled at her at the beginning of the semester stilles to mind.

    Heat rises to her forehead, and she wants to rip his mouth open and kill him first.

    ©¤I hate you. More than you think.

    The same goes for his appearance in Recordark, conveying pure malice.

    Elise hates Shion Ascal, and Shion Ascal hates her.

    But that¡¯s what makes it even stranger.

    Despite iming to hate her, he saved her, worried about her, and even today, the atmosphere was as if he was about to confess.

    ¡°¡­Did he really get special training during the winter break?¡±

    Elise still finds his change unfamiliar.

    The small guy who was being pushed around by Kain, Asher, and other guys, suddenly changed at some point, making her angry, annoying her, and also¡ª

    Hating her while liking her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange thing to say, but if he ended up hating me because he liked me too much, I understand.

    Because Elise had been through that too.

    A person she liked so much, who didn¡¯t like her back, turned into a dark history of hatred.

    Was it when she was six?

    Her younger self was pathetic.

    Therefore, Shion Ascal is pathetic. His intellectual and empathetic abilities are exactly at the level of her six-year-old self.

    ¡°¡­¡­Pfft.¡±

    Thinking this way, Elise unknowingly let out augh.¡±

 Chapter 99: After the Play (2)

    <strong>After the y (2)</strong>

    After the festival, Sunday at noon.

    Jade received the video of the y ¡¸The Bard¡¹ without dy. In fact, he had his secretary slightly press the staff to get it.

    He yed the video file he had obtained on the high-end silver screen of the [Self-Development Room] he had designed himself.

    He watched it quietly, alone.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Having finished, Jade sank into the sofa without a word. He was immersed in the afterglow for a moment. It was a rare weekend leisure.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s worth apuding.¡±

    Jade¡¯s review and one-liner: It¡¯s worth apuding.

    For him, it was the highest praise.

    ¡°The Duke.¡±

    He liked the character named Duke more than anyone else. A charming human who maintained the dignity of the nobility, yet sacrificed himself for love.

    Since Jade had once loved someone, he fully understood his feelings.

    Perhaps he even saw him as a role model¡­¡­

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Jade slightly furrowed his brow. He stroked his chin and fell into thought.

    ¡°Did he say that guy was the author?¡±

    The artist who drew his portrait is the author of The Bard.

    However, he admires and respects him more than anyone else.

    In that case.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Jade let out a hollowugh. He shook his head as if there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°Did this Duke also draw me?¡±

    If Shion Ascal is the author, then this is not suspicion but certainty.

    The motif and role model of the noble Duke is none other than himself ¡ª¡ª Jade.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, well.¡±

    He put his hand on his face and smiled.

    Meanwhile, in the city of ¡®Aramgal¡¯ on the outskirts of Edsi.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    At the third murder scene of Knightmare, Soliette spoke with a serious tone.

    ¡°All the victims were in conflict with someone, and there were people who benefited when the victim died.¡±

    We have been investigating the victims of Knightmare.

    A serial murder that looks like indiscriminate killing.

    However, if you dig into the victims¡¯ families or acquaintances, there was a clear conflict in all cases.

    Some tycoon monopolized the inheritance thanks to the Knightmare case, and some politician seeded in re-election.

    The only cases where there was no direct beneficiary were Jared and Felix.

    ¡°It¡¯s not simple.¡±

    Soliette said, looking at me.

    ¡°There are too many people involved to simply say, ¡®I¡¯ll give you money, so kill this person.¡¯ They must be sharing something that can guarantee a secret.¡±

    Her voice was serious. Her eyes gleamed as if she would not let go of the thread she had barely caught.

    I chimed in.

    ¡°¡­¡­It must be a Fraternity.¡±

    Fraternity. A group close to a secret society, a step further from a fellowship. Most of them pledge to give up part of their body as a condition of joining. From a hand at the lightest, to a Magic Core or heart at the heaviest.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We need to investigate them-¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I stopped Soliette who was trying to rush.

    ¡°Hold your breath for now.¡±

    We need to be cautious. Among those who have benefited from Knightmare, there are those who will be enormous tycoons in the future, those who will be Senators, and those who have already be big shots.

    If we find amon point that connects all of them, we may be able to reach their fraternity.

    But we are just high school students. We have nothing yet andck power. If we stand out unnecessarily, we could be annihted.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you scared already?¡±

    Soliette pouted her lips. She sat like some gangster. Chewing a nicotine gum vigorously.

    She might even spit saliva.

    ¡°Rushing won¡¯t do us any good. We have to wait until they feel safe. It¡¯s been less than three years since the case was closed. They¡¯re still on edge. There¡¯s a top-ranked knight on this list, can you beat this person?¡±

    The top rank is a stage where the Magic Body has reached a peak, a level that can be called a master.

    It might not be far off for Soliette, but from my perspective, it was a long way off.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. I understand.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face seemed a bit convinced.

    ¡°But are you preparing for the first quarter evaluation exam?¡±

    ¡°Do I need to prepare?¡±

    Soliette asked back calmly. It wasn¡¯t confidence, but a face that genuinely didn¡¯t see the need.

    ¡°You might. What about your dream college?¡±

    I asked about college. Soliette shrugged her shoulders after a slight hesitation.

    ¡°Why would I need a college.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need¡­¡­¡±

    I abruptly stopped talking. I looked at Soliette. She met my eyes and faintly nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cafe for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Cafe. It¡¯s a code word for being followed.

    We prepared quite thoroughly, just in case.

    We left the scene and entered a nearby cafe.

    ¡°A cafette, please.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and for you?¡±

    The staff asked Soliette. Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°Ah, our cafe has a one-person-one-menu policy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then Soliette narrowed her eyes. She stared at the staff. What a staring contest.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The staff tilted her head. Soliette said in a very serious tone.

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m good-¡±

    I elbowed her shoulder.

    ¡°Just pick something. Anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Please give me an Americano.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sat in a seat where I could see the entrance with my coffee. A man in a fedora walked into the cafe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡±

    I sketched the man¡¯s appearance in my shared notebook. Soliette who looked at it wrote a sentence.

    [I don¡¯t know who he is.]

    I replied too.

    [Then let¡¯s have a conversation as naturally as possible. Casually.]

    ¡°¡­¡­That being said. Have you thought about what I said?¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette let out a sigh. I put the notebook in my pocket.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°I told you, you have talent.¡±

    Again, that. That I learned stepping in a day or something.

    Soliette was still hooked on that fact, and she kept talking about it whenever she had time.

    ¡°You could learn Body Flow in a day or two, so why are you waiting until next Thursday? You¡¯re toozy.¡±

    Soliette grumbled, sipping her Americano.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even want to order this. My 3 Ren.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? One person, one drink is basic, right?¡±

    Anyway, what Soliette mistakes forziness is my physical condition.

    If I don¡¯t receive quark treatment or something, it will probably continue to worsen. A body that will crumble like a sandcastle without regr cancer treatment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Enough.¡±

    I signaled Soliette.

    It meant it was time to go.

    ¡°See you next week.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Sip- sip- After quickly finishing her remaining Americano, Soliette left.

    Despite this, the tail continued to sit in his ce.

    Am I the target?

    To find out, I waited about 5 more minutes before getting up.

    As I came out to the bus stop outside the cafe, the tail slowly followed.

    His tailing skills are outstanding. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to being followed. If you can¡¯t detect such movements in the underworld, you won¡¯t live long.

    Just then, a bus arrived at the stop. The tail didn¡¯t chase me onto the bus, and I activated the SZX-9500 on the bus.

    I caught a clear view of his face hidden under the fedora.

    It was in my Memory.

    ©¤It¡¯s Cellmon of Arkne.

    Even the voice saying that, vividly.

    ¡°Arkne is moving¡­¡­¡±

    Perhaps one of the reasons Soliettemitted suicide.

    Did they notice that I was by Soliette¡¯s side?

    I clenched the bus handle tightly.

    ¡­¡­.

    Monday midnight.

    I¡¯m trudging along, holding bags full of meat in both hands.

    I just finished myst part-time job at the hit restaurant [The Wayward Meat].

    Now it¡¯s almost time for the Endex first quarter evaluation exam, and time is bing more important than money, so I can¡¯t work at the meat restaurant anymore.

    It¡¯s a bit bitter.

    ¡°¡­¡­Franchise.¡±

    The boss said something strange when he let me go.

    He said to open a franchise here if I seedter. He said to enjoy passive ie while running a meat restaurant.

    I wish I could, too.

    I stood in front of the Endex fence. Now I didn¡¯t have to climb up. I learned stepping.

    I just bent my body like a spring, and then, whoosh-! I jumped up.

    Ring-ring-

    As soon as Inded on thewn, my smartphone rang.

    [Crazy Lunatic]

    It was Elise. Originally just Lunatic, but I changed it to Crazy Lunatic yesterday.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡ª¡­¡­

    Elise didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Why.¡±

    ©¤Sigh.

    She let out a faint breath.

    ¡°If you called to say something strange again, I¡¯ll hang up-¡±

    ©¤Jeongsan, it¡¯s done.

    ¡°¡­¡­Jeongsan?¡±

    ©¤The ticket price.

    ¡°Oh. Did it happen so quickly?¡±

    Maybe because it was a school event.

    If all the seats are sold out, at least 30,000 to 40,000 Ren should be left.

    ©¤The profit is 33,850 Ren. Are you going to do as you saidst time?

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send the ount number right away.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Don¡¯t decide too hastily. Again, whatever happens with this, it¡¯s all your responsibility.

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    ©¤Okay. Send me the ount number.

    Click-

    Elise hung up the phone immediately.

    [Trash : 391-2031-1234]

    [Trash : This is the ount number]

    Shion sent the ount number. Elise was suspicious. Even the ount number itself was from a third-tier bank.

    Is this guy really trying tounder money? Considering how he naturally annihted corpses for Libra in the old mine, he¡¯s more than capable.

    While she was pondering, she made a call to someone.

    ¡°Mr. Lemon?¡±

    ©¤Yes, Miss. This is Lemon.

    Lemon. He is a financial expert of the family. He¡¯s a fund manager who tracks the flow of cash in an amazing way, and Elise¡¯s economic mentor.

    ¡°Could you track an ount for me if you have time?¡±

    ©¤Of course.

    ¡°391-2031-1234.¡±

    As Elise recited the ount number, Lemon started typing.

    ©¤It¡¯s an Orphanage. The name is Arbil Orphanage.

    ¡°¡­¡­Orphanage? Where is this Orphanage located?¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s in Arman.

    Where is Arman?

    Elise tilted her head slightly.

    ©¤It¡¯s at the very end of the northern part of Edsi.

    An Orphanage at the very end of the north. It¡¯sughable.

    Is it, as expected, a ghost organization?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a normal Orphanage, does it?¡±

    ©¤Yes. It doesn¡¯t seem normal. The location of the Orphanage is too remote, and the reported number of people is quiterge, but the electricity, water, and heating bills are far from sufficient. Not to mention, 21 employees are reported¡­¡­ but thebor costs are far too low.

    ¡°¡­¡­You mean it¡¯s suspicious.¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    In that short moment, Lemon calcted the number of people in the Orphanage and the corresponding costs, and expressed his opinion that the organization is suspicious.

    If it¡¯s his word, it must be certain.

    ©¤But why are you suddenly asking about this ce?

    ¡°¡­¡­No reason. Just curious. Thanks for your help.¡±

    Elise hung up the phone. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the ount number sent by Shion Ascal.

    It seems like he found a moneyunderingpany somewhere, he¡¯s really a pathetic and trash-like person. If you¡¯re going to do it, at least do it meticulously.

    [Do as you please. However, I¡¯ll send a contract stating that whatever happens, it¡¯s your responsibility. Sign it.]

    Elise just sent a reply like that.

    It¡¯s not bad to have one of Shion¡¯s weaknesses in her hand.

 Chapter 100: Test Period (1)

    <strong>Test Period (1)</strong>

    About 500km ind from the capital of Edsi lies a city known as ¡®ine¡¯.

    During the peak of summer, the scorching region, where the average temperature easily surpasses 40 degrees, is famous as a sanctuary of swordsmanship, housing the ¡®Arkne Academy¡¯, considered the top among the continent¡¯s swordsmanship academies.

    It¡¯s a city where hundreds of young men harboring dreams of bing swordsmen gather every day. Even if they can¡¯t gain entry to Arkne Academy, the city is rife with dojos, arenas, and plenty of ¡®dueling partners¡¯, making ine the perfect training ground for aspiring swordsmen.

    ¡°¡­¡­A friend?¡±

    In the Arkne mansion, virtually the master of ine, a somewhat unusual report was being delivered.

    ¡°Yes. It seemed that way. They were conversing quite naturally.¡±

    In other words, it meant that Soliette had made a friend.

    ¡°She even said he has talent.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That child, to someone else?¡±

    At Sylon¡¯s words, Igris was slightly surprised.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s notmon. It¡¯s difficult for her to praise someone.¡±

    Soliette is the greatest talent of the Arkne family. There¡¯s no one in the family¡¯s lineage who can match her. The potential to break through the extremes of Arkne arcane swordsmanship and open a new horizon is possible with her.

    ¡°This is the file on the male friend.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A male?¡±

    Sylon handed over the file. Igris¡¯ eyes immediately caught a certain paragraph.

    D-.

    His average grade at Endex is D-.

    Igris, holding the file, asked again.

    ¡°D minus?¡±

    ¡°There are rumors that his college board scores are decent. He hasn¡¯t been expelled yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The grades don¡¯t matter much.¡±

    Regardless of his grades, a friend might be good for her.

    No, it might even be rmended. Soliette has closed her heart since that incident.

    It¡¯s better than being so obsessed with Knightmare that she bes mentally ill.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s leave her be.¡±

    If she notices she¡¯s being watched, it could be a big problem. Soliette is a precious, but difficult child to handle.

    ¡°The evaluation test ising up soon anyway. I¡¯ll be able to meet him from afar. I¡¯ll find out who this Shion Ascal is.¡±

    The first quarter evaluation test of the college board.

    Igris will be attending that uing evaluation as a representative of Arkne.

    The routine after the festival proceeded as usual.

    It was a cycle of college board, elective courses, and work, like a hamster wheel.

    On Monday, I would do the college board,

    On Tuesday, I would do Latinel ¨C that crazy woman Elise keeps avoiding me -,

    On Wednesday, I would do the college board,

    On Thursday, I would do swordsmanship, and run away from Soliette who keeps telling me to learn swordsmanship,

    On Friday, I would do the college board,

    On Saturday, I would discuss the Knightmare incident by theke, and ignore Soliette¡¯s nagging about me beingzy,

    And on Sunday, I would rest.

    Then, when a week passed, I would do assignments again on Monday, do Latinel on Tuesday, do assignments on Wednesday, do swordsmanship on Thursday¡­¡­

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Thursday today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡±

    It¡¯s tough.

    The wooden sword strapped to my waist feels heavy.

    I don¡¯t understand why they keep telling me to bring the ceremonial sword. When we use real swords, we practice with real swords; when we don¡¯t, we practice with wooden swords.

    I arrived at the swordsmanship ss, grumbling. The atmosphere was not much different fromst week.

    By the way, since the festival, there have been zero dropouts from Endex. Zero failures.

    The assignments were fairly easy, but I guess we¡¯re finally getting into the swing of things.

    ©¤And there¡¯s Shion again¡­ Persistent.

    Kain and Asher have somewhat epted me.

    I just don¡¯t have the energy to deal with them.

    ¡°Alright. Has everyone arrived?¡±

    Jeoly appeared at 9:03.

    Unlike Chedric, Professor Jeoly is always 1~3 minuteste.

    ¡°Finally! Next week is the midterm exam.¡±

    Jeoly¡¯s face was slightly flushed.

    ¡°The midterm exam is also thest ss of our swordsmanship.¡±

    The elective courses are only for one quarter. Therefore, after the midterm exam, Professor Jeoly¡¯s swordsmanship ss is over. The same goes for Professor Beatrice¡¯s Latinel.

    ¡°First of all, this swordsmanship ss is the most chosen elective by a whopping 450 students from all over Edsi.¡±

    There are dozens of elective courses on the college board, but nearly 15% of the seniors chose swordsmanship.

    ¡°We will now open the entire database of those 450 students in swordsmanship. The moments you¡¯ve honed your swords in this training room¡­¡±

    Jeoly pulled out his smartphone. He squinted as if he was far-sighted and looked at the screen.

    ¡°There are 450 names, so it¡¯s quite a lot. I will send the website address to your smartphones. Find the video of the person you want there.¡±

    He put his smartphone away again.

    ¡°Now, I will tell you the assignment for the midterm exam.¡±

    He nced around. Most of them looked quite confident.

    ¡°¡®Sword and Shield¡¯.¡±

    Big letters appeared on the screen at the back of the training room.

    [Midterm Exam: Sword and Shield]

    ¡°From now on, you can choose between Magic Space sword and shield. The sword is an attacker that deploys the first and second sword forms. The shield is a defender that defends against it.¡±

    Simply put, it¡¯s ¡®sword and shield¡¯, but Jeoly seems to have a lot more to say.

    ¡°However, the sword forms that the attacker can deploy are limited to ¡®Five Basic Forms Three Sword Forms¡¯. The instructor¡¯s swordsmanship is not allowed, and if used unconsciously, points will be deducted.¡±

    It means to use only the basics.

    ¡°The attacker must creatively forge the Five Basic Forms Three Sword Forms to attack the defender, and the defender must defend against it.¡±

    Surprisingly, it¡¯s difficult. It seems the key is how much you can twist and modify the basics.

    ¡°Well. Here are the sword button and the shield button. Have you ever thought about which is advantageous, offense or defense?¡±

    The hint about offense and defense is famous in the swordsmanship world, but the answer is clear.

    ©¤If you ask who is advantageous between offense and defense, it¡¯s person by person, style by style.

    This is the conclusion drawn by the future¡¯s greatest swordsman, Soliette. The answer is that there is no answer.

    Those who can push the battle into a quagmire and muddle through for a long time are suited to the shield, while those who can charge in sharply like a sh and finish it off in an instant are suited to the sword.

    ¡°The advantage of offense and defense varies depending on the style of the swordsman, but at least at the student level, there are statistics showing that defense is more advantageous. By about 3% to 4%.¡±

    Not only that, the attacker must prepare the first move, but the defender can simply practice defending at ease.

    ¡°Therefore, the authority to choose the opponent lies only with the ¡®sword¡¯. Now then.¡±

    p-

    Jeoly brought his palms together.

    ¡°It¡¯s firste, first served. Not only at Endex, but also at other high schools, the choice of offense and defense will be carried out simultaneously. If one side fills up with 225 people first, the rest will all go to the opposite side, so make sure to decide quickly. Here, press the sword button for offense, and the shield button for-¡±

    I immediately ran out and pressed the sword button.

    A beep sounded.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Shion, you chose the sword?¡±

    Jeoly gave a hollowugh.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quick. There was about 2 hours left to think.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to think. Pouring out as much as I can and oxidizing is my style. Defense inevitably needs to drag out time to win, but that¡¯s impossible for me due to stamina issues.

    In turn, the other guys also hurriedly came out.

    ¡°Yes. Line up, line up. Kain, sword. Asher, shield. Elise, shield. Kielli, sword. Soliette, shield, Gerkhen Kal Doon, shield¡­¡­¡±

    And so, everyone decided on their offense or defense.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Endex is always quick to finish. The other high schools still have a long way to go¡­¡­¡±

    Jeoly looked at his wristwatch. It only took 15 minutes.

    ¡°On the day of the assessment, all 450 of you will gather in one ce. It¡¯s a stadium. There, the attackers will choose their opponents.¡±

    Quite grand. Well, it¡¯s a school of swordsmanship.

    Typically, swordsmen-knights are on the elite tech tree. Of course, there are many knights who are not swordsmen, but if you limit it to the top three ranks, nearly 50 to 60% are swordsmen.

    ¡°There will also be spectators at the assessment. Be prepared.¡±

    Meaning, specific families orpanies will send scouts.

    ¡°Since the assessment is next Monday, today¡¯s schedule is self-study. Practice freely with the sparring partner of your choice, or watch and analyze videos of other seniors, as you wish.¡±

    Free practice. Immediately, Asher stuck with Kain, and Elise disappeared. Soliette stood alone, but there were too many eyes watching her.

    ¡°Hey Kielli.¡±

    I had no choice but to call Kielli. Kielli, who was looking for an opponent, flinched and trembled.

    ¡°Uh¡­ uh, uh, why, why~? Shion~?¡±

    He turned to look at me with an unusually strained voice.

    ¡°Do you want to practice with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah~ that, I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯m also a sword, so~ haha, ha.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a sword? I thought you were a shield.¡±

    ¡°Ha. Haha. I should, I should¡¯ve~¡±

    Kielli backed away and disappeared.

    I had no choice but to enter the individual training room alone. I turned on the tablet PC in the corner. Folders with the names of 450 people were lined up.

    [173. Asher]

    Suddenly, Asher caught my eye among them.

    ¡°¡­He was a shield.¡±

    I yed Asher¡¯s video.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Indeed, Asher demonstrated Grandenmir¡¯s swordsmanship at an elite level, and his Three Sword Forms and Five Basic Forms were perfect.

    His image itself is clean, but when he fights, he¡¯s quite a sticky type. He doesn¡¯t dodge the sword, nor does he just defend, he simply deflects and drains the opponent¡¯s stamina.

    Of course, Magic Body is prohibited during the assessment, but I can¡¯t use the Severing Sword either, so he might be a worthy opponent?

    If Asher decides to just defend, I might lose.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I was engrossed in choosing an opponent, staring at the tablet PC.

    Thursday evening after the swordsmanship ss. Thekeside behind the old building.

    ¡°Assessment. Who will you choose?¡±

    Soliette asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    I need to choose someone of a simr level. If I choose someone too weak, I won¡¯t have a chance to show anything.

    Even if I prepare a beginner¡¯s move, if the opponent can¡¯t withstand a single hit, I¡¯ll just be the person who showed that.

    The ability to pick the right opponent, in other words, ¡®an eye for talent¡¯ is also part of the assessment.

    ¡°¡­More importantly, aren¡¯t you going home?¡±

    I nced at Soliette. She had set up her life by thekeside.

    Next to the stone chair I made, there were all sorts of things: a sleeping bag,ntern, burner, pot, instant noodles, pillow, auxiliary battery, tablet PC,ptop, and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s morefortable here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯sfortable about it? This is my hideout.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s share it. Besides, how are you going to arrange your sword beginner¡¯s move? I can help you.¡±

    Soliette quickly changed the subject. I blinked at her.

    A thought suddenly came to mind.

    ¡°Soliette. You¡¯re a defender?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I pondered as I looked at her. Soliette, who seemed to have caught on to my thoughts, narrowed her eyes maliciously as if amused.

    ¡°¡­Try to choose me. I¡¯ll show you how to defend with Arkne swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t you get infinite deductions and end up with zero points? Defenders also have to use the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette turned her wicked eyes back to thekeside.

    ¡°Then, would you like to stand here? I¡¯ll work on the sword beginner¡¯s move now.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to make? You can¡¯t improvise a sword beginner¡¯s move.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Before conceptualizing the sword beginner¡¯s move, you need to go through a theoretical judgment. You need to hold a pen and scribble, that¡¯s what I mean. I know you¡¯re a physical type by nature, but in this process, the brain is more important.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    Soliette raised her finger as if to teach me.

    ¡°People often think that swordsmen just swing their swords ording to the swordsmanship. But when a team of knights from an organization like the NMA or a swordsman¡¯s duel has a Diaryto, it¡¯s not like that at all. They intensely ponder, think, and calcte how to utilize their swordsmanship, even before facing their opponent¡­ That¡¯s what Professor Jeoly expects from us.¡±

    I listened quietly and then nodded.

    ¡°So, stand up. Let me also work on the sword beginner¡¯s move.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression hardened.

    The theory of the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms, in other words, the data, is already Memory in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. How to structure and modify it can be written by moving the body directly.

    I write with my body.

    ¡°Yes. Give it a try.¡±

    Soliette said, holding her wooden sword. Her face had somehow be as sharp as an eagle¡¯s.

    ¡°Whatever you do, you won¡¯t be able to touch a single hair of mine.¡±

 Chapter 101: Test Period (2)

    <strong>Test Period (2)</strong>

    The Five Basic Forms and Thee Sword Forms naturally connect.

    This is because theponents of the Three Sword Forms are the Five Basic Forms.

    In other words, if you dissect Thee Sword Forms one by one, each part isposed of the Five Basic Forms.

    Therefore, the Five Basic Forms be the root of Thee Sword Forms.

    This is the ¡®system¡¯ discussed in swordsmanship.

    ¡°The sword beginner¡¯s move should naturally follow the system.¡±

    Soliette said, gripping her wooden sword. I also picked up my wooden sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to connecting the circuit of a Magic Spell. For example, among the Five Basic Forms, ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯ and ¡®Rapid Strike¡¯ harmonize with each other. This is because they have simr consecutive attack properties.¡±

    Her tone was like that of a lecturer.

    ¡°However, among the Five Basic Forms, ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯ and ¡®Z-Cut¡¯ do not harmonize.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡®Z-Cut¡¯pletes three strokes as one ¡®single strike¡¯, but ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯ fires off three strokes in an instant, making it a ¡®consecutive attack¡¯.¡±

    Simply put, ¡®Z-Cut¡¯ is a beginner¡¯s move that connects three strokes into a Z shape. It strongly gives the impression of bundling three strokes into one.

    On the contrary, ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯, as anyone can see, and even from its name, is a beginner¡¯s move that attacks with three consecutive strokes.

    They havepletely different properties.

    ¡°That¡¯s why theory is necessary. To find a sword beginner¡¯s move that flows like water, without contradiction.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please do.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I immediately swung my sword.

    Tadadadadadadadak©¤©¤!

    Soliette blocked with her sword, but her feet scraped the ground. She, who was pushed back about three steps in an instant, opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°¡­¡­What was that just now?¡±

    She asked with a stunned face. I answered with a bit of confidence mixed in.

    ¡°How about it. I tried mixing ¡®Circr Cut¡¯ into ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯ steps and swings three strokes consecutively.

    ¡®Circr Cut¡¯ swings three strokes as if they were one with a single step.

    They are basic forms withpletely different properties and are hard to connect.

    ¡°You¡­¡­ cut nine times.¡±

    Soliette muttered while fiddling with her wooden sword. I responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s three times, but it feels like nine.¡±

    While stepping the steps of ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯, I executed the basic form of ¡®Circr Cut¡¯.

    ¡°But it hurts a bit.¡±

    I put down my wooden sword. My joints and ligaments are fine, but my Magic Core hurts quite a bit.

    This is the application of ¡¸Notepad¡¹: modification and editing through action.

    Why, if you break down ¡®Triangr Cut¡¯ into steps.

    £±. Take a step.

    £². Swing once.

    £³. Take a step.

    £´. Swing once.

    £µ. Take a step.

    £¶. Swing once.

    It goes like this, right?

    ¡°It might be best not to push ourselves today.¡±

    She tossed her wooden sword onto the grass.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    She answered as she sat on the stone chair.

    ¡°The College Board¡¯s evaluation test is usually individual, but we¡¯ve always had arge-scale team project right before the test. It¡¯s been like this for ten years, so it¡¯s likely to be the same this year.¡±

    There seems to be a pattern to the test questions.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Then I guess we should rest.¡±

    I also put down my wooden sword. Soliette nced at me and plucked at the grass.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Your abilities are indeed special. It¡¯s notmon to find someone who can utilize the initial form to such an extent, even if it means sacrificing their body. Just now, you twisted it as if there was no system.¡±

    There¡¯s no system.

    That sounds familiar.

    I¡¯ve heard that phrase before.

    ©¤There is no system in the Severing Sword.

    It was Soliette who said it then.

    ¡°But that method is wrong. If you continue like this, your body will break down first.¡±

    I chuckled dryly.

    Who¡¯s telling who they¡¯re going to break down?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you break down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sturdy.¡±

    ¡°I mean mentally, mentally.¡±

    I raised a finger and poked my temple.

    Soliette pursed her lips in what seemed like dissatisfaction, but without saying anything else, she crawled into her sleeping bag.

    ¡°Go home already. How long are you going to stay here?¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    She must be upset.

    ¡­Late at night.

    Elise sat in the visiting room, ring at someone beyond the ss.

    He was smiling at her, but to Elise, he was just repulsive. She didn¡¯t even want to open her mouth to speak to him, fearing that she would be contaminated.

    ¡°¡­¡­Congrattions.¡±

    After a sh, she barely spat out the sarcasm. Elise nced at the restraints binding his arms and legs.

    ¡°You¡¯ve somehow found your way back.¡±

    ©¤Thank you. This ce is much better than prison.

    But it seems he can¡¯t even take her sarcasm as sarcasm. His intellectual capacity is already below that of a goldfish.

    ©¤Is it because you¡¯re just a little sister?

    At his words, Elise gritted her teeth again.

    Little sister.

    The word ¡°little sister¡± keeps touching her brain.

    Yael.

    Why on earth is this man my blood rtive?

    ©¤I heard your y went well.

    He said, smiling faintly.

    ¡°You can hear news from the outside, I see.¡±

    ©¤There¡¯s the inte.

    ¡°Is it a mess?¡±

    Elise was skeptical. She was also a little worried.

    They let a mentally ill murderer roam free and even allow him inte ess. What on earth is her father thinking?

    ¡°You can¡¯t writements¡­ or anything like that, can you?¡±

    ©¤I can.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ©¤But I just write nonsense. Everything gets censored. The hospital pretends not to, but when I try to write ament or post and upload it, there¡¯s a very slight loading dy.

    Yael smiled.

    ©¤They¡¯re spying during that time. It¡¯s a clever strategy. It¡¯s not efficient to just keep someone locked up. It¡¯s much more efficient to give them a little freedom and monitor what they do there. Isn¡¯t our father unnecessarily sneaky?

    Elise silently red at Yael. He only moved his lips quietly.

    [They¡¯re probably watching right now.]

    Without realizing it, I looked around. Petra Psychiatric Ward¡¯s secret meeting room. There was only one surveince camera.

    ©¤Ah, right. That friend of yours was in the y too, right?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes turned back to Yael.

    ©¤I even searched for and watched the y video. The Bard. It was amazing. It¡¯s the talk of the town these days. How about it? Has your heart changed a bit now?

    ¡°Could you just¡­¡­¡±

    She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­sigh.¡±

    She cooled her boiling insides with a sigh.

    ¡°Could you just shut up?¡±

    ©¤What¡¯s wrong? Thinking about your sister¡¯s love life-

    ¡°Before I rip your mouth open!¡±

    Bang! Elise banged on the table in the visiting room and shouted.

    At some point, she had returned the words she had heard from someone else.

    ¡°I said shut up.¡±

    Perhaps it was an unexpected curse, Yael¡¯s eyes widened.

    ©¤Hmm¡­¡­

    He quietly retreated.

    Elise crossed her arms. It seemed to soothe her insides a bit.

    ¡°¡­¡­You can never get out. From there. So if you want to save your life. If you want to live using that inte.¡±

    She pointed at Yael¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Control your mouth. It¡¯s because he¡¯s your father, that you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    The words that if she became the head of the family, she would definitely euthanize him.

    ©¤¡­¡­Okay.

    Yael nodded with a small smile. Elise immediately stood up.

    ©¤But really, how about that friend?

    Again, again, again, words that annoyingly held her back.

    Elise twisted her mouth as she passed him by.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you call him a friend? When have you seen him?¡±

    Then, Yael moved his lips again.

    [He¡¯s really my friend.]

    You have friends, huh- Elise, who was about to retort, froze.

    Yael¡¯s expression was more serious than ever.

    ©¤Take care.

    While saying that, Yael stood up first. He left the visiting room, and Elise followed a bitter, pondering.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Could it be that Yael said something to Shion Ascal in the istion area?

    Or, is it just a simple lie?

    But why would he use Shion Ascal for a lie?

    She, who was about to bite her nails, quickly came to her senses. She immediately made a phone call.

    ¡°¡­¡­Mr. Luren?¡±

    Among the servants of the Petra family, the middle-aged knight she could trust the most.

    ¡°There¡¯s an Arbil Orphanage in northern Arman.¡±

    The moneyunderingpany suspected to be used by Shion Ascal.

    ¡°There. I¡¯ll stop by this weekend. Please cancel my schedule for a while.¡±

    Just in case, she ns to start by tearing that ce apart.

 Chapter 102: Human Chess (1)

    <strong>Human Chess (1)</strong>

    The next day, Friday at Clemen Hall

    Perhaps it was because of Soliette¡¯s wordsst night. I entered with a slight tension, and the rest of the guys also had quite stiff faces.

    ¡°I guess I was the only one who didn¡¯t know.¡±

    After all, it seems to be a well-known principle that arge-scale team project is conducted just before the evaluation exam.

    Well, that¡¯s how the admissionpanies make a living.

    Drrrr-

    At exactly 9 a.m., the front door opened. Of course, it was the human clock, Chedric.

    ¡°Nice to see you.¡±

    He spoke from the front of the podium.

    ¡°The evaluation exam schedule starts next week. So today is thest regr assignment before the evaluation exam.¡±

    Thest regr assignment. Chedric somehow emphasized that st¡¯.

    ¡°All the magic high schools in Edsi will simultaneously tackle the same assignment, and the assignment is Human Chess.¡±

    Human Chess.

    It¡¯s not so unfamiliar. Every year, a human chess tournament is held between famous knight orders. It¡¯s not major, but it¡¯s quite a famous sport.

    The basic rules are exactly the same as chess.

    A total of 16 Artifacts. That is, 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, and the remaining king and queen to y chess.

    The difference is©¤©¤

    ¡°The Artifacts are you.¡±

    We are each an Artifact.

    ¡°I will exin the rules and Artifacts. First, the pawn.¡±

    ¡®Pawn¡¯ appeared on the silver screen behind the podium.

    Pawn. It¡¯s literally a foot soldier.

    ¡°In Human Chess, there is a special rule. All the movements of the Artifacts are the same as basic chess, but there is a ¡®defense opportunity¡¯.¡±

    Defense opportunity.

    In the original chess, the Artifact that is attacked is definitely killed.

    Not in Human Chess.

    There is an opportunity to defend oneself through directbat.

    ¡°The pawn has at least one defense opportunity. If you lose, you rust, but if you win, you push back the opponent¡¯s Artifact and get an additional defense opportunity. However, if it¡¯s a draw, the opponent is pushed back, but the defense opportunity disappears.¡±

    For example, if a white pawn catches a ck pawn and loses, the white¡¯s attack right just flies away.

    However, if a decision is not made within a certain time, it is a ¡®draw¡¯, and the ck pawn¡¯s defense opportunity and the white¡¯s attack right fly away at the same time.

    ¡°If you are attacked in a state where all defense opportunities have been exhausted, you rust without a chance. The next special Artifacts like knight, bishop, rook have three defense opportunities.¡±

    It means that the more special the Artifact, the ¡®stronger¡¯ it should be.

    ¡°Also, the queen has unlimited defense opportunities, but if there are several enemy Artifacts nearby, she can be attacked, and if she fights six times, she naturally gets destroyed.¡±

    It¡¯s a rule that restricts the queen, who has unlimited defense opportunities, from recklessly digging into the enemy lines. There¡¯s no business in front of a bulldozer.

    ¡°Finally, the king has no defense opportunities.¡±

    The king was exactly the same as the original chess.

    ¡°The evaluation factors are not only the team¡¯s victory or defeat, but also the process of battle, achievements, etc. All the staff of the college board will be monitoring. Now, we will select the ¡®king¡¯ who will be the team leader and the yer of chess. The method is majority vote.¡±

    Therefore, Elise, Soliette, and Gerkhen Kal Doon are bound to be chosen.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident!¡±

    But suddenly, someone raised their hand.

    ¡°Guys! Pick me!!! I¡¯m good at chess!¡±

    It was La.

    I ignored her. The other seniors did the same.

    ¡°If there are seniors who want to be king, I will give them a chance to promote themselves. Prepare what you want to say for 5 minutes and thene to the podium.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yes!¡±

    Then, La brought her nose close to her desk.

    ©¤I, La, am confident¡­¡­ First of all, I¡¯m really good at chess¡­¡­

    She mumbled and worked hard on her speech while Elise was quietly thinking.

    [1. Elise

    2. Gerkhen Kal Doon

    3. Soliette

    4. Asher

    5. Brown]

    Five yers, who will also be the kings, were elected. Elise, Gerkhen Kal Doon, Soliette, Asher, Brown. They left their seats for a while with Chedric.

    ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. I told you I¡¯m good at chess.¡±

    La was very upset. She was sulking at everyone in Clemen Hall. She crossed her arms and pouted her lips.

    But there was one more person who was angry besides La.

    ¡°¡­No. I didn¡¯t really want to be king.¡±

    It was Kain.

    ¡°Damn, guys. Hey, guys©¤!¡±

    He suddenly looked around the hall and shouted.

    ¡°Do I look that stupid? Just because I¡¯m big doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m stupid! You guys need to think better! Is Asher stupider than me?!¡±

    ¡°If you were king, it would be a waste.¡±

    Elise, who had just returned, calmed Kain down. She walked slowly to the front of the podium.

    ¡°In terms ofbat, the king¡¯s role is only to protect himself. The strongest Artifact on the chessboard is the queen.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well¡­ But am I the queen? Me?¡±

    Then Kain showed his biceps as big as a person¡¯s head.

    ¡°Do I look like a queen with these muscles?¡±

    ¡°Who says such prejudiced things these days?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Just sit down.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, Kain obediently sat down. Soon, Gerkhen Kal Doon, Soliette, Asher, Brown, and Chedric came in.

    By the way, Brown is said to be a former chess master.

    Chedric said.

    ¡°Now the kings will choose their team members. From Elise, who is the first choice, to Brown, who is the fifth choice, and then from Brown to Elise in a ¡®snake draft¡¯.¡±

    Snake draft. It¡¯s a rtively fair method.

    ¡°Endex consists of 14 people forming 5 teams. The two missing Artifacts are reced by summoned creatures, the ck Golem and the White Golem. Elise, you choose first.¡±

    Then Elise said as if she had been waiting.

    ¡°I choose Kain for the queen¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! Well, of course!¡±

    Kainughed out loud, and then Gerkhen Kal Doon stood in front of the podium.

    After a moment of thought, he called someone¡¯s name.

    ¡°James for the queen¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!

    The yer who is the king must be both strong and smart.

    James. He put his palm on his eyebrow and flicked it off, like a soldier.

    By the way, James is the prince from the drama team in the past.

    He was under Noah¡¯s control, but he was the swordsman who pushed Elise.

    He can be considered a fairly strong noble.

    The third, Soliette. She probably won¡¯t choose me.

    ¡°I choose La for the queen¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°Ah! I knew it! Only Soliette! Elly, get out of the way!¡±

    La stuck out her tongue at Elise. Elise looked dumbfounded.

    ¡­¡­

    Queen, next rook, next knight, next bishop, and now it¡¯s time to pick the pawns.

    There are as many as six pawns to choose from, but I don¡¯t expect much.

    Maybe I¡¯ll be called at the end, like in a group project.

    A very familiar scene.

    Is it deja vu?

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick Shion for the pawn¡¯s position.¡±

    I opened my eyes wide. Suddenly, my name was called first among the pawns. Surprised, I looked up at the podium.

    At the front of the podium was a very unexpected face, Elise.

    It was she, of all people, who had chosen me as the ¡®first pawn¡¯.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    She, who was looking at me, was expressionless, and Kain, her queen, opened his eyes wide. He looked at me and asked.

    ¡°Why you?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking me when she chose?¡±

    Friday, 10 a.m.

    After forming the teams, we moved to the Remireitz Stadium, 20 minutes away.

    [This is the waiting room. Everyone, put on your smart watches and wait.]

    The stadium was unique from the team waiting room. First of all, there were sixteen doors in the long waiting room, and each door had a specific Artifact shape marked on it.

    [This stadium is also an artificial magic space where human chess games are held. Before the start of the task, the king yer will determine the position of the Artifacts.]

    ¡°You heard. I¡¯ll arrange everyone. Kain, you stand in the queen¡¯s position. Gale, you here.¡±

    Elise meticulously arranged the positions of the Artifacts.

    ¡°Where do our pawns stand?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pawns stand anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Right? Oh, I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m not good at fighting-¡±

    ¡°Can you be quiet?¡±

    Elise stopped the chattering guys.

    ¡°Pawns also have their ces, so wait.¡±

    At her words, the waiting room became as quiet as a mouse.

    Elise carefully decided the position of the pawns with much thought.

    ¡°You stand here, in the middle.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Even if it¡¯s human chess, not regr chess. If a tired knight and a pawn face each other, the pawn might win.

    ¡°You here.¡±

    From the pawns, Elise couldn¡¯t remember the names, so she unified them as ¡®you¡¯.

    Except for me.

    ¡°And¡­ put that one in the right corner.¡±

    I¡¯m that one.

    ¡°Hey. What are you putting away? I can hear everything. You can just say it, why do you need to ry it?¡±

    ¡°If you heard, then go.¡±

    Kain waved his hand. I trudged to the far right corner.

    [If the cement is over,e out of the waiting room.]

    I opened the door.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s quite fascinating.¡±

    It was a square space. The boundary was surrounded by a magical barrier, and beyond that, it was semi-transparent.

    [That ce is one square. The area is 333©O.]

    333©O is almost 100 pyeong. It¡¯s quiterge, but it¡¯s probably due to an ergement spell.

    [Do some warm-up exercises and choose a weapon.]

    ¡°Weapon?¡±

    I looked around. There was a basket right next to the door.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this.¡±

    A wooden club, a wooden sword of a suitable length, and a slingshot were the end of it.

    [The weapons you can use vary depending on the Artifact.]

    ¡°You¡¯re quick to tell me.¡±

    I picked up the wooden club.

    [Most of the weapons are made of wood, but this magical space automatically measures the damage to the victim. It will determine the victory or defeat with that, so fight your best.]

    Ding-dong-dong-dong!

    A huge bell rang.

    [We will start the game soon. A total of 4 rounds per team.]

    If it¡¯s 4 rounds a day, it will drain stamina quickly.

    I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t spar yesterday.

    [Endex Team 1¡¯s opponent is Sudme Team 2. Get ready.]

    The opponent is Sudme. It¡¯s one of the prestigious high schools that follow Endex.

    [Start.]

    At the same time as Chedric¡¯s words, the scenery changed. It was a dense jungle. Suddenly, it became hot and humid.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hot.¡±

    I fanned myself and looked around.

    As a pawn, I¡¯m on standby for now. When Elise gives me an order, this smartwatch will vibrate, and then I have to move squares ording to that order.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite hot.¡±

    I took off my jacket. I sat on the ground.

    So 5 minutes, 10 minutes¡­¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Around that time, someone appeared from behind me.

    ¡°You¡¯re here! Oh, it¡¯s not.¡±

    I thought it was an enemy, but it was our team. I quickly threw away the club I was holding.

    ¡°Ah. Are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Rook.¡±

    The Rook can move in a straight line, forward, backward, left, and right, and can move instantly as long as there is no enemy in the way.

    I¡¯m kind of jealous of this.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. Do well. Don¡¯t lose.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    What was his name? Anyway, the guy ran past me somewhere, and I killed time again.

    20 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes¡­¡­

    ¡°Am I not moving?¡±

    I looked at the smartwatch out of boredom.

    [35 moves]

    ¡°What, when did 35 moves pass?¡±

    Should I watch what¡¯s happening with the SZX-9500?

    No, you never know. A Knight might rush in suddenly, so it¡¯s best to save as much mana as possible¡­¡­

    Beep-beep-beep-beep

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    An rm rang from the smartwatch.

    Immediately after, a caster¡¯s voice came down from the ceiling.

    [Game over. Endex Team 1 wins.]

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute. What happened?¡±

 Chapter 103: Human Chess (2)

    <strong>Human Chess (2)</strong>

    After the first round ended with much to be desired.

    I returned to the waiting room.

    The others didn¡¯t seem to feel as empty as I did.

    ¡°Wow, that was tough. Hey, Elise. But what happened? I just fought and won.¡±

    It was Kain. His body was soaked in sweat and he seemed somewhat drained, but his face was full of joy.

    ¡°Wipe your sweat. We¡¯re going straight into the next game after a short break. Keep managing your stamina. Don¡¯t exhaust yourself too much. We still have three games left.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. But there are definitely a lot of tough guys in Sudme. When did that bastard Gulram get so strong? It¡¯s intimidating. I need to work harder.¡±

    The other top Artifacts, that is, the six ranks of Knight, Rook, and Bishop, gathered separately.

    The Pawns also had a modest social gathering. Five of them were chattering amongst themselves on a sofa in the corner.

    I quietly approached them.

    ¡°Hey. Was there anyone among you who didn¡¯t move at all?¡±

    When I asked, they all shook their heads.

    ¡°I moved just once.¡±

    It was the reply of a man who looked quite naive. He was a bit cute.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t fight either?¡±

    ¡°No? I did fight. I won! Against a white golem.¡±

    The kid smiled brightly.

    ¡°¡­Good job. You¡¯re strong.¡±

    I sighed and turned away.

    Well, in human chess,pared to regr chess, there¡¯s a lot of back and forth since attacks can fail. One would usually fight at least once, or at the very least, be able to move.

    Except for me.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I nced at Elise. Elise was looking at some sort of tablet PC.

    Could she know I had a higher score than her and deliberately excluded me?

    ©¤Hey, Elise. What¡¯s that?

    ©¤It¡¯s a scouting book. It was in the King¡¯s waiting room. Just focus quietly.

    ¡°You mean, ¡®keep quiet and focus.''¡±

    As soon as I made a sarcastic remark, the entire waiting room went quiet. All 13 members. The whole team turned to look at me.

    I didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®keep quiet and focus¡¯? Are you stuttering? Are you eating rice soup?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that Lunatic saying, huh? Dude! It¡¯s not important. The King led us to victory.¡±

    Elise stopped Kain, who was about to stand up.

    ¡°Leave him be.¡±

    And then she didn¡¯t say anything else. She just stared at the tablet PC, the so-called scouting book.

    I turned on my smartphone.

    ©¤But Elise. Among the summons, the ck Golem is surprisingly strong. Consider it. It¡¯s ced as a Pawn, but it¡¯s not Pawn level. There must be a Knight that could lose to it?

    ©¤I know. It seems to be set up that way on purpose.

    ©¤White is weak, but ck is strangely strong.

    ck Golem and White Golem aremon Pawn summons in all magic high schools, but ck is much stronger than White because it is made of obsidian.

    ¡°Hey. It¡¯smon sense that ck is stronger than White, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then, once again, the entire waiting room fell silent.

    Kain shook his head and went into the shower room, and Elise didn¡¯t even give me a nce.

    ¡°¡­¡­So sleepy.¡±

    Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t do anything. I feel sleepier than when I¡¯m busy doing something.

    Iy down on the sofa.

    Yawning¡ª I closed my eyes for a moment.

    [Endex Team 1. The second game begins. The opponent is Devon Team 1.]

    Before I knew it, the break time was over.

    ¡°Everyone, the arrangement this time is the same as the previous game.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s instruction, the waiting room bustled, and I trudged to the far corner.

    The second game resumed after a 20-minute break.

    -It was simr to the first game.

    I didn¡¯t move a single square.

    Really, just one square.

    I¡¯m even doubtful now whether I can walk beyond this magic barrier.

    ¡°Why is it so hot?¡±

    Moreover, I can¡¯t even lie down and sleep. Whether it¡¯s intentional or not, it¡¯s crazy hot and the ground is hot when I lie down.

    ¡­¡­Can I get a perfect score like this?

    The reason for my impatience is, of course, grades.

    I have to enter Edsi National Magic University, and among them, I have to enter a top department. The Knight Department.

    Of course, there is a department called Magic Studies, which is a higher department than the Knight Department, but it doesn¡¯t suit me at all.

    Anyway.

    ¡°What are they doing¡­¡­.¡±

    I turned on the SZX-9500. I watched the fight taking ce on that distant chessboard.

    ©¤Kraaaaa!

    The battle taking ce 5 squares away based on the chessboard, 3km away based on this distance.

    The attacker is Kain, the defender is Devon¡¯s ace.

    It¡¯s a fight between Queens, so it¡¯s incredibly fierce.

    Bang¡ª! Bang¡ª! Bang¡ª!

    Kain swings a ymore as big as his body, and the opponent tries to control him with a sword and shield, but-

    Crack!

    Kain, who broke the shield, rammed his shoulder into the opponent. It was a simple and powerful body check. Devon¡¯s Queen fainted on the spot.

    ©¤I won! I won again!

    So Kain won, and I turned off the SZX-9500.

    Beep- Beep-

    Not long after, the smartwatch rang.

    [Game over. Endex Team 1 wins.]

    We won again.

    ¡°Yay, we won.¡±

    I muttered soullessly as I entered the waiting room.

    The good thing about not moving a single square is that I can return to the waiting room first.

    Iy down on the sofa in the corner of the waiting room right away.

    [Lunch time is from 2pm to 3pm.]

    The waiting room speaker announced lunchtime. Soon, the team members returned in droves.

    ¡°Elise. It¡¯s lunchtime, what are you going to eat?¡±

    Kain asked Elise. Elise replied in a low voice.

    ¡°Just go and eat.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re okay not eating?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll n the strategy first. Later.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay¡­¡­ I can¡¯t wait. Hey guys! Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll buy everything today!¡±

    Waahhh©¤©¤ Kain! Kain! Kain!

    The team members cheered for Kain and went outside in droves.

    Except for me.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I sent a message to someone while lying on the sofa.

    [¡°Boss, I think I¡¯m going to The Wayward Meat, the Rotten branch. Is there a seat avable? It¡¯s near the Remireitz Stadium.¡±]

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but if you walk for 10 more minutes from here, there¡¯s a branch of [The Wayward Meat].

    [¡°Of course! I happen to be there right now? I¡¯ll prepare a ce for you, so hurry up! Bring your friends if you have any!¡±]

    A cheerful and hearty invitation.

    I quickly got up. I grabbed the doorknob while dragging my slippers.

    Then.

    ¡°Where are you going.¡±

    Elise said. She was concentrating like a grandmaster. Was it fake concentration?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat.¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes were still anchored on the tablet PC. She flicked the screen with her finger and spat out indifferently.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything.¡±

    ¡°What didn¡¯t I say. Going to eat? Do I have to tell you?¡±

    Is she also hungry?

    Then Elise bit her lip. A voice that had cooled down through her teeth flowed.

    ¡°You, you know him. Yael.¡±

    Not a question, but a certainty.

    I was quite surprised at that moment, but I maintained a poker face. I pondered without saying a word.

    Tick- Tick- Tick-

    The sound of the second hand moving.

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    Elise lifted her eyes as if she would not even allow silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to do it when you can.¡±

    Her gaze was already sharp as a knife. Why is there a beast that looks like a cat?

    I calmly faced her.

    I¡¯m not scared. It¡¯s not threatening.

    She¡¯s not the old Elise, that is, the tremendous Elise before regression.

    ¡°Answer¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s no need to worry.

    I will not say anything about Yael now.

    ¡°Why should I.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    But I have some idea why Elise is suddenly doing this.

    Probably Yael first sowed ¡®some words¡¯ about me.

    He¡¯s not normal either.

    But the reason Yael said that ¡®some words¡¯ is ultimately, if you think about it, it will not contradict thest will he left.

    The will that said ¡®please protect Elise¡¯.

    Even before regression, even now when I¡¯m not as strong as I was then, Yael thinks of me as ¡®someone who can protect Elise¡¯.

    I¡¯m still curious about what to protect her from.

    More than anything, if I ask Elise whether she desperately wants to live or die, I¡¯d rather hope she dies.

    ¡°Think carefully. You could die.¡±

    Elise put a naive edge in her voice. Iughed and shook my head.

    It can¡¯t be helped.

    I really hate Elise, but my desire to help Yael is much greater than my hatred for this woman.

    This regression would have been impossible without his help.

    Because people who sacrifice themselves for me are precious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I like you. Yes, I like you.¡±

    I just said that. Elise¡¯s brow furrowed fiercely, but that was it.

    She clenched the corner of her tablet PC, and I went back outside, dragging my slippers along.

    Gurgle-

    Suddenly, a sound that didn¡¯t fit the situation quietly rang out.

    It¡¯s not mine.

    ¡­¡­.

    The chain store of the popr restaurant [The Wayward Meat].

    ¡°Oh~ Shion! Nice to see you. But¡­ why do you seem to keep growing?¡±

    The boss blinked his eyes, cing his hand on his forehead.

    ¡°You used to be much smaller than me, but now you¡¯re almost reaching me?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ should I help you with something? I can finish washing the dishes in 5 minutes.¡±

    ¡°No, no. Customers should eat. I¡¯ve reserved a VIP private room, so go eat.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    I sat down in the seat the boss guided me to. It was a real private room. Even the appearance of the grill was golden. Is this also a premium strategy?

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    While wiping my hands with a wet towel, I casually looked out the window.

    ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡±

    Suddenly, someone was spotted.

    A guy lurking around the barbecue restaurant outside. Elise, wearing a cap on her head and a tablet PC on her side.

    She doesn¡¯t seem to have followed me.

    If she was tailing me, I would have noticed.

    Rather, it seems like she really came to eat¡­.

    ¡°Here¡¯s a whole pig. You eat a lot-¡±

    I asked the boss who just served the food.

    ¡°Boss. Outside. I have a friend. Can I bring her?¡±

    ¡°Ah, then. Go ahead.¡±

    I went out the back door. I approached Elise, who was standing on tiptoe in front of the barbecue restaurant.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Elise trembled as if she had been electrocuted and backed away.

    ¡°Why are you here? Did you follow me?¡±

    ¡°I came first? If you¡¯re going to eat, follow me. There¡¯s only one seat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes thinly. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to eat, then don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    But surprisingly, she obediently followed me. It¡¯s like treating a servant.

    We entered the private room and sat side by side. We were not facing each other. Our positions were diagonal.

    I grilled the meat on the table, and Elise immediately asked a question.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    It seems like she followed me to ask about Yael.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat some meat?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡±

    I grilled the meat, and Elise moved her chopsticks without a word.

    So for about 10 minutes.

    ¡°You eat whatever I grill.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, who had been devouring the meat, swallowed with a face that seemed to have lost the taste of the food. Then she reached out her hand.

    ¡°Hand me the tongs.¡±

    ¡°No need. You seem like you¡¯d burn everything.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s right. It must be nice to grill meat well. It must be very rewarding.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than not being able to do anything on your own.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Just grill. I¡¯ll pay.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    A sudden deal was struck, and I called the boss to order 20 servings of the most expensive cuts.

 Chapter 104: Human Chess (3)

    <strong>Human Chess (3)</strong>

    The third round began after lunch.

    This time, it was a little different.

    Not dramatically different, but¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Finally.¡±

    In the middle of the chess game, a figure appeared right in front of my square. I was so d to see another person that I rushed towards him.

    ¡°Hey. What are you?¡±

    There was a man on the other side of the semi-transparent magical barrier. He was a pawn, like me.

    ©¤What do you mean, what am I? I¡¯m a pawn.

    ¡°Come here. Come on. Let¡¯s fight.¡±

    I banged on the magical barrier with my club. Thump-! Thump-!

    The other guy looked at me as if I was crazy.

    ©¤We can¡¯t. The rules say we can¡¯t attack each other.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    That¡¯s how pawns are. They can¡¯t capture the opponent in front of them, only the ones diagonally across.

    I guess pawns only ambush.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ my body aches.¡±

    I should have just sparred yesterday.

    Of course, even if I win like this, I get the basic points. I just can¡¯t earn battle points.

    Even so, there must be a lot of guys who want my spot right now, right? Because it looks like I¡¯m just sitting and earning points.

    [Game over. Team Endex 1 wins.]

    In the meantime, Team Endex 1 won again.

    I didn¡¯t do anything.

    ©¤Damn, I¡¯m so jealous.

    ¡°What are you jealous of?¡±

    The other pawn grimaced and spoke.

    ©¤You¡¯re just sitting there, not doing anything, and earning points. This is unfair.

    From his perspective, I can see why he¡¯d think that, but my expected and actual value isn¡¯t that of a pawn. I canpete with most knights.

    This is a side effect of not disclosing grades.

    ¡°Try being in my situation. It¡¯s not all good.¡±

    ©¤I want to be in your situation, you idiot.

    ¡°What, what? An idiot?¡±

    ©¤Yeah, you¡¯re an idiot. A lucky bastard.

    ¡°You crazy, crazy bastard, have you lost your mind? Hey. Suddenly cursing, you idiot.¡±

    ©¤Fuck off, idiot.

    ¡°What the fuck, you bastard, you¡¯re crazy. If I see youter, you¡¯re done.¡±

    Anyway, the other pawn disappeared like that, and I came back to the waiting room.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lunatic bastard¡­¡­¡±

    I was momentarily lost for words at the sight of the waiting room.

    There were quite a few greenhorns.

    No, most of them were greenhorns.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. I¡¯m tired after three rounds. My arm won¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°Me too. I think I¡¯ve slightly fractured my shin.¡±

    Considering we¡¯re ying four rounds a day, it feels more like a test of stamina and durability thanbat ability.

    ¡°There¡¯s a 20-minute break, right? I¡¯m going to quickly get some mana treatment.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Hearing the groans of injuries here and there, it seemed fortunate to be sitting still like me.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    I quietly sat on the sofa, waiting for thest round.

    ¡­¡­Elise understood the basics of human chess.

    First, pawns usually can¡¯t defend themselves and die when they confront higher-ranking Artifacts. In addition to the fundamental skill gap, the types of weapons they can use are also different.

    Next, in battles between higher-ranking Artifacts, the one who attacks first has a significant advantage.

    Elise would first ry information about the opponent through her smartwatch, familiarize herself with it, and then enter the battle.

    Therefore, the King must know exactly who the opponent¡¯s Artifact is. That information is contained in a tablet PC called the ¡®yer¡¯s Exclusive Scouting Book¡¯.

    Having thoroughly understood the information, Elise led the battle as much as possible ording to thepatibility.

    As a result, in the battles between superior Artifacts, 80~90% of the time, the Artifact that attacked first won.

    Lastly, there were no variables in the fights between Pawns.

    If the skill level is low, the first attack ys too big a role.

    In other words, the crappier you are, the more likely you are to win if you strike first. Just prepare a bunch of magic forms and charge in.

    However, the one to be wary of was, of course, the ¡®Golem¡¯.

    The White Golem was sufficient at the Pawn level, but the ck Golem was a problem, just as Kain had said.

    The ck Golem was undoubtedly the top Pawn. It had the power to defeat superior Artifacts depending on the terrain of the chess squares.

    Moreover, due to the self-healing nature of the Golem, it bes even more exhausting in thetter part of the game as it doesn¡¯t have ¡®health¡¯ and ¡®durability¡¯.

    Therefore, it was important to identify the location of the ck Golem as soon as possible and dispatch a Knight optimized for hunting to hunt it first.

    Thanks to that understanding, Elise was able to win three games in a row.

    However, as she continued to win, the level of her opponents increased, so it was reasonably predictable who thest one would be.

    Tick-tock, tick-tock.

    Elise waited, looking at the clock in the waiting room.

    Soon, the break time will end.

    [Break time over.]

    [Team Endex 1¡¯s opponent is Team Endex 2.]

    ¡°Ah. The expected ones have arrived.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Kain, who had been cooling down, took a deep breath.

    Team Endex 2.

    It¡¯s Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team.

    Elise, of course, had calcted in advance.

    Unlike before, she couldn¡¯t be sure that she would definitely win from the Queen vs Queen battle. Kain is rated as a 6-star in terms ofbat power, but his style leads to high energy consumption in each fight. Moreover, he had fought more than 10 times in 3 games.

    On the other hand, James is a Fencer-style swordsman, and ording to what she heard, he finished most of the fights in 3-4 moves and had fewer battles. Gerkhen Kal Doon didn¡¯t push him too hard.

    Moreover, the opponents have a solid upper Artifact line, including Kielli and Getel.

    It¡¯s impossible to know who will win.

    ¡°Do as I told you.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Hey! Everyone, get ready!¡±

    At Kain¡¯s shout, all 14 of them stood at the door.

    [Game start]

    Immediately, Elise entered the chessboard.

    The King¡¯s square is the office. There is arge desk with a chessboard on it, and through the ss on the other side, you can overlook the whole situation. If the King moves to another square, that square also turns into this office.

    The first move is by the white, Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: White Pawn advances two squares.]

    A familiar opening. Elise moved the Knight first.

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Knight advances to F6.]

    ¡­¡­

    In the middle game of chess, both white and ck finish their development and the battle begins.

    The battlefield is in the center. The superior Artifacts of both white and ck all take their positions in the center, crazily consuming their Pawns in order to gather strength.

    ¡°D5 Pawn. Attack the Pawn at C4. The terrain is a swamp. Be careful not to get stuck in the swamp, and since the opponent is a swordsman, you should have the advantage.¡±

    She issued themand and waited for three minutes.

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Pawn¡¯s attack sessful]

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: White Pawn destroyed]

    She captured the enemy¡¯s Pawn. However, the advanced Pawn was immediately eaten by the iing white Bishop, and at that moment, Elise¡¯s forehead wrinkled.

    ¡°¡­¡­The path is open.¡±

    By advancing the Bishop, Gerkhen Kal Doon had opened a path.

    There were no Artifacts between the Queen and the Queen.

    In other words, the Queens were facing each other.

    Is it a trap?

    Or is it a calction?

    There¡¯s no time for long deliberation. The time given to the yer is only 2 minutes.

    ¡°Kain. Advance from D8 to D1. The opponent is the White Queen. It¡¯s James.¡±

    Elise ordered the advance. She had a good reason.

    Kain had a lot ofbat umtion, and James was full of energy. With her Queen, who couldn¡¯t fight much, if she could just beat Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s fresh Queen, it would be okay even if she was destroyed after winning.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The moment Elise was fidgeting and waiting.

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Queen¡¯s attack sessful]

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: White Queen destroyed]

    She clenched her fist. Kain was defeated immediately after by abined attack from the Bishop and Knight, but it was already a gain.

    ¡°Next. C6 Knight advance¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    After Kain and James were eliminated, the battle continued fiercely on the chessboard without a Queen.

    Artifacts were falling one by one, and Elise, the King, had already moved her position four times.

    ¡°It¡¯s tricky as expected.¡±

    It¡¯s already the endgame.

    Elise gritted her teeth.

    The pressure of facing Gerkhen Kal Doon was partly due to the ¡®King¡¯ Artifact. Although the King has no chance of defense, if Gerkhen Kal Doon is the King, the King itself will have overwhelming power.

    In fact©¤©¤

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: White King¡¯s attack attempt]

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Bishop,bat against White King]

    Gerkhen Kal Doon personally challenged the Bishop to a fight.

    If he loses this battle, the King will be destroyed, but that¡¯s unlikely.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: White King¡¯s attack sessful]

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Bishop destroyed]

    Now, the remaining number of Artifacts is six for Elise¡¯s team.

    Five for Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team.

    In terms of numbers, it¡¯s advantageous, but all of Elise¡¯s Artifacts are only Pawns.

    On the other hand, not only the ¡®ck Golem¡¯ but also the ¡®Rook¡¯, Kielli, is alive on the other side.

    It¡¯s not just disadvantageous, it¡¯s practically a confirmed defeat.

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    Elise touched her forehead. Various thoughts cluttered her mind.

    Should she not have used the Queen¡ªKain?

    Or should she me that stupid Knight who drew with a Pawn? How on earth does one draw with a Pawn? His name was probably Getel.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Annoyed, Elise looked at the chessboard again.

    There was only one Pawn that could move.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to move it.¡±

    The piece that hadn¡¯t moved at all throughout the game.

    In the left corner, the A7 Pawn, Shion Ascal, which had been stuck in ce since the start of the game.

    ¡°¡­¡­A7. Move two spaces forward.¡±

    She moved it.

    By throwing this Pawn, the enemy Pawn will attack. Because in the endgame, you can¡¯t leave a Pawn¡¯s advance alone.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: Attempting to attack with a white Pawn]

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Pawn,bat against White Pawn]

    But of all things, the enemy¡¯s Pawn is the ¡®ck Golem¡¯.

    If the ck Golem seeds in its attack and eats it, it¡¯s an immediate surrender.

    If the attack fails, it¡¯s just buying time.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±

    Elise sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

    ¡°The sun is shining brightly¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m sitting dumbfounded, enjoying the sauna. I¡¯m not even watching with the SZX-9500 because it hurts my eyes.

    It¡¯s good to sweat.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m stretching out.¡±

    Thinking about it, I need this rest time. I¡¯ve been running hard all this time. Because my score was even higher than Elise¡¯s by 0.3 points.

    I¡¯ll rest today, and from tomorrow-

    ©¤©¤Wee-ing.

    Just as I¡¯m about to fall into a light sleep, my smartwatch vibrates suddenly.

    I lift my wrist and am taken aback.

    ¡°!¡±

    It¡¯s amand.

    ¡°Wow. Move two spaces forward?¡±

    It¡¯s the world¡¯s first two-space advance. Some people think that Pawns can only move one space at a time, but no.

    You can move two spaces forward when you first move.

    The magical barrier in front of me has opened.

    ¡°So this does open.¡±

    I moved beyond it.

    From the sweltering dense jungle to an empty in.

    Again, from the empty in to a rather chilly hignd.

    My weapons are a club and a slingshot.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m here.¡±

    I stood still.

    Do I wait here again?

    Just as I was about to sit down on the ground again.

    Grrrr??

    With a burnt cry, the ck Golem invaded from the diagonal direction.

    At the same time, several notification windows popped up over the magical barrier.

    [03 : 00]

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s team: Attempting to attack with a white Pawn]

    [Elise¡¯s team: ck Pawn,bat against White Pawn]

    The battle has begun.

 Chapter 105: Human Chess (4)

    <strong>Human Chess (4)</strong>

    The sudden start of the battle.

    It was human chess that started at 10 a.m., and the first battle was at 7 p.m.

    What should I do?

    I, who had lost the will to fight due to the too long peace thatsted for nearly 9 hours¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    The invading ck Golem scattered obsidian fragments. I quickly did a back tumble. I immediately climbed up to the high ground.

    Getting close to a Golem is insane. Because it¡¯s a creature whose whole body is a weapon, I have to keep my distance as much as possible.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The ck Golem continued to fire obsidian shards like daggers from its body. I hid behind a tree.

    Padrdruck©¤! Three stone fragments flew and knocked down the tree.

    ¡°This is crazy.¡±

    How is that Golem a Pawn? My mouth naturally gapes open.

    Zang©¤! Zang©¤! Zang©¤! Zang©¤!

    Then, aimed shots cut through the wind and flew in. I moved as if rolling my body. As fast as possible, zigzagging.

    It¡¯s an evasive maneuver against long-range attacks. This kind of moving is natural as if it¡¯s stuck to my skin.

    [02 : 13]

    The remaining time is 2 minutes. If I keep going back and forth between the terrain and objects like this, it seems easy to draw, but it¡¯s the first battle in 9 hours.

    I will need more than a draw to satisfy my desire.

    I took out a slingshot from my pocket.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    While avoiding the obsidian that sticks like a guided missile and running, I upgraded the marbles and the slingshot. I also activated the SZX-9500.

    Two weapons for shooting and observation.

    Chururururuk©¤©¤©¤!

    At that moment, the ck Golem also released dozens of fragments. It was an attack that couldn¡¯t be avoided on the ground.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    I kicked the surface with a stepping motion and lifted myself into the air. I changed my posture while floating in the air. While maintaining bnce as much as possible, I raised the slingshot. I loaded a marble onto the band. Kadadruck©¤ I pulled the rubber band and aimed at the ck Golem.

    The target point is the eye.

    Fire.

    Taaaak©¤©¤©¤!

    The marble swept through space cheerfully and plunged diagonally. It hit the Golem urately.

    Chaeaeang-!

    That lens-like thing shattered like a window, and the creature screamed and fired obsidian all around.

    Chak©¤! Chak©¤! Chak©¤!

    But there¡¯s no uracy. Having lost sight, the Golem is nothing more than a batting ball machine. It fires pieces of its body randomly, but I can¡¯t get hit by the blind obsidian.

    From now on, it¡¯s a one-sided hunt.

    I concentrated my attacks on the creature¡¯s ¡®joint parts¡¯ with the slingshot. Of course, I didn¡¯t let my guard down. If I get hit by a flying obsidian just once, it¡¯s fatal.

    Tak©¤©¤©¤! Tak©¤©¤©¤!

    During the remaining time, I cornered the blind Golem. It only got hit and bled fragments like blood.

    [0 : 00]

    [End of Battle]

    Wee-ing©¤

    My smartwatch vibrated. Unfortunately, the battle time was up.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn Battle Failure]

    [Elise Team: ck Pawn Defense Sess]

    [Due to the Pawn¡¯s characteristics, the defense opportunity is reset.]

    ¡°Hey, hey. What are you doing? Hurry up.¡±

    I rolled my feet, waiting for the next move. The ck Golem had returned to its ce, but it was definitely in a retired state.

    If Elise is in her right mind, she would order me to pursue andpletely destroy it.

    Wee-ing©¤

    [Advance and destroy.]

    As expected, Elise ordered a pursuit kill, and the magical barrier opened again.

    [Elise Team: Attempting to attack with ck Pawn]

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn, ck Pawn in battle]

    Now I crossed over to the Golem¡¯s side. The creature, whose entire body was damaged, was in the process of self-recovery, but would I wait?

    I loaded a steel ball into my slingshot.

    The Golem had already used up too much of its armor-like obsidian, exposing its weakness. It¡¯s the ¡®core¡¯ in its head.

    Tang©¤!

    I shot the slingshot.

    Pasyuk! As soon as the core was destroyed, it crumbled like a sandcastle.

    [End of Battle]

    [Elise Team: Battle Victory]

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn Destroyed]

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    I took the ck Golem¡¯s spot. I don¡¯t know what will happen next, but I¡¯ve definitely done my part.

    ¡°¡­¡­They¡¯reing again.¡±

    I could see the guy rushing in a straight line. Judging by its appearance, it seems like a higher Artifact.

    Suddenly, things got busy.

    Wee-ing©¤

    My smartwatch vibrated.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: Attempting to attack with White Rook]

    [Elise Team: ck Pawn, White Rook in battle]

    It¡¯s a Rook. The Artifact said to be the strongest after the Queen.

    Hweeeee©¤©¤©¤!

    The guy who rushed in in an instant unnecessarily swept the ground with his foot. He crossed over to my spot, scattering sandstorms.

    ¡°Ah, my eyes.¡±

    The nuisance from the start showed a smile, deliberately showing only the right side of his face.

    ¡°The Rook, appears¡­¡­¡±

    That was it.

    The guy who faced me stood still. His whole body stopped working like a robot. The cheesy smile, the posture like a hero, everything remained the same.

    I also btedly confirmed his face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Surprisingly, it was a wee face.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    When I greeted him rather warmly, the man, maintaining his posture, only turned his eyes, avoiding my gaze.

    It was Kielli.

    [Start of Battle]

    [03 : 00]

    Kielli stared at him. He stared at Shion Ascal. He also stared back at him.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    His whole body felt stiff. Just as a rabbit would in front of a lion. The emotion of fear flowed out from the depths of the Magic Core, causing him to break out in a cold sweat and suffocate, even before the magic did.

    It¡¯s a ¡®Frozen state¡¯ caused by thebination of survival instincts and trauma.

    Frozen for a moment.

    ¡°If you cross this line, you¡¯ll die, so stop-¡± A psychological barrier of this sort froze him in ce.

    Gulp-

    His throat involuntarily tightened.

    Right now, Shion Ascal was standing still, merely clutching a club.

    His club was infinitely shorter and weakerpared to his own spear. Even his stance seemed to be ¡®full of openings¡¯.

    It¡¯s a trap.

    Shion Ascal was a man who crushed monsters with his bare fists.

    The moment he charged in without thinking, his body would shatter first.

    [02 : 23]

    [02 : 22]

    Meanwhile, the battle time was ticking away.

    Just then, Shion Ascal smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Kielli pondered intensely.

    The situation itself was too risky. Even for Kielli, a master of survival and tact, there was no clear answer on how to proceed-

    ¡°Not going to answer?¡±

    Shion¡¯s expression hardened slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Long time no see.¡±

    Kielli raised his voice at the end of the sentence and clutched his side. He deliberately made hisplexion look pale.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Shion looked puzzled. But in Kielli¡¯s mind, it was the best move.

    There was no need to engage with him unnecessarily.

    They had already won three out of four chess games, and he had won all his battles so far.

    They had the top spot in the bag.

    ¡°My side injury, ah! The aftermath of the previous battle is too severe. Ugh¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡±

    Shion quickly picked up his club with a disappointed look. Kielli raised his hand.

    ¡°Time out. This is already my thirteenth battle¡­¡­¡±

    He had indeed fought a lot.

    As a major Artifact, the ¡®Rook¡¯, he had fought twelve battles. This was his thirteenth battle.

    This was torture, pure torture.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time out¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll give you 5 seconds.¡±

    Shion was tapping his club on his palm, but he didn¡¯t seem to be thinking of activating his Magic Body.

    Kielli found this suspicious.

    Not just in this ss.

    He had secretly watched Shion in all the other sses, but he had never activated his Magic Body. Even activating parts of it, like his arms or legs, was extremely rare.

    For some reason, he was hiding his power.

    He was not showing his extraordinary physical talent.

    ¡°You¡­ you know.¡±

    Kielli asked cautiously.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to activate your Magic Body?¡±

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t use it.¡±

    He can¡¯t use it.

    At that moment, branches sprouted in Kielli¡¯s mind.

    ¡°He can¡¯t use it ©¤ He mustn¡¯t use it ©¤ There must be an unavoidable circumstance or reason ©¤ It¡¯s a very important contract or oath ©¤ Who proposed the contract or oath to him? ©¤ The simple conjectures are enormous ©¤ He could be a spy from another country if it¡¯s serious ©¤ He could be a secret agent of the Edsi Central Intelligence Agency, who haspletely concealed his identity ©¤ He could be a hunting dog dispatched by the underworld mafia.

    He must not get involved or be hated for no reason.

    If he doesn¡¯t want to end up like the monster crushed by his fistst time.

    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°Why. Are you looking down on me because I can¡¯t use it?¡±

    Shion Ascal asked. Kielliughed like an idiot.

    ¡°No.¡±

    [01 : 35]

    ¡°5 seconds have passed. I¡¯ming.¡±

    Shion Ascal said so and swung his club. Kielli barely dodged it almost instinctively, or so he thought-

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Boo-woong- The swinging club suddenly rushed in like a stab.

    This is a super-fastbination that Shion Ascal performs with his club.

    Pretending to do a Triangr Cut, he sticks a ¡®stab¡¯ in the forehead of the opponent trying to keep distance.

    Simply put, it¡¯s a change-up.

    Shion loves the ¡®Changing Sword¡¯ that includes variations and change-ups and breakthroughs. Unlike the Severing Sword, which seems to drain the Magic Core once used, it¡¯s less burdensome on the body while fully utilizing his physical abilities.

    If the Severing Sword is a finishing move, the Changing Sword is a general technique.

    Thump©¤!

    The club hit Kielli¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Kielli, to be honest, wasn¡¯t in a state of dying from pain because he had turned on his Magic Body.

    A little sore?

    However, this would be a warning from Shion.

    Only take this much and exit.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh! I surrender, I surrender.¡±

    Kielli quickly surrendered.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon team: White Rook battle failure]

    [Elise team: ck Pawn defense sess]

    [Due to the characteristics of the pawn, the defense opportunity is reset.]

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Are you hurt a lot?¡±

    Then Shion asked with a puzzled look in his eyes. It was an act to the end. Perhaps because the administrators of the college board were watching from above.

    ¡°Ah. A little¡­ the injury is a bit severe.¡±

    ¡°Be careful. Go to the hospital too.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Then I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m leaving~ Take care.¡±

    Kielli returned to his position before the battle, keeping the rhythm appropriately.

    A position five squares to the right from Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    It¡¯s a bit of a relief to be away. He wiped the sweat on his forehead.

 Chapter 106: Human Chess (5)

    <strong>Human Chess (5)</strong>

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡±

    Elise stared at the chessboard in silence. She couldn¡¯tprehend how this reversal of fortune had urred.

    A defeat that seemed inevitable had been overturned because of a mere pawn.

    ¡­¡­Shion Ascal.

    He had swallowed up the enemy¡¯s ck golem, and even triumphed over Kielli, the rook.

    She hadn¡¯t even dared to hope.

    ¡°Advance one square.¡±

    Elisemanded Shion to move forward.

    Now, he was a pawn deep within enemy lines.

    From one end of the chessboard to the other, only two squares remained.

    A pawn may be the lowest Artifact on the chessboard, but a pawn that has infiltrated the enemy¡¯s base is different. A pawn that hasnded there holds a valueparable to a higher Artifact.

    Because of the system called ¡®promotion¡¯.

    When he reaches the end of the chessboard, Shion Ascal can be promoted from a pawn to a queen and charge forward.

    From the weakest piece to the strongest, capable of killing the opponent¡¯s king.

    ¡°¡­¡­ We¡¯ve won.¡±

    Therefore, Elise was certain of victory.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon had lost two turns of attack with only five Artifacts remaining and had his ck golem destroyed.

    Kielli, the ¡®rook¡¯, was still alive, but he had no opportunity to defend. Even if he did have a chance to defend, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Shion within the two turns it would take for Shion to be promoted to queen.

    Shion Ascal would certainly be promoted to queen, and therefore¡­¡­.

    [Gerkhen Kal Doon team: Surrender]

    Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s thoughts seemed to mirror her own, as he cleanly surrendered. It was so calm that it left the victors feeling somewhat uneasy.

    Weeeing©¤

    Several messages floated up on the magic barrier.

    [Elise team wins.]

    [All matches have ended.]

    [There is no closing ceremony.]

    [You must have worked very hard to fight so many battles, well done.]

    [We cheer for your evaluation exam.]

    [Please disperse.]

    Four matches, four victories. The task ended with a clean sweep.

    All the magic barriers crumbled, and Elise returned to the cramped waiting room.

    ¡°It¡¯s Elise as expected!¡±

    The chess pieces, no, the team members who had arrived in the waiting room earlier, praised her without knowing anything. They had no way of watching the progression of the chess game, so they only saw the fact of ¡®victory¡¯.

    ¡°Everyone, cheer! Elise!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±¡±Eliseeeee©¤©¤!¡± ¡±¡±¡±

    Despite their zombie-like praise, Elise didn¡¯t react and just stared somewhere.

    Soon, the door in the farthest corner opened, and Shion Ascal, who had survived the longest, advanced to the deepest enemy lines, and overturned the final game with a victory, walked out.

    Elise¡¯s gaze focused on him.

    No other sound could be heard, and all other forms seemed blurry, as if they were out of her focus.

    But he left the waiting room.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±

    ¡°Cheers for Elise!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°¡°Eliseeeee©¤©¤©¤!¡±¡±¡±¡±

    Taking advantage of their celebration, Elise quickly followed Shion. She grabbed his shoulder, which was trudging down the corridor, and stopped him.

    ¡°Whoa, you startled me. What¡¯s up?¡±

    He turned around and blinked at her.

    Elise asked hesitantly.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Ah, hmm.¡±

    Then, Shion made a smug face.

    ¡°How about it? Wasn¡¯t it your best choice to put me in as the first pawn?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise red at him silently. Whether it was the best choice or not, he should answer properly.

    ¡°¡­¡­I was full of energy because I didn¡¯t move in all three games. It seemed like Kielli was injured somewhere?¡±

    Only then did Elise let go of Shion¡¯s arm.

    Shion chuckled and walked down the corridor.

    Elise quietly watched him as he walked away.

    ¡°Strategy. It was good.¡±

    But there was another voiceing from behind her.

    This time, it was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Did you deliberately save Shion Ascal for nine hours?¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­ What?¡±

    Elise asked with a tired face. Gerkhen Kal Doon casually raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I had some idea from the moment you chose Shion Ascal as the first pawn.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡­¡­¡±

    The reason she chose Shion as the first pawn was simple.

    To put him on the same team and ask about Yael when the opportunity arose.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you pick Gerkhen Kal Doon? Not as a pawn, but as a higher Artifact.¡±

    ¡°There was a risk in choosing him as a higher Artifact. From what I¡¯ve observed so far, Shion seemed to have a peculiar weakness in stamina. He¡¯s the guy who copsed during swordsmanship ss.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon seemed to have analyzed Shion Ascal. Well, he was a guy who stood out strangely.

    ¡°Higher Artifacts had to move significantly in all four games, so stamina was the top priority.¡±

    ¡°Then.¡±

    Elise looked up at Gerkhen Kal Doon and crossed her arms. Her lips twisted involuntarily.

    ¡°If there was no ¡®stamina issue¡¯, what Artifact would you have chosen Shion as?¡±

    A question thrown out of annoyance at his tone, which seemed to acknowledge Shion.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon answered immediately.

    ¡°Queen.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    As he said such a strange thing, that he would put him in the queen¡¯s position, Gerkhen Kal Doon left to his opposite side.

    Elise blinked her eyes and returned to her team¡¯s waiting room.

    ©¤©¤©¤Eliseeeeee!!

    Inside, the Elise party without Elise was still going on.

    ©¤Don¡¯t think about going home today! I¡¯ll buy everything! I¡¯m going to spend 100,000 Ren today and get scolded by my dad!

    ©¤Woww!

    ©¤But isn¡¯t the exam next week?!

    ©¤¡­¡­Okay, let¡¯s just y until midnight!

    ©¤Woww!

    Listening to them was tiring.

    In the end, Elise also came out of the stadium. She stood on the roadside and made a call to someone.

    ©¤Yes, Miss. It¡¯s Lauren.

    She was curious. She was also suspicious. Gerkhen Kal Doon had just confirmed it.

    Shion Ascal.

    He definitely had something.

    He had a connection with Yael, and he had a hidden side.

    Among them, ¡®Yael¡¯ was too fatal for the family, so now she should not consider her own circumstances.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ no, please prepare a vehicle right now. It¡¯s time to leave.¡±

    ©¤Yes. Understood.

    Orphanage in the northernmost part of Edsi, Arman.

    Apany that helps Shion Ascalunder money.

    Elise is thinking of starting from there.

    The college board holds exams at the end of the first and second quarters. The meaning is simr to midterms and finals, but it differs in that it is a much more practical and dangerous test.

    The safety measures are minimal.

    However, since it allows for more urate evaluation than ever, the university association sends out invitations every year. Not only university officials, but also families looking to scout talent, HR teams ofrge corporations, or simply famous celebrities.

    Of course, this includes Libra.

    [College Board: First Quarter Evaluation Test Invitation]

    [Recipient: Lady Johanna of Libra]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Eldest daughter Johanna was lost in thought as she looked at the invitation.

    Libra does not get tied down to young prospects. There are many talentedmoners on the continent, and the family ¡®Libra¡¯ is no different from their dreams.

    However, the qualifications to be selected by Libra are too high.

    The most recent was Belingham.

    He was a 6-star prospect from elementary school, and since he was considered a talent of the generation, Libra dly chose him. He was epted as a member of the family.

    Of course, there are rumors that the talent pool of this college board ss is deep.

    Even excluding Soliette and Elise, who are from other families, they might be able to find 2-3 useful guys.

    However, among them, there is only one senior that Johanna knows.

    Shion Ascal.

    Knock¡­ Knock¡­

    A slow knock sounded.

    In this bloodline mansion, there is only one person who knocks on her office like a sloth.

    Johanna brushed her hair back and spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is it, Zia¡±

    Then a letter slipped under the door andnded on the desk. Johanna looked at it.

    [Can you lend me some money¡­¡­]

    Her eyes narrowed.

    She had heard that Zia was running her own business. She didn¡¯t receive a penny of the Libra estate. She just picked up hundreds of thousands of Ren in cash, stocks, and a few real estates as if she was picking them up.

    She had to inte those as much as possible to maintain the life of a noble.

    ¡°Are you outside?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Yes.

    Zia¡¯s voice is always slow. Like a stretched tape.

    ¡°Is it because of business again?¡±

    ©¤They¡¯rete with the construction payment¡­¡­

    ¡°How much do you need?¡±

    She didn¡¯t think badly of her trying to find her own way to live. After all, Zia is excluded from all session structures.

    ©¤2 million Ren¡­ I can pay it back next month¡­

    She¡¯s in this state over a mere 2 million Ren promissory note.

    As Johanna wrote the amount on the check, she spoke.

    ¡°Zia, did you also receive an invitation to the evaluation test?¡±

    ©¤Yes¡­ just one¡­

    Her voice was truly tiresome to listen to. She took three seconds to say something that could be said in one.

    ¡°Watch it remotely at least once. There¡¯s a senior who wants to work under you.¡±

    These days, the world has improved, so most of the evaluation test observations can be done remotely.

    ©¤Under me¡­? Are you sure it¡¯s not a mistake¡­?

    Johanna smirked slightly.

    ¡°Watch it at least once. You need someone for you. Didn¡¯t your escort knight quit again?¡±

    ©¤Ah¡­ the sry¡­ was dyed¡­

    Johanna slid a 3 million Ren check under the door. 1 million Ren was for living expenses.

    ©¤Kyaa¡­!

    The sound of Zia jumping in surprise from outside could be heard. Johanna chuckled.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your kind of life must befortable.¡±

    The three siblings of Libra, including Johanna, didn¡¯t even know Zia¡¯s exact age.

    Zia was always like that.

    When Derek was in college, and when Johanna and Jade, who were of the same age, were constantly at each other¡¯s throats, Sherlock suddenly brought a newborn baby and said, ¡°This is your youngest sibling.¡±

    She was an ¡®illegitimate child¡¯.

    The moment she appeared, the three siblings momentarily called a truce.

    At that time, Derek was already nning to kill Zia. Johanna and Jade were also nning to assist.

    The fourth direct descendant of Libra. No matter how young, she would undoubtedly be a threat, and they couldn¡¯t ept an illegitimate child as their direct descendant.

    ©¤©¤However.

    When the three siblings, filled with murderous intent, entered the nanny¡¯s room and faced Zia for the first time.

    When they tried to stop the breathing of a baby no bigger than an arm with a pillow.

    They couldn¡¯t deny it.

    She had the bluest and clearest eyes. The hair of the baby, not even a year old, was as blue as if it held the sea.

    It was the proof of the ¡®Libra¡¯ bloodline. It was the color that inherited the Libra blood more deeply than anyone else.

    Zia seemed like a child born to survive.

    ¡°The senior¡¯s name is ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯. Look him up when you have time.¡±

    ©¤Shion¡­

    ¡°Do you know the name?¡±

    ©¤From the Orphanage¡­ once¡­?

    ¡°Yes. He said he wanted to work under you, to Belingham. Now go. If I keep talking with your slow voice, all my hair will fall out.¡±

    ©¤Hmm¡­ yes¡­ thank you, sister¡­

    Thump¡­ thump¡­ thump¡­ Even Zia¡¯s footsteps were slow.

    With that slowness, I wonder if she can survive in this harsh and fast world.

    ¡°The casino¡¯s profits are stagnating these days.¡±

    Johanna immersed herself in her work again.

 Chapter 107: Orphanage (1)

    <strong>Orphanage (1)</strong>

    The weekend before the evaluation test, Saturday.

    I took an express bus to the countryside.

    ¡°There¡¯s a¡­ hospital here.¡±

    Today was the day to receive that ¡®Mana Quark Treatment¡¯.

    [Spring Water Hospital]

    However, Yu Hains¡¯ private hospital was almost in the countryside.

    It wasn¡¯t too rural. There was an express bus route, a medium-sized casino nearby, a mine, and the air was good because it was surrounded by mountains. The problem was,

    ¡°Why is it so old?¡±

    The exterior. It looked like a hospital from 20-30 years ago that you¡¯d see on TV. It even had a sign saying ¡®General Hospital¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    With a doubtful face, I walked in. Fortunately, the hospital lobby and facilities, including the counter, were not as old as the exterior.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Professor Yu Hains¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Please go to the director¡¯s office.¡±

    The nurse pointed to the director¡¯s office. I nodded and went in.

    Yu Hains was there.

    ¡°Sit down. Did you bring the money?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I brought it, but you¡¯re speaking informally again.¡±

    I said, putting down my money bag.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like hearing informal speech, you can leave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Please check.¡±

    I pushed the money bag towards him. Yu Hains checked inside.

    ¡°Look. The amount should be correct.¡±

    It was a raw cash bundle that had not undergone any moneyundering process.

    I withdrew the cash from the department store gift certificates I received as a service fee from [At Your Service], the dark web DP I earned from selling mandrake, and put all the advance payment from Soliette into it, preparing 200,000 Ren in cash.

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal in cash like this in the future. How about it?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re trying to pass on the moneyundering.¡±

    Unfortunately, Yu Hains was very smart.

    ¡°No. You said this isn¡¯t an approved procedure anyway. And, you canunder money easier than me. It¡¯s really hard for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yu Hains stared at me without saying a word. My heart dropped for a moment.

    ¡°Hey~ hey. I¡¯m a patient with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. I have to earn 200,000 Ren a month, and if I have to do the moneyundering myself, it shrinks to 100,000 Ren. You know that. Are you going to send me away? Then-¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Fortunately, Yu Hains gave his permission. I turned my face slightly and let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The professor, who got up from his seat and disappeared behind the director¡¯s office.

    I followed him.

    It was an operating room.

    ¡°The facilities are quite modernpared to the exterior of the hospital?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no more foolish waste of money than caring about the exterior.¡±

    Microscope cameras and monitors, as well as operating tables, lights, scalpels, suction, blood transfusion packs, monitors, etc. There were quite a few state-of-the-art equipment.

    ¡°This is the Mana Quark Treatment device.¡±

    Among them, he pushed a thin cylinder connected to the ceiling.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this really it?¡±

    I was slightly anxious.

    I had only trusted this so far.

    If this is a scam, I have to entrust my body to that hellish cancer treatment swamp again.

    ¡°The Quark Therapy Machine is the entire ceiling, or rather, the whole second floor. This cylinder is merely a tool that sprays the quarks from the second floor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. But can this machine operate in this hospital? Does it need any fuel?¡±

    ¡°The fuel is my ¡®Spectrum¡¯, magic power, and the mana core inside the machine. That¡¯s why only I can use it.¡±

    ¡®Spectrum is the fuel.¡¯

    A very confident statement.

    Well, then, there¡¯s nothing to be done.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll trust you, Professor.¡±

    Aftering this far, it would be a problem if I didn¡¯t trust him.

    ¡°I¡¯m the director here. Change your clothes and lie down.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Are we going into surgery right now?¡±

    ¡°The more innovative, the simpler. There¡¯s no need to wash hands. Though I did wash them.¡±

    I would have filed aint if he hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    I took off my clothes. Yu Hains nced at me.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°¡­Your body seems to be growing.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yes. It¡¯s a symptom of Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Not all patients with Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core have that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Yu Hains left without a word. I changed into a surgical gown. It was a green fabric with a hole in the stomach.

    ©¤Lie down on the bed.

    A voice came down from the ceiling speaker.

    I did as I was told andy down on the bed.

    Whiiiiing-

    Then, with the sound of something working, the cylinder moved. It was almost attached to my abdomen, and at the same time, a blue light emanating from somewhere dyed the entire ceiling.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤.

    Strangely, a vibrating sound mixed in my ears. It didn¡¯t seem like a vibration and the sound was faint, but anyway.

    I¡¯m getting sleepy.

    ©¤You can restfortably.

    With that voice, the sleep that wasing on suddenly poured out uncontrobly.

    This is that¡­.

    Mana Quark Therapy.

    With thatst thought, I lost consciousness.

    Arbil Orphanage in ¡®Arman¡¯, at the northern tip of the Edsi continent.

    In that ce, remodeled from an abandoned school in the mountains into an orphanage, dozens of children and twenty teachers live together like a family.

    ¡°40,000 Ren came in, huh?¡±

    Despite the impending spring, the chilly wallpaper of the orphanage sprouted a particrly heartwarming story.

    Thanks to the sponsorship of the Endex theater team.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief. This month was a bit tough.¡±

    Arman is cheap in terms ofnd and cost of living, but still, the orphanage is staking its life on conservation. They fill several wells sold by Dent for water, get firewood cheaply through a partnership with a nearby woodcutter for heating, rece refrigerators that consume electricity with the cold climate, supplement protein through weekly beast hunting, and so on. Thanks to this, they manage to feed the children even in their tight budget.

    The monthly budget is between 300,000 and 500,000 Ren, from various sponsorships and congressional support. With 174 children to feed, clothe, and put to bed, there¡¯s really no money left for the teachers¡¯ wages.

    ¡°No one who receives it seems to care.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Have you decided where to use it?¡±

    Dent asked. He had now be the principal from the instructor. In fact, it was a demotion. This Orphanage in a cold region he had never been to before was almost cut off from Libra, with no family membersing and going, let alone contact.

    ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t it about time we brought in a TV?¡±

    Suddenly, a robust voice of a child echoed from outside the window.

    Berry, who controls the kindergarten with a smartphone as a weapon, was the source.

    ¡°Get in! ytime is over! If you don¡¯t go in, I won¡¯t show you!¡±

    Berry herded all the children inside before lunchtime. Thanks to this ss president, the 5-7 year old ss is quite easy to handle.

    Dent chuckled and said,

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it help maintain Berry¡¯s power if we dy buying a TV as much as possible?¡±

    ¡°Rather, we could make a TV room and give the key and remote to Berry¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. Indeed, that would be better. We have rooms that are unnecessarily spacious.¡±

    They n to use the sponsorship they received this time for a TV and field trip expenses.

    There¡¯s now that says orphans in an Orphanage can¡¯t enjoy cultural life.

    ¡°So, with 8,000 Ren, we can buy a TV, and the rest can be used for cultural expenses like children¡¯s ys or movies¡­?¡±

    Dent, who had stopped speaking, was looking somewhere. The teacher also looked in that direction.

    ¡°Who is that person?¡±

    At the entrance of the Orphanage. There was a woman and an attendant getting out of a luxury sedan.

    Her tinum hair fluttered in the north wind, and the coat and sunsses she wore seemed to be more expensive than the Orphanage¡¯s monthly budget.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be of the age toe for adoption¡­¡±

    Arbil Orphanage does ept adoption applications. However, due to their very strict conditions, there have only been four so far.

    There are many stories these days about adopting children to make them ves or sell their organs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see.¡±

    Dent stood up. Just in case, he went with a sword at his waist.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    Crossing the yground, he approached the guest with a fake cough. There was a knight by her side.

    Not a low-ranking knight like himself, but a real knight.

    ¡°¡­Are you the person in charge here?¡±

    The woman asked first.

    ¡°Yes. I am Dent, the principal of Arbil Orphanage¡­ What brings you here?¡±

    Then the other party took off her sunsses. Her impression changed dramatically at that moment. She looked much younger. To Dent, she was almost a child.

    ¡°So there is an Orphanage¡­ in a ce like this.¡±

    She looked around with a stunned face. It was a deste yground full of sand, but there were many yground equipment such as swings, horizontal bars, and ser fields.

    ¡°Yes. There is¡­ huh?¡±

    Dent opened his eyes wide. Looking at Elise, he widened his already wide eyes once more.

    Elise took a slight step back, feeling ufortable.

    ¡°Could it be, Petra¡¯s Elise?!¡±

    Dent also often receives news from the College Board. He¡¯s almost keeping a close eye on it because of a certain participant involved. He¡¯s well aware of promising six-star talents like Petra¡¯s Elise, Arkne¡¯s Soliette, and Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°A celebrity like you here¡­ what brings you?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. She had thought of this Orphanage as a ¡®fakepany¡¯ rted to Shion Ascal, and hade to poke around a bit.

    Instead, Dent spoke first.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re the biggest prospect of Endex¡­ by any chance, do you know Shion?¡±

    Shion.

    Coincidentally, he was the reason Elise had deliberatelye all this way.

    At first, she thought it was a ¡®well-made fake Orphanage¡¯.

    Not too tantly corrupt, slightly suspicious but still made to look reasonably real Orphanage.

    A moneyunderingpany contracted by Shion Ascal.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, there are a lot of thesepanies and institutions when you take an economics ss.

    Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean he established thepany himself. He doesn¡¯t seem to have the ability to do that.

    However, there arepanies everywhere that help moneyundering through donations, and Elise thought Shion was trying to swallow money in coboration with them¡­.

    She ¡®misunderstood¡¯.

    ¡°So, was the predecessor of this ce Libra Orphanage?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Dent, the head of the Orphanage, said somethingpletely different.

    ¡°¡­.I see.¡±

    Elise blinked nkly. She was embarrassed, surprised, and sorry.

    She didn¡¯t know at all.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a secret now. In fact, we¡¯re almost cut off from Libra¡¯s main house. Please don¡¯t spread it even by rumor.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡±

    Elise nodded. Looking at her, Dent smiled.

    ¡°But thend is spacious. It¡¯s also our Orphanage¡¯snd, with no need to pay rent or ground rent. We received a donation from Libra¡¯s main house.¡±

    Heughed heartily.

    ¡°¡­.Yes.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing else to say but ¡®yes¡¯, but it¡¯s understandable that Libra¡¯s main house closed the Orphanage.

    The old site has nowpletely turned into Libra¡¯s financial business district. Jade¡¯s foresight was somewhat urate.

    ¡°So. What brings Miss Petra here?¡±

    Dent got to the point. Elise also sat up straight.

 Chapter 108: Orphanage (2)

    <strong>Orphanage (2)</strong>

    In the principal¡¯s office of the only Orphanage in Arman, [Arbil].

    ¡°As you may know, the Endex drama team has sponsored this ce.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, Dent nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes. On behalf of the Orphanage, thank you. It will be a great help.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I guess I¡¯ve be a bit interested in this ce?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s also something to be thankful for.¡±

    ¡°Also, two birds with one stone.¡±

    Elise lifted her teacup. The color of the ck tea was very deep.

    ¡°I have a few questions about Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°About Shion, you say.¡±

    Dent¡¯s expression hardened slightly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you both alumni? You might know more about him than we do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Elise calmly sipped her tea.

    She was slightly surprised. The taste was too good.

    The tea from a cold region has a strangely deep vor.

    ¡°Although we are alumni¡­¡±

    She stopped in the middle of her sentence.

    Dent had a slightly strange expression.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was doubting her, but his lips were twitching as if he was holding back augh.

    ¡°¡­Do you have an interest in Shion?¡±

    At that moment, Elise almost blurted out something in her mouth. She almost dropped the teacup in her hand.

    She barely held it back.

    ¡°Interest¡­ I do have.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie.

    It¡¯s not a good interest, but a bad one.

    ¡°Oh~ The younger generation is indeed¡­ straightforward. Ahem.¡±

    Dent stifled a cough with an excited face, and the teachers behind the counseling room door vibrated like a loud noise.

    Elise nced at the ce and smirked.

    ¡°¡­The soundproofing seems to be not very good?¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right. Hey! What are you guys doing there! Get out!¡±

    Whoosh-

    The teachers retreated. Dent looked back at Elise.

    ¡°Ahem. Well, that Shion was indeed a bit shy and handsome. He was the only one among my students who entered Endex. And also¡­.¡±

    Dent seemed to be ready to go on with his nonsense.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. He had leukemia, didn¡¯t he? Malignant leukemia.¡±

    Elise went straight to the point.

    A wrinkle formed between Dent¡¯s brows. He asked in a much more serious voice.

    ¡°Why do you ask about that?¡±

    ¡°Because I was in that hospital too.¡±

    ¡°¡­In the hospital?¡±

    Dent, who had been pondering alone, pped as if he had realized something.

    ¡°Ah~ right. That ce was Petra University Hospital, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~ Then by any chance, was the friend Shion mentioned back then you, Elise?¡±

    Friend.

    The fingers holding the handle of the teacup tightened. The surface of the ck tea slightly rippled. She almost spilled it but managed to keep herposure.

    ¡°A friend¡­ Did Shion say that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He did say ¡®a somewhat strange friend¡¯. But anyway, he was happy to have made a friend.¡±

    A somewhat strange friend.

    Elise, who took a sip of the ck tea, smiled faintly.

    ¡°The tea is really good.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Then, have you ever seen that friend in person? I¡¯m curious if it was me or another child.¡±

    At times like this, acting experience is really helpful. Not only managing facial expressions, but also the ability to lie naturally, all are part of acting.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re quite proactive. But I¡¯ve never seen the face. Was it a ward where visitors couldn¡¯t go? Anyway, he said something like that. I don¡¯t remember well.¡±

    Elise¡¯s poker face almost cracked.

    There is only one ward in Petra University Hospital where visitors can¡¯t go.

    The psychiatric ward.

    The ce where Yael had been admitted instead of prison.

    ¡°¡­Then. Just one more thing.¡±

    Elise spoke with a smile on her lips.

    ¡°Why did Shion end up in the Orphanage?¡±

    Then Dent waved his hand. He was firm this time.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. You already knew about the leukemia, and having a friend is a good thing, but we can¡¯t tell you about Shion¡¯s wounds.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    How Shion Ascal¡¯s father and mother died. After all, if she decided to investigate that, she could find out. It¡¯s hard to trace the entire process of a human life, but the beginning and end are surprisingly easy to find.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Thanks to you, my interest has grown.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ho ho ho- Well, ah, what, Shion. Is he that good? Oh~ I¡¯m so jealous. The attention of the most promising¡­¡±

    Dent scratched his head with a flustered face, but the problem was not Shion in the first ce.

    It was ¡®Yael¡¯.

    [You¡¯re really my friend.]

    Yael¡¯s words might not be a lie.

    Shion Ascal might really be friends with Yael.

    What a terrible thing this is.

    ¡°Then.¡±

    Elise looked at her wristwatch.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go. Ah, don¡¯t follow me. I want to look around alone.¡±

    Dent, who had awkwardly stood up, sat back down.

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s not much to see¡­ but please take a look.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She left the principal¡¯s office with her attendant. The teachers in the corridors here and there hid like mice.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    She sighed and went out to the yground. There were a few benches in the ce where there was only sand, not grass.

    She sat on one of them. Her buttocks were cold.

    Children were slightly visible between the windows of the building on the opposite side.

    Children.

    At the sight of those children, Elise shook her head.

    Because she dislikes children.

    Quite a lot.

    To the extent that she has to exclude them from her life.

    But when people say they dislike children, they all frown?

    You can dislike pigs, but if you dislike children, are you a psychopath or a sociopath¡­

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    Suddenly, a cute voice with a low grumble called her.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Elise turned to look.

    There was nothing.

    ¡°Not there. Here.¡±

    ¡°¡­What. Where?¡±

    ¡°Berry is down here.¡±

    A voice rising from a bit below.

    Behind the bench, two small children were ring at her.

    Ziiing? Lasers were shooting out of their eyes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Berry. This is Bell.¡±

    Introducing themselves, they walked forward confidently, hands on their hips and bowing slightly.

    Their manners were impable.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Okay.¡±

    ¡°By any chance.¡±

    The child named Berry boldly climbed onto the bench first. The attendant looked at her, but she signaled with her eyes to leave her be.

    ¡°Do you know Shion?¡±

    Berry asked about Shion. Elise almost chuckled.

    Everyone here is somehow rted to Shion Ascal.

    I should apologize for suspecting moneyundering.

    ¡°¡­I do know him.¡±

    Elise looked at Berry¡¯s chest. There was a smartphone hanging like a ne. Feeling her gaze, Berry tightly gripped the smartphone.

    ¡°Shion gave this to Berry.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    It was an older modelpared to hertest smartphone.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too outdated?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡±

    Perhaps, she was the abnormal one for changing her phone once a year.

    Berry asked again.

    ¡°How is Shion doing?¡±

    Again with Shion.

    These two kids seem to be interested in ¡®only¡¯ Shion.

    I¡¯m a six-star prospect, mind you.

    ¡°He¡¯s doing well.¡±

    Elise simply replied.

    ¡°As expected~¡±

    ¡°Woah~¡±

    The two kids¡¯ eyes sparkled loudly.

    ¡°What happens if he does well?¡±

    These kids are curious about everything.

    ¡°If he does well until the end, he¡¯ll go to university.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­ university¡­¡±

    ¡°University¡­¡±

    Berry and Bell opened their mouths in awe. Then they waved their hands and spoke.

    ¡°Berry, Berry¡¯s dream is to be a knight. I want to go to university like Shion.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Elise rummaged through her coat pocket expressionlessly. Fortunately, there was a snack. Three foreign choctes.

    ¡°Here, share this.¡±

    Eat and leave quickly.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    Berry and Bell epted it with sparkling eyes. Bell immediately tore open the packaging, and Berry tucked it into her bosom and asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sister?¡±

    ¡°Elise. Elise Petra¡±

    ¡°Do you y mogem too, Elise?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mogem?¡±

    ¡°Mobile game.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Elise put her hand on her forehead. She couldn¡¯t understand the abbreviation. Has she gotten this old already¡­?

    ¡°Come y with us next time you visit¡­ Ah! We have to go now. There¡¯s Tiger Teacher!¡±

    Berry pointed somewhere. A teacher who looked like a dormitory supervisor was looking this way.

    ¡°Yeah. Go on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, before that!¡±

    Berry held out her smartphone as she got off the bench.

    ¡°Number exchange! Wanna do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise hesitated for a moment, but soon nodded.

    It would be easier to just give a wrong number than to refuse in person.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Tell me!¡±

    Elise recited her number to Berry. Berry, with her small hands fumbling, pressed the screen and showed [Savepleted].

    ¡°Great! Then we¡¯ll go! Bye-bye!¡±

    ¡°Bye-bye!¡±

    ¡°Go on. Hurry.¡±

    Berry and Bell left. Watching the back of their heads, which wererge for their bodies, running away, Elise murmured quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a proper orphanage. I feel foolish for suspecting.¡±

    She had a vague distrust and skepticism about donations.

    Because she had seen too many cases of the wealthy setting up altars or pretending to donate tounder money.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also sponsor here like Shion Ascal. But, a sustainable sponsorship.¡±

    But it seemed okay if it was a ce like this.

    ¡°Mr. Luren. Do you know what those trees growing in the back mountain of the orphanage are?¡±

    Elise asked the attendant Luren. He shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know with my limited knowledge.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Lehalsi¡¯. I saw it in Nature magazine about three months ago. If processed properly, it can be as efficient as a mana stone when heating.¡±

    She subscribes to many magazines, including medical, magic, and science.

    It¡¯s a habit that has continued since she was very young, so there¡¯s probably no high school student who knows the cutting edge as quickly as she does.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sponsor a workshop that can process that Lehalsi. And¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, who paused for a moment, thought of Berry and Bell. A smile unconsciously lingered on her lips.

    Again, she doesn¡¯t like kids.

    ¡°Library.¡±

    Because she likes them too much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do a library.¡±

    Because she keeps smiling when she looks at them.

    Because she wants to keep looking at them.

    Because sometimes they make her forget the things she has to do, her ambitions, and aspirations.

    ¡°Kids can¡¯t be without books.¡±

    If she gives up the luxury itemsing out this summer and fall season, she will have enough funds.

 Chapter 109: About Life (1)

    <strong>About Life (1)</strong>

    When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room.

    My body felt heavy, but my mind was strangely clear. It seemed I had slept for quite a while.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    Someone spoke from beside my bed. It was a nurse.

    ¡°Uh¡­ so, it¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The treatment was sessfullypleted. The professor will exin the details to you.¡±

    I looked at my stomach. There was no trace of anything. I felt somewhat lighter, but could this be a cebo effect?

    The door opened just then.

    ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±

    Professor Yu Hains. After sending the nurse away, he checked something in a file and spoke.

    ¡°As you know, the Magic Core is a vessel that holds mana. It¡¯s also an organ that converts mana into power. This core exists in the human body like a nucleus. My treatment involves directly irradiating the core with mana quark particles to destroy cancer cells.¡±

    The Magic Core usually has a fixed position from birth. The reason is unknown. It just so happens that mana umtes around the stomach every time a human breathes, and it develops like an organ surrounded by a transparent magic membrane.

    ¡°The treatment itself was sessful. The size of the cancer cells has reduced by 5%.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand when you put it that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s equivalent to the effect of undergoing drug treatment for three months.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Professor Yu Hains seemed to think ¡®it¡¯s only this much¡¯, but to me, it was quite surprising. It was a sufficient result. If it meant skipping that terrible and malicious drug treatment for three months.

    ¡°I thought it would be-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At my modesty, Professor Yu Hains was momentarily speechless. But he resumed speaking with his usual indifferent face.

    ¡°The survival rate is still less than 1%. It¡¯s just life-prolonging treatment. Even if you receive treatment every month in your current state, the expected lifespan is two years.¡±

    Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core is originally like that. I¡¯ve lived unusually long.

    I¡¯ve managed to hold on for a whopping 12 years after being diagnosed.

    ¡°But I guess I can¡¯t receive treatment every week?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a method of directly irradiating the Magic Core. If you push too hard, a hole could be punched in the Magic Core. If a hole is punched in the Magic Core, it¡¯s immediate Possession.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ But is there no cure scenario?¡±

    I tried to be a little greedy. Honestly, it gets tiring to always think about death as a certainty and pretend to be cheerful.

    ¡°You keep saying less than 1%. Less than 1% means it¡¯s not 0%.¡±

    Professor Yu Hains looked at me. It was the extremely cold eyes of a doctor.

    ¡°Right now, it¡¯s 0%. But if you continue to survive, and if this facility continues to develop, there might be a chance of healing. That¡¯s why it¡¯s 1%.¡±

    I asked him.

    ¡°Would 12 years be possible?¡±

    ¡°The probability would increase significantly. However, as I said, your expected lifespan is-¡±

    ¡°I will live at least 12 more years.¡±

    Then, Professor Yu Hains¡¯splexion darkened. His face showed that he dismissed the patient¡¯s words as nothing more than baseless hope, trusting instead in the statistics and cases he¡¯d seen so far.

    I chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I won¡¯t die from Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core for at least 12 years. I mean, I could get hit by a blind punch and die, but¡­¡±

    I got up from the hospital bed and put on my hoodie.

    ¡°I¡¯ll being in every month, then.¡±

    I looked around the hospital room. The single room surrounded by curtains had just the right temperature and humidity. The exterior was outdated, but the interior was better than most hospitals.

    ¡°That mana quark treatment machine you mentioned. You said you were developing it, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Do you take investments?¡±

    Professor Yu Hains looked me up and down. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze seemed to say, ¡®A man who can barely afford 200,000 Ren¡­¡¯

    ¡°So you do take investments? I¡¯ve found another reason to live harder.¡±

    I want to bring down Libra. Even if it costs my life, even if it costs my soul.

    But, I also want to live. If I can.

    There¡¯s no one who wants to die.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to earn a lot of money, too.¡±

    The knights of Libra start with a monthly base sry of 300,000 Ren. Add performance bonuses to that, and many knights take home 600,000 to 700,000 Ren, even over 1,000,000 Ren.

    If I add some side jobs based on the future I know, I could provide a significant amount of money.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back next month.¡±

    My hope hasn¡¯t disappeared yet.

    It¡¯s standing right in front of me now.

    ¡°Book it for a monthter.¡±

    Professor Yu Hains.

    He has poured his money and passion into the ¡®worthless¡¯ Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core. Just as I¡¯ve staked my life on Libra, he¡¯s staked his life on treating Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core.

    That¡¯s the future.

    It¡¯s enough to trust and entrust my life to.

    ¡°Yes. See you next month.¡±

    As soon as I left the hospital room, I was startled. The view outside the corridor window was too dawn-like. I quickly picked up my smartphone.

    It was 3:30 a.m. on Monday.

    Since I came here on Saturday morning, I¡¯ve slept for nearly 36 hours.

    The weekend was deleted during the evaluation week, but it¡¯s okay because Monday is Latinel.

    4 a.m.

    At the time when Shion was discharged from the hospital.

    Elise received a background investigation file on Shion Ascal.

    [Shion Ascal File]

    From Elise¡¯s position, investigating one person is a very easy task.

    Click, click, she opened the file with two clicks. She stared at theptop screen.

    [Mother: Eren Ascal]

    [Father: Delric Ascal]

    His mother was Eren Ascal. She died three months after giving birth to him.

    His father was Delric Ascal. A lower-ranking knight of Libra, he died in battle when Shion was five.

    After that, Shion himself was admitted to an orphanage and diagnosed with a brain tumor.

    Elise scrolled down.

    [The following content is aption obtained by investigating people who lived with Shion Ascal at the Orphanage.]

    In the Orphanage, Shion grew up being ostracized due to the scar from his brain tumor, and shortly after oveing the brain tumor, he was diagnosed with leukemia and admitted to Petra University Hospital. Despite this, he never gave up on learning and passed the Endex entrance exam.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    There were many facts that Elise didn¡¯t know. No, it was a human victory to the extent that even she could sympathize, but thest paragraph of the report caught her attention.

    [Eren Ascal died three months after giving birth to Shion Ascal, but the detailed facts were redacted.]

    Redaction.

    It¡¯s a ¡®request for prohibition of information disclosure¡¯ that Senators of the Congress usually impose when they want to conceal some information.

    ¡°¡­A redacted?¡±

    A redaction is not imposed on an ordinary case or an ordinary person. The figure who can impose a redaction is a Senator, and if a Senator is disqualified, the redaction will be lifted.

    This redaction cannot be lifted by Elise or even her own agent.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    It¡¯s too harsh a measure to be imposed on the Ascal family, a family ofmoners with nothing special.

    There must be something.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise chewed her nails in thought, but suddenly one person came to mind.

    Yael.

    In Elise¡¯s opinion, Yael is a person who can¡¯t be friends with anyone, and the same goes for Shion Ascal.

    But if two people who seemed to have no friends became friends with each other, they must know each other very well.

    ¡°That person again¡­¡±

    Should I go find him?

    Elise gritted her teeth, but in the end, she called someone.

    Ring- Ring-

    ©¤Hello.

    ¡°Yes, mom. It¡¯s me.¡±

    Her mother, Celine. She spoke in a tone of surprise.

    ©¤Hmm~ What¡¯s the matter at this hour? Aren¡¯t you studying?

    ¡°I am. I have a Latinel exam tomorrow.¡±

    ©¤Latinel is good~ But why did you call? Oh~ I heard you received an invitation to the Sermones Laertes. Congrattions. You¡¯ll meet in the same social circle as your mom and dad?

    ¡°This time, I think I have to go see Yael again.¡±

    Elise cut off Celine¡¯s words.

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Celine suddenly fell silent.

    Her mother and father don¡¯t want her to meet Yael. If they meet each other, it will attract unnecessary suspicion.

    ¡°He¡¯s at Petra University Hospital. I won¡¯t be suspected even if I say I¡¯m going to meet him. I need to control it properly at times like this. You said you¡¯re not going to kill him anyway.¡±

    ©¤¡­That¡¯s true. But how can you kill the blood you gave birth to without disturbing your gut?

    ¡°When I be the head of the family, that person will die.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s assertion, Celine let out a small breath. Soon, she sighed deeply and asked.

    ©¤Can you control it?

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not the old me anymore. I¡¯ll go right after today¡¯s Latinel exam. So.¡±

    Elise thought of the surveince camera in the corner of the visiting room.

    ¡°Please ask father to turn off the surveince camera. I think we¡¯ll have a bit more to talk about this time.¡±

    The next day, Monday at 9 a.m., the assessment schedule began.

    The first was the elective subject, ¡®Latinel¡¯.

    ¡°¡­The exam hall is here?¡±

    But the location was a bit extravagant. About 120 chairs and desks were generously ced in a ce that looked like a noble¡¯s castle or a top-ss hotel.

    There were quite a few people. Over 100 students from all over the country who were taking Latinel as an elective had gathered here. Each one of them was clearly a refined noble.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Shion!¡±

    Suddenly, someone called my name. I turned to look in that direction.

    ¡°Shion. Did you study hard~?¡±

    La walked over. She had a headband on her head, a very thick backpack on her back, and several summary notebooks in her arm.

    She looked like a typical person who can¡¯t study, but La was surprisingly good at studying. She was among the top students in the school.

    La showed me a bright red notebook.

    ¡°Look at this~ I have a teacher who I know very well. I got it from that teacher~.¡±

    By the way, that teacher is [At Your Service]. It¡¯s the note I wrote for her. It¡¯s not so much a note but guide that points out the important parts.

    ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡±

    ¡°Right?! I didn¡¯t even show this to Elly.¡±

    Of course, I didn¡¯t listen to the ss very diligently either, but theplex parts would be necessary. I just pointed out what seemedplicated and exined it.

    ¡°¡­But where¡¯s your friend?¡±

    ¡°Elly? She¡¯s over there.¡±

    La pointed somewhere. Elise was already surrounded by nobles.

    ¡°I¡¯m also popr~ I purposely ran away to study~¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Knock-knock-

    There was a knock at the front. Four people who looked like exam supervisors appeared. One of them looked familiar.

    It was Professor Beatrice.

    ¡°Please take your seats.¡±

    Everyone stopped chatting and sat down. Beatrice stood at the podium first and spoke.

    ¡°Wee to the Latinel assessment. Today is the time to pour out what you¡¯ve learned.¡±

    I¡¯m not worried. No matter the test, I¡¯ll get a perfect score in Latinel.

    ¡°We will now distribute the Latinel test papers. You have 90 minutes to solve it. If you finish early, you can submit your test paper and leave.¡±

    Beatrice said so and nced at me.

    ¡°Now, please turn over the test paper.¡±

    Rustle-rustle-

    The test paper came over from the seat behind me.

    [Latinel Assessment]

    I quickly skimmed it. A smile naturally formed at the corners of my mouth.

    It was easy.

    At least for me.

    All the contexts and paragraphs of Latinel were easy, and there were no unknown words or usages. I quickly understood the passages and questions that took up nearly half of the test paper.

    Tick- Tick- Tick-

    I just solved the problems as if checking them off.

 Chapter 110: About Life (2)

    <strong>About Life (2)</strong>

    I submitted my test paper,pleted in 20 minutes.

    As I turned around, my eyes met with Elise¡¯s.

    Instead of her test paper, Elise was staring at me. Piercing me with her distinctive round eyes.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I responded with my lips.

    ©¤What are you looking at?

    Elise bowed her head without a word, and I gathered my things and left.

    Today, I have an appointment with Soliette.

    Was Soliette¡¯s elective physical training?

    She¡¯s probably taking a physical assessment right now.

    I took the bus and arrived at thekeside, behind the Endex old building.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you here now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    But Soliette was already at thekeside. Alone in a tent, fiddling with her smartphone.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    She handed me something. It was some kind of coated paper file.

    [Fraternity List.]

    ¡°This is a list of fraternities I know. There was a lot of information in the family library. Ipiled them and brought them. Please read.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I took the file.

    There were many fraternities listed, but I skimmed through and tucked it away.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    It probably won¡¯t be in here.

    Not that it isn¡¯t, but there¡¯s already a vague heavyweight group in my mind.

    From Knightmare¡¯s first murder to hisst, if I think of all the benefits from his murders¡­

    Naturally, the group called ¡®The Beginning and The End¡¯es to mind.

    Currently, there¡¯s no public information as it¡¯s shrouded in a veil, but in 12 years, the veil of this fraternity will be slightly lifted.

    It¡¯s a secret society, almost like a religion, where the children of high-ranking families known by name join and grow through the ¡®university¡¯ channel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. Me too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then Soliette gave me a suspicious look.

    ¡°You. You seem to know something.¡±

    She¡¯s quick to notice. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I told you. We¡¯re dealing with an opponent we can¡¯t chase even if we want to right now. We need to grow stronger.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, if you tell me, will I break in alone?¡±

    ¡°Could you?¡±

    The future Soliette. The only one who could have won a single victory against the world¡¯s best, Jade, The Greatest Sword.

    I don¡¯t know about her then, but the current Soliette is honestly too weak.

    ¡°But anyway, they¡¯ll approach you first.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Just act normal, live as if you¡¯ve forgotten everything, and enter Edsi University. Then they¡¯ll definitely try to capture you first, the heir to the Arkne family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette looked at me. As if she was puzzled. Without blinking her big eyes once, she said.

    ¡°You speak as if you already know everything.¡±

    Whooosh©¤©¤

    Suddenly the wind blew, and her hair fluttered. A streak of starlight fell from the void. It was a shooting star in broad daylight.

    Suddenly, the atmosphere was set.

    For some reason, I thought.

    It seemed okay to tell Soliette.

    It seemed okay for at least one person to know my secret.

    ¡°I know everything. Because I¡¯m a regressor.¡±

    Thud-

    The wind stopped.

    Soliette blinked her big eyes again.

    Blink- Blink- She asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°Ah yes. Tomorrow is the day of the swordsmanship exam, have you decided on your opponent?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve nned out the basics.¡±

    I hadid out the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, utilizing them to their fullest. If I proceed as nned, Soliette will be taken aback at least once, right?

    ¡°Is it that crazy Changing Sword again?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Soliette refers to my swordsmanship style as the ¡®crazy Changing Sword¡¯. She says it¡¯s a mad style that tortures the body 3-4 times more than the Changing Sword.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go and watch you break your body.¡±

    Soliette shifted her gaze back to thekeside, teasingly. The gentle sunlight reflected off the ripples in the water. She murmured softly while watching it.

    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re a bit strange.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°You came to me when I needed someone the most.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    My heart fluttered slightly, but she was probably saying this because she truly found it strange. Without any hidden intentions or meanings, she was simply amazed at the timing of my arrival.

    I smirked.

    There was only one thing to say in response.

    ¡°You must have done something good in your previous life.¡±

    Elise had taken the Latinel evaluation test. She had filled the entire 90 minutes, double-checked dozens of times, and was confident of a perfect score.

    ¡°Elly~ Elly, let¡¯s check the answers~¡±

    As soon as the exam ended, La rushed over. Elise handed her the answer sheet.

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you did well?¡±

    ¡°Look at this. Hehe.¡±

    La showed off the notes that [At Your Service] had written for her. Elise was honestly a little envious, but La didn¡¯t share. It was worth a whopping 10,000 Ren.

    ¡°Almost ten questions came out from this note alone, you know? And only the really difficult ones!!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I have to go now.¡±

    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re leaving already?! There are a lot of handsome guys here, hang out a bit!¡±

    Elise stepped outside. Ignoring the nobles who were clinging to her, she immediately got into the waiting sedan.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    Today¡¯s destination was the Celon Mental Hospital. Not Petra University Hospital, but one of the hospitals under Petra.

    She had to meet Yael again ande to a proper conclusion this time.

    Ding-

    A text message arrived just then.

    [Father: There is no surveince. No cameras, no eyes, no ears, and even mana, nothing will be watching you.]

    It was from her father. For the first time in almost a year, her father had contacted her directly.

    Elise put her smartphone in her pocket.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The Celon Mental Ward, which only has three floors above ground, but extends very long underground.

    Elise descended into the basement of the ce alone.

    Elise hugged Cookie tightly to her side as she took the elevator.

    Ding-!

    A ce that didn¡¯t even exist on the ward¡¯s blueprint, the 17th floor underground.

    The entire floor was stark white, and in the middle of it all, Yael was bound in restraints.

    ¡°Seeing you again so soon?¡±

    He spoke with a beaming face.

    ¡°Even surveince is absent. It¡¯s a first. Perhaps father is expecting you to kill me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    If it were her father, that might be possible. Hoping that I would kill the man he couldn¡¯t, simply because of blood ties.

    Elise walked over and sat down in front of him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡±

    No need for pleasantries. No reason to waste time. Elise stared into Yael¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Shion Ascal? How did you be friends?¡±

    Yael chuckled.

    ¡°Why are you so curious about him?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s your friend.¡±

    ¡°You could be friends too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Stop ying with words. Before I kill you.¡±

    Elise activated her Magic Body. Vroom- Yael¡¯s eyes widened as he watched her hair rise.

    ¡°Whoa. Are you talking about Petra Hospital? I met him there once, didn¡¯t I? Shion said he¡¯d never seen anyone as beautiful as you before.¡±

    He closed his eyes and smiled as if reminiscing about the past.

    ¡°Ah~ I miss the old days.¡±

    ¡°Just by knowing of your existence, Shion Ascal is a threat to the family.¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression twisted menacingly.

    ¡°You know that too.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If amoner knows about you, the family has no choice but to deal with him.¡±

    For the first time, Yael¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion is a good guy.¡±

    A good guy.

    Elise nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I know. I know that too.¡±

    Shion Ascal is a good person.

    A person who overcame unimaginable hardships, fought against diseases and made it this far. Yet, he never forgot his roots and continued to support the Orphanage, and remained loyal to Libra. A thoughtful person.

    Elise knew that too.

    Shion Ascal is a good person.

    ¡°But what can I do? I¡¯m not a good person.¡±

    She stood up from her seat.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Yael grabbed her as she was about to turn around.

    His tone waspletely different from before.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked back at him. He clicked his jaw, the only part he could move.

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    The atmosphere had be heavy.

    Now, his always clown-like demeanor was gone.

    Elise willingly sat back down.

    Yael looked into her eyes.

    ¡°How did we be friends? I sought him out myself. When I heard Shion was hospitalized.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I knew about Shion Ascal from the beginning. Even before he was hospitalized.¡±

    Knew him before he was hospitalized? Elise maintained her poker face, but she didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. Shion was just an ordinarymoner.

    ¡°Elise. Do you know how you were born?¡±

    Yael suddenly twisted the topic with a strange question.

    ¡°Is how I was born important right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll tell you. Elise, you were special from the moment you were born.¡±

    Yael looked into Elise¡¯s eyes with a serious expression. He began to recite his old story.

    ¡°You were quite unlucky. That day, a storm like a magic disaster was pouring.¡±

    Elise quietly listened to his reminiscence.

    ¡­It was a dark night of a certain summer.

    In the stormy night, a sedan was moving on the road. Inside were his mother, father, and Yael.

    Their destination was Petra¡¯s rtives, but his mother suddenly feltbor pains, and his father hurriedly turned the steering wheel to a nearby hospital.

    The view waspletely covered with rainwater, and nothing could be seen. To make matters worse, the car slid out of control.

    Crash©¤©¤©¤!

    It collided with a car from the opposite side.

    His father and Yael were safe, but there were two seriously injured.

    No, three.

    The other driver, his mother Celine, and Elise in her womb.

    His father quickly called the hospital. Fortunately, the ambnce arrived without dy, and both were taken to that small hospital.

    However, the number of doctors was limited. The surgical space was also narrow.

    Then his father threatened the hospital. He unted the Petra family.

    ©¤Don¡¯t you doctors know what kind of family Petra is?!

    Yael saw his father¡¯s eyes as he shouted.

    They were ferocious.

    His eyes, which could not tolerate the fact that they were trying to treat his wife and daughter equally with amoner, were more fearful than the fear that his wife and daughter might die.

    Eventually, the hospital chose his mother.

    His father seemed satisfied and sighed, and Yael wandered around the ward alone and saw through the gap in the door.

    A woman dying coldly alone, and a nurse quietly sitting next to her, sobbing.

    At that moment, he heard the cry of a newborn baby echoing like fate.

    Waaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!

    There, Yael had a strange experience.

    He felt something breaking inside his heart.

    That day, he clearly understood the identity of the ¡®difort¡¯ he always felt as he grew up as the son of a noble, the child of a great family.

    ¡°¡­¡­One person died, and two people survived.¡±

    Yael concluded the story.

    Elise¡¯s eyes werepletely empty.

    ¡°You and our mother survived.¡±

    A bitter smile spread across his lips.

    ¡°I still wonder. Couldn¡¯t the hospital have saved all three of them?¡±

    Yael murmured like a sigh.

    ¡°But time that has passed never returns.¡±

    Then he looked back at Elise. Nonchntly, he mentioned someone¡¯s name.

    ¡°Her name was Eren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise sat quietly.

    Perhaps because she had anticipated the end of this story from the start.

    ¡°Eren Ascal. You survived in ce of my friend¡¯s mother. But you want to kill that friend? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s absurd?¡±

    Startled-!

    Elise rose to her feet. Her movements were shaky, like a puppet with its strings cut. She tried to maintain herposure, but her hands were trembling.

    ¡°More than Petra¡¯s desires, ambitions. More than such lowly, useless things, you are.¡±

    Yael spoke from behind her.

    ¡°You need to remember your beginning as a human.¡±

    Her legs were weak. Elise, supporting herself against the wall with her hand, went outside.

    ¡°Remember, sister. You are not ¡®Petra,¡¯ you are ¡®Elise.¡¯ Elise, Elise!¡±

    As if fleeing, she closed the door to the white space.

    She immediately got on the elevator.

    When she came to her senses, she was above ground at the hospital.

    There, along with her attendant, stood her father.

    Ken Petra.

    The head of the Petra family, with eyes identical to hers.

    It had been a long time since she had seen her father¡¯s face, but Elise was still dazed. She felt suffocated. It was hot, as if a fireball had settled in her. She felt a constant urge to vomit.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Her father asked.

    Probably a question about Yael¡¯s life or death.

    Elise barely responded.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive. But, he¡¯s not going to talk.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her father had no answer. He just turned around, and Elise did not stop him. Was it because he truly wished for Yael¡¯s death?

    Elise just took out her smartphone.

    She was about to call her mother when, suddenly.

    Someone saved as [Trash] caught her eye.

    ¡°Trash¡­¡­¡±

    Elise stared at it, repeating the word, then letter by letter, letter by letter, letter by letter.

    She slowly changed the name.

    From the five: [Trash], to ten: [Shion Ascal].

 Chapter 111: Choice (1)

    <strong>Choice (1)</strong>

    ¡°Brother!¡±

    A memory from the past slightly surfaced.

    In the walls of this purely white space, the unnecessarily bright hospital garden came to mind.

    In it, there was a child who used to call him ¡®brother¡¯ and follow him around.

    ¡°Where are you going, brother!¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    Being close to him somehow made me feel uneasy, as if I was going to go mad, so I deliberately avoided him by moving through the trees, but that bald-headed kid always found me. He had an uncanny ability to discover where I was hiding.

    ¡°How do you fly around like that? Were you a knight? I dream of bing a knight too!¡±

    At first, I just brushed him off with any words that came to mind, but after about a week of him following me around, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Forget about ¡®brother,¡¯ call me ¡®friend.¡¯ It¡¯s annoying. You¡¯re not my brother. Why do you call me ¡®brother¡¯?¡±

    Then he said,

    ¡°But you¡¯re nine years older than me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Hey, can you climb up here?¡±

    I looked down at him from the top of the tree and asked. He blinked his eyes, then nodded resolutely. Then he clung to the tree trunk like a cicada, struggling to climb.

    After a while, he finally gave up and yed his trump card.

    ¡°I have leukemia. I can¡¯t climb.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®friend¡¯? Just use informalnguage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Thene down.¡±

    After that, we got along quite well.

    He said he didn¡¯t have parents. I replied that I had killed my grandfather myself.

    He asked what he needed to do to get into Magic High School. I told him he needed talent.

    Every time, he would grumble that I wasn¡¯t helpful, and I would poke him with a tree branch and tell him to get better first.

    Oh, there was also the day when that kid met my real sister. He happened to nce at Elise walking down the corridor of the ward.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a pretty girl before~ Hehehehe.¡±

    Yael said that andughed.

    It was quite good back then.

    It was fun.

    That¡¯s the only memory for a madman like me.

    I recall those days in the ward several times a day.

    I live in the past.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡­. It¡¯s fun.¡±

    Yes, I¡¯m mad.

    I¡¯m a lunatic.

    As a child of arge family, it was hard to endure confinement and oppression. It was impossible within my framework to ept their hypocrisy and pretense.

    If the nobility always has to be perfect, and if that perfect nobility oppresses themon people with power and hierarchy, how can that be called perfection?

    It¡¯s bullshit.

    I killed the nobility because I was disgusted. I cut my grandfather¡¯s throat and killed the elders.

    That was an unchanging fact.

    If I had left them alone, they would have tainted Elise too.

    In the family where the old men disappeared, Elise seemed to be adapting well, but even so, as long as her most important father is alive, Elise will only grow into the same monster.

    To prevent that¡­¡­

    Suddenly-

    The door opened.

    Yael looked at the other side.

    Arge man with a hefty build. A nobleman who was so overwhelmingly tall when I was young that I was even afraid to make eye contact.

    Ken Petra looked down at me and spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­You survived.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Father. Just as you wished.¡±

    Yael bared his teeth, looking up at him.

    ¡°My sister didn¡¯t kill me today. Khehehehe©¤©¤©¤¡±

    His smile was full of defiance and self-assurance.

    At least my sister, Elise, won¡¯t grow up to be like you.

    The next day, Tuesday. The day of the swordsmanship school evaluation exam.

    ¡°Why did they rent a coliseum?¡±

    I was amazed as soon as I saw the evaluation site. Yesterday, it was a noble¡¯s fortress, but today, it was a coliseum.

    The interior was incredibly spacious. About twenty stages surrounded by magic barriers were ced in the center, and on the right side of therge passage, there was a shield pattern, and on the left side, there was a sword pattern.

    There were already many spectators. Most of them were scouts with cameras andptops at their sides.

    ¡°Number 77, Shion Ascal. Please go to the sword waiting room on the left.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    A university association person urged me when I was standing nkly.

    I moved to the waiting room at the end of the passage. On my chest, I had a badge that said ¡®Number 77¡¯.

    ©¤Hey. Who are you going to choose? Have you decided?

    ©¤You get a rough estimate. They say to choose by looking at the tier chart given by the academy.

    ©¤Anyone want to exchange tier charts~? Anyone want to exchange tier charts~?

    There were already quite a few people in the waiting room. Nearly 200 people were bustling about like a train station waiting room.

    The tier chart is, by the way, a student swordsmanship grade chart directly written by the academy or dojo. Of course, I don¡¯t have one.

    Thump-

    But someone poked my shoulder. Not with a finger, but with the corner of a book.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    When I turned around, it was Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Without saying a word, she kept poking my shoulder. With the corner of the book.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? You want me to take it?¡±

    When I epted it, she turned around without saying a word. I looked at the cover.

    [Selenacio Tier Chart]

    ¡°Selen¡­¡­ what?¡±

    Selenacio. A tier chart written by the top academy in Edsi.

    I looked at Elise again. She had already blended into the crowd.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why is she like that?¡±

    Did she eat something wrong? But there¡¯s no need to refuse what she gave me. It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t decided who to choose yet.

    I sat down and opened it.

    [S+ : Soliette Gerkhen Kal Doon]

    [S : Asher, Mel, James, Vitel¡­¡­]

    Among the participants who chose the shield, the only ones in the S+ tier were Soliette and Gerkhen Kal Doon. I skimmed from the B grade. It¡¯s not fun if they¡¯re too weak.

    Suddenly, a shadow was cast over the tier chart.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey. Why do you have a Selenacio tier chart?

    When I looked up, it was Kain.

    ¡°Did you steal it, by any chance? ¡±

    Then, the surrounding eyes were drawn to my tier chart. Kain twisted his face as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, and-

    ¡°Kain.¡±

    Elise called him.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t make such a fuss.¡±

    Her voice was full of sternness.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    Kain went towards the call.

    I looked over the tier chart again.

    Until the announcement echoed from the ceiling speakers.

    ©¤Seniors, please note. We will soon start the selection of opponents for the evaluation exam, so pleasee out.

    Then, the people in the waiting room rushed out. I also stuffed the tier chart into my duffle bag and followed them out.

    ¡°Line up, please. Swords on the sword side, shields on the shield side. You each have a designated number.¡±

    On the stage were the fencing professors, including Jeoly. They pointed to where we were supposed to stand. The numbers were marked on the floor with luminescent paint.

    I went and stood at the spot marked 77.

    Across from me were the guys who had chosen the shield. The lighting was moderately dim, but their faces were clearly visible.

    Soliette, Gerkhen Kal Doon, Asher, Mel were the first to catch my eye. Mel was the guy I had backstabbed at the ghost hotel.

    ¡°The selection of opponents will start at 10 a.m. sharp, and five people will be selected at a time, with a time limit of one minute. Please try to decide who you will choose before your turnes. To add, there are 2,500 scouts, corporate and university officials in attendance, and do you see the names of the remote participants on the scoreboard?¡±

    [Current List of Remote Participants]

    -Igiris Arkne

    -Celine Petra

    -Theia Esil

    -Kigen Shisero

    -Zia Libra¡­¡­

    There were many impressive names, but the one that caught my eye was undoubtedly [Zia Libra].

    ¡°They are observing through remote cameras, even though they are not here. Impressive, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ll have to work hard.¡±

    Jeoly looked at his wristwatch. It must have been 10 a.m. sharp as he gripped the microphone.

    ©¤We will now begin the evaluation exam for the elective fencing course, ¡®Sword and Shield¡¯. The first five attackers whose numbers are disyed on the scoreboard wille forward to select their opponents.

    The scoreboard turned ck and then spat out five numbers.

    [117. 132. 139. 97. 205.]

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    The lucky five clenched their fists and stepped forward.

    In the grand coliseum, 450 aspiring swordsmen gathered to conduct ¡®opponent selection¡¯. As the selection continued, the atmosphere gradually heightened, and the breathing became increasingly intense.

    ¡°Heuk heuk. Heu¡­ Ah, ah, I need medicine. Medicine.¡±

    The guy next to me already seemed to be having difficulty breathing.

    Of course, fencing is just an elective, but quite a few eyes are watching, including scouts.

    It¡¯s no wonder Elise chose fencing even though she doesn¡¯t aspire to be a knight.

    [123. 193. 3. 55. 29.]

    Now it¡¯s already the 12th opponent selection.

    People were disappearing like rats, but Elise and Kain were still there.

    [13. 99¡­¡­.]

    Elise and Kain had just gone out. Kain chose Asher, and Elise chose James.

    A few more turns passed.

    [¡­Number 77.]

    Number 77. Finally, my number was called.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    I barely took a step forward, but the other four had already rushed out as if they had someone in mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this together.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I, number 9 Dram Telo, choose number 253 Baldur.¡±

    As if they were finding friends, the chosen opponents also let out sighs of relief.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°Phew. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Number 108 Kellick chooses number 404 David¡­¡±

    It seemed that some of them actually knew each other.

    The four chose their opponents in 5 seconds and disappeared into the waiting room.

    Left alone unexpectedly, I walked slowly, scanning the faces of the swordsmen lined up on the other side.

    At first, I was going to choose anyone. Based on Selenacio¡¯s tier chart, someone between A~A+ grade.

    ©¤©¤But then.

    Unexpectedly, someone I hadn¡¯t considered caught my eye.

    I don¡¯t know why.

    Just, he was standing there without any expectation.

    The atmosphere had been like that so far.

    No one had tried to choose him, and it seemed like no one dared to. Even the scouts here seemed to disregard him.

    Too strong and perfect, a talent that couldn¡¯t be evaluated on this stage.

    So, he just stood there.

    Bored and dull, like a statue decorating the background.

    I quietly lowered my gaze.

    I looked at my hand.

    The Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms. The sensation of swinging them, modified and edited at my discretion, was still vivid in this grip.

    ©¤Number 77. Please make your choice. You have 20 seconds left.

    Urged by the pressure on my back, my body moved before my head.

    Towards someone©¤©¤in a straight line.

    One step.

    There was no room for hesitation.

    Thinking about it, I always wanted to beat him.

    That feeling was always the same.

    He always looked down on me from a high ce, and he was too different even though we were bothmoners.

    Two steps.

    There were many tempting eyes as I moved forward.

    I passed them all.

    Three steps, four steps.

    Walking, focusing only on one person©¤©¤©¤

    Finally.

    The reactions around me when I stopped were quite the spectacle.

    Eyes looking at me as if I were a lunatic. There was even someone who cursed, calling me a madman.

    I ignored all of it. I just looked up at him. I smiled, a smile that welled up from deep within my heart.

    Perhaps, the corners of my mouth were torn too wide.

    He looked down at me. His face was as cold as ever, but a slight tremor ran through his dawn-like blue eyes.

    ¡°Number 77. Shion Ascal.¡±

    Thinking about it, there was nothing to think about.

    If there was an opponent I wanted to challenge, an opponent I wanted to test what I had honed.

    ¡°Number 450.¡±

    It would only be you in this ce.

    ¡°I choose Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    Then, the coliseum slightly trembled. He himself said nothing. He was still nd, and there was no tremor in his gaze looking down at me.

    I liked that about him.

    He could have dismissed me, he could have been unimpressed, he could have been annoyed, but he simply acknowledged me as an opponent without showing any emotion.

    Therefore, he will probably give it his all.

    I, too, will pour all my strength into his sword.

    Such an opportunity will not bemon.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I gestured to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 112: Choice (2)

    <strong>Choice (2)</strong>

    Gerkhen Kal Doon and I walked down the corridor together until we were separated at the waiting rooms.

    I was directed to the third sword waiting room, and Gerkhen Kal Doon to the third shield waiting room.

    The third sword attacker waiting room was a bit cramped, but there were only about 50 people. All of them had tense expressions on their faces.

    I sat down in an empty seat. Then, someone slid into the seat next to me.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    It was Elise.

    ¡°?¡±

    I looked at her, puzzled by her sudden question about my mental state. Elise shrugged nonchntly.

    ¡°Well, you must be. Why else would I have given you my tier ticket.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you out of your mind? You¡¯re talking to yourself.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise showed me her tablet PC.

    ¡°Look at this. You can¡¯t change your decision now anyway.¡±

    ¡°What-¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen Kal Doon is a left-handed swordsman. He often uses a sword that extends from left to right. His weak point is on the sword side. Even during defense training, that side is¡­¡­¡±

    Elise was rattling on like a coach when she abruptly stopped. Probably because of my expression. It was as if I was looking at a phantom, no, it wasn¡¯t really a phantom, was it?

    I asked her sincerely.

    ¡°¡­Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth slightly.

    ¡°Read it. It will help.¡±

    She pushed the tablet PC into myp and stood up from her seat.

    Just then, a speaker from the ceiling rang out.

    ©¤The swordsmanship evaluation test, ¡®Sword and Shield¡¯, will now begin. Swords 1 to 20 and the shields chosen by them, pleasee to the stage.

    The time limit for the nonbat stage is 6 minutes. With a total of 225 teams, 450 participants in thisrge-scale evaluation test, the progress should be sufficient. After all, there are 20 nonbat stages.

    While waiting for my turn, I looked at the tablet PC that Elise had left.

    It was a video of Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s swordsmanship, dissected frame by frame by a professor of swordsmanship or a private tutor.

    ©¤Gerkhen Kal Doon is a left-handed swordsman. The side holding the sword, that is, the right side, is perfect. It can be said to be wless¡­¡­

    If there is a weakness, it is the side holding the sword. It seems to feel a bit burdened by the swording from the left side.

    In general, the defense on the side holding the sword¡ªleft hand¡ªis somewhatx, but even that is considered A-grade. The rest is S-grade.

    ¡°It¡¯s scary though.¡±

    It¡¯s not that, this video was not filmed in Endex¡¯s training room. It was a secretly filmed video of him sparring in some dojo or nonbat zone, but who filmed this video, where did they get it from, and who is analyzing it from behind in such a creepy way?

    ¡°Is this what kids¡¯ entrance exams are like?¡±

    Now that I¡¯ve be a kid, I understand.

    Kids, they never have it easy.

    ©¤The first team has finished. Swords 21 to 40 and the shields chosen by them, pleasee to the stage.

    In the meantime, the first round had already ended.

    My heart began to race.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    I closed my eyes, picturing him.

    From what I know, he is a hexagonal swordsman. Meaning, he is perfect in all aspects.

    His perfection only solidifies as time goes by.

    If Soliette reaches the pinnacle with the Severing Sword, a technique outside the system, Gerkhen Kal Doon achieves the ultimate within the system.

    Therefore, if there exists a timeline where I can defeat Gerkhen Kal Doon, even once in a lifetime.

    If there exists a moment when I can beat him.

    Perhaps, it might be now.

    When Gerkhen Kal Doon is still just a student, and we are onlypeting in the basics.

    ©¤Team 3 has finished. Numbers 61 to 80 and their opponents, pleasee forward.

    I opened my eyes.

    It was my turn.

    ¡°Number 77. Number 450. This is your ce.¡±

    In the coliseum hall, the referee pointed to the central nonbat stage. It was the protagonist¡¯s seat, so to speak.

    I climbed onto it.

    The nonbat hadn¡¯t even started yet, but one by one, spectators began to take their seats in the stands. They were seniors who had alreadypleted their evaluation tests. They all watched us, and the gaze of the cameras and scouts intensified.

    Among these numerous cameras, there must be Zia Libra.

    ¡°You have a time limit of 6 minutes for the nonbat. We will now distribute the weapons.¡±

    As the referee handed out the swords, I received a longsword of the same length as the Ascal short sword, and Gerkhen Kal Doon received an ordinary broadsword.

    ¡°It¡¯s a specially treated reverse de.¡±

    The reverse de has much less killing power than a regr sword. With special treatment, at least no one should die.

    ¡°The attacker will use or modify the Five Basic Forms Three Sword Forms, and the defender will defend against it. If you use a sword technique that deviates from the Five Basic Forms Three Sword Forms, you will be penalized. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As we answered simultaneously, the referee who had been standing between us moved to the edge of the nonbat stage.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon on the other side was revealed.

    I looked at him.

    The weight emanating from him now¡­ was so overwhelming that I almostughed.

    To use a metaphor, it was like a mountain.

    Just standing there seemed to press down on the whole area, and there was not a hint of carelessness, not even a grain of ck in his unwavering mind.

    Should I break down that sturdy posture, I don¡¯t feel bad.

    Because it means he¡¯s serious.

    ¡°Begin.¡±

    The referee announced the start.

    I drew my sword. The scabbard was thrown to the ground.

    There¡¯s no time to measure. Because even a second is precious.

    There¡¯s no need to be afraid. Because I am in the present.

    First, stepping.

    I kicked the ground and swung my sword.

    The first technique was ¡®sh¡¯. A strike that concentrates the power of the sword in one ce.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon raised his sword.

    ng©¤©¤!

    He defended lightly, but my sword technique had already unfolded. The moment the swords collided, I twisted my body and sword.

    I executed the ¡®Five-Flower Form¡¯.

    A technique from the Three Sword Forms that strikes down the five strokes, in an instant, like a single blow, is the heaviest sword technique.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Gerkhen Kal Doon defended against it. He mitigated the impact by being pushed back a few steps.

    But it wasn¡¯t over. I pursued the retreating Gerkhen Kal Doon, striking again with the same ¡®Five-Flower Form¡¯.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Any ordinary swordsman would have been taken aback. The Five-Flower Form is not a consecutive attack but a single-strike technique and thus cannot be used in session.

    But I am no ordinary swordsman.

    I possess a robust body that can unleash single strikes as if they were consecutive attacks, a resilient physique that won¡¯t break no matter how I wield my sword.

    Again, I twisted my waist and knees like a snake, pulling up and steadying my posture for the third Five-Flower Form.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Gerkhen Kal Doon blocked even that.

    I anticipated it.

    I didn¡¯t withdraw my sword. I immediatelyunched into a thrust.

    Not a single stroke. Not two strokes. I unleashed nine strokes of thrusts in a single moment, targeting his top, bottom, left, and right.

    The speed was almost like a bullet, but Gerkhen Kal Doon twisted his de repeatedly, blocking everything, like ying a violin.

    From there, Iunched into the Eclipse again. Six strokes, five strokes, four strokes. As I learned from Soliette, I fired, and Gerkhen Kal Doon dodged by stepping back. I followed his movement, and this time, I transitioned from a thrust to the Five-Flower Form.

    Once I lodged the thrust into his de, ng©¤!

    I lunged forward with my ¡®body¡¯ before the sword.

    This naturally transitions the thrust into a sh, and in that state, after pushing his sword away, I strike down©¤©¤!

    ¡°!¡±

    For the first time, Gerkhen Kal Doon was taken aback.

    A sword technique almost akin to a physical brawl. A single strike is executed while ¡®exhausting¡¯ the body.

    However, it is strictly within the system of the Three Sword Forms.

    Thud©¤!

    He was repelled.

    Finally, his mountain-like posture was disrupted. His bnce was broken.

    From now on, there will be no orderly duel.

    It¡¯s a chaotic brawl.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s feet must not stay on the ground. I first push in with my shoulder, twisting my body here and there as I swing my sword.

    ©¤©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The shing of swords echoes madly. The ringing of swords is deafening. At some point, it bes almost rhythmic.

    I twisted my sword at every moment. The target is only Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s left hand.

    However, by the book, I can¡¯t inflict a single wound on him. The more time I buy, the more my stamina burns.

    ©¤©¤©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Therefore, I mix and unfold everything from the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms, all memorized in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    I feigned a thrust and made a big sh, and feigned a big sh and thrust.

    I swung single strikes consecutively and mixed thrusts between consecutive attacks.

    A wildly twisted, yet definitely orderly style of my own.

    As Soliette said, the crazy Changing Sword.

    ¡°Huff!¡±

    Sweat sttered on the stage. Amidst it, blood seeped.

    It wasn¡¯t mine.

    It was from Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s hand.

    From that sturdy body, from a body that seemed like it would never bear a wound in a lifetime, blood was flowing.

    In that fleeting moment, seeing his left hand, I smiled.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon also slightly moved one corner of his mouth.

    That too, must have been a kind of smile.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    A massive consensus sh. Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s posture was not recovering, and even his response was now slowing down.

    Everything I had prepared in my head was already exhausted, but from now on, I would just pour out my sword as my body moved.

    ©¤©¤Chaeaeang!

    With every sh of swords, the fire in my chest grew. Excitement surged and overflowed throughout my body. My whole body pulsed like a heart.

    Thump©¤©¤©¤!

    I can win.

    No.

    I¡¯ve won.

    -Just as that premature celebration was about to surge.

    Crack©¤!

    At the sound of breaking, I paused. I hastily took a step back.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon took a deep breath. It seemed like a sigh of relief, as if he was certain of his victory.

    I looked at my sword de.

    It was broken.

    A part of the long sword wobbled and fell to the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I silently looked at Gerkhen Kal Doon. His sword was still intact.

    Suddenly, I wondered.

    Perhaps, had he calcted up to this point?

    Looking back, the ¡®de surface¡¯ of my sword that he defended against was always the same. He persistently struck only the middle part of my sword. On the other hand, he used every nook of his own sword.

    He minimized the impact on his broadsword, while he maximized the damage on my long sword.

    ¡°Number 77.¡±

    The referee called my number.

    It¡¯s a simple logic.

    In the sword fight, the swordsman whose sword is broken cannot continue the fight.

    ¡°Would you like to forfeit¡­¡­?¡±

    That can¡¯t be the case.

    I grabbed the fallen de from the ground. The referee¡¯s mouth opened. Gerkhen Kal Doon raised his eyebrows as he saw it.

    I gestured at Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s left hand. The bleeding on his hand had worsened.

    It wasn¡¯t just a burst. There was a clear ¡®wound¡¯.

    I inflicted it.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon resumed his stance. I unfolded the ¡®Eclipse¡¯ while only gripping the de.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    When I stepped and shed six strokes of the sword, Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s hand was loose and I had no sword hilt.

    ©¤©¤!

    When I cut five strokes and sparks and shockwaves flew like sparks, my body felt like it would explode.

    Chang©¤©¤©¤!

    Eventually, thest four strokes of the Eclipse.

    From the full moon to the waning moon.

    ©¤! ©¤©¤! ©¤©¤!

    Gerkhen Kal Doon managed to withstand three out of four, but I mixed in a ¡®Z-Cut¡¯ at the end of the fourth stroke.

    Whirrrrr©¤©¤!

    My sword curved and passed through Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s sword.

    Thunk©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­End!¡±

    ¡°The referee shouted.

    I was still stunned until then.

    ¡°6 minutes. End.¡±

    My sword de was stuck in Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s shoulder. There was no bleeding, probably due to the armor.

    ¡°Time is up.¡±

    The Colosseum was as quiet as a mouse.

    My right hand, gripping the reverse-de sword, was soaked with blood, and so was Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s left hand, thick with blood.

    ¡°Step back.¡±

    I slowly stepped back. Gerkhen Kal Doon pulled my sword de out of his shoulder.

    ¡°The winner is¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at the referee.

    He spoke, his face as flushed as ours.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    It was my name.

    Strength drained from my body.

    One knee involuntarily buckled, and air gushed out of my lungs, swollen as if about to burst.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was still standing. His breathing had already returned to normal.

    I looked up at him.

    There was a faint, unbelieving smile on his lips.

    I was also skeptical.

    ¡­¡­How strange.

    For the first time in both my past and present lives, I beat you.

    Ironically, in the end, you¡¯re still looking down at me.

    ¡°You both did great.¡±

    The referee said. Gerkhen Kal Doon dropped his sword and turned around. He descended from the stage.

    ¡°But, you said your name is Shion Ascal? If you swing your sword like that, your body will get too damaged. It will break down quickly. Right now¡­ it seems like you¡¯ve already overdone it. You should go to the hospital.¡±

    It was the same worry as Soliette¡¯s.

    Everyone seems to have the same perspective.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I also descended from the stage.

    I nced at Gerkhen Kal Doon for no reason. Just then, Gerkhen Kal Doon also looked back at me.

    We looked at each other.

    There was no particr meaning in our gazes.

    With thatst exchange of nces, we parted ways.

    There were already many people gathered in the passage where Gerkhen Kal Doon was leaving, and in the passage where I was about to leave¡­¡­

    Elise was there.

    She was looking at me with strange eyes.

    Normally, I would have ignored her, but this time, I couldn¡¯t.

    I approached her. I went straight without any hesitation.

    Rather, it was Elise who hesitated. She tightly clutched the hem of her dress.

    ¡°Hey. This is a bit strange. Huh.¡±

    I said and found myselfughing without realizing it.

    ¡°I won thanks to you.¡±

    Even I found it absurd, but really, that tablet PC.

    Thanks to you who revealed Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s weakness¡ªhis left hand¡ªas a property, I think I won.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise shuddered. She suddenly stepped back.

    Her lips moved as if she was about to say something, then¡­

    Tadadadadat©¤!

    She ran away at a speed close to a full sprint.

 Chapter 113: Aftermath

    <strong>Aftermath</strong>

    ¡°The Coliseum¡¯s duel had just ended.

    However, the heat of those six minutes still clung to the space. No, it was even more deeply ingrained.

    The shield was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    A swordsman evaluated as the highest level of talent in Edsi¡¯s history. A teenager whose ink on his ID card hadn¡¯t even dried yet. Despite this, he was a promising talent showing a level ofpletion beyond active duty.

    Numerous scouts, reporters, and dignitaries attended to watch him.

    Scouts hoped to discover a new side of him, reporters knew that writing analytical articles about him guaranteed views, and various dignitaries were simply curious.

    Jeoly, a fencing instructor at Endex and a professor at Edsi University, had no expectations.

    This was because Gerkhen Kal Doon was such a perfect swordsman. He was certain that no matter who he faced, his orthodoxy could not be shattered.

    But¡­¡­

    Now that Gerkhen Kal Doon had lost, Jeoly still found it hard to hide the goosebumps remaining all over his body. His deeply wrinkled fingers twitched on their own.

    Approaching his mid-40s, it was a blood match that revived apetitive spirit he thought he had forgotten. It was a fierce battle without a single second wasted.

    And it was just a duel among seniors.

    ¡°Did you know? Who he is.¡±

    A voice asked Jeoly. Jeoly turned to look. It was his old student, ¡®Belingham Kantar¡¯, who hade to watch the evaluation test.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? He¡¯s my student.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know he was like that. Gerkhen Kal Doon really lost, right?¡±

    Jeoly nodded.

    As far as he knew, Gerkhen Kal Doon had no weaknesses. Every aspect of him was excellent. There was not a single ability that wascking or deficient.

    A full,rge, and beautiful hexagon.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon greeted his opponent¡¯s sword with a quality close to a luxury item.

    But that ¡®sword¡¯ was too strange.

    Beyond a little twisted, it was aplete difference.

    A detachment from the norm.

    Shion Ascal was indeed so.

    There was no precedent.

    There was no example.

    A novice who twists the elements he has learned to the extreme, not ¡®fitting¡¯ into the system but ¡®making it fit¡¯.

    At first nce, it seemed like a forced movement. It was a movement that made you wonder if it could move like that.

    Shion Ascal ¡®made it possible¡¯ with his physical ability. Like an invertebrate, he freely stretched, shortened, bent, bounced, and changed his joints, cartge, and muscles.

    The process was so natural that his novice swordsmanship felt like a new swordsmanship. It seemed like an alien, not a system.

    If it really was, it would have been a deduction.

    If you stop for a moment and take a closer look, surprisingly, his sword was all within the system of the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms.

    He just performed the maximum ¡®acrobatics¡¯ with his body and sword.

    Jeoly nced at Belingham.

    ¡°The direct line of Libra must¡¯ve been also watching. It must have been interesting.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she probably enjoyed watching it.¡±

    If Gerkhen Kal Doon Kal Doon was a sword that was too perfect andcked vor.

    Shion Ascal was an explosive test that was too much fun to watch.

    ¡°I do wonder if his body will be okay.¡±

    However, as an educator, it was a style he naturally had to discourage. The risk of injury was too high.

    ¡°It¡¯s the swordsman¡¯s style.¡±

    But Jeoly wouldn¡¯t necessarily interfere.

    Firstly, 99 out of 100 swordsmen like that wouldn¡¯t listen anyway, and even if Shion Ascal¡¯s body broke at some point, even if he couldn¡¯tst long and faded away, as long as he could ignite a big me in his own way.

    That would also cause a ripple effect that would shake the calm world of swordsmanship.

    ¡°Soliette, it¡¯s going to be a cold meal.¡±

    Belingham pointed to the stage. Soliette¡¯s nonbat had just started. She was up against a promising 4-5 star named Betel.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    He didn¡¯t feel like watching it particrly.

    Defeat.

    That feeling was quite a long timeing.

    But it was rational.

    In the roles of defense and attack, he had failed in defense, and the other had seeded in attack.

    There was nocency. There was no error. There was only the variable lump called ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯.

    If someone who watched the nonbat asks if he should have anticipated the clenching of the sword, he would dly do so next time.

    But there was no change in the defeat itself.

    That¡¯s why it was fun.

    It was a very refreshing experience.

    The task left for him now was to review today countless times, train himself, and ept it.

    To internalize defeat and be a stronger self.

    Humility.

    Modesty.

    Solidity.

    ¡°Hand, please give me your hand.¡±

    The nurse said.

    This was the infirmary inside the Coliseum prepared by the association in advance. It was when Gerkhen Kal Doon handed his almost torn hand to the nurse.

    Suddenly-

    The door opened.

    ¡°Ah. Excuse me. My palm is¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon saw him.

    Apparently, a man who seemed to havee here for the same reason as himself.

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Shion Ascal looked at him and gave a hollowugh.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    In the infirmary inside the Coliseum.

    In that rtively quiet and awkward ce, I am getting bandaged by a nurse.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The person across from me is also getting the same bandage treatment.

    On a different hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to see him for at least a week.

    I wanted to feel the afterglow of victory or something like that.

    But I met him right after the nonbat in the infirmary.

    I nced at him. His left hand bulging with muscle, white ligaments peeking through.

    ¡°Is your hand okay?¡±

    Instead of answering, Gerkhen Kal Doon looked at my hand.

    I was in a simr state.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I called Gerkhen Kal Doon again.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon looked back at me without a word.

    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for it again.¡±

    As I added in a teasing tone, a tiny cross mark was etched on his forehead.

    Because the same trick will only work on Gerkhen Kal Doon once.

    ¡°Your treatment is done. You¡¯ll need to receive some mana treatment to prevent scarring.¡±

    The nurse spoke just then.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I got up first. Gerkhen Kal Doon seemed to have a while left, purely due to the nurse¡¯s greed.

    What¡¯s the point of touching the hand so much?

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    I said goodbye because it felt strange to leave alone.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon also responded.

    I left the infirmary, fiddling with my hand. I walked down the corridor leading to the exit of the Coliseum.

    A presence clung to me one step behind.

    ¡°Is your body okay?¡±

    It was Soliette.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you I¡¯m fine?¡±

    Honestly, it does seem a bit shaky. Even if it¡¯s a tough body, I did move a bit too much.

    The aftereffects will likelyeter. I might not be able to sleep all day today.

    ¡°Using the Five-Flower Form as a consecutive attack¡­ You consumed your body much more severely than when you showed it to me. If you break your spine, you¡¯ll be disabled.¡±

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    I¡¯m suddenly upset because she said she won¡¯t stop me.

    ¡°Seeing that your body doesn¡¯t break even when you move like that, it seems like you¡¯re naturally gifted. Today, you were a killer sword that beat anyone at least once.¡±

    Soliette kept rambling on after that. As she spoke, she kept swinging her palm ¨C like a sword.

    She seemed to be boiling with blood btedly because the opponent was too easy.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have watched your antics.¡±

    Was Soliette this talkative? Iughed a little out of curiosity.

    ¡°What are youughing at.¡±

    In the meantime, we reached the exit of the Coliseum.

    We distanced ourselves a bit more. So that we don¡¯t look like we know each other. We walked the road while maintaining a spacious distance.

    ¡­And so, from behind while leaving the Coliseum.

    A person walked out.

    ¡°Why¡­ the two.¡±

    A woman, looking alternately at Soliette and Shion leaving, held a somewhatplicated gaze.

    It was Elise.

    The next morning.

    Elise was lying upside down on the bed, staring nkly at the sunlight seeping through the ckout curtains, reviewing the day for the twenty-third time.

    Starting with the mental ward where she met Yael, to the surprisingly brilliant match of Shion and Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ©¤I won thanks to you.

    Even the way he smiled as he said that.

    He seemed like a boy at that time. It was a genuinely happy face.

    The first encounter was so new and sudden, and his pure gratitude, untainted by anything, was so unfamiliar.

    Elise unknowingly ran away.

    ¡°I wonder how much I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Suddenly, such a thought crossed her mind.

    Did she know too little about him?

    Or did Yael¡¯s confession change everything she knew in an instant?

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    However, there was one more thing that bothered Elise.

    Shion and Soliette.

    She had seen the two walking side by side.

    It was her first time seeing Shion and Soliette talk so much.

    She didn¡¯t understand.

    Shion had definitely touched Soliette¡¯s spite¡ªKnightmare in the mine, and Soliette also said she disliked him¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In the end, Elise got up. She had stayed up all night, but her body was fine without sleep for a day or two.

    After all, the main event starts on Friday.

    She got up groggily and went to the living room. Thud- something like trash caught her foot. It was La. She had notified her that she would stay in her Presidium until the evaluation test.

    Click-

    Elise turned on the light.

    ¡°Ugh. Who turned on the light¡­¡±

    La floundered and then turned over and slept. Elise sat at the table in the living room and picked up her smartphone.

    She absentmindedly scrolled through her contacts.

    Perhaps there was someone to talk to.

    Someone to share this stifling feeling with.

    No one.

    She had thousands of friends on the messenger, but no one to actually talk to.

    There was one worm lying in this house. La.

    Elise nced at her.

    ¡°Excluded.¡±

    She talks too much. Even if she fell into the sea, her mouth would float.

    Even if she just mentioned Shion¡¯s name, she would say, ¡®Why are you talking about Shion? No way!!!!!¡¯

    In the first ce, this is not something that can be shared with anyone.

    The story of Shion and Yael, and herself, to no one¡­

    [At Your Service]

    Suddenly, it caught her eye.

    [At Your Service] in a corner of her contacts.

    At Your Service.

    ¡®Consultation on worries¡¯ is also a service.

    Elise quickly sat upright.

    [At Your Service], who doesn¡¯t know each other¡¯s gender, age, or anything. A schr (presumed) who guards lost knowledge.

    His culture and discernment are highly reliable; above all, there is no fear that this conversation will be leaked to anyone.

    Just in case, Elise changed her smartphone to another one. It was a spare phone she had prepared in advance for business situations.

    She sent a text to [At Your Service] with it.

    [Human Rtionship Consultation]

    Ding-

    An immediate response came.

    [At Your Service: I don¡¯t ept overly broad questions. Please make it more specific.]

    Elise rested her chin on her hand and pondered. After peering at the screen with bleary eyes, she moved her fingers.

    [I hated this person.]

    [I really hated them.]

    [But it turns out I¡¯ve wronged them greatly¡­ in that situation. How should I handle it?]

    Ding- A response came.

    [At Your Service: I am not a counseling center. When I say I¡¯ll do anything, I mean in a business sense.]

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that.¡±

    Elise pouted her lips. Was he being dismissive because she was using a different phone, and there was no record of previous requests?

    [Isn¡¯t counseling a type of business? It requires quite a professional capacity. I¡¯ll pay whatever you ask.]

    Then, after about a 3-minute gap, a reply came.

    [At Your Service: If you want to reconcile, take the first step. Let go of your pride.]

    Pride.

    ¡°¡­Pride.¡±

    Upon reflection, for Elise, it was the hardest thing to let go of.

    Things she hadn¡¯t considered as pride before, things she had taken for granted, were her pride.

    A life grown from birth as a noble of honor. A life always being number one. A life enjoyed as a beauty of notable appearance.

    Everyone approached her first and wanted to be friends with her.

    Therefore, ¡®taking the first step¡¯ itself was a pride that did not exist in Elise¡¯s mind.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise sent a message along with a department store gift certificate.

    [It¡¯s 5,000 Ren. Is that okay?]

    [At Your Service: It¡¯s excessive for a single line of advice.]

    [Please save me in return.]

    Of course, it was just a single line of advice.

    But for Elise, right now, even breathing was difficult.

    She hadn¡¯t closed her eyes for a second since hearing Yael¡¯s words. She had no fingernails left. She kept biting them whenever she came to her senses.

    The story of that day was too shocking to ept with the mindset of ¡®it¡¯s not my fault-¡®

    [Just call me ¡®A¡¯. That¡¯s enough.]

    Therefore, she needed it.

    A channel to vent herplicated feelings.

    [From time to time, when I need it, I¡¯ll ask for advice on human rtionships.]

    A consultation where neither party knows the other.

    Therefore, a consultation where one can speak more honestly.

    She needed something like this for herself.

    [At Your Service: Yes, Ms. A. I will set up a separate consultation session. The consultation fee will be 3,000 Ren per session.]

    ¡°Haah¡­.¡±

    Elise sighed. Then she opened the messenger as per [At Your Service]¡¯s advice.

    She firmly pressed on [Shion Ascal] in the friends list.

    An empty chat room.

    Elise first wrote ¡°What are you doing?¡± then erased it. She added another question mark to ¡°What are you doing??¡± then erased it.

    It seemed like she was acting too friendly all of a sudden.

    A bit more business-like ¡°What are you up to?¡±¡­ she erased it again. ¡°It¡¯s morning, what are you doing now?¡± was also erased.

    ¡°Elly¡­ what are you doing?¡±

    That¡¯s when La woke up. Elise quickly pulled her smartphone closer to her body, just in case La could see.

    ¡°What am I doing indeed.¡±

    Shh-

    Suddenly, she heard an ominous sound.

    Shh.

    The sound of a message being sent on the messenger.

    Elise quickly looked back at the screen.

    ¡¸What are you doing¡¹

    Her message was in the chat room.

    A message was sent to Shion Ascal, or rather, the message was sent.

    ¡°What are¡­.¡±

    It was a typo.

    She had made a typo.

    Elise¡¯s hair stood on end.

    ¡°No!!!¡±

    ¡°Why, why?!¡±

    ¡¸What are¡¹

    It wasn¡¯t ¡°What are you doing?¡± nor ¡°What are you up to?¡± There wasn¡¯t even a period at the end.

    To anyone looking, it was an iplete, ugliest typo in the world.

    Elise raised her hand and clenched her fist at her own temple. It throbbed as if a mouse had bitten it.

    ¡°Elly, what¡¯s wrong? What happened!!! Did someone die?!!!¡±

    Clueless La hastily approached and asked. Elise red at her and shouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s because of you©¤!¡±

 Chapter 114: Maze (1)

    <strong>Maze (1)</strong>

    The condition of my body the day after the duel wasn¡¯t too bad. In fact, I even felt somewhat light. It was probably less the psychological satisfaction of having defeated Gerkhen Kal Doon, and more the fact that the mana quark treatment from Professor Yu Hains had worked quite well.

    The man is indeed a doctor.

    Chika-chika-

    As I brushed my teeth in the dormitory bathroom, I saved someone¡¯s number in my contacts.

    [Number Saved: A]

    This ¡®A¡¯ person was a client who had contacted me through [At Your Service] about half an hour ago. They had asked for some interpersonal rtionship advice.

    At first, I thought they were a nuisance and responded half-heartedly, but then they promptly deposited 5,000 Ren into my ount. They seemed like a gold spoon, so I saved them immediately.

    ¡°Ptui.¡±

    After rinsing my mouth, I stepped out of the dormitory.

    ¡°Good work, old man.¡±

    As usual, I waved at old man Belthos, who was still tending the garden, and started walking when.

    Ding-

    My smartphone rang. It was a message from the messenger app.

    [Lunatic: What are]

    ¡°?¡±

    It was a message from Elise, but it seemed like something had been cut off.

    Did she die while typing?

    [?]

    I sent a question mark. It seemed like she had left the chat room open because as soon as I sent the message, it was marked as read.

    After that, there was no news.

    I didn¡¯t care either.

    Today¡¯s destination is the library.

    The main event is on Friday, but I n to make money during the two-day break.

    Because I need money.

    Not just for mana quark treatment, but also to invest an almost infinite amount of money in Professor Yu Hains to develop the facilities themselves.

    To bring forward theplete cure for the treatment that took 12 years, and to change the subject from pigs to humans.

    I¡¯ll probably need tens of millions at the minimum, and billions at the maximum.

    Therefore©¤.

    From now on, I n to actively use the knowledge of the future.

    In simple terms, I will giarize the future and sell it.

    ¡ªDing.

    I tag my student card at the library, enter, and sit down with a cup of coffee.

    I picked up a roll of parchment for writing from the free paper.

    I dissolved Perion in my caf¨¦tte.

    The Magic Spell I¡¯m going to submit today is a turtle that eats corpses, ¡®Corpse Eater¡¯.

    I slightly changed the name to ¡®Death Eater¡¯.

    ¡°Shall we try it?¡±

    This Corpse Eater is in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹¡¯s Database.

    After recalling my experiences before regression through the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, it¡¯s a concept I brought ¡®across time¡¯, to put it grandly.

    However, I don¡¯t know how it urs, or what idea it was invented with.

    Because itcks the depth to me.

    I simply calcte,pute and implement it with the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    It¡¯s a solution without theory, merely intuition.

    If I were to make aparison, I¡¯d be like the dumbest genius.

    ¡°Huuk-¡±

    I took a sip of the Perion coffee. I closed my eyes for a moment. Heat welled up in my throat. I opened my eyes amidst that concentration and excitement.

    I started working.

    ¡¸Death Eater¡¹

    Overview: A turtle that eats dead organisms¡­¡­

    I had transcribed the entirety of the Corpse Eater¡¯s Magic Spell onto a scroll. From the starting point, turning point, and ending point of the Magic Spell, to the most crucial structure of the nucleus, I had even written down the circuit diagram and the user manual.

    With a pencil that was wielded with utmost care to prevent even the slightest error.

    By the time I finished, the sun was already setting.

    [20 : 30]

    I had started at 10 in the morning, and already 10 hours had passed.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Now, I will submit this patent to apany. Magic Spells are high-value products, so wouldn¡¯t I get at least 400,000 to 500,000 Ren in royalties after taxes per year?

    ¡°Which one should I choose?¡±

    There was still one more thing to worry about.

    Thepany to which I would submit this Corpse Eater, no, this Death Eater¡¯s Magic Spell.

    First, it has to be put out in ¡®Trick City¡¯.

    From Edsi to Trick-City. Themercialization of Magic Spells mostly starts there, whether it spreads to the continent or descends into the underworld.

    But there are too manypanies in that Trick City¡­

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    Suddenly, I remembered.

    I searched for the name of apany on my smartphone.

    [Valmant]

    : Valmant Manalogy

    : Valmant Tree

    As expected, it was there.

    Valmant Manaology.

    The Corpse Eater¡¯s Magic Spell isn¡¯t a high or mid-high grade Magic Spell, so if it¡¯s submitted to argepany, it might get buried. But there are too many swindlers to just submit it to any small or medium-sizedpany.

    So, apany that is currently small or medium-sized, but is ¡®certain¡¯ to grow into argepany within 10 years.

    [Valmant] is more than enough.

    They have a trustworthy CEO as well.

    ¡°What should I name it?¡±

    But to make contact and receive royalties, a separate identity is necessary.

    I can¡¯t receive it as DP when submitting to apany.

    For smooth moneyundering, a dual identity is essential.

    After some thought, I wrote a name and contact information on the corner of the scroll.

    [Dale]

    Dale.

    My father.

    A person with a verymon name, but that makes it all the better for camouge.

    I rolled up the scroll. Then, I ced an order for [Parcel Delivery] on the dark web.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I inadvertently looked at the messenger.

    [?]

    There was still no reply in Elise¡¯s chat room.

    In the autonomous district of the Deon region in the east of Edsi, te (te).

    The ce also known as ¡®Trick City¡¯ is different from anywhere else on the continent. It¡¯s extremely exotic. Special and peculiar.

    A city that has be the backdrop of steampunk and neon city novels, built by fusing magic, mana, engineering, and science.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon is there.

    The sound of the engine burning mana stones echoes, shhh-shhh-shhh, and the sound of the hammer hitting the anvil, ng-ng-ng, floods the factory.

    It¡¯s a small and medium-sizedpany called [Valmant Manaology].

    ¡°I heard you lost.¡±

    In the middle of that ce, a muscr old man in his 60s named Diesel spoke. Gerkhen Kal Doon replied in a quiet voice.

    ¡°Has the rumor already spread?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was quite spectacr, wasn¡¯t it? How could the youngsters handle the sword so fiercely?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah! It¡¯s working! See, it¡¯s working! It¡¯s working!¡±

    The boisterous voices echoed from the workshop next to the factory. Gerkhen Kal Doon pointed in that direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Ah. A submission came in yesterday. A scroll arrived from the Darkweb. They¡¯ve been up all night with their hair on end looking at it, seems like it¡¯s going well. Is it going well?! Hey!¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s working!

    Swish-swish- ng- ng-

    ¡°What?¡±

    The factory and the workshop, separated only by a single wall, have an imperfectmunication system. [Valmant Mana Tease].

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s working!

    ¡°What?! What did you say?!¡±

    The old man Diesel shouted. Gerkhen Kal Doon quietly sighed.

    ©¤Damn! It¡¯s working!

    ¡°What the hell?! Did you say ¡®fuck¡¯? You brat!¡±

    Then the door of the workshop swung open.

    ¡°¡­¡­Not ¡®fuck¡¯! I said it¡¯s working, you deaf old man! How many times do I have to answer!¡±

    A woman with a mix of golden and ck bobbed hair filled the factory with her ringing voice. Drenched in magical oil and sweat, she scowled at Gerkhen Kal Doon as soon as she saw him.

    ¡°Why do you keeping here? I told you not to call me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you. You came on your own.¡±

    ¡°Really? Hmm!¡±

    The woman crossed her arms in dissatisfaction as she looked at Gerkhen Kal Doon. But there was a smile-like expression at the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°Hey, Gerkhen. Hey. Hey. I saw your defeat~?¡±

    She approached, yfully raising her eyebrows.

    ¡°Who did you lose to? Shion Ascal? You lost to him~?¡±

    This woman poking Gerkhen Kal Doon with a wooden stick was Kanya Wieder, the brightest genius in Trick City and a talent that could be the core of the city.

    ¡°If you¡¯re here to beforted because you¡¯re beaten, I didn¡¯t raise you to be like that-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon cut her off, pointing between the door gap. A disgusting turtle was crawling out.

    ¡°Ah. This? You came at the right time!¡±

    Kanya¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars.

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Death Eater¡¯. It¡¯s a Magic Spell used to clean up animal, human, or monster corpses. It¡¯s a new submission after a long time.¡±

    She picked up the turtle and threw it to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the genius is, but they sent an almost finished product.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon picked up the turtle with two fingers. The turtle squirmed on its back.

    ¡°Look. This is the turtle Magic Spell.¡±

    Kanya handed him a scroll. Gerkhen Kal Doon put the turtle down and unrolled it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He quickly scanned the scroll from beginning to end, and indeed.

    He found himself nodding involuntarily.

    He fully understood why Kanya was making such a fuss.

    The submitted Magic Spell was tooplete.

    Not only theponents and circuit of the Magic Spell, but also the center where the magic gathers ¨C in other words, the ¡®core¡¯ ¨C was perfectly represented, making it aplete patent.

    ¡°Why would such a genius submit to Valmant?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon found it puzzling.

    Scavengers who asionally submit Magic Spells are usually unfriendly. They oftenck understanding. Especially those who submit to small and medium-sized enterprises like [Valmant], they are even more so.

    For instance, they are mostly scoundrels who only make 2 out of 10 and expect thepany to handle the remaining 8. But this person was different.

    They made 10 out of 10¡­ No.

    It seemed like they had made 11.

    ¡°Hey, you bastard. You should say it. Our Valmant has such a bright prospect. It means that the old reputation of our family hasn¡¯tpletely died yet.¡±

    Kanya pounded her chest.

    ¡°Anyway, this thing, with a mana stone the size of a fingernail, can devour three water buffalo carcasses, you know? You can immediately patent it and sell it. I¡¯m about to contact this ¡®Dare¡¯ guy right away.¡±

    Dare. Gerkhen Kal Doon looked closely at the corner of the scroll.

    Dale.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s Dale. Not Dare.¡±

    ¡°Hey. These turtles are surprisingly fast, huh?¡±

    Kanya, not listening, took out another turtle from the pocket of her work clothes.

    ¡°Look, look. Hey turtle, walk.¡±

    Passing by Kanya, who was squatting down and watching the turtle race, Gerkhen Kal Doon entered her workshop.

    In one corner of her workshop, where she researched, developed, and invented Magic Spells, filled with all kinds of reagents, mana stones, and books, there was a narrow bedroom.

    A very poor ce connected to the workshop, factory, and residence.

    This is where Kanya lived.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon silently looked around her ¡®home¡¯.

    A single room with only a withered bed and desk as furniture. However, on that desk, a very special fluid was glowing inside a ss tank-like container-

    ¡°What, are you worried?¡±

    Kanya approached from behind.

    ¡°It¡¯s almostplete. All you have to do is wait for it to wake up.¡±

    That glowing organism is an augmented intelligence that surpasses artificial intelligence.

    The theoretical resurrection of the dead, preserving and condensing the soul of a deceased person, fully implementing their previous personality.

    ¡°Just wait a little longer, and you can get everything back. Everything those damned Hilton bastards took away.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon did not respond.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re looking forward to it too, aren¡¯t you? Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    He silently stepped out of the workshop. He bowed his head to the old man diesel in the factory.

    ¡°Diesel old man, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. It was nice to see you. Don¡¯t be too upset about losing. Rather, think of it as a good thing.¡±

    As he was about to leave, Kanya stopped him.

    ¡°Hey! Gerkhen¡±

    Kanya smiled brightly and gave a thumbs-up.

    ¡°They¡¯re holding some kind of evaluation test. Do your best! And don¡¯t be too upset about being humiliated by swordsmanship! It¡¯s not that you¡¯re bad, it¡¯s that Shion Ascal is good!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Whether it was constion or mockery, Gerkhen Kal Doon left thepany. He moved his legs straight to the train station.

    Between each step, his past was mixed in.

    Kanya and Gerkhen Kal Doon lived together when they were young.

    No, the Wieder family took in Gerkhen Kal Doon. Thanks to that, they practically grew up like siblings from the age of five.

    At that time, the Wieder family was one of the wealthiest families in Trick City, but now they have fallen. Kanya, who had lived a life of extreme wealth, fell to rock bottom in an instant.

    Even in Trick City, where fortunes are reversed dozens of times a day, that incident was tragic enough to be long remembered.

    Now Kanya seems to have ovee it at first nce, but that too is ultimately due to a handful of expectations.

    That she can regain what was taken from her.

    However, she doesn¡¯t know.

    Even if she fully utilizes her genius, she can never regain the old Wieder family.

    Because¡­¡­

    ©¤©¤Gerkhen Kal Doon. I have a request.

    An old voice seeps into his ear.

    ©¤©¤This is a disastrous technology. So please¡­¡­

    Thest words left by Kanya¡¯s father, who is no longer in this world.

    His will.

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­Destroy it with your own hands. So that Kanya won¡¯t get hurt.

    The patriarch of the Wieder family asked him.

    To destroy thest legacy of the family, the ¡®soul¡¯ that Kanya is nurturing with all her heart.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon was more than willing to do so.

    Friday. On the day of the main evaluation test, on a nameless ind northeast of Edsi.

    All the seniors participating in the college board course are in front of some ¡®entrance¡¯. In front of them, a portal about 5~6m high flickers.

    Gathered at the pier early in the morning to take a boat and do what¡­¡­

    For me, this was the ce when I came to my senses.

    ©¤From today for 72 hours, we will conduct the main evaluation test for the first quarter of the college board course.

    Behind them, the representatives of the university association lined up at the harbor spoke through a loudspeaker.

    ©¤Today¡¯s main evaluation test is ¡®Entering the Maze¡¯.

    Maze.

    I had some guesses because the portal was too big.

    ©¤Now, you will enter the Magic Space maze. Everyone starts from the same entrance and dives as deep as possible for 72 hours.

    The maze is essentially a type of dungeon. Therefore, the [Dungeon System] will also be operational.

    I tapped my wrist.

    [Dungeon System]

    [ID: 5092]

    [Current EXP: 33]

    As such, the dungeon system is ingenious and extensive, so as long as you are registered, the dungeon¡¯s influence, that is, as soon as youe near, activation and login automatically ur.

    ©¤We will now distribute supply backpacks. For fairness, you can¡¯t take anything other than the supply backpack, but you are allowed to use what you make directly in the maze.

    Thousands of backpacks rose into the sky and were distributed to each individual.

    ©¤Then. From now, precisely 72 hours from Friday noon to Monday noon. We will start the evaluation test: Entering the Maze.

    As soon as the person in charge spoke, some people went into the entrance, but most waited outside. They seem to be watching and trying to form a party-

    Suddenly.

    [News that Rune Crystals have been found in the maze, the location of the College Board evaluation test.]

    ¡°Eh!¡±

    It stung like a needle in my ear. But myplexion brightened.

    The future triggered at this moment, the word in the Memory of hearing©¤©¤ Rune Crystals.

    ¡°This is a jackpot.¡±

    Perhaps more important than the evaluation test, a tremendous thing that makes your mouth water¡­¡­

    But someone next to me keeps fidgeting. Whether it¡¯s on purpose or not, she flutters her hair and blocks my view by standing on tiptoes.

    I looked at her.

    There was Elise¡¯s profile. She was looking somewhere right next to me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Then, she turned her head with a creak to look at me.

    ¡°Ah. There. You were here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I was here, of course.¡±

    ¡°You. Did you form a party?¡±

    Her tone is somewhat awkward. Is Elise a robot in disguise?

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shall we do it together? I have quite a lot of experience exploring mazes. I¡¯ve done a lot of team y-¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? I¡¯m not doing it with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gulp. Elise closed her mouth.

    ¡°Go y with your friends.¡±

    I gestured towards Kain¡¤Asher¡¤La. That ce suits Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise looked at me without saying a word. As if she had someints, or something to say, she stood there looking sullen, then turned around without a word and walked away with quick steps.

    ¡°Rune Crystals, Rune Crystals¡­¡­.¡±

    I closed my eyes again. To pull out even a little bit of Memory about the Rune Crystals.

 Chapter 115: Maze (2)

    <strong>Maze (2)</strong>

    ¡­I was calling up the past with my eyes closed.

    ©¤©¤News that a ¡®Rune Crystals¡¯ has been found in the maze evaluation test modified by the Association.

    The Memory of this ¡®sound¡¯ is probably news I heard briefly in the hospital before regression.

    Of course, I was just lying in bed, but the sound of the TV asionally came from somewhere, and it was a rtively clear stimulus among the days of Memory that were almost deleted.

    ©¤©¤The Rune Crystals were acquired by an Association official at the entrance of the maze and¡­ Tuk-

    ¡°What the.¡±

    The news suddenly cut off. I frowned.

    ©¤©¤Patient Shion. It¡¯s time for drug treatment.

    I hastily ended the recollection.

    What follows is probably chemotherapy, which I don¡¯t want to recall again.

    ¡°The entrance area¡­¡±

    Even with the clue of the entrance area, the probability is significantly increased. Because all I have to do is thoroughly search the early part of the maze.

    I looked at the contents of the supply backpack.

    10 packets ofbat rations. 2 hardtacks. Multi-purpose knife. Rope. 2L of drinking water. Smartwatch.

    The food itself is enough to eat in a day by my standards, and it¡¯s woefully inadequate even by the standards of other seniors.

    They probably mean for us to fend for ourselves.

    I put the smartwatch on my wrist.

    Ding-

    A guidance message popped up on the LCD screen.

    [This smartwatch has an emergency teleportation Magic Spell algorithm added. If the wearer is in serious physical danger, they will be forcibly teleported. If you want to give up, operate it manually.]

    It was a safety device simr to the one at the ghost hotel.

    I looked around the portal again.

    The number of seniors had noticeably decreased. Soliette charged in alone as soon as it started, and teams like Gerkhen Kal Doon or Elise entered about 10 minutes ago.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I also prepared with a deep breath.

    One step.

    As I stepped into the portal, I closed my eyes.

    For a moment, there was a feeling of falling as if up and down were reversed.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m not used to it.¡±

    I opened my eyes, holding my nauseous chest.

    It was indoors.

    Should I say it looked like the inside of an abandoned building, or a hospital?

    The floor had a tile pattern, the ceiling was made of familiar gypsum board material, and the fluorescent lights were flickering ipletely.

    I looked ahead. There was an ordinary door. I went straight to it and opened it.

    Suddenly-

    ©¤Kyaaaa!

    Some dark guy shouted from beyond.

    It was a goblin.

    He jumped at me like a fly, but I dodged it with a light step. I grabbed him from behind and snapped his neck with a thud.

    The goblin was converted into a ¡®Top-grade Gray Bead¡¯.

    I put the bead in my inventory and looked ahead again.

    Now there were three doors.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The entrance area mentioned in the news, isn¡¯t it here, this hospital-like building?

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go everywhere.¡±

    I opened the door on the right first.

    I walked, memorizing the path.

    Even if it was a dead end, I examined it carefully, and even if it was the right way, I went back. Storage room, venttion shaft, bathroom, operating room, consultation room, etc., I turned everything upside down if it was a space I was going to for the first time.

    Thanks to that, I ended up farming for about three hours unintentionally.

    Dozens of Mace that could be used as weapons, ingredients and canned food from the food storage, emergency treatment tools, and so on¡­ It seems like I¡¯ve collected quite a lot of items that the association had prepared, which the others had overlooked in their haste to leave.

    But I can¡¯t find any Rune Crystals.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not here.¡±

    Could they be found in other entrances of this hospital? Then I¡¯ve just wasted my time. Maybe I should prioritize escaping.

    As I was scratching the back of my neck and pondering¡­

    ©¤Let¡¯sbine our strength first, okay?

    I heard a voice from somewhere.

    ©¤No, we can¡¯t even do that. Can we catch the Butcher if webine our strength?

    I walked towards the voice.

    It was a spacious corridor.

    ©¤Can¡¯t we just find another exit? It seems like there should be one.

    ©¤If we get caught by the Butcher, it¡¯s game over.

    Therge door at the end of the corridor.

    I grabbed the doorknob and shook it. It wouldn¡¯t open, as if it was locked.

    ©¤Aaargh!

    ©¤Who, who is it!

    But there was suddenly amotion inside. Is it that serious?

    I switched to knocking.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion.¡±

    ©¤Phew¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll open the door.

    After waiting a bit, they opened the door from inside.

    It looked like a hospital waiting room. About fifty seniors were sitting on long sofas with pale faces.

    ¡°Wait a minute! You¡¯re Shion Ascal, right? The swordsman who defeated Gerkhen Kal Doon!¡±

    The man who opened the door suddenly recognized me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Terence. Do you want to join our party?¡±

    ¡°No. What¡¯s the situation here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a bit hopeless right now. The exit is over there. That¡¯s for sure.¡±

    I walked towards where Terence pointed.

    ¡°Look at this.¡±

    It was a metal door that looked like an exit. However, a Magic Spell was engraved next to the keyhole.

    A Magic Spell with four connected Magic Forms. It¡¯s quite a difficult one. It means that you have to solve this to open the door.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that fifty people can¡¯t do this?¡±

    I was incredulous. No matter how you look at it, we have enough brains here.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡±

    Terence clenched his fist in frustration.

    ¡°We want to solve it by segmentation and all, but as soon as we move a bit of magic, the Butcher appears! That damn Butcher!¡±

    ¡°¡­Butcher?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Butcher!¡±

    Butcher. In Edsimonnguage, it means ¡®ughterer¡¯.

    A level 4 monster that¡¯s a bit too much for a senior to handle.

    First of all, its appearance is horrifying. It¡¯s humanoid, but its flesh is lumpy and its face is quite disfigured.

    ¡°Where is this Butcher?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s wandering around here. As soon as we move a bit of magic, it starts stomping around and going crazy! Then we have to turn off both the lights and the magic.¡±

    Terence sighed.

    ¡°The ones who found the exit early have already solved it and left, the ones who want to give up have given up, and we, who arrivedte, are the only ones left here. We don¡¯t even dare to look for other passages because of the Butcher¡­¡±

    Anyway, Terence¡¯s pitiful words exined why they were trapped here.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I cautiously eyed the Magic Spell next to the keyhole.

    In an instant, the starting point of the spell shed. From the beginning, the flow of magic surged in blue, soonpletely knotting all circuits.

    It was the effect of ¡®intuition¡¯ visible only to my eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let me try. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, no. It¡¯s dangerous. You should be able to do it all at once-¡±

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    Terence looked pale, but this much was entirely possible. How many Magic Spells are stacked in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ Database now?

    I called upon the magic to my fingertips while staring at the key spell.

    Shiiiiii©¤©¤.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Now that¡¯s enough¡­¡­ Huh?¡±

    A blue fluid formed at the tip of my index finger. It slowly tried to form the surface of the key when-

    ¡°Woah, what?!¡±

    It scattered due to Terence¡¯s fuss. I red at him.

    ¡°Quiet. Watch your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, sorry. Shion really beat Gerkhen Kal Doon¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the surroundings became noisy.

    ¡°You, what are you guys doing?¡±

    ¡°I told you it would break!¡±

    Terence stepped forward to calm the worried guys.

    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t worry, you know Shion? Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s Shion. Shion seems to be able to open the door?¡±

    ¡­¡­I focused on the Magic Spell again.

    I don¡¯t need any analysis, segmentation, or disassembly process. The moment I observe with the naked eye, pure intuition based on the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ Database will operate to calcte the structure of the spell, the flow of magic, and the correct cirction¡­¡­

    Shiiiiiiii©¤©¤.

    The key slowly takes shape from the tip of my finger. It¡¯s quite slow, but I can¡¯t help it because my magic channel is small.

    It¡¯s a technique to minimize magic consumption by making the ¡®speed¡¯ of the three elements of Magic Spell©¤ control, speed, power as slow, slow, slow as possible.

    Tszuzuzuz¡­¡­

    The magic gathered in the air slowly breaks, and my will stands in the gap. The blue key forms an iplete entity.

    Then, the other seniors who were like sitting on the couch, slowly became glued-

    Boom©¤©¤©¤!

    The door of the grand hall shook heavily.

    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s breaking!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaak!¡±

    ¡°Hey, guys, calm down! Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s Shion is trying to open the door now!¡±

    My concentration itself is already on track. Even amidst the noise, I was engrossed in thepletion of the key.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°Give, give up!¡±

    ¡°Give up! Give up!¡±

    Some panicked guys gave up on the evaluation test and made an emergency escape.

    ¡°Hey guys! Protect Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s Shion! We have to protect Shion! We have to buy time!¡±

    Terence gathered the remaining seniors in front of me.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The door was half-opened. Through the gap, the brute stretched out his pus-filled arm.

    Around the same time, the key waspleted.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    I inserted the key into the hole.

    Click-!

    With a refreshing sound, the exit opened.

    Whoooooo¡­¡­

    Outside was a snowscape.

    All around was pure white, a road swept by a snowstorm.

    Just as I was about to step out into it©¤©¤©¤

    Suddenly.

    A question that sent a chill down my spine.

    Why were the Rune Crystals found at the entrance of the maze?

    ording to my auditory memory, the first witness was an association official.

    The seniors didn¡¯t find it.

    Why?

    Even if guys like Gerkhen Kal Doon jumped out too quickly to find it, why didn¡¯t I find it after almost turning the entire hospital upside down?

    Simply because the entrance mentioned in the news wasn¡¯t this hospital?

    Or¡­¡­.

    I looked back.

    Seniors trembling in fear, and the ¡®Butcher¡¯ leaning its body, which was almost 5m tall.

    A monster.

    The seniors could never catch it, no.

    There¡¯s no need to catch such a monster.

    ¡°©¤©¤©¤Go!¡±

    I was the first to yell at the seniors. I cleared the way, leaving the exit open.

    ¡°Go! Everyone out!¡±

    ¡°Huh, what?¡±

    ¡°What the hell, get out quickly! Everyone out!¡±

    If my thoughts are correct, I need to get everyone out of here first.

    ¡°No, you opened it, so you should go first- ugh!¡±

    I grabbed Terence, who was meddling, by the cor and threw him out.

    ¡°If I go out, the key will be cut off. Then the door will close. Get out quickly©¤©¤!¡±

    Only then did the seniors rush out.

    Creak©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The grand hall door waspletely torn off, and the Butcher charged like a tank.

    ¡°Come out!¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh-uh?!¡±

    I made thest one, a senior whose legs had given out, escape.

    ¡°Shion!¡±

    Terence, outside the iron gate, reached out to me.

    ¡°You too, hurry up and-¡±

    Swish©¤©¤!

    The Butcher drew a sword in the air. A sword wind was released.

    I rolled quickly. At that moment, the key was cut off, and the door closed again.

    That pig can use sword wind too.

    ©¤¡­¡­No!

    From beyond the iron gate, Terence¡¯s screams and the sounds simr to the cries of several seniors mixed.

    We¡¯ve only known each other for 10 minutes, and we¡¯re already in a movie.

    ©¤I won¡¯t forget¡­¡­ Shion who defeated Gerkhen.

    Is that really a Lunatic?

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    Again.

    I took a deep breath while looking at the Butcher. A slight smile formed at the corners of my mouth.

    ¡°You?¡±

    Even if I ask, of course, it can¡¯t answer. In the first ce, there¡¯s nothing that should be on a human face on its face. Where eyes, nose, and mouth should be, there are only things like shark teeth glistening.

    But, I can be sure.

    The Rune Crystals will be looted when it¡¯s defeated.

    Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump©¤©¤!

    The Butcher charged straight at me. It was a speed that didn¡¯t match its physique.

    Have I met the Butcher about three times in my life?

    When dealing with it, it¡¯s important to maintain distance. Because of its ¡®Butcher¡¯ characteristic, if your skin even slightly touches its t sword, you¡¯ll be shredded into pieces.

    Fortunately, I have a throwing weapon.

    A scalpel.

    Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump©¤©¤!

    As I ran in the opposite direction of it, I infused Perion into five scalpels.

    Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump©¤©¤!

    He hurled it at the pursuer. The brute didn¡¯t even try to dodge, and all five des buried themselves in its body. Instead of blood, only grease and pus oozed out.

    To put it in a metaphor, like a giant pimple bursting?

    ¡°¡­¡­How do I catch that thing?¡±

    Though I¡¯ve started the fight, the Butcher is a level 4 monster. Moreover, its size and stamina are at level 5, making it nearly impossible for a senior to hunt alone.

    Especially problematic is that magical fatyer. Even if you beat it for dozens of hours, its regeneration would likely outpace the damage.

    ©¤! ©¤! ©¤!

    The brute swung its sword, spraying grease. Sharp gusts of wind from the de came one after another.

    As I dodged and twisted my body to avoid the attacks, a thought struck me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Grease?¡±

    Grease.

    And in addition to that, the substance currently stored in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹memory.

    Mandrake.

    Simply put, an incendiary.

    Of course, ordinary heat won¡¯t kill the Butcher, but mandrake is a medicine of extreme yang.

    A heat that is inherently extreme.

    Whisk©¤!

    I threw a scalpel. The brute took it head-on again, nonchntly, just oozing grease.

    ¡°It might work.¡±

    Thanks to the brute¡¯s dullness. It¡¯s worth a shot.

    Roar©¤©¤!

    I zigzagged away, provoking the brute¡¯s violent movements. It chased me, spilling grease in heaves.

    And so, when its thick flesh was thoroughly soaked in grease and glistening,

    I prepared for the operation.

    I invoked the ¡®property¡¯ of mandrake into a scalpel. On the surface, it looked the same, but my skin felt like it was burning just by gripping the scalpel.

    Sizzle-

    It was actually burning.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I stopped in the middle of the hall. The brute charged at me as if it had been waiting.

    ThumpThumpThumpThumpThump?!

    The wide, bby de swung down, its belly jiggling.

    In an instant, Perion was secreted throughout my nervous system. The Butcher¡¯srge, steep arm slowed to a crawl.

    I ducked and slid under the brute¡¯s de.

    As I slid between its legs, I traced the scalpel across its oil-soaked back-

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    An explosion urred the moment it made contact. It was a st filled with heat. Caught in the shockwave, I was flung to the far end of the hall.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    I stuck to the wall and looked at the brute.

    Roar©¤©¤!

    Its entire body was engulfed in mes.

    A muddy, sticky, earth-colored fire.

    The brute writhed in agony on the floor, but it was the fire of mandrake. The extreme yang that met the oil wouldn¡¯t go out.

    Roar©¤©¤! Roar©¤©¤©¤!

    The brute screamed in agony for a good five minutes.

    But it still didn¡¯t die. There wasn¡¯t even a sign of it dying.

    What a tough body.

    I threw a second scalpel at the brute.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Another explosion.

    This time, the brute¡¯s skin waspletely blown off. I quickly hid behind the couch.

    StSt-

    A disgusting sound echoed. Repulsive things were spewing out all over the hospital.

    ¡°¡­¡­I feel dizzy.¡±

    The stench made my head hurt. I was so tired that I felt like falling asleep, but there was no time for that.

    I peered into the still-burning mes with my SZX-9500.

    Above the exploded corpse of the Butcher, shimmering characters in the form of crystals floated up.

    Rune Crystals©¤©¤¡¸R-elix¡¹.

 Chapter 116: Maze (3)

    <strong>Maze (3)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­Looks like an F-rank.¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    It was easy to tell. There was only one root of the R-elix.

    Just in case, I put the rooted R-elix in my inventory. I attempted appraisal using the inherent function of the [Dungeon System].

    [30 EXP will be consumed to appraise the item.]

    [Appraisal Complete: F-rank R-elix]

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    I stroked my chin and looked at the information of the ¡¸R-elix¡¹.

    [¡ö R-elix: Treasure Hunter]

    [¡ö Rank: F ©¦ Rare]

    [¡ö Attribute: Life]

    [¡ö Interpretation: Upon imntation, the probability of looting after hunting increases. You can feel a special energy. You will be able to somewhat assess the value of items. You can interact with surrounding objects. asionally, your touch bes delicate.]

    Fortunately, it¡¯s rare. Even if it¡¯s F-rank, after taxes and fees, I should still have about 300,000 to 400,000 Ren left.

    ¡°¡­¡­Should I imnt this?¡±

    Treasure Hunter.

    I would have sold it under normal circumstances, but it was the type of R-elix I needed the most.

    Moreover, this kind of ¡®life¡¯ attribute R-elix imposes the least burden on the body.

    ¡°But well.¡±

    The imntation method is simple. R-elix is designed to attach to living beings from the start, so all you have to do is stick it to the desired area and draw it in with magic.

    I chose¡­¡­ my forearm.

    Swish-

    I called upon my magic as I ced the R-elix. It immediately stuck to my skin.

    ¡°Ah, hot.¡±

    The R-elix briefly seared into my skin before fading away.

    [Imnting the R-elix.]

    [¡®R-elix: Treasure Hunter¡¯ seeps into the existence of ID 5029.]

    ¡­¡­.

    [¡ö R-elix: Treasure Hunter]

    [¡ö Rank: C- ©¦ Rare]

    [¡ö Attribute: Life]

    [¡ö Interpretation: Your luck greatly increases when hunting, exploring, and other search-rted activities. You can sense a special energy. You can easily assess the value of items. You can actively interact with surrounding objects. Your touch bes delicate when needed.]

    ¡°Did it¡­¡­?¡±

    I tilted my head for a moment. With a frown, I red at the [Dungeon System] that was interpreting the R-elix.

    I rubbed my eyes, thinking I had seen it wrong, and opened them again.

    It was still the same.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    I stared at the rank of the R-elix.

    [¡ö Rank: C- ©¦ Rare]

    It¡¯s C- rank.

    Why is it C- rank?

    It was definitely F before the imntation.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I thought nkly.

    The [Dungeon System]¡¯s appraisal simply interprets the R-elix through a system algorithm and conveys that information to the users. Therefore, the R-elix operates normally even outside the dungeon, and the rank judgment is purely based on the ¡®performance¡¯ of the R-elix.

    In other words, it was F-rank performance before the imntation, but after the imntation, it increased to C- rank performance.

    That¡¯s what the [Dungeon System] itself is saying.

    ¡°Could it be¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a certain day came to mind.

    The time when I summoned the Corpse Eater to clean up after Jade.

    The Corpse Eater I had summoned seemed to move much faster and consume much more than before my regression.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a delusion.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a delusion.

    It¡¯s certain.

    The Perion stored in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    It¡¯s seeping into my magic itself. Slowly bing an ¡¸Embodiment¡¹.

    In doing so, it¡¯s upgrading ¡®my entirety¡¯.

    In other words©¤©¤.

    Just as my body has evolved into a strong body, this R-elix has also been enhanced by my Perion.

    Even the simplest Magic Form, even the lowest-ranked R-elix, if ites to me, its performance itself is upgraded¡­¡­

    I swallowed silently. My head heated up. A bit of heat rose to my face.

    Is it excitement?

    I¡¯m feeling good, but there¡¯s no time to jump around.

    I made a key in front of the iron door again. nk- I opened the exit.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª!

    The severe cold rushed in.

    The snow had piled up to knee height, and Terence and the others were obviously gone.

    ¡°First¡­¡­ let¡¯s go.¡±

    I¡¯ve got the R-elix.

    Now, the evaluation test remains.

    I shook off my still dazed mind and walked into the snowstorm.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª!

    A snowstorm in the snowy ins. A refuge tower in the mountains.

    Elise¡¯s team is warming up there.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, I almost froze to death. Hey, Asher. How cold is it outside now?¡±

    ¡°Between minus 30 and 40 degrees.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like Antarctica.¡±

    Kain and Asher are having a conversation, and La is mumbling nkly, glued to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about just giving up¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, La. We¡¯re only at stage 2. There should be at least 4 to 5 stages, right?¡±

    After the hospital, it was this snowy mountain. Forks in the road appear frequently, monsters appear in groups, and the snowstorm doesn¡¯t stop.

    It was a hellish environment for the seniors.

    ¡°Elise. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±

    Kain asked Elise by the window. Elise, who nced at him, nudged La.

    ¡°La. How about you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm~? Not yet¡­¡­ nothing¡¯sing out¡­¡­ but there¡¯s movement¡­¡­ I¡¯m constantly losing magic¡­¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡±

    The snowstorm in this snowy mountain will probably never end. Therefore, rather than barely making it through with their bodies, they have to use Magic Spells.

    ¡°Keep at it. We have plenty of time.¡±

    La and Elise are engraving Magic Spells on a cloth, and using the gray beads as mana stones to advance by invoking ¡¸Workmanship Magic: Mole¡¹.

    Elise ismanding 13 moles, and La ismanding 25 moles to find the exit.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Asher and Kain are¡­¡­ honestly, they¡¯re useless in this field, so they¡¯re just doing things like catching food.

    ¡°You guys should cook.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. We¡¯ll make it as delicious as possible.¡±

    Leaving the two of them, who are starting to take out pots, behind, Elise turned on the dungeon system.

    [Dungeon System]

    [ID: EliseEEM]

    [Current EXPP: 833¡­¡­]

    She clicked on [Recent Party List].

    [5029 ¡ñ]

    Shion Ascal. His ID was still online (¡ñ), but it would be difficult to clear this snowfield without a party.

    He didn¡¯t seem to have a special talent for Magic Spell, so he was probably stuck somewhere.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡±

    Elise sighed and bit her lip hard.

    ¡®I need to approach him first.¡¯

    The advice from [At Your Service] kepting to mind.

    You need to approach first.

    Throw away your pride.

    In the end, Elise turned on the [Message] system.

    ¡¸What are you doing?¡¹

    The [Dungeon System] is diverse like this, and if you have a lot of dungeon experience, the maze itself will be a bit easier.

    This is why college admissions consultants these days are saying that the College Board is steadily being designed to favor the upper ss.

    After all, the rich will have more dungeon experience.

    [3 EXP will be consumed to send a message.]

    To use the message feature, you have to pay EXP, or experience points. You gain them every time you kill a monster, but it¡¯s best to save as much EXP as possible.

    This one message is equivalent to one Lv.1 monster.

    Elise closed her eyes tightly.

    She pressed the send button in the air.

    She pressed her face against the window where the blizzard was blowing. She rubbed her heated cheeks.

    ¡°Elise, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    Kain and Asher asked.

    Elise looked at their reflections in the window. She tried to say something, but¡­ she just shook her head.

    I don¡¯t know.

    I don¡¯t know either.

    Shion is still the same, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s changed.

    Is it pity?

    Or is it sympathy?

    If so, isn¡¯t it worse than simple disgust?

    ¡°If you¡¯re hurt-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, just go make some food.¡±

    Elise sat back down.

    Shion¡¯s reply didn¡¯te for a long time.

    Kain and Asher prepared a meal, sat down and ate, and when they were about to close their eyes for a moment¡­

    [You have a message from 5029.]

    The reply came.

    Elise shuddered.

    Her eyes widened as she looked at the reply.

    ¡­1 hour ago.

    I¡¯m walking in a blizzard. Whether it¡¯s a blizzard or a snowstorm, it¡¯s ready to turn me into a snowman at the slightest provocation.

    Anyway, I¡¯m back in the assessment test, and I feel a bit uneasy.

    ¡°F-grade R-elix makes the news?¡±

    The strange feeling doesn¡¯t go away.

    This could be the intuition of a treasure hunter, or it could be paranoia from simple greed, but no matter how I think about it, F-grade R-elix isn¡¯t newsworthy.

    Even if it¡¯s rare. F-grade R-elix is essentially for the lower ss like me, so if you¡¯re a guild member, you¡¯ll sell it to the magic tower as soon as you get it, or grind it up for materials.

    Like the old mandrake, if there¡¯s a magic phenomenon¡ªdispel¡ªovep, I don¡¯t know, but there¡¯s no need to advertise neighborhood loot like news.

    ¡°It smells, it smells.¡±

    I walked, sniffing the air for no reason.

    Whooooo©¤©¤

    I gazed in the direction from which the wind blew.

    I reyed the memory of the sound they had heard before my regression.

    ©¤©¤ording to an association official who acquired Rune Crystals, at the entrance of the maze¡­¡­ Thud-

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a moment.¡±

    There¡¯s a jarring sentence.

    At the entrance of the maze.

    The entrance ¡®and¡¯?

    If only one F-grade R-elix was found, wouldn¡¯t it be ¡®at¡¯ the entrance?

    ¡¸You have received a message from EliseEEM.¡¹

    It sounds like a message.

    I swiftly waved my hand.

    I looked around.

    The smell was suspicious, but the blizzard made it hard to distinguish where I was. To begin with, I couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead with my naked eye.

    SZX-9500 is also a stretch here. How can I zoom in when the obstacle called a ¡®blizzard¡¯ is blocking the way?

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way at all.

    There is.

    Perion.

    If I use Perion, I can surely upgrade the R-elix momentarily.

    The problem is the side effects.

    If the side effects hit too hard, my exam¡ªmy grade will be ruined.

    Treasure and the exam.

    Both are opportunities that will nevere again¡­¡­ Why does the treasure have to appear during the exam, damn it.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I closed my eyes. I ced my hand on the arm where the R-elix was imnted.

    A deep breath.

    Then I opened my eyes.

    Perion was already applied.

    The world that was ck and white waspletely dyed ck. A faint ¡®color¡¯ was carried from somewhere. The smell mixed with the wind became clear.

    I ran after it.

    Surely, it¡¯s nearby.

    Something equivalent to a treasure.

    Thump- Thump- Thump-

    Trampling on the endlessly piled snow, I climbed the steep slope.

    Thump- Thump- Thump-

    As I moved forward, the smell became stronger, and the thread-like swaying color also became clearer. Then,

    ¡°¡­¡­Here it is.¡±

    I found the source.

    From under the snow-covered ground, something was flowing out.

    I almost dived into it. With my body buried first, I reached out.

    I grabbed something.

    I clenched it tightly. Just like that, I pulled it out with all my strength.

    Shrrrrrr©¤©¤!

    Some nt was uprooted.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I fell on the snow and looked at it.

    The nt that sparkled like a sapphire, and the white fragment connected under its root.

    In the shape of a rune.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s R-elix.¡±

    Again, it¡¯s R-elix.

    This time, it has three roots.

    Grade C.

    As I took in the brilliantly glowing object, I found myself murmuring as if entranced.

    ¡°This¡­¡­ will make the news.¡±

    Starting from Grade C, it can only be sold at auction. They must have had no choice but to announce it, even if they didn¡¯t want to.

    I put the R-elix in my inventory.

    My heart was pounding.

    Dopamine surged in my brain.

    This kind of excitement was a first. I never had any luck in my life to begin with.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to die¡­¡­.¡±

    I smiled weakly as Iy there.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­.¡±

    But, it¡¯s starting to get cold.

    Indeed, every time the cold wind blew, I kept catching a suspicious smell. It seemed to tickle the tip of my cheek and draw me in.

    Sniff- Sniff-

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    I eventually stopped.

    Perhaps it was the heat from the imnted R-elix, but my body was so hot that I didn¡¯t care about the cold or the blizzard.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤

    It didn¡¯t seem like I was lying down purely out of happiness.

    I tried to lift my upper body.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡±

    My body wouldn¡¯t move.

    I couldn¡¯t muster any strength below my waist.

    It seemed like a side effect.

    After all, I had explored the hospital for three hours, hunted the butcher, climbed the snow-covered mountain slope for several hours, and dug through it¡­¡­

    I nkly looked up at the sky. I lifted my smartwatch on my wrist.

    I was about to give up when something came to mind.

    ¡¸You have received a message from EliseEEM.¡¹

    Elise¡¯s message.

    I quickly breathed and turned on the dungeon system. I immediately opened the message box.

    ¡¸Sender: EliseEEM¡¹

    : What are you doing?

    I quickly replied to the message.

    ¡¸On the brink of game over.¡¹

    Fortunately, the reply came quickly.

    ¡¸Sender: EliseEEM¡¹

    : What do you mean?

    I just rolled my eyes and looked at my smartwatch. My current coordinates were written there. I replied to the message with that.

    I didn¡¯t have much hope.

    I just didn¡¯t want to give up with my own hands.

    After all, if I just wear the smartwatch, I¡¯ll be automatically transported just before I die.

    I sent the message as ast-ditch effort.

    ¡¸You have received a message from EliseEEM.¡¹

    A reply came, but I couldn¡¯t read it.

    I was getting sleepy.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤

    The raging blizzard.

    The nket of snow covering my body.

    In the midst of that, I slowly closed my eyes.

 Chapter 117: A Change of Mind (1)

    <strong>A Change of Mind (1)</strong>

    Watchtower Shelter.

    As soon as Elise received Shion¡¯s message, she rose to her feet. She was about to leave immediately but hesitated. Looking out at the dense blizzard outside the shelter¡¯s window, she pondered.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡±

    Should I go?

    No, is it right to go?

    Shion¡¯s coordinates are far behind this shelter. To be precise, they are even further than the location 6 hours ago.

    What am I supposed to do by going to Shion, who isgging so far behind?

    What can I do?

    It¡¯s not just a matter of grades.

    ¡­¡­Actually, grades are a problem, but there¡¯s a more important issue.

    It¡¯s a question that leads to another.

    Can I fix this ¡®rtionship¡¯ with these actions born out of my mere sympathy? Is it possible in life?

    The reason is simple.

    No matter what I do for him now, in the end, we have been misaligned from the beginning. We have been twisted infinitely since birth. Because we are twisted like an umbilical cord.

    Even if I help Shion here, even if I suddenly pretend to be good, it won¡¯t be corrected.

    It would be strange if it were corrected.

    By any chance.

    Really by any chance, if our rtionship changes a little due to my efforts.

    If at the veryst moment, if Shion ever finds out. If he realizes the cause of his mother¡¯s death.

    He will feel my efforts as another betrayal. He will hate Petra more, he will dislike her more.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    There¡¯s no answer no matter how much I think about it until my brain cells tear apart.

    In the end, Elise silently packed her backpack. She put on her coat.

    ¡°What¡¯s up. Elise. Did you find the way?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the peak of the blizzard now. Let¡¯s rest a bit and go.¡±

    Kain and Asher turned to look at her.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaa¡­¡­ Kuek¡­¡­.¡±

    Inside La¡¯s snoring, Elise shook her head.

    ¡°I have a little work to do. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Work? You have work in this maze?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Kuaaaa- Kem.¡±

    I also think it¡¯s a pathetic excuse.

    ¡°Kem¡­¡­ Kek¡­¡­. Kuaaaaaa-¡±

    Elise fiddled with her coat cor and corrected herself.

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom, a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    She added, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

    ¡°If I¡¯mte, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it that serious? How long have you been holding it?¡±

    Asher asked with augh. Kain lightly hit his side.

    ¡°Well. It could be that serious.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise put her hand on her forehead.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that serious¡­¡­ Actually, it¡¯s not the bathroom.¡±

    I can¡¯t say anything to these guys.

    They are the ones who, because of me, dislike Shion as much as I do.

    ¡°¡­¡­Understand it as you want. It¡¯s personal. If I can¡¯te, I¡¯ll send a message. Don¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡­ Okay? Come back~¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to rest a bit.¡±

    The two nonchntly leaned against the ground. They fell asleep quickly, perhaps tired.

    Elise left the shelter alone.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    The blizzard was like a windowpane. In an instant, it piled up over her shoulders.

    Elise ripped off the wooden nks of the shelter and climbed on. With a low hum, she levitated the nk with her magic.

    Whoosh!

    She propelled herself forward with her psychic power, as if riding a snowboard.

    She adjusted her direction whileparing coordinates. asionally, she encountered monstrous hordes like hyenas, and senior parties, but she ignored them all.

    She raced at a steep speed.

    Swoosh!

    At some point, she stopped, sweeping away the snow.

    She looked up nkly at the path she had descended.

    ¡°I climbed up for 6 hours while finding the way¡­¡±

    In just 30 minutes, she had undone it all.

    Life is such that while it¡¯s hard to climb, falling happens in an instant.

    Elise checked the coordinates on her smartwatch.

    She was close. Just a few steps away from the coordinates she had marked.

    Whooosh!

    The blizzard was annoying. Elise radiated her psychic power in a circr form. A transparent barrier formed, blocking the snowstorm, and the area cleared up momentarily.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    She looked around silently. As she walked, looking up and down, she stepped on something bumpy.

    She nced down without thinking.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Her heart almost dropped.

    A face, almostpletely buried in the snow, with only the nose sticking out.

    It was Shion.

    ¡°Haah, haah.¡±

    Elise put her hand on her chest and panted, then tried to lift him up with her psychic power again¡­

    ¡°?¡±

    It didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°What, again.¡±

    Why is this happening? No matter how much psychic power she applied, his body didn¡¯t budge. Was there some natural resistance or something?

    Instead, Elise used her psychic power to remove the snow piled on him. His body, she had no choice but to lift with her arms and carry on her back.

    Whooosh!

    Her concentration wavered and her psychic power dissipated. The snowstorm whirled again. Carrying him, Elise started to climb the path she hade down.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    In that instant, all the traces she had left while descending disappeared. There was no path.

    She had expected it.

    She had expected it, but¡­

    Thud¡ª Thud¡ª

    With each step, her feet sank, and suddenly she felt a sense of despair.

    Why am I doing this here?

    I¡¯m not a servant or a taxi, so why, why am I carrying a person?

    It¡¯s a lowly, useless, and unhelpful task.

    Why on earth am I¡­.

    Elise walked with gritted teeth, not knowing whether she was moving forward or backward.

    After wandering for hours in a dangerous sense of error, where her body, which was getting cold, suddenly felt warm¡­

    ¡°¡­.!¡±

    She spotted a faint light in the distance.

    At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but within the snowstorm, something twinkled.

    Elise gathered her magic in the palm of her hand. With a sizzle, she condensed it to the point of sparking and shot it out.

    Whoosh¡­.

    That psychic power ¡®opened the way¡¯. The straight line in that direction was revealed like a tunnel.

    There was someone. A man with a rope wrapped around his body and a shlight on his head.

    ©¤Who¡¯s there, who¡­.

    Shion¡¯s head slipped off Elise¡¯s shoulder.

    ©¤Huh?!

    Then, the other person recognized him.

    ©¤Isn¡¯t that Shion who beat Gerkhen Kal Doon!

    When he opened his eyes, it was an unfamiliar ceiling. The air was warm. His back was soft, and his whole body was warm.

    I¡¯ve been abandoned.

    That thought naturally came to mind.

    There was nothing I could do about it-

    ¡°Expected!¡±

    Suddenly, a man¡¯s face popped up from the corner of my vision.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    I hastily got up. The man was grinning broadly.

    ¡°Indeed~ The man who defeated Gerkhen Kal Doon.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­.¡±

    His face was pure white and hairless. A familiar look and a familiar line.

    In one hand, he held a warm wet towel. It was Terhen.

    ¡°Terence, right? Forgot my name?¡±

    So, it was Terence.

    ¡°¡­¡­Where am I?¡±

    I looked around nkly. It seemed like a bedroom in a residential house.

    ¡°This is my ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.¡±

    At Terence¡¯s words, I tilted my head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. I call this ¡®home¡¯. For now, it¡¯s a space I can carry around. The maximum is about 150 square meters.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Well, it seemed to be a space-type ¡¸Spectrum¡¹. If you can pull out a pre-established space anytime, anywhere, it¡¯s quite unique.

    ¡°But¡­¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, I looked at the bed next to me. There was one more person lying down.

    It was Elise, her face flushed as if she had a cold.

    ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡±

    ¡°Who else! It¡¯s Elise! She¡¯s the one who saved you when you were buried in the snow! She seems to have caught a cold now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, right.¡±

    The R-elix came to mind btedly. I hastily checked my inventory.

    ¡¸C-ss R-elix¡¹

    There was an R-elix. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a dream. I hadn¡¯t lost it.

    But I can¡¯t use it right now. The C-ss requires 900 experience points.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­ How long did I sleep?¡±

    ¡°About 5 hours?¡±

    5 hours.

    Considering it was an evaluation test, I slept a lot. Thanks to that, my condition was at its best.

    I got up from the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Eh, already? Let¡¯s go together when Elise wakes up!¡±

    Terence pointed at Elise.

    Her cheeks were so swollen and red that she looked like a pizza bun, and her breathing was ragged.

    ¡°Why is she sick?¡±

    ¡°She carried you for a long time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I put my hand on her forehead. It was quite hot.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ What about the others? There were about forty of you.¡±

    Terence was the leader of the stragglers.

    Although he seemed a bit too gentle and round to be a leader.

    ¡°Most of them gave up after climbing a little bit of the mountain. Now there are four of us left, including me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    I looked around the interior again.

    Not only the bedroom, but also the living room, bathroom, etc., visible through the gaps in the doors, the structure was diverse. If this is the level of Spectrum, it¡¯s intermediate or higher in terms of substance. With a little more development, it could even be recognized as a ¡®base¡¯.

    Terence smiled faintly.

    ¡°I purposely hid my Spectrum. I wanted to share it with the persistent ones.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    It¡¯s best to hide your Spectrum among your peers.

    ¡°We formed a party with the ones who held out. We tied ropes to our bodies and moved forward, then came back to change the location of the house when we found the way, rested a bit, and then went again. That¡¯s when we ran into Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Indeed, Terence was relentless in his efforts.

    Not just Terence. The other seniors were also putting their heart and soul into the evaluation.

    Suddenly, I wondered why.

    My reason for giving my all in the evaluation was to bring down Libra.

    What about the others?

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, why are you working so hard?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m working hard to go to college? You know how hard my parents are struggling to pay my tuition.¡±

    Ordinary.

    The most fitting motivation for students who haven¡¯t even reached twenty.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about you. How did you train so hard to beat Gerkhen Kal Doon?¡±

    Terence asked. I calmly replied.

    ¡°Just. I wanted to win at least once, so I did it do or die. I don¡¯t have parents, so choosing and focusing is easy.¡±

    Terence¡¯s mouth opened slightly and then closed.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, right. Want to eat?¡±

    ¡°Eat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve stocked up a lot of food here just in case. It¡¯s like a bunker, we canst a month. We¡¯ve already eaten.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then¡­ I¡¯ll eat with her.¡±

    I pointed to Elise. Terence chuckled.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she sleeping?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±

    When I put my hand on her forehead just now, she definitely squirmed.

    That means she¡¯s been awake for quite a while.

    ¡°Hey, wake up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise pretended to sleep shamelessly.

    ¡°She seems to be sleeping?¡±

    I silently snatched Terence¡¯s wet towel. I spread it out square and covered Elise¡¯s face with it.

    ¡°¡­¡­Eek©¤©¤!¡±

    Elise iled and tore the wet towel with her telekinesis. She gasped for breath and sat up.

    ¡°You, you, are you crazy?! I almost died!¡±

    Elise grumbled with a flushed face.

    ¡°Who told you to pretend to sleep?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    ¡°Well, then you two chat~ I¡¯ll prepare the meal.¡±

    Terence quickly left the bedroom.

    Thud-

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s a bit awkward with one person gone.

    No, it¡¯s very awkward.

    Elise is quietly scratching her cheek, and I don¡¯t have much to say either.

    ¡°Why did youe?¡±

    I just asked that.

    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think you¡¯de.¡±

    ¡°You seemed to be waiting though? You didn¡¯t give up and held on.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give up. I¡¯ll be forcibly transferred just before I die anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. You¡¯re really ignorant.¡±

    Elise sighed. I felt a little hot. I looked away and spoke.

    ¡°Anyway, thanks. I¡¯m a bit grateful.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t respond. She kept silent for a long time and just gently shook her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°What. Why.¡±

    She responds while poking the bed quilt with her fingernails.

    ¡°Ghost hotel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Go figure. It¡¯s not like I specifically came looking for you, you just happened to be nearby.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yeah, I guess.¡±

    I looked at the smartwatch on my wrist.

    ¡°There are 50 hours left now.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Elise jumped up.

    Her hurried nce at the clock was like that of a 7-year-old who had lost a toy.

    ¡°The difference will be huge. After all, we¡¯ve almost certainly lost 24 hours.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Elise ruffled her hair and nced at me again. She licked her lips as if she felt wronged and resentful.

    ¡°But, I¡¯ve thought of a way.¡±

    I raised a finger. Elise received it with a look full of disbelief.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about a method.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get carried away by the blizzard.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel it when you came?¡±

    I pointed to the blizzard outside the window.

    ¡°The wind is only blowing in one direction.¡±

    At that, Elise, who had been thinking deeply, also gradually widened her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Right. It¡¯s only blowing towards the inside of the maze.¡±

    ¡°So. If we make a hot air balloon well, I think we can fly. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked around the room.

    There seemed to be plenty of space and materials here to make a hot air balloon.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem¡­¡­ impossible.¡±

    ¡°Then.¡±

    I reached out my hand.

    ¡°Party until we get out of this snow mountain?¡±

    She stared at my hand. Her eyes shook slightly. Her jaw was tightly clenched.

    ¡°What, you¡¯re not going to do it?¡±

    ¡°No. I will. It¡¯s just¡­¡­ we¡¯re not in a rtionship to shake hands, are we?¡±

    It¡¯s a rather deste tone. The end of the sentence trembles unnecessarily pitifully.

    I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Excuse me. I told you I don¡¯t like you, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elise nodded with a serious face. She looked straight into my eyes and said.

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    -Knock knock

    The door opened with a knock. Terence brought in a tray full of food in both arms.

    Pork cutlet, spaghetti, soup, etc. ¨C it was a proper meal.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    I swallowed my saliva as soon as I saw it. Elise had a simr face. There was saliva on her lips, glistening.

    ¡°You¡¯re hungry, right? You¡¯re hungry, right? Eat quickly.¡±

    We picked up knives and spoons. I put a whole pork cutlet in my mouth, and Elise elegantly started with a knife.

    Terence, who was watching, cautiously floated a question.

    ¡°But¡­¡­ Elise and Shion, who beat Gerkhen Kal Doon. Do you guys have any ns?¡±

    I looked at Elise while chewing. Elise nodded her head.

    ¡°Yeah. We have a n.¡±

    Gulp- I swallowed and then spoke.

    ¡°Do you want to join our team?¡±

    Terence is fully qualified to do so.

    Above all, we need this guy¡¯s help to make a hot air balloon.

 Chapter 118: A Change of Mind (2)

    <strong>A Change of Mind (2)</strong>

    Terence¡¯s ¡¸Home¡¹ was equipped with all sorts of things. Part of the space even served as a workshop, so there was no difficulty in constructing a hot air balloon.

    ¡°¡­So, at that crucial moment when the door opened in front of the butcher, Shion shouted ¡®Go¡ª¡ª!''¡±

    Since Terence himself aspired to be a mechanic and alchemist, he was more than sufficient as Elise¡¯s assistant.

    ¡°He sent us all out and locked himself in the hospital¡­¡±

    The problem was his incessant chatter.

    In the hospital, Shion faced the butcher, it was a heroic appearance¡­

    ¡°Could you please be quiet? We¡¯re almost done.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Terence zipped his mouth shut.

    Anyway, Elisepleted the Magic Spell catalyst.

    It was a scroll that connected 22 ¡¸top-grade gray beads¡¹ as a mana substitute to the ¡¸Telekic Field¡¹ engraved on the hide of a beast.

    If this is activated inside the hot air balloon, we can be free from the blizzard for 10 minutes. Then, we lift the hot air balloon as high as possible and get carried away by the blizzard to escape this snowy mountain-

    -that¡¯s the final n.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going over there?¡±

    Elise looked towards Shion.

    ¡°Done here too.¡±

    He made a circle with his fingers.

    The balloon¡ª¡¯envelope¡¯ part of the hot air balloon was made by tanning the beast¡¯s skin, the heater used the Magic Spell ¡¸Fire: Ascending Ignition¡¹, and the passengerpartment was a lightweight yet sturdy and spacious wooden basket.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste now.¡±

    Elise looked at her smartwatch.

    After gathering materials and making them, the remaining time was exactly 42 hours.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    The intensity of the blizzard should have reduced by now, so they stepped outside the ¡¸Home¡¹.

    Whooosh-!

    The blizzard was still raging. In it, Elise first activated ¡¸Telekic Field¡¹ scroll as a catalyst.

    Grrrrr©¤©¤.

    A shield-like field spread within a 50m radius, blocking the blizzard.

    The party of Shion and Terenceid the envelope on the ground. Elise lifted it telekically to mount it on the heater and activated the Magic Spell ¡¸Fire: Rise Ignite¡¹.

    Kwaaaa©¤!

    mes soared, and the envelope inted like a balloon being filled with air.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on now.¡±

    When the preparations seemed sufficient, Shion said.

    All six of them climbed into the passengerpartment.

    Whooosh¡ª¡ª.

    Gradually, the entire balloon began to ascend.

    The ¡¸Telekic Field¡¹ that Elise had deployed also moved ording to the vector of the hot air balloon.

    ¡°Oh, oh! We¡¯re lifting off!¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    ¡°Amazing!¡±

    Once they reached a suitable altitude, Terence quickly retrieved his ¡¸Home¡¹

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise looked down from above.

    The ground was receding. The sky was getting closer.

    Suddenly, her limbs felt weak. Her breath seemed slightly stifled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This hot air balloon, it won¡¯t break.¡±

    Shion¡¯s assurancecked any foundation. Elise crossed her arms and pretended to be calm.

    ¡°Even if it breaks, I can survive alone. ¡­¡­. But why won¡¯t it break?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in an upgraded state now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She didn¡¯t understand what he was saying.

    Sometimes, he speaks iprehensibly.

    But she decided not to force herself to understand.

    She just needed to ept things as they were.

    Anyway, the hot air balloon is still ascending. Probably until the ¡¸Telekic Field¡¹ disappears.

    ¡°¡­Wow, we¡¯re really high up, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Terence spoke, clinging to the basket. The hot air balloon had just breached 700 meters in the air within 5 minutes.

    Elise spoke.

    ¡°The ¡®Telekic Field¡¯ will dissipate soon. Everyone, hold onto something.¡±

    From now on, we just need to let ourselves be swept away.

    Like a paper airne riding the wind.

    Of course, Elise will continue to adjust the coordinates with her delicate telekic control. We could get caught in an air current, spin in ce, and crash.

    To prevent that, Elise needs to concentrate, and to concentrate, she needs something to hold onto¡­

    Kwa©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, the zone disintegrated. A blizzard rushed in again. The entire hot air balloon shook as if in an earthquake. Unconsciously, Elise grabbed onto Shion next to her.

    Kududududu©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The violent turbulence shook the basket back and forth. The hot air balloon soared at a steep speed, leaving the snow-capped mountains below.

    Terence¡¯s party members were trembling, and Elise¡¯s heart was pounding, but¡­

    ¡°Oh, wow. What¡¯s this? Oh~ Oh~¡±

    Shion seemed to be enjoying himself. Excitedly, he stuck his face out of the basket.

    She was scared to death.

    Elise looked up at him, slightly annoyed.

    ¡°Could you be quiet-¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun?¡±

    He said, smiling. His face, full of smiles, was suddenly right in front of her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes wavered slightly.

    She felt a bit dazed.

    Suddenly, she remembered what he had said today.

    ©¤I wanted to win at least once, so I did it do or die. I don¡¯t have parents¡­

    He had no mother from the time he was born.

    His father died when he was five, suffering from brain tumors and leukemia one after another.

    She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what his life was like, but probably¡­

    He had no one to lean on all this time.

    There was no joy to be found.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Of course, he¡¯s just enjoying this moment, having fun like riding a roller coaster, and she might be overthinking it.

    But¡­

    Is this sympathy? Is thispassion?

    Why was she feeling this emotion that had no answer only now?

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, a snowball rushed in like a bomb. The basket rocked violently. The basket almost flipped over. Elise bumped her forehead into Shion¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Focus on your telekinesis.¡±

    Shion said. Elise blinked and straightened her posture.

    She was almost in his arms.

    ¡°I, I¡¯ve got it. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    She quickly straightened herself up, a burst of snow chilled her flushed cheeks, and covered the entire hot air balloon with a telekic barrier.

    ©¤©¤©¤.

    The vibrations gradually subsided. The hot air balloon moved forward, cutting through the void like a ship with its sails spread.

    Within a rtively stable apparatus, it took no more than 20 minutes.

    The blizzard that had been gradually weakening finally ceased, and the Magic Spell propelling the hot air balloon also exhausted its efficacy.

    ¡°We¡¯re about to crash soon.¡±

    As Elise said this, the hot air balloonnded as if it had crashed.

    At the edge of a snow-covered cliff, the hot air balloon had fallen, caught in a tree. From there, I was looking at another stage filled with the horizon.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a maze.¡±

    A real maze.

    A vast maze where walls of deep red rectangles form geometric shapes and continue endlessly.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Elise also sighed next to me. I nced at her and asked Terence¡¯s party behind us.

    ¡°You¡¯re going too, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, us? We¡­¡±

    Terence scratched his hair andughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Hehe. Actually, we talked about it amongst ourselves. We¡¯re satisfied with just getting here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to conquer the snowy mountain without you and Elise, right? It feels like we¡¯re imposing if we expect more, and thanks to you, we¡¯ve achieved much higher results than we expected.¡±

    Terence and his party members took off their backpacks one by one.

    ¡°Here. We¡¯ve packed all the remaining food and ingredients. Elise and Shion, take two each. You should be able to hold out for at least two days.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Okay. Thanks.¡±

    I looked at Elise. Elise also nodded at Terence¡¯s party.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll remember your help.¡±

    Indeed, the demeanor of a noble praising themon people. Her very gestures exude elegance and dignity.

    ¡°Oh, yes! It¡¯s an honor! Then, take care! Take care, Shion!¡±

    ¡°Make sure you get into the top 10!¡±

    ¡°Thank you~¡±

    ¡°Shion, who beat Gerkhen! Cheers!¡±

    Terence¡¯s party waved at us. Then they looked at each other and operated the smart watches on their wrists.

    Pop-! Pop-! Pop-! Pop-!

    Creating small clusters of light, they disappeared.

    They had ended the evaluation test, leaving only their coordinates behind.

    ¡°Are you going to continue?¡±

    Elise asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    I was about to use the SZX-9500 to understand the structure of the maze from above, when¡­

    ¡°Oh, right. Do you have an R-elix?¡±

    I suddenly became curious.

    She might know more about R-elix than I do, a returnee.

    Elise giggled.

    ¡°Suddenly, what¡¯s this about R-elix?¡±

    ¡°Just. Get one when you go to college.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean, get one? I have a family R-elix. I just haven¡¯t imnted it yet.¡±

    Like this, children from wealthy families usually don¡¯t imnt an R-elix until they be full adults. They dy it until their Magic Body is fully developed, and they can freely operate One Belt, Four Lines.

    Because R-elix is not a case of the more, the merrier.

    On the contrary, if imnted too chaotically, R-elixes can collide, leading to cross-talk.

    ¡°So, you have a Grade A R-elix?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Are you asking if my father is dead?¡±

    ¡°No. Are you crazy?¡±

    The position of the family head¡ªthe head of the household¡ªis also an important reason.

    When the owner of an R-elix dies, it naturally gets expelled from the body, and all of them are to be inherited by the next head of the household.

    ¡°¡­So. Listen.¡±

    Elise moved her fingers in the air and looked back at me.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste anymore. So-¡±

    ¡°Our party ends here, right?¡±

    I said that. Elise¡¯s lips stiffened.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She froze in that position.

    Without any expression, she just stared at me, then nodded her head, as if a thread had unraveled.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Take care. I¡¯ll stay here a bit longer.¡±

    I waved my hand.

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    Elise, exhaling softly, trudged down the mountain path.

    She stopped to look back at me once, then towards the maze.

    She stopped again to nce back, then towards the maze.

    Meanwhile, I turned on the SZX-9500 while standing on the cliff, surveying the entire maze.

    I nned to move after memorizing the entire structure.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to see.¡±

    Even with the SZX-9500, it¡¯s a bit difficult.

    I can see the beginning of the maze quite well. There are rest areas in the maze, and there are traps.

    But as you go further, tall nts grow, and fog covers the ceiling, making it impossible to observe from here.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to go and see.¡±

    After adequately storing the structure in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I descended the snowy mountain.

    When I arrived at the entrance of the maze, several teams had already gathered.

    ¡°The Elites.¡±

    Even from a distance, their faces are familiar.

    From James, Brown, who I had performed a y with before, to Mel, Curio, and other top students from the Magic High School, and Elise, who had somehow formed a team with heer friends.

    They were having various conversations in front of the entrance.

    I walked over quietly.

    ©¤Oh? It¡¯s Shion!

    Suddenly, La pointed at me. She has good eyes.

    In an instant, everyone there, including Elise, who had just parted ways, looked at me.

    It was awkward.

    I immediately entered the maze.

    ©¤Eh, Shion! It¡¯s dangerous to go in right away!

    I ignored her.

    The beginning of the maze had green walls. They were grand, probably about 20m high, but I 3D-ized my location itself.

    In other words©¤ I turned on the mini-map of the [Dungeon System].

    My mini-map is different from ordinary mini-maps. The terrain and objects are very finely distinguished, so it¡¯s very useful.

    ¡°I just have to go¡­.¡±

    I walked through the maze as I had memorized. Thanks to the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, there was no need to hesitate. There was no blockage at all.

    As I advanced briskly, the walls that were green became red, and the scenery itself became much darker.

    Then, at one moment.

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª.

    The sound of a fluid brushing against tree branches echoed. The smell that filled the air was strange.

    I abruptly stopped.

    Lowered my stance.

    Slowed my pace.

    I proceeded as slowly as possible.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult. Stealth, infiltration, and evasion had been my specialties even before my regression.

    Anyway, if I walk a little further from here, the rest area I had seen in advance will appear.

    ¡°¡­There it is.¡±

    Rest area.

    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a rest area yet, but anyway, some building in the corner of the maze has been discovered.

    Just in case, I scanned the inside with the SZX-9500.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    My body stiffened.

    It wasn¡¯t a rest area.

    It was some kind of prison-like ce.

    The entire wall was blocked by a double window of magic barriers and iron bars, and inside there was someone¡­?

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I inadvertently blurted out. I got up and approached the ce.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As I got closer, it became clearer. A smile naturally formed on my lips.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Just because this situation didn¡¯t suit this guy at all. It was the first time I saw him trapped somewhere.

    ¡°Why are you in there?¡±

    Inside the prison, there was a man looking at me with a slightly bruised ego.

    ©¤¡­.

    Without uttering a word, a man whose dawn-colored eyes were shining in the darkness of the cell.

    Trapped in a nice way©¤©¤ Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Oh my. You got caught by someone while walking?¡±

    He moved his lips silently.

    ©¤Escape.

    ¡°Escape?¡±

    It was the moment I asked back.

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª!

    A sh of light poured in from the right side of the maze.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon tightly closed his eyes.

    I also closed my eyes and then opened them.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ©¤¡­.

    Nothing happened. Gerkhen Kal Doon smirked at me, who stood outside the cell, and I spoke to him, who stood inside the cell.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª!

    The sh of light poured in again.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon tightly closed his eyes.

    I also closed my eyes and then opened them.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ©¤¡­.

    It was the same this time.

    I was fine, but Gerkhen Kal Doon alone widened his eyes in surprise.

    I asked calmly.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

 Chapter 119: A Change of Mind (3)

    <strong>A Change of Mind (3)</strong>

    ¡­2 hours ago.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon began exploring the maze.

    As always, he didn¡¯t have a team.

    Only solo y.

    But he wasn¡¯t hasty. He calcted meticulously and nned perfectly.

    First, he roughly inferred the size of the maze through magical mapping, then detected beyond the walls with ¡¸Enhancement Magic: Scrying Perception¡¹.

    ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹ is a magic that radiates magic power like sonar to understand the terrain. The magic rank itself is only medium-low, but the performance varies greatly depending on the proficiency, so Gerkhen Kal Doon can detect up to a radius of 200m while standing in ce.

    So he advanced while maintaining ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult.

    Until he was ambushed by some ¡®phantom beast¡¯¡­.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the trap? Just tell me that.¡±

    I cut off Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s story that seemed to be getting long.

    He summarized the conclusion.

    ©¤From around here, there are many of those phantom beast roaming.

    Swoosh-!

    In the meantime, shes of light are constantly being shot from the side.

    I zoomed in on the sh-sting guy with the SZX-9500.

    It¡¯s a floating mechanical octopus. The single eyeball is like a lens, and the tentacles sparkle like optical fibers.

    It gathers its three legs into a triangle, and keeps shooting light.

    ©¤The octopus detects sound, magic, and movement and chases after them, releasing an unidentified Magic Spell. It resonates with the entire maze, and it seems to imprison humans in this prison¡­

    Gerkhen Kal Doon scanned me up and down.

    ©¤¡­I don¡¯t know why. Why not you?

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Swoosh-!

    ©¤Are you resisting?

    ¡°No.¡±

    Swoosh-!

    It¡¯s strange.

    I¡¯m not trying to resist, and I¡¯m not activating any Magic Body, but it just naturally doesn¡¯t affect me.

    I looked around the cell where Gerkhen Kal Doon was trapped.

    ¡°So. Can¡¯t you get out of there?¡±

    ©¤So far. There¡¯s no way.

    ¡°Hmm~ I see. Well, good luck. Get out on your own.¡±

    I turned around, waving my hand.

    ©¤Hey.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon stopped me. I just turned my head to look at him. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    ©¤¡­I can be of help.

    I can be of help.

    It can be interpreted in so many ways, and it has so many implications, I don¡¯t fully understand it.

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t hear you well?¡±

    ©¤¡­.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon bit his lower lip slightly. I took my gaze off him. I took a step forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m going. Take care.¡±

    ©¤If you help me, I¡¯ll help you.

    Then Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s words became a little more specific.

    ¡°Help? You want to party?¡±

    ©¤If you want.

    Well, if Gerkhen Kal Doon is a party member, I won¡¯t lose anything. At least he won¡¯t betray me in this evaluation test, and he¡¯s a sincere and strong guy.

    But I don¡¯t really want to do that.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to help you too, but there¡¯s no way. There¡¯s no hint-¡±

    Swoosh-!

    ¡°¡­But what about that bastard.¡±

    The octopus that has been shing since a while ago is annoying.

    I ran towards the octopus. The octopus didn¡¯t run away. I was about to split its head with a straight punch, but I hesitated.

    Sniff- Sniff-

    It smells.

    For some reason, this octopus smells like money.

    ¡°¡­What is this.¡±

    I took a closer look at it.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon spected it was a ¡®phantom beast¡¯, but it didn¡¯t seem like a phantom beast.

    Rather, it¡¯s closer to an ¡®Artifact¡¯.

    An Artifact that smells like money.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Is there a rule that says you can¡¯t take the evaluation test items?

    I was slightly worried.

    ¡°This seems to be worth some money¡­.¡±

    I put my hand behind the octopus¡¯s head. There was a switch-like power button. As soon as I clicked it, the mechanical octopus lost power. As it fell to the ground, it spat out a key.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    How did I know how to operate it?

    I don¡¯t know either.

    Perhaps it¡¯s the instinct of a ¡°Treasure Hunter¡±.

    [¡­You can easily assess the value of an item.]

    There was such a paragraph in the R-elix interpretation.

    The meaning of easy value judgment also means that the item¡¯s usage or structure is easily understood.

    Anyway.

    I put the mechanical octopus in my inventory.

    By the way, there are standards for the [Dungeon System]¡¯s inventory. You can¡¯t put living things in it, and the slots it takes up vary depending on size and weight.

    The ¡°Mechanical Octopus¡± took up a whopping 3¡Á3, that is, 9 slots.

    ¡°¡­This.¡±

    Next, I picked up the key that was scattered on the floor.

    I shook it as I returned to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°Hey. I think I found it?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon inside the bars sparkled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be helping mypetitor.¡±

    I waited for a moment.

    ©¤¡­.

    ¡°What? No words? If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll just go-¡±

    ©¤Thank you. If it opens.

    Just a word of thanks.

    However, I know better than anyone that Gerkhen Kal Doon finds it hard to say such things. In fact, it¡¯s extremely rare for him to express likes or dislikes or gratitude.

    Because he¡¯s a man who knows the ¡®weight of words¡¯ better than anyone else.

    The most truthful traitor.

    That¡¯s how I perceive Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit boring though.¡±

    I inserted the key into the magic barrier. There was no keyhole, but it fit perfectly, and when I turned it with a nk, the barrier was temporarily deactivated.

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    When Gerkhen Kal Doon walked out and the magic barrier was regenerated, the prison shed. It seemed like another mechanical octopus had captured one more person.

    ©¤¡­.Huh? Where is this?

    But it was a familiar face.

    Soliette.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll open it soon.¡±

    I walked straight up and inserted the key into the magic barrier. Soliette walked out with a grin.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Met an octopus, didn¡¯t you? A mechanical one.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It shoots some strange magic spell, and if you get hit, you end up in prison.¡±

    I exined to Soliette, who was clueless.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±

    Then, my eyes met with Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s.

    His pupils were coldly sunk. His eyes were like those of a dead fish.

    ¡°¡­What. Why. I can discriminate against people a little.¡±

    A three-person party was formed.

    It was a somewhat unbnced party.

    First of all, all the members were all swordsmen, and in terms of ranking, they were 1st, 2nd, and 4,000th.

    We advanced as quietly as possible.

    We didn¡¯t lose our way. Thanks to Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹.

    By the way, when this ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹ reaches its peak, it bes the famous ¡¸Sky Network¡¹.

    If Soliette has a talent leaning towards the sword, Gerkhen Kal Doon has a talent thates once in a hundred years in terms of magic¡­.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    I, who had such tremendous talents, stopped them.

    Because I was practically the party leader.

    Sniff- Sniff-

    And then I smelled it.

    Sniff- Sniff-

    The smell of money.

    No, the smell of treasure.

    Sniff- Sniff- Sniff-

    I followed the smell.

    In a few minutes, I found a treasure chest at a dead end.

    ¡°Oh. There¡¯s something here.¡±

    Soliette looked surprised. Gerkhen Kal Doon had a doubtful face.

    ¡°It could be a trap.¡±

    I approached and opened the chest. I was a little hopeful. Maybe two pieces of gold?

    nk-!

    ¡°¡­.Ah, what.¡±

    I was disappointed.

    It was food.

    Three red bean buns, a can of water, a one-touch tent, and a piece of card.

    ¡°It seems like we need to collect these card pieces.¡±

    The card seemed to be a necessary item to escape from this maze, and there was a user manual in the tent.

    [One-Touch Tent: It unfolds when you press the button. Itsts for 4 hours when used. You can safely hide your body from the phantom beasts of the maze.]

    ¡°It seems like these are scattered around the maze. There¡¯s nothing but card pieces-¡±

    I turned around and was surprised. Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s eyes were anchored on the red bean buns. Soliette was also trembling and reaching out her hand.

    ¡°May I, may I drink some water? Of course, it¡¯s what you found¡­.¡±

    She licked her parched lips.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    It seems like I was only thinking from my perspective. The two people who scanned the entire maze too quickly probably wouldn¡¯t be without food problems.

    ¡°You guys eat it all.¡±

    I threw three red bean buns to Gerkhen Kal Doon and the water to Soliette. Gerkhen Kal Doon gave one of the three to Soliette. Soliette also left about 1/3 of the water and gave it to Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    It felt strangely natural.

    As if something like this had happened before.

    Could it be true, the old rumor that Gerkhen Kal Doon received training from the Arkne family?

    ¡°Let¡¯s set up the tent and rest for today.¡±

    I looked at my wristwatch.

    Remaining time, 34 hours.

    We¡¯ve been wandering this maze for almost 6 hours.

    Crunch, crunch, crunch-!

    Amidst the noise of Gerkhen Kal Doon eating the red bean bun, I pressed the button on the tent.

    Whoosh-!

    A tentrge enough for four people spread out in a corner of the maze. I unzipped the entrance.

    ¡°It¡¯s cozy.¡±

    Inside the crimson tent were items likemps, pillows, and sleeping bags.

    ¡°Come in. Let¡¯s rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Crunch, crunch-! After Gerkhen Kal Doon finished eating even the crumbs of the bun, he came in.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The three of us sat silently.

    Smack, smack- Smack, smack-

    In the quiet tent, Soliette and Gerkhen Kal Doon savored their food.

    Well, it must be insufficient. Especially for knights, their basal metabolic rate is no joke.

    ¡°There¡¯s more food.¡±

    For these guys, I emptied my backpack.

    Lunch box, triangle gimbap, 3 liters of water, ramen, pot, chocte, meal kits, etc¡­ all things given by Terence¡¯s party.

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°What the?!¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s eyes widened, and Soliette looked as if she had discovered gold.

    ¡°Where did you get all these treasures?¡±

    ¡°I happened to meet a party. Haven¡¯t you eaten much?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Everyone would be the same.¡±

    A growl- sound came from Soliette¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°I have these instead of food. I¡¯ll share.¡±

    She took out three weapons from her inventory. They were swords about 60~70cm long, made by tempering beast bones with fire.

    ¡°I prepared in the mountains.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon also opened his backpack. There were many things like the hind legs of beasts frozen solid with Magic Spells.

    ¡°Hey, put that away. It¡¯s practically a corpse.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon hesitantly put them back in his backpack.

    Ding-

    ¡¸You have a message from EliseEEM.¡¹

    ¡¸Sender: EliseEEM¡¹

    : Are you trapped in the maze prison?

    Suddenly, I got a message from Elise.

    She¡¯s got EXP to spare. It costs 3 every time she sends a message, but why does she keep sending them?

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m not trapped. Are you? ¡¹

    If she was imprisoned, I was thinking of helping her. It¡¯s give and take.

    ¡¸Sender: EliseEEM¡¹

    : Would I be trapped? It seemed like you entered the maze without any thought or preparation.

    Well, Elise¡¯s party member has La. If they put their minds to it, they wouldn¡¯t be defeated by phantom beasts or the like. Their Magic Spell proficiency is higher than most active yers.

    I spoke while opening a triangle gimbap.

    ¡°This tent onlysts for 4 hours, okay? Let¡¯s rest for at least 3 hours.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nodded his head and grabbed a chocte first, and Soliette started preparing to cook ramen.

    * * *

    From then on, it was a continuous cycle of farming and advancing.

    We found our way with Gerkhen Kal Doon¡¯s ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹, I discovered and opened treasure chests with my ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ skill, and the three of us would gather to peer inside.

    When a mechanical octopus appeared, I would take care of it. We repeated this process until wepleted the card pieces.

    It was a card key.

    A card key like the ones used to enter apartments.

    Now, the remaining problem was the maze itself.

    ¡°¡­¡­24 hours left.¡±

    Soliette said. Gerkhen Kal Doon had gone a little far to detect the surroundings, and we were sitting side by side in a corner, waiting.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been wandering for 16 hours and still haven¡¯t found the way out.¡±

    Suddenly, there was a presence. Our heads turned simultaneously in that direction. It was a mole.

    ¡°Is it a familiar?¡±

    ¡°It seems so. Probably from another team.¡±

    Soliette approached the mole. I stood next to her.

    ¡°Do you see us-?¡±

    The mole looked at us alternately.

    ¡°Which team are you from-?¡±

    At Soliette¡¯s question, the mole ran away without answering.

    Just then, Gerkhen Kal Doon returned. He gestured to us and said,

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    ¡°You found it?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon nodded.

    ¡°I definitely feel a different wave.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    At the same time.

    In the middle of the maze, Elise was standing nkly.

    Blinking her eyes, she was reying the scene she had just seen through the mole¡¯s eyes.

    Soliette and Shion.

    The two were sitting side by side. They were close together, like good friends.

    Had they formed a party together?

    Had they agreed to form a party from the beginning?

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise was curious.

    She was curious without a reason to be.

    When did they get close, and how?

    From the time when Shion was showing off Knightmare to Soliette, to now, just three monthster, what on earth happened in between?

    Elise unknowingly bit her nails.

    -Elly. I think I¡¯ve almost found it.

    Suddenly, La whispered softly. Elise looked at her in surprise.

    -Oh really?

    -Awesome.

    Kain and Asher reacted as quietly as possible. After all, that mechanical octopus coulde at any moment.

    -Yeah. Follow me. Let¡¯s go right away.

    In such a maze, thebination of Elise and La is overwhelmingly advantageous. The two can summon nearly 50 familiarsbined.

    -Follow me! Let¡¯s go.

    -¡­¡­Yeah.

    -Good~ We¡¯re really going to make it into the top 10, aren¡¯t we?

    Elise¡¯s party followed La.

    But she kept zoning out.

    She felt strange.

    Should she say it was a churning feeling?

    Or should she say her chest felt stifled?

    Somehow, a feeling she had never felt in her life.

    So, a feeling she couldn¡¯t exin.

    Also¡­

    Elise didn¡¯t know why.

    Why Shion¡¯s face kept popping up. His smile while riding the hot air balloon, sincest night, kept recurring.

    While finding the way in the maze, while eating, while fighting, why did it float up like a cloud in every gap and then scatter again?

    Elise opened her message box.

    [5029]

    There was still no reply.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    -Ah. Elly!

    La tapped Elise¡¯s arm.

    -Why did you sigh so loudly? What¡¯s wrong?

    La asked urgently. Elise answered in a tired tone.

    -Nothing.

    -Just now! You sighed loudly.

    -¡­Did I? Sorry.

    Elise shook her head.

    She didn¡¯t know why, but it was clear that she was bing strange.

    At least it¡¯s not a normal state.

    Is it because she¡¯s tired, or because her mental state has been damaged by various things?

    She needs to correct it before she bes more strange.

    -Let¡¯s go. Are you sure you found the way?

    -Yeah. Just follow me.

    In the first ce, there¡¯s no need to worry.

    Whatever Soliette and Shion do, whatever rtionship they have, it¡¯s a matter that has nothing to do with her and is useless to her¡­

 Chapter 120: A Change of Mind (4)

    <strong>A Change of Mind (4)</strong>

    The ce Gerkhen Kal Doon led us to was an apartment building.

    An apartment standing tall instead of an exit at what seemed to be the end of the maze. Its exterior was shabby, but it stretched endlessly high into the foggy sky.

    We slowly approached the suspicious-looking building.

    ¡°Ah, here.¡±

    As expected, there was a card reader at the entrance where we could tag our cards.

    We held up the key we had assembled from pieces.

    Beep-

    The automatic door opened. The three of us entered almost simultaneously.

    The first-floor lobby was ordinary.

    There were mailboxes for each household like in old apartments, corridors on both sides, stairs in the middle¡­ The only suspicious thing was a person sitting in the middle of it all, head bowed low.

    An enemy?

    I clenched my bone knife.

    -You finally arrived.

    He spoke first from the other side. His voice was peculiar. The tone itself was huskily ordinary, but it pierced my ears like telepathy.

    -Congrattions.

    A ¡®woman¡¯ exuding a noir atmosphere, dressed in a ck coat and suit pants.

    Her long, ck hair was tied back like a horse¡¯s tail.

    As soon as I saw her sharp face, I knew at a nce.

    It¡¯s not that she¡¯s not, she¡¯s a celebrity in the underworld.

    Also a connection from before my regression.

    -You¡¯re the first ones.

    Her name is Akane Kedzen Meol.

    Her jobs are numerous. Puppeteer, necromancer, designer, surgeon, magician, Theia Esil¡¯s biggest rival¡­

    A monster.

    -Did you enjoy the maze?

    She was sitting on an old-fashioned leather carrier. It was a travel bag big enough to fit 2-3 people.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I almost unconsciously asked that. We had a pretty good rtionship before my regression, so I almost blurted out in informal speech.

    -You ask what I¡¯m doing, not who I am. You seem to know me.

    Akane narrowed one eye sharply.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re famous.¡±

    Fortunately, she was a genius known since her childhood.

    -That¡¯s old news¡­ Anyway, tell me your names first.

    She took out a cigarette from her pocket.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon looked at me. Soliette also looked at me.

    It seemed like they wanted me to go first, just in case. The ranking could be determined by just a name.

    I¡¯m good at repaying favors.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    -Shion As¡­

    Her eyebrows furrowed. She bit so hard that the filter part of the cigarette broke off.

    Soliette (who was quitting smoking) nkly stared at the cigarette that fell to the floor.

    ¡°You seem to know me.¡±

    I returned her words. Akane took out another cigarette and lit it.

    -I know. Are you okay?

    Akane was confident.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Whether in the past or now, I don¡¯t particrly like those who recite my medical history, but Akane is an exception.

    It was rather surprising.

    Akane was someone who treated me as if she ¡®already knew me¡¯ from our first meeting before my regression, and she was doing the same now, even though I¡¯m four years younger.

    ¡°I got better a while ago.¡±

    -¡­Is that so.

    Akane lit another cigarette. She exhaled smoke and spoke.

    -Next? The order doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°I¡¯m Soliette Arkne.¡±

    ¡°Snicker.¡± Akane openly scoffed at her.

    ©¤Are you still after Knightmare?

    ¡°This crazy¡ª¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face turned ashen. She red at Akane with fiery eyes.

    ©¤You must be Gerkhen Kal Doon. How¡¯s your brother?

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Could this be part of the assessment too? Akane was prodding us like a needle, and even Gerkhen Kal Doon momentarily lost hisposure.

    No, this time, I was surprised too.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon has a brother?

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you an only child?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that important?¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon retorted. His voice was unusually tight.

    I quietly stepped back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡±

    ©¤Three of you. Noted. I¡¯m Akane, the maze designer hired by the association. I¡¯m also the administrator here, ensuring your safety until you leave.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    So, the monster is the administrator.

    It was slightly absurd, but, well.

    The fact that she was a monster wouldn¡¯t be revealed until at least four yearster. She hid it for an incredibly long time. At this point, she¡¯s a person of enough stature to receive a contract from the university association.

    ©¤The association asked me to evaluate problem-solving ability, physical ability, judgment, survival skills, magical ability, and finally, mental strength when theymissioned the maze.

    Akane said.

    ©¤So, the final stage, this apartment, is simple. It evaluates mental strength. During the remaining time, just climb as high as you can. There are 100 stairs per floor.

    I looked at the central staircase. I remembered the height of the apartment before we entered.

    Looks like this is as far as I go.

    ©¤Ask if you have more questions.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it okay if my question is not rted to the assessment?¡±

    It was Soliette.

    She calmly concealed her hostility. Akane met her gaze with a nk expression.

    ©¤It¡¯s not allowed.

    ¡°Why not? You were the one who first mentioned something unrted to the assessment¡ª¡±

    ©¤However, if you reach the 100th floor, I¡¯ll give you my business card as a reward. Contact me anytime.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette clenched her teeth, but soon nodded quietly.

    Then¡ª I sensed a ¡®development¡¯ that felt like fate.

    Before my return, Soliette and Akane were colleagues. Soliette was the reason I met Akane.

    So, is this the beginning of their story?

    Is this the start of an ¡®inevitable event¡¯ that won¡¯t change whether I return or not?

    ©¤Also. Let me announce.

    Huuu¡­ Akane lit a cigarette and stretched her fingers.

    ©¤Never enter room 101.

    Room 101. Right in front of the corridor on the right.

    I looked at the door. I felt a faintly ominous aura.

    ©¤Are you curious?

    Akane smirked. I nodded.

    Hmm- She got up, supporting herself on her knee. She was tall and slender. Even taller than me now.

    ©¤There¡¯s an assassin who came for me there.

    ¡°¡­¡­An assassin? Shouldn¡¯t we inform the outside then?¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re kind, you see. We¡¯ve decided to postpone it until your assessment is over.

    Akane rubbed out her cigarette and checked her wristwatch.

    ¡°Twenty hours left. You can rest in your rooms and then ascend, or you can ascend right now. Do as you please.¡±

    I looked at Gerkhen Kal Doon and Soliette.

    ¡°Are you going up right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette answered, ring at Akane, and Gerkhen Kal Doon nodded without a word.

    Both of them looked furious. Probably because Akane had provoked them.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to rest for a bit.¡±

    I¡¯ve reached my limit.

    I can¡¯t go on any longer.

    My body, which was never in good shape to begin with, is exhausted from the near-homeless camping andck of sleep.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon and Soliette immediately ascended the central staircase, and I entered room 102.

    Shhhhh¡ª

    I¡¯m in the middle of a shower.

    Finally, a shower with warm water.

    It feels like the fatigue is melting off my body.

    ¡°Ughhhhhhh¡­.¡±

    An old man¡¯s groan slips out.

    There¡¯s only 20 hours left, but I don¡¯t care about the scores anymore.

    Being in the top 100 is enough.

    But.

    ¡°I met Akane here.¡±

    I stood under the hot water, lost in thought for a moment.

    Akane was a rival of my master, Theia. They wanted to kill each other but couldn¡¯t, a strange rtionship. She willingly helped my master when she was in the most danger.

    She even made a perfect prosthetic arm for me, who had lost an arm.

    ¡°Assassin¡­.¡±

    I rummaged through my memory around the keyword.

    Akane and the assassin.

    ¡­I almost died that time. It took me three months to recover. I haven¡¯t been able to catch Gao since that day.

    A part of the memory that suddenly came to mind.

    The future when I went to her to get a prosthetic arm surgery.

    The ¡®that time¡¯ she mentioned must be now.

    ¡­I should have killed that bastard Growl then. He¡¯s still a headache.

    ¡°Grawl.¡±

    I muttered under my breath and opened my eyes.

    S-ss monster, Grawl.

    He¡¯s a societal evil whoter bes an assassin for Libra, specifically for Derek. He massacred countless people in the name of Libra and assassinated my oldrade.

    The sooner he dies, the better for me, but I can¡¯ty a finger on him at my current level.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    No, it might be possible in ¡®specific circumstances¡¯.

    Grawl is about to have a bloody battle with Akane. Almost certainly, they will both be fatally wounded. Even Akane will be driven to the brink of death.

    Of course, even a dying Grawl, I could kill with my little finger.

    But¡­.

    The future I know must change.

    Because my future is filled with nothing but defeat and frustration.

    If I don¡¯t kill Grawl now, I won¡¯t be able to kill him until I die.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±

    I turned off the shower. I dried off with a towel and walked out of the bathroom. I put on my pants first.

    Then.

    ¡ªI¡¯m just going to take a shower and then go up. You go ahead.

    For some reason, the door swung open with a familiar voice.

    I blinked and looked in that direction.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It was Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her initially vacant eyes gradually widened. Her pupils rolled around. Whether it was an earthquake of pupils or a quick scan of my body, I was d I was wearing pants.

    Soon, her cheeks turned bright red.

    I only said one thing.

    ¡°This is my room.¡±

    Bang-!

    Elise immediately closed the door.

    I scratched the back of my neck, walked over, and locked the door. Iy down on the bed without a second thought.

    As soon as Iy down, my eyelids closed.

    Sleep was creeping in, then it poured down.

    ¡°Haaaaam~¡±

    When I woke up, there were only 10 hours left until the end of the evaluation test.

    I had slept soundly for 10 hours. Thanks to that, my condition was at its best.

    I came out to the lobby.

    ©¤You¡¯re rxed. The others have already left a long time ago.

    Akane started talking from the same spot. Only then did I realize her true identity.

    ¡°Are you a doll?¡±

    ©¤You just realized now. You¡¯re slow.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you tell me how many people havee?

    ©¤97.

    97.

    Assuming there are about 4,000 in total, that¡¯s in the top 2~3%.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m satisfied.¡±

    ©¤Youck ambition.

    I looked at room 101. The magic power rumbling inside was still the same. It seemed like it was preparing for something.

    Let¡¯s ignore it for now.

    ©¤Don¡¯t underestimate the stairs.

    I stepped onto the central staircase. As Akane advised, I carefully went up.

    There was no problem.

    I think I¡¯ve said this before, but my stamina is quite peculiar.

    The stamina itself is small, but the recovery is exceptional, so I get tired quickly but also recover quickly.

    It¡¯s not ¡®excellent¡¯, it¡¯s just ¡®peculiar¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    This apartment has 200 steps from the 1st floor. It¡¯s a tough number even without any obstacles.

    I rested for 2 minutes every 50 steps.

    [2nd floor]

    By the time I reached the 2nd floor, my whole body was already drenched in sweat.

    I didn¡¯t use stepping or Body Flow.

    In such long-distance marathons, it¡¯s even more tiring to use magic.

    Just go up one step at a time.

    [3rd floor]

    [4th floor]

    [¡­¡­]

    [11th floor]

    11th floor.

    I found a guy who was exhausted in the middle of the 11th floor staircase. He was on the verge of exhaustion and couldn¡¯t even breathe properly.

    He nced at me, but he didn¡¯t seem to have the energy to speak.

    ¡°?¡±

    I found it strange.

    If he made it this far, he should be in the upper ranks, but he¡¯s having trouble climbing the stairs?

    [15th floor]

    I found one more on the 15th floor. This time, he waspletely stuck to the floor like a tfish.

    [18th floor]

    From the 18th floor, almost ten people were sprawled out, one for every 20 steps.

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re tired from climbing.¡±

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    They should rest a bit and then climb.

    [18th floor]

    [19th floor]

    [20th floor]

    [21st floor]

    As I continued to climb the stairs, around the 25th floor.

    I spotted a massive figure ahead of me.

    ¡°Ughhh¡­¡±

    Shaking like a zombie, he was climbing the stairs with a face that looked like he was about to die. A haphazard bulk.

    I passed him quietly and looked back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He saw me too. A familiar face. It was Kain.

    ¡°Having a hard time?¡±

    I asked nonchntly. Kain tried to say something, but he clutched his chest as if his heart was strained.

    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡­¡±

    Leaning on the railing, he gasped for breath, then spat out words as if he was vomiting blood.

    ¡°You¡­ how¡­ did you¡­ climb¡­¡±

    ¡°Just climbed. What¡¯s there to climbing stairs.¡±

    Of course, Kain is not a knight whose strength is physical endurance. Climbing stairs like this is even more disadvantageous for arge person.

    ¡°Is this all it takes?¡±

    ¡°Crazy¡­ bastard.¡±

    But Kain looked at me as if I were a monster.

    Of course, I¡¯m tired too. I¡¯m not trying to deceive anyone, my arms and legs feel like they¡¯re about to break, my heart is pounding, and sweat is pouring like rain.

    But it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m about to have a heart attack like Kain.

    ¡°The gravity¡­..¡±

    Kain said as he copsed on the floor.

    I took a bottle of water from my backpack and put it in his hand.

    ¡°Ah¡­ thank you.¡±

    Kain, who is struggling, is surprisingly docile. He knows how to appreciate kindness.

    ¡°Hold on, gravity?¡±

    Kain¡¯s words btedly seemed suspicious.

    I unbuttoned my sleeve. I held it in my hand and let it go.

    Thud-

    It fell.

    At an entirely abnormal speed.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ uh.¡±

    Kain, who had drunk the water, leaned his face against the wall.

    ¡°Should I carry you?¡±

    At that, Kain looked back at me. It was a humiliating expression, but soon he chuckled andughed weakly.

    ¡°¡­¡­You bastard. You have good stamina.¡±

    He left those words as if acknowledging, then thud-

    He fainted.

    ¡°What the. Did he die?¡±

    I checked his breathing by his nose.

    Fortunately, he¡¯s breathing.

    ¡°¡­¡­Gravity, huh.¡±

    I clenched and unclenched my hand. I picked up the button again and dropped it.

    Thud-

    The force of gravity pulling from the surface is much greater than usual.

    Thinking about it, my body doesn¡¯t feel as light as usual either.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Thanks to this, I¡¯m almost certain.

    To put it in a simple©¤©¤ partial immunity to magic interference.

    The Magic Spell of the Mechanical Octopus didn¡¯t work on me, and now this gravity spell is being nullified on me.

    I don¡¯t know how ¡®partial¡¯ it is yet.

    For some reason, my body has gained ¡®partial immunity¡¯ to magic interference.

    If I had to guess the cause, it¡¯s probably¡­ because of the memory of the anti-magic treatment for the magical disease I¡¯ve had suffered from?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Let¡¯s just go up for now.

    I left Kain, who had fainted, and stepped onto the stairs.

 Chapter 121: Mental strength (1)

    <strong>Mental strength (1)</strong>

    Thud. Thud.

    I¡¯m climbing the stairs of the apartment.

    One step at a time, rhythmically. Maintaining speed, breath, and distance.

    Thud. Thud.

    As the floors increase, my body subtly bes heavier.

    It¡¯s probably the ¡®weight of the clothes¡¯.

    I¡¯ve already thrown off my backpack and shoes, and stored the food in my inventory, but as a Homosapiens striving in social life, I¡¯ve kept at least a T-shirt and pants.

    [40th Floor]

    The 40th floor, which I¡¯ve climbed diligently. The number of dropouts I¡¯ve counted so far is precisely 50.

    Still, more than 50 remain.

    Thud. Thud.

    It¡¯s hard.

    The gravity magic that pulls space is considerably attenuated for me, and there¡¯s no damage to joints or muscles, but stamina is the problem.

    Life is a battle of stamina.

    [50th Floor]

    The stairs of the 50th floor. I found a person slumped against the wall.

    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s Shion¡­¡±

    It was La.

    With tired eyes, she looks at me and giggles weakly.

    ¡°¡­Shion is still energetic. Heh, hehe.¡±

    I passed her and climbed the stairs.

    My score is already satisfactory.

    Top 1%.

    Before regression, I couldn¡¯t even imagine or dare to aim for such a rank, always stuck at the bottom.

    So, I¡¯m more greedy.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡±

    My breath is hot, and my throat feels like it¡¯s burning, but it¡¯s not enough to give up.

    Rather, it¡¯s too simple.

    Just lifting my leg and stepping on the stairs.

    Just climbing the stairs.

    It¡¯s not like the nightly battle with death, nor the surgery I desperately prayed for tomorrow toe.

    It¡¯s doable.

    I can climb higher.

    ©¤©¤Remaining time, 2 hours.

    Current floor, 95th floor.

    To the 100th floor, just -5 floors.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    However, Soliette Arkne feels like she¡¯s being bounced off reality.

    Whether I¡¯m climbing the stairs or the stairs are climbing me. It feels like my consciousness is spinning around, heavily distorted.

    There¡¯s no stamina left, but what moves her is an unconscious ¡®routine¡¯.

    Left foot.

    Breath.

    Right foot.

    Breath.

    Her reason does not participate in all these physical operations.

    Ignoring all the signals of pain that her joints creaking, muscles screaming, and her entire body is shouting, she climbs the stairs¡­

    ©¤Thud.

    There was a presence behind her.

    Soliette didn¡¯t even have the energy to turn around, but she passed by her as if brushing against her.

    Soliette saw her back.

    Elise.

    She¡¯s climbing with her eyes closed.

    With a steady pace, a correct posture, and even assisting the movement of her joints with ¡®telekinesis¡¯.

    Elegant steps.

    Watching her unshaken movements, Soliette suddenly realized how foolish she had been.

    Mental strength is, after all, the ability topose oneself.

    Yet, she was swept away by Akane¡¯s words from the beginning and couldn¡¯t maintain herposure. She didn¡¯t take proper rest, and she ran too excitedly.

    The result is¡­

    It¡¯s harsh.

    It¡¯s clear.

    Elise had disappeared before she knew it, and she found herself halted here.

    The 100th floor was already impossible.

    She knew it, but she just didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    No, she couldn¡¯t admit it©¤©¤

    Soliette gripped the railing again and climbed the stairs.

    Just one step.

    At that moment, her heart stopped. Strength drained from her body. Her bnce was lost, and her lower body muscles twisted. Her breath trembled so much that she couldn¡¯t even express her agony.

    It was a seizure.

    She copsed on the stairs, gasping for breath.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª.¡±

    ¡­In her consciousness that felt like it could break at any moment, a scene spread before her darkened eyes.

    Like a burnt photo slowly being restored.

    The cold air, the aura of the dead clinging to her skin, it was a morgue. Like these stairs, a ce filled with meaningless cold.

    -Please confirm the identity.

    A routine phrase.

    The door of the refrigerator opening with a creak.

    A person being pulled out like a piece of meat.

    A person who was already dead.

    The sorrow and trembling as she stood there, nkly staring at him.

    More than that, the powerlessness and despair that tormented her greatly.

    She couldn¡¯t move a single finger.

    It felt like her heart was melting, like her bones were shattering.

    That day.

    She swore she would take revenge, she vowed never to experience such emotions again, yet here she was, falling in the same way, so powerless¡­¡­

    ©¤©¤Thud.

    The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs echoed in her distant ears.

    A familiar voice pulling her from her delirium that could be mistaken for death.

    ¡°What are you doing here.¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    It¡¯s not for nothing that it¡¯s a test of mental strength.

    She felt it to her bones.

    The hardest torture among all tortures is probably the one where you torture yourself. Like these damn stairs, the higher you climb, the more painful it gets, and even though you know it¡¯s painful, you have to climb in the end.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    I¡¯m still climbing the stairs.

    The only thing I could be proud of, my recovery speed, has long since dulled, and more than that, I¡¯m sleepy. Every cell in my body is screaming for sleep.

    Thanks to that, I realized.

    I recover my body by exhausting fatigue.

    [97th floor]

    Despite all the physical difficulties, I finally reached the 97th floor by moving my distant body.

    97th floor.

    A number that means 9,700 steps, and at the same time, a number that makes you think ¨C maybe I can give up here.

    A number that you can be satisfied with and quit.

    As I nkly stared at the 97th floor, contemting giving up.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    I spotted a woman. She seemed to have copsed against the railing.

    For a moment, my brows furrowed.

    It was strange.

    She was obviously a failure at the 97th floor, but she was someone who shouldn¡¯t fail at just the 97th floor.

    ¡°You.¡±

    I managed to utter a word. I moved my lips as I approached her.

    ¡°What are you doing here.¡±

    Soon, she opened her eyes. Her eyelids trembled as if they were heavy.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She waspletely exhausted, unable to even make a sound.

    A few strands of hair flowed pitifully over her face, and the eyes looking at me were already dead, devoid of focus.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand it.

    Right now, this test should be a development akin to fate.

    You should be the first to reach the 100th floor, receive Akane¡¯s business card, and be her colleague.

    Why on earth?

    ©¤©¤Suddenly.

    A bell ringing chillingly in my head.

    In Soliette¡¯s life before regression, I wasn¡¯t there.

    Because I wasn¡¯t there, she did everything alone.

    She stood alone, iplete, but in return, she gained strength.

    The current Soliette had a physical and mental strength that she couldn¡¯t have before, enough to ovee something like the 100th floor.

    ¡°We have to go up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette just nodded her head. Fortunately, she was still conscious.

    ¡°Akane, that guy. She definitely knows. About Knightmare. You heard it too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡­¡­¡±

    She propped herself up on the ground. She tried to get up, but her palm slipped. She fell again like a doll with its strings cut, hitting her head on the edge of the stairs.

    Even seemingly unable to feel that pain, she gasped with aplexion like she was already dead.

    I just stared at her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She is not the Soliette before regression.

    She doesn¡¯t have the same venom. She doesn¡¯t have the same grit. And before that, shecks much more stamina.

    Probably, because of me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You have to go.¡±

    I forcibly lifted Soliette up. She couldn¡¯t even support herself, swaying on her feet, so I carried her on my back.

    ¡°!¡±

    Only then did I feel the upgraded gravity. She was heavier than any piece of steel.

    Three times, no, four times the usual.

    I gritted my teeth and climbed the stairs.

    One step. One step.

    Every time I took a step, it felt like my back was twisting.

    One step. One step.

    The future has changed, and Soliette has changed.

    Looking back, it was something I had already prepared for.

    One step. One step.

    Holding Soliette¡¯s hand, meaning to chase Knightmare together.

    Sharing the pain she would have had to bear all by herself.

    One step. One step.

    Even if Soliette doesn¡¯t be as strong as she was in the past.

    Even if she can¡¯t receive the title of The Greatest Sword, the best in all history and across the continent.

    One step. One step.

    Because your happiness is not that.

    To repay the ¡®you¡¯ before regression, I decided to share your burden.

    One step. One step.

    Because without you, I would have died helplessly in a sickbed.

    Because every time I fell apart, you always helped me up.

    Just climbing the stairs¡­ willingly.

    One step. One step.

    Those steps added up to 100, one floor.

    99th floor.

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a faint voice came from behind me.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something clich¨¦ like ¡®leave me behind,¡¯ then be quiet.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see Soliette¡¯s expression. Instead, her arm moved. Cautiously, she held onto my body.

    I smiled.

    A certain day came to mind.

    Back then, our positions were probably reversed.

    I was carried by you, and you were the one who smiled.

    One step.

    I set my foot on the stairs again. Blood flowed from the sole of my foot, crushed against the edge.

    One step.

    Only looking at the stairs, holding onto my body and mind that felt like they were about to shatter.

    One step.

    Focusing my eyes, which felt like they were about to blur from the sweat.

    One step.

    Maintaining my consciousness, which was on the verge of copse, with the abstract power of willpower.

    One step.

    Finally, a dead-end, a threshold that can¡¯t be crossed any further.

    I absentmindedly raised my head.

    There was a metal door. Thest obstacle leading to the 100th floor.

    I gripped the door handle.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±

    I pushed with all my might, but it didn¡¯t open.

    Thud-!

    I bumped into it with my shoulder. It was useless. It didn¡¯t even budge. Instead, my body slid and fell on the stairs.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Fuck.¡±

    At that moment, when I unknowingly cursed.

    Thud-.

    I heard the sound of a foot stepping on the ground. My body instantly became lighter.

    I looked back.

    Soliette, who had been carried by me until now, had gotten up on her own.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thanks to you.¡±

    She staggered but slowly walked to the door and gripped the handle.

    ¡°I¡¯ve recharged.¡±

    Huff¡ª!

    With one shout, she almost smashed the metal door open. A cold and heavy wind blew in.

    It was the rooftop.

    After climbing up, she retched, then looked back at me.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    She reached out her hand to me. I just stared nkly.

    She waved her fingers. It meant to hurry up and grab it.

    I grabbed her hand. She pulled me up.

    Like that, we both climbed up to the rooftop.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Soliette, looking at me with trembling eyes, called my name again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    An apology spoken with a voice soaked in moisture, with a face too tired.

    I gave a hollowugh.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to say ¡®thank you¡¯ at times like this?¡±

    She swallowed. Then, with a pale smile, she nodded at me, and to me-

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡±

    She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence and copsed.

    I caught her body with mine. She was still heavy, but I gentlyid her down.

    I also sat down on the ground.

    I looked around the rooftop.

    Soliette, Elise, Gerkhen Kal Doon, all copsed like dominoes. Beyond them was Akane.

    ¡°Are we filming a movie?¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders at Akane¡¯s sarcastic remark.

    ¡°If youe this far, you¡¯re in first ce.¡±

    She pointed at Gerkhen Kal Doon right in front of her.

    To roughly express the positions.

    Me ©¦Soliette ©¦ Elise ©¦ Gerkhen Kal Doon ©¦ Akane

    It would be something like this.

    I asked her.

    ¡°What do I get if Ie in first?¡±

    ¡°Do you hope that you will get a better grade?¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯d give Soliette a business card. Do you have anything for me¡­ like poison? A deadly one.¡±

    If she had any, I intended to use it for you.

    ¡°Just try it.¡±

    Akane said. I nonchntly stood up and took a step forward.

    Thud¡ª!

    For a moment, my whole body almost stuck to the ground. It was due to the gravity emanating from Akane.

    I quickly stepped back.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Akane covered her mouth with her hand andughed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even take a step, and you¡¯re talking abouting in first? You¡¯re thinking about dessert before even eating the soup.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It must have been because of the clothes just now.

    This Endex T-shirt is unnecessarily sturdy, so it doesn¡¯t tear even when dozens of times the gravity pulls it.

    I took off my top.

    ¡°?¡±

    Akane made a surprised sound.

    However, the T-shirt would probably be within her expectations. It¡¯smon to take off the top.

    I also took off my pants.

    I even clenched my underwear. Akane took a step back in surprise.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    I decided to keep the underwear on for now.

    Due to the gravity spell, it might naturally flow or tear, but if that happens, it¡¯s not my fault.

    I stared at Akane and said,

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ming.¡±

    Akane responded with a face as if she was looking at a madman.

    ¡°Where are youing, you lunatic.¡±

 Chapter 122: Mental strength (2)

    <strong>Mental strength (2)</strong>

    Thud©¤©¤©¤!

    Akane¡¯s spell pressed down on my body. But it wouldn¡¯t be a spell that controls gravity itself. Then it must be a grand spell.

    Probably, it¡¯s a spatial spell that pulls objects down through this apartment as a medium.

    ¡°¡­¡­Kuh.¡±

    Partial immunity to magical interference. I don¡¯t know to what extent that ¡®partial¡¯ is, but it wasn¡¯t omnipotent after all.

    Of course, I canrgely fend off or ignore the force pulling my body itself. However, I can¡¯t resist 100% of it and also, the weight of the ¡®air¡¯ pressing down remains the same.

    The intensity of the spell deepens as I approach Akane. Every time I lift my foot and step down again, it feels like every joint in my body is twisting.

    If it were an ordinary person, all their joints would have been crushed by now.

    I understand why Gerkhen Kal Doon was knocked down.

    He must have crawled.

    Enduring this insane gravity with his whole body, and crawling that far.

    Indeed, his mental strength is superior to anyone else¡¯s.

    I wonder if he¡¯s not insane.

    I walked. I didn¡¯t kneel. I stood on two legs and took one step at a time.

    ¡­¡­Thump.

    A reverberation echoed with each step. I crossed Elise with that stride.

    The weight being imposed on me now must be about the same as one or two adult goris.

    ¡­¡­Thump!

    As I walked, my increasingly heavy limbs moved. I carried a body that didn¡¯t feel like my own.

    Thump!

    As I approached, Akane¡¯s expression slowly hardened.

    The face that seemed to be dealing with a madman was now gone.

    Instead, she seemed intrigued. Like someone who found something useful in muddy water.

    Thump©¤!

    When I took three more steps, I was on the same line as Gerkhen Kal Doon. The gravity had reached its peak. It truly felt like an elephant was stepping on my shoulder.

    Isn¡¯t this going to make me bald?

    I finally lifted my knee. I prepared to take a step while withstanding the gravity.

    Thump©¤©¤!

    Just one step.

    With that, I surpassed Gerkhen Kal Doon, and my whole body red up in red.

    Whether it was pain or heat, my body felt like it was melting from the heat.

    Even in that heat, again, thest.

    Thump.

    At Akane¡¯s feet. I saw her dark slippers and gray socks in my lowered gaze. Thebination of slippers and socks is a bit off.

    I lifted my face.

    Akane was there.

    In front of her nose, I looked into her crimson pupils.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to move my lips.

    Instead, she scanned me from top to bottom. She licked her lips slightly with her tongue as if she was amazed.

    Soon, she chuckled and nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re first. Ironically, you have a useful body¡­¡­.¡±

    I have no memory after that.

    Whether I fainted or fell asleep, I must have done something.

    When I opened my eyes again, it was a white ceiling. I blinked nkly while lying down. My whole body was sore, and my brain was still loading.

    ©¤You awake?

    A voice flowed into my right ear. I couldn¡¯t hear from my left ear. I nkly turned my face left and right.

    It was a space like a health center. Akane was sitting on one side. She, dressed in a gown, was pouring liquid into a test tube with a dropper. It seemed like she was conducting some research or making a drug.

    I asked her.

    ¡°¡­¡­The evaluation. Is it over?¡±

    ©¤Three days ago.

    My ears were deaf. I shook my head.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for three days.¡±

    Fortunately, my hearing recovered quickly.

    ¡°The other seniors have already left. I¡¯m the only one working overtime because of you. Unpaid service.¡±

    Clink, clink-

    Akane shook a test tube. As she stared at the liquid mixing inside, she asked me.

    ¡°Who do you want to kill?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You asked for a deadly poison.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Ah. There are many people I want to kill.¡±

    There are many. A lot. A whole lot.

    Perhaps, I will kill quite a lot in the future.

    Akane chuckled.

    ¡°Killing someone you want to kill is easy. The hard part is facing yourself after you¡¯ve been tainted by the act.¡±

    She transferred the liquid from the test tube into a tiny ss vial and threw it at me.

    ¡°Catch. If you can¡¯t catch it, you die.¡±

    ¡°Gah!¡±

    I caught it with both hands. My heart nearly jumped out.

    ¡°It¡¯s a deadly poison. ssified as a neurotoxin.¡±

    The color is ordinary. The volume is extremely small. Barely 3g?

    ¡°With that amount, you can kill 1,000 elephants.¡±

    1,000 elephants. A brutal statement, but Grawl©¤the ¡®S-ss monster¡¯ I intend to kill©¤is on a different level from current living animals, including humans.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. But, is it okay to give this to a senior?¡±

    ¡°The maker only makes. From there on, it depends on the user¡¯s moral standards and value judgment. I don¡¯t care if you kill someone with the prosthetic arm I give. Of course, considering it¡¯s a deadly poison, and you¡¯ve already expressed your intent to kill, there might be implied intent¡­¡­¡±

    Akane, who had stopped speaking, stared at me nkly.

    ¡°Humans must take responsibility for the direction they want to go. It¡¯s none of my business what you do.¡±

    She took out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. I put the poison in my pocket.

    ¡°Ah, by any chance, do you also do appraisals?¡±

    ¡°You ask for too much. Are you talking about R-elix?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You knew?¡±

    Akane furrowed one eyebrow. The smoke from her cigarette swirled like a snake.

    ¡°I¡¯m the designer. I know everything that happens in this maze. You were lucky to get two.¡±

    Do you think youid them out on purpose-¡±

    ¡°Ask me if I¡¯m crazy instead. Do you know how much that¡¯s worth? The design of the maze is just structure and concept. The obstacles are brought in by guiding the creatures that were originally in the dungeon. The R-elix of the snow mountain, the R-elix of the butcher, it¡¯s all the will of this ¡®rift¡¯, not me.¡±

    If I had known, I would have eaten it myself. Akane added, licking her lips.

    ¡°So¡­¡­¡±

    I took out the R-elix from my inventory. Akane¡¯s red eyes flickered slightly.

    ¡°It seems to be an R-elix rted to killing orbat. If it¡¯s C-ss, it should be useful enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Now go.¡±

    Akane waved her hand.

    Ding- Then an rm rang on my smartwatch.

    [Ending the evaluation of Shion Ascal.]

    Thump¡ª!

    My hand, clutching the nket, trembled, and the space around me shifted.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I stood, swaying.

    I looked around nkly.

    It was a harbor.

    A harbor visible through the portal of the rift, outside the maze.

    There was nothing. The seniors seemed to have already left, the scenery itself was barren, and only a small fishing boat was docked.

    ¡°Student! You¡¯ve finally arrived! Get on!¡±

    A sailor on the boat shouted. I hesitated for a moment before responding.

    ¡°¡­¡­Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about. We even epted money to pick you up when youe out.¡±

    I stood with my back to the dock, staring at the still flickering portal.

    ¡°Student!¡±

    The sailor shouted again. I waited silently, fiddling with the deadly poison in my pocket. My hair fluttered in the sea breeze.

    5 minutes©¤©¤

    15 minutes©¤©¤

    30 minutes©¤©¤

    ¡°Yawn.¡±

    It¡¯s still boring enough to yawn.

    Well, will we fight today? Are they fighting right now?

    If it¡¯s a Diary battle between S-rankers, it should be felt even outside the corridor.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey, student! If you don¡¯te, we¡¯re really leaving, okay?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I looked at my wristwatch. An hour had already passed.

    Rumble¡­¡­

    Just then, a faint vibration on the surface.

    I lifted my face. Some kind of wave had been emitted from inside the portal to the outside.

    ¡°What, what is this.¡±

    The boat became active. The sailors moved quickly. They retrieved the anchor and turned the bow.

    ¡°Student. For thest time¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The shock swallowed the sound. The portal shook as if it had exploded. Fragments of magic scattered like broken ss all around.

    The boat had already turned around. They were fleeing in panic, but I was moving in the opposite direction.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The second tremor.

    The portal shook again, greatly. Parts of it shattered and fell to the pavement. The size of the portal itself had noticeably decreased.

    ¡ª¡ª.

    The third tremor.

    This time it was closer to an aftershock. There was no significant echo.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it over?¡±

    The battles of the masters are surprisingly short. Because the density of each moment is so high, exchanging hundreds of hits in an instant is an S-rank duel. Of course, the aftermath isparable to a magic core bomb.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I wait quietly, and it remains calm.

    Peaceful.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    I sighed. I took out an R-elix from my inventory.

    A brilliant and radiant C-rank R-elix.

    Of course, imnting an unappraised R-elix is a gamble. But it¡¯s not without benefits. ¡®Appraisal¡¯ is the act of peeling off the outeryer of the R-elix, and that outeryer is also R-elix.

    In other words, when appraising, the performance of the R-elix is shaved off to a certain degree. Instead, you can eliminate the risk of ¡®R-elix collision¡¯ and easily realize its use.

    However, the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ I imnted has almost no chance of colliding with other R-elixes. Because its attribute itself is ¡®Life¡¯.

    Also, the chance of getting an R-elix of C-rank or higher in the next few years is almost none¡­¡­

    I attached the R-elix to my left arm. I imnted it as it was. There was a sensation of heat, but it was bearable.

    ¡°Haaaaa¡­¡­¡±

    After taking a deep breath, I reentered the portal.

    ¡­The inside was already hell. The vast space that once held a hospital, a snowy mountain, a maze, and an apartment had shrunk to nothingness, and the burnt, crimson traces of what was once there flowed in like petals.

    I turned on the SZX-9500.

    Where a meteor had seemingly collided, creating a massive crater, the monster ¡®Grawl¡¯ was visible.

    He had already lost his human form. His arms and legs had disintegrated into ck dust, and his head was stuck to his belly, possibly attacked during regeneration.

    Yet, he survived.

    Clearly, he was still breathing.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I became tense.

    He was undoubtedly unconscious. However, even his unconsciousness was a threat to me now.

    I walked towards him.

    ¡­Humans overestimate theirplexity.

    The day I faced him before the regression came to mind.

    ¡­In reality, they are simpler than any beast. The more you consume, the more you understand.

    His dark, sour voice echoed in my ears.

    ¡­Humans deny the origin of existence. They merely say they were born because they were born, rationalizing that the burden of origin is too heavy for a short life.

    Grawl.

    He is a monster of stone.

    A naturally urring monster.

    He was never human, nor was he ever a monster. He was truly nothing more than a ¡®stone¡¯.

    ¡­The origin is not in the continent. It¡¯s not in space. The origin is within me. My existence is my origin. My cause and effect are my origin.

    My legs stopped.

    Roughly 1.5 km.

    The minimum distance where the fatally wounded him could not detect me. This is as far as I go.

    ¡­I am exploring myself. The only reason I cooperate with Derek of Libra is that¡­

    I took out Akane¡¯s deadly poison. I blew Perion into it.

    I wondered if the nerve poison would work on a stone, but he is a stone that has mutated all its veins into ¡®nerves¡¯, or magic circuits.

    A cannibalistic monster that anchored its existence to humans by consuming them.

    At least as much as a monster ¡®human¡¯, it must work.

    I threw the poison high into the sky. Thoroughly calcting the impact and trajectory, with the most urate angle.

    Whooosh¡­

    The ss bottle drew a rainbow-like parab, slowly descending towards Grawl.

    Grawl reacted instinctively. He spread a ¡®barrier¡¯ to block the trivially falling ss bottle.

    Clink-!

    The ss bottle shattered. The nerve poison seeped into his body through the barrier.

    The very next moment.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Grawl¡¯s body twisted. His crimson magic was bizarrely released. In an instant, it took dozens of different shapes and convulsed.

    And so, he discovered me.

    ©¤¡ö©¤©¤¡ö©¤©¤¡ö©¤!

    He extended his magic towards me. It surged towards my neck and waist like a de. It seemed to disintegrate my entire body, pressing down on me¡­

    Rustle-

    He lost his form.

    Like sand, he oxidized into dry, fine particles and spilled onto the surface.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­¡±

    I clenched my heart. Only then did the R-elix react btedly.

    The R-elix in my left arm, the one just imnted, sucked in Grawl¡¯s withered magic. As if absorbing it.

    ¡°¡­What a reaction speed.¡±

    If you were going to do something, you should have done it earlier.

    I looked again at the other side.

    Where Grawl had been, there was now only dark red sand. He had copsed. I had killed him, a creature that had survived until the very end before the regression, ten years earlier than before.

    So, did I get rid of him? Let¡¯s not say the same thing.

    ¡°I almost died.¡±

    I got up. I looked around for Akane. I searched all around with the SZX-9500.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    There she was.

    Quite far from the crater.

    She was lying as if hiding, and it was gruesome.

    She was as good as dead.

    Her body was only a quarter left, with only her head, chest, and right arm remaining, but her survival was entirely due to her right arm.

    Her right arm, ck as coal.

    The arm of that monster that made her a monster, connecting her nerves, functioning like an organ, and forcibly making her heartbeat. Even that now looked faint¡­

    I suddenly wondered.

    Could this half-dead body survive on its own?

    ¡°¡­Three days.¡±

    Akane had postponed the battle for three days because of me.

    What if Grawl had prepared a little more during those three days?

    Or, what if Akane had let her guard down a little more?

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    I picked up Akane in both arms. She was light, perhaps because it was only a partial body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Whether it¡¯s a human or a monster, I can do nursing and healing above average.

    As I always say, there¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t done in the underworld.

    I stepped on the ashes and left the dungeon.

    Swoosh¡ª¡ª

    Outside, it was raining. It was a downpour. Along with it, several ships were approaching, emitting lights.

    I quickly hid my body.

    I ran in the opposite direction of the light¡ªinto the forest.

    Of course, because the continent despises monsters.

    [There may be monsters in the underworld. However, monsters thate to the surface should be killed or reported to 666 immediately.]

    Safety education that Edsi citizens, no, continental citizens learn from the age of two.

    [Edsi Monster-rted Law Article 3, use 2.

    If you are aware of the existence of a monster but do not report it or intentionally hide it, you will be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and more than 20 years of information disclosure.

    However, if the monster¡¯s violent acts are confirmed, it is considered justifiable.]

    Thew dealing with monsters.

    Just hiding it can lead to more than 10 years in prison.

    Just about my lifespan, but, well.

    It¡¯s not a crime if you don¡¯t get caught.

    Rustle-

    I hid deep in the ind, moving through the grass and trees.

 Chapter 123: Vacation (1)

    <strong>Vacation (1)</strong>

    Monsters have different ways of extending their lives.

    There are monsters like Grawl, who can¡¯t maintain their human form, consciousness, or reason without consuming humans, and there are monsters like Berhalsi, who was killed by Jade, who only eat the hearts of beasts.

    What they all have inmon is that they consume nutrients containing ¡®magic power¡¯.

    Humans need to supply nutrients necessary for life activities every day, but monsters have the power to convert part of their magic power into calories.

    In that regard©¤ the most effective treatment for Akane was a ¡®mana core¡¯.

    I extracted 3 units of capacity from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ to create a mana core, and fed it to Akane¡¯s right arm.

    It was a permanent loss because it couldn¡¯t be recovered, but while nursing Akane for three days, I realized one thing for sure.

    If I had left her alone that day, she would have definitely died.

    Not just because of her physical condition, but also because of the Dawn Society, who had detected the magic explosion and dispatched their forces.

    They, who systematically exterminate monsters, had thoroughly searched the maze and the entire ind.

    ¡°¡­¡­Finally got a signal.¡±

    Swoosh©¤©¤

    The waves crash against the shore. The only ce on this ind where a signal can be caught.

    I raised my smartphone high to the sky and checked the message.

    [Soliette : Thest gathering before the holiday is this Friday??;; When are youing back from your trip?]

    [Soon. Did you get the business card?]

    [Soliette : Yes. I contacted the number, but there was no reply. I think it¡¯s a dud??. It¡¯s okay.]

    She can¡¯t reply because she¡¯s still in a critical condition.

    [Keep trying to contact her. She¡¯s a busy person.]

    [Soliette : Yes. I n to. Oh right. They¡¯re announcing the Secret Friend on Friday. Do you know who your Secret Friend is? ?? Give me a hint??]

    Soliette¡¯s text had a lot of ??. It¡¯s a sign of familiarity, I guess.

    [I¡¯m Elise.]

    I replied like that, but just then the signal cut off.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I shook my smartphone up and down before putting it in my pocket.

    I picked up the trap I had set up. There were quite a lot of fish caught.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡­¡±

    I went back into the forest.

    During the three days I helped with the healing, Akane¡¯s body was almostpletely restored. The monster¡¯s arm regenerated Akane¡¯s body into exactly the same flesh.

    Watching the recovery process, I realized anew.

    The reason why humans want to be monsters and at the same time, the reason why humans want to kill monsters.

    Monsters can use almost the same abilities as the monster they transnted, albeit with reduced power.

    And the original owner of the arm that Akane transnted was¡­¡­

    I arrived at the hideout.

    I opened the door camouged with leaves.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    The wooden bed inside.

    Akane, who should have been on it, was not there.

    Thud-

    Instead, there was a presence behind me.

    The back of my neck felt creepy. My hairs stood on end.

    I swallowed my saliva.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Akane spat out and walked out. She sat on the bed and showed me her pitch-ck arm.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a monster¡¯s arm.¡±

    Akane raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but ask the clich¨¦d question. Why did you help if you knew?¡±

    ¡°I paid my debt.¡±

    I unconsciously touched my arm.

    It¡¯s not a prosthetic now, but the touch of the luxury item I received before regression is still vivid. The item worth millions of Ren was given to me for free, and even rmended a ¡®soul transfer¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive a deadly poison¡­ Did Grawl die?¡±

    Akane asked bluntly.

    ¡°Well. I suppose so.¡±

    I looked at Akane as I answered. I was quite curious about the rtionship between the two monsters, and she sighed while brushing her hair.

    ¡°¡­¡­I made that bastard¡¯s body. A mere stone formed an ego and came to find me, so I was intrigued. But my doll still can¡¯t contain consciousness. Grawl should have copsed in three months due to natural force.¡±

    Nature always wants to be constant. An existence that deviates from the providence of nature receives the power of nature and naturally perishes.

    That¡¯s ¡®natural force¡¯.

    ¡°Grawl held on. He overcame the natural force. Perhaps that¡¯s why he thought of me as a creator. He was mistaken that his origin would be with me. I drove away the guy who was obsessed with me, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Akane put her hand on her cheekbone.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t examine in detail how he overcame the natural force.¡±

    I looked at the fish pping in the bucket.

    ¡°Cannibalism. Are you saying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You seem to have some understanding of this field.¡±

    She chuckled- sheughed as if surprised. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you say that if he kills people with a prosthetic, you¡¯d let it go?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a different story. I released a defective product into the world. The prosthetic I transnted was killing people on its own. I had to take responsibility.¡±

    The logic and rationale are clear.

    It¡¯spletely recovered.

    I got up.

    ¡°Are you thinking of going back?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will bill you for the treatment. You have to pay with a mana core. Grill the fish in that bucketter.¡±

    Then Akane handed me a piece of paper. It was a business card-sized card.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    [Selfless Coffin]

    Selfless Coffin. It¡¯s still the best on the continent, but in 10 years, it will be treated as demonic power, a body Artifact shop.

    There was a small butplex Magic Spell on the business card.

    ¡°I only want to ept those who canmunicate. It will take a day or two to interpret.¡±

    ¡°Edsi Ro AD-213.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Akane flinched. I burned the business card.

    ¡°I memorized the address. Soliette will probably contact you too.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Come there. Also, you¡¯ve been downgraded to fourth.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Suddenly, what is that about?

    ¡°When Soliette opened the rooftop door, the time was up. You¡¯re next after Gerkhen Kal Doon, Elise, Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Fourth ce.

    It¡¯s a high enough grade, but it feels unfair.

    ¡°But I wrote about your future in the report. There will be plenty of organizations watching you.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ I just need to go to college. Anyway, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    I was about to leave when a thought suddenly urred to me.

    ¡°By any chance, could you also make me a fake identity?¡±

    Edsi Autonomous District, Trick City.

    [Valmant Mana Nourishment]

    ¡°¡­¡­Small.¡±

    Back on the continent, I¡¯m looking at a small and pitifulpanypared to the future.

    Thepany that will be my important money bag.

    Before entering, I checked my face.

    ©¤Blonde hair dyed red, irises darkened to a deep purple, and a long vertical scar on the left eyelid.

    It¡¯s an Infimian that was manifested with the texture and shape from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. Even I wouldn¡¯t recognize myself with my lower face covered by a mask.

    The fake identity is perfect.

    Dale Kal.

    Using Akane¡¯s connections, I hacked into the central database of Edsi and superimposed a picture on the identity of a homeless man who had died.

    In other words, if you search for Dale Kal in public institutions, this face will pop up.

    There¡¯s no worry of being caught.

    I entered [Valmant Mananology].

    ng-! Shush-!

    In the midst of all the noisy vibrations, a muscr old man turned to look at me. He asked as he put down his hammer.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    I licked my lips.

    As politely and stiffly as possible. In that ¡®practical¡¯ tone that magicians often use.

    I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dale.¡±

    ¡°Oh?! Hey Kanya©¤! Kanya©¤©¤©¤! Kanya©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡±

    Bang-!

    The workshop door opened. A thin woman with short hair appeared, her dark circles prominent.

    ¡°Ah, why are you screaming again-¡±

    ¡°We have a guest!¡±

    She looked at me.

    I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dale.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Valmant Manaology¡¯s workshop.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dale.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s the contract.¡±

    Kanya offered a paper on top of a delivery box.

    ¡°We know. You¡¯ve already submitted a finished product, so there¡¯s no need for research and development costs. So we¡¯ll split the distribution profits 60-40.¡±

    Largepanies usually offer 3%. However, they establish a perfect form and refine it efficiently, selling much more than small and medium-sized businesses.

    So 40% is 13 times what argepany would receive.

    ¡°70-30¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. We¡¯d be at a loss even if we sold it.¡±

    Kanya coldly refused. It seemed like she thought they were the 30.

    I corrected her assumption.

    ¡°You guys get 70.¡±

    ¡°Oh?! ¡­¡­No. W-well. You¡¯re lowering the conditions?¡±

    ¡°However. Twice as much stock options for the 10% I conceded.¡±

    I was a novice in stocks. I never had enough spare money to invest in anything in my life.

    Of course, that¡¯s still the case now, and I need to prepare for the next mana quirk treatment right away, but royalty settlements are only once a year.

    It¡¯s enough to bury the money I¡¯ll receive once a year in stock options of apany that¡¯s sure to seed.

    ¡°Stock options¡­¡­.¡±

    Kanya tried to maintain herposure but couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It seemed she was pleased that I was overvaluing herpany.

    Squeak-

    The door opened at that moment. I casually turned around and jumped up.

    ¡°Hey, Gerkhen Kal Doon. We have a guest, don¡¯t just barge in.¡±

    It was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

    Gerkhen Kal Doon also looked at me awkwardly.

    I was slightly nervous, but thankfully, the performance of the Infimian mask seemed reliable.

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    He bowed his head with apletely unfamiliar face. He even asked me while looking at me.

    ¡°Are you a magician?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Kanya red at Gerkhen Kal Doon. It was a silent curse.

    ¡°¡­¡­I was rude.¡±

    Gerkhen Kal Doon backed out as if he was moonwalking and closed the door.

    ¡°Okay. The profit is 70% to 30%. We get 70%. You, Dale, get 30%. 20% of the profit is in stock options. However.¡±

    Kanya revised the contract on the spot.

    ¡°We can only ept it if you submit at least one other Magic Spell to us.¡±

    At her words, I briefly thought of the future.

    The Magic Spells I¡¯ve seen over the next 12 years. Some of them seem to be easy to implement.

    It¡¯s not that, I feel like my mana vessel has gotten a bit bigger.

    I¡¯m guessing the cause is probably R-elix. Whether it absorbed Grawl, or there¡¯s something else.

    I can¡¯t tell because I¡¯m not feeling it.

    ¡°Right. The forms I can submit as prototypes are¡­¡­. 3.¡±

    I spread out three fingers.

    ¡°I can submit about 3 right away.¡±

    Then Kanya¡¯s eyes widened. She clenched her fists tightly.

    ¡°However, I too will decide on the submission based on the sales performance of Death Eater.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Should I call you¡­ a magician, Dale?¡±

    Magician.

    No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t fit in with that group.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Call me as you please.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Magician Dale.¡±

    Rather, it will be a good disguise because of that.

    The day the first quarter ended.

    Elise had been a continuous series of tutoring, studying, and field trips since the evaluation test ended. She visited the Magic Tower and took the [Master ss of the Sages], and her talent as a magician was recognized.

    The main test was also somewhat satisfactory. She didn¡¯t beat Gerkhen Kal Doon, but she did manage to take second from Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elly~ Long time no see~¡±

    After smoothly digesting numerous schedules.

    Elise returned to Endex after a week. She nodded to La, who looked tired, and sat down.

    But her gaze unintentionally turned back.

    The third seat from the back.

    Shion was sitting there.

    Elise pretended not to care about him.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She had attended lectures at the Magic Tower. Among them was one about the attitude towards life. That 96% of worries are unnecessary.

    She agreed with that at the time, but now that the situation hase, her mind is again in turmoil.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise had always disliked Shion. The reason was simple. He had caused great harm to the family.

    Because of his foolish curiosity, my father failed to be re-elected, and he disappointed me.

    However, if I recalcte now.

    If wepare the damage, Shion has done to the family and the harm the family has done to Shion.

    There was noparison.

    I had no reason to dislike him from the start.

    Rather, it was reasonable to say that Petra ¡®got what they deserved¡¯.

    Looking at Shion without prejudice, he was a hard-working person. He was a hard worker who overcame Gerkhen Kal Doon with his own efforts. He had talent in Latinel, and he was a person with outstanding literary sensitivity.

    So, from now on, I just have to ept him as he is, and we can walk different paths.

    Because I can¡¯t undo what¡¯s already happened.

    ¡°Nice to see you.¡±

    Chedric arrived just in time.

    ¡°From today, it¡¯s a month-long vacation. You can restfortably. However, before that.¡±

    He distributed small pieces of paper to the seniors.

    ¡°Guess your Secret Friend and submit it.¡±

    The Secret Friend that started from the first ss.

    Elise looked at the paper and pondered. There were so many people who were kind to her.

    She roughly wrote [Brown].

    As long as the other person doesn¡¯t find out, you get the same 1 point.

    ¡°Now reveal your identity to your Secret Friend.¡±

    As the guessing time ended, the seniors got up one by one. Kain went to Delrick, Asher to Kielli, and La to Shion.

    ©¤Shion, it was you~! You had no idea, did you?

    La, who was bouncing around, and Shion, who looked as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Elise approached James. He was in the same Latinel ss, so he helped a lot with the assignment.

    ¡°Elise, it was you?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I wondered why you were helping with the assignment.¡±

    At James¡¯ reaction, she turned around feeling proud, when¡­

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Someone blocked her. Elise casually looked up at him.

    It was Shion.

    ¡­Strange.

    The eye levels were too mismatched.

    When did he get so tall?

    Even if I tiptoed, I wouldn¡¯t reach him. At this rate, he seems to be about the same height as Asher.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    While I was lost in thought, he handed me a card.

    ¡°What is this¡­.¡±

    Elise took it without a second thought. It was a card with the name [Elise Petra] written on it.

    ¡°I was your Secret Friend.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise¡¯s thoughts came to a halt.

    Her entire body froze.

    Cold sweat spread from her back to the top of her head, and her eyelids trembled as if she was deficient in magnesium.

    ¡°You can¡¯t deny it.¡±

    At his words, suddenly all the puzzle pieces fell into ce.

    The reason he helped her in Recordark, the reason he saved her at the ghost hotel.

    Thinking about it now, it was a much more usible reason than ¡®he likes her¡¯.

    Elise had strangely overlooked a very certain reason.

    Guardian angel.

    ¡°Uh¡­.¡±

    Elise nkly looked at the card.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Shion winked and left his seat. He went out of Clemen Hall.

    Left alone, Elise suddenly felt a throbbing headache. Her face felt hot.

    ¡°Elly. It¡¯s vacation, do you want toe to my house?¡±

    La approached her. Elise staggered and sat down at the desk.

    ¡°Elly? Elly, what¡¯s wrong? Are you sick, Elly?¡±

    ¡°Quiet¡­ for a moment.¡±

    The headache was intense.

    When embarrassment reaches its peak, does it cause nausea, dizziness, and brain cancer? Her stomach felt queasy, she suddenly wanted to run away, and amidst the overwhelming urge to vomit, Elise put her hand on her forehead.

    It felt like steam wasing out of her ears.

    Sizzle-! Sizzle-!

    She could hear the sound of a kettle boiling.

    ¡°¡­.Elly! Your face looks like it¡¯s going to explode, Elly! It¡¯s swelling, Elly! You look like a steamed bun!¡±

    ¡°I, I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Elise quickly turned around.

    ¡°Where, where are you going?! To the hospital?!¡±

    In a hurry, she ran out of Clemen Hall. She sprinted down the corridor like the wind.

    She didn¡¯t know where she was going.

    She just wanted to disappear somewhere, anywhere¡­.

 Chapter 124: Vacation (2)

    <strong>Vacation (2)</strong>

    ©¤Hey, youngster! Melt the mana stone properly, you brat!

    ©¤First, tell the Hunter¡¯s Guild! We¡¯re offering a 30% discount on the prototype of ¡¸Death Eater¡¹, no, no, just send it! Tell them to send it back if they don¡¯t like it after they¡¯ve tried it!

    The [Valmant Mana Workshop] was bustling with the preparation of a new Magic Spell after a long time.

    ¡°Who does he look like? How would I know that.¡±

    In the rtively quiet workshop, Kanya hung a framed contract on the workshop wall and spoke. Gerkhen picked up the alreadymercialized Magic Spell.

    ¡¸Death Eater¡¹

    : Attribute Reverse Magic Spell :

    : Valmant Mana Workshop :

    : Dale Kal :

    It looked like a thin book. As soon as you open it, there¡¯s a talisman-like paper with a Magic Spell imnted on the first page, and the next few pages are the instructions.

    The instructions are ¡®merely¡¯ four pages long.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like someone from the official system. If he had received a systematic education, he wouldn¡¯t havee to such a deal in the first ce. They wouldn¡¯t make the usage this simple either. Look at the tower mages. They only produceplicated forms.¡±

    This ¡¸Death Eater¡¹ can be used by ordinary people as well. That¡¯s how simple it is to use. Attach the Magic Spell to the flesh, ce the mana stone on top, and ignite it. That¡¯s it. It¡¯s almost like instant rice or frozen chicken breast.

    It would be very useful for hunters who have struggled with the disposal of monster or beast corpses so far.

    Of course, it will soon be used for other illegal purposes as well.

    ¡°Whether he received proper education or not. What does it matter if he¡¯s a mage? If he can invent such a form, that¡¯s what matters, no, that¡¯s what makes him a mage.¡±

    Gerkhen muttered under his breath at Kanya¡¯s words.

    ¡°Could he be from the mage tower?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe a mage who was expelled from the tower? It¡¯s a stroke of luck for us.¡±

    Kanya¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Moreover, the production method is simple. It means he understands all the processes of producing a Magic Spell.¡±

    Dip the paper in the solution of melted mana stone as if you¡¯re doing a first draft, and imnt the Magic Spell on it, and it¡¯s done.

    Kanya looked back at Gerkhen as she poured the mana stone solution into the machine.

    ¡°Hey. Aren¡¯t you excited?¡±

    He was still calm. He¡¯s like a vampire whose heart doesn¡¯t beat at times like this. His face is also pale.

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    Kanya smiled brightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®not really¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®good¡¯, you know? We might have made a connection with a pretty impressive genius.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen closed his eyes for a moment. He sighed softly and shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®we¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®you¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about. Oh right. You beat Shion Ascal, didn¡¯t you? Congrattions~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Gerkhen¡¯sposure was slightly broken. Kanya snickered.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve been pretending not to care?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Gerkhen also slightly avoided her gaze this time.

    ¡°Why then.¡±

    Gerkhen had a consciousness on that rooftop. It was faint, but there was definitely a Memory.

    ¡°¡­¡­Because there¡¯s an unofficial first ce.¡±

    Even though his time had run out, he.

    ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯ had clearly overtaken him.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    How did he know?

    If you ask how he knew¡­

    On the rooftop of the apartment, when Shion, who had passed him, was exhausted and dozing off.

    The moment he fell.

    His¡­ that is, his¡­ that unpleasant part¡­ touched the back of his¡­

    Gerkhen stopped his thoughts.

    He simply responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±

    A shabby building located in a corner of Trick City, 30 minutes away from Valmant Mana Workshop.

    [Selfless Coffin]

    Selfless Coffin. The coffin where the selfless things lie.

    In other words, the coffin of the prosthetic body.

    The exterior looks like an ordinary shop, but it¡¯s where the most perfect doll maker on the continent resides.

    Knock-knock-

    The door opened as soon as I knocked. There was no sign of anyone.

    ¡°¡­¡­May Ie in?¡±

    I stepped forward.

    The interior was heavily marked by time. The wooden tiles creaked with every step, and the empty counter didn¡¯t even have a card reader.

    I nced over the shelves. There were many items: prosthetic arms, prosthetic legs, microscopes,passes, daggers, sses, handguns, and more.

    Ziiing¡ª Ziiing¡ª

    In the midst of this, the sound of welding came from somewhere.

    It¡¯s the workshop beyond the counter.

    I peeked through the slightly open door. Akane, wearing goggles, was engrossed in Artifact creation.

    She must be in the middle of work.

    I shifted my gaze to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the counter. Most of them were Magic Spells or magic-rted books.

    ¡°Are you here?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    I was startled by the sudden voice.

    ¡°When¡­¡­¡±

    I looked back at the gap in the workshop door.

    Still, there was Akane. The sound of welding¡ª Ziiing¡ª echoed just the same.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I turned to look at the one who called me. There was Akane there too.

    Chills ran down my spine-

    ¡°It¡¯s a doll.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I see.

    ¡°Does the doll also create Artifacts? Isn¡¯t there a problem with thepletion?¡±

    ¡°That doll¡¯s consciousness is the same as mine.¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s not about who controls whom.

    Akane in the workshop said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve split the consciousness in two.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    Akane nced at the bookshelf I was looking at.

    ¡°Are you interested in magic?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    ¡°Why not? You should be.¡±

    ¡°Because I have no talent.¡±

    For a moment, her brows furrowed.

    ¡°No talent¡­ Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Akane puckered her lips as if displeased.

    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Can I test you then?¡±

    ¡°A test? All of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no way a talentless kid like you could decipher my business card in just a minute. That in itself is an insult.¡±

    ¡°Business card¡­¡­ Ah, that?¡±

    On the ind, instead of an address or phone number, there was a Magic Spell on the business card she handed me.

    ¡°That was a three-part Magic Form.¡±

    My ¡¸Notepad¡¹ Database is growing day by day. I don¡¯t need to consciously memorize, just observing the process of form manifestation naturally umtes data.

    Thanks to that, I can quickly solve a form that links three Magic Forms.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. It meant she was slightly pissed off just now.

    ¡°The important elements in a Magic Spell are not the numbers of Magic Forms. It¡¯s the density andplexity of the form, and whether the questioner is trying to screw you over.¡±

    Akane bent and straightened the index and middle fingers of both hands. Like rabbit ears, they flickered in a V shape.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®intention¡¯.¡±

    With that, she handed me her business card again.

    ¡°Yes, the Magic Spell on that business card is just three Magic Forms linked together. But it was twisted so that segmentation was necessary. Even at the senior level, there were plenty who couldn¡¯t solve it even if given a month, not a day. You solved it in just one minute.¡±

    Akane turned around roughly.

    ¡°As naturally as reading ordinary letters. Can a talentless child do that?¡±

    She grumbled angrily and strode over to the counter, pulling out ten sheets of paper. She whipped up a form with her own magic on them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 20 minutes.¡±

    She threw the bundle of papers at me. I caught it in surprise.

    ¡°Try to solve it. You don¡¯t have to exin the solution. Just solve it and I¡¯ll give you any Artifact you want.¡±

    Any one.

    It was a slightly heart-throbbing statement.

    Akane is a legendary doll maker and a master craftsman. Not only dolls and prosthetic bodies, but her Artifacts also boast the highest level on the continent.

    ¡°What if I can¡¯t solve it?¡±

    I asked while looking at Akane¡¯s paper. Akane rolled a cigarette.

    ¡°Just pay for the treatment.¡±

    In other words, it¡¯s a no-loss proposal. There¡¯s no reason not to ept it.

    I nodded my head.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡­

    The ten form problems written on the ten sheets of paper that Akane gave me.

    Seven of them were made up of 3-4 Magic Spells, and I understood them the moment I saw them.

    When I stare at the Magic Spell on the paper, the circuit diagram containing the flow of magic naturally ¡®rises¡¯ in my eyes.

    Therefore, I solved seven out of ten in a total of 3 minutes, but I waspletely stuck on the remaining three. One sheet was a 4-part Magic Spell. The other two sheets were 3-part Magic Spells.

    ¡°¡­¡­I surrender.¡±

    I raised both hands.

    10 minutes. If I can¡¯t solve it after looking at it for exactly 10 minutes, I can¡¯t solve it. It means that not I, but the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, can¡¯t solve it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t solve it.¡±

    I returned the answer sheet to Akane. Akane quickly skimmed through it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    And then she silently looked down at me.

    Huuuuuuu¡­¡­ She exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke.

    ¡°You have quite a unique intuition. It seems you don¡¯t even know why you can solve a form or why you can¡¯t.¡±

    She hit the nail on the head.

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    I hid my surprise as best as I could. Akane responded indifferently.

    ¡°Of the three sheets you couldn¡¯t solve, two were initially incorrect forms, and one was a concept that couldn¡¯t be solved by anyone but a magician. From that point of view¡­¡­ your limit is probably around level 4.¡±

    ¡°Level¡± is a term that represents the grade of a Magic Spell.

    Typically, a Magic Spell woven from five Magic Forms is Level 5, and if it¡¯s woven from four, it¡¯s Level 4, and so on. However, there are many exceptions.

    A form woven from four Magic Forms could be soplex that it¡¯s considered Level 5, or a form woven from five could be so simple that it¡¯s considered Level 4.

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Then the test was wrong from the start. What about the Artifact?¡±

    Whoosh-! Akane burned the paper.

    ¡°I intended to give it to you from the start. Instead, exin it to me.¡±

    ¡°Oh. What?¡±

    ¡°How your intuition works.¡±

    Akane¡¯s red eyes were tinged with curiosity.

    ¡°You possess a talent that can¡¯t be bought for any amount of money, and I have an appraisal ability that can¡¯t be obtained for any amount of money.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ what¡­¡­¡±

    I scratched the back of my neck and chuckled awkwardly.

    I can exin it.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I look at the magic cirction process of one Magic Spell, and apply its principle to other Magic Spells.¡±

    However, it seems better not to mention the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ yet.

    Akane nodded her head.

    ¡°Applying one principle to many¡­¡­ An empirical talent heavily skewed towards implementation and verification. You don¡¯t need books or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ick magical ability, so I can¡¯t use it properly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a problem that will be solved someday.¡±

    Akane mumbled as she looked me up and down.

    ¡°For now, build the ¡®foundation¡¯ of your forms. Your talent seems to be one where quantity leads to quality. As you observe and experience, your intuition naturally develops, and efficiency and output will increase. Quantity proceeds Quality.¡±

    Akane stroked her chin and nodded.

    ¡°The underworld or Trick City would be good. Just walking the streets of the city is a learning experience for you. There are many who scatter Magic Spells at will.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I nodded and looked around at the product shelves. I sniffed.

    Everything smelled of money, but there was one item that particrly attracted my senses.

    ¡°¡­¡­You said to choose anything. Then I choose this. This wand.¡±

    A stick as long as my forearm, simr to a magic wand, but slightly longer.

    Its performance must be on another level.

    ¡°You¡¯ve chosen well.¡±

    Akane¡¯s face fell slightly.

    ¡°Is it a cherished item?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s loot. I stole it from an old man who was once my master.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±

    ¡°Take it. The old man is already dead.¡±

    As she handed it over, Akane nced at her watch.

    ¡°Soliette ising tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I had already received a text from Soliette.

    That¡¯s why I purposely came today. To avoid ovepping schedules.

    The two of them need to have their own conversation.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell her?¡±

    Suddenly, Akane asked something strange. I tucked the wand into my waistband as I answered.

    ¡°Tell her what.¡±

    ¡°¡®The Final Knightmare¡¯. You were there too.¡±

    She had already lit a new cigarette.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I chewed on my lip.

    The Final Nightmare. In other words, thest murder of Knightmare.

    The targets were Jared and Felix, and I happened to be near the scene.

    It was the reason Soliette and I got closer before the regression.

    ¡°Do I really need to tell her?¡±

    Ding-

    Just then, my smartphone rang.

    [A: Can I request an open consultation session?]

    A. was a silver spoon from Endex. I looked back at Akane.

    ¡°Do you have any books rted to psychiatry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a doll maker.¡±

    Akane pointed to a bookshelf. It was entirely filled with specialized books on human consciousness, unconsciousness, emotions, mental health, and other aspects of psychiatry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll borrow a few.¡±

    She only raised an eyebrow.

    Ding-

    While I was gathering books, another urgent text came in.

    [A: What should I do when I¡¯m most embarrassed in the world? I mean, when I¡¯ve never been so ashamed in my life. Really¡­¡­]

 Chapter 125: Vacation (3)

    <strong>Vacation (3)</strong>

    [At Your Service: Look up at the sky. Surprisingly, the world may not be interested in us.]

    [A: It¡¯s not about the world. It¡¯s a personal matter. Between individuals. There was a bit of a misunderstanding.]

    [At Your Service: What kind of misunderstanding?]

    [A: Ah; well¡­¡­;]

    I¡¯m walking and replying on my smartphone.

    It¡¯s not entirely wrong advice.

    [A: Just a moment. I need to prepare my mind¡­ I¡¯ll contact you againter.]

    I had ¡®directly memorized¡¯ the specialized books on psychiatry that I borrowed from Akane into my ¡¸Notepad¡¹, just like Latinel.

    Because of its specialized knowledge, it almost took up 10 units of storage.

    I¡¯ll delete it as soon as the consultation is over.

    ©¤Move out of the way!

    Vroom-!

    A skyboard whizzed over my head. It was a board that had been modified with a Magic Spell attached to the engine¡¯s tail, producing more power than the original output.

    It¡¯s quite a dangerous and annoying mode of transportation, but no one on the street finds it strange. They don¡¯t get annoyed or angry. If you did that in the capital, you¡¯d be in handcuffs right away.

    This is Trick City, a city wheremon sense is different.

    Right now, I¡¯m wandering around Trick City not as Shion Ascal, but as ¡®Dale Kal¡¯.

    To practice the training method Akane taught me, and to look for a job.

    ©¤Woohoo~!

    I red at the still buzzing engine of the skyboard with my SZX-9500. Then, the Magic Spell that was invisible to the naked eye was revealed.

    A level 3 Magic Spell. If I had to name it, it would be something like ¡¸eleration¡¹.

    I opened my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡ö Memory

    ¡ö Magic Spell

    A new [Magic Spell] folder I made under [Memory].

    If I recall the actual Magic Spell I just observed here, the Magic Spell is directly turned into a file and pasted.

    ¡ö Magic Spell

    ©¸eleration

    If I save it like this, I can use it whenever I want without having to fumble through the memory. Of course, as long as my magic power allows it.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    I turned to the sudden roaring sound. It was a fierce me. A mushroom-shaped pir of fire erupted and then subsided.

    ©¤Look. This is the performance of the level 5 Magic Spell ¡®Lumir Cube¡¯. You can purchase it right now at a discounted price of 5,999 Ren from ¡®Trinity Industry¡¯.

    The me was level 4, and the cube was level 5. I put their Magic Spells in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ simrly.

    And that¡¯s not all.

    The Magic Spell was installed on the chimney to purify the smoke. A puppy robot whose entire brain is made of Magic Spell. A broom that moves freely in the air and sweeps the floor, and so on¡­

    Trick City, seen through the eyes of the SZX-9500, seems to be alive and breathing with magic. The forms that sprout without any regtion approach me like ¡®particles¡¯.

    Suddenly, I realize Akane¡¯s insight.

    Just walking the streets of Trick City is a learning experience for me.

    She was right.

    Such a variety of forms and free movements of magic piled up at the bottom of my ¡¸Notepad¡¹, and the Database would grow with them as nutrients.

    ¡°¡­Ah, my head.¡±

    Pain surged. It was a side effect of staring at magic for too long. I turned off the SZX-9500, pressing my temples.

    The world returned to its original state.

    Before I knew it, I had reached my destination.

    [Section D-44]

    Section D-44.

    The area closest to the underworld in Trick City. ordingly, it has a dark atmosphere, with neon signs and power lines tangled above the buildings.

    The streets are filled with the corpses of monsters, many stalls selling illegal Artifacts, and the pedestrians are far from ordinary. Masks like gas masks, modified mechanical limbs, and tattoos all over the body aremonce, and at times, even the aura of a ¡®monster¡¯ is detected.

    The reason I came to such a ce was for a bar.

    [A ss of Whiskey]

    A neon sign glows.

    I opened the door to the ce. It was quiet inside as it was daytime. There were only a few customers sprawled on the tables, drunk, and the owner at the counter.

    I approached him.

    ¡°New face in the morning. What can I get you?¡±

    A middle-aged man named Gustav Berenzo, easily over 2 meters tall. It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve seen him, so it¡¯s nice.

    ¡°If it¡¯s your first time, how about ¡®Tears of Baras¡¯, the bartender¡¯s rmended menu item?¡±

    He¡¯s a good guy. Although his past isn¡¯t so great.

    ¡°Work.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find some work.¡±

    Gustav looked at me silently. Soon he hardened his rxed expression and poured beer into arge ss.

    ¡°Young man. Have a drink and go back.¡±

    ¡°Not beer. Do you have ¡®Rail¡¯s Sigh¡¯?¡±

    It¡¯s a code meaning ¡®I came on someone¡¯s rmendation¡¯. Of course, there¡¯s no such introduction.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Gustav scratched his sideburns.

    ¡°What¡­ Do you know about Darkweb? Seems a bit advanced these days.¡±

    ¡°EasyCash.¡±

    I immediately said my ID. Gustav checked it on his smartphone.

    ¡°Level 11¡­ You¡¯re an early adopter, as expected from a young man?¡±

    Most of the experience points came from selling department store gift certificates, but level 11 would be quite high in the D district.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask who the intermediary is. What job should I introduce you to?¡±

    I answered straight away.

    ¡°Mage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gustav blinked his eyes.

    ¡°A mage¡­ Amon yet rare job.¡±

    It means many fraudsters are pretending to be one.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    This bar, Gustav, is a broker. He introduces suitable people to illegal orwless requests.

    The reason I specifically sought him out was because of a lesson I learned from S-ss monster Grawl¡ª who was supposed to be Derek¡¯s coborator in the future.

    ¡°¡­Kal.¡±

    Even if Shion Ascal rises high within Libra, there might be a limit if the manpower and bonds of Libra are as strong as before the regression.

    Therefore, some ¡®pruning¡¯ will be necessary to weaken them from the outside.

    Just as I preemptively excluded Grawl.

    ¡°Dale Kal.¡±

    Dale Kal is a persona created solely for money and revenge.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gustav flicked his finger with a crude expression on his face. A blue barrier appeared around us.

    ¡°Was it you, the mage Kanya mentioned?¡±

    I nodded. Kanya is a street rat from the outskirts of Trick City. After all, she owns 51% of this bar.

    ¡°I wonder why you would take on such a job while selling forms¡­ but everyone¡¯s circumstances differ. I happen to have a job that needs a person.¡±

    Gustav pulled out a file from a drawer under the counter and handed it to me.

    ¡°Do you know the notable figure ¡®Ramil Bara¡¯?¡±

    ¡°The maintainer of the B Section. Isn¡¯t he preparing for an election now?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Some crazy hyenas have grave-robbed his grandfather¡¯s tomb. They even massacred the gravedigger and the guards, taking away the corpse.¡±

    For reference, ¡®hyena¡¯ is a general term for armed organizations in Trick City.

    ¡°The Bara family has hired a mercenary group for now, and some jobs have dropped in the bars. There are more than one or two guys to catch.¡±

    I quickly scanned the file.

    ¡°Our bar got one guy, this ¡®Miller Adams¡¯. He says someone cut off the hand from the grandfather¡¯s corpse and took it. Whether you kill him or capture him alive, it¡¯s 10,000 DP. If you find the hand and return it, it¡¯s 40,000 DP.¡±

    Miller Adams. A man with a shabby impression. A skinny, low-ranking bartender, 183cm tall and weighing 65kg.

    I don¡¯t know him.

    ¡°That¡¯s expensive for a first job.¡±

    ¡°Any leads?¡±

    ¡°The car he drove was found on the outskirts of our Section. We¡¯ve already searched it, but if you want, I can give you the address.¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    I returned the file. As Gustav put it back in the drawer, he asked,

    ¡°Do you have a vehicle?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I silently gestured to one side of the counter. A skyboard was leaning next to the jukebox.

    ¡°May I borrow it?¡±

    It looked quite fun to ride when I saw it earlier.

    Vroom-!

    I stood up the skyboard.

    Gustav gave me the coordinates. There was a car abandoned in the middle of a forest path. The area was chaotic with footprints, indicating many people had already been there.

    I opened the car door right away. The interior was ordinary, but I sat in the dusty back seat.

    Hoo¡­¡­

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

    Slowly, I explored the past contained in this car. I rewound the Memory of the space using the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ©¤I¡¯m leaving!

    At some point, a desperate voice rang out, and I opened my eyes.

    ©¤Fuck that! Tell the boss, that bastard, to answer his phone!

    Miller Adams in the driver¡¯s seat. The man with the same face I saw in the file was furiously on a call.

    I quietly watched him from the back seat.

    ©¤I¡¯ve buried a hand for now. I¡¯ll take it when things calm down.

    He rambled on, wiping the constantly flowing snot and sweat.

    ©¤Why the fuck should I tell you the location, how can I trust you! I didn¡¯t even know this was going to happen in the first ce!

    The car stopped. Vroom- He pulled up the handbrake.

    ©¤Why the fuck is ¡®Paradise¡¯ involved! I thought I was just killing people and digging up graves!

    Miller Adams got out of the car.

    ©¤Listen well. I won¡¯t say a word until my safety is guaranteed¡­¡­

    Thud-!

    The car door closed, and the Memory ended there.

    I rewound time a bit more.

    Not to the ce where the guy ¡®got out¡¯ of the car, but the ce where he first ¡®got in¡¯ the car.

    ©¤Listen well. I won¡¯t say a word until my safety is guaranteed¡­¡­

    Miller Adams returned to the car.

    The car moved backward with the steering wheel gripped.

    The interior scene rewound like that, and soon Adams, covered in dirt as if he had buried something, got in the car.

    ©¤Those fucking bastards think I¡¯m a fool. If a finger is worth a million Ren, how much is a whole hand¡­¡­

    As he started the car, I looked out the window.

    It was a ¡®mountain¡¯.

    Not far from here, the Gern Mountain in Section D-43.

    ¡°¡­¡­End.¡±

    After releasing the Memory, I exited the car and got on the skyboard.

    ¡­¡­

    The Gern Mountain in Section D-43.

    I was moving up the mountain path. Just in case, I held the wand tightly, closed my eyes, and sniffed as a ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹.

    The location naturally became known.

    I don¡¯t know why, but the stolen corpse itself seemed like a treasure.

    Sniff- sniff-

    I stopped at some t ground.

    It¡¯s around here.

    Specifically¡­¡­ right here where I¡¯m standing.

    I tapped the ground with my foot a few times.

    Click- Something was triggered. It was a Magic Spell. It was set to send a signal if someone dug around here.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s good.¡±

    It seemed to be a safety device, but it was rather helpful. I didn¡¯t have to go looking for it, the 10,000 Ren woulde to me.

    Before digging the ground, I stood still and waited.

    Looking at my wristwatch, 5 minutes.

    Yawning, 15 minutes.

    [A: Is it toote? It¡¯s been four hours; please open a session agin].

    [A: Not agin, again].

    While handling [A]¡¯s consultation on my smartphone, 30 minutes.

    Tadadadada-!

    There was a frantic presence at the foot of the mountain.

    At the foot of the mountain. A guy was panting and running towards me.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­ Huh¡­¡­¡±

    The guy, soaked in sweat, red at me.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re justing now. If it¡¯s going to take 30 minutes, what¡¯s the point of setting up the form?¡±

    ¡°You, who the fuck sent-¡±

    The guy immediately pulled out a pistol from his waist. I raised my wand. Iunched a rock from the ground with ¡¸eleration¡¹.

    Bang-!

    Kwaaa¡ª!

    The rock and the bullet were fired simultaneously, but the rock crushed the bullet itself and blew off the guy¡¯s right hand entirely.

    Kua, Kuaaaa¡ª¡ª!

    The guy, missing his hand, screamed and writhed before fainting.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s level 3.¡±

    I was slightly surprised.

    The performance itself was paradoxical.

    I had only manifested the eleration form I saw this morning in the same way¡­

    If a 3rd level has this much output, it¡¯s not a lie to say it¡¯s 4th level, no, a 5th level.

    ¨C I was thinking such things when¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤Whiiiiii.

    The vibration of magic is transmitted through matter. A tremor in the space.

    Killing intent.

    Instinctively, my Perion surged. The speed of my thoughts dramatically upgraded.

    In that state, I stared into the distance.

    A blue line of light was closing in. It was a sniping form, fired from somewhere in the mountain range.

    The moment I realized the surprise attack, my R-elix activated. My left arm heated up as if it was on fire. The pebbles on the pavement rose up, forming some kind of shield.

    Chrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    That stone shield blocked the iing blue line of light. It forcibly held the rotating object by counter-rotating it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I quietly looked at it. It was a bullet condensed with magic.

    The bullet, losing its magic slowly after being blocked by the shield, had four forms embedded.

    Thanks to Perion, the entire purpose and principle were quickly deciphered.

    ¡¸Magic Bullet¡¹,¡¸Rotation¡¹,¡¸Detonation¡¹, ¡¸Tracking¡¹.

    I naturally thought of new ways to utilize these forms.

    I reached out my wand to the stopped bullet. I applied the form ¡¸eleration¡¹.

    Whirrrrr¡­¡­

    The magic bullet rotates while stuck in the shield, and I re-activate it by blowing magic into the opponent¡¯s still-existing form.

    However, I modified the trajectory and path.

    It was simple.

    Just reverse the circuits of the form that I see now.

    Krrrrrrk¡­¡­

    ¡¸eleration¡¹ is bing too advanced to hold, and the form I edited changes the bullet¡¯s trajectory.

    The same trajectory it took to reach me.

    The direction of the shot is reversed.

    I anchor the angle and fire it.

    ©¤©¤Boom.

    The moment I let go of the bullet I had been holding, a strange sense of relief spread throughout my body, and the next moment¡­

    Kwaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Blue magic burst through the air. I quietly watched the stem rising like aet.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe it.

    I had merely reused the opponent¡¯s Magic Spell and returned it.

    But mines was at least four times thicker andrger than his.

 Chapter 126: Vacation (4)

    <strong>Vacation (4)</strong>

    Whiiiiii¡­¡­

    The reflected Magic Bullet struck the ridge of the mountain, causing an explosion visible to the eye.

    I zoomed in on the impact point with my SZX-9500. A deep crater had been formed, but the opponent seemed to have already fled.

    There was no need to pursue. Instead, I picked up my smartphone. I sent my current coordinates and a message to Gustav.

    [Miller Adams and the item are secured. However, there was a tail.]

    My goal is not to pursue and kill. As long as I keep the item and target secure, that¡¯s enough.

    Gustav replied immediately.

    [Gus: Confirmed. I¡¯ve informed the client. Their people will be dispatched soon. Please hand it over.]

    While waiting for them, I resumed my consultation with [A].

    [Are you ready?]

    [A: Yes. Sorry for thete reply. Even expressing my feelings in words is difficult right now.]

    [That¡¯s alright. So let me ask again ¨C what misunderstanding is it?]

    About five minutes must have passed.

    Thump- Thump-

    Regr footsteps. Three men in suits emerged from the darkness of the mountain path. They looked alternately at Miller Adams, whose right hand had exploded, and me.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll hand him over. The item?¡±

    he man who looked like the leader, still grasping Miller Adams, asked me. I stomped on the ground with my foot. The leader gestured. Two other men in suits rushed over, and I stepped aside.

    They dug up the ground.

    Boom-!

    There was a momentary explosion of a magic mine, but they quickly found the box and pulled it out.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    I looked at it. Indeed, a human hand was contained inside, but for some reason, the ¡®Treasure Hunter¡¯ kept reacting.

    The suit leader spoke.

    ¡°Yes. Confirmed. The payment will be made shortly. Goodbye.¡±

    He was about to leave when he suddenly looked back at me.

    ¡°Gustav said you¡¯re a mage.¡±

    The standard for a mage in Trick City is infinitely lower than in a magic tower or a monastery. If you can use Magic Spells to a certain extent, you¡¯re treated as a mage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone in this city who ims to be a mage¡­¡­ Well.¡±

    He nced at the mountain ridge. The ce where the guy who had just sniped at me had been.

    ¡°Two magic bullets. No, one. Did you urately reverse the enemy¡¯s form and reflect it back?¡±

    The remnants of Magic Spells linger for quite a while. Unless artificially erased.

    So, this man detected the traces and trajectories of the lingering magic in the air, reconstructed those subtle clues in his head, and grasped the situation.

    In other words©¤©¤he¡¯s a ¡®real¡¯ mage.

    ¡°You might be real. I don¡¯t know why a real one would stay in Section D.¡±

    A real one, saying to the fake that he might be real.

    ¡°Quick work. Senator Ramil Bara will also be pleased.¡±

    They left like that, and I sat down on a rock in the middle of the mountain.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±

    I reopened the consultation session that had been in progress.

    * * *

    Late at night. Elise was nkly staring at the sky. Clear daylight. She was watching the movement of the clouds flowing between the trees, resembling the fluid dynamics of magic.

    [It¡¯s a personal misunderstanding. I thought someone had special feelings for me, but it turned out to be a ridiculous delusion¡­]

    Elise tapped on the smartphone keyboard.

    It was embarrassing to talk about the misunderstanding, but if she couldn¡¯t honestly confess her feelings, it wouldn¡¯t be a consultation.

    [At Your Service: Hmm. In that case, it might be more straightforward. People don¡¯t think about others for very long. You might obsess over the thought, but the other person has likely already forgotten.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The argument that she was obsessing too much on her own.

    Indeed, Shion had no sign of mockery, even when revealing himself as the Secret Friend.

    No, he doesn¡¯t mock anyone in the first ce.

    That¡¯s the kind of person he is.

    Elise took a deep breath. Her stifling chest seemed to gradually calm down.

    [I wonder why I had such a misunderstanding.]

    The thoughts and emotions of a mere human are moreplex than magic.

    Is it because when one gets obsessed with something, they be blind? Despite the too apparent reason of ¡®Secret Friend¡¯, I, who misunderstood that ¡®he likes me¡¯, am a fool, a lunatic-

    [At Your Service: Well, humans tend to think in their favor or towards what¡¯s familiar to them when faced with the unknown.]

    Elise¡¯s mouth slightly opened.

    So, did her unconscious harbor the wish that Shion Ascal liked her?

    That¡¯s ridiculous.

    She hastily tapped on her smartphone.

    [That¡¯s ridiculous.]

    [At Your Service: How about you move and check whether it¡¯s ridiculous or not? It¡¯s better than getting angry for no reason or doing nothing.]

    Blushing Elise sat up. [At Your Service]¡¯s reply continued.

    [At Your Service: There¡¯s one thing for sure. People sometimes whine that ¡®I don¡¯t even know myself¡¯, but knowing oneself is somewhat easier than knowing others.]

    Elise read his sentence.

    Knowing oneself is easier than knowing others.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    She nkly replied because it was too urate.

    She ced her smartphone on her chest. Her heart felt much more at ease.

    This is why people seek counseling.

    Elise had never had such an experience. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of conversation. She didn¡¯t have anyone to confide in.

    Having received education on manners and etiquette from the age of two as a child of the Petra family, and having been instilled with the ¡®Stoic Philosophy¡¯ that pursues multifaceted perfection as a noble, counseling was an impossible dream.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a strange thought crossed her mind.

    If Yael had had a channel like this. If he could confess his feelings to someone like she was doing now.

    Could he have avoided his current downfall?

    Elise picked up her smartphone again.

    [I¡¯ll deposit.]

    She checked her ount.

    [9,120]

    9,120 Ren. The pocket money left after deducting the financial products she invests in every month.

    She converted all of it into department store gift cards and transferred them.

    This person is worth that much.

    Nine 1,000 Ren department store gift cards.

    Having received a whopping 9,000 Ren as a consultation fee, I am walking down the mountain road.

    But my vision keeps shaking.

    My feet be four, then three, then two, then four again.

    Cough-!

    Staggering, I coughed. A mouthful of blood flowed. Dark red droplets spread on the pavement. I stared nkly at the pattern.

    Ding-

    My phone rm rang.

    [Gus: I confirmed the missionpletion. But you. Lato, that psycho-like mage recognized you, didn¡¯t he? How did you do it? Tell me over a drinkter.]

    So that mage was Lato.

    He looks a lot different in my memory, but if that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s a real psycho. A psycho who modifies his entire body with machines due to his obsession with magic.

    I walked without replying.

    Thud- I tripped over a rock.

    Is the grounding towards me, or am I falling towards the ground?

    I fell t.

    My face was buried in rocks and dirt.

    I couldn¡¯t breathe. My Magic Core felt like it was on fire. It was the side effect of overusing Perion and Magic Spells simultaneously. It was a pain of a different dimension.

    Rustle-!

    Suddenly, someone¡¯s shoended in front of my nose.

    Is it an enemy?

    Or just a passerby?

    I don¡¯t have the luxury to think.

    My body is stretching, and my consciousness is fading.

    I slowly closed my eyes¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­I opened my eyes.

    It was an unfamiliar ceiling.

    ¡°?¡±

    I looked nkly around. There was a strong smell of oil, and bright sunlight poured in from the window.

    It was morning already.

    ¡°What the.¡±

    I slowly sat up.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    My whole body felt like it would break, but I forced myself to stand on two legs. I opened the door.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The interior was familiar.

    No, it was the ce I had visited just yesterday.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    Selfless Coffin.

    Akane was sitting at the counter. She was reading a book and said,

    ¡°Thepletion of your facial disguise is quite high. It doesn¡¯t fall off even when you lose consciousness.¡±

    I touched my face. There was a scar on my left eyelid. It still meant Dale Kal.

    ¡°But the most important aspect is the ¡®ear¡¯. Everyone cares about the eyes, nose, and mouth, but they neglect the ears. Ears are like wrinkles on a person, 99% of humans can be distinguished by the shape of the ears.¡±

    Ipletely removed my disguise. Akane lit a cigarette and asked.

    ¡°Is your body okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Did you save me?¡±

    Akane raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you overuse a form without a Magic Body.¡±

    Magic Spell puts a heavy load on the body. That¡¯s why most mages turn on their Magic Body when they deploy a form, or magic. They try to filter the reaction of magic through the belt and lines¡ªOne Belt, Four Lines.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a belt and lines, so you had no choice.¡±

    Akane poked at my sore spot.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not all bad. It means you use magic directly without filtering, processing, or dilution. In that case, the form¡¯s response, coordination, and deployment speed greatly increase. However, there is a high risk of your body breaking down like yesterday.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Were you watching me?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like I have that much time?¡±

    Akane pulled a travel bag from under the counter.

    ¡°Ramil Bara. That man also asked me for a request.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But what¡¯s the point of grave robbing? There was something on the body.¡±

    She replied as she packed various things into her travel bag.

    ¡°Ramil Bara¡¯s grandfather was a high-ranking mage. But recently, a strange rumor spread. They say that if you boil and eat his body, which was built with essence, your magic power will surge, and the origin of your magic will change.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The usage is quite harsh. Is that why Paradise showed interest? To boil and eat the corpse?¡±

    Akane, who was shaking the skin lotion bottles near her ear to figure out how much was left, suddenly stopped.

    She turned to me and asked.

    ¡°Paradise?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Paradise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Paradise is a rift in the underworld. Think of it as a dungeon somewhere in the underworld. You can only enter if you are invited, and even if you are invited, you have to be prepared to lose your life. It¡¯s a danger zone different from the underworld, literally a dungeon.

    It¡¯s home to the most heinous criminals, the ones who have been ostracized from the continent and have be ¡®beings who are non-human¡¯¡­¡­

    That¡¯s what they say, but I¡¯ve never been there personally.

    ¡°Paradise.¡±

    Akane, who seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, suddenly.

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    She seemed to understand on her own, and she mmed her travel bag shut. With it slung over her shoulder, she hopped off the counter.

    ¡°What, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Paradise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Leaving that word, she briskly left Selfless Coffin.

    ¡°What the¡­¡­.¡±

    Ding-

    The notification of the ringing smartphone.

    ¡°Ah. Right.¡±

    [Libra Nurturing Program Schedule Notice]

    Libra Nurturing Program.

    ¡°I had this.¡±

    I was invited to it at the beginning of the semester by Belingham Kantar.

    * * *

    The nurturing program. This program, typically for university students, is hosted byrge corporations and major families. It aims to provide promising individuals from the continent with opportunities for top-tier nurturing, training, and education.

    Among these, the Libra Training Program is top-rated and well-regarded, so today, even Elise is at the Aerial Garden.

    There are barely ten high school students invited to this top-tier program. La, Elise, Soliette, Gerkhen, Kain, Mel, and the rest are all university students.

    ¡°The Aerial Garden is really beautiful, isn¡¯t it, Elly?¡±

    At La¡¯s words, Elise merely shrugged her shoulders. She didn¡¯t particrly want to praise another family.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    La, looking somewhere, widened her eyes. Elise didn¡¯t pay any attention.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Shion?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    She hurriedly looked in that direction.

    Indeed, there was Shion.

    He held a Libra ck card in one hand and a duffle bag in the other.

    ¡°Why is he here?¡±

    Elise had the same question, but someone else approached and stood next to him.

    It was Soliette.

    La narrowed her eyes and smirked.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Elly, don¡¯t they seem to have gotten close?¡±

    Elise hesitated before answering.

    ¡°¡­Seems so.¡±

    She didn¡¯t really care.

    All she could do now was hope, very slowly.

    That Shion Ascal¡¯s life would finally get on track, even now.

    ©¤©¤Wee to all of you participating in the Libra program.

    ¡°Wow! Elly, look over there!¡±

    The 3rd Section of the Aerial Garden. The entrance to the dormitory for the training program participants.

    ¡°That¡¯s Belingham Kantar!¡±

    La made hearts with her eyes as she looked at the handsome man with grey hair.

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    Even though she said that, to Elise¡¯s eyes, he was a rather perfect man.

    He was a member of the Golden Trio ten years ago.

    Belingham Kantar. Theia Esil. Akane Kedzen.

    ©¤©¤First, we will assign numbers for the smooth progress of the program.

    Belingham looked somewhere with a small smile. Elise also looked where he was looking.

    Shion Ascal.

    He looked back at Belingham expressionlessly.

    ©¤©¤We will assign them randomly, so everyone should now wear the ¡®smart watch¡¯ that I will distribute¡­

 Chapter 127: Vacation (5)

    <strong>Vacation (5)</strong>

    The nurturing program overseen by Libra is held only once a year. It¡¯s entirely free, and they even provide schrships. As a result, countless university students apply, and only a tiny fraction are selected.

    Therefore, naturally, the number of high school students is scarce.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find Shion here.¡±

    In the hallway of Libra¡¯s Section 3 dormitory, Soliette spoke as we walked side by side.

    Whether it was because of her or because I was an unfamiliar face, the surrounding university students were sending me res mixed with envy and jealousy.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here either.¡±

    At that, Soliette gave a smallugh.

    ¡°It just happened that way. It¡¯s been quite a while since we¡¯ve seen each other, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. How did it go with Akane?¡±

    I asked about Akane.

    ¡°Did you get any information?¡±

    ¡°No. We met and even had a conversation, but there were no particr clues¡­¡±

    I nced at her sideways.

    The faint change in her expression. The small breath. The gaps between her words. From all of that, I noticed her lie.

    There was something.

    But it¡¯s not something I should get involved in. It¡¯s between Akane and Soliette.

    ¡°Which room is Shion in?¡±

    Soliette casually changed the subject.

    ¡°Room 33.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in room 32. Right across from you. How interesting.¡±

    ¡°We were together when we got the keys.¡±

    I opened the door to room 33. It was a single room, much better than a temporary shelter.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    I looked at my smartwatch. It was 9 AM. The official orientation wasn¡¯t until after 11.

    ¡°Let¡¯s unpack and meet upter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Shion. Rest well.¡±

    Soliette went into her room. I closed my door as well.

    After unpacking my things, I stood in the middle of the room.

    I looked around the interior.

    It was quiet and serene. A suitable environment for concentration.

    My physical condition wasn¡¯t too bad. At least it wasn¡¯t as bad as yesterday.

    I closed my eyes for a moment. I took a deep breath. I breathed magic into the R-elix.

    Whooosh¡­

    The debris in the room began to float.

    Particles as fine as dust, hidden in ces that hadn¡¯t been cleaned or couldn¡¯t be cleaned, gathered in front of my eyes, the size of a fist.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Watching the phenomenon, I bit my lip slightly.

    Indeed, this R-elix seems to have absorbed an aspect of the monster Grawl. The problem is that I still can¡¯t be sure what that ¡®aspect¡¯ is.

    In the worst case, I might have to undergo surgery to remove the R-elix.

    Whoosh- I waved my hand. The stone debris moved with my gesture. I manipted it into various shapes. Star, circle, cookie, cat¡­

    As I watched, I muttered to myself.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

    ©¤Are you talking about me?

    ¡°?¡±

    I blinked my eyes.

    Just now, this gravel debris cat, or rather, the cat-shaped R-elix, or whatever it was, seemed to have spoken.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ©¤Yes?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I took a step back. I gripped the back of a chair. If necessary, I was ready to swing it.

    ¡°Are you Grawl?¡±

    ©¤I don¡¯t think so.

    The cat spoke. I furrowed my brow.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think so? What kind of vague answer is that?¡±

    I released my grip on the chair.

    I still don¡¯t know what phenomenon this is, but it must be due to my R-elix.

    ©¤Yes. I¡¯m not ¡®that¡¯ Grawl. I¡¯m a virus reconstructed based on Grawl¡¯s existence information.

    ¡°A virus?¡±

    Could the name of this C-ss R-elix itself be ¡°virus¡±?

    ¡°So, you¡¯re born from Grawl¡¯s existence information¡­ like DNA?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Rather, it is closer to a direct descendant of Grawl.

    ¡°But why do you talk like that?¡±

    It¡¯s too light and childish. The Grawl in my Memory is different from this.

    ©¤©¤Is this what you want?

    His voice suddenly deepened. The cat lowered its back and raised its tail.

    Nyaa¡ª

    ¡°Go back to the normal.¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    The cat sat on its hind legs. It spoke again in a childlike voice.

    ©¤I¡¯m a virus. I was born based on Grawl¡¯s magic. Initially, I tried to invade your consciousness. I tried to take control of the brain through the R-elix.

    He was quite honest about trying to take over my entire body.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty bold.¡±

    ©¤But it was impossible. I can¡¯t rebel against you. Your body has an unusually strong immunity to magical entities like me.

    ¡°¡­¡­So. Have you been in my body since the time I killed Grawl?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Since then, I¡¯ve been forming a personality that you would like and not be bothered by.

    The cat meowed andughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who saved me from the sniper, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ©¤Yes. If you die, I disappear as well. I can do various things. Right now, it¡¯s just ¡¸Automatic Defense¡¹ and ¡¸Tracking¡¹. Please teach me Magic Spell.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Grawl¡¯s virus.

    In other words, a magical entity reconstructed based on Grawl¡¯s existence information.

    It¡¯s over-spec for a C-ss R-elix, but if it¡¯s upgraded to B~B+ like ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ because of me, I can understand this level of intelligence. From B-ss R-elix, they have a double-edged nature.

    ¡°So, you want to maintain consciousness?¡±

    ©¤No. I don¡¯t particrly want to form consciousness. I just don¡¯t want to die. My goal is just survival.

    Survival. I carefully examine the cat.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a threat. His ims that I¡¯m immune to magical interference seem true.

    ©¤Can you feed me? I like to eat in this form.

    ¡°Food?¡±

    ©¤Mana stone and mana core.

    ¡°¡­¡­You eat expensive stuff.¡±

    ©¤If I eat that, I can form a self-magic circuit. I can be more helpful to you. I want to eat not only a lot but also good quality stuff.

    He¡¯s pretty demanding.

    I first extracted about 5 units of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹¡¯s capacity as a mana core. He ate it crunchily, like a fish.

    ©¤Delicious.

    Then, its appearance became more distinctive. The appearance that seemed like a pile of gravel turned into a baby cat that looked like a real creature.

    ©¤Should I anchor this appearance?

    ¡°Anchor?¡±

    ©¤I will appear in this form in the ¡®virtual world¡¯ from now on. You can also give me freedom! I can roam around.

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust you that much.¡±

    ©¤Why is that?

    The cat¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°You just admitted to trying to take over my body three minutes ago.¡±

    ©¤I also added that it was impossible. Your immune system is something I can never defy.

    Knock-knock-

    The sound of a knock. I looked in that direction. Grawl also lowered his posture, on guard.

    ©¤Shion. Are you there?

    It was Soliette¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yeah. Come in.¡±

    She opened the door.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much¡­¡­.?¡±

    Soliette looked at my desk. There was a cat I had forgotten to retrieve.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ um. No.¡±

    Soliette inadvertently let out an exmation, then quickly stiffened her face.

    ¡°Why did you bring a kitten?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. It was too quiet.¡±

    The cat meowed. Soliette¡¯s expression softened again. She approached, her lips trembling.

    ¡°Here¡¯s this month¡¯s sry.¡±

    She handed me an envelope. It contained 20,000 Ren.

    ¡°¡­¡­This month? I haven¡¯t done anythingtely.¡±

    ¡°I consider connecting you with Miss Akane as part of the job.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Did she just consider that day as just another day at work?

    Soliette, sitting in the chair, tapped the desk with her hand. The cat approached her. With a soft smile, she suddenly said.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Then, a small smile spread on my lips.

    The words ¡®part¡¯ of a job.

    Yes, a part of the ¡®job.¡¯

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even properly say thank you. I just fainted in the middle.¡±

    While Soliette busily petted the cat with her two fingers, she looked at me. I sat on the bed, facing her.

    ¡°What. We agreed to go together to the end.¡±

    To the end.

    The end of Knightmare.

    And¡­¡­ to my end.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    I ask, hopefully.

    I hope you live at least longer than me.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t think there was a use ¡®to the end¡¯ in the contract.¡±

    Soliette smiled mischievously, seemingly pleased.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    She nodded her head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together, to the end. Shion Ascal.¡±

    * * *

    ©¤©¤The Libra nurturing program helps you blossom your talents.

    In Libra¡¯s conference room, I¡¯m sitting there where the O.T is in full swing.

    ©¤©¤Every evening, Libra will invite world-renowned schrs, mages, and knights to be with you. Of course, you can also use Libra¡¯s advanced training facilities at that time. Participation is entirely voluntary.

    But some ufortable guys are sitting on opposite ends of me. Gerkhen on the left, Elise on the right. Especially Elise, she keeps ncing at me.

    ©¤©¤First, on the paper distributed, there is a program prepared for today.

    [Dungeon Capture]

    [Teaming]

    [Magic Implementation]

    [Form Invention Practice]

    ¡­¡­There were many other programs. I checked Dungeon Capture.

    Scratch-

    I heard the sound of checking from the side. It was Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Reflecting on it, ¡®Dungeon Capture¡¯ seemed like it will be too packed.

    After some thought, I changed it to ¡®Teaming¡¯.

    *Shick-*

    The sound of a checkmark being made came from the side. It was Elise again.

    I turned to look at her. Elise was there, her chin in her hand, her face indifferent.

    ©¤©¤So. We¡¯ll run the program from 1 to 5, and gather again in the evening.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Belingham Kantar, in charge of the ¡®Teaming¡¯ program.¡±

    Aerial Garden. A state-of-the-art artificial magic space of Libra, equipped with thirty total magic spaces.

    Program manager Belingham looked around at the 26 college students and 4 high school students and spoke.

    ¡°Teaming is exactly what it sounds like. A knight and a mage form a team and spend a long time syncing their breathing before moving. Why do you think that is?¡±

    I looked to the side. Elise was there.

    Usually, she would be the one to answer such questions, but she was unusually quiet today. More than that, I wondered why she kept standing beside me.

    ¡°Because magic and swordsmanship cannot distinguish friend from foe. To avoid harming allies, you need to coordinate your movements, and as the number of people increases to three or four, theplexity increases exponentially, right?¡±

    Belingham continued.

    ¡°So, a knight and a mage form a team, and once they form a team, they operate together for a very long time. That¡¯s ¡®Teaming¡¯.¡±

    Belingham Kantar shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°That¡¯s also why there are so many knight-mage couples. At the same time, it¡¯s also why the divorce rates are high.¡±

    Peopleughed. Elise also twitched her lips as if trying not tough.

    ¡°Of course, Teaming doesn¡¯t happen in a short time, but experiencing it through the program will be helpful in the future. Now¡­ there are four senior magic high students here, right?¡±

    Gerkhen. Elise. Me. Soliette.

    Soliette and Gerkhen were already surrounded by college students, and Elise was beside me.

    ¡°In Teaming, the mage¡¯s opinion is important. In fact, in all situations, a mage is more valuable than a knight. In that regard, the students who aspire to be mages will choose the knights.¡±

    Belingham paused for a moment.

    ¡°Would it be okay to give the seniors priority?¡±

    Then he looked at me.

    No, he looked at Elise next to me.

    ¡°Miss Elise. Among the seniors, you¡¯re the only one who aspires to be a mage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise seemed to ponder for a moment, her fist tightly clenched. Her lips pouted. Then she raised a finger. She pointed to her side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it with him.¡±

    ¡­¡­It was me.

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Hmm. Unexpected.¡±

    Belingham raised an eyebrow, and Soliette and Gerkhen turned to look at us.

    -Are you crazy?

    I tried to protest by mouthing it to her, but Elise didn¡¯t flinch.

    * * *

    After the team formation was over.

    The two of us entered the magic space. It was a in with a grid pattern.

    I guess phantom beasts will soon be rushing in from all directions.

    ©¤The Teaming program will start soon. Monsters will swarm in endlessly. There¡¯s a small reward if you can hold out until the ninth wave. Try to distribute your stamina and movements as efficiently as possible.

    How should the route be decided? How should the strategy be set?

    Elise was pondering over these aspects.

    ¡°Do you have a strategy in mind?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m nning on trying my best.¡±

    Shion was enthusiastic.

    After all, Libra would be watching this program. The high-ranking members of that family would record and rey the program.

    There was a reason for Shion, a loyal servant of Libra, to perform as well as possible.

    Shion drew his sword. It was ordinary, but sharp.

    ¡°¡­Is it a sword you bought yourself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom. Not particrly good.¡±

    Elise nodded.

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion looked at her. Elise swallowed and averted her gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    She had inadvertently evaluated its worth.

    ¡°¡­Never mind. They¡¯reing.¡±

    Shion pointed to the other side. Dark wolves were gathered in a pack. They were Dire Wolves.

    ¡°You go ahead first. I¡¯ll support you while watching how you do.¡±

    Shion nodded and took a few steps forward. Elise retreated to a safe distance.

    ©¤The round begins.

    With the sound of Belingham¡¯s voice, the wolves rushed in like a wave. Shion reached for his sword.

    At that moment, an all-out battle erupted.

    Swish©¤©¤!

    Unsheathing.

    The sword, drawn like a crescent moon, swept across the front. About six wolves were cut down at once, and he plunged into the gap in the enemy lines he had created, embracing all the danger.

    He twisted his body and swung his sword among the countless wolves. It was as dazzling and brilliant as when he defeated Gerkhen.

    Elise provided cover for him. She used telekinesis to knock down the wolves targeting his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the ones at your feet and above your head. Don¡¯t deliberately lower or raise your stance. Just focus on the front.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    This in itself was Teaming. A process of understanding between the mage and the knight,plementing each other¡¯s deficiencies or inefficiencies.

    In that regard, Elise found Shionfortable.

    This is how it usually is.

    The mage isfortable, while the knight doesn¡¯t protect himself and takes on all the risk instead. All she has to do is check the areas his sword can¡¯t reach, maintain the barrier, and prepare for any surprise attacks.

    Even as this was happening, the wolves¡¯ heads were flying in the sky. Two or three wolves were killed every second.

    Shion was calmly piercing only the vital points of the enemy, even in the midst of them¡­.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    At some point, Elise found herself nkly staring at him. She was admiring him as he swung his sword, dripping with sweat.

    Perhaps it was because it was rare to see a swordsman who would take on such risks for a mage.

    Or maybe.

    It was because his swordsmanship, his style as a swordsman, was urgent, dramatic, and dynamic.

    He effortlessly wielded all sorts of irregr sword techniques, as if slicing through space itself. His form was so¡­

    Elegant to watch.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t know.

    For now, she was merely assisting him with her telekinesis.

    As time passed, the endless waves of wolves began to thin until only one remained.

    Squish¡ª!

    Shion¡¯s sword pierced through its gut.

    ©¤The battle is over. There is a 5-minute break.

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    Shiony down, still clutching his sword. Elise approached him and asked him.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll recover soon.¡±

    He looked up at the sky with a sweat-soaked face. Elise sat down, her knees drawn up.

    She murmured while ncing at him.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Shion turned to look at her.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise slouched.

    They had just finished the first wave.

    There were still eight stages left, but suddenly¡­

    ¡°You know, this might be out of the blue¡­¡­¡±

    A question had popped into her mind.

    ¡°What if¡­¡­ there¡¯s someone who has wronged you greatly.¡±

    Elise shook her head, correcting herself.

    ¡°No, someone who has been wronging you¡­¡­ what would you do if they apologized?¡±

    She nced at Shion as she asked.

    He immediately retorted.

    ¡°Do you have something to apologize for?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Idiot. I¡¯m just asking.¡±

    In truth, it was advice from ¡®At Your Service¡¯.

    Take action. Approach first. She was practicing both at the same time.

    Shion sighed.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d ask. Why apologize now of all times?¡±

    Elise¡¯s lips were dry.

    ¡°¡­¡­And then?¡±

    She asked what woulde next. At that, Shion sat up, looking into her eyes as he spoke.

    ¡°Why do we havews and police if an apology can end everything?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    It was then, as Elise simultaneously epted and became dispirited by his answer.

    ©¤©¤Wave 2 begins. This time, it¡¯s golems.

    The second wave was golems. Shion suddenly put a hand to his ear.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah?¡±

    He seemed to be having a conversation with someone.

    Indeed, a voice flowed into his ear.

    ©¤That golem is made of high-quality mana stones and a mana core. Can I attach myself to your sword? I think I can absorb it.

    Shion nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s make a profit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Elise asked, her face slightly gloomy but deliberately distorted to hide her feelings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for the next wave.¡±

    Shion gripped his sword. Its de was dyed the color of crimson gravel.

 Chapter 128: What you Desire (1)

    <strong>What you Desire (1)</strong>

    The second wave. The number of golems was fewer than the wolves. There were only three, but they were not stone golems. They were crystal golems.

    ©¤They look delicious.

    As Grawl, who was attached to the surface of the sword, said, the crystal golems were extremely valuable as material. If they were golems from Libra, they would naturally be of the highest grade.

    ¡°Can you create a one-on-one situation with telekinesis?¡±

    I asked Elise. Elise responded as if it wasn¡¯t difficult.

    ¡°Go and grab one. I¡¯ll neutralize the other golems¡¯ attacks.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I trust you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤Wave 2 begins.

    The rest period had just ended. This time, I was the one who charged in first. I thrust my sword at thergest of the golems.

    Ching-! I couldn¡¯t even scratch it, but Fizz-! Grawl chewed on the surface of the crystal.

    ©¤Delicious.

    Boom! The golem swung its arm. I rolled to dodge. The other two golems pounded their fists down at me, who was stuck to the ground.

    Thud-!

    It was blocked by Elise¡¯s ¡¸Telekic Shield¡¹.

    I didn¡¯t need to worry about the two smaller ones.

    I only unfolded my swordsmanship against thergest one. I poured out the Five-Flower Form and Eclipse.

    Bang-! Bang-! Bang-!

    The sound of a hammer pounding echoed from the golem, and every time the sword touched it, Grawl swallowed a part of it.

    ©¤Delicious.

    Thud-! Bang-! The other two¡¯s attacks were still defended by Elise. If she made a mistake, my head would be smashed, but this was the teaming process.

    A mage trusts a knight, and a knight trusts a mage.

    However, if this drags on, my stamina will be depleted.

    Before I got tired, I activated the ¡¸SZX-9500¡¹. I observed its mana core. I focused on stabbing that exact spot. The sword¡¯s tip kept sliding like it was striking ice, but at some point.

    Crack©¤©¤!

    It slightly prated.

    ¡°Pull it!¡±

    I pushed in hard and asked Elise. Elise pulled the sword stuck in the golem with telekinesis.

    Crack©¤©¤!

    Thanks to her, the sword properly prated the mana core, and Grawl, who had burrowed in, devoured it greedily.

    ©¤Delicious!!!!!

    Crack-!

    The golem, whose mana core was torn, soon disintegrated into ordinary crystals. Its cross-section was hideous, like rats had gnawed on it.

    ng-! ng-!

    The remaining two were still pounding on me.

    But there wasn¡¯t a single wound. Thanks to Elise¡¯s magical ¡¸Telekic Shield¡¹.

    ©¤I¡¯ve eaten it all.

    Swish! I pulled out the sword and turned my body. I immediately cut off another golem¡¯s arm.

    Slice-

    The de that had been bluntly hitting until now, cut the golem like butter. Grawl¡¯s sharpness was on another level.

    ¡°Good performance.¡±

    It was worth feeding.

    I stuck my sword into the mana core of the second golem. Crack- Grawl devoured it all. Thest, third golem was also consumed in the same way.

    ©¤I¡¯m full. I need time to digest it now.

    Seemingly soaked in satisfaction, it left those words and returned to being a R-elix.

    ©¤©¤Wave 2 ends.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡±

    I leaned on my sword, panting heavily. My stamina would recover quickly, but there were still seven waves left.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Elise asked. I nodded my head.

    ¡°Is this the second wave? The level of university students is high. Are they all geniuses?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Get a grip. The real geniuses who have made it to the orbit don¡¯t even participate in the program.¡±

    Elise, who said so, was also perfectly fine. Perhaps because she, too, is a ¡®real¡¯ one. The difference in ss is striking.

    I got up, patting my waist. Elise asked again.

    ¡°Not giving up?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Never. There are many eyes watching.¡±

    At least to Libra, I must appear to be a useful entity.

    ¡°Then listen carefully. I¡¯ll help as much as I can.¡±

    Elise raised her finger.

    ¡°In teaming, attack and defense must be in harmony. So far, you¡¯ve been the only one attacking, but from now on, you can lean on me.¡±

    I looked at Elise. It was too awkward to see her offering help.

    Why is she acting like this these days?

    ¡°When it¡¯s tough¡­¡­ are you listening?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Keep talking.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to reject help when it¡¯s offered.

    Elise probably knows more about teaming than I do.

    ¡°When fighting, you don¡¯t have to go all out every moment. It means you can rest by just defending moderately and leaving it to me¡­¡­¡±

    The waves continued one after another. During this process, Elise watched Shion Ascal. She took in every aspect of him with her clear eyes.

    Free from prejudice and bias, just as he is.

    Elise supported him.

    He defended herself.

    Her telekinesis aided his sword, and his sword acted as her barrier.

    They made a good team. It was a perfect fit.

    She had never been thispatible with anyone else.

    The problem was, as always, Shion¡¯s stamina.

    Elise remembered something Gerkhen once said.

    Hecks stamina and can¡¯t maintain his full power for long. If he could fight a long battle, he could easily perform the duties of a ¡®queen¡¯, but because he can¡¯t, he¡¯s a ¡®pawn¡¯.

    That statement was absolutely correct.

    By the time the third, fourth waves passed, and the fifth wave was about to end.

    ¡°Huuuuuh¡­¡­ Kuuuuuh¡­¡­¡±

    He was like a human candle. A candle sweating instead of melting wax. Watching him as if he could go out at any moment was nerve-wracking.

    ©¤©¤We¡¯ll give you an extended break from the sixth wave. Rest for 20 minutes, then proceed.

    ¡°Water¡­¡­ do you have any?¡±

    Elise offered water with her telekinesis. He barely managed to open the cap and gulped it down.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time to stop?¡±

    At my words, Shion shook his head.

    The reason he¡¯s working so hard is, of course, for Libra. For him, this might be as important as the entrance exam.

    But that¡¯s fair enough.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the enemy.¡±

    This time, it¡¯s a sacrificial swordsman. A humanoid monster that looks like a scarecrow. There¡¯s only one, but it¡¯s a fitting enemy for the saying, ¡®over the mountain, there¡¯s another mountain¡¯.

    The sacrificial swordsman is a Death Knight-type monster. The lineage of humanoid swordsman monsters goes from sacrificial swordsman to Duhan to Death Knight.

    ¡°Gulp.¡±

    Shion swallowed the water and looked at the camera on the ceiling of the magic space. A new camera had been installed without him noticing.

    This meant that at least one person who could be called an ¡®executive¡¯ in Libra started watching.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break him in one strike.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What nonsense are you spouting?¡±

    Was it because his dopamine had surged? Or had he lost his mind? He was spouting strange words as he got up.

    ¡°Just anchor him with telekinesis for 1~2 seconds.¡±

    ©¤©¤The wave begins.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Shion approached the sacrificial swordsman with his sword sheathed.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    Elise shook her head in disbelief, but soon she pulled up her Magic Body.

    As a team, they had to be together in every decision. Even if it was the wrong choice.

    Thud.

    Shion took a step forward. That was the range of the sacrificial swordsman.

    Swoosh-!

    The figure drew its massive sword. Elise loaded her telekinesis at maximum output, took a deep breath, and activated it.

    Krrrrrr©¤©¤!

    A suffocating telekinesis that made the space itself ripple. With it, she grabbed the torso of the sacrificial swordsman.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Shion took advantage of the gap and drew his sword.

    ¡¸Ascal Style Severing Sword : Unsheathing¡¹

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The surging sword swept through the space in a crescent shape, and immediately after.

    ¡¸Ascal Style Severing Sword : Traverse¡¹

    Swoooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    A single straight line pierced the heart of the sacrificial swordsman.

    Thebination of Unsheathing and Traverse.

    Just two strokes.

    That was the end.

    The sacrificial swordsman¡¯s body defense was first pierced by Unsheathing, and then its mana core was prated by Traverse.

    That¡¯s how it was killed.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    But Elise couldn¡¯t understand. She had watched with her eyes from the closest point, which made it even more bizarre.

    Shion Ascal had definitely sheathed his sword. It was Unsheathing.

    However, the sword he had sheathed was simultaneously ¡®shot¡¯.

    Without pulling or retrieving the sword. Scientifically, without the process of converting potential energy to kic energy.

    As if a part of thews of physics had been ¡®ignored¡¯.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s sword purely cut and stabbed. There was no gap in between. It was a cut and a stab at the same time. It seemed as if one sword in the same space had split into two paths for that moment.

    ¡°You¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise staggered towards him. Before she could ask anything, he fell first.

    ¡°!¡±

    Elise caught him as he fell. She fell onto the grassy field with Shion¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She looked at him closely as hey on the edge of her arm.

    He was asleep.

    ¡°What kind of person are you¡­¡­¡±

    On the peaceful grassy field, she murmured a question full of curiosity, and then a fact came to her btedly.

    The camera.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise suddenly looked up at the ceiling.

    There was still a camera with its light on. In fact, when their eyes met, it sneakily turned off its light.

    ¡°No¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise hastily excused herself.

    * * *

    In Section 0 of the Aerial Garden, the smallest mansion where only the bloodline could stay.

    The youngest master, ¡®Zia¡¯, was watching someone through the camera.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    She had just seen his sword. She had seen the swordsmanship that shattered the sacrificial swordsman in one blow.

    It was special.

    Definitely, it was special.

    So much so that she couldn¡¯t even analyze the principle.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Click- Click- Zia scratched the mouse. She pondered while rewinding the video left and right.

    She had a desire to collect.

    The target was not money. Not goods. Not even figures.

    It was people.

    She collected talent. It was her own hobby that no one in Libra knew about.

    ¡°This person¡­¡­¡±

    His name was Shion Ascal. ording to Johanna, a man who wanted to be her knight.

    Just as Zia was quietly watching him.

    m-

    The door opened. Zia pretended to shiver.

    It was Jade in a suit. He frowned as he looked at her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why are you so surprised?¡±

    ¡°Ah- Ah-¡±

    Zia hurriedly turned off the monitor. Jade strode over and turned the monitor back on.

    There was Shion Ascal.

    Jade confirmed him in the video and looked back at Zia.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡­¡±

    Zia bit her lip.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade stared at her silently, then smirked.

    ¡°He¡¯s not bad. He seems to have the qualities to be a pretty good knight. It¡¯s a pity that he admires me too much.¡±

    Jade stepped back a few steps and sat on the sofa. He crossed his legs and asked.

    ¡°Do you want him?¡±

    ¡°My knight garden¡­ is one short¡­ but I can¡¯t pay the sry¡­¡­¡±

    A deep smile appeared at the corner of Jade¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°He¡¯s still a high school student. It will take 2~3 years to be a knight.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If he bes a knight, he wille to me no matter what anyone says. I¡¯ll send him to you then. More importantly, how¡¯s your body?¡±

    Jade surprisingly takes care of Zia. Even Zia herself doesn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡±

    He took out a potion from his jacket pocket. It was Draconics, a tonic made from dragon scales.

    ¡°It¡¯s something I had a hard time getting. Three times a day. Split over the course of a month.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Go back to what you were doing.¡±

    Jade, who had straightened hispel and cuffs, left her office.

    Zia was engrossed in Shion Ascal¡¯s video again. Rewinding the divine swordsmanship she had just seen.

    ¡°Did I¡­ secure him¡­¡­¡±

    Jade¡¯s boast and Johanna¡¯s guarantee.

    If this persones to Libra, will she be able to have him?

    But before she gets him, she will have to scrutinize whether he is worthy.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤One hourter.

    I¡¯m sitting in the restaurant. The final result was 6 waves. Because I fell asleep as soon as I used the Traversing Sword.

    Anyway.

    Rattling-.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    I¡¯m trying to eat some food, but my hand keeps shaking.

    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, the fork moved on its own. Woong- It floated in the air, twirled the spaghetti around, and brought it to my mouth.

    Tap- Tap- It tapped my lips.

    It was obvious.

    I looked across the table.

    Elise.

    She feigned ignorance and cut her steak.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡±

    For me, it was a question. Elise, with her haughty demeanor, put a piece of steak in her mouth and replied.

    ¡°Belingham said it too. This itself is part of teaming. Once a team is formed, it stays together not only in battle but throughout their daily lives. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. Why are you acting this way towards me?¡±

    ¡°Why am I acting this way towards you? I wonder what that means.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, you¡¯re stupid.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise closed her eyes. She quietly grumbled, seemingly unable to bear being called stupid.

    ¡°¡­¡­You.¡±

    She sighed and pointed at me with her fork.

    ¡°I¡¯m just acknowledging you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I quietly looked at her. It was unfamiliar. To me, ustomed to the Elise before regression, it was foreign.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Could she have changed after these several days?

    Is she changing?

    Ding-

    Just then, Elise¡¯s smartphone rang. She nced at the screen and said.

    ¡°We¡¯re going on a trip. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This is also part of teaming. Sharing schedules.¡±

    Saying that, she pushed spaghetti into my mouth. I just epted it.

    I was hungry, so I chewed it, but suddenly.

    There was a pain in my earlobe. The news I had once seen with my own eyes came back to me like a heatwave.

    ©¤©¤Elise Petra was kidnapped while on a trip¡­¡­

    I stopped with spaghetti in my mouth.

    Elise is about to be kidnapped. It could be said to be the first of many crimes she will suffer.

    I looked at Elise.

    She was calmly chewing her steak.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Of course, for me, there might be no need to get involved.

    Elise¡¯s business is Elise¡¯s business.

    ¡­¡­However.

    ¡°Teamed mages and knights usually operate together for an average of 5~6 years.¡±

    Yael had said.

    Back when Elise was still alive, when she was healthier and more dominant than anyone else, Yael had asked me to protect Elise.

    ¡°Sharing schedules is essential.¡±

    The future Elise was different from this.

    The Elise before regression was almost a viin.

    She had even be a monster capable of restraining Libra.

    That woman back then¡­

    Yes.

    She was not ¡®Elise¡¯.

    ¡°You may not know.¡±

    Now, I seem to understand a bit.

    Yael¡¯sst request to ¡®protect Elise¡¯.

    The young Elise, who is now putting a steak in her mouth, who is covering her mouth and who is mumbling in response as I stare at her intently.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Was it a plea to protect this young Elise?

    Or was it an impossible wish to revert her sister, who had already be a monster?

    ¡°Speak up if you¡¯re hungry, okay? Is it your pride?¡±

    Elise, as if she had convinced herself, moved the fork with telekinesis again and pushed it to my lips.

    ¡°¡­¡­No- Uh.¡±

    I ate for now. Elise watched me with a strange expression and pouted her lips.

    ¡°But why¡­ why are you working so hard?¡±

    She asked, cutting the steak with both hands and twirling my spaghetti with telekinesis.

    ¡°What are you trying to do, showing off so much to Libra?¡±

    Working hard.

    The reason I work hard.

    There¡¯s no need to answer, but since we¡¯re teaming.

    I exined that one and only reason to my teammate in one word.

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    Whirl-! The fork twirling the spaghetti suddenly spun. The strands sttered on my face.

    ¡°¡­¡­What.¡±

    I red at Elise with spaghetti all over me. Her expression was frozen stiff.

    Her hand cutting the steak was trembling, her bitten lips were bloodless, and above all, she was breathing roughly and bowing her head deeply.

    ¡°¡­¡­Revenge.¡±

    She mumbled like that, as if she was in pain somewhere.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Elise suddenly got up from her seat.

    I nkly watched her back as she fled.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s with her.¡±

    Why do you talk about teaming, and end up running off on your own?

 Chapter 129: What you Desire (2)

    Elise returned to the dormitory.

    She didn¡¯t turn on the lights. She just sat on the bed, using the darkness as a nket. She didn¡¯t even lie down.

    She felt like she was going to throw up.

    She just hugged her knees and looked out the window, thinking. She murmured quietly.

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    Revenge.

    The word that Shion Ascal casually spat out was, however, too meaningful to her. It was sharp, like a stake stabbing her heart.

    He must know about the inexplicable death of his mother, which was no different from the starting point of all his misfortunes.

    However, that information must be iplete. Right now, he might be looking at an inurate picture, painstakingly collecting scattered pieces like fragments. He might be trying toplete that vague mosaic with the help of Libra¡¯s power.

    In other words ¨C he ¡®still¡¯ doesn¡¯t know.

    That the object of his revenge is Petra.

    Therefore, Petra is Shion¡¯s enemy.

    Conversely, Shion is Petra¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel.

    She can¡¯t hide that secret forever. No secret stays hidden forever.

    He will definitely find out someday.

    About Petra, who killed his mother.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    Then, what should I do? What should I do from now on?

    Should I do it for the family?

    Or should I do it for my conscience?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I still don¡¯t know.

    She can¡¯t tell Shion the truth, and she can¡¯t forcibly cover it up, so she¡¯s just in pain.

    Petra still doesn¡¯t know about Shion¡¯s existence, and Shion doesn¡¯t know either, so only she¡¯s in pain¡­¡­

    Unable to bear it, Elise eventually picked up her smartphone. She sent a text as if pressing hard.

    [ Can you open a counseling session? ]

    At Your Service. The person she can at least vent her frustrated feelings to.

    Ding-

    [ At Your Service: I can. ]

    The reply is always quick as if it had been waiting. After all, she is a VIP in her own right.

    [ This time, it¡¯s not about me. A friend of mine came to me for this kind of counseling. Let me exin first. It¡¯s a bitplicated¡­¡­ ]

    The rtionship between Shion, Petra, and herself.

    She lumped it all together under the excuse of ¡®a friend¡¯ and spilled it out.

    [ Which side should this ¡®friend¡¯ choose? Should they choose family, or should they choose the victim? ]

    [ At Your Service: First of all, in my opinion, this ¡®friend¡¯ is not just struggling between the victim and the family. ]

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise tilted her head.

    [ Then what? ]

    [ At Your Service: It¡¯s their conscience. ]

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    It was a slight feeling of being touched in the heart.

    This is not just a problem of Shion and the family. There is one more thing.

    Conscience.

    [ At Your Service: However. Even so, in the end, shouldn¡¯t they protect their family? ]

    ¡°¡­¡­Family.¡±

    Elise bit her lip slightly.

    [ At Your Service: Let¡¯s think about it calmly. Strangers can¡¯t take precedence over family. ]

    [ But¡­¡­. ]

    [ At Your Service: Even so, if you want to keep your conscience, tell them to naturally distance themselves without telling the family, without revealing it to the other party. Tell them to naturally be strangers. ]

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The reply is to naturally distance themselves.

    It might be the right thing to say.

    She can¡¯t give up her family. She doesn¡¯t want to exclude Shion by standing on the side of the family.

    Then, just let it be. If she distances herself from Shion, and doesn¡¯t tell the family about Shion¡­¡­

    Ding-

    While she was slowly contemting, thest reply from [At Your Service] came.

    [ At Your Service: But if that bes too hard. If it¡¯s too painful to quietly distance yourself. It¡¯s still possible to follow your conscience. Family takes precedence over strangers, but it¡¯s not more important than yourself. ]

    Family takes precedence over strangers¡­¡­

    But it¡¯s not more important than yourself.

    Elise stared at that sentence for a long time.

    * * *

    There was a lecture by a famous speaker invited by Libra at night in Aerial Garden. It was quite grandly held in therge hall of Section 3, but I skipped it.

    Because my body hurt too much.

    The side effects of the Severing Sword were that severe. I had only deployed two strokes, but the load on my body had pierced through my recovery ability.

    Instead, the following day.

    As soon as I woke up, I came to Libra¡¯s state-of-the-art swordsmanship training room. I called Grawl because it was a bit lonely.

    ©¤Meow meow.

    The guy asked while stretching.

    ©¤Did you sleep well?

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ©¤Then please set me free~

    He lifted his front paw and scratched my calf. Rub rub rub rub-

    ¡°You said your goal is survival anyway. What are you going to do if I set you free?¡±

    ©¤I can get my own food. If I find any other valuable items, I¡¯ll bring those too.

    In other words, automatic hunting, Auto farming is possible.

    It¡¯s pretty tempting.

    ¡°Then. Can you maintain that form even if you¡¯re far from me?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Now, I can maintain it up to 15©N~20©N depending on the mana concentration. You can give me orders at any time, no matter how far away you are~

    He rubbed his face against my leg.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    The cat resembles a Ragdoll, so it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue to let it roam free.

    ¡°¡­¡­When we¡¯re out of Aerial Garden. I¡¯ll allow it then. You can¡¯t wander around here.¡±

    ©¤Okay~

    The guy spun around in his ce,ughing softly.

    Thud- The door opened just then.

    ¡°Ah, Shion. You were already here¡­¡­ Oh.¡±

    It was Soliette. As soon as she entered, she paused and looked at my cat with shaky eyes.

    ¡°How wasst night?¡±

    Last night¡¯s session was a knight lecture.

    ¡°¡­¡­A famous swordsman came. Do you know Benedict?¡±

    Benedict. A second-rank knight, who is almost a first-rank. He is handsome, and he often appears in the entertainment industry. Hence, his recognition is much higher than most first-rank knights.

    ¡°I know him. He¡¯s handsome, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems so.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But are you okay? I heard you copsed while teaming.¡±

    She asked while looking at me, but her hands were busy trying to lure the cat.

    As Grawl approached, her face melted, and her legs slightly dropped.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t copse; I was just resting. How many waves did you do?¡±

    ¡°I cleared up to the 9th wave. It was tough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    All 9 waves. Given Soliette¡¯s talent as a knight, it would be strange if she couldn¡¯t clear them.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡±

    Ahem. I cleared my throat.

    There¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m meeting Soliette this morning.

    ¡°By any chance. Is the swordsmanship lesson you mentionedst time still valid?¡±

    It¡¯s because of my concerns about swordsmanship.

    ¡°Haha¡­ Swordsmanship, you mean Arkne swordsmanship?¡±

    I had rejected Soliette¡¯s offer for swordsmanship lessons, thinking about the Severing Sword, but I regretted itter.

    ¡°Yeah. That one.¡±

    If my current sword skill is 100, then the Severing Sword only ounts for 3.

    The remaining 97 is the Changing Sword.

    Of course, because it¡¯s hard. Because it feels like my body is going to break. The most fundamental part of the Severing Sword that Soliette used, to me, is a killer move that requires pouring out my soul.

    Therefore, in the end, my main weapon has to be the Changing Sword.

    To develop that, I need ¡®material¡¯.

    ¡°Have you given up on that master you mentioned?¡±

    Soliette crossed her arms with a mischievous face.

    ¡°¡­¡­ For now.¡±

    After all, that master is Soliette, and this master is also Soliette.

    She shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But I¡¯m strict when I teach.¡±

    Soliette made a tiger-like expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t be a youth instructor at the Arkne Swordsmanship Academy. Because the kids cried when they saw me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. But, I won¡¯t use the Arkne sword as it is. I¡¯m going to dismantle it. Disassemble it, tear it apart.¡±

    The Arkne swordsmanship is one of the top swordsmanship in the continent, but to me, it¡¯s just ¡®perfect material¡¯.

    I¡¯m going to tear and rip apart the arcane of that sword, which has been built up for hundreds of years, and graft it onto my Changing Sword like scraps.

    Soliette smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sword with a 500-year history. It will be hard to disassemble.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. It¡¯s the Changing Sword, after all.¡±

    Soliette loosened her body with a face that looked somewhat pleased.

    ¡°Rather than a Changing Sword, how about a Counterbnce Sword?¡±

    ¡°Counterbnce Sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It embodies the ¡®counter¡¯ aspect in bnce and opposition. Hence, Counterbnce Sword. It also has a certain ring to it.¡±

    Counterbnce Sword. It does sound appealing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±

    Soliette smiled faintly and said.

    ¡°Then take your sword. Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±

    I held the Ascal sword.

    ¡°Arkne swordsmanship consists of quite a few forms, but among them, there is a most important basic form.¡±

    ¡°Eight Swords?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s quite famous. Even Shion knows about it.¡±

    The Arkne¡¯s first sword form and the basic one, ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹.

    Typically, swordsmen divide space into eight directions: up, down, left, right, and the four diagonals. Therefore, the Eight Swords form is a sword form that targets all eight directions.

    It¡¯s the basis of Arkne style, but it¡¯s known to be on a different level in terms of depth and difficultypared to the basics of other styles.

    ¡°Eight Swords is divided into 1st Sword Form, 2nd Sword Forms, 3rd Sword Forms¡­ up to the final 8th Sword Forms.¡±

    ¡°That sounds simple.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s efficient and intuitive. There¡¯s no need for abstract names.¡±

    No wonder Soliette values efficiency.

    ¡°In practice, it¡¯s simple too. The 1st Sword Form consists of eight initial forms attacking the upper area. The 2nd Sword Forms consist of eight initial forms attacking the upper right area.¡±

    ¡°The 3rd Sword Forms target the right side?¡±

    ¡°Yes. 4th Sword Forms target the lower right. 5th Sword Forms target the bottom. It¡¯s easier if you think in terms of a clock¡¯s direction.¡±

    In other words, 1st Sword Form to 8th Sword Form each consists of eight initial forms attacking a single direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s why Eight Swords is difficult. Webine these eight forms depending on the situation and space. Therefore, the number ofbinations is virtually infinite.¡±

    Of course, there¡¯s a reason why it¡¯s more difficult than most sword techniques, even though it¡¯s just the basics.

    ¡­There seems to be a reason why it¡¯s difficult.

    I quietly looked at the de of my sword.

    I recalled Soliette¡¯s words just now.

    ¡®Infinitebinations¡¯.

    This is my first time hearing an exnation about Eight Swords, but for some reason.

    Somehow.

    It seems to suit me quite well.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t utilize all of the Eight Swords. Even if you only utilize three initial forms from each sword form, if you consider attacking all eight directions, the number ofbinations is 3 to the power of 8. That¡¯s 6,561 possibilities.¡±

    Of course, that¡¯s the case.

    It¡¯s a matter of human memory.

    However¡­

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    I feel like I can do it.

    I feel like I can memorize the entire system and initial forms of ¡®Eight Swords¡¯ that dominate space and utilize them appropriately.

    Because the subject of that memory is not me, but the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    I smiled slightly and looked at Soliette.

    ¡°This will be fun.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­2 hourster.

    ¡°Your memory is exceptional, Shion.¡±

    Soliette said, fiddling with her sword. Shion was lying t, on the verge of death.

    Her words about being a tiger teacher in swordsmanship were not an exaggeration. She was not a person who exaggerated in the first ce.

    For 120 minutes, Shion didn¡¯t rest for even 10 seconds.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing someone memorize from 1st Sword Form to 4th Sword Form all at once.¡±

    On the other hand, Soliette was amazed. As she said, Shion had memorized a total of 32 initial forms from 1st Sword Form to 4th Sword Form.

    ¡¸129 / 130¡¹

    Capacity history within thest 24 hours: +20

    Thanks to this, the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is on the verge of bursting. Now, I need to reduce its capacity by attuning it through repetitive training.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Soliette called him.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion did not respond.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. If you had learned this ten years earlier, you could have been with us in our family.¡±

    Soliette was with the cat. Sitting cross-legged, she held the cat on herp.

    She spoke.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Shion-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Shion-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why do you keep talking when I¡¯m so tired?¡±

    She nced at him as she stroked the cat.

    ¡°Yesterday, I thought about what you said, Shion. You said let¡¯s go to the end.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­¡­ do you want to be with me?¡±

    A voice purely curious.

    But within it, there was a hint of doubt.

    Soliette is not a fool. She¡¯s not a clueless idiot. It¡¯s too much to say that it¡¯s simply because of Knightmare. His emotions were too intense.

    Shion said¡­¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m simr to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°The person I loved died.¡±

    At his words, Soliette¡¯s eyes widened. Shion sat up. He brushed his hair back as he shook off his sweat-soaked shirt.

    ¡°So, I think I know what you¡¯re filled with now.¡±

    Two names came to mind.

    Jared and Felix.

    ¡°So I¡¯m helping. I¡¯m afraid you mightmit suicide.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suicide. She had never told anyone, but Soliette had never not thought about it.

    Ites very naturally. Suddenly, while walking, swinging a sword, taking a shower.

    Reality doesn¡¯t feel real. The reality of being awake feels like a dream, and the people who appear in dreams feel more real.

    Wanting to return to the dream where she is with them again¡­¡­

    ¡°Just like now.¡±

    Snap-! Shion flicked his finger. Soliette turned to him in surprise.

    Even then, she didn¡¯t stop stroking the cat. It was already instinctive.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not die. We promised. To go to the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette quietly widened her eyes.

    While touching the cat¡¯s ears, she murmured.

    ¡°Do people¡­¡­ get forgotten.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Shion shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t forget, you have to make it not unbearable. The living should live. Go to the hospital. There are so many people who despair because they have no tomorrow.¡±

    Soliette, who had been lost in thought for a moment, soon smiled and said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But what¡¯s this cat¡¯s name? Cutie? Lovey?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What kind of naming sense is that. It¡¯s Grawl.¡±

    ¡°Grawl? That¡¯s even stranger.¡±

    Soliette hardened her voice strictly.

    ¡°It sounds like a monster¡¯s name.¡±

    Indeed, she had intuition.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­For three days, I stayed in Section 3 of Aerial Garden.

    The program itself was beneficial. Thanks to it, I got a rough idea of how highly educated professionals who had been to university cooperate to perform tasks.

    It was highly systematic. It waspletely different from the improvisation of the underground world.

    ¡°How was the program?¡±

    This ce is the Libra counseling room.

    Thest schedule of the program, a one-on-one with ¡®Belingham Kantar¡¯.

    I answered him as I faced him.

    ¡°It was beneficial.¡±

    ¡°Despite that, your program score was in the lower ranks. You see? You¡¯re in the 100th ce out of 110.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t avoid the lower ranks in several programs I participated in with college students. They were literally on a different ¡®level¡¯.

    ¡°The Libra entrance exam will be ten times harder¡­ Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think I can.¡±

    However, I am overflowing with confidence.

    I am certain.

    Even if I¡¯m pushed back now, I can catch up quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not discouraged.¡±

    Belingham twisted the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°You keep that ck card for now. We won¡¯t take it back. There¡¯s a Libra executive who likes you, Shion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this card important?¡±

    I nced at the ck card ced on the desk.

    ¡°You need that to participate in Libra¡¯s public recruitment. Also, you can freely enter and exit Section 3 and use all the facilities for free.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I see. It was a great thing.

    I quickly put the card in my pocket. Belingham raised his eyebrows and looked at his wristwatch.

    ¡°Well. I can¡¯t give much time to those in the lower ranks. It¡¯s been a minute.¡±

    Belingham pointed to the door.

    ¡°Oh yes. Take care.¡±

    I got up from my seat.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it, Shion?¡±

    Belingham looked up at me with his unique gray eyes.

    ¡°If you like Libra, shouldn¡¯t you respect me? I might be your superior someday.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why. I showed respect by saying take care.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Leaving a bewildered Belingham behind, I left.

    Outside the counseling room building, in the park. I spotted a familiar figure walking somewhere.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It was Elise.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I approached her and called out. She wasn¡¯t surprised. She looked back at me with a nk expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is it.¡±

    Her response was quite cold. She used to act unnecessarily friendly when we were teaming.

    Does she have bipr disorder these days?

    ¡°When did you say you¡¯re going on a trip?¡±

    I asked naturally. Elise answered in a weak tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s been two days since the teaming ended. The schedule sharing is over.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There was no answer.

    To be honest, it would be best not to go on the trip at all, but she¡¯s not the type to not go if told not to.

    ¡°Have a good trip.¡±

    That¡¯s all I said. Elise didn¡¯t react, but Iid the groundwork.

    ¡°I¡¯m going on a trip soon too.¡±

    Maybe, we might meet.

    No, we probably will meet.

    ¡°¡­¡­Congrattions. Go on your own.¡±

    Just then, a car arrived. It was a luxury sedan.

    With a whirring sound, the window rolled down, and inside were La and Kain.

    ¡°Elly~ Shion is here too~? Get in quickly! Shion too! We¡¯ll take you to Section 5!¡±

    Elise got in the back seat, and I looked at Kain.

    ¡°What are you looking at, man. If you want to ride, get on.¡±

    Kain was surprisingly generous. After some hesitation, I sat next to Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow, Shion is really getting in?¡±

    La in the driver¡¯s seat looked at the rearview mirror and made a surprised expression. I retorted.

    ¡°Should I get off?¡±

    ¡°No, no! Let¡¯s go right away~!¡±

    La immediately stepped on the elerator.

    Vroooom©¤©¤!

    It was an unnecessarily high-speed pace.

 Chapter 130: What you Desire (3)

    <strong>What you Desire (3)</strong>

    [New Magic Spell ¡°Attribute Domain: Death Eater¡± Sales Volume¡­¡­]

    ¡°Heheheh¡­¡­¡±

    At Valmant Mana Workshop, Kanya was chuckling while looking at the sales volume of the new product, ¡¸Death Eater¡¹.

    ¡°Look at this~ We¡¯ve got a hit product!¡±

    A Magic Spell that was even officially approved by the Patent Office in Trick City. Although its usage is limited and can¡¯t be used by everyone, the Hunter¡¯s Association is even bringing supply contracts and expressing interest.

    At this rate, the estimated annual sales are between 10 to 15 million Ren. After deductingbor costs, material costs, distribution costs, etc., the profit would be around 3 million Ren.

    Even after splitting 30% with the mage, 2.1 million Ren remains, which is the highest profit among Valmant Mana Workshop¡¯s individual businesses.

    ¡°Congrattions. You won¡¯t have to worry about the employees¡¯ sries.¡±

    Gerkhen also said while looking at the paper. He¡¯s been visiting frequently these days, maybe because it¡¯s vacation time.

    ¡°Are you the boss? Why are you worrying about the employees¡¯ sries~¡±

    At Kanya¡¯s cheerful chatter, Gerkhen shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°This Dale Kal, the mage. I heard rumors that he¡¯s looking for work these days.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ You heard too?¡±

    ¡°Mages in D Section are rare. Rumors spread quickly.¡±

    The Sections in Trick City are strictly and thoroughly divided.

    D Section, where Valmant is located, is on the outskirts of Trick City. It¡¯s close to the underworld, and with slums, harlems, and back alleys, it¡¯s definitely not a good environment.

    Compared to A Section, where Kanya used to live, it¡¯s practically a dump.

    ¡°He must be in need of money. But, isn¡¯t there a guy who¡¯s been giving him work at the bar? That B Section mage, Lato. He acknowledged him, right? Said they¡¯re the same.¡±

    People in Trick City¡¯s B Section look down on those in lower Sections as if they¡¯re lower-ss humans.

    Among them, ¡®Lato¡¯ is a mage with a particrly bad reputation among people from lower Sections. After studying at the capital and returning, he treats people from C~F Sections like trash.

    And that guy acknowledged ¡®Dale Kal¡¯ from D Section as a mage.

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. People from upper Sections usually despise city dwellers.¡±

    As Gerkhen said, people from B Section and A Section©¤in other words, the upper ss of Trick City©¤distinguish themselves from Edsi.

    Trick City is practically its own country at this point.

    ¡°They only say they hate them. They send their children to the capital regrly to study abroad. Even that bitch La is the same.¡±

    Kanya gritted her teeth. She always gets agitated when talking about La.

    Gerkhen raised an eyebrow and turned around.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. Oh, if there¡¯s a ce in the capital that needs our form, just let me know anytime.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Alright.¡±

    The mage from D Section who went out of his way to submit a Magic Spell to Valmant Mana Workshop, and who is helping Kanya.

    Gerkhen quietly memorized the name ¡®Dale Kal¡¯.

    * * *

    School Reopening D-14.

    I¡¯m packing my travel bag in the Endex dormitory. Just some skin lotion, food, and clothes. Travel preparations areplete.

    Swoosh-

    Just then, the window opened. I turned to look. There was a cat with a bundle on its back.

    It¡¯s Grawl.

    As soon as hended gently inside the window, he proudly untied his bundle.

    ©¤Look~

    I gave it a quick nce.

    Two B-grade mana stones, a mana core the size of a thumbnail, a violet mineral ore that looked like an ordinary lump of dirt, and a five Ren bill.

    ¡°Did you meet all the conditions?¡±

    I had set three conditions for his free time.

    1. Don¡¯t do anything too conspicuous.[br][/br] 2. Don¡¯t steal or take things from people or organizations or cause any harm.[br][/br] 3. Don¡¯t eat anything right away. Bring it back.

    ©¤Yes, of course~

    The one who answered poked at the mana core.

    ©¤I want to eat it now.

    ¡°Eat it. But where do you get this stuff?¡±

    Chomp chomp chomp- Grawl spoke as he savored the small mana core.

    ©¤Chomp chomp- There are naturally urring mana stones and mana cores all over the city. Chomp chomp- People can¡¯t find them. Chomp chomp. But I can. I can smell the scent of stones. Chomp chomp-

    ¡°What about this lump of dirt?¡±

    I pointed at the violet lump.

    ©¤People call it ¡®Gether¡¯. I brought it because it seemed valuable.

    ¡°¡­¡­Gether? This is?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes.

    As he said, ¡®Gether¡¯ is a precious and unique metal. It¡¯s a ¡®reactive cohesive parasitic metal¡¯ umon even on the continent.

    This Gether is activated by applying it to other metals.

    When Gether is applied to a metal, the metal undergoes Getherization while retaining its inherent properties. Durability, hardness, strength, density, attack power, magic resistance, etc.¡­ In other words, all the abilities of the metal increase by one.

    In this way, Gether is umted andyered on the metal.

    Many metals are superior to Gether, but the characteristic of Gether is that it stacks infinitely.

    For example, the weight and volume remain the same even if you apply 1 ton of Gether to 1 kg of metal. This is because Gether is a magical material that parasitizes on the metal.

    Therefore, 1 ton of Gether is theoretically treated almost on par with the strongest metal, ¡®Dark Matter¡¯.

    The problem is that it¡¯s impossible to collect.

    ¡°But how did you know this is ¡®Gether¡¯?¡±

    I suddenly became suspicious. Gether is a scientific name given by humans. Therefore, it would be normal for Grawl to know the properties of Gether, but not the name.

    ©¤I looked at your smartphone while you were asleep.

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Grawl jumped up. He sat in front of my smartphone.

    He skillfully manipted it with his front paw. Swipe- Swipe- From news to Wikipedia, to encyclopedias.

    ©¤I yed with it in my free time, like this.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    No wonder the battery wasn¡¯t fully charged even though I charged it all night.

    ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    I snatched the smartphone from him. The search history was diverse. There was even SNS.

    ¡°Why are you looking at SNS.¡±

    ©¤I¡¯m exploring the human world. Information acquisition, understanding, aggregation, reorganization, and cognition. Comprehension.

    Since I had SNS open anyway, I searched for a certain ID.

    ©¤Verification. Experience. Contrast between theory and reality.

    [Elise_Petra]

    ¡ö Preparation

    ? 43,532

    This is Elise¡¯s most recent post. A dark photo with a single word, ¡®Preparation¡¯, and it has quite a lot of likes.

    Probably preparing for a trip.

    ©¤Master~

    Grawl approached my knee and looked up at me.

    ©¤Could you buy me a mobile phone too~?

    His eyes sparkled. It was an artificial sparkle using the reflection of minerals.

    ¡°What are you talking about.¡±

    ©¤I need leisure time too~

    ¡°You said survival was your only goal.¡±

    ©¤Survival is leisure~

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s absurd, but considering today¡¯s achievements, there¡¯s no particr reason not to.

    Gether.

    I ced it on the Ascal sword. No special processing is needed. Just add a little magic to react, and the Gether wriggles and seeps into the sword on its own.

    ¡°Can you gather 250kg of this Gether?¡±

    1 ton is too much. Gether is a rare mineral. Even if we assume that we gather as much as today (30g) for 365 days, it¡¯s only about 11kg.

    ©¤Over how many years~?

    ¡°5 years?¡±

    ©¤Then, 20kg this year. 40kg next year. Can we increase it like this?

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    A slight smile crept onto my lips. It¡¯s not that, the Ascal sword is infinitely inferior in specspared to other swords. If we can strengthen it by applying Gether, one of the concerns will be solved.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Was the 7th famous sword used by the old Soliette auctioned for 30 million Ren?

    Anyway, a sword is as important as life to a swordsman.

    Even a master like Soliette, who reached the extreme, paid a lot of attention to the sword. Because an ordinary sword couldn¡¯t withstand her Severing Sword.

    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll buy you thetest model.¡±

    ©¤Meow~

    Grawl spun around in ce as if happy.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤At the same time.

    In the high-end apartment, Presium, in the capital Edsi.

    Elise is preparing for a trip.

    It¡¯s a schedule she¡¯s had in mind since half a year ago. Before bing a senior, she nagged her mother and father that she would definitely go on a trip on this day ¨C it¡¯s a hard-earned 7 nights and 8 days.

    Thanks to that, her mood is¡­ the best among these worst days.

    Yes, let¡¯s forget everything on the trip.

    Change of mood.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡±

    Before leaving, Elise checked her preparations onest time.

    ¡°Backpack.¡±

    It looks like a regr cross bag, but it¡¯s an artifact that can hold as much as 200kg of contents.

    Check.

    ¡°Shoes.¡±

    In case the calluses don¡¯t wear out from walking for a long time, it¡¯s an artifact with a ¡¸ 2nd-gradefort¡¹ enchantment added.

    Check.

    ¡°Sunscreen. Emergency food. Emergency tent. Scarf. Emergencyntern. Emergency shlight. Emergency chocte¡­¡­.¡±

    In addition, various emergency shoes, emergency radios, etc. ¨C all stuffed into the backpack.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    End of travel preparations.

    By the way, it¡¯s a solo trip.

    There was never any thought of having apanion from the start.

    It¡¯s a training trip. Training to ovee being alone.

    ¡­¡­Of course, the doll Cookie is with her.

    Anyway, it¡¯s not a luxurious trip. Elise actually dislikes things like cruises, private jets, VVIP rooms of magic trains, and flying hotels.

    In fact, she has always preferred subways and buses.

    She liked ces filled with people, filled with the scent of people. The very concept of ¡®people¡¯ gave her peace of mind, but these days, her face was too well-known, preventing her from mingling freely.

    She pulled her hat down low and perched sunsses on the tip of her nose.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    ¡°Take care~¡±

    She received the well-wishes of the household staff and got into the waiting sedan, heading for the train station.

    ¡°Have a good trip.¡±

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    Upon arriving at the train station and receiving the driver¡¯s farewell, she moved her legs towards the ticket office.

    ¡°One way ticket to Arahall, please.¡±

    ©¤Today¡¯s booking is 1,300 Ren. Is that okay?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ©¤Please give me your passport.

    She hadn¡¯t made any reservations in advance. She wanted to enjoy this spontaneity.

    Elise handed her passport and card to the station staff.

    ©¤Elise Pet¡­ra?

    The station staff¡¯s eyes widened as they scanned her passport, and she simply offered a wry smile.

    ©¤Here you are. Have a great trip!

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Her destination for this trip was a foreign country. A famous resort and a holynd of magic and archaeology. The capital of a country that every university student aspiring to be a mage must put on their bucket list.

    The name of the ce was¡­

    [Decapo]

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The capital of the desert country Arahall, Decapo, the cradle of the five ancient civilizations.

    Inside the station, Elise discreetly took out her phone.

    Taking a selfie felt a bit embarrassing, and somewhat over the top, so she just took a picture of her feet.

    Click-!

    She only took a picture of her feet on the station floor. Then she quickly went outside to take in the desertndscape.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    Her continuous admiration for the view outside made her shiver with excitement.

    The sky was infinitely blue, as if it could embrace everything, and beneath the horizon, the sea of sand seemed to ripple like it was painted with watercolors.

    Such a pure desertndscape always evoked a great sense of wonder in Elise.

    She took a deep breath, filled with a sense of liberation.

    ¡°Ah¡­cough.¡±

    She coughed a little due to the sand, but still.

    Moreover, Decapo, being the capital, had solid infrastructure. It was both beautiful and convenient.

    Elise hailed a taxi waiting at the station.

    ¡°Please take me to the Barmiltan Hotel.¡±

    She spoke in Arahalian, which she had learned in advance. The taxi driver started the car without a word.

    While Elise was busy looking out the window, they quickly arrived at the hotel.

    ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°300 Ren.¡±

    The taxi driver pointed at the meter. 300,000 Won. With the current exchange rate, that¡¯s 300 Ren.

    ¡°?¡±

    Elise tilted her head.

    ¡°Um, 150 Ren-¡±

    ¡°Do they ept Ren in Arahall, too?¡±

    The taxi driver quietly changed the subject as he was about to correct the price.

    ¡°Oh yes. Well, it¡¯s a neighboring country, after all. Of course, we ept it. Ha ha. Even if you go to other markets, we¡¯ll ept Ren.¡±

    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t need to exchange my money.¡±

    Elise paid the 300 Ren. It was written on the meter, after all. The taxi driver epted the 300 Ren with a smile.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    As soon as she got out, a steamy, hot wind enveloped her.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s hot.¡±

    Elise looked up at the five-star Barmiltan Hotel.

    ¡°But¡­ I like it.¡±

    A proud smile spread across her face.

 Chapter 131: What you Desire (4)

    <strong>What you Desire (4)</strong>

    ©¤©¤First Day.

    Elise stepped outside as soon as she unpacked her luggage at the hotel. The heat was overwhelming, being surrounded by a desert, but she rather enjoyed it.

    Thanks to the heat, people flocked to therge cities where the poption density was high.

    She walked the streets. First, she found a market.

    As expected, it was crowded. A few locals smelled of rotten food waste, but it was bearable.

    ¡°How much is this?¡±

    Elise picked up a pretty-looking turban. The shopkeeper smiled broadly and said,

    ¡°200 Ren¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make it 100 Ren.¡±

    Elise negotiated with the market vendor with sharp eyes.

    ¡°¡­170 Ren.¡±

    ¡°140 Ren. No more than that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    The market vendor handed over the turban with a controlled expression, and Elise wore a victorious smile.

    Her next target, after donning the turban instead of a hat, was the traditional attire, Izarba. It¡¯s a desert outfit that covers the entire body with cloth.

    Elise chose the Izarba that seemed to be of the best quality among many.

    ¡°500 Ren-¡±

    ¡°300 Ren. No more than that.¡±

    ¡°400-¡±

    ¡°310 Ren. You¡¯ll take the extra 10 Ren, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Well, alright.¡±

    She had cut the turban price by 30%, but she went a step further with the Izarba, shing almost 40% off.

    Indeed, a ruthless negotiation without blood or tears. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. She was out to experience the world.

    After dressing like a desert dweller, she visited the pyramid, a sanctuary of archaeology, took hundreds of photos, and then returned to the hotel.

    ¡°I feel refreshed¡­¡±

    Late at night.

    After showering, Elise was about to review her travel photos with Cookie on the bed when¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Outside the window of the hotel suite, on the precarious high-rise, there was a cat.

    ¡°Dangerous¡­¡±

    But it didn¡¯t seem so. The cat wasfortably sitting with its buttocks against the window frame. It even scratched its face with its hind leg, then turned to look at her.

    Their eyes met.

    Without realizing it, Elise raised her hand awkwardly.

    Meow-

    In response, the cat waved back in the same way and then disappeared somewhere.

    ¡°¡­What a strange kid.¡±

    Elise smiled quietly.

    This trip might be lucky.

    Shey down on the bed. She fell asleep while looking at the photos, hugging Cookie.

    ©¤©¤Second Day.

    As soon as she woke up, she swam for morning exercise, practiced magic breathing, and then started her travel itinerary.

    Today¡¯s course was a food alley. She was going to eat all day. Only eat.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    As she walked through the street vendors with determination and resolve, suddenly.

    Someone caught her eye on the side of the road.

    The familiar figure was walking with its tail straight up.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Elise called out to the cat. The cat turned around.

    ¡°You, I saw you yesterday¡­¡±

    A white cat with ck spots. The cat grinned and then climbed up onto the roof and left.

    Elise stared nkly upwards.

    ¡°Try our gopchang noodles before you leave~¡±

    Gopchang noodles?

    ¡°Where.¡±

    She quickly turned around.

    She doesn¡¯t refuse any food. She constantly craves new tastes. As someone who diets every day, on a day like this when the limit is lifted, her craving surpasses anyone.

    Elise approached the boy at the bustling stall.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°5 Ren, no, 10 Ren.¡±

    ¡°You just said 5 Ren?¡±

    Elise slightly furrowed her brows.

    ¡°We, well, Venti size is 5 Ren. Grande size is 10 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so there are sizes like that here too.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Grande. For 8 Ren.¡±

    Elise haggled even further. The boy seemed to shrink under her ruthlessly cold gaze, forcing a bitter smile and nodding.

    She took a bite of the noodles. Her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Delicious.¡±

    One of the great joys of travel. Strange but beautiful vors.

    ©¤Try the sweet red bean cookies~

    Sweet red bean cookies?

    ¡°Where?¡±

    That day, Elise spent 2,000 Ren in the food alley alone for 12 hours.

    ©¤©¤The third day.

    She felt a bit bloated from eating too much yesterday.

    But today¡¯s schedule was tight, so it was okay. She was heading to the middle of the desert.

    The destination was the ancient magic temple, now a museum, ¡®Partium¡¯. It was incredibly far from the capital, as it was a museum built by Renovating and restoring the actual site of the magic temple.

    Moreover, there were no roads. Magic phenomena urred so frequently that any road built would be destroyed within a year.

    Thus, she arrived at a ranch to Rent a camel, the means of transportation for crossing the desert.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise stared nkly at the camels inside the fence.

    She loved camels. She didn¡¯t know why. Just the humped back, the dumb face, and the way they chewed their food thoroughly was quite cute to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you going to Rent, or just look?¡±

    The impatient owner asked. She must have been looking for too long.

    ¡°I¡¯ll Rent. For the whole day.¡±

    ¡°For the whole day¡­¡­ Are you from Edsi?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°1,500 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Elise coolly made the deal. She had haggled too hard until now, and more than anything, the camel was worth it.

    ¡°¡­¡­Here. Hold this and ride.¡±

    The owner handed her the reins. Elise, who grasped it, carefully climbed on its back. As soon as she settled, she muttered in a trembling voice.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m on. I, I¡¯m on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re on then.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s innocent words, the owner also smiled a little.

    ¡°Hold the reins, and just go in the direction you¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    Thud- thud- Even the sound of the camel walking was cute.

    ¡°There we go.¡±

    Elise looked at the camel from atop the camel. The humped back supporting her was fascinating, and the back of its head like a stick was so cute that she smiled like a child.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your destination?¡±

    The owner asked.

    ¡°The Partium Museum. Do you know it?¡±

    ¡°I know. Just follow that line. It¡¯s free, so don¡¯t pay anything there.¡±

    Elise looked where the owner pointed. Indeed, there was a line of camels leading out of the city.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank me. I should be more thankful. Go on.¡±

    Elise turned the reins in that direction. The owner muttered as he turned around.

    ¡­¡­With 1,500 Ren, you could buy a camel.

    ¡°?¡±

    Did she just hear something wrong?

    Elise looked back, but the camel made a purring sound.

    ¡°Are you telling me to focus on you?¡±

    Well, she was going to do that anyway.

    Sheughed softly and focused again on driving the camel.

    * * *

    After a grueling five-hour journey with a camel, they arrived at the Partium Museum.

    Despite being 40 kilometers away from the city center, the ce was teeming with people.

    Elise led the camel to the stables, making sure to memorize its face.

    ¡°Refuse if anyone else tries to ride you.¡±

    With a soft rumble in response, she shared a bonding moment before heading into the museum.

    ¡°Wee, this is the famous Partium Museum~¡±

    The announcement was in themonnguage of Edsi. A guide was leading a group of dozens of people. Most were citizens of Edsi, and a few were robed figures, possibly mages or apprentices.

    Elise blended into the crowd.

    Sneakily, she was getting a free guided tour.

    ¡°This is a prayer space called ¡®Gamnaz¡¯. In ancient times, magic was considered a gift from the gods, and one had to pray to the gods as many times as they used magic.¡±

    Elise hid a proud smile as she listened to the guide¡¯s exnation.

    She wondered if she was being too frugal, considering that nobles also benefit from the trickle-down effect.

    ¡°This is a relic called the ¡®Balumani Horn¡¯. It was once a medium for a grand spell that summoned a level 10 phantom beast known as ¡®Balumium¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Is it genuine?¡±

    ¡°Most are replicas. But who knows, the real one might be somewhere?¡±

    While listening to the guide, she looked around at various exhibits.

    Indeed, there were many magical relics of significant meaning in modern magical history.

    ¡­But.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Something was off.

    The number of peopleing and going was slightly excessive.

    More than just ing and going¡¯, there was a suspicious aura about the wandering crowd.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    At first, Elise didn¡¯t think much of it, but gradually she became annoyed. The frequency of their movements was increasing.

    Elise looked around.

    Hundreds of tourists. A yawning security guard. A guide illustrating.

    The sound of people talking. The sound of footsteps on the floor tiles. The fullughter.

    It was a typical museum scene, yet abnormal.

    It felt ominous.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    She quietly picked up her smartphone.

    No signal. No inte, no calls.

    She looked out the window of the museum. Everything seemed normal.

    There was no sandstorm, so why-

    ©¤©¤©¤Chime.

    Like the jingle of a coin, a wave of magic brushed against her back.

    It was an ambush.

    Elise quickly turned around, pulling magic into her body, but-

    ¡°Argh¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Her body convulsed. It was high-voltage electricity. A heat that seemed to burn her nerves flooded her body.

    She fell to the floor.

    ©¤B04. Check.

    She heard the voice of her attacker. It was a woman¡¯s voice.

    Elise looked up at her.

    ©¤Yes.

    A masked assant. They weremunicating with someone.

    They were a tricky magic user.

    Electricity is amon weakness among mages. A strong electric shock can mess up the internal nerve circuits through which magic flows, rendering them unable to use magic.

    But Elise was no ordinary mage. She quickly restored her magic circuit-

    ©¤B04. Standby. Not yet.

    They noticed. They staggered over and tightly gripped the back of her neck.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t-¡±

    Zap©¤©¤!

    She shocked her again, but this time, Elise didn¡¯t just take it. She weakly pushed her away with telekinesis.

    ©¤B04. She continues to resist.

    Elise writhed on the floor. Her body was devoid of strength.

    Through his earpiece, a small voice flowed.

    ¡­Do it with high voltage. If she can resist you, she won¡¯t die even if you burn her with maximum output.

    ©¤Yes.

    Elise clenched her fist. She tried to invoke telekinesis, but her magic kept slipping. She jumped up and grabbed her throat.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    It was the worst pain she had ever felt in her 18 years of life.

    Elise foamed at the mouth and passed out.

    * * *

    When Elise opened her eyes, her mouth was taped shut and her body was bound with electrical wires.

    She shivered, looking at her own tightly bound wrists on her bent knees. Regr electrical currents kepting from the wires.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She looked around. Many people were suppressed in the museum hall. The faces of the civilians were all pale. Their terrified noises were loud.

    About twenty people, including herself, were wrapped in electrical wires.

    Had they singled out only the magic users?

    Elise looked out the window of the museum. It was dark, as if surrounded by a barrier.

    ©¤©¤Please remain quiet. Remain quiet.

    The voice of a loudspeaker filled the museum.

    Hundreds of confined people turned towards it.

    A masked man stood there. Nine masked people lined up next to him. Ten in total.

    Whoever they were, it seemed like these crazy bastards had taken over the entire museum.

    ©¤©¤Don¡¯t worry too much. We have no intention of harming you. Let¡¯s y some music to help you rx.

    The leader snapped his fingers. Then, a ssical melody mixed with violin and piano flowed.

    A disgusting hobby.

    ¡­Crazy bastard.

    Elise muttered through the tape.

    ©¤©¤I repeat. Please remain quiet. As long as you follow our instructions, you will not be harmed.

    Zap- Zap-

    Elise shivered, looking somewhere.

    There, two men were trying to untie the electrical wires. They seemed to be colleagues, exchanging nces and rubbing their bodies against each other.

    Zap- Zap-

    The electric shocks were constant, but there was something they misunderstood.

    Electricity is indeed a weakness for all mages. However, if it¡¯s applied ¡®regrly¡¯ like this, humans can¡¯t help but adapt.

    Especially if they¡¯re a genius like her.

    ©¤©¤I repeat.

    Elise slowly invoked telekinesis. She applied a small, steady pressure on the electrical wires, careful not to get caught.

    ©¤©¤We will treat you all peacefully.

    If she were alone, it would be impossible. But she wasn¡¯t alone. There were two more. No, if you look at it broadly, there were more than twenty people who could face them.

    All of them, like her, were taken by surprise.

    If the three of them could escape from the confinement and free everyone else, they could confront them.

    ©¤©¤All you need to do is stay with us for a short time. If you cooperate well, it will end sooner.

    The secret telekinesis. The electrical wires around her wrist gradually loosened, and just when they were almost untied.

    Snap©¤©¤!

    Someone gripped her wrist tightly.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Elise felt her heart drop. No, it had already stopped once.

    ¡°Haah, haah¡­¡­.¡±

    She, who had just woken up from a brief faint, gasped for breath. A masked man was squatting right in front of her.

    Chew, chew-

    He was chewing gum and caught her wrist. He tapped her bent knee lightly.

    Those small actions were extremely humiliating.

    She red at him with tear-filled eyes.

    And then¡­¡­.

    Something strange happened.

    He suddenly did something peculiar.

    Looking around as if checking his surroundings©¤©¤ slightly.

    He lifted his mask.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    That moment.

    The moment the masked man revealed his bare face.

    Elise¡¯s expression momentarily became dumbfounded. Unconsciously, she tilted her head in confusion.

    Blonde hair flowing out from under the mask.

    Golden eyes with sharp edges.

    She knew him.

    He held her wrist tightly and put a finger to his lips.

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    And then he showed a smile as if to say don¡¯t worry.

    A smile where his eyes and the corners of his mouth curved upward.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    He put his mask back on, and Elise just blinked her eyes.

    She gave up resisting.

    Her mind just went nk. Her heart was pounding. It was an inexplicable heartache.

    ©¤©¤Didn¡¯t I tell you.

    Suddenly, the leader¡¯s voice became rough. He put his hand in his pocket.

    ©¤©¤If you stay still, no one will die.

    Two daggers. They detonated in an instant.

    Zap©¤!

    It grazed the skin. Blood sttered. Elise looked in that direction.

    The two men who were just trying to untie the confinement. Their throats were brutally pierced.

    Gurgle, gurgle¡­¡­

    The sight of them choking on their blood and dying made the civilians scream.

    ©¤©¤If you just stay still.

    In the chaos mixed with ssical music, screams, and crying, the man continued.

    ©¤©¤Your lives are not in danger at all.

    Elise slowly raised her gaze. She looked at a masked man in the corner of the museum.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The man who had just smiled at her.

    It was really unbelievable.

    It felt like a dream.

    But he was definitely, Shion Ascal.

 Chapter 132: Lion Cub (1)

    <strong>Lion Cub (1)</strong>

    Still, the museum was filled with the resonating sounds of ssical music. The bodies of the two men who had tried to resist the viins were removed, and the rest, trembling in fear, held their breath.

    ©¤©¤Just. All you need to do is stay here. That is your role.

    Elise suddenly looked at her wrist. There were small pebbles on the spot where Shion had grabbed her, arranged like letters.

    [I¡¯ll exinter. Just stay still.]

    After reading, she shook her wrist, and the pebbles scattered.

    ©¤©¤As before, pointless courage and resistance only lead to meaningless ughter. So, please restfortably.

    The man obsessed with ssical music left. His ce was taken by a female masked figure. The woman who had attacked her. She approached the mages tied with electrical wires and gestured with her chin.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    The other masked figures forcibly stood up the mages, including Elise. Some resisted, but they were suppressed by the crackling¡ª! high voltage current.

    ¡°Take them away.¡±

    Elise red at the masked female figure. It was essentially a threat. Remember my face ¨C she seemed to say.

    The masked figure didn¡¯t flinch, and Elise was dragged away.

    It was a prison.

    There was a prison in this museum. A prison that had been restored for viewing, which had actually been used in ancient temples.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise scanned the doors lined up in the long corridor. Each one was a solitary cell.

    Her heart tightened for a moment.

    Creak¡ª

    The female masked figure stood Elise in front of a solitary cell and opened the door.

    ¡°Go in.¡±

    Elise instinctively resisted.

    ¡°¡­¡­Go in.¡±

    The masked figure pushed her hard. Elise shook her head. She struggled with all her might.

    The masked figure sighed lightly and grabbed the back of her neck.

    Crackle-!

    The current ran, and with her strength drained, she was finally pushed inside.

    Bang-!

    The door closed.

    ©¤The door closed.

    ©¤©¤The door closed.

    Elise looked around the inside. It was all dark andpletely blocked off.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Her mouth was dry. Her breath was short. Her breathing was not continuous.

    Crackle-! Crackle-! The pain from the electrical wires, which she could bear until now, suddenly felt as if her whole body was being drilled with an electric saw.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­ haah¡­¡­.¡±

    Just when her mind and body were about to give out.

    Swoosh-

    The sound of something opening.

    Then, a slight light seeping in.

    Elise quickly lifted her head.

    A small square window attached to the iron door of the solitary cell. The observation window that the jailer had opened to monitor the prisoner.

    Behind it, a masked man was standing at an angle.

    Sssssssss¡­¡­ Pebbles flowed in through the window gap and formed a shape.

    [Are you okay.]

    Elise just stared at it.

    [It seems like these guys really don¡¯t intend to harm the hostages. I¡¯ll stay by your side, so hang in there.]

    She slowly regained her senses. She stood up her drained body.

    [You saved me before, too. So, we¡¯re even.]

    Thanks to that, her mind calmed down, and at the words ¡®we¡¯re even¡¯, a faint smile formed on her face.

    Elise leaned against the iron door, quietly sensing him beyond the wall.

    ¡°Pfoooh¡­.¡±

    A sigh of relief slipped through the tape-wrapped seams of her mouth.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She even managed to whisper a few words. Shion let out a low, hollowugh.

    But then.

    ©¤C03.

    There was a presence approaching. Elise jerked away from the iron door.

    It was that damned masked woman.

    She shoved Shion aside and alternately looked at herself and Shion inside the cell.

    ©¤Why did you open this window on your own?

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Shion didn¡¯t answer, and the masked woman, grinding her teeth in anger, asked in a furious voice.

    ©¤Who are you?

    At that moment, Elise felt a strange stomachache. It was a pain as if her intestines were being cut off.

    ©¤Take off the mask.

    Bang-! The window closed.

    She was plunged into darkness again.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    She wanted to shout no, but her mouth was already sealed. No, doing so would only advertise that he was on her side.

    So, there was nothing she could do.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise leaned against the iron door.

    What will happen to Shion now?

    He¡¯s not on their side, so if he¡¯s exposed, he might¡­

    Be killed.

    ¡­Because of me?

    She closed her eyes, her lips trembling. Her dry eyelids became damp.

    In them, certain illusions spread.

    Dark blood. Intestines strewn on the floor. A torn throat. Dead people.

    She was suffocating.

    Even though she was breathing, she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    It felt as if her lungs had hardened like fibers and lost their function.

    Elise looked around the space.

    It was blocked on all sides.

    Blood droplets sprouted like mold from the tightly sealed walls. The mold hatched bugs.

    Bubbling. Rustling. Those horrible things quickly multiplied, fluttering their wings and exoskeletons, sticking to her¡­¡­

    Meow-

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, a small voice flowed from somewhere.

    Elise turned to look in that direction.

    It was a cat.

    From the corner of the cell, a cat was walking out.

    Is it a hallucination?

    No.

    It¡¯s the one I saw before.

    A white and ck cat.

    The cat came up to her and rubbed its cheek against her.

    ©¤Hang in there. Hang in there.

    It said in a childlike voice.

    It¡¯s not a hallucination, but it is a hallucination.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    Is it thanks to the hallucination?

    Her breathing slowly returned.

    The mold, blood, and bugs had also disappeared without a trace.

    She looked at the cat snuggling in her arms. The childforting her. Looking into its eyes that sparkled like jewels, worrying about Shion, who had just been taken away, she fell into a sleep close to exhaustion.

    * * *

    ¡°C03. I asked why you opened the window.¡±

    Meanwhile, I was being interrogated by the masked woman.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not C03.¡±

    C03 is my undercover identity. The masked woman standing in front of me is B04.

    She¡¯s an elite agent of the armed organization [Night Moon] that has upied the entire museum.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask twice. Take off that mask.¡±

    She cornered me against the wall, her aura ring menacingly. I let out a small sigh.

    ¡°Give me 3 seconds.¡±

    Crackle- Crackle-

    She charged electricity in one hand, while clutching a knife in the other.

    ¡°3¡±

    As she began the countdown.

    ¡°2-¡±

    I immediately took off my mask.

    ¡°Is that enough?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    B04 stared at me in silence. The threatening current crackling in her hand gradually subsided, and she put away her knife.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re suddenly acting up.¡±

    I said, looking at the ss window on my right.

    There, reflected, was not my face but someone else¡¯s. It was the face of ¡®C03¡¯, whom she had just mentioned.

    I red back at B04. She scrutinized my face, from my eyes and nose to my ears, but it would have been identical.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The inside story of this phenomenon and situation is¡­¡­.

    Let¡¯s rewind back to three days ago.

    ©¤©¤Three days ago.

    I used the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ to recall the memory of Elise¡¯s abduction. However, the information was limited.

    The news stated that Elise Petra was kidnapped in the desert©¤ the act wasmitted by an armed organization [Night Moon]©¤ they were hiding in a base camp in the Arahall desert©¤ that was all.

    Therefore, I was busy searching for the hideout, and thanks to Grawl¡¯s geomaic radar, I was able to detect it in time.

    It was a natural cave formed underground in the desert.

    I approached the ce in stealth.

    There were dozens of members of [Night Moon] in the cave. As the number was too overwhelming for me alone, I first dispatched Grawl, who informed me that they were nning to raid a museum called ¡®Partium¡¯.

    ©¤©¤Two days ago.

    I searched for a member of [Night Moon] who matched my physique as closely as possible.

    I could change my face, but not my body.

    I finally found one.

    He wasn¡¯t particrly strong, but he didn¡¯t seem like a mere foot soldier either. His height and weight were roughly simr to mine.

    I waited for him to stand guard at the cave entrance.

    ©¤Meow.

    The bait was Grawl.

    ¡®¡­What¡¯s a cat doing here?¡¯

    He frowned at the sight of a cat meowing at the entrance of the cave.

    ¡®Get lost.¡¯

    He threatened by kicking a stone, but under Grawl¡¯s feet was a mana stone. It was a temptation that a human couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡®¡­Huh. Lucky me.¡¯

    We subdued him as he approached with a grin. Grawl formed a rock barrier to iste the space, and I strangled him.

    ¡®Kuh, kuhhh¡ª¡ª¡¯

    I grabbed the unconscious man¡¯s face. I memorized every feature, from his skin to his facial features. Following Akane¡¯s advice, I faithfully manifested it onto my face, even the ears.

    In addition, I utilized a rtively new feature of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. I ¡®extracted¡¯ some memories from the unconscious man¡¯s mind.

    ¡®C03.¡¯

    His codename was C03. He was insolent and didn¡¯t bow to his superiors.

    Having absorbed his memory, I pretended to be C03.

    I didn¡¯t know where and how they would kidnap Elise, so I stayed in the cave, waiting for an opportunity.

    ©¤©¤One day ago.

    [Night Moon] finally briefed their operation. They nned to dig under the Partium Museum. They had detected some sort of ¡®ancient artifact¡¯ vibrations beneath it.

    Their n was to take the museum visitors hostage, steal the artifact, and then make a smooth escape.

    ©¤©¤6 hours ago.

    I found Elise at the Partium Museum. She had already been knocked out by B04, and when she woke up, she seemed to be trying to resist with the help of other mages, but [Night Moon] was too much for Elise to handle at the moment.

    I approached her before she could do anything foolish or suffer unnecessarily. I firmly grabbed her wrist and took off my mask.

    ¡®¡­¡­?¡¯

    Elise¡¯s expression at that moment was quite something. Her dumbfounded face was so funny that I unknowingly smiled and put a finger to my lips.

    Shush.

    ©¤©¤Present.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly acting up?¡±

    I confronted B04. It was a behavior based on C03¡¯s personality.

    ¡°¡­¡­I misunderstood. Put it back on.¡±

    B04 shrugged her shoulders. I grumbled as I put the mask back on. B04 asked in a somewhat softened tone.

    ¡°Why did you open the surveince window?¡±

    ¡°I just looked because the face seemed familiar. B04. Don¡¯t you know who that person is?¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    B04 put a finger to her mask¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I know. The negotiation is already over.¡±

    ¡°You know? You¡¯re holding her even though you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Petra¡¯s daughter. We¡¯ll secure her as a hostage once we receive the promised money. Then we¡¯ll abandon her in the middle of the desert.¡±

    It was a crazy talk about making the entire Petra an enemy.

    ¡°And if she dies? You¡¯re going to turn Petra into an enemy?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    B04 nced around subtly. It seemed like a matter not yet disclosed to the lower ranks.

    ¡°We¡¯re saying we¡¯ll kidnap her if we get the money from them.¡±

    ¡°So what does that mean¡­¡­.¡±

    I suddenly stopped talking. My head was spinning.

    If we receive the ¡®promised money¡¯, we¡¯ll kidnap.

    Not extorting money after kidnapping, but ¡®if we receive the money¡¯, we¡¯ll kidnap.

    Receiving ¡®money¡¯ as a reward for kidnapping.

    For some reason, those consecutive words in my ears¡­¡­ sounded as if they were ¡®doing a favor¡¯ by kidnapping.

    Something¡¯s strange.

    Either these guys have a screw loose, or they misspoke, or.

    Or.

    I slowly tilted my head. I looked at B04.

    ¡°¡­¡­I also received the information in a hurry. If you understand, don¡¯t make a fuss about it. We¡¯ll get our fair share.¡±

    At that remark, a certain persones to mind.

    Elise¡¯s father©¤©¤ Gen Petra.

    I knew him well.

    A body as solid as diamond and a face resembling a lion.

    He was already a plete¡¯ human being.

    That¡¯s not necessarily a good thing.

    He was someone who wouldn¡¯t allow anything other than his own beliefs to interfere. A man who could not be stained.

    Someone who could never, ever be persuaded.

    He was a knight like a furnace, relentlessly pursuing what he believed to be right, and infinitely fulfilling his own ambitions.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Somehow, it was strange.

    The more I thought about it, the more it seemed so.

    Elise, for a child of the Petra family, was oddly involved in many incidents.

    She had been the target of too many crimes.

    She had been kidnapped, even had an entire passenger ne she was on hijacked, and had been the target of bomb terrorism and attempted assassinations at least half a dozen times.

    Elise changed through these countless incidents.

    She became a monster greater than Gen Petra, growing the Petra family¡¯s stature into a giant without regard for means and methods.

    Beside such aplete monster, there was a father who was satisfied.

    To such Elise, Gen Petra willingly left all his inheritance.

    ¡°Go back. Leaving her alone is ¡®their¡¯ intention. We are thorough in negotiations.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Just in case, I¡¯ll stay by the door.¡±

    ¡°Permission granted.¡±

    B04 stepped back, and I walked down the corridor of the solitary cell.

    I stood in front of the ce where Elise was imprisoned.

    I stared at the tightly closed iron door.

    Grawl is inside, so it should be fine. The worst situation won¡¯t happen.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    But, my heart feels a bit strange.

    Is this sympathy,passion, or a ¡®Eureka¡¯ moment after fully understanding Yael¡¯s intentions?

    I leaned against the iron door. Looking at the ceiling, I murmured softly.

    ¡°You too¡­¡­¡±

    Gen Petra probably made contact as soon as Elise got involved with [Night Moon].

    But instead of rescuing her, he would have demanded a different ¡®situation¡¯.

    ¡°It must be hard, huh.¡±

    A lion drops its cub off a cliff.

    Even if the whole world condemns it as lunatic behavior, at least the lion would think it¡¯s doing the right thing¡­¡­.

 Chapter 133: Lion Cub (2)

    <strong>Lion Cub (2)</strong>

    I descended into the basement of the museum. I was practically driven out.

    In case of any unforeseen circumstances, the B-codes were assigned to monitor the solitary cells, and a strict no-entry order was issued to C-codes like me.

    Disobeying the order would result in an immediate execution.

    Ziiing-! Ziiing-!

    In the basement, an excavator was digging the ground, and nearby, the lower-ranking masked men from D~F were digging to create stairs.

    For reference, the codes are differentiated by masks. Arge alphabet letter and number are written right in the center.

    Wiiing- Wiiing-

    Machines resembling trays seemed to detect magical waves rising from the ground, whining, and the researchers in white gowns were busily calcting while looking at theirputers.

    The prime time for artifact theft is probably within 4~5 days. A magical sandstorm is currently raging in the desert, so there¡¯s still time, but whether the operation will seed or fail is unknown.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I fell into thought as I observed the site.

    I only have fragmentary memories about the armed organization called [Night Moon]. It¡¯s not an organization that traffics drugs in Edsi. I just know that they¡¯ve made quite a name for themselves among neighboring countries.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what artifact they¡¯re looking for, but the radar of ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ just activated.

    ©¤This doesn¡¯t seem to be the correct spot. We will temporarily stop the operation of the excavator.

    They are digging in the wrong ce. The researcher is constantly modifying the path of the excavator while calcting the waves under the ground. Still, they are searching in the wrong area. I could help and finish it quickly, but for now, they are digging in the wrong spot.

    ¡°C03.¡±

    Then two men approached me.

    ¡°You fought with B04 again.¡±

    I casually looked at them and was surprised.

    ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s a higher code. You should respect her during the operation.¡±

    They were the two men who died three hours ago, having been stabbed in the neck while trying to untangle the electrical wires in the museum hall.

    The corpses havee back to life and were talking to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    I let out a hollowugh. [Night Moon] had no intention of causing casualties from the start.

    They only ¡®acted¡¯ as if they were killing people for intimidation.

    On the other hand, I¡­¡­

    I felt a bit heavy.

    ¡°C03. Apologize to B04ter.¡±

    What happened to the original owner of this face¡ªC03.

    To be honest, he¡¯s dead.

    I killed him.

    His body will never be found. I buried it in the ashes.

    ¡°Ah. Yeah. Sure.¡±

    C03¡¯s real name was Dumas.

    I don¡¯t know about his family rtions. The extraction of Memory from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ organizes only the most recent and intense ones.

    Among Dumas¡¯s recent memories were kidnapping and murder.

    I don¡¯t hesitate to kill people, but I ¡®hope¡¯. I hope that the people I kill are deserving of death.

    It¡¯s a pitiful and cowardly wish.

    ©¤The probability that this point is also wrong is high. Let¡¯s tilt the angle a little more.

    The researchers are controlling the excavator while tapping on theirputers.

    I sigh at the sight of these clueless guys. When such ink-like guys hold the operational authority, it bes unbearably suffocating.

    If the work drags on, it won¡¯t be good for me or for Elise, who is locked up.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute.¡±

    Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

    What if I were to assist [Night Moon] here?

    If I were to aid in excavating the relics and expedite the resolution of this incident.

    Perhaps I could thwart Petra¡¯s intentions of ¡®abusing¡¯ Elise, at the very least.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±

    It¡¯s better than doing nothing.

    With a shrug, I called out loudly to the ink-stained workers on the site.

    ¡°Hey! Over there!¡±

    The researchers and masked men turned to look at me.

    ¡°You seem to bepletely off the mark?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The workers fell silent for a moment but soon tantly ignored me.

    ¡°We¡¯re adjusting the position of the excavator. Tilt it 0.83 degrees to the right.¡±

    They quickly returned to their futile digging.

    ¡°0.83 degrees, you¡¯re kidding me. I told you, you¡¯repletely wrong.¡±

    I snatched a shovel from one of the masked men at the bottom.

    And then, on the exact opposite side of the excavator, at a point the workers hadn¡¯t even considered, I jabbed the shovel in.

    ¡°I¡­C04 think it¡¯s here, so dig here.¡±

    In this group, everyone, including myself, is referred to by a codename.

    It was a mistake, but fortunately, no one was interested in me. They seemed ustomed to ignoring my impulsive actions.

    Thud!

    I dug with the shovel.

    * * *

    Elise woke up from her sleep. Her throat and chest still felt constricted.

    She tossed and turned, looking up at the ceiling. There was a wall.

    She lowered her gaze. There was another wall.

    Walls on all sides.

    ©¤Meow.

    A cat¡¯s cry echoed in the suffocating silence.

    A tiny creature, nestled inside the product.

    ¡°It¡­ wasn¡¯t a dream.¡±

    She had hoped it was all a dream. Elise pressed her trembling temples.

    Suddenly, she realized her hands were free.

    ¡°?¡±

    Her restraints had been removed. Elise sat up in a daze. She touched her hands, which bore the marks of the restraints, and thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    What happened to Shion?

    She would be relieved if he was imprisoned like her.

    It would be terrible if he was being tortured.

    The worst would be¡­.

    A knife lodged in the throat, the surge of blood.

    The worst scenario that made her heart flutter just by imagining it.

    ©¤Meow.

    Then the cat gave a weak smile.

    As if to say, don¡¯t worry, everything will be okay.

    ¡°But why¡­ you seem to be in pain too.¡±

    The cat didn¡¯t look well either. It seemed to be suffering.

    Should I try to dig the ground?

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    Elise activated her telekinesis, but the floor didn¡¯t budge.

    Not only was her magic circuit not fully functional, but this ce was an ancient mage prison. She could feel a force suppressing her magic.

    Unbeknownst to her, the cat, Grawl, was also powerless due to this influence.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise staggered and fell.

    Telekinesis didn¡¯t work. It didn¡¯t work at all.

    ©¤Meow.

    The cat cried again. Was it worried? Elise held it in her arms.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay¡­¡­¡±

    It seemed to calm her a bit, but in reality, it didn¡¯t. It just felt like it.

    Her post-traumatic stress disorder was not that simple.

    ustrophobia, fear of solitude, variouspulsions and traumas, and even a magical inhabitation were practically a curse.

    Even with the help of the cat, she could barely cope, but this cramped space was more threatening to her than a sea full of razor des.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    She was already gasping for air, but she could endure.

    No, she must endure.

    Beyond enduring, she must escape.

    She must endure stubbornly and find a way, any way, to escape.

    Only then can she save Shion.

    * * *

    I spent the whole day digging with a shovel. The researchers initially ignored me, but my digging became a problem because it was too professional.

    Compared to the excavator that seemed to modify its route here and there, I had confidently broken through one point and gone down, so I had dug deeper than the excavator before I knew it.

    ¡°C03! What are you doing!¡±

    Because of this, some higher-up code rushed over, fuming.

    ¡°Who said you could dig the ground as you please!¡±

    B01.

    He¡¯s not the mastermind of this operation. That crazy guy who likes ssical music is A09. He¡¯s probably listening to ssical music alone in the museum director¡¯s office now.

    ¡°I thought this point was correct. I¡¯m digging alone, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Lunatic! What does C03 know?! Do you know Magic?!¡±

    I ignored his raging voice as if I was deaf.

    ¡°Well, if you look at that dish, you¡¯ll know. There should be artifact wavesing up from below here. I can feel it.¡±

    ¡°What do you feel, you crazy bastard!¡±

    Just as B01 was about to p me.

    Click-

    Someone grabbed his wrist. I turned to look.

    It was B04. The electric maniptor who had subdued Elise.

    ¡°B01. C03 is under B04.¡±

    ¡­I see.

    I was her subordinate.

    Anyway, B04 protected me. B01, enraged by this, cooled down instead.

    ¡°B04. Are you also rebelling against the higher code?¡±

    ¡°If there is a mistake in the subordinate, the superior is responsible. Hey!¡±

    B04 spoke to the researcher.

    ¡°Bring the dish.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a dish, it¡¯s a magic wave detection antenna-¡±

    ¡°Whatever!¡±

    Then, the researcher brought the dish. I tilted it towards the hole I had dug and turned on the power.

    ¡°B04. Before you are his superior, there is the organization¡¯s discipline.¡±

    Meanwhile, magic was gathering in B01¡¯s body. His anger was seething from inside his mask.

    He¡¯s quite strong. At least much stronger than Elise right now.

    ¡°A lower code rebelling against a higher code-¡±

    ¡°-Amplitude, amplitude detected!¡±

    Then the researcher shouted loudly.

    Wiiing©¤! Wiiing©¤!

    The antenna detecting the magic wave also cried out like a siren.

    ¡°This is the ce!¡±

    Wiiiiiiing©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Wiiiiiiing©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The antenna, cursing loudly, shook the underground greatly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    B01 and B04 paused for a moment, and the rest of the researchers and lower ranks all rushed to the hole I had dug.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I told you. It seems to be here.¡±

    B04 and B01 looked back at me.

    Among them, my direct superior, the electric maniptor B04, asked.

    ¡°¡­C03. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Does that matter? We need to dig quickly and excavate. Count this as part of my responsibility, too.¡±

    I picked up the shovel I had been using until just now.

    ¡°The rest of you, grab a shovel. What are you doing!¡±

    I shouted at the lower rank masks with codes D~F.

    ¡°Dig the ground! Dig quickly, and let¡¯s go home!¡±

    * * *

    Elise was digging into the earth. No matter how much she poured out her telekinesis, it was useless, so she dug with her own hands.

    She dug the soil using her fingernails, raked it out with a piece of rock she found by chance, and when the rock piece broke, she used her nails again.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±

    While screaming out her feelings, as if she were about to burst, she felt like she was going mad.

    She was digging into the earth.

    All day long, she was digging into the earth with all her might.

    Before she knew it, her hands were speckled with blood, her skin was peeling off, her nails were torn, her breath was blocked, her heart was pounding, she was nauseous, and even when she felt like maggots were flowing from her mouth, she continued.

    She continued to dig into the earth.

    But still¡­¡­

    There was no answer.

    No matter how much she dug, she only went a little deeper, escape seemed impossible. No matter how deep she dug, it didn¡¯t seem like she could get out of here.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise finally copsed.

    Shey t on the ground, covered in dirt.

    ©¤¡­¡­Meow.

    Even this kitten approaching her seemed to have no strength left. It¡¯s scary because it felt as if something were to happen to it before it happened to her.

    Holding the creature in her arms, Elise murmured faintly.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    She thought of Shion nkly.

    Is he dead or alive?

    Is he dead?

    Is he alive?

    Is he dead?

    Is he alive?

    She felt her mind slipping, her thoughts growing fuzzy.

    It¡¯s strange.

    Why am I here, and why were you here?

    What the hell are we doing here?

    It¡¯s because of those damn masked people.

    For a moment, her heart tightened. Her chest felt constricted.

    The pain of feeling like dying but not dying. That time when she trembled under the unbearable pressure.

    ©¤©¤©¤?.

    A small sound flowed in. It was a ssical melody.

    At first, Elise, who was listening without any thought, suddenly perked up her ears.

    Life seeped into her dried eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    She quickly got up.

    This music, with the piano melody echoing from the prelude, is¡­¡­.

    * * *

    ©¤One day and 16 hours.

    Exactly 40 hourster.

    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the entity!¡±

    [Night Moon] secured the relic, and as soon as they heard the news, A09, the nner, came down to the basement.

    B01 ran up quickly, saluted, and reported.

    ¡°A09. Excavation is a matter of time. We¡¯re currently lowering the temperature of the external magicyer surrounding the relic.¡±

    A09 nodded satisfactorily.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Then, suddenly, he turned his gaze towards me. He looked at me directly andughed with a ha-ha chuckle.

    What¡¯s going on?

    ¡°C03.¡±

    He called my code and approached.

    ¡°I¡¯ve watched everything. C03, you led the operation and the way you dug the tunnel with momentum.¡±

    Where did he watch from? Is there a camera?

    ¡°Despite not being a higher code, your drive to face failure, your belief in yourself, and your courage were indeedmendable.¡±

    He put his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°So, I had a conversation with Alpha Code.¡±

    Alpha Code is probably the big boss of [Night Moon]. I have a feeling it is.

    ¡°C03. From now on, you are not C03.¡±

    B01 watched with envious eyes.

    A09 finished his sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s C01. A two-step promotion, the first promotion in three years.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A two-step promotion. I¡¯m not sure whether to be happy or not.

    The C03 in heaven would be grateful for this promotion, no.

    Moreover, A09 seems to have more to say.

    ¡°C01. Do you have a favorite piece of music?¡±

    Again, it¡¯s about music.

    He seems to be obsessed with ssical music, but that¡¯s possible. Especially if it¡¯s rted to the ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in particr¡­¡­.¡±

    I was about to say ¨C when suddenly, a piece of ssical music popped into my head.

    I asked A09.

    ¡°Can you y it throughout the museum? So that even the person trapped in the prison can hear it.¡±

    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the music?¡±

    Music, ssical.

    The one I¡¯m thinking of now is someone¡¯s name.

    The name of the person who is still suffering greatly in prison, not because of anyone else, but because of her own family ¨C that person¡¯s name.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯For Elise¡¯.¡±

    * * *

    The flowing melody was familiar to Elise.

    It was the ssical piece she hated the most because it was familiar.

    It was the music that the young nobles, full of jealousy and malice, used to mock her when she was still too young and weak.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    But, strangely enough, she enjoyed listening to it now.

    Her body and mind were already twisted and seemed about to tear apart at any moment.

    But a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°He must be safe.¡±

    She murmured and blinked her eyes. The tension was instantly relieved, and at the same time, she let go of her consciousness.

    Perhaps it had been slowly wearing away for a long time.

    And so, when she quietly fell.

    ©¤©¤Screech.

    The iron door of the solitary cell opened. A light like sunlight poured in. At the same time, many footsteps rushed in.

    They were the masked men of the Order.

    ¡°Get her out.¡±

    In the midst of the increasingly loud ssical melody, they lifted Elise up. Elise was dragged out limply, and she quickly looked back into the prison.

    She tried to find the cat that had been helping her all this time, but it was nowhere to be found.

    It was not visible anywhere in the corner.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Could it have been a hallucination?

    Elise¡¯s body was wrapped around the electric wire again. She was handed over to someone.

    Elise looked up at him.

    The alphabet marked on the mask was C.

    Thump.

    The number was not 03, but 01.

    Shion is C03.

    This man is C01.

    Meaning he¡¯s not Shion.

    Disappointment.

    Elise didn¡¯t show it, but suddenly.

    C01 pulled her close and whispered softly.

    ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to kidnap you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Something, a voice that tickles the ear.

    A voice that makes her eyes wide.

    It¡¯s Shion.

    Elise looked up at him slightly. Then she quickly bowed her head again. She smiled while looking at the ground so as not to be caught.

 Chapter 134: Lion Cub (3)

    <strong>Lion Cub (3)</strong>

    ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me?¡±

    In the temporary restroom at the excavation site, Grawl grumbled. As a magical being, heined about being driven to the brink of death in the mana prison.

    ¡°You did well. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ©¤Words don¡¯t heal¡­ I need a tablet, no, a desktop.

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    ©¤At least a top-spec worth 7,000 Ren¡­ high-end¡­ a separate monitor capable of the highest resolution¡­

    ¡°I said I got it.¡±

    Only then did Grawl snort.

    When did he learn words like high-end?

    ¡°You. Did you confirm what the relic is?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    Grawl sat on the sink.

    ©¤It¡¯s mana.

    ¡°Mana?¡±

    ©¤It seems like a chunk of ancient mana.

    ¡°¡­Then they¡¯ve hit the jackpot.¡±

    Ancient relics, especially mana or spells, are insanely expensive, not to mention their practicality and utility. That¡¯s because the customer, ¡®Magic Tower,¡¯ has no limit to spending. Even the worst piece starts from at least ten million Ren.

    ¡°If it¡¯s mana¡­ there¡¯s no way to steal it, I guess.¡±

    ©¤No. A little is possible.

    Grawl said nonchntly. My eyes widened.

    ¡°Really? Can you eat it?¡±

    ©¤No, I can¡¯t. Do you think I¡¯m a glutton? I can¡¯t digest mana itself. Mana cores and mana stones are edible because they have the properties of a stone.

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ©¤Instead, I can transport it. It¡¯s like applying mana to my body.

    Grawl stood on his two feet and spun around.

    ©¤If I bring the mana, you will graft it onto the root of R-elix.

    He pointed at my right forearm as he said this.

    The root of R-elix refers to the ¡®connector¡¯ that is usually attached to each R-elix. This connector is used to connect other R-elix to enhance them or to graft body modification imnts.

    My ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ R-elix has two roots, and Grawl has five.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you attach it to yourself?¡±

    ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ is a D-grade R-elix. Originally F, but upgraded, it seems a bit too low-grade to graft ancient mana.

    ©¤I can¡¯t attach it to my roots. I want to decide what goes on my roots.

    Suddenly, Grawl hugged himself.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t your roots precious? Don¡¯t you know you could die if I graft the root wrong?¡±

    ©¤¡­If I help, it should be fine. I can only transport a small amount anyway.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I looked at Grawl. I sighed softly.

    ¡°Alright. If we seed, I¡¯ll get you anything you want within 30,000 Ren.¡±

    ©¤Meow??

    Grawl¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The resolute creature turned into stone debris and clung to the edge of my forearm.

    I went to the site.

    ©¤Be careful!

    ©¤The heat has been cooled. It seems to be a chunk of ancient mana.

    ©¤I¡¯ll contact the Magic Tower right away.

    The excavation site was buzzing. I slowly approached.

    The mana glowed faintly within the white shell.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    The stone debris flowing down from my forearm¡ªGrawl moved smoothly. He slowly seeped into the chunk of ancient mana.

    ¡°C01.¡±

    That¡¯s when someone called me. It was B04. She stood by my side.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Thanks to you, I¡¯ll be able to advance too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Just then, Grawl¡¯s debris flowed back. Perhaps because it was full of mana, its speed was very slow. It even sparkled white.

    ¡°But don¡¯t let your guard down. We still have to escort Petra¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    I stood in front of B04, blocking her view with my body.

    ¡°Thank you, B04.¡±

    Grawl flowed in from behind me.

    ¡ªI¡¯ll rest for a bit¡­ It might take a day or two¡­

    His voice was weak. He fell asleep holding the mana in his arms, and B04 nodded with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve worked hard, C01.¡±

    * * *

    The reason [Night Moon] installed a Barrier in the museum was to block the outside view and use it as an escape route.

    ¡¸Reshapeable Barrier¡¹

    [Night Moon], who had stolen the ancient mana, adjusted the shape of the Barrier outside the museum and shoved it under the desert. It had dug a tunnel underground.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Now, they were transporting the ancient mana through that ce.

    B01 at the front kept looking back at us as if he was angry about something. What can you do about it?

    ¡°C01.¡±

    That¡¯s when B04 called me. She looked Elise up and down. Elise was still tied to the electrical wire, and her face was covered with a mask.

    ¡°From now on, we will drop off the target at the designated ce.¡±

    The kidnapping of Elise was assigned to our B04 team. I had asked A09 for a favor.

    The mission was to go above ground, cross the desert on a camel in a sandstorm, and leave Elise at a specific point.

    That was the end of it.

    ¡°B04 will drop out here.¡±

    B04 told the leader.

    B01 made a circle, and the escort team of 5, including Elise, went above ground with the camels.

    Whoooooosh¡­

    The desert where the sandstorm had slightly subsided. There were only four camels brought out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll load the target first.¡±

    ¡°¡­B04. Shouldn¡¯t the target be loaded behind me?¡±

    I spoke to B04 who was trying to take Elise away. B04 looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders as she seemed suspicious.

    ¡°The target might not like B04 because she remembers being shocked by you.¡±

    Elise also clung to me quickly. B04 looked at us both alternately and said,

    ¡°C01. If you have any other intentions-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Petra. Having other intentions could get me killed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    B04 nodded. Elise let out a faintugh.

    ¡°He seems to think it¡¯s funny too.¡±

    I dismissed it like that.

    * * *

    Thump-thump-

    Four camels had been traversing the desert for three hours. The sandstorm had almostpletely subsided, but the heat and warmth clung heavily in the middle of nowhere.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    B04 said. Shion tapped Elise, who was behind him, on the shoulder. Elise, who had been leaning and sleeping since an hour ago, woke up startled.

    ¡°Put her down.¡±

    At B04¡¯smand, Elise was ced kneeling on the desert.

    ¡°Leave the handcuffs, take off the mask.¡±

    Shion removed the mask. There was a faint trace of saliva on her lips.

    B04 gestured with her chin.

    ¡°Leave her and go back.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright to go like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    B04, C01, C05, C06. The four masked figures turned around. They climbed back onto the camels.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Having memorized the location, they could follow it roughly and then return. They didn¡¯t know what had happened to Elise before the regression, but this was enough of a ¡®hindrance¡¯.

    Swallowing a sigh of relief inside, Shion¡­

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes turned blue.

    The intuition of a mage who detects mana. It had been activated. She cast a shield of telekinesis on Shion.

    The next moment.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    A spear of mana took form and surged forward.

    It wasn¡¯t just one.

    Dozens of spears rushed in like missiles, directly hitting those who were riding the camels.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The explosion of blue mana.

    Shion rolled around the desert like a pebble. Elise, who had untied her handcuffs, rushed to him.

    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Fortunately, his face was unharmed.

    ¡°¡­Except for a few broken ribs.¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    She looked in the direction from which the attack had been fired.

    Again, they were masked figures.

    This time, it was B01.

    ¡°When will those crazy masked bastards stop!¡±

    For Elise, it was now getting tiresome.

    Shion drew his sword from his waist.

    ¡°He¡¯s a tough one.¡±

    B01 is a pure powerhouse. B04 and the rest of the C code, who were caught in his surprise attack, were already in critical condition.

    ¡°Elise. Teaming.¡±

    Shion looked at Elise. She quietly nodded.

    ©¤You managed to survive, C04.

    Over the sand dune, B01 said.

    ¡°Ah, What the matter?¡±

    Shion asked as he got up.

    B01¡¯s voice hardened.

    ©¤Your entire team has vited the organization¡¯s discipline. Obedience to orders. That¡¯s the foundation on which [Night Moon] has been maintained. I also obeyed and grew-

    ¡°Don¡¯t spout off your narrative, you idiot.¡±

    He cut him off and took a big step forward. B01 fired a spear of mana.

    ¡ª¡ªng!

    He barely blocked it. The power carried by the spear was quite disorientating.

    ¡°¡­Hey. It¡¯s going to be hard to get close.¡±

    I was slightly flustered.

    He¡¯s a long-range brute. The fact that he can condense mana into a form itself means, regrettably, he¡¯s a higher-level mage than Elise.

    ¡°Run. I¡¯ll support you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    Shion called Perion. At the same time, he dashed forward, stirring up a sandstorm.

    ¡°You©¤©¤©¤!¡±

    B01 formed a spear of magic and detonated it. Elise¡¯s telekinesis twisted its trajectory. The spear narrowly missed Shion.

    Thanks to that gap, Shion reached B01, but the bastard wildly swung the spear of magic with both arms.

    Vroom-!

    Shion blocked it with his sword.

    ng©¤©¤©¤!

    His knees buckled under the immense force. He hastily took a step back.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at closebat, huh?¡±

    He¡¯s much stronger than expected. Shion let out a hollowugh as he held his sword at the ready.

    B01 gnashed his teeth in frustration.

    ¡°C01. You¡¯re not worthy of being part of Night Moon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a part of it, you lunatic.¡±

    Then he took off his mask. B01¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡±

    He trembled with rage and lowered his head. He was a man with a strong sense of belonging.

    ¡°¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    He muttered quietly, then raised his head again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Like a madman, he swung his spear without a word.

    Whoosh©¤©¤! Whoosh©¤©¤©¤!

    With the force that could grind a sand dune, Shion rolled around to dodge, and Elise deployed her telekinesis, targeting hisrge movements. She momentarily halted his body.

    That¡¯s when Shion shed at his chest.

    ¡°Argh¡ª¡ª!¡±

    He dug in as deep as he could, but it wasn¡¯t a fatal wound. It was blocked by the armor and Magic Body.

    B01 swung his spear again, pushing Shion back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He once again drew mana into his body. Shion had no intention of giving him time.

    ¡°Huff!¡±

    As he charged, B01 swung his spear again.

    ©¤©¤It was a feint.

    It was a thrown spear.

    Swoosh©¤©¤!

    The target wasn¡¯t Shion.

    It was Elise behind him.

    She hastily spread multipleyers of a telekic barrier. The spear slowed down upon hitting the barrier, but it was a temporary measure.

    Shion twisted his body towards it. He caught up with the spear first and struck it hard.

    And then.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤!

    The entire spear exploded. A crater was formed on the ground. Shion was swept away by the direct hit and buried in the desert. Fragments of mana pierced Elise¡¯s body.

    ¡­¡­Sizzle- Sizzle-

    The sound of sand burning.

    Whine-

    A ringing filled his ears.

    It was as if he had fallen into the sea, everything was muffled.

    In the desert where blue mes flickered, Elise looked back at Shion. His body was covered in blood.

    Pant, pant¡­¡­

    From afar, the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. It was B01.

    Looking at the masked man, something surged within Elise.

    It was rage.

    Why the hell is he doing this?

    What the hell is making him act like this?

    Living a criminal life at the bottom of society, like a vermin.

    ©¤©¤©¤That anger made Elise¡¯s Magic Body go berserk. Magic surged from her Magic Core. All the circuits in her body that existed opened, and those that didn¡¯t, were created.

    The overflowing magic rose up around her in a blue hue. Her lemon-colored hair stood on end.

    She slowly reached out a hand.

    Gasp!

    She grabbed the neck of B01, who was hundreds of meters away. She shattered his Magic Body in an instant. She lifted him up into the sky.

    He tried to resist by releasing his magic, but her telekinesis swallowed it all.

    Gurgle, choke¡­¡­

    B01 was in pain.

    Staring at him, Elise recalled her memories in the cell.

    Digging the ground, scratching with her nails, swallowing sand, as if spitting out maggots.

    Gurgle- choke- choke¡ª¡ª

    Because of those damn memories, she clenched her hands even tighter.

    Thud- thump¡­¡­

    No longer a groan, but a sound as if something was being torn apart echoed from his throat.

    Just when Elise was about to snap his neck.

    Snap-!

    Someone grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise took a deep breath. Her hair, which had risen like a snake, settled down again.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    It was Shion. He slowly lowered her clenched wrist.

    And then, he approached B01 alone.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    B01 was already dead. The cause was a crushed cervical spine.

    Shion didn¡¯t show any emotion.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­.¡±

    Instead, he gripped his sword.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to dirty your hands any further.¡±

    Thud-! He stabbed B01¡¯s neck. He sliced it so that the neck bone couldn¡¯t be recognized.

    Elise shuddered. She hesitantly approached him.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡­.¡±

    Shion knelt down and removed B01¡¯s mask.

    Amon face that died vomiting blood.

    He was middle-aged.

    A face of a father who could have a son or daughter of my age, anywhere, anytime.

    Elise bit her lip.

    ¡°¡­¡­Cover it. Why-¡±

    ¡°We need to see.¡±

    Shion said.

    ¡°We need to remember.¡±

    The battle doesn¡¯t simply end with killing. You have to face the consequences of your actions.

    To do that, you have to remember the face of the person you killed.

    The same goes for B01 and Dumas, who was originally C04.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise looked at Shion like that. She also seemed to make up her mind and took a deep breath. Then, she looked at the dead B01 with wide-open eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Cough.¡±

    Suddenly, there was a sound of choking not far away.

    The two turned their heads at the same time.

    It was B04.

    The other two were almost instantly killed, but she was still breathing.

    Shion ran to her.

    The bleeding was severe. Her neck was almost torn, and there were fatal wounds everywhere-

    ¡°Step aside.¡±

    Elise pushed him. She first stopped the bleeding from the burst parts of her body with telekinesis.

    ¡°¡­¡­sword.¡±

    And then she snatched Shion¡¯s sword. She pricked her own vein with the de. Blood gushed out. She created a vacuum tube with her telekinesis and connected her vein with B04¡¯s.

    It was a blood transfusion.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m type O.¡±

    Elise exined to the nkly staring Shion, but soon her expression turned into one that had made a big mistake.

    ¡°Oh no!¡±

    ¡°Why.¡±

    ¡°If this person is RH-, she¡¯s in big trouble.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­If she¡¯s that unlucky, she might as well die.¡±

    ¡°What an insensitive thing to say.¡±

    Shion shrugged his shoulders. Elise bit her nails, hoping nothing would go wrong.

    After about 5 to 10 minutes, B04¡¯s injuries healed themselves.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ She¡¯s stabilized.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    She stopped the transfusion. Shion also took off his stifling mask.

    ¡°¡­¡­You know.¡±

    Elise asked, ncing at Shion.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m perfectly fine. My recovery rate is pretty good.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What about the other thing.¡±

    The other thing.

    Perhaps, she was asking about the killing. Shion brushed his hair back.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s better than me dying, right? They must have been prepared to die when they attacked.¡±

    If one tries to take another¡¯s life, they must be prepared to face the same fate.

    Shion always maintained this stance.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    Elise called him. When he turned to look at her, her lips moved but no words came out. It was as if something was stuck in her throat.

    Shion had a rough idea of what she wanted to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fair trade, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders.

    In response to his words, which seemed to dismiss the situation as nothing serious and that there was no need to be grateful, Elise¡¯s expression briefly twisted in sadness.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She bowed her head to hide her feelings, biting her lip hard.

    It¡¯s not a fair trade.

    Elise knew it.

    It¡¯s not a fair trade.

    It¡¯s not a fair trade.

    It¡¯s not a fair trade¡­¡­

    The endlessly increasing numbers from him, the additions that infinitely multiply and crush her, are turning her infinitely into a minus.

    Those things themselves are too much pain for her¡ª¡ª

    Elise¡¯s body tilted. She copsed as if leaning on Shion¡¯s shoulder.

    She had fainted.

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    Left alone, Shion looked around. In the vast desert-like expanse, Elise had fainted, B04 had fainted, and the rest were dead.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do¡­¡­¡±

    With a headache creeping in, Shion pressed his forehead.

 Chapter 135: Lion Cub (4)

    <strong>Lion Cub (4)</strong>

    In the deste expanse of the desert, thankfully, Grawl was the first to regain consciousness.

    ©¤Is this enough?

    Using his strength, I created a temporary cave where B04 could rest. It was a natural tent, with the floor dug deep and the interior hardened.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s cool.¡±

    Being underground, there was no risk of heatstroke.

    In addition, I left food, money, apass, a map, and medicine. With this much done, B04 should be able to manage the rest.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­ oh, right.¡±

    I was about to leave when I remembered to take the rabbit doll ¡®Cookie.¡¯

    ¡°Is this thing invincible or something?¡±

    It was one of Elise¡¯s belongings that I took just in case, but it was still intact except for its ears being slightly burnt after that intense battle.

    ¡°Grawl. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    Afterwards, I carried Elise and climbed onto the back of Grawl, who had transformed into a camel.

    ¡°How¡¯s the ancient mana?¡±

    ©¤A more detailed analysis is needed, but it seems to have organic characteristics.

    ¡°Organic?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    As Grawl walked through the desert, he spoke.

    ©¤If we transnt this ancient mana into the roots of R-elix, it might breathe in mana particles and reproduce naturally.

    Transnting mana means, in essence, transnting a magic circuit. This is because mana that has taken form contains its own ¡®magic circuit¡¯.

    Therefore, mana transntation is surprisinglymon. It¡¯s the ancient mana that¡¯s rare; ¡®mana chunks¡¯ are often found.

    Deep caves, distant underground, mana that has umted for a long time at the mouth of the sea forms a chunk. Humans can surgically transnt it, but most of the circuit©¤at least 98% is said to be lost.

    ¡°How much can be saved?¡±

    ©¤You¡¯re transnting it into R-elix, not your Magic Core. If done well, up to 90% can be saved.

    ¡°90%¡­¡­ Then how much will the magic volume increase?¡±

    ©¤At least two adults¡¯ worth? We¡¯ll have to analyze what other effects this ancient magic has.

    Two adults. As an Endex student, my magic volume is at the level of ten adults. If it increases by 20%, that¡¯s quite pleasing.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    ©¤Don¡¯t forget the desktop~

    Anyway.

    After crossing the desert for three hours.

    Ring-!

    RingRingRingRing-!

    Suddenly, several rms rang on my smartphone.

    Finally, the signal reached.

    ©¤Ah. I need to check my phone too.

    Grawl made a dock with his gravel and ced his smartphone on it.

    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    I also looked at the messages that had piled up in the meantime.

    [Soliette : Lol]

    [Soliette : What are you doing?]

    [Soliette : Lol]

    [Soliette : I found a fun game lol]

    [121 : ???? Is At Your Service closed these days?? Why aren¡¯t you replying¡­¡­ I have to do my holiday homework, At Your Service ??] (? is emote for crying face)

    [121 : ¡ï¡ï¡ïPlease do it! Please do it!¡ï¡ï¡ï]

    [121 : ¡ï¡ï¡ïPlease do it! Please do it!¡ï¡ï¡ï]

    [121 : ¡ï¡ï¡ïPlease do it! Please do it!¡ï¡ï¡ï]

    [121 : Why aren¡¯t you working, At Your Service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

    Soliette is Soliette, and 121 is La.

    I replied to Soliette.

    [Sorry. I couldn¡¯t reply earlier due to some issues.]

    Let¡¯s do Later¡­ she seems to be out of her mind.

    Whing-

    The pocket on the other side rang. I rummaged and pulled it out. It was C01¡¯s wallet and phone.

    [A11: C01. How did the mission go?]

    A11. I don¡¯t know who he is. Judging by the code, he seems to be rted to B04 and C01, but it¡¯s all over now, so whatever.

    I was about to leave it in the desert as it was, but I hesitated.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I changed my mind.

    [The mission isplete, but I was ambushed by B01. It is presumed to be B01¡¯s unteral action. C05 and C06 were killed by B01, and B01 was killed. B04 was healed and kept safe. The target, Elise Petra, is safe.]

    [C01, I have deep wounds and will be hiding for a while.]

    There mighte a day when I need to use this identity again.

    Of course, as time passes, my height will grow¡­ but let¡¯s bluff it out. What are they going to do when the face is the same?

    ¡°I can see it now.¡±

    In the meantime, far away.

    The silhouette of a towering 5-star hotel faintly appeared.

    * * *

    [Last week, a museum upation incident urred in Decapo, Arahall. Edsi civilians were also involved, but fortunately, there were no casualties¡­¡­]

    Endex, old riverbank. I¡¯m watching the news that¡¯s trending in real time. The incident was reported two days after it happened¡­ it¡¯s definitely different.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a kidnapping.¡±

    There was no news rted to Elise¡¯s kidnapping, it was all lumped together as an escape. Before the regression, Elise must have been wandering the desert in pain until now.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that a relief?¡±

    I put down my smartphone.

    Break time is over.

    I gripped my wooden sword again.

    My body is drenched in sweat, and I took off my top a long time ago.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, I swung at the stone dummy that Grawl made.

    Thwack-! Thwack-! In a clockwise circle.

    It may seem like I¡¯m just swinging wildly, but I¡¯m not. It¡¯s the initial training of targeting the eight sides in sequence. It¡¯s the training of the ¡°Eight Swords.¡±

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    There¡¯s a somewhat artistic trick to these Eight Swords.

    The first sword strikes down from the top.

    The second sword unfolds from the upper right.

    The third sword stays on the right.

    They all have different purposes and meanings.

    First, the first and second swords are destructive. As they are strong strikes from above, the movements themselves arerge and powerful. It¡¯s high risk, high return.

    The third sword, which takes care of the right side, has a strong defensive nature. It¡¯s because it¡¯s the front that collides with the enemy the most. However, the initial training includes ¡°stabbing,¡± which is suitable for exploiting the enemy¡¯s gaps.

    The fourth sword from the lower right disrupts the opponent. Hence, there are many fakes. It induces the opponent¡¯s defense and missteps by feigning to strike or swing.

    For now, I¡¯m repeatedly training from the first sword to the fourth sword¡­

    ¡¸125 / 130¡¹

    Recent Change: -4

    Capacity decreased by 4.

    For three days, I had been training in Attunement for eight hours each day. At this pace, it would take at least two to three months to fully embody it.

    That must mean its depth is vast.

    ©¤Master.

    Suddenly, someone called me.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here?¡±

    It was Grawl. The one who had gone exploring came down to thewn and unpacked the bundle on his back. This time, too, there were mana stones, mana cores, and Gether.

    ©¤I¡¯ve made up my mind.

    But today, his face was unusually resolute, unusual for a cat.

    ¡°What decision?¡±

    When I asked back, he took a deep breath with a stern look on his face.

    ©¤We need aboratory.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ©¤Please build aboratory.

    ¡°That¡¯s not your decision, it¡¯s mine.¡±

    ©¤I helped with the mana grafting, didn¡¯t I?

    Grawl pointed at my right forearm. I unconsciously touched it. There was a fluffy sense of mana on the R-elix.

    ©¤Theb will not be for me, but will help with your survival.

    Right now, some ancient magic is attached to the root of my R-elix: ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹. There¡¯s not much change yet because it¡¯s still in the adaptation phase.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have money.¡±

    ©¤You need to invest money to make money.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He¡¯s right. Thinking about it, we can¡¯t stay in this Endex old building forever.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about itter.¡±

    ©¤There are 300,000 Ren in the C01 ount.

    ¡°Hey, hey. You can¡¯t touch the dead man¡¯s money.¡±

    ©¤Isn¡¯t the 100,000 Ren our reward and bonus for the work we did? That¡¯s ours.

    ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Even if 200,000 Ren originally belonged to C01, the remaining 100,000 Ren is what I earned with blood, sweat, and tears.

    -While I was thinking about this.

    Whoosh©¤!

    A brief sh of light came from the bushes by theke. I turned to look at it.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A CRT TV was flickering on thewn, and in it was a 2D game character made of dots.

    A character standing right in the middle, as if looking this way, facing forward.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    Then the character started hopping. A rectangle popped up at the bottom of the screen.

    [Solize]

    : Shion.

    ¡°Shion?¡±

    That¡¯s my name.

    [Solize]

    : Yes. Shion. I¡¯m talking about you.

    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±

    I took a closer look at the dot character.

    Red hair and blue eyes. A character that perfectly mimics Soliette¡¯s features. But she doesn¡¯t look good. She¡¯s covered in blood.

    [Solize]

    : Are youing now? I¡¯ve been waiting.

    The 2D dot character waved her hand up and down as if she was happy.

    ¡°No, I came two days ago¡­ You¡¯re not Soliette, are you?¡±

    [Solize]

    : Yes, that¡¯s correct.

    I blinked at her.

    There were many questions, but only one word came out of my mouth.

    ¡°¡­How did you get in there?¡±

    [Solize]

    : Please wait a moment. I will log out soon.

    Whoosh-!

    The monitor glowed, and a bloodied Soliette popped out.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I caught the almost flying girl in surprise.

    * * *

    ¡­On a spring day at 14 years of age, Elise found her days imbued with a confidence she now found elusive.

    She was petite with a small face, her hands and feet equally small, and her cheeks somewhat plump. Yet she moved through those days as if the world belonged to her.

    Striding through the hospital in ill-fitting high heels that cked against the marble floor, Elise was there for a business experience. She was getting a firsthand look at various facets of Petra University Hospital, which she would inherit in the future.

    ¡°Is it between stage 2 and 3 of Mana Syndrome¡­ right?¡±

    Along with the hospital¡¯s professors and the board¡¯s Senators, she went around the wards diagnosing patients. She wanted to show off that she could guess the disease by looking at the patient¡¯s appearance and symptoms.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    The doctor nodded in surprise. Elise raised an eyebrow as if it was nothing.

    ¡°I think medical treatment might actually be harmful. It would interfere with the power to heal oneself.¡±

    The treatment of a mage who has trained their Magic Body, or a superhuman, is not typical. The magic power they umte basically works to save themselves, but if the immune systems sh because of this, it can cause a big problem.

    ¡°My diagnosis is¡­ Rixil. It seems better to continue administering sedatives, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Your diagnosis is exactly the same as the professor¡¯s.¡±

    The doctors admired the young girl¡¯s knowledge of magic medicine, and she modestly raised her nose.

    Her dream at the age of 14 was to be a famous doctor, and at the same time, a high-ranking mage.

    A dual master proficient in medicine and magic.

    And not the kind found in a card game.

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    As she was looking for another patient, she suddenly noticed someone.

    It was a guy. A bald-headed peer who was lying down and only looking out the window.

    Just then, he turned his head this way. Their eyes met slightly. A small blush appeared on his face, and he quickly averted his gaze, mumbling his lips.

    A quick-witted doctor handed her a chart. Elise checked it.

    The diagnosis was, Magic Leukemia.

    The age was, the same as hers, 14.

    The name was©¤©¤

    ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯.

    ¡­

    Elise woke up from her dream. It was her familiar home in Edsi.

    ¡°Why is my dream¡­ like this.¡±

    She rubbed her eyes and nkly looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

    The incident in the desert was two days ago.

    When she came to her senses that day, she was already in a 5-star hotel, and only Cookie was by her side.

    Shion Ascal was not there.

    Therefore, the Memory at the museum still feels like a vague dream.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise picked up Cookie at the head of the bed.

    Cookie with slightly burnt ears.

    A Burnt Cookie.

    Even if I forget, lose, or even get involved in an incident, this guy alwayses back to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re the evidence.¡±

    Evidence that it wasn¡¯t a dream.

    Elise poked his chest.

    ¡°©¤Miss, Miss!¡±

    Suddenly, the maids outside made a loud noise.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­¡­¡±

    The door swung open.

    ¡°Miss! The head of the family is calling for you!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­My father?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened. She hastily rose from the bed.

    It was the first time in nearly four years that her father had personally summoned her.

    ¡°Yes! The head of the family is asking for you-¡±

    ¡°I understand, calm down. The car?¡±

    ¡°The chauffeur is already outside!¡±

    ¡­

    Ken Petra, Elise¡¯s father, was sitting in the Senator¡¯s office.

    Elise, who had arrived five minutes ago, seemed to be of no concern to him. He was just reading through the documents, his sses on.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m okay.¡±

    Elise, who had been standing alone, fidgeting with her fingers, was the first to speak.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot going on.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ken put down the file. He exhaled a small breath and looked into Elise¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You fought in the desert.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise tightly closed her mouth.

    Thump- Thump-.

    Ken Petra tapped the table with his finger.

    ¡°Most of the scene was swept away by the sand, but three bodies were found.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I know.¡±

    Elise slightly widened her eyes. Ken continued in an emotionless tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your condition is. You¡¯re weak, and I¡¯ve never been as frail as you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    What should she respond to his words?

    She pondered fiercely, but she still didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°But Elise. As I always tell you, humans grow from trials. If you only pick flowers in your head, your head bes a flower garden. You be a useless person who doesn¡¯t know reality. So you must eventually¡­¡­.¡±

    Ken tapped her temple with a thick finger.

    ¡°Fill yourself with the most rational things. Think of this incident as that experience.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Elise responded briefly. Ken handed her a file. She held it with both hands.

    ¡°Go. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    At the words ¡®you¡¯ve worked hard¡¯, Elise¡¯s eyelids trembled for a moment.

    It was not warm at all, only dry, but it was received as something special to Elise at that moment.

    He must have been worried in his own way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Holding back a smile that was about to break out, she left the office.

    The corridor of the Senator¡¯s office in Edsi¡¯s capital was long. They were all people who hade to get approval from Ken.

    To Elise¡¯s eyes, it was andscape where power took shape.

    She went outside and got into the car.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    With a faint sigh, a slightly good feeling, she slumped into the seat. She carelessly put down the file her father had given her, then picked it up again.

    [Autopsy Report]

    It seemed to be a file that had autopsied the person who died in the desert.

    Elise turned a page.

    1. Name: Rogel Putan

    Was the name of that masked B01 Rogel Putan? Elise thought about just closing it, but suddenly remembered Shion¡¯s words.

    You have to remember.

    You have to face the consequences of what you¡¯ve done.

    She turned a page.

    ©¤©¤©¤Main Autopsy Results©¤©¤©¤

    (A)

    1. A long horizontal cut was found on the neck.

    2. A diagonal cut was confirmed on the chest.

    3. Cervical vertebrae crushed by destructive force applied from all 360 degrees.

    4. Evidence of magical force, presumed to be the cause of number 3, confirmed.

    5. The most direct cause of death, ¡®cervical vertebrae crush fracture¡¯, is confirmed to be a result of number 3.

    (B)

    Although there are many wounds on the body, the number 1 cut urred post-mortem, and the primary cause of death is confirmed to be the magical force that crushed the cervical vertebrae into powder¡­¡­.

    When Elise read the file, her shoulders trembled slightly.

    Her eyes were nkly dyed with a dull light.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She raised her finger and read it again.

    [The primary cause of death is confirmed to be the magical force that crushed the cervical vertebrae into powder.]

    Suddenly, a certain tone echoed in her head like an echo.

    ¡­¡­no need to dirty your hands any further.

    Shion, who said so, cutting B01¡¯s neck.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­.¡±

    A lump rested on Elise¡¯s chest as she recalled that day. Her breath was slightly blocked.

    ¡­¡­no need to dirty your hands any further.

    His voice flowing into her ears. Disturbing her fragile heart¡­¡­ consideration.

    Did he know at that time?

    That B01 was already dead.

    That ¡®I¡¯ had killed him.

    No, he must have known. If he didn¡¯t know, he wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing.

    Even so, as if he had killed him©¤©¤.

    Elise clenched the edge of the file. She bit her teeth hard. She bowed her head, shaking her hand. A hollowugh mixed with moisture slipped out.

    ¡°He¡¯s treating me like a fool¡­¡­.¡±

    In the end, Elise picked up her smartphone. She called him.

    Ring- Ring-

    ©¤Hello.

    As soon as she heard his voice, Elise froze. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know what to do- her words were blocked- or anything like that.

    ¡°¡­¡­Who is this?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Shion.

    It was a woman¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 136: The Suit (1)

    <strong>The Suit (1)</strong>

    Endex sewer¡¯s temporary shelter.

    I¡¯m fiddling with a game console connected to a CRT TV.

    ¡°How do you turn this thing on?¡±

    Click-

    I identally turned on the power while randomly hitting it. The screen flickered and a somewhat retro font appeared.

    [Base of Dungeon Dungeon]

    ¡°Base of Dungeon Dungeon¡­?¡±

    An hour ago, Soliette came out from inside this.

    She popped out of the TV like some video phantom with quite a few injuries.

    ¡°Shion, you have a call.¡±

    Soliette, who was behind me, said. She, who had appeared blood-soaked, had quickly recovered, and I responded while staring at the monitor screen.

    ¡°Answer it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡­Hello?¡±

    There was Soliette¡¯s character in the game.

    [Solize]

    ©¦Advanced Human ©¦ Lv. 5 Rogue ©¦

    ¡ô Strength:£«£³

    ¡ô Agility:£«£²

    ¡ô Endurance:£«£±

    ¡ô Intelligence:£«£±

    ¡ô Intuition:£« 4

    ¡ô Charm:£«£²

    ¡ô Luck: £¹

    I¡¯m not sure why it¡¯s Solize, but the 2D character the size of a thumb was subtly cute.

    However, the head is unnecessarilyrge for a wall character, making it a third of the body.

    ¡°Shion. The call was immediately cut off. Who is this ¡®Lunatic¡¯?¡±

    Soliette asked, handing me the smartphone. [Lunatic] was disyed on the screen.

    It¡¯s Elise.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I thought the voice sounded familiar. But why is she Lunatic?¡±

    She sat next to me. I pointed at the TV screen.

    ¡°More importantly, what this?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I send a text?¡±

    Soliette pointed at my smartphone.

    ¡°¡­Oh, that?¡±

    Suddenly, I remembered the text Soliette sent when I was trapped in the desert.

    [Soliette : Lol]

    [Soliette : Found a fun game lol]

    ¡°So this was the fun game?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Base of Dungeon Dungeon. It¡¯s a CD game released 9 years ago¡­ Was this Shion¡¯s ce?¡±

    Soliette looked around the inside in curiosity.

    ¡°Hiding in the old Endex building, this is an interesting ce to stay.¡±

    ¡°Where did you find a game like this?¡±

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°It was a coincidence. I have a habit of spamming themunity when I¡¯m bored.¡±

    ¡°Spamming?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She showed me her smartphone. There were posts she had spammed on a famous anonymousmunity.

    [Knightmare is not dead, he¡¯s alive @@@@@]

    [The Knightmare caught before was a fake @@@@@]

    [Knightmare is not dead @@@@@]

    [ck cows thinking Knightmare is dead????@@@@@]

    My face got a little hot.

    ¡°¡­Hey, stop doing this.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Information is obtained through these trivial actions. The posts are written with a hidden IP, so they won¡¯t reveal my identity.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s too much like a troll.¡±

    ¡°Oh, look at this. This is ament on one of these posts.¡±

    ©¤I know he¡¯s alive too. Saw him in Bethune. So stop spamming, you look like an idiot.

    ¡°One person fell for it. I didn¡¯t know what Bethune was, so I purposely provoked them a bit more.¡±

    ©¸What the hell is Bethune, you XXX? Why the sudden cursing, XXX?

    It was Soliette¡¯s reply, and I was speechless.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t usually behave like this, but I got excited when they said they saw Knightmare. But look at this reply.¡±

    ©¤Base of Dungeon Dungeon;;;; You saw him there too, right? That guy is practically an NPC.

    ¡°I immediately started web surfing. I knew it was a game, but there were no sites selling it online. I requested the information guild to find a ce selling physical copies. It was Trick City. I went and bought it.¡±

    ¡°How much was it?¡±

    ¡°The CD was 30,000 Ren, and the dedicated game console was 20,000 Ren. The price was suspiciously high, so I bought it. I roughly set up a TV and started the tutorial¡­¡±

    So the reason for buying a CRT TV that might break tomorrow was to save money, in a way.

    ¡°You started, and it was fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I texted you, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I took the CD out of the game console.

    The exterior is not special, but the material is quite different from other CDs. It seems to exude mana at a nce. Mana stone¡­ It seems to be made of a material rted to magic at least.

    In fact, if you just put the CD in this game console, it operates using the CD itself as a power source, even without electricity.

    ¡°Looks like we need another CD to y together?¡±

    It meant to buy mine too. There were two CD slots in the game console from the start.

    ¡°¡­Do I have to buy it?¡±

    Soliette asked doubtfully.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then she bit her lip. She crossed her arms as if she was upset.

    ¡°Shion. Where did the sry I gave you go©¤? Did you overspend©¤? Wasting is not good.¡±

    ¡°This is also work. So you should buy it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No. Are you trying to suck me dry, Shion?¡±

    Soliette deliberately made her eyes moist.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work, so if you want to y together, buy it. If you want to y alone, y alone.¡±

    ¡­Damn.

    I ignored Soliette, who was muttering quietly.

    ¡°Anyway. Was Knightmare in the game?¡±

    ¡°There were rumors about Knightmare.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face became serious again.

    ¡°I heard the NPCs talking about Knightmare, and the description matched the Knightmare we are chasing.¡±

    I narrowed my brow in doubt.

    ¡°It¡¯s a game released 9 years ago?¡±

    ¡°This game is an online game where people actually enter. So what do you think?¡±

    Excitement slightly filled Soliette¡¯s eyes. I turned the CD upside down.

    ¡°¡­¡­Knightmare is, in this game?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is a possibility¡­ But that CD.¡±

    Soliette squirmed with a nervous face.

    ¡°Please be careful with the CD. It will break.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t break just by touching it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Give it to me.¡±

    Soliette, who snatched it away, sighed in relief while holding it in her arms.

    ¡°But it¡¯s almost the second quarter now. Will you have time to y games?¡±

    School starts in 5 days.

    Moreover, the provisional assembly day is just two days away.

    ¡°Just get this CD and game console. From the second quarter, the schedule will be somewhat predictable, so you should be able to y on weekends.¡±

    Indeed, if the first quarter of the college board was a series of unpredictable tasks, the second quarter would be a bit different.

    ¡°This is an online game, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So Shion and I can-¡±

    ¡°Buy another CD from Trick City.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, Soliette copsed onto the bed as if she was exhausted. I chuckled.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll buy it. You must be tired.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just buy it. You handle the reimbursement.¡±

    ¡°¡­No©¤¡±

    Soliette copsed back onto the bed.

    * * *

    Trick City. I am here as ¡®Dale Kal¡¯. I also came to get some information about [Base of Dungeon Dungeon].

    For reference, Soliette has logged back into [Bethune Dungeon]. It was quite a fascinating sight.

    As soon as you insert the CD and infuse it with mana, you get sucked right into it.

    ¡°Bethune Dungeon? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not interested in games.¡±

    At the bar ¡¸A ss of Whiskey¡¹, the owner Gustav poured me a ss of whiskey and said.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°But I do have some work for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Work?¡±

    I fiddled with the ss.

    It¡¯s notmon for a bar to offer work first. Even for the D Section, at least the pre-regression me had never experienced such treatment.

    ¡°You¡¯re a mage recognized by Lato. It¡¯s worth 300,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    300,000 Ren. It¡¯s a tempting amount.

    If you add 100,000 Ren from C01 to 300,000 Ren, you can build a mansion and aboratory in a suburban vacant lot. Before the house prices rise any further.

    ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤I¡¯ll exin that. Mage Dale.¡±

    A new voice rang out from behind me. I turned around.

    A short-haired woman who somewhat resembled La, but with a much sharper and more finicky impression.

    The owner of [Valmant Manaology]©¤Kanya Wieder.

    ¡°Before that, are you looking for ¡®Bethune Dungeon¡¯?¡±

    She raised her eyebrows and walked over to sit next to me.

    ¡°Do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°I do. It¡¯s a game released by Trick City C Section. I don¡¯t know much about it because it was released when I was a kid, but I do have a CD.¡±

    ¡°¡­You do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But mine is a bit different. It¡¯s a ¡®noble family privilege¡¯, a premium version. When it was released, the developers distributed it only to the most prestigious families in A Section. If you take this job, I¡¯ll give it to you. I don¡¯t y games anyway.¡±

    Noble family privilege. It sounds good, but right now, 300,000 Ren is more tempting.

    ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I was a person from a prestigious family in A Section. Wieder, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kanya. He¡¯s asking about the job.¡±

    Gustav gave Kanya a look.

    ¡°Ah. Okay. It¡¯s simple. There¡¯s a ¡®former Senator election¡¯ in Trick City soon, and the guy who¡¯s running for Senator in our Section, D 44 Section, is human garbage.¡±

    Thump- She hopped over to the counter and pulled out a file from a drawer.

    ¡°Read this.¡±

    I took it from her.

    The target was on the first page.

    His name was ¡®Mason Onan¡¯. A bald man with a beard.

    ¡°That bastard is even a strong candidate for election, which makes things moreplicated.¡±

    Bearded bald Mason. He¡¯s in my memory too.

    Just as Kanya said, he¡¯s quite a piece of human trash. He made his money through all sorts of illegal activities, bribed his way into bing a senator, and nned to suck the blood of Trick City for a long time.

    I naturally asked,

    ¡°Do you want him dead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to just off him, but politics isn¡¯t that simple. If we kill him, another one just like him will pop up. Our request is topletely destroy his power base so he can never run for election again.¡±

    Kanya squinted at me.

    ¡°Sir mage, the reward forpleting this request is the money our Section people have pooled together. It really shows how much of a piece of shit Mason, the bearded bald guy, is. Of course, even if you, sir mage, refuse, we¡¯ll push on with the request.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at Kanya. Kanya furrowed her eyebrows.

    In the future I know, this request fails, and [Valmant Manaology] and D 44 Section suffer continuously.

    Even after 7 years, Kanya herself would mumble about it whenever she drank.

    ¡°If you want, I can arrange a team. There are guys who would do it if you split the share-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not needed.¡±

    I refused.

    Teams are cumbersome, and I always kept the money to myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it on alone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, such confidence.¡±

    ¡°Any leads?¡±

    ¡°A ledger.¡±

    Kanya held up a finger.

    ¡°That bearded bald Mason doesn¡¯t trust people at all. He thinks everyone is just like him. He¡¯s made a ledger, and in it, not only his own corruption but also the corruption of the others in his power base is all there.¡±

    A guy who holds onto the weaknesses of his allies because he doesn¡¯t want to be betrayed is no different from a traitor.

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    I tucked the file into my coat.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­On a night when dark clouds reach out to the full moon. [D-3], one of the more secure sections in Trick City.

    I¡¯m standing on a tree branch with a clear view of the target¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°It¡¯s typical of politicians not to live in their own districts.¡±

    While running for office in D 44 Section, he himself stays in a section with highnd prices and good security.

    Politicians are usually like this, but Mason is too much of a criminal to be called a politician.

    ©¤Ssh.

    Just then, Grawl ran through the bushes. He was a scout I had sent out before infiltrating myself.

    ©¤It was easy~ Missionplete!

    ¡°¡­¡­What? You¡¯re done?¡±

    The first order I gave to Grawl was to scout the mansion. The second was to locate the ledger. The next was ¡®if possible¡¯ to retrieve it.

    ©¤Yes. There was a security barrier inside the mansion, but what¡¯s the nature of a stone~ It absorbs and conceals magic, doesn¡¯t it? I wasn¡¯t detected.

    Grawl pulled out a tattered ledger from the bag on his back.

    ©¤And~ they had put the ledger in a mana stone safe. For me, a stone, it was very easy. I opened it right away and took it out.

    ¡°¡­¡­Uh. Good job.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect it to end so easily.

    Grawl rubbed against my ankle, purring.

    ©¤You¡¯re building ab, right?

    ¡°Report.¡±

    I received Grawl¡¯s ledger. I skimmed through its contents, starting with ¡®Memory¡¯ just in case¡­

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Something¡¯s off.

    Not the contents.

    The ledger itself is strange.

    R-elix©¤ ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ has been activated.

    ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ allows one to quickly grasp the ¡®essence¡¯ of any object, including its structure and usage, not just treasures.

    Therefore, this is both a genuine ledger and a special artifact.

    A trap that activates the moment it falls into the hands of an outsider.

    ¡°¡­Run!¡±

    ©¤Huh?

    I hurriedly ran, stepping towards the city area of D-3 Section as fast as possible.

    As I leaped over the bushes and trees in the suburbs, at the moment when I was running withrge strides simr to a wild monkey.

    Roaaaaar©¤©¤©¤!

    A surge of magical energy condensed in the sky. A mirage formed in the space.

    I looked up at the sky.

    ¡¸Teleportation¡¹ triggered through Mason¡¯s ledger.

    From the distortion caused by that form, a massive meteor-like entity was falling¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    An immensely powerful spirit descended. The ground shook violently with the impact.

    My Perion activated in an instant. Its appearance itself was a threat to life.

    I stepped back and gripped the wand at my waist.

    Whoosh¡­

    The burning heat, and the concrete debris fluttering in the smoke.

    There was a figure standing majestically in the scene of destruction, like a myth. The muscr figure dressed in a bandage-wrapped face and a uniform, reaching up to 3m, was not human, but rather a giant-like figure.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    He is a monster from the underworld.

    Among them©¤©¤©¤ a named member of the Master Cartel.

    His name is: ¡®Blind Brute¡¯

    ©¤©¤©¤.

    The Brute took a step towards me. Just that stride closed the gap. It was a speed that surpassed even my eleration-enhanced perception.

    I tried to deploy a form, but it was already toote. He threw a punch first.

    Thud©¤©¤©¤!

    A whirlwind-like fist.

    Just before my skull could be crushed, Grawl spread itself like a shield and blocked it.

    ©¤©¤!

    One blow disintegrated it, but it quickly morphed like mud and entwined with the Brute.

    ©¤Run!

    I took advantage of the gap and hurriedly fled.

    ¡­Now I understand a bit of the situation.

    If a monster like that suddenly appears in a request, anyone who takes it will naturally fail. There¡¯s no way to seed. It costs millions of Ren to summon a monster from the Master Cartel for just one minute, no, just three minutes.

    However, the reason I specifically came to the city is different.

    The public safety of D-3 Section is stable. It¡¯s a great Section to raise a child.

    In other words, salvation wille if I hold out a little longer.

    The absolute rule that ¡®monsters that havee to the surface are exterminated¡¯ is also valid in Trick City.

    I just need to hold out.

    With that in mind, I reached the middle of the city crosswalk.

    Roaaaaar©¤©¤©¤!

    The Brute charged at me, wearing Grawl on its face.

    Thud©¤! Thud©¤! Thud©¤! Thud©¤!

    He barreled down the path, toppling all the streetmps in his way.

    ©¤¡­¡­Master, R-elix.

    Grawl¡¯s voice, on the verge of death, seeped in. I activated R-elix¡¯s magic. In addition, I cranked up the intensity of the Perion in my central nervous system.

    A burning sensation as if my brain was being cooked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    A deep breath.

    Time stretched out in an instant, and the Brute¡¯s speed slowed to a crawl.

    eleration of thought,

    Upgrade of perception,

    Expansion of memory.

    Within that, I searched for a way to stop him.

    I recalled countless Magic Spells I¡¯ve seen so far.

    Not just now, but in all futures, those mysteries that I could only envy or marvel at¡­¡­.

    I simply disassembled those stored in my Database, assembled the disassembled parts, and gathered them.

    I created apletely different new form.

    I created a variable.

    Swoooosh¡­¡­.

    A pure white form emerged from the R-elix on my right forearm. The condensed magic within it soon formed a chain and soared.

    Whooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    It wrapped around the Brute¡¯s entire body.

    Neck, arms, waist, everything.

    Everyst bit of his mana.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    The Brute was bound.

    Restrained.

    Suddenly, he was right in front of me, fist outstretched.

    ©¤©¤!

    Nevertheless, he shook his body once.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Twice.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Thrice¡­¡­

    Unfortunately, the chains were not invincible.

    However, the goal has already been achieved.

    There are many eyes watching this mess around me. Many people are holding their smartphones and reporting it elsewhere.

    Therefore¡­¡­.

    Roaaaaaaar¡ª¡ª!

    Another figure descended from the sky.

    ©¤When a monsteres to the surface, it¡¯s an extermination! Don¡¯t you know?!

    A humannding in front of the Brute.

    She doesn¡¯t look like a knight, nor does she look like an execution squad or a self-defense force of Trick City.

    I saw her back.

    She was, in essence, a suit from head to toe.

    Judging from the future I know, she¡¯s the most reliable suit.

    She was, once, a suit I was a fan of.

    ©¤Hey. Are you okay?!

    She asked me. I tried to smile nkly, but.

    ¡°Ahead!¡±

    I hurriedly pointed forward.

    The Brute¡¯s fist, which had somehow escaped from the chain, roared©¤©¤©¤!

    ©¤Huh?

    She was utterly swept away by the Brute.

    ©¤Aaah!

    Whooosh¡­¡­

    Roaaaaar©¤©¤©¤!

    She was flung into a building.

 Chapter 137: The Suit (2)

    <strong>The Suit (2)</strong>

    Kwaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The suit crashed into a building. The streetlights and shops on the ground were utterly destroyed, but she immediately bounced back, releasing her magic.

    ¡°Ugh, shit!¡±

    The once skinny body of the suit had transformed into a thicker ¡®suit¡¯ as she absorbed the magic. She returned to the Brute and threw a punch.

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    Their powers collided, creating a massive shockwave.

    On one side was a 3-meter tall Brute, and on the other, a figure not even reaching 170cm, but their closebat continued fiercely.

    ¡°Thump! Thump!¡±

    However, the tide of the battle was slowly shifting towards the Brute. The bnce was clearly tipping.

    ¡°Whoa! This. Guy. Is. Strong!¡±

    The fight, which had been a back-and-forth exchange, was now a struggle to survive. It was to be expected. After all, the Brute was a monster who remained robust even on the brink of death. Even for a ¡®hero¡¯, facing such a strong opponent from the start was too much.

    ¡°Hey, there!¡±

    As the suit blocked the Brute¡¯s punch, she turned to look at me.

    ¡°Help! Me!!¡±

    With a loud crash, she blocked the Brute¡¯s fist with both arms.

    ¡°Aargh!¡±

    She was thrown back, but the Brute pursued her. Thankfully, it seemed she had be his primary target.

    ¡°Save, me!!!¡±

    She moved breathlessly, dodging the Brute. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! The Brute¡¯s fists repeatedly smashed into the buildings and asphalt.

    I followed their movements with my upgraded visual acuity. I reached into my pocket.

    In an instant, both the Brute and the suit nced my way.

    ¡°Get! It! Out! That, chain!!!¡±

    The suit regained her stance, and the Brute¡¯s gaze shifted to me.

    Instead of the chain, I pulled out a ledger.

    ¡°¡­A book?! What, a book?!!!¡±

    The suit was taken aback, but with a swift motion, I tossed the ledger at the Brute¡¯s feet. He looked down at it.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    The suit seized the moment of distraction. Like a fly, she charged at him, but the Brute repelled her with a kick.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    This time, she crashed into the pavement blocks on the sidewalk.

    I gestured towards the ledger and said,

    ¡°I Surrender. Take it.¡±

    After all, it was a ¡®Memorized¡¯ ledger. I could recall it anytime.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The Brute¡¯s movements gradually came to a halt. The blind monster sensed the surrounding vibrations with his intuition. If it had been a remote ce, he would have tried to kill everything, ledger or not, but too many eyes were already on him.

    Even monsters have a sense of discretion.

    Rather, high-ranking monsters like the Brute maintain their rationality.

    ¡°I surrender, I surrender.¡±

    I raised both hands.

    D-3 Section is adjacent to C Section. It¡¯s a somewhat important suburban area in Trick City.

    By now, not only the self-defense force but also the execution squad would be dispatched.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Just in case, I was ready to summon the ¡®chain¡¯. I still had enough mana for one more.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Brute picked up the ledger with his big toe and held it in his hand. Then he pointed a finger at me.

    Perhaps it meant he had ¡®Memorized¡¯ it.

    Anyway, he gathered strength in his foot and then, with a loud ¡°Taaaaaah!¡±, he re-implemented ¡¸Teleportation¡¹ and disappeared.

    I looked at my watch.

    Three minutes.

    Exactly three minutes had passed.

    In just three minutes, that bastard had caused such a mess. The path he had charged through looked like a field trampled by a tank, and the roads and asphalt werepletely destroyed, almost resembling a construction site.

    Moreover, the Brute that just appeared was likely not the ¡®main body¡¯ but an ¡®avatar¡¯. There¡¯s no way the Master Cartel would send the main body for a mere part-time subcontract.

    ©¤Ouch, it hurts¡­ Ah, my back¡­

    The suit, who was embedded in the ground, groaned in pain. I approached her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you okay.¡±

    ©¤Of course I¡¯m okay. I let it happen~

    She dusted herself off and got up.

    As expected, she¡¯s not as strong as she was before the regression. Even the side of her suit that had collided with the Brute¡¯s fist was slightly torn.

    ©¤Are you okay? But what did you do? Are you a mage? What was that chain? It was interesting. How is your magic so pure?

    Instead, she talked as much as she did before regression.

    ©¤Anyway, you¡¯re not hurt, right?

    ¡°Yes. Thanks to you.¡±

    Again, I was a fan of hers.

    It was a pity to meet her as Dale Kal.

    ©¤You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s only natural to exterminate monsters.

    I had received her indirect salvation once or twice, and I had seen her save people too many times.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fan.¡±

    I reached out my hand to her.

    ©¤¡­A fan?

    The suit¡¯s expression was not visible. Her face and even her hair werepletely covered by a full-face mask.

    ©¤Do you know me?

    But it¡¯s certain that she¡¯s surprised now.

    ©¤I¡¯m a criminal.

    As she said, she would still be treated as a criminal. She¡¯s not affiliated with the self-defense force, she¡¯s not registered with the execution squad, and she¡¯s even rumored to be a monster, the embodiment of self-help.

    I said with a smile.

    ¡°I like criminals.¡±

    ©¤¡­You¡¯re an interesting person.

    She also chuckled and took my hand. The bare skin of the fist where the suit was torn touched me.

    ©¤©¤©¤At that moment.

    Electricity shed in my temples. I had the illusion that my head was suddenly swelling, and my eyes opened wide.

    The residual effect of Perion still in my brain.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    It was a memory.

    A memory of the body.

    From her bare skin, the touch of someone else briefly- seeped out.

    ©¤You¡¯ve worked hard. Good job!

    Taaaat¡ª!

    As she rose into the sky again, I stared nkly.

    ¡°What¡­¡­.¡±

    That suit woman is the ¡®hero¡¯ of the underworld. The focal point of a superhuman group formed outside the standards, opposing the monsters of the underworld, led by Trick City.

    Her name is, M.

    M.

    ¡­¡­It had to be M.

    But¡­¡­

    I silently looked down at my hand. When our hands touched, memory was triggered. I saw it.

    ¡®Clearly¡¯.

    It was someone I knew.

    ¡°How could you¡­¡­.¡±

    In some sense of betrayal, no, in a ridiculous absurdity that was too absurd to be called betrayal.

    I blurted out.

    ¡°¡­¡­ be La.¡±

    La©¤©¤ La Ramsey Hilton.

    The hero of Trick City I once was a fan of, was that idiot from Endex.

    * * *

    ¡°Um~ I¡¯ve checked it, but~ I wonder if this will work without the original~?¡±

    ¡¸A ss of Whiskey¡¹. I red at Kanya, who was mumbling aimlessly. She shifted her posture slightly.

    ¡°Just kidding, just kidding. It¡¯s urate, right?¡±

    ¡°100%. Without a shred of error.¡±

    I handed her a copy of the ledger. It was an item that had manifested the contents of the original exactly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re doubtful, start spreading the smallest pieces of information one by one. If insider-only information starts leaking little by little, they¡¯ll naturally start suspecting each other.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s what I was thinking, too. We think alike, sir Mage.¡±

    Kanya chuckled. Then she pulled a suitcase from under the drawer.

    ¡°Here! Thepletion fee!¡±

    She opened the suitcase with a thud. It wasn¡¯t a neat stack of bills. Crumpled banknotes of all sorts sprang up. There were even coins among them.

    Clink- Clink- Rattle¡­¡­

    I watched the flowing money quietly. Kanya seemed ufortable and rubbed the back of her neck.

    ¡°Ah. We¡¯ve been fundraising haphazardly. Anyway, it¡¯s 300,000 Ren that doesn¡¯t needundering. As a bonus, here¡¯s a premium edition CD of ¡®Bethune¡¯, worth at least 100,000 Ren. Warm.¡±

    Kanya ced the ¡®Bethune¡¯ special edition CD in the suitcase.

    Whirring©¤©¤ The radar of ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ reacted.

    I put the CD in my pants pocket. I pushed the suitcase back to her.

    ¡°You keep this for now.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it when it¡¯s confirmed that the ledger¡¯s contents are real.¡±

    I¡¯m not in the best shape right now, so I can¡¯t carry it all the way.

    Kanya raised her eyebrows slyly.

    ¡°What¡¯s this, sir Mage~ You have a professional mindset~ But when will you release another Magic Spell again~? Don¡¯t you have something like ¡¸Death Eater¡¹?¡±

    ¡°Someday.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever fought a monster before.

    I¡¯ve realized that when I was struggling to survive against him.

    The experience of dismantling numerous Magic Spells in my Memory in an instant, tearing off parts of that Magic Spell, and reassembling it into apletely new form.

    Although I¡¯m a bit skeptical whether it¡¯s possible in normal times as a result of Perion forcibly enhancing brain function.

    Once I¡¯ve done it, I can do it twice.

    ¡°¡­¡­Take care, sir Mage.¡±

    I waved a small hand to Kanya and left the bar. As soon as I came out of Trick City, I caught a taxi.

    I don¡¯t even have the magic to maintain my Infimian form now.

    In the state of Shion Ascal, I barely sat in the back seat¡­¡­

    Cough©¤©¤!

    Blood flowed from my cough. My vision blurred. My body tilted unnaturally.

    ©¤Uh, sir. Sir!

    With the desperate voice of the taxi driver as thest thing I heard, I passed out.

    * * *

    Petra University Hospital¡¯s emergency room. Late at night, when dozens of patientse and go every day. In that ce, heavy with the smell of alcohol and blood, Elise was visiting after quite a long time.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She sat in the waiting room chair, unnecessarily straightening her two legs like chopsticks. She swung her toes and tapped them together.

    Just actions she was doing.

    Remnants of her childhood when she was still a brat.

    Anyway.

    The reasons she hade to the emergency room were manifold.

    She was feeling off. She didn¡¯t know why she was feeling off. She couldn¡¯t sleep. She suspected it was probably due to the guilt of murder. She guessed as much.

    She hade to stay the night in the emergency room, where she could save people.

    ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t your provisional assembly soon? You don¡¯t have to do this kind of volunteer work-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a miss, I¡¯m an intern.¡±

    Elise cut off the doctor who was trying to be friendly.

    ¡°-came here.¡±

    She smiled wryly.

    ¡°Right?¡±

    In fact, she had a medical license. The general education curriculum of Edsi allowed for early graduation and early admission, so she had already graduated from medical school at the age of 16 while concurrently attending Endex.

    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡­ Intern.¡±

    ¡°Intern?¡±

    As soon as she said to treat her like an intern, he called her ¡®Intern.¡¯

    Was this some kind of injustice?

    He might even speak informally to her at first meeting.

    ¡°Ah, no. That¡­¡±

    ¡°Call me by my name. You can call me Elise.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. El-¡±

    ¡°A patient has arrived.¡±

    Just then, a person was brought in.

    Elise ran as if she had been waiting. It was a traffic ident victim. A broken leg bone had pierced through the skin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll assemble it with my telekinesis. Administer the painkiller.¡±

    Bones heal on their own once aligned. Elise¡¯s telekinesis could anchor bones more perfectly than any surgical tool.

    ¡°Aaaaaah!!!¡±

    The patient was in pain, but it was better than amputation.

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    Snap©¤!

    The sharp sound of aligning the bone with telekinesis.

    The treatment was perfect, and Elise wiped off the spit and blood that had sttered on her face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    ©¤Here! Emergency, emergency!

    After that, Elise kept moving busily.

    Falls, collisions, traffic idents, etc¡­ There were many emergency patients today, but none had a neck bone crushed to dust.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop the bleeding, so administer the sedative first!¡±

    Even as she saved people like this, Elise kept thinking about that.

    Snap©¤ Snap©¤

    The sound of the neck bone almost being torn off. The screams of dying B01 echo like hallucinations.

    ¡°Next¡­ next patient.¡±

    Did Shion Ascal know this would happen and consider me?

    Because he was worried I¡¯d be troubled by the memory of murder.

    If so, does that mean he has already killed someone?

    The fact that there was no need to ¡®further¡¯ dirty one¡¯s hands means that the other hand¡ªhimself¡ªis already dirty.

    But how did it happen?

    ¡­¡­Perhaps.

    Because of ¡®revenge¡¯?

    ©¤Emergency! It¡¯s a ckout patient!

    At that time, when I felt a headache that seemed to break just by imagining.

    A new patient was brought in. Elise nced at him absentmindedly and sank back into her thoughts.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡±

    She quickly turned her gaze. Her body moved first towards the patient who had juste in.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise looked at his face while clutching the hospital bed.

    ¡°Elise, do you know him?¡±

    The doctor asked just then.

    She, looking at ¡®him,¡¯ answered nkly.

    ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s a ssmate from Endex.¡±

    It was Shion Ascal.

    * * *

    When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital. A room as white as clouds.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re awake now.¡±

    A voice suddenly flowed in. I turned to look. My head naturally tilted.

    ¡°Who¡­ is it?¡±

    It was Elise. She was fiddling with the IV connected to my wrist and said,

    ¡°Your belongings are in the basket over there.¡±

    In the basket at the head of the bed were a CD, a smartphone, and¡­ thankfully, no wand.

    The coat was on the hanger. It seemed they hadn¡¯t noticed it in the pocket. It wouldn¡¯t matter much even if they did, since it looked like a tree branch.

    ¡°What¡¯s that CD?¡±

    Elise asked, ncing at the CD.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    I responded with a question. Elise¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    ¡°Here. It¡¯s Petra Hospital.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°You were brought in.¡±

    I btedly looked around the room. Indeed, there was the Petra emblem on the wallpaper.

    ¡°What¡¯s on the CD?¡±

    Elise once again focused on the CD.

    ¡°Bethune Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Bit Dune Dune?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a game.¡±

    ¡­A game about floating a boat? Elise mumbled with a puzzled face.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bad time to y games? The provisional assembly is tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I was going to try it in the dorm. We¡¯re going to the hignds.¡±

    The second quarter of the college board is held in one region only. So, you have to take care of your hobby life.

    ¡°¡­Well.¡±

    Elise, who nodded, repeated very softly, ¡°Bit Dune Dune- Bit Dune Dune-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Bit Dune Dune. It¡¯s Base of Dungeon Dungeon. Bethune Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Then she repeated a little softer, ¡°Bethune Dungeon, Bethune Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey. By any chance. Did you do any tests at the hospital?¡±

    I asked casually.

    Cancer of the Magic¡¯s Core can be diagnosed with a full-body MRI.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just overwork, so don¡¯t worry. I prescribed Zelic fluid, so you should be fine.¡±

    Zelic. It¡¯s a top-grade natural medicine that costs 20,000 Ren per root.

    It works well, but it¡¯s a bit too expensive and close to a luxury item.

    ¡°That¡¯s really expensive. For a person who fainted-¡±

    ¡°I made the payment under my name. I also paid for the taxi you took.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders with a flicker of disbelief.

    ¡°You still have more pluses¡­ just a little more.¡±

    Pluses and minuses.

    Anyway, she seemed to want a thank you, so I scratched my checks.

    ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t thanks.¡±

    ¡°Just as I hoped~¡±

    Elise lifted her chin and took off her sanitary gloves.

    ¡°Just sit still and rest. Don¡¯t copse doing something strange again. But who are you living with?¡±

    There was a strange question mixed in with her dry, indifferent voice.

    ¡°Living together? Why would I?¡±

    ¡°Never mind if you¡¯re not.¡±

    Creak. Elise opened the door.

    Her humming of Bethune- Bethune- as she walked down the corridor slowly faded away.

    I looked around the inside.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a VIP room. Grawl. Are you there?¡±

    Then Grawl came out from R-elix. The cat-like creature curled up andy on my stomach.

    ¡°Grawl.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    There was no answer. Seemingly very tired, it just slowly fell asleep with its ears perked up.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    For some reason, I feel a bit of affection for it.

    Is it because of the way it blew up its body to protect me?

    ¡°I¡¯ll make ab.¡±

    Saying that I put my hand on its back. I gently stroked it. The creature yawned and curled up.

    A faint smile appeared on its mouth.

    ¡®¡­¡­As nned¡¯.

 Chapter 138: Second Quarter (1)

    <strong>Second Quarter (1)</strong>

    ¡°¡®I¡¯m a fan©¤©¤''¡±

    Trick City, a Hilton vi overlooks the famous naturalndscape of the beach ¡®Helios¡¯.

    In fact, it¡¯s not the sea but an aquarium? A fish tank? It is maintained by the Hilton family, but La is doing someone¡¯s voice imitation there anyway.

    ¡°¡®Great M. I admire you. Hehehe. Yes. Respect©¤©¤''¡±

    She murmurs in the lowest possible tone and then takes a gulp of beer.

    ¡°He said that to me, right? Hmm.¡±

    ©¤Congrattions. It seems the world is finally starting to recognize you.

    Artificial secretary Berrie replied. Lay sprawled out on the bed. (This was previously tranted as Eri. The author has named this ai two different entities. ?? and ??. In the Eri was the official name, and Berrie was what La called it. Now Berrie seems to be the official name. This is subject to change in the future, so keep that in mind)

    ¡°Right? I¡¯ve been smashing too muchtely, so I was a little worried¡­ but there are people who recognize me~¡±

    She upholds her father¡¯s legacy as a hero, an apostle of justice, but it¡¯s still a bit ambiguous. The property damage caused by smashing things in the name of saving people is too much.

    So far, it¡¯s been a pattern of reducing casualties at the expense of property damage.

    So, the capitalist media of Trick City hates her terribly. They even say nonsense that she¡¯s not a hero but a monster.

    But, is it better for people to die or money to die?

    La has no regrets.

    Because I saved a thousand people at the expense of 100 million Ren.

    ¡°But my body hurts so much. The suit is a bit torn too.¡±

    ©¤The opponent was excessively strong, but I definitely feel the need for an upgrade.

    ¡°Was it a brute?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    Blind brute. ording to the level scaling that indicates the danger of a monster, a whopping 10th grade.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the main body, was it?¡±

    ©¤That¡¯s right. It was a clone.

    The brute¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ is very tricky. It can divide its body into as many pieces as it wants and send them here and there. Therefore, in the underworld that knows the brute well, they sometimes call him a ¡®part-timer¡¯.

    ¡°What was the output?¡±

    ©¤It is estimated to be a 25% clone.

    ¡°Wow¡­ it was 25%, and I was beat.¡±

    La was slightly discouraged.

    However, research is progressing steadily anyway. The fabric of the suit will infinitely evolve with better materials, better enchantments, and better mana stones as fuel.

    ¡°Oh, I wish Kain¡¯s mana stone mine would open soon~¡±

    Ding-

    Just then, the smartphone rang. La nced at it. Her eyes widened.

    [At Your Service: I will guide you on the assignment.]

    It was [At Your Service] who she had been waiting for!

    ¡°Wow, finally!!!¡±

    She quickly got up and flew to the chair.

    ¡°I thought you really quit!¡±

    La didn¡¯t do a single holiday assignment.

    Of course, there are no assignments on the college board, but there are in the Hilton family. Those annoying elders keep giving out assignments.

    ©¤Yes. Then. I¡¯ll go to work.

    ¡°Yep! Good work, Berrie! Thanks as always!¡±

    The light of the organic body glowing in the aquarium, Berrie, goes out.

    She is an artificial magic intelligence. However, unlimited ultra-high-speed calctions unique to artificial intelligence in movies are impossible. It¡¯s not aputer; it¡¯s just like a very smart human.

    The core of the Hilton family¡¯s operation is none other than her, ¡®Berrie¡¯. A legacy left by her father andpleted by La.

    Well, that¡¯s that.

    La opened her notebook.

    [At Your Service: 1. Latinel literatureposition.]

    [At Your Service: 2. Column on the current trend of high stone prices.]

    [At Your Service: 3. Reflections on the Trick City¡¯s former senator election.]

    [At Your Service: 4. Edsi election issues¡­¡­.]

    [At Your Service] delivers all the requested assignments perfectly and at her level.

    ¡°Good, good. This is great¡­¡­.¡±

    La gleefully copied everything down.

    * * *

    College Board Provisional Assembly D-1.

    ©¤I think it would be good to make this ce our base~

    A wilderness in the outskirts of Edsi¡¯s capital, a mountainous region where nothing but trees and grass can be seen as far as the eye can reach.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The reason for choosing this ce is simply because Grawl wanted it.

    Surprisingly, the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ radar was also triggered.

    I don¡¯t know why yet.

    ¡°So, is 300 square meters from there to here enough?¡±

    ©¤If it¡¯s not enough, we can always extend underground.

    ¡°So, I just need to buy thend?¡±

    ©¤Of course~ I am thend~ Leave the construction to me~ However, I do need materials for construction and fuel~ Mana stones.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Got it. But, have you thought about what my ancient mana is?¡±

    R-elix¡¯s magic. I identally used the imnted ancient magic power, but I still don¡¯t know its identity.

    ©¤Yes. As far as I know, the ancient mana is connected to ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹, right?

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The ancient mana is grafted onto the root of ¡¸R-elix: Treasure Hunter¡¹.

    ©¤So, I think it¡¯s ¡¸Treasurization¡¹.

    ¡°Treasurization?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Try making that chain again, not with ancient mana, but with your original mana. Recall the form.

    ¡°What¡­¡­.¡±

    I closed my eyes. The chain that had bound the brute for a full 10 seconds. A level-4 form connecting four magic forms.

    I recalled the memory of it and deployed it.

    Chrrr¡ª.

    A chain flowed out of thin air.

    It wasn¡¯t as solid as before.

    It means ¡®it doesn¡¯t feel real¡¯. The characteristic fluid feeling of mana is still there. Of course, even this would be a result of being upgraded by my magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s different from when I fought the brute.¡±

    After all, a normal level-4 magic spell couldn¡¯t possibly bind the brute.

    ©¤Yes. Now, try activating the R-elix.

    I did as he said and put my hand on my right forearm. I activated the mana.

    Chrrr¡ª!

    The ancient mana naturally manifested as a pure white chain.

    It was a perfect entity.

    I could feel it more distinctly by touching it. It doesn¡¯t feel like mana. It feels like a real physical chain.

    ©¤This ancient mana seems to ¡®Treasurize¡¯ the form when a form that works like a tool is activated. So, the chain, a tool-shaped magic spell, exhibited treasure-grade performance.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°The ancient mana wasn¡¯t initially like this, I believe. Instead, it adapted after being linked with your r-elix, the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹.

    That could be quite useful.

    Of course, forming the ¡®shape of a tool¡¯ with a magic spell is difficult, and with the power of two people, a chain is the best we can do. But even that chain has high value.

    ¡°Is this ancient mana still growing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The volume of the mana is slowly increasing. Right now, it¡¯s about the equivalent of 2.2 adult men?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I gently stroked Grawl¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good job. Let¡¯s buy thend right after visiting the hospital.¡±

    Today is the day I receive mana quark treatment from Professor Yu Hains.

    ¡°Yes~¡±

    Grawl, who answered, subtly turned his head. And then, covering his mouth with his hand, he chuckled.

    He looked somewhat wicked, but right now, he was just adorable.

    * * *

    On the day of the provisional assembly of the College Board.

    [This stop is the terminal station ¡®Amanta¡¯, terminal station ¡®Amanta¡¯.]

    I got off at the train station.

    The station¡¯s name is ¡®Amanta¡¯. As soon as I stepped out, I was greeted by the fresh wind of Edsi¡¯s hignds.

    Usually, it¡¯s a rural area with hardly any visitors except adventurers, but today it was crowded.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing the second quarter here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to narium, right? Is it open? Wasn¡¯t it originally a sealed area?¡±

    About a thousand seniors participating in the second quarter, their families, the representatives of variouspanies and families, scouts, journalists, reporters¡­ A total of 4-5 thousand people gathered.

    Among them, of course, were Kain and Asher. It was surprisingly good to see them.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I waved my hand. Kain frowned slightly but raised his hand in response, and Asher gave a hollowugh.

    ¡°Oh, Shion. Nice to see you. Oops-¡±

    Soon everyone was swept away by the crowd. The arrival of the second train brought in more people at once.

    We were practically washed out of the station by the wave of people.

    ¡°¡­The view is nice.¡±

    Outside the bustling train station was the serene nature.

    The view was wide open, with no buildingsrger than three stories. Most of it was a ranch-likendscape; in the distance, a mountain range stretched up to the sky. At the end of it, a t area shrouded in clouds was formed.

    The location for the second quarter of the College Board: narium Academy at an altitude of 2,700m.

    In other words, we have to climb the mountain now.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    I hate climbing.

    Still, I moved my feet, and the sight of numerous seniors climbing was indeed a spectacle.

    It wasn¡¯t a typical climb, of course. Some were riding wild beasts, and some were sitting on the shoulders of golems they created.

    I¡¯m jealous.

    It must be sofortable.

    Whee-

    Elise alsounched a hoverboard powered by telekinesis. She zoomed past the others at a breakneck speed.

    That girl, despite being an Edsi noble, has no hesitation in embracing hip culture.

    I climbed the mountain on foot.

    For reference, the second quarter of the College Board is a traditional ¡®camp¡¯. It¡¯s about gathering all the seniors who survived the first quarter in one ce.

    The location changes every year, but [narium Academy] is quite unique. It¡¯s a ce you can only visit with the permission of the Magic Association.

    Vroom-

    Suddenly, Elise¡¯s hoverboard floated past me. It was moving at a leisurely pace.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    What¡¯s going on?

    I thought she just zoomed past me a moment ago.

    Was it a misunderstanding?

    I continued up the mountain trail.

    As the altitude increased, so did the mana density. My breathing was slightly heavy, but it was bearable.

    Vroom-

    Elise¡¯s hoverboard floated past me again, slower than before.

    Deja vu. Why does she keep passing me and then appearing again?

    Despite my confusion, I focused on climbing. I was drinking a bottle of water when it happened again.

    Vroom-

    Elise¡¯s hoverboard floated past me once more, this time almost crawling.

    It wasn¡¯t deja vu. Nor was it a misunderstanding.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I muttered under my breath, and she immediately stopped. She looked back as if she had been waiting, tilting her head and flipping her hair.

    ¡°Did you call me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You did. You said ¡®hey¡¯.¡± (?? is essentially what, but to make it more fluid, what the¡­ was created to make it fit the situation better and show that he was mumbling to himself. ?, which is thetter half of ??, is hey. Showing she only heard the ending of his mumbling)

    ¡°No¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t you pass me three times?¡±

    ¡°You must have seen things.¡±

    She chuckled nonchntly, slowing down her hoverboard, and I kept my stride steady. Soon, we were walking side by side.

    Elise spoke.

    ¡°The mana density is high. It¡¯s easy to see things.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but I had no reason to believe she was intentionally circling me.

    Elise nced at my feet.

    ¡°Do you want a lift?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to ride together, I can lend you mine.¡±

    I waved her off. The high mana density and thin oxygen at this altitude made even talking difficult.

    ¡°Just go.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise pouted. Without anything else to say, she picked a few des of grass from her hair and flung them at me before flying off.

    What a temper.

    ©¤©¤Anyway.

    Ten minutester.

    ¡°¡­¡­I should have taken her offer.¡±

    I immediately regretted my decision.

    * * *

    [narium Academy], located at an altitude of 2,777m.

    The facilities here, visible above the clouds, were asrge as two university campusesbined. There were dormitories, lecture buildings, a sports field, seminar rooms, a za, and even a park. It wasn¡¯t called an ¡®academy¡¯ for nothing.

    However, oddly enough, all the buildings were empty.

    That¡¯s why the atmosphere was a bit eerie. It felt like non-human entities were lurking around.

    ©¤©¤Everyone, please gather at the sports field.

    The sports field of narium.

    The administrators, including Chedric, were already on the stage, and the seniors had voluntarily lined up.

    ©¤©¤Wee. This is narium Academy. I am ¡®Deloh¡¯ from the University Association.

    The speaker on the stage was ¡®Deloh¡¯, an executive of the University Association.

    ©¤©¤The number of participants for the second quarter of the College Board is exactly 2,535.

    The number had significantly decreased.

    It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any, but there were quite a few who got jobs based solely on their first-quarter grades. Especially the poormoners, who easily fell for the temptation.

    ©¤©¤Today is the provisional assembly. The official start is in three days, but you are wee to stay here until then.

    I found Soliette loitering around.

    She was yawning with the most tired face in the corner. She must have been up all night ying Bethune.

    ©¤©¤First, let me exin about the second quarter. Here in this Magic Space, you have to ¡®earn¡¯ your own grades.

    Deloh pointed to one side of the academy grounds. There was a building with a sign that read [Exchange Center].

    ©¤©¤In these mountains, countless monsters inhabit. There are also many tasks that need to be solved. In addition, you can take special ¡®sses¡¯ in the Magic Space at various facilities here. All these achievements can be converted into CP at that exchange center.

    Achievements are converted into CP. It probably means you can get CP if you catch a monster or solve a task.

    ©¤©¤The rest you will gradually learn as you stay. So, now I will exin the main principles of this ce, the narium Academy.

    Deloh raised his finger.

    ©¤©¤First, ¡®self-sufficiency¡¯. As you can see, the residence, that is, the amodation, is provided.

    He stretched out his arm. There was a dormitory there. A tall building that seemed to be connected to the underworld, wrapped in a particrly thick fog.

    ©¤©¤Food from the outside cannot exist here at narium Academy. Therefore, whether you hunt or gather in the Magic Space here, you have to ¡®provide for yourself¡¯.

    Another name for this narium Academy is ¡®the ce where the spirit stays¡¯.

    It¡¯s a very special and unique magical space on the continent, and it even bes a magical realmter on.

    I know because I¡¯ve been here before my regression.

    In fact, food touched by the outside world spoils in an instant.

    ©¤©¤Second, ¡®self-help¡¯. In case of any danger, you in the Magic Space have to save yourself.

    There was a rustling sound next to me. I nced over. Elise was standing there naturally.

    When did she get here?

    ©¤©¤Third, you must never lose your ¡®student ID¡¯ that will be distributed today. If you lose it, in the worst case, you may ¡®lose your way¡¯. Of course, the person in charge will stay at the central lighthouse and care for your safety¡­ but the illusions here are dangerous.

    Deloh warned.

    ©¤©¤Now, then. Everyone, go to the entrance control room on the first floor of the dormitory, get your student ID, and choose the room you want. It¡¯s firste, first served. Once you select a room, it¡¯s yours until the end of the second quarter.

    The moment he finished speaking,

    Whoosh!

    Almost all the seniors rushed to the dormitory.

    ©¤©¤Ah, move!

    ©¤©¤What, hey! Let¡¯s go together!

    ©¤©¤¡±We have to get high up!

    It was a mess, but I just stood there. Elise paused as she was about to run. She just turned her head and looked at me.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going? The upper floors should be safer.¡±

    Elise asked in a cautious tone. Her eyes were on me, but her mind was already at the dormitory.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°There are many souls in narium. The first and second floors will suffer.¡±

    It seems that this guy knows what kind of ce narium Academy is.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go to the first floor.¡±

    I walked leisurely.

    ¡°¡­Do as you please. I won¡¯t take responsibility if you regret itter.¡±

    Elise went ahead with a sulky face, then came back.

    ¡°Huh, what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re alreadyte. I¡¯ll at least keep my dignity.¡±

    She crossed her arms and said that.

 Chapter 139: Second Quarter (2)

    <strong>Second Quarter (2)</strong>

    narium Academy¡¯s dormitory, first floor.

    I received my student ID at the entrance control room.

    ¡°Senior Shion Ascal.¡±

    I could feel a vague sensation of mana and spirit energy. Even the faint activation of ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ suggested that losing this would be a real problem.

    ¡°You¡¯d better not lose it.¡±

    A voice kept butting in from the side.

    It was Elise. She had been fussing about this since earlier. As if anyone wouldn¡¯t know not to lose it.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯d better not lose yours either.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I would?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    Ignoring her snickering, I opened the door to Room 107. Elise, after some hesitation, chose the room next to mine, Room 106.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only one left.¡±

    ¡°Who said anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    m- Elise closed her door.

    I looked at my own room.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    It was about 6 to 7 pyeong in size. The view of narium was clearly visible from the window.

    Not bad.

    I unpacked my luggage. Nothing special. Clothes, CDs, Grawl¡¯s cushion, the Ascal sword, and a lunchbox I bought on the train.

    Sniff sniff- The lunchbox had already gone bad. I bought it three hours ago.

    ¡°I should throw it away¡­ Oh right, the Bethune CD.¡±

    I picked up the Bethune CD. Soliette was probably in Room 206.

    I left my room and climbed the stairs.

    Room 206.

    Knock knock- I knocked on the door.

    No response.

    No matter how long I waited, no sound came from inside.

    She must already be ying the game.

    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±

    I opened the door.

    As expected. On the already turned-on TV, a 2D character was moving around freely.

    ¡°Hey, you should lock the door when you¡¯re ying, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    At that, the game character on the TV paused. She looked at me.

    mark[br][/br] [Solize]

    : Shion. You¡¯re here©¤?

    : What happened to the CD©¤?

    ¡°Yeah. I brought it. I¡¯ll charge you 20,000 Ren.¡±

    [Solize]

    : What? I can¡¯t hear you.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±

    mark[br][/br] [Solize]

    : Sob sob.

    Somehow, she, who is in the game, can hear the sounds from outside the game.

    ¡°I¡¯ll log in soon.¡±

    I¡¯ll find out when I get in.

    [Solize]

    : Oh. So Shion ising now©¤?

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The 2D character smiled.

    mark[br][/br] [Solize]

    : Haha. I see. You¡¯ll be starting from level 1.

    : I¡¯m already at level 19. You¡¯ll have to work hard to catch up.

    : Or should I help you level up a bit? Haha.

    : I¡¯ll go back to the starting vige.

    Haha- The 2D character in the screenughed and smiled. Haha-

    She seemed to be having fun. She seemed to enjoy the game itself.

    I was relieved. She had always been gloomy before her regression.

    ¡°¡­But you¡¯re there because of Knightmare, right?¡±

    At that, the character¡¯s expression became serious.

    mark[br][/br] [Solize]

    : Of course.

    : Of course, this game is fun. It could be my hobby. But the reason it¡¯s fun is also because I can get hints about Knightmare here.

    : The more I be convinced that Knightmare is rted to Bethune, the more fun I have.

    : It might even be excitement.

    ¡°¡­¡­So, shall I insert the CD?¡±

    [Solize]

    : Yes. Pleasee in.

    I inserted the CD into the second slot of the game console.

    Whirring-

    I wonder what the special edition will be like.

    Thud-!

    The sound of the CD settling in. Soon, magic flowed from within the game console. It wrapped around me and swallowed me whole.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤Wee to [Base of Dungeon Dungeon].

    A pitch-ck space. The voice from the game echoed in surround sound from all directions.

    I looked around and muttered to myself.

    ¡°How fascinating.¡±

    ©¤©¤Please set your name.

    A keyboard appeared in the air.

    ¡®Shion¡¯.

    I typed in my name.

    ©¤©¤Shion. Confirmed.

    It¡¯s confirmed without asking twice.

    So, this is why Soliette made a typo.

    ©¤©¤Applying body scaling system.

    ©¤©¤Evaluating the talent of [Shion]¡¯s body.

    Ziiing??.

    The dispersed magic scanned my body like a scanner.

    ©¤©¤Human Quality: ¡®Lower¡¯

    ¡°Why is it lower?¡±

    It¡¯s natural to be lower before regression, but now it¡¯s frankly unfair.

    The upgraded ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is not inferior to anyone.

    ©¤©¤Premium edition bonus confirmed. Quality is anchored to ¡®Upper¡¯.

    ©¤©¤You can choose your race.

    1. Upper Human

    : y as your original body.

    : Full of potential. Free to all sses.

    2. Upper Dwarf

    : Your body ispressed to be small and sturdy.

    : Excellent strength and ustomed to crafting. Restricted in agile movements.

    3. Upper Elf

    : Your body bes slender and longer. Your appearance bes beautiful.

    : Your movements be agile and quick. You get a headache when away from nature.

    4. Upper Fairy

    : Your body shrinks to ? of a human¡¯s size.

    : You be familiar with magic and can fly in the sky.

    I chose human.

    ©¤©¤Please choose the ss of [Upper Human: Shion].

    ©¤©¤Warrior, mage, rogue, priest, bard, ranger.

    ©¤©¤Premium edition bonus confirmed. Expanded sses are added.

    ©¤©¤Expansion: Cleric, barbarian, monk, druid, berserker¡­¡­

    I¡¯ve yed DND-style games before. With Yael. It was practically a two-person show, but Yael alwaysined that the cleric was overpowered.

    But¡­¡­

    ¡°Gambler?¡±

    I¡¯m drawn to the ¡®Gambler¡¯ ss.

    It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ reacting.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Gambler.¡±

    [Gambler]

    : The Gambler¡¯s basic bonus stats are anchored to 1. All other level-up stats are reced with luck.

    : You cannot choose basic skills and can only use Gambler-specific skills.

    : Instead, you start with an initial luck stat of 16.

    ©¤©¤Do you choose the ¡®Gambler¡¯ ss?

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll go with that.¡±

    In a state of knowing nothing, it¡¯s reliable advice from R-elix. There¡¯s no reason not to follow it.

    [Shion]

    ©¦Upper Human ©¦ Lv. 1 Gambler©¦

    ¡ô Luck: 16

    ©¤©¤Checking the premium creator¡¯s bonus.

    Zzzz- The sound of tape rewinding, and someone¡¯s voice is yed.

    ¡°To the esteemed elder of Trick City, Wieder. I am grateful for your faith in my talent and your generous support. I sincerely wish you all the luck in your endeavors.¡±

    ©¤©¤Your luck increases by 11 as a creator¡¯s bonus.

    ©¤©¤All bonus stats increase by 1.5.

    ©¤©¤Due to the ¡®Gambler¡¯ ss, bonus stats are converted to luck.

    ©¤©¤The permanent buff ¡®Wieder¡¯s Blessing¡¯ wraps around your body.

    ©¤©¤Entering the Base of Dungeon Dungeon¡­¡­

    A white light flowed into the pitch-ck space.

    I closed my eyes because of the brightness, and when I opened them again, I was inside a narrow room.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±

    I checked my body first.

    Hands, feet, hair, eyes, scars, R-elix, ¡¸Notepad¡¹, even leg hair, everything was the same.

    It was just me.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I looked around inside. There was a rock-like bread on the desk.

    [Half-eaten Stone Bread]

    I grabbed it and went outside. It was a vige bathed in the midday sun.

    ¡°¡­¡­A beginner¡¯s vige?¡±

    It¡¯s a bit medieval. Brick buildings and wooden benches on the roadside. Even a gothic-style castle in the distance.

    People were bustling about on the streets, and the sound of conversation was lively, like white noise.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    Someone called my name from behind. I turned around to see a redhead rogue.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    It was Solize.

    She approached with a lively face and asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the ss. What is it? Warrior? Mage? We need a warrior for the quest I¡¯m on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Gambler.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Soliette was taken aback.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°A Gambler? What is that¡­ a wasteful and reckless ss?¡±

    ¡°It just looked fun.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem very useful for the party. But ept my friend request for now.¡±

    [Solize has sent a friend request.]

    [Solize has sent a party request.]

    I epted both.

    ¡°What skills do you have? I¡¯ve got a few useful skill books.¡±

    Soliette pulled out two books from thin air¡ªprobably her inventory. I shook my head.

    ¡°Gamblers can¡¯t use other skills. Only ss-specific skills.¡±

    ¡°What kind of garbage¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s see. What are the skills?¡±

    I btedly checked the skills. There were exactly four.

    ¡¸Card Draw¡¹

    ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹

    ¡¸Betting¡¹

    ¡¸Deception¡¹

    ¡°Card Draw. Dice Roll. Betting. Deception.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Where do you use such things.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression noticeably hardened. It was a look of disappointment, even dismay.

    ¡°What about the ss passive?¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    There were three passives.

    ¡¸Poker Face¡¹

    ¡¸Dynamic Vision¡¹

    ¡¸Sleight of Hand¡¹

    ¡°Dynamic Vision. Poker Face. Sleight of Hand.¡±

    ¡°What kind of garbage ss is this, with nobat-rted skills at all?¡±

    Soliette frowned and crossed her arms. At this rate, she might start groaning.

    Well, it¡¯s actually better this way. The more vivid and lively her emotions are, the more it means she¡¯s enjoying herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Gambler.¡±

    ¡°Where on earth did you get such a ss? It doesn¡¯t seem like a standard ss.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well, my CD is an expansion pack. They say it¡¯s not much different from other sses.¡±

    I thought it would upset her if I told her it was some sort of special edition. Soliette had already put a lot of effort into leveling up her character.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say there¡¯s no difference, but it doesn¡¯t look very good, but whatever. Follow me. I can carry us. By the way, the Rogue ss is the best.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    Soliette took the lead, and I followed her.

    But then.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I found something on the ground. It was a shiny silver coin.

    ¡°Money?¡±

    ¡°Money? Where?¡±

    Soliette looked at the ground with wide eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already picked it up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    She made a slightly disappointed sound.

    ¡°Picking up a silver coin. Ten copper coins make one silver coin. You¡¯re lucky. Can I see it for a moment?¡±

    Soliette reached out her hand. I shook my head with a smile.

    ¡°No. How can I trust a rogue?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a thief, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette looked baffled, but she didn¡¯t refute it.

    It¡¯s obvious. She must have some kind of pickpocketing skill, right?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We moved forward again.

    After about ten steps.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I found something on the ground again. This time it was a mana stone. I quickly picked it up.

    Soliette nced at it.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°Looks like a mana stone?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re lucky. Congrattions.¡±

    Her mouth said congrattions, but she was clearly envious.

    ¡°It seems to be the effect of the beginner¡¯s luck buff.¡±

    ¡°Buff?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Check your status.¡±

    [Status]

    ¡ô Beginner¡¯s Luck

    :All abilities increase by 2 times for 30 minutes after entering the Bethune Dungeon and taking your first steps.

    [Shion]

    ©¦Advanced Human ©¦ Lv. 1 Gambler©¦

    ¡ô Luck: 35 (+35)

    In other words, my luck is currently a whopping 70.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a buff¡­¡­ huh?¡±

    I picked up something again right away. This time it was a wooden ring.

    ¡°A ring?¡±

    I quickly put the ring on. Soliette chuckled as if she found me cute.

    ¡°Shion, really. Items like that aremon. It¡¯s obviously a wooden ring.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    I checked the item information.

    ¡¸Ring That Looks Ordinary But Isn¡¯t¡¹

    :Casting Speed Reduction [4%]

    :Agility Increase [1]

    ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®Ring That Looks Ordinary But Isn¡¯t¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What did you say.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed into slits as she asked again.

    ¡°Casting speed reduction by 4%, agility increase by 1.¡±

    ¡°Casting speed and agility? Those are very important stats for a rogue.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face hardened. However, she seemed a bit skeptical.

    ¡°¡®That¡¯s impossible. Can I see it too?¡±

    ¡°From a distance.¡±

    She stretched her neck to see the ring.

    The movement of her eyes, absorbing the information, was unusual.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She squirmed, her fingers twitched. It seemed like the instinct of a rogue was trying to surface.

    Anyone could see her greedy expression, so I quickly put the ring on my finger.

    ¡°Hey, it seems the ss characteristics also transfer to the main body. You just looked like a real thief.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Please don¡¯t call me a thief. It seems like there¡¯s something on the ground nearby.¡±

    Is there an event going on? From then on, Soliette had a fire in her eyes. She walked, staring only at the ground.

    As I followed her-

    Thud.

    I bumped into someone.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I lifted my head.

    ¡­¡­No matter how much I lifted it, there was no end.

    I almost broke my neck looking up.

    It was a bald man with an ogre-like physique.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    Soliette pulled me back. Then the bald man looked at Soliette.

    ©¤Arkne, is it?

    His voice was as gloomy as a cave. Is his ss itself an ogre?

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s in my party.¡±

    ©¤Party.

    He nodded and then walked away with heavy steps.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. He¡¯s the same level as me. Do you know ¡®Baphamta¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Baphamta? I know. It¡¯s Ender, right?¡±

    Ender. An adventurer who ventures to the end of the world. Seeing him in person, he¡¯s really big.

    ¡°Why is such a celebrity in a beginner¡¯s vige¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s originally a person who likes adventures. He¡¯s adventuring in the game.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Ah, right. Soliette. What happens if you die here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette let out a small sigh.

    ¡°You resurrect once you die. You can only log out in the vige, and it¡¯s impossible duringbat.¡±

    ¡°What if you die twice?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her expression darkened. She quietly looked around and then spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re trapped in this game forever. You be an NPC.¡±

    ¡°NPC?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are many people among the NPCs here who have died twice and can¡¯t leave forever. The game has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. But since the CDs are ejected and circted when you lose, probably even more people are trapped.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s quite dangerous.¡±

    She must have thoroughly investigated aspects outside the game as well.

    After all, Soliette wouldn¡¯t bepletely engrossed in the game. She¡¯s thorough enough to be cool-headed, at least in public matters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll discuss the detailster.¡±

    Before we knew it, we were at the vige exit. There were several scarecrows in the wheat field.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with using skills for the tutorial.¡±

    ¡°Skills?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Start with the card drawing or whatever. It seems like an attack skill.¡±

    ¡¸Card Draw¡¹

    :The Gambler draws a card from a deck that recharges one card every three hours, up to 12 cards.

    :The card exhibits various effects depending on the Gambler¡¯s luck stat.

    [Current Luck: 70.5]

    [Current Status: Beginner¡¯s Luck]

    ¡°You just need to think about the skill in your head.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try.¡±

    I put my hand in my pocket. I thought about ¡¸Card Draw¡¹ and pulled it out.

    ¡°I did it.¡±

    Shak-

    A card was drawn. It was a ck card.

    It shimmered darkly like ink, and the surface seemed to ripple with magic, an ominous card.

    ¡°Throw it for now. At that scarecrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I threw it without much thought.

    Whii©¤!

    The card flew lightly and stuck in the scarecrow¡¯s forehead.

    And then.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    It caused a massive explosion.

    Kwa©¤! Kwa©¤©¤! Kung©¤©¤!

    It pulverized one scarecrow, jumped to another, and exploded again, causing a chain explosion that surged like an avnche.

    Kwaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    We nkly watched the spectacle of the entire wheat field being destroyed.

 Chapter 140: Second Quarter (3)

    <strong>Second Quarter (3)</strong>

    Kwa©¤! Kwa©¤! Kwa©¤©¤!

    The wheat field was covered in volcanic ash. The peacefully lined scarecrows were all buried, and the birds pecking at the grains fled in flocks.

    If left like this, it seemed like it would continue indefinitely.

    I activated ¡¸Card Drawing¡¹ again. As I drew, I made a wish.

    Please give me something that can erase that-

    This time, a blue card was drawn. I threw it in a hurry.

    Whii©¤!

    The flying card was swallowed up by the volcanic ash.

    ¡­1 second,

    2 seconds,

    3 seconds.

    There was no reaction even after waiting.

    Should I draw another card? Just when I was thinking about it.

    Chururururu©¤©¤©¤!

    A blue crystal emerged from the crimson explosion. From that single point, a stream of water originated and gushed out. It spread out like a rippling wave, neutralizing the entire explosion.

    Fortunately, the destruction had stopped.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    The calm wheat field.

    Soliette asked with a suspicious tone.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But we should probably run.¡±

    The guards were already rushing towards us from behind. They were blowing their whistles very intensely.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s run. We might get thrown in jail if we¡¯re caught.¡±

    We took off running, using the still-thick smoke as a cover.

    [Achievement Unlocked: Why bother with those sturdy scarecrows? Destroy 50 scarecrows!]

    ¡ô EXP + 1,500

    ¡ô Level up!

    ¡ô Level up!

    ¡ô Level up!

    [Permanent item acquired due to achievement: (S/R) Scarecrow Summoning Kit]

    [Achievement Unlocked: Volcanic eruptions are actually beneficial to thend.]

    [Permanent buff acquired due to achievement: Farmer¡¯s Blessing]

    [You have left the starting vige, and the Beginner¡¯s Luck buff has disappeared.]

    In the meantime, the notification window kept popping up.

    After roughly ncing at it, we continued running until the wheat field was out of sight.

    ¡°Shion. Are you, by any chance, a hidden ss?¡±

    Soliette asked me with slightly suspicious eyes.

    ¡°Whew, huff¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is it a hidden ss? Are you? It¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°What ss? Hidden? What¡¯s that?¡±

    I asked back, panting.

    ¡°There¡¯s a very unfair system in this game. It¡¯s the ¡®hidden ss¡¯. Hidden sses are unfair. They put in a fraction of the effortpared to regr sses, but they are superior sses.¡±

    Soliette shook her head as if she found it distasteful. On the other hand, a small smile appeared on my lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a hidden ss, it¡¯s an extended ss. It¡¯s just that the Gambler is a ss where luck is important, and during the beginner phase, luck is doubled, right?¡±

    The beginner¡¯s luck is probably a measure to prevent newbie ughter.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. Well, the average luck stat is 10, so if it¡¯s doubled, it¡¯s 20¡­ But it still seems like a hidden ss. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s hidden.¡±

    ¡°I started with a luck of 16. But I don¡¯t have any basic stats.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ So there was a penalty? But having no basic stats would be quite disadvantageous.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried.¡±

    As I downyed myself, Soliette¡¯splexion brightened a bit. She¡¯s a typical veteran who doesn¡¯t want to be overtaken by theters.

    Her dislike of losing, especially when ites to games, hasn¡¯t changed at all.

    I can¡¯t help but find this side of Soliette cute.

    ¡°Give me a heads up next time. But Shion, you¡¯re quite the powerhouse. I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well then.¡±

    She whistled sharply.

    And then, clip-clop, clip-clop.

    A horse came galloping from nowhere.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I was nning to give you a quick tour before we left, but it seems we can leave right away.¡±

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°We have a quest in progress. For now, get on.¡±

    Soliette patted the back of the saddle.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I just stared at it.

    For the record, riding a horse is as intense as riding a motorcycle, and if two people are to ride, the person in the back must lean against the one in front. And it¡¯s not even a two-seater saddle.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get on.¡±

    Soliette said again.

    I hesitated a bit, but oh well.

    She probably has no feelings for me anyway. So I, too, should treat her just like a friend of the same sex.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    I quickly mounted the horse. As soon as I sat behind her, I yawned.

    Throwing cards took a toll.

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep a bit. The time here is the same as outside. You have two days until school starts.¡±

    ¡°How do you sleep while riding a horse?¡±

    ¡°Just lean on me. I¡¯m good at horse riding.¡±

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders. They were too thin to lean on.

    ¡°¡­¡­No, I¡¯ll just endure it.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish. Let¡¯s go©¤!¡±

    She gripped the reins tightly. The horse galloped, and five minutester.

    I fell asleep.

    ¡­¡­

    When I opened my eyes, I was still on the horse. My arms were naturally wrapped around Soliette¡¯s waist, and my face was buried in her back.

    Like a ko clinging to its mother.

    It was a rather awkward position.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I calmly and carefully detached myself. She nced at me.

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, oh. We haven¡¯t arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive soon. Do you see that campsite?¡±

    The sky had already darkened. At the ce Soliette pointed to, there was a campfire and a few people.

    ¡°It¡¯s a party.¡±

    ¡°A party? Like an all-night party?¡±

    ¡°Pfft. No, not that.¡±

    Soliette, who had let out a smallugh, quicklyposed her face.

    ¡°Not that kind of party. It¡¯s a party to track and investigate Knightmare with me¡­ I¡¯ll exin the detailster.¡±

    We arrived while she was talking. Soliette jumped off the saddle first, and Inded on the ground.

    ¡°Oh©¤ Solize has arrived©¤¡±

    The party members waved their hands. There were three men and one woman.

    ¡°Is this the colleague you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ I see. Nice to meet you.¡±

    A man with slicked-back brown hair and a cunning look approached first.

    ¡°I¡¯m [Karl], level 20. Next to me, in order, are level 18 [Hans], level 18 [Jenny], and level 17 [Chris]. And you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion.¡±

    ¡°Shion. What¡¯s your level?¡±

    ¡°4.¡±

    I had just leveled up to 3 by defeating a scarecrow. I also got some permanent-usage item or something.

    ¡°¡­¡­4?¡±

    [Karl] looked slightly taken aback, but Soliette stepped in on my behalf.

    ¡°He¡¯s a hidden ss.¡±

    ¡°Really? A hidden ss¡­ Well, if Solize vouches for you, I trust you. He¡¯s after the same target, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Knightmare.¡±

    Soliette didn¡¯t hesitate to mention Knightmare.

    Indeed, her attitude had changed significantly since the beginning of the semester.

    p p- [Karl] apuded.

    ¡°Okay. Since we¡¯ve been waiting, let¡¯s get straight to the strategy. Over there, do you see that city?¡±

    He pointed to a pale city in the distance.

    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®Shadowring¡¯. It¡¯s one of thergest cities in the Bethune world. But it¡¯s been blocking user ess for a year now. As a result, the quest path is blocked.¡±

    The murky air and smog. In that opaque convection, a strangendscape where dim green gasmps were mixed like paint.

    ¡°Knightmare is there. The bastard is a baron. He killed the owner of that city and took over.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is Knightmare famous here?¡±

    I asked that first. [Karl] raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°More precisely, the owner of the city, [Baron Alegi], is famous. Only a few know that the baron is Knightmare. Only users like us who hold a grudge against Knightmare. That¡¯s why Knightmare blocks user ess. The bastard ughtered a lot of users.¡±

    [Karl] stepped back and gestured to the party members at the campsite. They each looked at me with different thoughts in their eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯ve all been killed by Knightmare once. That¡¯s why we¡¯re chasing him.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s aware that Knightmare isn¡¯t dead in the real world, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve seen him with our own eyes. We intend to kill that bastard twice and turn him into an NPC. Now, shall we shake hands?¡±

    As he said this, [Karl] reached out his hand, but Soliette stretched out her arm to stop him.

    ¡°Karl. He¡¯s my friend before he¡¯s a party member. He¡¯s still a newbie, so I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can¡¯t we even shake hands? He¡¯s not a baby bird. Look at his physique.¡±

    [Karl] chuckled and stepped back. Only then did Soliette look me up and down.

    ¡°Shion. Have you always been like this?¡±

    ¡°I guess. I¡¯ve grown a bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Interesting.¡±

    ¡°Anyway!¡±

    [Karl] pped his hands again.

    ¡°We need to get into ¡®Shadowring¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But, can we beat Knightmare if we meet him?¡±

    That was the most crucial question at the moment.

    Knightmare had been killed by Soliette before the regression, but even then, she had said he was a ¡®tough opponent¡¯.

    ¡°We obviously can¡¯t beat him in reality. But in the Bethune world, the basic stat value is huge. We can definitely beat him with that.¡±

    I looked at Soliette. Soliette exined on my behalf.

    ¡°Usually, the basic stat of an ogre is Strength +14. No matter how weak you are in reality, if you can raise your basic stat value to +14, you canpete with an ogre in the game. But Knightmare has killed too many users, so his level is low. It¡¯s a confirmed fact that he¡¯s even carrying penalties. No matter how strong he is, if he¡¯s handicapped in this level system, we have a valid chance of winning.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    [Karl] said, lifting the ground. Beneath it was a long underground passage.

    ¡°We dug a path connected to the city sewer. Ah, should we first merge the parties, Solize?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette nodded. The two exchanged systems in the air.

    [Karl, Hans, Chris, Jenny have joined Solize¡¯s party.]

    [Quest has been generated]

    ¡ô You have decided to join people who hold a grudge against the owner of Shadowring. They suggest ¡®sewer¡¯ as a way to infiltrate Shadowring.

    ¡ô Completion Reward: EXP + 300

    ©¤©¤You can use the Gambler¡¯s unique skill ¡¸Betting¡¹.

    Betting. One of the four unique skills of a Gambler.

    ¡¸Betting¡¹

    :The Gambler can bet once every 12 hours, and can stake what they have. If they lose, all the stakes disappear, but if they seed, they receive rewards ording to the stakes.

    :The Gambler can predict the sess rate of the bet. The uracy of the prediction varies depending on the luck stat.

    ©¤©¤The sess rate of the quest is 33.78%.

    33.78%. I don¡¯t know what prediction model it is, but it¡¯s quite low. However, in my opinion, the ss ¡®Gambler¡¯ is a bundle of variables.

    Therefore, the lower the probability, the better. The return will be greater.

    I used ¡¸Betting¡¹.

    [Betting on the sess of the quest.]

    [Please set the stakes.]

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll stake this wooden ring and my experience points.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please give me the ring. Thank you.¡±

    Soliette suddenly interrupted.

    ¡°No. Not you. I was talking with the system.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette backed off without refuting. It seems she thinks I will give it to her someday.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We don¡¯t have time to waste!¡±

    The bleached-haired rogue [Karl], the thickly muscled warrior [Hans], the curly-haired archer [Chris], and the robed mage [Jenny].

    We went down underground with them.

    * * *

    A damp tunnel. I was checking the unique skills of the Gambler as I walked.

    ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹

    :The Gambler can roll the dice once every 6 hours.

    :The number thates up on the dice can be used to add value to the basic stats for 5 minutes or utilized for other purposes.

    :The number of faces on the dice increases depending on the luck stat.

    [Luck Stat: 36.2]

    [Dice: D20 (4~20)]

    It¡¯s a whopping 20-sided dice. Perhaps because of the high luck, there are no 1~3 values, only a dice that shows the range of 4~20.

    If I add 20 to my strength, does that mean I could wrestle with a two-handed ogre and win?

    Next, ¡¸Deception¡¹.

    ¡¸Deception¡¹

    : You can deceive your opponent in various ways.

    : The power of Deception increases ording to the luck stat.

    [Luck Stat: 36.2]

    This one is a bit ambiguous, but thanks to the privilege panel, most skills seem to have been upgraded quite fraudulently.

    However, seeing that luck only increased by 1.2 when I reached level 3, it seems like the growth curve itself has already hit a wall.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Just then, [Karl] at the front found a barred gate. It was a passage connected to the sewer.

    ¡°Just a moment.¡±

    I stopped them as they tried to break the rusty gate.

    It¡¯s a quest with a 33% sess rate. We need to be careful.

    ¡°Let¡¯s send a scout first.¡±

    ¡°What, scout?¡±

    I drew a card.

    A white card. I fiddled with the surface.

    The R-elix ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ can easily identify objects. Not only their identity but also what kind of effect they have.

    Of course, it didn¡¯t activate in the wheat field, but that¡¯s probably because the ¡®Lucky 70s Card¡¯ was so over-spec¡¯d.

    Anyway.

    This card is roughly ¡¸Automatic Tracking¡¹.

    It seems like the card is drawn to match roughly what I want as a ¡®goal¡¯.

    I let the card flow into the bars.

    Whiiii©¤©¤©¤

    The card flew around the sewer, scanning it. There was no sign of detection.

    That means it¡¯s safe.

    ¡°At least there¡¯s nothing in the sewer.¡±

    ¡°¡­You can tell that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust it, but well, we¡¯ll see.¡±

    [Karl] gestured. [Hans] grabbed the bars with both hands and creaked-! He opened it.

    His strength is 11, after all.

    We entered through that gap.

    Splish-

    A faint water sound echoed in the sewer.

    Mage [Jenny] lit up the darkness, and there was nothing in the vicinity that was clearly revealed.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s really nothing. Not even a rat.¡±

    [Karl] looked at me and smirked.

    ¡°So this is why they call it a hidden ss.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a shame it¡¯s only in the game.¡±

    As I muttered, a thought suddenly came to me.

    Can¡¯t I put these game skills in ¡¸Notepad¡¹ and bring them to reality?

    It doesn¡¯t seem impossible.

    ¡°Uh-huh. Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. Let¡¯s go, Hans. Lead the way.¡±

    ck-ck- [Hans], the warrior and tanker, took the lead.

    The party advanced while maintaining a certain level of tension and a tight formation, but nothing happened. As [Karl] said, not even a rat was seen.

    ¡°They said there were hundreds of zombies in this sewer. Was it bullshit?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±

    I replied to [Karl].

    It can¡¯t be this easy. It¡¯s a quest with a 33% sess rate.

    ¡°Oh~ A level 4 is lecturing a level 20. But, we¡¯ve already arrived, what now?¡±

    [Karl] pointed up. There was adder connected to a manhole cover.

    Almost simultaneously.

    Grrrrrr¡­¡­.

    A strange wailing sound echoed from somewhere. It was from the end of a tunnel on the right side of the sewer, obscured by darkness.

    ¡°Zombies, damn it. They really exist. Everyone, climb up quickly!¡±

    [Karl] quickly grabbed thedder. With agile movements befitting a rogue, he climbed thedder and opened the manhole cover.

    Grrrrrr¡­¡­

    The sound of zombies became clearer. The rest of the party members quickly followed [Karl].

    By the time they emerged above ground.

    ¡°©¤©¤Hello?¡±

    There were quite a few people.

    At dawn, in the smog where even the moonlight did not shine, a man with golden hair and dressed in noble attire stood.

    ¡°Nice to see you, rat Karl?¡±

    With the protection of knights, he aimed dozens of firearms at us, smiling.

    He was vile and despicable.

    ¡°Dn.¡±

    [Karl] red at him as if he wanted to kill him.

    ¡°¡­¡­You traitorous bastard.¡±

    Soliette also drew her dagger.

    ¡°Who is that man?¡±

    ¡°An old party member. He¡¯s a mage and a priest. He chose a multi-ss and couldn¡¯t grow. A guy who doesn¡¯t even know the D in DND, despite us telling him not to be greedy, disappeared, and now he¡¯s joined Knightmare, huh?¡±

    Watching the unfolding situation, I nodded.

    ¡°¡­¡­No wonder. The quest sess rate was 33%.¡±

    The problem wasn¡¯t at the beginning but at the end.

    With that, I slowly and carefully took out the ¡¸Dice¡¹.

    ¡°bber all you want. I don¡¯t want to mix words with low-life people like you.¡±

    The golden-haired man named Dn waved his hand. It was an unnecessarily elegant gesture.

    ¡°Now, gunners. Let¡¯s kill those trashy NPCs.¡±

    Gunners. Dozens of rifles loaded with Magic Bullets aimed at us.

    Soliette took a defensive stance, and I rolled the dice.

    Rumble-

    ¡°Ready©¤©¤.¡±

    [20]

    [Great Sess!]

    ¡°©¤©¤Damn.¡±

    20. If I invest in strength right now, I might be able to wrestle with an ogre and win, or if I invest in agility, I could be as fast as Jade, or maybe faster?

    It seems like a number that can do anything, but there¡¯s no time right now.

    Let¡¯s quickly pour it into agility¡­¡­.

    [Status Abnormality: The basic stat ¡®Agility¡¯ is increased by the value of the dice by 20.]

    ¡°Fire©¤©¤©¤©¤.¡±

    Bang©¤!

    At the moment when Magic Bullets poured out from dozens of gun barrels.

    The world froze.

 Chapter 141: Mutually Contractual Relationship (1)

    <strong>Mutually Contractual Rtionship (1)</strong>

    [20]

    [Great Sess]

    The moment the rifle fired the bullet, the world froze.

    Thump- Thump-

    The beating of my heart echoed clearly.

    A thrill that far surpassed Perion.

    A speed so fast that my brain couldn¡¯t even perceive the eleration.

    In that ce where time seemed to ¡®stop¡¯, I drew the dagger from my waist.

    The bullet hovered in the air.

    No, it was slowly rotating and inching forward.

    I ran and pushed dozens of bullets away with my dagger. All of them deflected.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huff.¡±

    But, maybe because the increase in my ability was too excessive.

    Even this much made me severely out of breath.

    Nausea surged, my muscles trembled, and it felt like my insides were being torn apart.

    This is what happens when you don¡¯t diversify your investments.

    Well, it¡¯s impossible to withstand 20 ¡¸Agility¡¹ with just 1 ¡®¡¸Endurance¡¹. Simply put, I¡¯ve be a ss cannon.

    Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    I approached Dn first. Still smiling innocently, he had the golden bob hair typical of nobles.

    ¡°What kind of man has a bob cut?¡±

    I grabbed him and stood between the firing squad and the party. If they fire again, this guy will be a beehive. In that state, I ced the dagger at his throat.

    It¡¯s a perfect setup.

    Afterward, I took a small breath©¤©¤

    ¡°End.¡±

    ©¤©¤and ended the eleration of Agility.

    Tadadadada¡ª¡ª!

    The bullets that were deflected at will. The endlessly twisted trajectory. Then, a gust of wind followed the path I ¡®traveled¡¯, and screech©¤©¤! Skid marks were btedly engraved on the asphalt.

    ¡°Wha-what, uh, ahhhh!¡±

    Dn, who was kidnapped in an instant, screamed.

    ¡°Wha, what is this-¡±

    He nkly looked left and right, his face pale.

    ¡°Listen well.¡±

    I pushed the de into his throat.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A drop of cold sweat trickled down his trembling Adam¡¯s apple and touched the de of the dagger. His eyes moved, and he looked at me.

    The reflection of meposed, perhaps a poker face.

    The passive of the Gambler ss. Beyond simply maintainingposure, a face that deceives and intimidates the opponent.

    Bluffing.

    I spoke with a fitting murderous intent.

    ¡°1mm is the boundary of the afterlife. If you move, you cross the river.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, I won¡¯t move. Absolutely.¡±

    Dn became obedient. Thanks to his bob cut, he looked like a well-groomed Maltese.

    ¡°First, let the team members go.¡±

    I sent a message to Soliette.

    [I¡¯ll buy time, so go ahead. Contact me after you find a hiding ce. Let¡¯s meet there.]

    Then her expression became scary. As if she couldn¡¯t tolerate it at all.

    [Solize: I refuse. What do you mean you¡¯ll buy time alone, Shion?]

    [Do you see the dice I rolled on the ground? It¡¯s 20, right? That number is added to the basic stats. For a while, my Agility is 20. I can buy time and escape alone.]

    The power of Agility 20 was temporarily suspended, but the status abnormality itself remained.

    Exactly 3 minutes.

    [Solize: Shion. Do you know how much HP you have now? It¡¯s 75%.]

    I didn¡¯t know that. A mere second of movement and 25% is gone.

    [75% is still a lot. It¡¯s okay until it reaches 20%. I¡¯ll catch up quickly, so go ahead for now.]

    [Solize: 20%? Are you insane? That¡¯s too dangerous.]

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    I can somewhat understand Soliette¡¯s constant warnings about the danger.

    She doesn¡¯t want to lose arade.

    [We have two lives anyway. It¡¯s a gain even if I die once.]

    [Solize: What a reckless thing to say!]

    ¡­¡­No, she doesn¡¯t want to lose a person.

    It¡¯s not because I¡¯m particrly special.

    In the past, she even tried to protect that bastard Kielli from a monster, risking her life just because they were ¡®on the same team¡¯.

    Perhaps she has a different kind of PTSD from Elise.

    It might be an even more severe trauma than Elise¡¯s. For Soliette, who lost two of her most precious people in an instant.

    [It¡¯s more efficient for me to hold them off here, and you guys to run. You know that.]

    [Solize: Let¡¯s move together, using Dn as a hostage.]

    [Move together? We¡¯ll stand out too much. We need to hide in the city. Do you want to stage a hostage situation and mess up the quest?]

    [Solize: We¡¯ll find a way! Somehow, Shion.]

    I know about Soliette¡¯s obsession with loss.

    Rather, because I know everything.

    She was frustrating.

    A hot sigh slipped through my gritted teeth. I threw a distorted gaze at Soliette.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    She flinched for a moment. Nevertheless, she looked straight into my eyes. Her unique stubbornness was strongly present.

    ¡°Stop pretending to be close.¡±

    I have to break her. I have to twist her.

    Her belief, her desire to handle everything by herself, her ambition not to give up on anyone.

    Her defense mechanism to avoid hurting herself under the guise of caring for others.

    Because it¡¯s pushing her towards death.

    ¡°Did you forget our contract?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the contract you wrote.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face wavered. She took a deep breath, but I didn¡¯t give her a chance.

    ¡°¡®In case of contact or meeting in the presence of an observant outsider, we pretend not to know each other.''¡±

    The contract she drafted herself proudly handed to me to cut off emotional exchanges.

    I recited its uses.

    ¡°¡®All conversations during the mission are only about official matters. Unnecessary conversations, such as asking about each other¡¯s past, are prohibited.''¡±

    The contract clearly stated that.

    I also had a promise to myself.

    ¡°Focus on the mission during the mission.¡±

    In fact, contracts and promises exist to be broken.

    They exist because they can be broken, like ¡®promises¡¯¡­¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself. Since when were we friends?¡±

    There¡¯s no room left in her, filled with Jared and Felix.

    Because she can¡¯t let go of those two, our rtionship can¡¯t even be friendship.

    The closer we get, the more unbearable it will be for her.

    ¡°So.¡±

    Therefore, we are bound by money, merely tracking and chasing Knightmare together¡ªa business partnership.

    The phrase ¡®together till the end¡¯ implies that there is an ¡®end¡¯ after all.

    ¡°You drew the line from the beginning.¡±

    ¡­But.

    In fact.

    This might be something I¡¯m saying to myself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cross it. Keep it. Don¡¯t do anything annoying.¡±

    I have to do that.

    I must do that.

    If I let my guard down even a little, I might start liking you again.

    Again, I might torment you with something as damn annoying as unrequited love.

    ¡°Move. If you keep standing still, it¡¯s a breach of contract.¡±

    She bit her lips tightly. She seemed to want to say something, her body twitching, but she replied with a message instead.

    [I¡¯ll return immediately if my HP drops below 30%.]

    I pushed my dagger closer to Dn¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Ugh©¤! What are you all doing! Let, let me go! You can catch them in the city!¡±

    ¡°What? Catch us in the city? You just moved 1mm.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I won¡¯t catch you! I won¡¯t catch you! I won¡¯t catch youuuuuu©¤!¡±

    Dn cried out desperately, and Soliette and the party members quickly moved. They scattered into the smog on the opposite side of Dn, hiding.

    ¡°Add not to follow.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow! Don¡¯t follow, guys! I¡¯ve caught hundreds of users! You can let them go!¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to follow one?¡±

    Dn¡¯s tantrum was so funny that I made a joke.

    ¡°Let go, you bastard, you fucking bastard! Let me go! Let me go, fuckkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!¡±

    Even the gunners and escort knights are sick of his aggressive survival instinct.

    Has this guy, by any chance, already died once?

    ¡°Have you died once?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then you can die.¡±

    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±

    Then suddenly, sniff sniff-

    I smell something. This guy smells like money, like treasure.

    In his pocket.

    I put my hand into it.

    ¡°Ugh! Why, why are you doing this¡­¡­ Huh.¡±

    ¡°Stop making barking, crazy asshole.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Take it. Take it all.¡±

    I took Dn¡¯s wallet and valuables.

    ¡°I won¡¯t chase.¡±

    Just then, an escort knight stepped forward.

    He put down his sword and ordered the gunners to put down their guns as well.

    ¡°Dn is a close aide to the Earl. If you harm him, there will be bigger trouble. Let¡¯s just end it here. There¡¯s no harm in letting a few users go. Let him go. I won¡¯t chase either.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I won¡¯t chase. I swear. With the speed you just showed, I can¡¯t chase you anyway. You¡¯re very fast. He, hehe.¡±

    There¡¯s still about a minute left for ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹, but it¡¯s too much to face all of them with just one dagger.

    Even if it¡¯s possible, that would be crazy. Even I¡¯m not so off my rocker to massacre thirty people in an instant.

    ¡°Remember, Dn. If you follow, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    ¡°Th-th-that¡¯s right. You¡¯re a hidden ss, right? I¡¯m jealous¡­¡­ Hehehehe.¡±

    Dn suddenly turned into a real Maltese.

    ¡°But, but! Since you¡¯re a precious hidden ss, I have to tell you, don¡¯t trust [Karl]. I can¡¯t exin why, but you shouldn¡¯t trust him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    I trust Soliette, not them.

    ¡­But still.

    [Requesting to add Dn as a friend.]

    Who knows?

    I sent him a friend request, pretending to zip my mouth shut. Dn nodded his head in agreement and epted the request.

    [Status Abnormality: Dice Roll Dissipated.]

    The buff from ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹ has ended, but I still need a bit more time. Until Soliette and I find a suitable hiding ce for our party. Maybe I can stall for about 10 minutes.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Hey, everyone wait.¡±

    I drew a card. This time, it was a pale blue card.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Perfect effect.

    Roughly, ¡¸Phase Shift¡¹. I can swap the position of the card and my main body, and the effect range is roughly up to 1 km.

    Dn cautiously said,

    ¡°I won¡¯t chase you. You can go now.¡±

    ¡°How can I trust you. Wait for 10 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Te, ten minutes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why. You scared?¡±

    ¡°No!!!!!¡±

    Dn was still scared of me, and the standoff continued.

    I watched the system clock.

    1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes¡­

    10 minutes

    ¡°Seems like 10 minutes have- Ack!¡±

    I immediately threw Dn back. I took advantage of the gap when they took the hostage and threw the card into the air.

    Whooosh¡ª

    The card cut through the wind and stretched out, and I shifted the phase at the appropriate coordinates.

    * * *

    ¡­Meanwhile, in Room 106 of ¡¸narium Academy¡¹. It¡¯s still a peaceful morning, two days before the start of the semester.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Elise wiped the sweat off her forehead.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    She murmured softly and smiled.

    She had spent the whole day setting up her dorm room.

    The Barrier installed in Room 106 includes [Interior Expansion] and [Security¡¤Defense¡¤Detection], and the always-on form includes [Automatic Detection] and [Mana Emission].

    The room, which was about 6 pyeong, had transformed into a base of nearly 40 pyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s good for studying.¡±

    There are advantages to having a high mana concentration. The natural mana supply doesn¡¯t stop, so even if you install the same form, it¡¯s implemented at a much higher level.

    Although she was a bit dissatisfied with being on the first floor, well, very dissatisfied, she couldn¡¯t help it.

    She stepped outside.

    She looked at Room 107 next door¡ªShion¡¯s room.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    She nced around stealthily.

    Knock knock.

    She knocked.

    There was no response.

    Again, she nced around stealthily.

    She pushed the doorknob.

    It opened right away.

    He hadn¡¯t even set up the most basic lock.

    ¡°¡­Look at this. I knew he¡¯d be like this.¡±

    Elise sighed first.

    His interior was even worse than his exterior security.

    Ignoring the roughly unpacked luggage, his student ID was on the desk. What would he do if someone stole it?

    Until now, Shion had been spared from the top-tier struggles thanks to his low grades, but not anymore.

    His reputation is already widespread.

    Even if you ignore the fact that he beat Gerkhen in the evaluation test, for some reason, a few loose-lipped guys found out about Shion¡¯s growth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    Elise picked up the student ID.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Suddenly, a chilling gaze stared at her.

    She almost pulled up her magic power in response, but it was just a cat hissing.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise saw the creature. The creature seemed to recognize her face and rxed its expression. It even gave her a small smile.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    It was the child she had seen in the desert.

    The child who had kept her sane in the desert museum, the prison where she had been kidnapped. Today, it was wearing a ne around its neck.

    So, it was Shion¡¯s pet after all.

    Elise squatted down with a slightly bitter face. She stroked the child¡¯s chin with her finger and murmured softly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect this ce alone. I¡¯ll keep you in my room.¡±

    At that, the cat rubbed its body against her feet. Elise took the opportunity to pick up the student ID.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your owner?¡±

    Meow-

    The child pointed to a scattered CD case on the floor.

    It was Bethune Dungeon.

    ¡°Is he ying the game?¡±

    Bethune Dungeon. Elise knew what it was after analyzing the data for about 48 hours.

    More importantly, this child is very smart.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    After stroking the creature, she left.

    And then, as she was about to return to her room, murmuring ¡°Bethune Dungeon, Bethune Dungeon,¡±

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    Someone was standing there.

    Standing dumbly in the middle of the corridor, staring at her, or more precisely, at Shion¡¯s student ID in her hand.

    Gerkhen.

    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When Elise, whose feet had gone numb, hastily asked, he pointed to the student ID and said one word.

    ¡°Stealing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    She answered immediately.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He seemed not to believe her.

    Elise waved her hand sternly and strictly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, okay? I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not stealing, I¡¯m protecting-¡±

    Despite her vehement denial, Gerkhen didn¡¯t say anything. He just raised his eyebrows and walked past her.

    Elise shouted at his retreating figure.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not three times. Four times now. Don¡¯t go spreading rumors.¡±

    There was no response.

    But Gerkhen¡¯s mouth was the heaviest among the people she knew.

    Elise returned to her room, biting her lip.

    ¡°¡­Bethune Dungeon, Bethune Dungeon.¡±

    She pulled out the game console hidden under her bed. She pushed the Bethune Dungeon CD into the CD slot.

    ¡°Connect.¡±

    As soon as she pressed the power button, she was sucked in.

 Chapter 142: Mutually Contractual Relationship (2)

    <strong>Mutually Contractual Rtionship (2)</strong>

    Thud©¤ Thud©¤ The rain clings to the window. It¡¯s toxic rain, falling from smog-filled clouds of Shadowring. If exposed to bare skin, it became a dot that inflicts three points of damage per second.

    ¡°Not bad. We could stay here for a few days.¡±

    An abandoned building in Harlem, and within it, a hidden attic above the ceiling. The team members seem satisfied with this hideout. After all, it¡¯s inconspicuous and safe enough to log out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare some food. I¡¯m starving.¡±

    While the party members noisily prepare pots and provisions, Soliette remains lost in thought.

    Today, what Shion said to her.

    His sharp tone, telling her not to pretend to be close, kept echoing in her mind. It feels like a needle, pricking at her heart.

    It¡¯s a pain she can¡¯t understand.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why does the redhead look so heartbroken?¡±

    [Karl] interrupts her dark contemtion.

    ¡°She was the most passionate about Knightmare. Now that she¡¯s been dumped because of some talk about contracts?¡±

    Soliette doesn¡¯t respond. [Karl] chuckles and mutters.

    ¡°I knew it. She¡¯s overprotective.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s forehead twitches slightly.

    ¡°Overprotective?¡±

    She res at him, catching his words. [Karl] smirks mischievously.

    ¡°Yeah. When you treat someone like a child, it¡¯s a bit¡­ Especially men. They start thinking, ¡®Does this woman not even consider me a man?''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette falls back into her emotionless state, but soon quietly reflects on the day.

    She nced at Shion, who was sleeping behind her, as if he was just cute, prevented [Karl] from even holding his hand because he was a newbie, and ignored his words that he could solve it alone because it was dangerous¡­

    ¡°In my opinion, Shion, was it? He seems to have a lot of feelings for you, Solize. I could tell even though we¡¯ve only been together for half a day.¡±

    ¡°¡­.. Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face hardens.

    ¡°Look at this. You dismiss it as nonsense, Solize. After giving you so many hints.¡±

    ¡°What hints¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah~¡±

    [Karl] chuckles and stirs the soup. Soliette res at him for a moment before bowing her head again.

    ¡­Suddenly.

    A woman silently sits next to her.

    [Jenny], who had been pretending not to notice Soliette¡¯s gloominess, finally speaks.

    ¡°Solize, can we talk a bit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, what¡­¡±

    She takes off her robe. She looks at Soliette with a faint smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you? That you might lose anotherrade.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that moment, it felt like her temples were being scratched. Soliette unconsciously clenches her fist, but she endures it because it¡¯s [Jenny] speaking.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s presumptuous. But, it¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at my past self.¡±

    [Jenny] shifts her gaze into the void and whispers.

    ¡°When I look at you, Solize, you¡¯re filled with someone else. Because you can¡¯t forget. Because he can¡¯t be forgotten.¡±

    ©¤©¤Drip, drip.

    The deste rain mixes with her words.

    ¡°I was like that too.¡±

    ¡°¡­[Jenny].¡±

    [Jenny] has already lost her party.

    In her friend window, fourrades are offline. All of them were killed by Knightmare.

    These were wounds she learned of during the two weeks she spent with them through the game.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been with you for two weeks, but don¡¯t you think Mr. Shion, who was closer to you, would know?¡±

    [Jenny] murmured softly.

    ¡°He probably knows better than I do. He probably knows too well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    As she said, Shion knew Jared and Felix.

    How good they were, how important they were to him.

    ¡°So, it seems like Mr. Shion was considerate of Ms. Solize today.¡±

    ¡°Considerate¡­ you say.¡±

    [Jenny] smiled faintly.

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s trying to step aside a bit so that Ms. Solize doesn¡¯t feel burden.¡±

    Suddenly, a small tremor in Soliette¡¯s heart.

    ¡°While maintaining a reasonable distance, he wants Ms. Solize to heal herself slowly. He doesn¡¯t want to hurt Ms. Solize.¡±

    ¡°But, Shion is not a wound to me.¡±

    Soliette simply replied. [Jenny] smiled mischievously as if she had been waiting.

    ¡°What if. What if Mr. Shion likes Ms. Solize? What if that feeling is close to love?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No one helps someone without any reason. Ms. Solize, haven¡¯t you ever felt that?¡±

    Of course, there is a reason why he is with her.

    The sry she pays Shion, money.

    But¡­ there are too many parts that cannot be exined by that alone.

    It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t notice. She has sensed it.

    Rather, she is a genius whose ¡®intuition¡¯, a superior version of perception, has developed into the realm of a Spectrum.

    That intuition has rarely betrayed her.

    Therefore, when Shion deals with her, when he nces at her, those ¡®unfathomable emotions¡¯ that flow momentarily but are quickly swallowed back.

    Theye to Soliette very naturally and intuitively.

    Like soft milk powder mixed in the wind sticking to the skin.

    She can¡¯t exin it clearly, but that¡¯s how it is.

    ¡°Mr. Shion probably knows too. That him liking Ms. Solize itself could be a wound to Ms. Solize.¡±

    ¡°How can that¡­ be a wound.¡±

    Soliette asked inadvertently, but the answer was already in her head.

    Jenny repeated the same answer.

    ¡°Because the current Ms. Solize cannot love someone else.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Now, there is no room in this heart to hold someone.

    She doesn¡¯t even have the confidence to do so.

    Because it¡¯s already filled with the past, there¡¯s no ce for anyone else. There¡¯s only a big ¡®hole¡¯ there.

    ¡°Love¡­ probably not. Shion has a purpose like me. Maybe¡­¡±

    Maybe.

    As she trailed off, she realized something. That she doesn¡¯t know much about Shion. About the life he¡¯s led, what he¡¯s pursuing, why he wants to be with her, she ispletely ignorant.

    She didn¡¯t even try to know.

    On the other hand, Shion knows her.

    ¡°Why do you feel sad, why do you suffer, and what do you want?

    You never express it, but always e to find¡¯ at the moment of need¡­

    ¡°Then check it out. You got somethingst time, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡¸Empathy Eye Drops¡¹. Is that what you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    An item that allows Soliette to maximize her intuition, allowing her to see others¡¯ emotions and sincerity directly with her own eyes.

    When she uses it¡ª

    ¡°Stop ying house.¡±

    ¡ªBang!

    Unable to bear it any longer, [Hans] banged on the pot. The two women turned to look at him.

    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. Mages and rogues always ck off when they get a chance.¡±

    ¡°Here. Take it. It¡¯s Karl¡¯s special dish.¡±

    Karl handed over the soup. Soliette held the bowl with both hands. There were many chunks of meat floating in it.

    Tap tap-

    Suddenly, a sound came from beneath the hideout, knocking on the floor above.

    The party quickly assumed a battle stance, but¡ª

    ¡ªit¡¯s me.

    It was Shion¡¯s voice. [Jenny] moved aside with a grimace, and Soliette opened the floor door of the attic.

    Shion was below. He shrugged his shoulders with his arms spread out.

    ¡°See. I¡¯m alive, right? Or do I look dead?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Come up, Sipchoin.¡± (Saying Shion, essentially)

    Soliette cut her words awkwardly.

    ¡°Sipchoin? Are you cursing me?¡±

    Shion was the same as always.

    We just had a big fight three hours ago. Is this the real distinction between public and private?

    ¡°What, what curse. Juste up.¡±

    ¡°You have to lower thedder for me toe up.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    She lowered thedder. Shion quickly climbed up.

    ¡°Oh~ Little bird gentleman. You made it back alive as expected?¡±

    ¡°You, I acknowledge. Come and eat.¡±

    [Karl] and [Hans] said. The archer [Chris] was muttering something while staring at the city map of ¡®Shadowring¡¯.

    ¡°Oh yes. It looks delicious. I was hungry.¡±

    Shion quickly started eating the soup. Soliette watched him with a somewhatplicated expression.

    -Stop pretending to be close. Did you forget our contract?

    That cold voice reyed in her mind, oveid with Karl¡¯s hopeful tone.

    ¡°Oh right. You know the Eclipse cycle ising up soon, right? Red Moon. When that happens, no one can log out or log in. But in return, the gates of the Count¡¯s castle will open then. Let¡¯s level up by secretlypleting quests in this city until then.¡±

    [Red Moon] is one of the special events in the world of Bethune. You can¡¯t log out for a while, but if you wait, there¡¯s a proper reward.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m full.¡±

    Shion, who had eaten all the soup, meat, and rice, looked at her calmly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡±

    ¡°I will eat.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then eat and log out? You need to prepare for the semester.¡±

    Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°¡­I will stay here longer. Knightmare is in sight, I have no time to waste.¡±

    Moreover, she still needed a little more time to sort out her feelings.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±

    Shion got up. He dusted himself off and did a short stretch.

    As he prepared to log out, Soliette said in a trembling voice,

    ¡°Shion. I was worried.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Then Shion stared at Soliette. He scrutinized her so closely that she involuntarily drew back, then he let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He shook his head vehemently.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretending to worry about me, but you¡¯re really worried about yourself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. What are you¡­¡±

    Her words trailed off.

    She had been about to vehemently deny it, but suddenly, thoughts began to spread in her mind.

    If something were to happen to Shion, would the trauma of that day return?

    If someone by her side were to die, would those two people from the past resurface?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Did he already know about this side of her?

    She looked at Shion with somewhat sad eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not have another day like today.¡±

    Shion said, getting up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect myself. It¡¯s not like you can protect me, and even if I die, it¡¯s absolutely not your fault. You seem to not understand this obvious fact.¡±

    ¡°¡­ording to the contract. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Our invincible contract.¡±

    Shion smiled. Then he let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m going. You should also do what you need to do ande.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡±

    Pop-!

    He logged out. Soliette stared at the spot where he had been standing.

    ¡°How about it? It seems like I was right, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    [Jenny], who had suddenly approached, chuckled. Soliette pursed her lips at her.

    ¡°You surprised me.¡±

    ¡°It happens sometimes.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does?¡±

    ¡°The feeling that ¡®someone else¡¯ knows you better than you know yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Someone else who knows you better than you know yourself.

    Repeating Jenny¡¯s words quietly to herself, Soliette felt a pain as if her heart was being pierced with a needle.

    Poke- Poke-

    This inexplicable pain, bing sharper little by little, was unbearable.

    * * *

    At the same time.

    In the beginner¡¯s vige of Bethune, [Ralphrin], it was a lively and peaceful afternoon.

    ¡°How much is this?¡±

    Elise was wandering around the market of the vige. It was a ce that suited her taste, filled with countless people of all ages buying and selling goods.

    ¡°Three copper coins!¡±

    ¡°How can this pottery cup be three copper coins? I¡¯ll take it for one copper coin.¡±

    She haggled with her hands on her hips. At first, she didn¡¯t know what to do, but after studying for a few hours, she quickly got the hang of it.

    ¡°Alright. Here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bethune. An augmented reality game developed by Trick City.

    However, it wasn¡¯t an open-world game with this kind of immersive style from the beginning. Originally, it was just a 2D game, but it became what it is now through updates and development.

    By the way, no one has cleared the game yet.

    Therefore, there¡¯s a strange rumor that the first person to clear the game will have their ¡®wish¡¯ granted.

    ¡°But miss, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Elise.¡±

    ¡°Elise?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    In fact, her ID was not actually Elise.

    mark[br][/br] [It¡¯s Elise]

    ©¦Advanced Human ©¦ Lv. 2 High Priestess ©¦

    The ¡°-it¡¯s¡± at the beginning was quite annoying. She had misunderstood the prompt for self-introduction and ended up with this.

    Why wouldn¡¯t they give her a chance to correct it?

    Anyway, she was currently touring around. She was also looking for Shion.

    ¡°Excuse me. Are there camels here by any chance?¡±

    She asked without much expectation.

    ¡°Camels? Yes, we have them.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°If you go to the right from here, there¡¯s a camel farm.¡±

    Elise hurriedly ran in the direction the olddy pointed.

    After about 10 minutes.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a camel.¡±

    She mumbled absentmindedly. Indeed, there was a real camel inside the fence.

    In a ce that wasn¡¯t even a desert.

    Among them, there was one particrly cute and adorable camel boasting ck fur¡­ Wow.

    ¡°That, that camel is interesting. Its fur is so ck, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Elise, trying hard to keep herposure, tugged at the owner¡¯s arm.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°How much is that camel?¡±

    Although it was just a game, it was an opportunity to own a pet camel. Her father in the family hated pets terribly.

    ¡°Five gold coins.¡±

    Five gold coins?!

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Isn¡¯t that too expensive?¡±

    ¡°You chose a very good camel. That guy is a noble breed if youpare it to humans. It¡¯s a camel brought from the desert called Bial. If you tame it, it¡¯s even faster than a horse.¡±

    A camel faster than a horse. A battle camel.

    Even in the actual continent, ck camels are absolutely rare.

    Elise¡¯s heart suddenly fluttered, but she had no money. Her entire fortune was only three silver coins.

    ¡°¡­You said it was five gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    However, her CD was a special edition. The ¡®High¡¯ Priestess ss itself was a bonus.

    She mumbled with a firm face.

    ¡°I need to earn money.¡±

    The unique skill of a priestess, ¡®Healing¡¯.

    With that, if she sets up a Senator here, she should be able to earn about five gold coins.

    ¡°I¡¯lle backter.¡±

    As she turned around and walked, Elise paused for a moment, staring back at the ck camel and clenching her fists.

    ¡°I¡¯lle and get you.¡±

    Definitely.

 Chapter 143: Planarium (1)

    narium (1)

    After logging out, in the waiting room. I was reflecting on the achievements I had gained in the game.

    [Betting Sess]

    [Additional quest rewards will be given.]

    ¡ô EXP + 2,137

    ¡ô Level Up!

    ¡ô¡¸Enhancement: A ring that looks ordinary but isn¡¯t ¡¹

    The experience points had increased sevenfold from the original 300, and the item had been enhanced.

    ¡¸A ring that looks ordinary but isn¡¯t (Enhanced)¡¹

    :Casting speed reduction [5%]

    :Agility increase [1.2]

    The ring that Soliette coveted. It was definitely a ring that suited a rogue.

    I was fiddling with it for no reason.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The things I said today were weighing on my mind, but now she needs to know herself.

    Just as the saying goes, ¡®know thyself and thou shalt win a hundred battles¡¯, she needs to ovee herself more than anyone else.

    She needs to learn how to be stronger on her own.

    In that process, I want to help her, and I will try to be helpful, but¡­¡­

    Someday.

    When she finally stands on her own.

    For some reason, I feel like I won¡¯t be there.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shall I try it?¡±

    Well, that¡¯s a matter for the future.

    I flicked two fingers©¤index and middle©¤like throwing a card. By consuming magic, a card came out.

    ¡°Memory.¡±

    ¡¸124 / 130¡¹

    Recent Change: -1

    I¡¯m not very confident because there¡¯s not much capacity left in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    First, I closed my eyes gently.

    ¡°Memorize.¡±

    The target to save is not the card itself, but the skill that makes up the card.

    That, which might be simr to a form, is stored in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    For a moment, magic was consumed in a lump. The Magic Core vibrated strongly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Did it work?¡±

    I opened the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ again.

    ¡¸129 / 130¡¹

    It seems to have worked, but the capacity it upies is only 5. Is it because this Gambler ss itself isrgely ¡®me¡¯?

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    Anyway, it was a sess.

    Ipletely logged out.

    ¡°Log out.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡­.¡±

    Immediately after logging out, back in Soliette¡¯s [Room 206].

    I instinctively rubbed my stomach.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why am I hungry?

    It was strange. I had eaten a lot in the game.

    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a game?¡±

    Does the food in the game only satisfy the hunger in the game? It¡¯s unnecessarily real.

    I took the CD out of Soliette¡¯s game console and returned to [Room 107].

    ¡°Shall I try it?¡±

    I tried using ¡¸Card Draw¡¹ first.

    With a swoosh, a blue card stuck to my finger.

    ¡°It worked.¡±

    It works, but it just looks like paper material and doesn¡¯t seem to have anything special.

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s a dud.¡±

    The effect of the card is merely ¡¸Firecracker¡¹. It¡¯s not special like in the game. Probably because the luck stat isn¡¯t applied.

    In this case, it¡¯s not very useful-

    ¡°No, wait a minute.¡±

    The ¡¸Card Draw¡¹ brought into reality consumes magic. It also takes ce through the medium of a ¡®card¡¯.

    Then, isn¡¯t this also a kind of ¡®form used like a tool¡¯?

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I quietly looked at my right forearm.

    The ancient magic proliferating from the root of ¡¸R-elix: Treasure Hunter¡¹. If Ibine this with ¡¸Treasurization¡¹, it might have quite a synergy.

    ©¤Meow.

    Just then, Grawl crawled out from the cushion.

    ¡°Oh, everything alright?¡±

    ©¤Yes, Master. Elise said she would take care of the student ID.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Right now, a mana core extracted from my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is hanging on his ne. Thanks to that, he can maintain his form and use his smartphone even when he¡¯s far from me.

    He¡¯s even started using social mediately.

    His username is [Grou¡ª¡ª].

    He posts selfies as if his owner took them.

    ¡°Grawl, can you create somend for farming?¡±

    ©¤What for?

    ¡°Self-sufficiency.¡±

    The second quarter of the College Board is as crucial as Bethune. The principle of self-sufficiency, as stated by the person in charge, feels all too natural and urgent for me, someone who has experienced [narium].

    Perhaps food itself might be the top priority.

    ©¤It¡¯s entirely possible. Also, I¡¯ve collected a lot of loot. There¡¯s a lot here, probably because the mana concentration and quality are high.

    Grawl lifted his cushion. There were more mana cores, mana stones, and even Gether than on the maind.

    ¡°Good job. I¡¯m taking 70% of the mana cores. You can have the rest.¡±

    ©¤Why? Why 70%?

    Grawl frowned.

    ¡°I have something to do.¡±

    I immediately absorbed the chunk of mana cores into my¡¸Notepad¡¹. The total capacity increased to [142].

    ©¤Ahhhh! Why! Ahhhhh!

    Kyaaaa-! Grawl arched his back and screamed.

    ¡°I have a goal.¡±

    Bringing the ss of gambler itself from [Bethune Dungeon]. Of course, the luck stat is impossible, but I n to make other skills and ¡®items¡¯ as much as possible mine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out for now. Come on.¡±

    ©¤No, no, no, I want to lie down, lie down, lie down.

    Grawl flopped down and iled his arms and legs as if swimming.

    ¡°I¡¯ll smash your smartphone.¡±

    ©¤¡­Let¡¯s go.

    I went outside with Grawl.

    Outside the dormitory, I strolled through the forest of [narium]. To find somend suitable for farming¡­

    Then suddenly.

    Sizzle sizzle sizzle-

    The sound and smell of meat cooking wafted from somewhere.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    I was drawn to it like a moth to a me.

    In the middle of the green forest, a statue with dawn-colored hair and eyes like the Milky Way.

    It was Gerkhen.

    He was roasting a whole pig on a bonfire he had made himself, clutching arge bag of sugar in one hand.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡±

    I sat down next to him. Gerkhen responded as if he found it absurd.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who came.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He asked, ncing sideways at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Do you have a student ID?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    Then he didn¡¯t say anything. He just shook his head with a strange expression.

    Sizzle sizzle sizzle-

    But the sight of the roasting pig was no joke. It was so beautiful, I couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s share. I¡¯ll help you outter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Eat.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Great. You won¡¯t regret this.¡±

    Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle-

    It seemed almost fully cooked.

    ¡°Hey, after eating this, I¡¯m going to find a spot for a greenhouse. Will you help?¡±

    ¡°A greenhouse? You mean the one used for crop cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Gerkhen said, cutting the roast pork with his own sword.

    ¡°For that, you need and deed.¡±

    ¡°Have you been drinking? Where would you find something like and deed in [narium]?¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Land deeds vary by location, but ces more than 6 km away from the center are 3.5 achievement points per square meter. If it¡¯s close to the center, it can be up to 200 achievement points per square meter.¡±

    For your information, the center refers to the lighthouse in the middle of the [narium Academy]~

    The employee at the College Board [Exchange Center] exined with a bright smile.

    I asked nkly.

    ¡°How do I earn achievement points?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t earn them yet since school hasn¡¯t started, let¡¯s see¡­ Shion, you have 200 achievement points based on your first quarter grades, and Gerkhen, you have 500. These are initial scores, so you can use them now. It¡¯s a privilege of diligent seniors!¡±

    ¡°¡­If I have thisnd deed, does thatnd be mine?¡±

    ¡°For two quarters it does. If you plunder or attack and with an owner, not only will you be subject to administrative sanctions, but your achievement points will also be significantly deducted. Of course, this would be disadvantageous for scouting.¡±

    I looked back at Gerkhen.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s pool our money and build two 100-square-meter greenhouses.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not.¡±

    I grabbed Gerkhen, who was about to turn away.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll have a 90% stake. I¡¯ll give you 10%.¡±

    9 to 1.

    At that, Gerkhen responded with a face that was beyond disbelief, almost as if his soul had left his body.

    ¡°¡­Would you do it if you were me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, do you know how to farm? I¡¯m a farmer. Farming- Wait. Hey, stop.¡±

    I quickly grabbed Gerkhen, who was trying to turn away again.

    ¡°Okay. You get an additional 10% stake, plus the right of first dibs on the fruit crops grown in the greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°Fruit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Things like strawberries, apples.¡±

    Suddenly, Gerkhen¡¯s ears perked up. They noticeably perked up. What is he, a rabbit?

    ¡°¡­Pineapple, kiwi, watermelon, grapes, even melon.¡±

    I listed the fruits one by one. Gerkhen seemed to be imagining it, his lips twitching, but he soon came to his senses.

    ¡°Those are fruits that can¡¯t be grown in the same ce.¡±

    He¡¯s smart. The problem is that delicious fruits each require different climatic conditions to grow.

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    ¡°Twenty.¡±

    ¡°Twenty is for you, sir. I¡¯m at two hundred thousand.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s do this: we¡¯ll see if it works and then decide. But you only take a 5% stake.¡±

    Gerkhen looked at me, questioning whether I was sincere. I nodded, and he rubbed his temples.

    ¡°If you pay more than 70% of the investment costs but only get a 5% stake, would you agree?¡±

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s revise it to a 10% stake then. But if I fail at growing the fruits, I¡¯ll give you all my shares. How does that sound?¡±

    This too is a bet. A gambler¡¯s bet.

    ¡°Think carefully. Even if you use twenty thousand achievement points, you can¡¯t farm fruit on your own, can you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen fell silent for a moment, but soon looked me straight in the eye and asked in a low voice, as if discussing a political issue.

    ¡°Can mangoes be included too?¡±

    * * *

    Thud-! Thud-!

    Weid down arge roll of stic on the t ground. This amount of material was avable in the [Material Room] of the [narium Academy] grounds.

    ¡°This ce seems good.¡±

    It¡¯s a leyline that simultaneously triggers Grawl¡¯s sense of leveling the ground and my ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹.

    ¡°Like this, a row of greenhouses. Like that, another row of greenhouses. Two rows of greenhouses side by side.¡±

    I drew lines in the air.

    One hundred pyeong each, two hundred pyeong in total.

    However, Gerkhen still looked doubtful.

    ¡°Let me repeat. If you fail to keep the contract, all thend is mine.¡±

    ¡°Fine. But how do you n to use this remotend?¡±

    It¡¯s about 6~7km away from the center, the lighthouse. It¡¯s hard to find without a map.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    After a long silence, Gerkhen answered in a single word.

    ¡°¡­¡­Storage.¡±

    ¡°Hey, quiet. You go catch some meat. We¡¯ll eat after work.¡±

    ¡°If other crops are impossible, in case mangoes and melons-¡±

    ¡°I got it. Go catch some meat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen, who turned around, grumbled and went into the forest.

    I tore thend deed I bought from the [Exchange Center]. Then, a blue grid pattern floated in the air.

    ¡°Because the mana quality is high, everything is possible.¡±

    [narium] has 2~3 times the mana density of the continent, but the quality of mana itself is unbelievable.

    I adjusted the grid pattern here and there with my hand to set the base for the greenhouses.

    Two of one hundred pyeong each.

    ©¤Master. Shall we build the greenhouse right away?

    ¡°Melons and mangoes, no, can melons and mangoes be grown together?¡±

    ©¤Yes~ It¡¯s possible with very high-quality. The mana here is very good, isn¡¯t it~

    ¡°Okay. Proceed.¡±

    ©¤But, please only take 60% of the mana core, not 70%. I need to live too.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ©¤Phew! Please sit and wait, Master! It¡¯s a piece of cake to build a greenhouse, not just a house!

    I sat down. I watched Grawl work.

    Actually, it¡¯s not even work.

    All Grawl does is strut around with his nose in the air like a noble cat, and the ground flips over by itself, a sturdy frame that can rece steel is erected, the stic is smoothly applied, and even the entrance is automatically created.

    ©¤It¡¯s done~ Please check.

    I went inside the greenhouse. The grid-patterned fields were divided ording to the fruit to be cultivated.

    ©¤Look here. This is for melons. This is for kiwis. The temperature and characteristics of the soil are set differently, so each crop can grow in the most suitable environment. It¡¯s a very~ magical space.

    ¡°You did a great job.¡±

    ©¤But how do we get the seeds? All external food rots, and seeds are food too, in a way.

    ¡°Not all external food rots, only the ¡®food that souls can eat¡¯ rots. Souls don¡¯t eat seeds. They don¡¯t grow because they don¡¯t have ¡®mana¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Why, it¡¯s like leaving the door slightly ajar during ancestral rites. They say the spiritse in through that gap and eat the food, right?

    In a ce where the soul forms a substance, like [narium], the soul directly consumes the ¡®mana¡¯ of the food. That¡¯s why external food spoils.

    However, the soul doesn¡¯t eat things with faint mana like seeds, and even if that seed grows into a crop, if it grew in thend of [narium], it still leaves it alone.

    To the soul, ¡®external food¡¯ is ¡®food full of energy umted in the world of the living.¡¯

    ©¤Wow¡­ You¡¯re an expert, master~

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±

    I¡¯ve been staying here for quite a while.

    The other name for this [narium] is ¡®where the soul stays¡¯. It¡¯s perfect for the living to take refuge and stay.

    ©¤©¤Oh, what¡¯s that!

    Then, a stupid and loud noise flows from outside the vinyl greenhouse door.

    ©¤©¤There¡¯s something! Is it a phantom house! There¡¯s a door!

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with him.¡±

    I opened the door of the vinyl greenhouse.

    ¡°Uh, why did the door open!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    La, who falls back clutching her heart noisily.

    Even the cup that she held tightly in her hands fell down and spilled out.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, really! Shion, what are you doing!! You surprised me!¡±

    ¡°Pick that up.¡±

    ¡°What, oh! My snails!¡±

    La hurriedly poured the snails squirming on the ground back into the cup.

    ¡°I was going to boil them for soupter¡­¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was for.¡±

    I¡¯m speechless.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going down?¡±

    ¡°No. I stayed to build a base for the second quarter. What are you doing here, Shion? nning to be homeless?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I silently looked at La.

    It¡¯s not that, but the incident in Trick City keepsing to mind. The day she appeared as M, protecting ¡®Dale Kal¡¯.

    We both hid our identities.

    ¡°Hey. What was your name?¡±

    ¡°What, what?!¡±

    She suddenly narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°You, I was your Secret Friend and you don¡¯t know my name?! Who did you think I was then! You¡¯re ungrateful!¡±

    ¡°I mean your full name. I know your name.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hilton Ramsey. What¡¯s in front.¡±

    She still asks with suspicious eyes, narrowing them thinly.

    I answered, taken aback.

    ¡°La.¡±

    ¡°What, you knew.¡±

    La Hilton Ramsey.

    I repeat that name and try to spell it in my head.

    La Hilton Ramsey.

    ¡°Oh, no way.¡±

    I pped my forehead.

    In Trick City, the full name of the hero ¡®M¡¯, who only a handful would know about 10 yearster.

    M Sayre. (Exination at end)

    If you remove Hilton from La Hilton Ramsey.

    La Ramsey.

    The two have the same alphabets. It¡¯s an ¡®anagram¡¯ that holds true for each other, just by changing the order.

    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, really¡­¡­.¡±

    Who did I idolize before regression, and whatfort did I get from which hero¡ª

    ¡°Why are you going crazy? What are you going to do here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Farming. If you get hungryter,e find me. I¡¯ll sell it to you for achievement points or barter.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Shion, you¡¯re a lunatic! Who would buy something like rice with achievement points?¡±

    ¡°There are fruits too.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯d spend achievement points on fruit?¡±

    ¡°Achievement points aren¡¯t ice cream scoops, you know.¡±

    ¡°Your logic is wed, so you¡¯re nitpicking!¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll understand eventually.¡±

    La snorted and took a step closer. I quickly said,

    ¡°This is mynd. If you enter, you¡¯ll be deducted achievement points.¡±

    ¡°What! What¡¯s that! Is there such a thing?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. But you can enter if I allow it.¡±

    ¡°Allow me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Instead, when youe to buy foodter, I¡¯ll give you a special 20% discount. I¡¯ll also give you a free tasting coupon for the first transaction.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    At that, La puckered her lips with a strange expression. She also raised her eyebrows slyly.

    ¡°Oh~ What¡¯s this~? Why am I getting a discount? Shion, you¡¯re suspicious~ What could it be~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Honestly, I can¡¯t tell even while looking with my own two eyes.

    I can¡¯t believe it.

    How could she possibly be the embodiment of the noble and dedicated hero ¡®M¡¯.

    ¡°What could it be~? What could it be~? Oh wait, what could it be? What could it be? Hidden camera? Hidden camera¡­¡­ It¡¯s a hidden camera!¡±

    ¡°Just get lost.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    As I was about to chase La away, a thought suddenly struck me.

    ¡°Oh right. Hey, did you see that news?¡±

    ¡°Do you watch the news, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They said a monster appeared in Trick City¡¯s D-Section. Some suit reportedly defeated the monster?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I casually mentioned it, and La immediately turned serious.

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re from Trick City.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about. And, it wasn¡¯t a suit, it was a person named ¡®M¡¯. It wasn¡¯t just the suit, they said she did it with some mage.¡±

    She just blurted it all out.

    ¡°How do you know that? It wasn¡¯t in the news.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m a star from Trick City¡¯s A-Section! Of course I know!¡±

    She suddenly raised her voice for no reason, then suddenly scanned my face with a slightly strange look.

    ¡°Wait. Shion, are you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    She stared at me intently. Could she have caught on? I quickly dodged her gaze.

    ¡°Do you, by any chance, have a mage in your family?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was slightly surprised.

    She must be referring to Dale Kal.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No~ I think I may or may not have met someone who looks like you~¡±

    She¡¯s surely ¡®M¡¯.

    ¡°Never mind.¡±

    Rustle-

    The sound of shaking bushes. Woah- In the midst of La¡¯s surprise, Gerkhen walked out, carrying arge wild boar on his back.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh Gerkhen! You caught a wild boar?! How did you catch it?!¡±

    ¡°Well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    La nkly stared at the wild boar and then wiped the drool trickling down her mouth.

    ¡°Ooh, what a coincidence~ I also caught some snails. Look!¡±

    She proudly held out a cup filled with about ten snails.

    ¡°It must be delicious. Shall we have a meal together~? Eating only meat can be tough! Let¡¯s boil it and eat it together~¡±

    At that, Gerkhen¡¯s eyes slightly wavered. La brightened her face.

    ¡°Right! Snail soup must be delicious!¡±

    Of course, Gerkhen was surprised not by La, but by the vinyl greenhouse that was suddenlypleted.

    He looked at me and quietly said,

    ¡°¡­¡­Melon. Mango.¡±

    I met his gaze and solemnly nodded.

    ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡±

    ¡°And snail soup too!¡±

    I ignored La, who kept pushing the disgusting cup towards me.

    Exnation:

    [??] (???) ¨C M Sayre

    [?](?) ¨C Lalya[br][/br] [?](?) ¨C Ramsey

    M Sayre:

    ¡°?? ???¡± consists of the following sybles: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?

    Laya:

    ¡°? ?¡± consists of the following sybles: ?, ?

    Ramsey:

    ¡°? ?¡± consists of the following sybles: ?, ?

    These Korean sybles are indeed anagrams of each other when rearranged:

    ?? ??? can be rearranged to make ? + ? + ? + ? + ? + ?

 Chapter 144: Planarium (2)

    <strong>narium (2)</strong>

    Bang bang bang bang-!

    I nted a signboard in front of the vinyl greenhouse.

    [Ascal Farm]

    Ascal Farm. Of course, there¡¯s nothing yet, but it¡¯s quite satisfying to look at.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m counting on you. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll stay.¡±

    I spoke to the farm. I also bowed and prayed.

    In [narium], all sorts of things have souls. It¡¯s best to treat even the smallest things with care.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    By the way, La was still tearing into the meat. Gerkhen had gone on a business trip to buy seeds.

    ¡°Shion, the mana quality here is high, so the kids must have grown well.¡±

    She was eating with a couple of hind legs clenched, but surprisingly, there was no mess. The oil on her lips was just right like lip balm, there was no sttering or dripping of sauce or meat pieces, and she just swallowed just the right amount each time she chewed.

    It was almost an art of dining etiquette.

    After all, Trick City A-Section is almost a top-tier area where only 2~3 line aristocratic Senators can live in terms of Edsi. Even though her speech is a bit crude, in everyday aspects, the aristocratic demeanor is as natural as breathing.

    ¡°Her parents must have raised her well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about.¡±

    I thought while looking at the cheeks of the meat-filled girl.

    La.

    M.

    She is the hero of Trick City.

    Even if not now, she will be one someday.

    The reason why the powerful nation ¡®Edsi¡¯ leaves Trick City alone. The reason why it virtually guarantees Trick City¡¯s autonomy to the level of a separate state, and even gives Edsi voting rights, is purely because of the underworld.

    Trick City is the only breakwater blocking the underworld. Because the monsters trying toe up from the bottom ¡®must¡¯ pass through Trick City.

    The maind is all benefiting from Trick City to some extent.

    However, the underworld will run wild before long.

    At this point, it seems like the principle of the world.

    Heroes always appear in troubled times.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark.¡±

    I looked at the sky.

    Before I knew it, it was bing night.

    ¡°Go down now.¡±

    La firmly shook her head.

    ¡°No, I have to eat all of this. I don¡¯t know if there will be any tomorrow. I was hungry yesterday too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pack it for you.¡±

    I drew the Ascal sword. I cut the meat into bite-sized pieces with a shick-shick-shick-shick- sound.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ Shion is good~ You¡¯re not going anywhere with your part-time job at a barbecue restaurant~¡±

    ¡°Take all of it. Throw away that snail soup.¡±

    The snail soup that La ambitiously cooked had already fallen into a strange substance.

    ¡°Can I take this much?! What about you, Shion?!¡±

    ¡°I ate a lot.¡±

    La, holding arge barrel of meat, gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    And like a squirrel, before I could change my mind, she quickly turned around and ran down the forest path.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I got up. I took a small breath and put my hand on the ¡®Ancient Mana¡¯ on my right forearm. I clenched my hand as if holding a card. A square entity was implemented from the grip of that hand.

    It¡¯s a card.

    A card that shines in pure white.

    ¡°¡­¡­Barrier, huh?¡±

    I can¡¯t quite understand the effect. But if ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ works ambiguously, it means it¡¯s an excellent item.

    I flicked the card lightly.

    Whooosh¡­

    The card, fluttering in the wind, soon spread out like a transparent barrier, wrapping around the entire greenhouse in a circr fashion.

    ©¤Wow, what is that, Master?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. What does it look like?¡±

    ©¤Hmm.

    Grawl poked at the barrier, muttering.

    ©¤It¡¯s not a boundary, but more like a ¡®barrier¡¯ that¡¯s semi-permanent? It maintains its stability.

    ¡°A barrier?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Unless artificially dismantled, it seems like it willst a very long time¡­

    ¡°Will it block spirits?¡±

    ©¤Of course.

    Contrary tomon sense, souls can take form, and they can also remain formless. Particles of souls mixed very finely in the atmosphere are also souls.

    However, the biggest danger in [narium] is the embodied ¡®spirits¡¯. They are the ones who try to steal the bodies of the living.

    ©¤Spirits won¡¯t be able to prate here.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Grawl¡¯s knowledge is thanks to the smartphone, but knowledge rted to magic is probably from the previous ¡®S-ss monster Grawl¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Ah. Here ites.¡±

    ©¤Wow. It¡¯s fast.

    Down the dark mountain path, I could see a head maintaining a marathon-like pace, climbing up the road.

    It was Gerkhen.

    He had traveled that long distance in just 4 hours, his obsession with food was truly insane.

    Gerkhen, who quickly climbed up, was panting and put down the seeds.

    ¡°In order, mango, watermelon, melon, strawberry, pineapple, mango¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Go down and rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you can¡¯t grow them properly, I¡¯ll reim my shares.¡±

    Leaving those words behind, he went back down the path he came from.

    ¡°Grawl. You heard? nt the seeds.¡±

    ©¤Yes~

    * * *

    The first day of school. The day the college board¡¯s second quarter resumes.

    After the temporary assembly, the seniors who returned to [narium] all lined up in the stadium.

    Everyone was half-prepared.

    They seemed to have brought various Artifacts, tools, and materials, but most of them probably won¡¯t work. The environment in [narium] is an entirely different world.

    ¡­Swoosh.

    Suddenly, someone stood next to me like a phantom. I nced at them and was surprised.

    It was Elise.

    But she looked strange.

    ¡°Did you eat a or something?¡±

    Her dark circles were almost as long as a panda¡¯s, and her eyes were almost bloodshot. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t slept at all.

    Elise nced up at me and let out a small sigh.

    ¡°There¡¯s a child I need to save. It¡¯s a serious matter. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Then should I understand?¡±

    ¡°Haaah¡­¡±

    She yawned behind her hand, and soon began to doze off. Just as I thought she was about to fall over, her knees gave out and she lost her bnce.

    I grabbed her back. I propped her up with my arm and forced her to stand.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Elise looked up at me with slightly unfocused eyes. Her vacant pupils flickered, then quickly scanned our positions.

    My arm around her waist, and the closer than usual distance.

    ¡°You, what are you doing! Let go, let go!¡±

    She iled like a cat, retreating and making a fuss on her own.

    ¡°Even when I help, you make a fuss. If you¡¯re tired, go rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Be quiet. I can handle it myself.¡±

    Elise wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking at me.

    Suddenly, I felt a gaze.

    It was Soliette.

    She looked at Elise and me alternately, holding a seemingly bitter smile.

    ©¤©¤Greetings.

    Just then, ¡®Deloh¡¯ spoke from the podium.

    ©¤©¤Starting today, the second quarter begins at [narium Academy].

    The tense breaths of the seniors fell silent in the stadium.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s also the day when the turbulent period of [narium] begins.

    Turbulent period. It¡¯s like a season of [narium]. During the stable period, the encounters between reality and soul decrease, but during the turbulent period, they be very active.

    ©¤©¤During this turbulent period, [narium] will bepletely connected with the ¡®immaterial world¡¯ for 45 days. No one will know whether these 45 days will be extended or shortened. Because all mysteries, such as time bending or space twisting, will ur.

    In the turbulent period of [narium], all imaginable mysteries can ur.

    Mysteries that cannot exist outside of [narium].

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s a ce where souls linger, and at the same time, a hignd like a mirage.

    ©¤©¤Let me repeat. The student ID given to you is the ¡®anchor¡¯ that keeps you in this world.

    Then Elise poked my arm. It was the corner of the student ID.

    ©¤©¤For 45 days, we will try to maintain your safety, but we cannot guarantee all safety. Self-help. Endure by saving yourself. If you can¡¯t, give up at any time.

    I chuckled as I received the student ID.

    ¡°When did I give it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t steal it. If you¡¯re going to keep it carelessly, just leave it to me.¡±

    ©¤©¤Then¡­¡­. Feel it.

    Just then, ¡®Deloh¡¯ raised his hand.

    At that moment, as if he had been waiting.

    Goooooooo©¤©¤©¤

    As if the whole [narium] was resonating with the world, a ringing sound arose,

    Click©¤!

    With a surge as if a key was inserted.

    The air of [narium] changed in an instant.

    The blue sky was dyed purple, and the moon doubled and looked down on the ground like pupils.

    ©¤©¤In this [narium], there are soul experts, or embodied souls residing. Detailed consultations will be assisted by the staff of [Silent Hall]. Please perform as many tasks as possible, earn as many achievement points as possible, and convert them to CP¡­¡­

    Soul experts, or ¡¯embodied souls¡¯.

    Deloh retreated like that, but the seniors stayed in the stadium for a while with a creepy chill.

    I looked around the grounds of [narium Academy].

    In some buildings that were definitely empty, the lights were on.

    * * *

    [Silent Hall]

    Elise is sitting in the consultation chair, looking at the ¡®official¡¯. A woman with long ck hair and crimson pupils.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡­ a soul?!¡±

    This rude question is not from Elise, but from La.

    Elise formed a party with La, Kain, and Asher for the first time in a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯m a human. Idiot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­An idiot, you say.¡±

    La pouted her lips.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to doubt. There are many souls that seem like real humans. Among souls, 30% are good guys, 30% are thoughtless guys, 10% are guys with no interest in the secr world, and maybe about 20% are bad guys.¡±

    The woman scanned the student IDs that La, Elise, Kain, and Asher had ced on the desk.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself first. I¡¯m Akane.¡±

    ¡°Aka¡­ne?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Could it be, are you Akane Kedzen Meol?¡±

    ¡°Another one who knows me.¡±

    Good heavens!

    She is a mythical figure in the magical world.

    She was the first to reach the pinnacle of the ¡®Leolien¡¯ school, but was betrayed by her master ¨C ording to her own im ¨C and left the academic world. She is a tragic genius and a puppeteer who maniptes souls.

    ¡°Anyway, the ¡®task that gives a lot of achievement points¡¯ you requested is about this much.¡±

    She handed out a pamphlet.

    ¡ô Task: Retrieval of Time Fragments

    ¡ô Grade: S grade

    ¡ô Summary: Retrieval of torn time fragments

    ¡ô Achievement Points: 30,000

    ¡ô Task: Removal of the Western Forest¡¯s Watchtower

    ¡ô Grade: A+ grade

    ¡ô Summary: Removal of the Watchtower

    ¡ô Achievement Points: 10,000¡­¡­

    ¡°One time fragment is 30,000 at S grade.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This fragment is somewhere in the eastern forest of [narium], and if you retrieve it, you get 30,000 achievement points.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s 30,000 points¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if you divide it among four people, it¡¯s a guaranteed top rank. Well, you¡¯ll probably spend it on food or something over 45 days.¡±

    However, Elise twisted her lips grimly.

    ¡°Even so, can we do this at the senior level? I know that conceptual fragments are very¡­ difficult to handle.¡±

    A fragment is, of course, just a fragment, but when a certain ¡®concept¡¯ is attached to it, its value and weight change.

    Especially a fragment with the concept of [time] attached to it¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving you 30,000 points. By the way, when I was your age, I dismantled a fragment of the soul, you know?¡±

    Akane said something genius-like.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise, who prides herself as a genius at least on par, was triggered by somepetitive spirit.

    ¡°Guys. What do you want to do? I think it¡¯s worth challenging.¡±

    There are still 45 days left. Even if we fail in the challenge, there¡¯s still time, and if we seed, we can start from a much more advanced position.

    ¡°Well¡­ if you¡¯re going to do it, do it.¡±

    ¡°Right! Elly, let¡¯s do this quickly and earn 30,000 points!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Did you hear that?

    With those eyes, Elise looked at Akane, and Akane, chuckling, handed over the task pamphlet.

    ¡°Go ahead. Give it your best shot.¡±

    * * *

    The Elise party that came out of [Silent Hall] is standing in the eastern forest of [narium]. The sky is still purple, but the ground is as clear and bright as any morning.

    ¡°Haah¡­ then, shall we split up and start looking for traces?¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, the team members nodded.

    The party was divided into Elise, La, and Kain with Asher. Three teams in total.

    Asher and Kain were a team because Kain hated scary things.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be out before 4 PM, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Wh-who said I was worried? Ha-ha? Ha-ha-ha?¡±

    Kainughed with a trembling body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up then. If you find any clues, don¡¯t act rashly, share them. Absolutely, do not act impulsively.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Everyone scattered in different directions.

    Elise also walked the forest path with Cookie in tow.

    But¡­

    Rustle. Rustle.

    Every time there was the sound of stepping on the undergrowth.

    Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

    The sound of a camel¡¯s hooves came to mind.

    A very pretty, cute, and adorable camel.

    A camel with ck fur that shone brightly.

    A camel she had already named.

    ¡®Bianca¡¯ kept flickering in her mind.

    ¡°No, no.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ©¤Bark!

    Cookie barked in agreement.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The priority is the college board.

    Games are only for the weekend.

    Besides, she had already earned three gold coins, right? If she earns hard this weekend, she can buy Bianca.

    ¡­What if it¡¯s sold before then?

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡±

    Just imagining it made her blood boil. In that case, she would have no choice but to be a PK user.

    Anyway.

    As she climbed the mountain path, she took in the sensation of magic. Fragments of specific [concepts] cause very peculiar waves. So, if she opened the antenna in her head and filtered out only the abnormal magic frequencies¡­

    Suddenly.

    Kwaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    Lightning struck the purple sky. For a moment, the world was infinitely bright. Elise closed her eyes.

    She opened them again.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The lightning was frozen.

    In the middle of the sky, as if buffering. Still scattering white shes.

    ¡°What is this-¡±

    Kwang!

    Suddenly, the lightning struckte, and the world was now infinitely dark.

    Swoooooosh©¤©¤©¤

    Rain that wasn¡¯t there before poured down.

    ¡°¡­Damn.¡±

    The environment is filthy.

    Elise shook her head and asked.

    ¡°Cookie. Are you okay?¡±

    There was no answer.

    She looked at her waist.

    Cookie was gone.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, it felt like a hammer had fallen on her heart.

    Did she lose it because of the lightning?

    She looked around, but it was nowhere to be found.

    She felt instinctively.

    She had to go back.

    But¡­

    Where was the way she came?

    The footprints she had walked on had already disappeared.

    She moved anyway. She walked somewhere. She ran anywhere. She frantically pushed through the forest.

    Swoooooosh©¤©¤©¤

    Her whole body was soaking wet from the rain pouring down as if a hole had been drilled in the sky, strength was gradually leaving her arms and legs, and when it felt like her internal organs were twisting in pain.

    ¡°!¡±

    Her eyes opened wide.

    A twinkling light was detected somewhere.

    At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but it wasn¡¯t.

    What©¤©¤ a light attached to a sign.

    [OPEN]

    Open? Open?

    ¡°Open!¡±

    Elise ran towards it. It didn¡¯t matter what it was. It meant there were people there¡­

    As she got closer, its form became clearer.

    It looked like a greenhouse.

    The words engraved on the sign with the [OPEN] light were [Ascal Farm].

    She hastily pushed open the door.

    It was warm.

    Bubble, bubble ¨C the sound of something boiling. Above all, the ¡®warmth of a person¡¯ flowed in.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­.¡±

    As Elise, almost copsed on the floor, was panting heavily¡­

    Then.

    ¡°¡­Are youing in?¡±

    A slightly familiar, teasing voice called her.

    Elise, soaked in the rain, raised her gaze. Someone was standing in the kitchen at one corner of the greenhouse.

    Only showing his back.

    Elise tilted her head.

    The voice was familiar, but the body was not.

    ¡°Who are¡­.¡±

    Before that sentence could bepleted, he turned around.

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open.

    ¡°I was getting a bit annoyed waiting.¡±

    He¡­ at least in face, was Shion Ascal.

    But¡­

    ¡°Are you¡­ really Shion?¡±

    ¡°Who else do you see me as? A ghost?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    He was much taller. His physique and skeleton were the same. Of course, the current Shion was also much better than at the beginning of the semester, but now¡­.

    He chuckled and approached her. Elise dumbly got up. She only reached his chest.

    He handed her a note.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    A date was written on it.

    [June 8. Open the farm door.]

    Interestingly, it was today, written in her handwriting.

    June 8.

    Elise nkly stared at it.

    ¡°You gave it to me. You didn¡¯t write the year, so I opened it every year.¡±

    ¡°When did I¡­.¡±

    She didn¡¯t remember giving it.

    ¨C Elise¡¯s lips stopped as she was about to say that.

    At the same time, she remembered the goal of the S-rank mission she received today.

    [Retrieve the fragment of time]

    ¡°¡­.Could it be.¡±

    Elise nkly raised her head.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Then, Shion Ascal, with a small smile, ced his palm on her head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve briefly visited the future.¡±

 Chapter 145: Fragment (1)

    <strong>Fragment (1)</strong>

    Pork Cutlets and soup. Sd and rice.

    Having quietly finished her meal, Elise ced her hand gently on the dining table. Fidgeting, she stared at Shion across from her.

    ¡°¡­.Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°I did eat.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Elise asked some pointless questions.

    ¡°Is it because of the¡­ fragment of time?¡±

    But the problem starts with her tone. She¡¯s confused about whether to use formal or informal speech, but her pride makes formal speech impossible.

    ¡°¡­.¡¯I see¡¯. You say that quite often.¡±

    Shion chuckled. Elise pouted her lips.

    She says it often. As if this has happened before.

    Anyway.

    This Shion is¡­

    No, does this space itself belong to the future?

    ¡°This is the future, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right? But the time allowed isn¡¯t long.¡±

    Shion shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°The ¡®fragment of time¡¯ you¡¯re entangled with is at most a day¡¯s worth. It doesn¡¯t have more energy than that.¡±

    At his words, Elise asked out of instinctive curiosity.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a day at most¡­ what happens next?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Shion silently held a faint smile. Then, he looked into her eyes.

    ¡°A creature living only for today should focus on today. If you carelessly think about tomorrow, you¡¯ll fail.¡±

    ¡°¡­.What kind of ominous-¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, clean up.¡±

    Shion picked up the dishes. Elise quietly watched his actions.

    He put the dishes down on the kitchen sink, tter- tter- washing dishes from behind.

    Observing his forearm, she asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Do you know how to get back?¡±

    ¡°You have to find the exit.¡±

    ¡°So how do I¡­.¡±

    Elise nced at Shion.

    If by any chance, he could help-

    ¡°You have to find it yourself. No one else can find it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her expression hardened.

    Alone, it¡¯s impossible.

    Elise ¡®alone¡¯ is absolutely, physically impossible.

    ¡°I know. Here.¡±

    Shion, who had briefly smiled, took something out from the kitchen shelf. It was a doll ¡®Cookie¡¯.

    Elise opened her eyes wide at the sight of it.

    ¡°Where did you find it?¡±

    ¡°It came back to you on its own. Go with it.¡±

    He said with a hint ofughter in his voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. The ¡®fragment of time¡¯ reacts to your Spectrum. If I go with you, I¡¯ll only be a hindrance, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. When was I ever upset¡­ wait, my Spectrum?¡±

    Elise wore a slightly surprised expression.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not like you got entangled for no reason.¡±

    Her Spectrum is, as the scouts predicted, rted to telekinesis, but its limit far exceeds that.

    Telekinesis.

    Not only that, but maism.

    Simply put, her Magic Core is extremely specialized in ¡®attracting¡¯, ¡®holding¡¯, or ¡®repelling¡¯.

    That nature itself is her ¡®Spectrum¡¯, and the reason why her Magic Core capacity is enormous. Even mana, once it flows into her body, is instantly held and cannot leak out.

    Of course, the potential itself is so huge that she can¡¯t fully utilize it yet¡­.

    ¡°Your Spectrum resonated unconsciously with your goal of ¡®finding something¡¯, and pulled the ¡®fragment of time¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Did I tell you about my maism?¡±

    However, Elise had never spoken of her ¡®maism¡¯ to anyone, not even to her father.

    Shion, who had quickly finished washing the dishes, turned to look at her. He brushed his hair aside and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®maybe¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to know too much. If you know too much in a day, the natural force wille into y.¡±

    Natural force. It¡¯s the power of nature trying to maintain causality.

    ¡°This is a time that only exists in the [Fragment of Time]. If you take too much information outside, you, the subject of the memory, could be subject to modification by the natural force.¡±

    Elise¡¯s lips jutted out like thorns.

    ¡°¡­¡­Look at you pretending to be wise just because you¡¯ve lived a few more years.¡±

    Shion smirked. Elise dusted off her clothes and looked at her wristwatch.

    ¡°Anyway. This ce is just for a day, right? Then¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°We still have time. Get some sleep before you go.¡±

    He pointed to one side of the farm. There was a sleeping bag.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that okay?¡±

    Elise doesn¡¯t really care about her sleeping environment. As long as she¡¯s not alone, she can sleepfortably anytime.

    ¡°Sure. If you don¡¯t sleep now, you¡¯ll faintter anyway.¡±

    Shion gave a faint smile.

    ¡°Sleep well. I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, if you insist, I won¡¯t refuse.¡±

    Elise opened the sleeping bag¡¯s zipper, brushing her inexplicably hot cheeks. She crawled in and curled up like a cocoon.

    ¡°Sleep well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    And so, shey there, staring at the ceiling.

    Thump-thump©¤©¤ thump-thump©¤©¤

    The sound of rain hitting the greenhouse. The cozy warmth trapped in the fluff of the sleeping bag. The air that seemed to make her body soft and supple.

    In that atmosphere, Elise quietly let out a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey.¡±

    Shion turned to look at her.

    ¡°In that future.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise wanted to ask.

    In that future, did she confess her family¡¯s sins to him, and was his revenge fulfilled?

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    She shook her head. She folded her curiosity.

    After all, there¡¯s no such thing as a predetermined future.

    Everything is the result of choices.

    My confession. Your revenge.

    If it¡¯s something that will happen in the future, it¡¯s ultimately up to me to decide.

    ¡°Do you want me to read you a fairy tale?¡±

    She didn¡¯t have the energy to respond to Shion¡¯s teasing joke.

    ¡°Once upon a time¡­¡­¡±

    He seemed absurd trying to recite a real fairy tale, but Elise surrendered to the slowly creeping drowsiness.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤Thump, thump.

    The sound of rain hitting the window.

    ©¤©¤No, maybe. This time, Senator Zelon¡¯s daughter came to the social circle, but our Miss Elise is a hundred times more¡­¡­

    The chatter of the servants drifting through the open door.

    ©¤©¤In Edsi¡¯s district, it seems that Senator Petra¡¯s re-election is certain¡­¡­

    The pleasant sound of news from the radio.

    Using these three sounds as white noise, Elise is studying a medical textbook. She already fully understands the general medical course, so it¡¯s not that difficult now.

    So she¡¯s just quickly reviewing the parts she roughly knows, when suddenly.

    A thought spreads like raindrops.

    ¡®Hmm¡­¡­¡¯

    Fourteen-year-old Elise propped her chin on her hand, murmuring to herself as she thought of someone.

    ¡°¡­Magic Leukemia.¡±

    Magic Leukemia.

    Ordinary leukemia is just that, leukemia. But when magic gets involved, it bes Magic Leukemia. It¡¯s even worse than ordinary leukemia.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise kept thinking about a boy her age with a buzz cut.

    Shion Ascal.

    He was the same age as her, but he was suffering from a severe disease.

    Was it simplepassion? Or was it sympathy?

    Probably both.

    Such empathy could be seen as a noble¡¯s duty.

    Tap-tap-tap-

    She drummed her fingers on the desk before finally opening herptop.

    Tap-tap-tap-

    She typed with only her index fingers, a technique like an eagle pecking. She didn¡¯t like digital things and believed that studying should always be done through books, so she wasn¡¯t very familiar with these things.

    ¡°Magic¡­ Leukemia¡­¡±

    Enter.

    After that, click-click-

    She scrolled through the information with her mouse, but it was no use.

    ¡°Mr. Azen, are you there?¡±

    In the end, she called for one of her attendants.

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±

    ¡°This. Please print out all the papers rted to Magic Leukemia. Anything even slightly rted. Don¡¯t distinguish between domestic and foreign.¡±

    It would be a study in itself.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it right away.¡±

    The attendant took over theptop, and Elise sat on her bed, looking out the window.

    Whoosh¡­

    The rain was getting heavier.

    * * *

    ¡­Whoosh.

    Elise, inside her sleeping bag, opened her eyes. It was still night outside the stic greenhouse, and the rain was heavy.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The sound of pages turning seeped into her ears as she blinked, dazed.

    Rustle- rustle-

    Elise looked in that direction. Shion was sitting at the entrance of the farm, reading a book. Bathed in moonlight, he looked somewhat sad.

    ¡°¡­Is something wrong?¡±

    Elise sat up in her sleeping bag. He nced at her and closed the book with a thud.

    ¡°No. Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You seem worried?¡±

    At that, a faint smile appeared on Shion¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Always.¡±

    His words came back without hesitation.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly feeling hot, Elise turned her head. She put her hands on her cheeks, pretending to massage her swollen face.

    In case her cheeks were turning red.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help.¡±

    He said, as if he wanted to help but couldn¡¯t.

    Instead, Elise raised her head.

    ¡°I can do it. I¡¯ve done it once, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    She had confidence. If she had been ¡®attracted¡¯ here unknowingly by a ¡®fragment¡¯, then.

    She should be able to find the exit simrly.

    Elise tucked Cookie into her waistband. She walked over and stood next to Shion. Shion also stood up.

    She looked up at him cautiously. She wasn¡¯t used to the height difference.

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±

    Elise grumbled and looked ahead again.

    The darkness where the heavy rain was falling. What could be beyond it?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Suddenly, he put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to deal with this. It¡¯ll pass like any other day.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His voice was too confident, too warm.

    Elise bit her lip, finally asking the question that had been on her mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ hate me?¡±

    A very fragmented question about a future she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°I am the result of the choices you¡¯ve made.¡±

    Shion answered with an enigmatic sentence.

    ¡­The result of choices?

    At Elise¡¯s murmuring, Shion gestured.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    Actions speak louder than words.

    Elise immediately opened the door. She blocked the iing rain with a telekic shield.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Uh. Come back anytime.¡±

    Since Shion had spoken first, Elise changed her words.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    And so, she set off.

    Elise walked up the mountain.

    She advanced, spreading her aura all around her. She moved towards where her magic led her.

    Swoosh!

    The sound of rain hitting the telekic shield was quite loud and scary, but it was bearable.

    Bang!

    Cookie in her pocket also helped her. It told her it was still okay. That she could do it.

    Encouraged by it, Elise climbed the mountain, crossed the river, and squeezed into the crevices of the rocks.

    If there was a path, she followed it; if not, she dug through with telekinesis, rushing towards the [Fragment of Memory]¡­

    ¡°¡­Haah.¡±

    How many hours had she been going like this?

    Exhausted, Elise slowly sensed the end of the day.

    There wasn¡¯t much time left now.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    She still couldn¡¯t even get a sense of it.

    Should she turn back? She was hungry, too.

    As she wiped the sweat from her forehead with such thoughts, she suddenly looked up.

    Crack!

    Lightning carved into the sky. The space vibrated greatly.

    Boom!

    A rumble as if the world was splitting.

    Cracks spreading like spider webs.

    Between them, gaps in the void opened, and fragmented¡­

    It copsed.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened.

    In that moment, she realized something, but then she stopped.

    ¡­

    After that, there was only silence.

    Her existence was bound by time.

    Not just hers.

    All natural objects in the world, the branching of lightning and the flow of rain, even the spray rising from the ground, all of it.

    The world, having used up a day¡¯s worth of time, paused to prepare for regeneration.

    Caught in a very, very deep silence¡­

    However.

    In that world that hade to a halt.

    There was a presence calmly approaching, breaking through the quiet destruction.

    Thud- thud-

    The sound of falling footsteps.

    A hand slowly approached, picked up ¡®Cookie¡¯ that had fallen to the ground.

    Then, looking at the stiffened Elise, he¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡­Shion Ascal spoke in a warm voice.

    The day ends here.

    Elise still doesn¡¯t know whether she¡¯s getting closer to the ¡®exit¡¯ or moving further away.

    Even whether she can reach the ¡®exit¡¯ is still uncertain to her.

    After all, this ce is a ¡®magical space¡¯ made up of [Fragments of Time].

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not easy.¡±

    Somewhere in these [Fragments of Time], an exit exists. Only Elise can observe and find it, but it¡¯s impossible for her alone. She would just repeat an infinite day, only to copse and regenerate.

    That¡¯s why Shion came to find her. To save her and fulfill his promise.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today, too.¡±

    June 8th.

    The day she thinks is just a day, has already be countless hours for Shion.

    It¡¯s being repeated endlessly.

    All for a single answer.

    Shion¡¯s interpretation of this [Fragment of Time] is a simple ¡®probability theory¡¯.

    If he spends each day with Elise, guiding her path, then by repeating countless days, a ¡®gap¡¯ will form from a very small variable.

    He slightly distorts her footsteps to prevent the same regression, to prevent the same day from being meaninglessly consumed.

    That¡¯s Shion¡¯s role.

    Shion believes so.

    No matter how low the probability of the correct answer, Elise will find the answer someday. Because she¡¯s a genius who will eventually produce the solution.

    So if it doesn¡¯t happen in a day, then two days, if not two days, then a week, if not a week, then a month¡­ even if thousands of days pass.

    Shion will be with her, quietly assisting her so she can find the answer.

    He will be with her until she reaches the correct answer.

    He will willingly bear her days¡­

    Why?

    Because he promised.

    Rumble¡­

    Suddenly, the slowly descending lightning. The signal for regeneration.

    The shattered world rewinds and tries to reassemble.

    ¡°Take care. See youter.¡±

    He bids farewell to her for the day, leaving words for her who will return.

    Shion returned to the [Ascal Farm] again.

    Crash!

    The moment the lightning strikes.

    Shion lights up the sign again.

    [OPEN]

    He puts Cookie in his arms on the kitchen shelf, preparing a meal for the one who will arrive soon.

    Today¡¯s menu should be steak.

    Sizzle-

    As he heats the pan, cuts the meat, and concentrates on cooking, he waits.

    Suddenly!

    The door opens without warning.

    With the heavy rain, shees in.

    ¡°Haah, haah¡­.¡±

    Elise, curled up like a shrimp on the floor, panting heavily.

    Incredibly weak and smallpared to the future, a girl with only chubby cheeks.

    To her, Shion Ascal now delivers a single line.

    ¡°¡­Are youing in?¡±

 Chapter 146: Fragment (2)

    <strong>Fragment (2)</strong>

    Within these [Fragments of Time], a day repeats infinitely. Destruction and creation follow each other in a continuous cycle.

    Elise is trapped within this cycle of regression.

    I have observed her for a long time.

    On some days, we searched for an exit together,

    On some days, I coldly informed her of the situation she was in,

    And on some days, we merely passed the time together, doing nothing.

    Here, ¡®days¡¯ were at least in the hundreds, but the results were never good.

    When I was by her side during the search, her maism didn¡¯t work,

    When I coldly conveyed her situation, Elise¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t fully withstand it,

    And when we just passed the time, that¡¯s all we did ¨C time simply passed.

    The worst case among them was¡­

    Elise, who killed herself from the ceiling of the greenhouse.

    That¡¯s why I concluded that ¡®I should leave everything to Elise herself¡¯.

    From that day on, I stopped counting the days.

    I just prepared the same things differently every day.

    ¡°Here. Chicken noodle soup and king dumplings.¡±

    Most of them were food.

    ¡°Here. Salmon steak and corn cheese.¡±

    Some days it was noodles, some days it was meat, some days it was seafood.

    I pursued as diverse a menu as possible.

    Even these could act as potential ¡®variables¡¯, and the ingredients would regenerate after a day anyway.

    ¡°Here. Spaghetti and buffalo wings.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±

    Sometimes Elise wouldin, a pointless pretense.

    When I served her food that was obviously too much, this event urred one out of ten times. Sheined about the quantity while eating it.

    ¡°Eat and leave the rest.¡±

    ¡°Well. I¡¯m grateful, so I won¡¯t leave any.¡±

    Watching Elise eat is surprisingly entertaining. She¡¯s quite honest with food, so her expressions change every time.

    Very delicious food makes her tremble at the end of her mouth,

    Pretty delicious food makes her lick her lips with the tip of her tongue after a bite,

    And just edible food makes her eyebrows twitch.

    All her expressions are rich and abundant.

    Today, she seems to be enjoying it very much, trembling at the end of her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Is the spaghetti made from organic wheat? The buffalo wings are perfectly roasted. It¡¯s a pass.¡±

    She never forgets to give her review after finishing. It seems like a remnant of her habit of managing a personal chef.

    After finishing the meal like this, I start a serious conversation with her.

    ¡°So. This is the future, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But the time allowed itself is not long.¡±

    Every day, I reveal a little bit more. To make her think a little differently than she did previously.

    The two main premises are:

    1. She must search for the exit alone.

    2. Never reveal the truth about the infinite regression.

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m a bit tired, but I¡¯m okay. I can go right away.¡±

    Also, at first, she must sleep as soon as she arrives. If she doesn¡¯t sleep, she¡¯ll faint during the search.

    ¡°Alright. Sleep first. I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­If you say so.¡±

    Elise, with her lips pouting, crawls into the sleeping bag and sleeps.

    Soon after waking up from sleep, she leaves for exploration, leaving the words ¨C I¡¯ll be back soon. And when the next dayes¡­

    Another day repeats.

    Today¡¯s menu is sirloin steak.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. The outside is crispy and the inside is moist. It¡¯s a pass.¡±

    After the meal that received a passing grade, again.

    I converse with her.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re from the future?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    And so¡­

    Time passes.

    The same conversation continues every day.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Shion?¡±

    She¡¯s surprised to see me, much taller than I was in the past.

    ¡°This is delicious.¡±

    She enjoys the food I serve her.

    ¡°So, are we trapped because of the fragment of time?¡±

    How many thousands of days have passed in this repetition?

    Could it have already reached tens of thousands of days?

    Fortunately, the body does not age within this ¡®fragment of time.¡¯ The time contained here is only a day¡¯s worth, too insignificant to cause aging.

    However, it seems even I can¡¯t prevent the wear and tear on the mind. At least, not with the mental strength of a ¡®human¡¯.

    Nevertheless, I must endure.

    Because this ¡®fragment of time¡¯ is a crack caused by my regression. Because I have a promise with you.

    Therefore¡­

    ¡°Here. Brisket and fried rice.¡±

    I am always waiting.

    Elise.

    Until you find the answer someday.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that too much food?¡±

    * * *

    ©¤©¤©¤Countless days pass,

    And pass,

    And pass again.

    Having consumed nearly every type of food on the continent, I can only prepare meals we¡¯ve already had, in this endlessly swelling time.

    As my past bes faint, my future scatters, and even my existence is in doubt during these tens of thousands of moments.

    Today, Elise is back, eating her meal.

    ¡°This is delicious.¡±

    Elise says, seemingly satisfied. Her expression seems okay, too.

    Looking at her, I suddenly feel relieved. Elise is a person with many variables, showing various reactions.

    If it had been someone else, they might have given up long ago.

    They might have be less human than human, far more devastated than now.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±

    I say quietly, turning to reach for ¡®Cookie¡¯ on the shelf.

    Suddenly.

    A sense of unease chills my brain.

    ¡®This is delicious.¡¯

    Thement Elise just made echoes in my ears.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I freeze. I turn to look at Elise.

    The food on her table is truffle cream bacon risotto.

    I ask quietly,

    ¡°Do you find this delicious?¡±

    Elise flicks her hair back with the back of her hand and nods.

    ¡°¡­Why are you asking such an embarrassing question? I was quite hungry.¡±

    Elise responds calmly now, but I have a vast database.

    A ¡¸Notepad¡¹ with memories of all kinds of food I¡¯ve presented to Elise, and all her reactions.

    Among them, the truffle cream bacon risotto is a dish I made exactly 3,805 days ago.

    The reason why the database works so promptly is¡­

    Elise, who used to be like a piglet, who didn¡¯t pick her food and ate so much that her cheeks were chubby¡­

    This was the only food she frowned upon while eating.

    ¡°¡­You.¡±

    I ce my hand on the table. I gently look at Elise across from me. Her expression hardens slightly, as if she senses something.

    ¡°You¡¯ve escaped from the regression.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She bites her lower lip slightly.

    And then, with a sigh¡­

    She answers with a sad face.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    * * *

    Blossomed amidst countless repetitions.

    It was a very faint possibility.

    Kwaaaaaaaah!

    The moment the lightning signaling the regeneration of the [Fragment] struck.

    Elise, by sheer coincidence, stumbled at that exact moment, and in her stumbled state, she looked up at the lightning of the [Fragment].

    The angle of her vision was skewed.

    Not 45 degrees, not 60 degrees, not 90 degrees.

    The core of the [Fragment] within the lightning, revealed only at a specific angle where coincidences ovepped without the slightest error.

    Elise observed that ¡®origin¡¯. She ¡®attracted¡¯ its singrity towards herself.

    It was a gap to dig into the answer.

    It was an enlightenment to understand the principle of the [Fragment].

    At the same time, it was the awakening of the ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    She instinctively used maism to anchor herself.

    To put it simply ¨C she set the origin of the [Fragment] as the S-pole, and her existence as the N-pole.

    Even if the [Fragment] copsed, the origin would not break, so she preserved her existence by connecting herself to the origin.

    She resisted the copse and regeneration.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Thus, Elise nkly stared into the void.

    A spectacle she could not have witnessed in her original state.

    The world disintegrating as cracks formed.

    The sky crumbling like falling blossoms.

    She nkly stared at the moments that seemed like illusions, where all natural objects came to a halt, until-

    ©¤©¤Rustle.

    Footsteps approaching from somewhere.

    Elise quickly ¡®pretended to stop¡¯. It was rtively easy. All she had to do was hold her body with maism for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    The warm voice that moistened her ear.

    Slowly approaching, he looked at her and gently tidied his hair.

    Shion Ascal.

    Elise¡¯s heart secretly pounded.

    Suddenly, she remembered what he had said today.

    ¡®You don¡¯t need to handle it. It will pass like an ordinary day.¡¯

    A day that doesn¡¯t need to be handled, an ordinary day.

    If you don¡¯t remember it, you don¡¯t have to deal with it.

    Then¡­

    How much has Shion, instead of herself, handled so far?

    How much time has he spent instead of herself?

    ¡°See youter.¡±

    Soon he turned back, and the world of the [Fragment] was regenerated again.

    But Elise, who had already changed, Elise who had maintained her memory and existence, could never go back to the way she was.

    From that day on, Elise repeated her old actions.

    She ate the meals he prepared, went on expeditions, froze pretending to stop at the moment of regression, and returned to Shion again.

    He always treated her the same.

    ¡­And so, 30 days passed.

    * * *

    Elise looked at Shion with anxious eyes.

    She worried whether he would secretly get angry or hit her, but¡­

    Surprisingly, Shion shrugged his shoulders as if he was used to it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve taken one step closer. Congrattions.¡±

    He just smiled and looked at her.

    Elise involuntarily pursed her lips.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Still haven¡¯t found the exit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I kept exploring, but it seems far away. It¡¯s hard without a map.¡±

    She looked at Shion again with a rxed heart.

    ¡°But, how many days have you been here?¡±

    ¡°Well, about 500 days?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°Anyone would think it¡¯s a lie. The time I¡¯ve observed is only a month.¡±

    ¡°Oh~¡±

    Shion chuckled as if he found it sharp.

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s definitely been over three years.¡±

    If counted by day, over a thousand days.

    A painfully long time.

    Such a difficult repetition.

    Elise fiddled with her fingers as she spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you. For waiting.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±

    ¡°But how do I not regress?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of maism, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    How does he know? Did my future self tell him?

    Elise pouted her lips for no reason.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s maism.¡±

    Elise picked up a piece of wood from the farm floor. She manipted it here and there with telekinesis. It was shaped like a camel¡¯s face.

    ¡°Look at this. I¡¯m going to imbue this camel piece with maism. To connect it to the source of the [Fragment].¡±

    Whiiing©¤

    Her magic power was imbued into the camel piece. There was no visible change, but it was definitely connected to the source.

    ¡°Like this, it won¡¯t copse even when it regenerates. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a hobby until I find the exit.¡±

    In Elise¡¯s opinion, the reason this world is painful is because there is no continuity. Anything you make will break by tomorrow.

    But her maism can provide continuity.

    Until she finds the exit, Shion can have a proper joy.

    ¡°Ah~ That¡¯s right. I can make something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are plenty of materials. There are stones, and there are trees.¡±

    Elise murmured as she looked around the farm.

    ¡°I want to start by making a bed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A bed.

    At that, Shion blinked silently. Elise¡¯s face also turned red soon after.

    ¡°No, no. The bed is simply because my back hurts from sleeping only in a sleeping bag. What are you thinking right now? How vulgar-¡±

    ¡°Rx. There¡¯s a hundred-year age difference.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying.¡±

    At Shion¡¯s joke, Elise also smiled faintly. Then, she offered the truffle cream bacon risotto on the table again.

    ¡°To be honest, this. It wasn¡¯t to my taste.¡±

    Shion smiled lightly.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll make something else.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­¡­Day 5.

    Elise resumed her exploration. She moved towards her goal, the ¡®exit¡¯. To avoid getting lost, she left a mark at the end of each day.

    A pretty stone. She connected it to the source and stuck it like a milestone, which regenerates at the entrance of Ascal Farm every day.

    She just needs to use it as a guide and move forward.

    ¡°¡­¡­End of today.¡±

    One a day, she has already nted five milestones.

    Since the day is almost over, it¡¯s time to go back.

    Elise hummed a tune as she walked to her home©¤the greenhouse.

    What¡¯s for dinner tonight? Sirloin steak? Tomahawk steak?

    Thinking of Shion waiting for her, a silly smile spread across her face.

    ¡­¡­Day 63.

    ¡°Now, now. Pay attention. This is the map I made.¡±

    Ascal Farm. Elise started a lecture with a board she made from somewhere.

    ¡°My ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ radar only works when the sun is down. So I can only explore for about 6 hours a day. But if I follow the markers I¡¯ve set¡­ I think we might be able to get out in about 8 months.¡±

    The area contained in this [Fragment] is surprisinglyrge, so even if we mark our path, it will take at least 8 months.

    In other words, we can escape in 8 months!

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that all you have to say? We can escape.¡±

    Shion responded in a different way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a salmon steak today. It¡¯s your favorite.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise swallowed her saliva.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like it that much. Are you mistaken?¡±

    She closed the lid of Vodka with a snort, but when she turned around, she quietly smiled.

    ¡­¡­Day 143.

    ¡°Camel¡­plete.¡±

    Elise carved a camel that looked like a horse.

    She ns to ce it on one side of the farm. For interior decoration, and to sit and think like a rocking chair.

    ¡°¡­¡­Come to think of it.¡±

    Elise quietly looked around the vinyl house.

    A lot has changed in 100 days.

    There¡¯s a hammock, a bed, a desk, a pool table, a ping-pong table¡­ These are all furniture anchored by her maism.

    It¡¯s starting to look like a ce where people live.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    Suddenly, Shion called her. Elise looked back at him and smile.

    ¡°What, Shion?¡±

    He showed her a bundle of papers.

    ¡°Should we write novels for each other?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A novel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re bored. But it¡¯s not fun to read what I¡¯ve written, so let¡¯s write for each other.¡±

    For Shion, it was an effort to maintain sanity.

    Elise cleared her throat and nodded.

    ¡°Well¡­ that could be fun. But do you remember where we first met?¡±

    It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t remember, but she had a dream today.

    A dream of meeting Shion, who was suffering from Magical Leukemia.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not sure. Where was it?¡±

    Shion made a face as if he really didn¡¯t know, but it must have been an act.

    ¡°It was at the hospital. You couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye then.¡±

    ¡°Oh, was it?¡±

    Looking at Shion¡¯s vague smile¡­ Elise couldn¡¯t resist his cuteness.

    She hit his chest with her forehead.

    ¡­¡­Day 230.

    ¡°Shion. Did you write this as a novel?¡±

    Elise frowned and shook the paper manuscripts.

    Shion¡¯s novel [The Rebellion of the Family].

    The protagonist destroys a family called Lavri, but it¡¯s too brutal. It seems like aedy novel.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Is that so. Yours is fun. Is there a second volume?¡±

    Shion, reading her novel, seemed quite happy. Does he like crime thrillers? It¡¯s not a novel that can be read happily.

    Elise slowly approached him from behind.

    ¡°I have to start writing the second volume now¡­¡­¡±

    She rested her chin on his broad shoulder.

    Quietly, she rubbed her face against his and whispered.

    ¡°I could read yours too, if you take out the brain part.¡±

    ¡°Is that apliment?¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep rubbing against me?¡±

    Shion pinched her cheek. She smiled bashfully because she enjoyed his touch.

    ¡­¡­Day 330.

    Swoosh©¤©¤.

    A downpour on the mountain.

    Elise found a river.

    A river swollen with water, raging like a dragon.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She stared nkly at it.

    Her intuition, her ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ maism, told her.

    Cross this river, and it¡¯s the end.

    Surely©¤©¤ there exists an exit beyond.

    But¡­¡­

    ¡°The water is too high.¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t want to cross.

    The current was rough. She could be swept away by the flow.

    If something went wrong, she could die, right?

    Nodding, Elise anchored arge rock in the middle of the river with her maism.

    A stepping stone.

    If she came once a day, she could make a stepping stone in 60 days.

    60 days would be enough.

    Her novel was not yet finished.

    The novel she had to show Shion was iplete.

    Just a little more.

    Elise quietly turned around.

    ¡­¡­Day 350.

    ¡°Shion. The current of the river is too strong, so it might take a little more time. Is that okay?¡±

    Elise spoke to Shion. She was somewhat anxious, but fortunately, he smiled at her. As he chopped vegetables, he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Is the book finished?¡±

    Did he also want to be with her?

    Elise responded with satisfaction.

    ¡°Not yet. It will be out soon. You can look forward to the third volume.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Elise went over to him cooking and hugged him with both arms. Shion chuckled and patted her back.

    ¡°Ah-ah-ah-¡±

    She didn¡¯t fall off after all. She clung to him like a burr.

    ¡°Are you a gum?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you saying to the writer. Let me recharge a bit.¡±

    There¡¯s no need for pretense now.

    Just show him who you are, as you are.

    There¡¯s no world in this [Fragment].

    There is no Petra family, no revenge for Shion, no external values.

    There¡¯s only Shion, who waited for her for over a thousand days, and herself, who realized the return for him¡­

    ¡°I wrote it in an interesting way. You can look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Today¡¯s menu was pork belly steak.

    ¡­¡­Day 450.

    Boom©¤!

    Elisepleted the stepping stones. She buried a total of 100 stones in the river.

    Now, they could cross it sufficiently.

    Beyond that¡­ she could escape with Shion.

    But.

    But.

    But.

    Dark thoughts kept sprouting in Elise¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to leave.¡±

    She mumbled nkly.

    The times she spent with Shion kepting to mind.

    Decorating the greenhouse together, ying billiards, table tennis, Go, chess, writing books, writing poems, reading each other¡¯s work, making silly jokes.

    Eating during the day, drinking beer at night, learning the taste of whiskey for the first time, watching the copse while looking at the stars.

    All those days¡­ were precious to her.

    The one year spent with him was greater than the sum of the happiness of 18 years.

    Once they exit, it¡¯s the end.

    The [Fragment] itself will disappear.

    The ¡®Origin¡¯ will be destroyed.

    Everything connected to the Origin will disappear.

    The furniture of the Ascal farm, the novels she wrote, the wooden camel, the billiard table, the table tennis table, and even©¤

    Her own Memory.

    The loss of Memory.

    To Elise, who has lived for over 400 days, it¡¯s as good as death.

    Even if another Elise lives on afterwards, that Elise is not her now.

    Now, herself in this [Fragment]¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    She wants to stay here forever.

    With Shion.

 Chapter 147: Fragment (3)

    <strong>Fragment (3)</strong>

    Rustle¡­ Rustle¡­

    Rustle¡­ Rustle¡­

    Like snow falling, each day piles up within me.

    The days spent with Elise color me white.

    I can hardly recall the past now.

    Could it be an overload of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹?

    The boundless times seem to swallow me whole.

    Thanks to that, I¡¯m forgetting too many things, but it¡¯s something I¡¯ve already prepared for. It¡¯s a resolution I made long ago.

    I have enough energy to focus on the present.

    Still¡­

    Still, I have time.

    Rustle-

    I turned the page of the book.

    It¡¯s a new novel written by Elise herself. The title is [A Short Story That Wishes to Be a Novel]. It¡¯s a mystery thriller with romance.

    It¡¯s too interesting for something prepared for just one person, but Elise never does anything half-heartedly.

    Thump-!

    Just then, the door to the greenhouse opened.

    There¡¯s no need to check who it is. After all, there are only two of us in this world.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Elise.

    But today, she was soaked from the rain.

    ¡°Why are you wet from the rain?¡±

    I picked up a towel and ced it on her head. I wiped the moisture from her hair as if I was washing it. Rub rub rub rub-

    ¡°Hey, wait. I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll do it. You¡¯re going to scrape my scalp off.¡±

    Elise awkwardly snatched the towel. As she wiped herself dry, she saw the book in my hand. A bitter smile spread on her lips.

    ¡°¡­Did you enjoy reading it?¡±

    I nodded my head.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s interesting. How was the exploration?¡±

    When I casually asked, Elise¡¯s expression hardened.

    I had seen that look before.

    Suddenly, a ¡®past¡¯ that I had buried deep in my heart came back to life.

    ¡°Elise?¡±

    ¡°¡­Later.¡±

    She took out manuscript paper and a pencil. It seemed like she was about to start writing another new work.

    I quietly watched her and sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I called Elise. She pretended not to hear and just scribbled with her pencil at the desk.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    Only then did she reluctantly nce at me.

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    I patted the seat next to me. Elise bit her lip without a word.

    ¡°Hurry up.¡±

    When I urged her again, she sighed, got up from her seat, and came to sit next to me.

    ¡°Do you realize? It¡¯s already been 600 days.¡±

    I poked her sullen face.

    ¡°Adding a few tens or hundreds of days here doesn¡¯t make any difference.¡±

    Adding a few hundred days to the tens of thousands of days we¡¯ve walked through doesn¡¯t change anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if we¡¯re a littlete.¡±

    Because I, perhaps.

    Because I like the Elise of now.

    ¡°¡­Haah.¡±

    Then she let out a faint breath. Holding my arm, she quietly looked up at me. Herrge eyes trembled faintly.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve reached the exit.¡±

    I looked at her as she said that. She couldn¡¯t even dare to look me in the eye.

    What is she afraid of?

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t think I can leave.¡±

    She¡¯s good at lying. She¡¯s familiar with acting. Of course, she¡¯s not as good as me.

    Because¡­ did we do a y together before? Was I a Duke?

    My memory is vague, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s lying.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I asked calmly.

    ¡°From the beginning, the exit was closed. So¡­ I think we need to find another exit. As you said, we need¡­ more time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I see.¡±

    I nodded and smiled faintly. Elise nced at me sideways.

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    She was scared. Afraid that I might me her. That I might be disappointed.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m okay. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    I stroked Elise¡¯s head. She quietly nestled in my arms. The thumping of her heart echoed.

    She spoke in a trembling voice soaked with emotion.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    * * *

    Ascal Calendar, December 25th.

    The calendar they had created together hadpleted two cycles, and it was probably more than 1,000 days since Elise became aware of her regression.

    ¡°Hey Elise. Look.¡±

    Shion woke Elise, who was sleeping in the hammock.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Elise looked at him with a face full of sleepiness.

    ¡°ording to our calendar, today is Christmas. So.¡±

    Snap- He flicked his finger. Snowkes began to appear on the ceiling of the farm.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    While Elise was staring nkly, those white circles began to twinkle like light bulbs and slowly¡­ started to descend.

    It was snowing.

    The entire greenhouse was covered with snowkes.

    Elise quietly observed the scene.

    Crunch©¤©¤ Crunch©¤©¤.

    The umting snow was beautiful.

    The gradually whitening floor was fascinating.

    He, standing in the middle of it all, smiling at her, was beautiful.

    ¡°How¡­ How did you do it? What¡¯s the medium?¡±

    There isn¡¯t much mana in the world within the [Fragment].

    Therefore, to make artificial snow fall to this extent, a ¡®medium¡¯ that helps efficiently circte the magic power would be essential.

    ¡°This.¡±

    Shion held up a white ¡¸card¡¹. Elise giggled.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. It was stuck in the greenhouse sign when we came. But.¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders. As if it didn¡¯t matter what this card was.

    ¡°How is it? It¡¯s my Christmas gift.¡±

    ¡°What are you asking? Of course, I love it.¡±

    Elise answered. She pulled Shion¡¯s arm, making him embrace her from behind.

    In that position, they faced the falling snow.

    Shion said.

    ¡°Today¡¯s menu is sirloin steak.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey. I know I¡¯m the one eating, but you¡¯ve been making sirloin steak almost every day for a month.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean really? Do you enjoy teasing me?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Shion pinched her cheek. Elise puffed her cheek in response, yfully obstructing him.

    * * *

    ¡­That night.

    While waiting for the world¡¯s regeneration, which was still four hours away, theyy down together to sleep. At some point.

    Boom©¤©¤!

    A vibration urred in the space. Elise jolted. She quickly got up and opened the door of the farm.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Her eyes widened as she looked beyond.

    ¡°What is¡­ this?¡±

    The distant horizon.

    Thend and sky there, were disappearing.

    As if wiped clean with an eraser, it disappeared without a trace.

    The world of [Fragment]¡­ is vanishing.

    Thud-

    Approaching footsteps.

    Shion.

    Elise looked up at him. His face was dark, but he didn¡¯t seem as flustered as she was.

    ¡°It seems to have started.¡±

    He sounded resigned, as if he had already anticipated it.

    ¡°Shion. Why, why is this happening? We still have a lot of time left for regeneration.¡±

    When she asked, he looked down at her.

    ¡°¡­I told you before. This [Fragment] only has a day¡¯s worth of energy.¡±

    He spoke in a deep tone.

    ¡°The [Origin of the Fragment] is the same. The more memory umtes in you, the longer you remember, the more the Origin can¡¯t bear the weight of your maism.¡±

    To use a ma as a metaphor, Elise¡¯s maism has be stronger than the [Origin of the Fragment].

    Thus, instead of the Origin and Elise maintaining bnce and being ¡®anchored¡¯ to each other,

    Elise ends up pulling the Origin towards her.

    ¡°The Fragment will break before you do. It can hold on for now, but not much longer.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise bowed her head.

    Now, in Shion¡¯s voice, there was a faint hint of sorrow.

    An attitude that seemed to see through the whole phenomenon.

    From that, she naturally knew.

    Being with him for over a thousand days, she had no choice but to know.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Elise dropped her eyes to the ground. She didn¡¯t have the courage to look up at his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the first, am I.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion slightly closed his eyes.

    Soon, he gritted his teeth and opened them again.

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡±

    The one who first became aware of the regression,

    Was not the current Elise.

    Even these days that exceeded a thousand¡ªwere ultimately the wheel of regression.

    ¡°The previous you struggled to endure.¡±

    Elise gathered her courage and raised her head. She looked at Shion.

    ¡°When the [Fragment] itself is erased, all your memory disappears. That in itself is no different from death to you.¡±

    In front of Shion¡¯s eyes, some afterimage flickers.

    ¡°Elise, you¡­¡­¡±

    The ceiling of the greenhouse.

    In the ce where we stayed together, having let go of everything,

    ¡°I killed you.¡±

    Elise, who hanged herself.

    ¡­¡­Whoosh.

    A void wind blows in from the edge of the [Fragment].

    ¡°¡­¡­Why.¡±

    She asked nkly.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me.¡±

    At that moment, Shion¡¯s expression changed drastically.

    ¡°If I had told you.¡±

    His face turned cold. His eyes sharpened.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have looked for an exit.¡±

    Even his voice was dyed with coldness.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have tried to escape from here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Stop-¡±

    Elise tried to stop his mouth, but©¤©¤

    ¡°How long!¡±

    ©¤©¤Shion spat out words that were too harsh.

    ¡°¡­¡­Do I have to be here? Because of you.¡±

    A word that pierced like a dagger.

    Elise¡¯s chest trembled greatly.

    It felt as if the ground beneath her feet had copsed.

    It felt as if her heart had been torn apart.

    ¡°Because of¡­ me.¡±

    She tried hard to keep her face from crying. It didn¡¯t work well and quickly distorted. In the end, she turned around because she didn¡¯t want to show it.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion called out to her, but she ignored him.

    She walked away.

    The rain started to fall again.

    She trudged through the pouring rain, staggering weakly.

    Shion didn¡¯t stop her. He watched her retreating figure for a long time.

    Instead, as she disappeared into the distance¡­

    He murmured softly, staring into the dark beyond.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    It might sound like an excuse, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    This story shouldn¡¯t unfold the same way again.

    Because then, you would die again.

    I hope you can escape from here while still being yourself.

    I hope you don¡¯t die.

    I feel like it¡¯s already toote, but that¡¯s why, more than ever.

    I hope you can keep living.

    Shion turned around. He opened the door to the greenhouse.

    The Ascal farm, where it was still snowing.

    There, now alone.

    He opened the book Elise had written.

    [A Short Story That Wishes to Be a Novel].

    He read the single volume as one day passed, then two, then three¡­

    Even after ten days.

    She did not return.

    * * *

    In the pouring rain, Elise was staring at the river. She had been sleeping and staying here for ten days, without eating anything.

    Her bloodshot eyes were still filled with sorrow.

    But no more tears came out. They had flowed and flowed until it felt like blood woulde out next.

    ¡°¡­Cookie.¡±

    She looked at Cookie beside her.

    ¡°I must have been mistaken.¡±

    She thought he enjoyed being with her in here.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Because she has to leave this ce for him to be able to go.

    Because she has to open the exit for him to be able to get away from her.

    ¡°I guess you were just amodating me.¡±

    There¡¯s no helping it. If he¡¯s been amodating her for a thousand days, she has to admit it.

    No, at some point, he must have had some feelings for her. But she guesses he lost interest because she hid the exit.

    ¡°I would probably do the same if I were you.¡±

    Elise rationalized it and got up. She wiped her swollen eyes.

    And then, the river that led to the ¡®exit¡¯.

    She stepped onto the stepping stones.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    The stones she had anchored with her maism, one step at a time.

    She walked with Cookie.

    Whether she lives or dies, he probably doesn¡¯t care, but still.

    Because he can only leave if she opens this exit.

    For him, who is trapped because of her, to give him what he wants.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise clenched her fists and hopped.

    She crossed the stepping stones, enduring the rocking waves, taking the rainstorm head-on.

    She almost fell in the middle but barely managed to keep her bnce. It would be a waste to die now.

    ¡­Anyway.

    She crossed the riverbank, which she really didn¡¯t want to cross, faster than she thought.

    ¡°There¡¯s a cave.¡±

    On the other side was the exit¡ªa cave.

    What could be at the end?

    Her pre-regression self probably never went in.

    Elise was scared.

    If her memory disappears as soon as she steps in, if her maism is dismantled, that would be her death.

    Her end¡­

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    She took a deep breath. She forced herself to be brave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you get out.¡±

    Even if the world is so shitty.

    Even if it was a love that belonged to me alone, it was vast.

    So vast that it had grown over a thousand days.

    Elise stepped into the cave.

    Step-

    An echo resonated in the hollow.

    One step, two steps, three steps.

    In her mind, it was a path leading to her own death.

    But then¡­

    She suddenly discovered something.

    The vast ceiling of the cave. Or the crystals hanging on the walls.

    From those hardened stctites, a certain ¡®day¡¯ spreads.

    ©¤Today¡¯s menu is potato soup.

    The image and voice of Shion offering her food.

    On the stctite right next to it, the same.

    ©¤Today¡¯s menu is ck bean noodles with steamed buns, do you know what that is?

    It was Shion.

    Shion Ascal.

    From all around, Shion Ascal suddenly bloomed brightly.

    Like the stage lights that surge for a moment, distantly¡­¡­

    ©¤Today¡¯s menu is salmon steak. Try some.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise looked around the interior with stunned eyes.

    These were days.

    Crystals formed from days that couldn¡¯t be discharged from the [Fragment] and umted.

    ©¤Today¡¯s menu is¡­¡­

    Day.

    Day.

    Day.

    In those infinite days, Shion was always there.

    ©¤I don¡¯t want to die.

    And, there was another version of herself.

    ©¤I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡­ Shion.

    In the slowly fading [Fragment], herself crying in Shion¡¯s arms.

    ©¤¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s stay together, even if it¡¯s just for the remaining time.

    Shionforted her with those words, but not long after.

    She hanged herself and died.

    A thoughtless, overly irresponsible choice to leave Shion alone.

    Elise stepped forward, observing those pasts.

    Tears that seemed to have dried up flowed again. Their trails were etched on the cave floor like footprints.

    There were days even on the ground where her tears fell.

    ©¤Hey. Why are you so bad at billiards? Try to y better. It¡¯s not fun.

    The entire cave was filled with moments.

    All of these were days that Shion had to bear alone.

    ©¤¡­¡­ You¡¯re pretty good at ping pong. I admit.

    It wasn¡¯t just a thousand days.

    It wasn¡¯t just ten thousand days.

    A time too burdensome for a human to maintain their existence¡­¡­

    He had endured all of that.

    Just for someone like me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise knelt down. Something surged inside her.

    It was a pain as if her soul was burning, gratitude, and sorrow.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­.¡±

    But, she realized toote.

    That he no longer had any time left.

    Even if she crossed the passage and opened the exit, Shion couldn¡¯t go back to before.

    He, who had been buried in so much time¡­¡­

    Could never be Shion again.

    ¡°Like a fool¡­¡­.¡±

    That would be another form of death.

    He had protected her while epting all of that.

    She was just like a child¡­¡­

    As the weight of it all became too much to bear, she pressed her forehead to the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.

    Mana filled her tear-filled eyes.

    Burning her brain©¤some kind of realization ignited.

    The genius intuition that overturns the gaps of this [Fragment] and finds the least probable solution.

    In her head, the branches of activated thoughts spread at super speed, formting an excellent hypothesis, verifying it, and deriving a perfect possibility.

    ¡°Card.¡±

    The medium Shion used to make it snow.

    ¡°Medium.¡±

    It might be possible with that.

    Elise hastily got up. Wiping her flowing tears, she ran.

    Again, to him¡­¡­

    * * *

    ¡­Elise returned to the greenhouse.

    Shion was still there in the ce where it was still snowing.

    ¡°Hey, Shion!¡±

    She shouted loudly and opened the door.

    ¡°Oh, you surprised me.¡±

    He, who was reading a book, looked back at her. A bunch of worry and surprise bloomed on his face.

    ¡°Why are you here-¡±

    ¡°Shion!¡±

    She covered his mouth. She approached him confidently, lightly pped his cheek, and looked up at him.

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Promise?¡±

    ¡°Yes, promise.¡±

    She nced at the floor. That ¡®card¡¯ was there. The medium for making artificial snow.

    Elise nodded her head with overflowing confidence.

    ¡°I will never die like that Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    She said with a deliberately bright smile.

    ¡°Absolutely. I will not lose my memory.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    To Shion, who was staring at her nkly, Elise still had something to say. There was a promise she wanted to make.

    ¡°And¡­¡­¡±

    I will erase your memory.

    I will erase all the memory of being with me.

    So you can go back to your time,

    And live as the proper Shion.

    Not the Shion who is buried in ¡®too many days¡¯ like now.

    So you can live as the Shion I¡¯ve always seen, and will see in the future.

    From you¡­¡­

    I will erase ¡®me¡¯.

    ¡°No.¡±

    But, if I spill that promise, you might refuse.

    Elise changed her words with a small smile.

    ¡°I need you to hold on. Until I can get out of here alive with this memory.¡±

    Shion was silent for a moment, but soon responded with his trademark smile.

    ¡°As long as it takes.¡±

    And now we have finally caught up with the raws. Well, there is still one more chapter avable, but starting from tomorrow, only 1 chapter will be released per day, with a max of 5 per week. Keep in mind, that I am EXTREMELYzy, so the schedule is not set in stone.

 Chapter 148: Fragment (4)

    <strong>Fragment (4)</strong>

    Hypothesis formtion.

    Execution verification.

    Result recording.

    Theory review.

    In this [Fragment], where all resources are limited, and there¡¯s not even a trace of ¡®mana¡¯, let alone reference materials or papers.

    Elise has been steadily umting her own knowledge.

    She was brimming with talent.

    A genius who broke the shell with a single, desperate realization.

    The Elise here is entirely different from the previous Elise. She even applied ¡®maism¡¯ to herself, activating more than 200% of her brain power.

    She strongly connected the neuralworks, including synapses and neurons, upgrading her brain function itself.

    Perhaps¡­ Elise herself may never be able to return to her previous state.

    Anyway.

    The more she studied, the more absurd one fact became.

    ¡°¡­It was really an uncontroble coincidence.¡±

    The cause of being drawn to this [Fragment] was a simple coincidence.

    When she was scattering her magical sense in narium and exploring the fragments of time, a lightning strike, by sheer coincidence, struck the [Fragment].

    At that moment, the [Fragment] vibrated greatly, and her magic resonated with it.

    She was drawn into the [Fragment] by such a coincidence.

    Well, she doesn¡¯t regret it.

    ¡°In the grand scheme of things, it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    Shion retorted.

    By the way, Elise learned his big secret here.

    That he is a ¡®regressor¡¯.

    ¡°The [Fragment of Time] was created because of my return, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s not because of you. Absolutely not.¡±

    Elise frowned.

    ¡°The great miracle of return does not ur by your will alone, Shion. Rather, it would be the will of the world. If the world turned back time, the [Fragment] that was created as a result is not your fault. It¡¯s the world¡¯s fault.¡±

    A voice full of Elise¡¯s favoritism, as if to say it¡¯s not your fault even if you kill someone.

    Shion smiled a little.

    ¡°Okay. Now, write here.¡±

    He then handed her a small piece of paper. It was a post-it-like memo.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise silently epted it.

    After pondering, she wrote just two lines.

    [June 8. Open the farm.]

    A note to give to Shion when she returns to the original world.

    A medium that will help the two of us meet.

    ¡°Keep it safe and give it to my past self.¡±

    Shion said, holding Elise¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Boom©¤©¤©¤!

    Again, the sound of copse echoed. Elise got up and looked outside the greenhouse.

    More than half of the world had already disappeared.

    Shion asked.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Elise took out Shion¡¯s card.

    From now on, she will implement a special maism through this card.

    ¡°Do you know why it¡¯s called ¡®Monopole¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Monopole?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    A ma, also known as a maic monopole or a single-pole ma, which has only one pole, either N or S.

    It¡¯s impossible to implement with modern science, but Elise can easily generate it¡ªeven at a magical level¡ªmaism.

    ¡°If I were to make an analogy, it¡¯s like an infinite attraction.¡±

    Elise will ce a maic force in this greenhouse that endlessly pushes out all power, preserving her memory while pushing out destruction and regeneration.

    In this way, she will survive.

    ¡°I¡¯m all set.¡±

    It¡¯s not just Elise¡¯s preparation.

    Shion.

    He is a very peculiar framework. A human who is naturally immune to the infinite regression of the [Fragment].

    However, the current Shion is, fortunately, among misfortunes, in a very iplete state. The time he has endured is so vast that it¡¯s hard to maintain ¡®consciousness as a human¡¯.

    Therefore, Elise will pull his vast Memories towards her with maism and connect them to herself.

    In this way, the moment Shion exits.

    The moment he leaves this [Fragment].

    His body will leave, but his Memories will cling to her and won¡¯t be able to leave this [Fragment].

    He will be able to be theplete Shion again.

    ©¤©¤Up to here.

    This is thest gift Elise has secretly prepared.

    ¡°The remaining time is¡­¡­¡±

    She looked at the clock.

    ¡°Exactly 3 hours.¡±

    Perhaps, this is thest regeneration.

    Elise pointed at Shion with her finger.

    ¡°You go.¡±

    And then she poked her own chest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±

    Shion nodded slightly and reached out his hand.

    Elise dly took his hand.

    * * *

    The two are walking together.

    Step¡­¡­

    Step¡­¡­

    Neither one is ahead, both with the same slow pace.

    Thest walk.

    They are moving forward, holding hands side by side.

    Even if they can never meet again, even if they live forever in a state of misalignment without showing it.

    Just ordinarily.

    Looking at the scenery, they¡¯ve seen hundreds of times as if they¡¯re seeing it for the first time.

    ¡°¡­¡­This ce is all dried up too.¡±

    The river leading to the exit, the cave, ispletely dried up.

    It doesn¡¯t rain anymore. It¡¯s because the Fragment is copsing.

    Thanks to that, the weather is good.

    ¡°Shall we cross?¡±

    Shion asked Elise. Elise nodded energetically.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The two crossed the river.

    They reached the cave beyond.

    Together, they looked at it.

    There is a crack at the end of the cave. The only exit that can get out of this Fragment.

    Of course, it¡¯s an exit that only opens by Elise¡¯s maism.

    ¡°¡­¡­The exit is already open.¡±

    Preparation is half the battle.

    All Shion has to do is leave his body.

    ¡°So¡­¡­¡±

    Elise let go of his hand first.

    He just looked at her.

    Elise took a few steps back. She bent her waist slightly and waved her hand.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    It¡¯s a farewell.

    He is now leaving her, leaving the Fragment, forgetting everything.

    I stay here, waiting for the copse, still holding onto all of you.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll remember.¡±

    Shion, who doesn¡¯t know this fact, just says that.

    A very grateful promise to remember me.

    But instead of answering, she just smiled.

    Because you have to forget.

    Even if you forget, it¡¯s okay as long as she remembers.

    Should she think of it as raising that youngd while remembering him?

    ¡°Uh huh. Thank you.¡±

    Elise turned around.

    Shion¡¯s gaze was on her. She could feel the warmth of it on her back, but she didn¡¯t look back.

    Holding back tears that threatened to burst, she retraced the path marked by their footprints.

    With a faster pace than when she came¡­

    That¡¯s how she returned to the greenhouse alone.

    She sat quietly and looked around the interior.

    There were many traces.

    Signs of their presence were everywhere.

    The first wooden camel horse she carved.

    The book she wrote herself.

    The bed they assembled together.

    The sofa made by softening the soil and shaping it.

    The clothes they designed for each other.

    Not only that, the wooden desk, table, sink, hammock, Go board, chess board, everything¡­ their jointly cultivated [Ascal Farm].

    ¡°¡­We did a lot.¡±

    She smiled faintly, looking at the paper she held in her hand.

    [June 8th]

    [Open the farm]

    Holding it tightly, she looked up.

    She looked outside the greenhouse.

    Kwaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤.

    The ground was slowly disappearing.

    The sky was also fading to white.

    The long time we spent together.

    As she watched that time disappear,

    Elise just stared.

    And stared.

    And stared¡­

    * * *

    The cave leading to the exit.

    Shion is moving towards the ce Elise had opened in advance.

    One step at a time. He carefully walks.

    Now, if he goes to this end, the ¡®exit¡¯ will appear.

    He can escape from this Fragment and return to his own time.

    Even if the memory of when that is faint.

    Kwaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Suddenly, the sound of the [Fragment] copsing.

    Shion stopped in his tracks.

    His heart ached.

    Despite the vast amount of time that had umted, he was worried about her, who had helped him maintain his humanity.

    But¡­

    It should be okay.

    Elise will live while maintaining her memory.

    She will be able to live without dying.

    Because she will remember him.

    Reassuring himself, he took another step.

    ©¤©¤©¤Shion!

    From behind, a faint cry.

    A voice that shouldn¡¯t be here.

    He tilted his head, thinking he had heard wrong, but then his eyes widened.

    He quickly turned around.

    ¡°Shion Ascal©¤©¤©¤!¡±

    Elise.

    She was running towards him.

    With a smile on her face, she was sprinting with all her might.

    ¡°You-¡±

    Elise threw herself into his surprised arms. It was a more passionate gesture than ever before.

    She grinned mischievously.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have a confession to make.¡±

    ¡°¡­Confession?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    She nodded, biting her lip hard.

    ¡°Shion, you¡¯re going to forget me. You¡¯re going to forget all the days in this Fragment.¡±

    The words that he would forget her.

    Shion stared nkly at her.

    She also looked at him.

    Their eyes held only each other.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve decided to forget too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Forget?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even if I remember alone, it¡¯s meaningless if it¡¯s not with you.¡±

    The corners of Elise¡¯s eyes crinkled. It was a smile, but it also seemed like a cry.

    ¡°¡­Why would you do that?¡±

    Shion asked, stroking her hair.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    The 2,001 days contained in Elise.

    The precious times filled with happiness and joy.

    Since these define the current Elise, their loss is akin to the death of existence.

    ¡°¡­I thought about it. I didn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    Elise shook her head vigorously. She clenched her teeth.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to part with you.¡±

    Kwaaaaaa¡­¡­

    The other end of the cave was copsing.

    One block, one block.

    One block, one block.

    The copse of the [Fragment] is approaching.

    But the two of them don¡¯t mind it. They don¡¯t waste a moment of time.

    They just focus on this moment.

    ¡°My memory is meaningless without you.¡±

    Elise ced her hand on Shion¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Shion. I think we¡¯re ¡®Short Stories¡¯.¡± (Note: ?? can mean a short story or Fragment. So, not knowing the context, I just named the chapter titles Fragment, but it should¡¯ve been a short story for this setup. So keep in mind the author is using ??, but I¡¯m making it flow into a more Western style.)

    A Short Story That Wishes to Be a Novel.

    But a short story that can only remain a fragment.

    ¡°But.¡±

    Elise soon smiled and shook her head.

    ¡°I believe in myself.¡±

    Even if it¡¯s a short story now.

    With the belief that it will someday be a novel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely remember you. I¡¯lle to remember. When time passes. So¡­¡­¡±

    A tiny droplet of water trickled down Elise¡¯s cheek.

    She spoke as if making a vow.

    ¡°I¡¯lle to like you again.¡±

    Definitely.

    She added softly, and bumped her forehead against his chest.

    And then she carefully let him go.

    ¡°¡­I should go now. I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to.¡±

    She rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her clothes and stood up.

    Until then, Shion stood still.

    ¡°¡­Elise.¡±

    Kwaddddd©¤©¤©¤

    In the copse of the Fragment that had suddenly rushed up to her chin.

    Shion answered the feelings Elise had conveyed with a single word.

    ¡°I love you as you are now.¡±

    It was a short word, but his feelings were more sincere than ever.

    It was the greatest gift to Elise.

    ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you.¡±

    She will rey his words over and over again in the remaining time, and then meet her end.

    ¡°Go quickly. You¡¯ll bete.¡±

    Elise said, waving her hand.

    He must leave before it¡¯s toote.

    ¡°Okay. Take care.¡±

    He turned around. He hesitated for a moment, but soon took a step beyond the exit.

    He returned to his own time.

    ¡°¡­Farewell.¡±

    The moment hepletely left.

    Elise activated her power.

    While letting his body go©¤©¤ she firmly held onto his ¡®Memory¡¯ that was connected to Elise¡¯s maism.

    Swoaaaaaa¡­!

    The masterless Memories flooded like a tsunami. They surged massively inside the cave.

    Elise watched the scene unfold.

    Now, all of these will disappear along with the [Fragment].

    With the memory.

    With me.

    In the midst of it all, Elise¡­

    ¡°Goodbye, Elise.¡±

    She bid farewell to herself.

    The death of existence.

    The loss of memory.

    She epted the ¡®regression¡¯ with her whole body.

    * * *

    ¡°!¡±

    She opened her eyes again.

    She nkly looked up at the sky.

    The sky, which had been purple, was now clear blue, and the sunlight shone like amp.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    She touched her eyes in confusion.

    They were wet with tears.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    As she tried to rub her eyes, she realized she was holding two things in her hand.

    One was a blue crystal, and the other was a note.

    [June 8th]

    [Open the farm]

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    She tilted her head in confusion, but she started walking anyway.

    It wasn¡¯t that she consciously decided to do so; her body just moved on its own. Her legs moved as if they had a mind of their own.

    It felt familiar.

    As if she had been here dozens, hundreds of times before.

    She walked without hesitation and arrived at a certain ce.

    [Ascal Farm]

    ¡°¡­A farm?¡±

    The sign of the farm, and a white card stuck right below the sign.

    Elise bent down to pick it up.

    Suddenly-

    The door opened.

    ¡°!¡±

    Elise was startled.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    He raised his eyebrows as he looked at her.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­What, what do you mean? What is this?¡±

    The white card. Shion picked it up and stuck it back on the sign.

    ¡°It¡¯s a card I drew, why? It¡¯s very expensive. Don¡¯t even think about stealing it since it¡¯s mynd.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s so expensive about this? Are you ying Hold¡¯em?¡±

    Elise looked at the sign with a smirk.

    ¡°Ascal Farm¡­¡±

    As she muttered in a somewhat subdued voice, Shion exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s a farm, as the name suggests. We¡¯ll be selling rice and fruits soon. Payments can only be made with achievement points¡­. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He looked slightly surprised.

    ¡°Why are you like that?¡±

    To his question, Elise frowned.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what? You¡¯re crying.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    She blinked without realizing it. The droplets of water sshed.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Tears were flowing like a stream without her knowing. Even her chest was aching as if it was being pricked.

    Shion spoke with a puzzled look on his face.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I just had a dream, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m not crying.¡±

    ¡°A dream? You had a dream?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    As Elise was about to answer yes,

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    She shook her head.

    It was strange.

    For some reason, she didn¡¯t want to say it was a dream.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­ a dream.¡±

    ¡°¡­You might need to see a psychiatrist. What¡¯s that?¡±

    Shion, who was smirking, nced at the note Elise was holding. He unconsciously reached out for it, but Elise quickly pulled it back.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Wow, why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time to give this yet.¡±

    To give this to Shion, a big decision is needed.

    Because Shion also has to make a big sacrifice.

    ¡­What kind of sacrifice?

    What is he sacrificing?

    ¡°Strange. You looked tired since this morning.¡±

    Shion shook his head.

    Ah, right.

    Then she remembered.

    The camel.

    She needs to buy the camel ¡®Bianca¡¯ by saving money in Bethune.

    She also needs to find the Fragments of Time.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    But, just then.

    That moment¡¯s smile was so wee to Elise.

    Unconsciously, for a moment, her head went nk to the point where her whole body felt numb.

    Unknowingly¡­¡­

    Thump-.

    She bumped her forehead against Shion¡¯s chest.

    ¡°What, what¡¯s this? Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Uh, uh?¡±

    Shion was hastily flustered, and Elise herself was simrly flustered, but more than that.

    ¡°Wha©¤©¤©¤!!!!!¡±

    Suddenly, a very loud outcry exploded from the ridge of the mountain.

    ¡°Eeeeee, Elly!!! What did you just do!!!!!¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Looking down at them by chance from the foot of the mountain, was La.

    Seeing that trumpet-like, loudspeaker-like, crier-like person, Elise¡¯s eyes widened more than ever, even more than when she witnessed the end of the world.

    ¡°This, this crazy!¡±

    She unknowingly cursed out loud.

    ¡°You, you, you saw everything!!!¡±

    La, shocked, no, overly delighted for someone who was shocked, alternately pointed at Elise and Shion.

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not like that! You, youe here for a moment!¡±

    Elise tried to rush towards her, pushing her body into the mountain, but suddenly from under the bushes.

    Suddenly-!

    ¡°Kyaaaak!¡±

    Gerkhen appeared.

    ¡°You, what are you doing here!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I came to check as the secondrgest shareholder of the farm.¡±

    ¡°What, what are you saying!¡±

    Gerkhen, seemingly uninterested in Elise, robotically approached Shion.

    While she was dumbfoundedly watching those people, again.

    ¡°I saw it- I saw it- I saw it- what Elly is doing to Shion-¡±

    La, dancing a dance that was extremely annoying.

    What kind of h dance is that?

    ¡°You, you,e here when I ask nicely!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna~~¡±

    La ran away again,

    ¡°Come here! Come here©¤©¤!¡±

    Elise, almost in tears, desperately chased after her.

 Chapter 149: Fragment (5)

    <strong>Fragment (5)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this some kind ofedy?¡±

    That was a brief thought about the scene where La was fleeing up the mountain, and Elise was desperately chasing after her.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    In the echo of La and Elise¡¯s ¡®I saw it-e here- I saw it-e here-¡®, something caught my eye, a blue crystal twinkling on the ground.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Did Elise leave it behind?

    I picked it up without thinking.

    Whooosh-

    It shimmered blue.

    At the same time, from this fragment, some kind of touch¡­ no, sensation.

    No, some kind of ¡®skill¡¯ seemed to seep into me.

    I frowned and gasped.

    ¡°Cooking?¡±

    It was a fragmented memory about cooking. Chopping vegetables, grilling meat, boiling noodles¡­

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Suddenly, a finger appeared from behind me and snatched the fragment. I turned to look.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Don¡¯t look into it any further.¡±

    Long ck hair down to the waist, and honestly, every time I faced them, those crimson pupils are piercing.

    ¡°What is it. Why are you here?¡±

    It was Akane.

    Akane Kedzen Meol.

    ¡°Did youe because of Soliette?¡±

    Soliette and Akane must have some kind of rtionship by now. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a mutual contract rtionship like me, or a master and disciple.

    ¡°We met at the assessment test. You should have noticed that I have a rtionship with the association.¡±

    ¡°What association? The Magic Association, the College Association, or another association?¡±

    At that, a deep wrinkle formed on Akane¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this a threat? You¡¯re audacious.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting defensive. Don¡¯t worry. If I was going to report, I would have done it a long time ago.¡±

    There are three major associations famous on the continent.

    The Magic Association, the College Association, and the Monster Association.

    The Magic Association and the College Association have always had tremendous authority. The Monster Association is, of course, a collection of trash. Still, if you consider its impact and influence, it can be said to be a remarkable association.

    ¡°Why did you take that?¡±

    I¡¯m dissatisfied.

    That fragment, the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ radar is whirring.

    ¡°It¡¯s not yours. It¡¯s Elise¡¯s achievement point.¡±

    Akane carefully stored the fragment in a box that looked like a jewel box.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fragment. I thought at least one person would die because they were blinded by this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s a very irresponsible statement if it¡¯s from the association.¡±

    ¡°Irresponsible? Dozens of people die every time at the college board. There are rumors that the association deliberately kills them. Being a college student itself means stepping into the real world.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s true.

    From college students onwards, they are ssified as a real power, and they can actually be the targets of assassination by other ckpanies or the underworld.

    ¡°Where are you going to take it and use it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can handle yet. I¡¯ll give it back in seven years.¡±

    Seven years?

    I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯ll be alive by then.

    Akane murmured as she carefully looked at the fragment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Two hundred and seventy-five thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. Quite a lot has been collected.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The number of repeated days. But don¡¯t you earn achievement points?¡±

    ¡°I will earn them, but they¡¯ll find me instead, right?¡±

    I pointed to the [Ascal Farm] with a smirk. Akane also turned to look in that direction.

    ¡°A farm?¡±

    ¡°Come by sometimes. Of course, it¡¯s not free.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry,e and eat. You¡¯re not a doll, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane¡¯s expression hardened slightly.

    I now know how to distinguish whether she is a doll or not.

    It used to be difficult, but now it¡¯s easy.

    The pupils.

    Even though Akane is a doll that manifests even theplex and subtle iris of a human, there is a slight difference between the doll and the main body.

    It¡¯s a distinction that only I can make, having cared for her main body and directly ¡®seen her eyes and remembered¡¯.

    ¡°Come when you crave sweets too. We have all kinds of tropical fruits.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane stood still as if she was shocked, and I waved my hand and went into the farm.

    Before I knew it, Gerkhen was squatting down.

    He looked at the cultivatednd and said a word.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s growing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The soil itself is good.¡±

    In addition to perfect geographical conditions, Grawl, who oversaw the production, is a monster of stone and earth. The performance and output of the farm will be far superior to any fertilend on the continent.

    ¡°The harvest cycle wille in three days.¡±

    ¡°Three days¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen nced at me.

    Is it your Spectrum?

    -He seemed to want to ask, but he never said it out loud. He knows better than anyone that it¡¯s rude.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10% of whates out of here. You won¡¯t have to worry about food on your own. Unless you eat like an elephant.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­10%.¡±

    Gerkhen muttered quietly.

    He had a face of self-doubt. A face that seemed to suggest he might eat like an elephant.

    ¡°If it exceeds 10%, you can buy it with achievement points.¡±

    ¡°Is barter also possible?¡±

    ¡°Exchange? Sure. Bring something like meat.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Gerkhen pushed the box he had put on the ground.

    A box that can be carried on the shoulder with a strap like a cross bag.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cooler I bought from a soul.¡±

    Thunk-

    I opened the box. Inside, the meats were kept cold.

    In this way, in [narium], the interaction between souls and humans are active. It means that not only simple conversations but also barter is possible.

    ¡°Good, but don¡¯t trade too often with the souls.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to you.¡±

    In fact, the reason why [narium] is sealed again in the future is because too many ¡®scammers¡¯ who are looking for a quick buck flock in.

    Foolish guys who want to sell artifacts made by souls on the continent.

    They don¡¯t even know that their mental strength is weakening every time they use the soul¡¯s stuff.

    In that respect, Gerkhen doesn¡¯t need to worry. Because he has excellent mental strength.

    ¡°Leave that cooler here. I¡¯ll use it instead of a refrigerator. I¡¯ll count the price as fruits.¡±

    Gerkhen seemed to be reluctant to part with the box, but he nodded soon.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Thud- He put the cooler on the ground. In the corner, the name [Gerkhen] was written in small letters with a pen.

    ¡°What are you, a primary school student?¡±

    I chuckled.

    * * *

    [narium Academy].

    Three days have passed since the College Board resumed.

    Many seniors are running breathlessly.

    Not only Endex¡¯s named ones like Elise, Gerkhen, and Kain, but also other celebrities of the Magic High, such as Mel and Valerian, are frantically converting everything they catch ¨C be it monsters or magical phenomena ¨C into achievement points.

    The achievement point transactions are not going smoothly either. It seems like everyone is still in the early stages, overflowing with ambition for their grades¡­

    I¡¯m taking it easy.

    ¡°Over there. See?¡±

    This is the marsh of [narium].

    You can see the monsters with achievement points on them in the distance.

    ¡°Yes. I see them. A group of Ashed Men.¡±

    Soliette responded.

    Ashed Men. Four humanoid monsters that look as if they¡¯ve been burned by fire.

    They would be level 1 or 2 on the ground, but in [narium], they are level 3 or 4 .

    ording to the ¡®Monster Level Scaling¡¯ established by the Magic Association, the seniors of Magic High are on average level 3-4.

    This means we have to face four seniors.

    Soliette immediately drew her sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    I also picked up my Ascal sword. The moment I did, Soliette charged. As soon as they detected the front, they raised their nails.

    What we call nails are almost 2m long spears.

    Soliette took on all four at the front, and I circled around to target the rear.

    ng- ng- ng-!

    The resonance of the sword meeting the nails. In the midst of that, I easily slipped into the rear and charged at the one who seemed to be the leader.

    Cha©¤©¤©¤!

    The surprised creature hastily swung its arm towards me.

    Index finger. Thumb. Ring finger. Three lines of nails came at me, but I immediately deployed my sword technique.

    This was my first time using Eight Swords in realbat.

    Chaeng©¤©¤©¤!

    The Third Sword. After lightly blocking the iing nails from the right by twisting my sword, I switched to the First Sword.

    It¡¯s a strong strike that I swing down in a straight line, embedding ¡®Rotation¡¯ into the sword.

    The creature tried to defend by crossing its nails above its head.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    My sword shattered the creature¡¯s nails and head in one go.

    By the time I killed one, Soliette had dealt with the remaining three.

    Situation over.

    I wiped the ash off my sword de. I put their ¡®cores¡¯ into a cloth.

    Soliette nced at me and said,

    ¡°You¡¯ve be quite familiar with the Eight Swords.¡±

    ¡°You saw?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems you¡¯ve been practicing hard.¡±

    ¡°Well. It¡¯s a versatile sword, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    [Eight Swords] is the basic technique of Arkne, but its mastery difficulty is harder than most family¡¯s arcane swordsmanship.

    ¡°You certainly know. It¡¯s said that the [Eight Swords] at its peak is more powerful than the arcane sword of the main house.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s an exaggeration.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The strongest ancestor in Arkne¡¯s history became the continent¡¯s greatest with just the [Eight Swords].¡±

    Soliette said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Well, whatever. As you said, I guess I have a talent for it.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    Then Soliette took a small breath. Her chest slightly heaved.

    ¡°No. [Eight Swords] is not an easy sword to master with talent alone. Not only does it require talent for the sword, but the memorization itself is so extensive¡­ effort is essential.¡±

    She said, wearing a gentle smile.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been working very hard, haven¡¯t you, Shion?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    It seems like she¡¯s misunderstanding something.

    In fact, the nickname for [Eight Swords] is [Laborious Sword], which is quite a famous joke.

    Eight paths, with eight forms in each path.

    There are a total of 64 initial forms, but thebinations of these can almost reach infinity.

    ¡°If the elders of the family see you, they will try to recruit you immediately. So don¡¯t get noticed by them. Never!¡±

    Soliette suddenly hardened her gaze.

    ¡°Why does the conclusion end up like that?¡±

    ¡°Because they are not good people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s start heading back now. Soulse out in the evening.¡±

    In [narium], there are both good and evil souls.

    The distinction is surprisingly easy.

    Souls that look like humans are 99% neutral~good souls. Evil souls are dark or beast-like in shape, and it would be quite a problem if we encounter them.

    Souls try to steal human bodies.

    ¡°Yes. Shion, you seem familiar with [narium]?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve studied it.¡±

    I stayed here for quite a long time, a very long time ago. It was right after Soliettemitted suicide. I was in a very unhinged state.

    Trudge, trudge-

    We were walking down the mountain path together when we reached a fork in the road.

    To the right is [Ascal Farm], and to the left is [narium Academy].

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat at the farm before we go.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I have to do Bethune.¡±

    She shook her head, and I didn¡¯t say anything more.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Public and private.

    After that day, we each had a line that we respected.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    ¡°Yes. See you tomorrow.¡±

    I entered [Ascal Farm].

    The inside of the greenhouse is growing amazingly day by day, and it seems like we could harvest right now without any problem.

    ¡°Grawl. Can we harvest this?¡±

    ©¤Hmm~ I think we can~

    Grawl popped out from my shoulder.

    ¡°Then just do the ripe ones.¡±

    ©¤Yes~

    Grawl straightened his neck.

    Then the grains of rice and wheat were peeled off in an instant, and they came rushing in like a wind.

    ¡°When did you learn telekinesis?¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s easy to move things rted to soil with Magic Spells~

    Anyway, about a pot each of rice and wheat.

    Not only that. Cabbage, lettuce, onions, garlic, and even the sweet fruits that Gerkhen likes¡­.

    I harvested everything and sorted them by type.

    ¡°It¡¯s abundant.¡±

    ©¤Knock knock knock.

    Just then, there was a knocking sound from outside.

    ©¤Please open the door! Please open the door! Please open the door!

    The following is La¡¯s voice. I would understand even if she said it once.

    I opened the door.

    Beyond it were La, Kain, Asher, and¡­ Soliette?

    I smirked at her.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? You said you were leaving.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was caught on my way down.¡±

    Soliette let out a forcedugh.

    Before she knew it, La had her in a tight grip, almost to the point of wrinkling her sleeve.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean! We¡¯re customers.¡±

    La grinned mischievously.

    ¡°Shion, are you~ selling food here? Likest time~¡±

    She must be referring to the roast pig from before.

    I do have all the ingredients on hand.

    ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡±

    I looked at Kain and Asher. They were standing awkwardly.

    Asher mumbled with a pout.

    ¡°Hey. I didn¡¯t know Shion was doing this.¡±

    ¡°Hey, the name itself is Ascal Farm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    No response.

    They probably don¡¯t even know that my surname is Ascal.

    ¡°Then you guys should leave! You can¡¯t even grill meat!¡±

    La turned to look at me again, feigning sadness.

    ¡°Shion¡­ We can¡¯t do anything¡­ We can¡¯t even prepare the boar we caught¡­ The meat still had fur on it, I almost threw up eating it¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±

    Looking at them, it seemed like La, Kain, and Asher had all lost a fair amount of weight.

    Especially Kain, his cheeks were hollow.

    ¡°But it¡¯s expensive here, you know? It¡¯s 300 achievement points per person.¡±

    ¡°What!!!¡±

    La let out a loud exmation, and Kain and Asher¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°300 points is a bit over the top.¡±

    ¡°But in return, I¡¯ll give you enough to eat for a whole day. Think of it as a chef¡¯s choice meal.¡±

    For reference, the four Ashed Men I caught today are worth 80 points. If we assume that the seniors catch about 200 achievement points on average per day, it means they have to invest almost 1.5 days¡¯ worth to afford a single serving.

    ¡°You can leave if it¡¯s too expensive.¡±

    Selling it cheaply doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t want too many peopleing either.

    ¡°But, you won¡¯t regret it?¡±

    I clenched and unclenched my fist.

    I haven¡¯t cooked much, but strangely, my hands are full of sensation now. Even a certain desire keeps rising.

    The desire to cook.

    Somehow, I have a strong feeling that I¡¯ll do great.

    It¡¯s probably because of that [Fragment] I touchedst time.

    ¡°Well, how about a 10% discount-¡±

    ¡°There are absolutely no discounts. I¡¯ve heard rumors that you guys are rich.¡±

    Elise received 30,000 achievement points from Akane, and supposedly distributed 2,000 each to her team.

    ¡°¡­Fine! Alright! We¡¯ll splurge!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Everyone. I¡¯m fine-¡±

    La grabbed Soliette who was trying to leave btedly.

    ¡°Soliette, I¡¯ll pay for you! I got achievement points from Elly~~¡±

    ¡°What? La, did you get more? We all only got 2,000 each.¡±

    Asher blinked his eyes.

    ¡°No~ Well~ There were a few things~~ Now! Shion! Show your student ID!¡±

    In [narium], the student ID serves as a card, ID, and wallet.

    I tagged cards with La, Kain, Asher, and Soliette in turn.

    [+300 AP]

    [+300 AP]

    [+300 AP]

    [+300 AP]

    1,200 AP.

    What other seniors would have to work their bones off for six days to earn, I got in just one day.

    ¡°Okay. Come in and wait. Sit down.¡±

    I swung open the farm gate.

    The chair and the long table had just been set up, just like a real Chef¡¯s Choice restaurant.

    Grawl, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation, had quickly prepared it.

    ¡°Sit and wait.¡±

    ¡°Wow, everything is already set up~¡±

    They took their seats.

    I marinated the pig that Gerkhen had caught with ck pepper and salt, cooked some rice, and served a mushroom soup as an appetizer.

    ¡°This is the appetizer. Eat.¡±

    La, who had taken a spoonful, widened her eyes.

    ¡°Wow, this is delicious!¡±

    ¡°¡­I used 300AP, it better be delicious.¡±

    ¡°Asher, shut up!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Anyway, the frying pan is ready.

    A special [Stone te] made by Grawl himself.

    I put the marinated pork on the sizzling hot te, mixed in asparagus, green and white onions, and grilled the steak.

    ¡°This is the main course. Eat.¡±

    Pork steak and rice. The meat is incrediblyrge, and there is a lot of rice.

    They are all big eaters, after all.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡­¡­.¡± ¡±¡±¡±

    The four of them stared nkly and then took a bite. They put the steak in their mouths.

    Suddenly, their faces melted like cotton candy.

    Each of them bowed their heads, making different expressions.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    Everyone turned to look at the one who had eximed.

    It wasn¡¯t Kain, La, or Asher, but Soliette.

    I asked nkly.

    ¡°¡­You think it¡¯s delicious?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A faint smile bloomed on her face.

    It was the first time for me.

    To see her truly enjoying something.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s high-end~ Soliette has always eaten expensive food!¡±

    La said, clutching her fork.

    ¡°¡­Ah, that could be possible.¡±

    ¡°Eat a lot. There¡¯s dessert too.¡±

    Iughed to myself.

    A sense of inexplicable pride, a sense of aplishment.

    I thought I would never hear those words in my life, but I heard them so suddenly.

    Laughed heartily.

    ¡°Shion~ This is really delicious! But there¡¯s no periwinkle soup~?¡±

    ¡°You can catch it yourself and cook it.¡±

    La was chattering away, but Asher and Kain were silent. They were just repeatedly cutting their meat, as if they were in a trance.

    While they were eating the main course, I made sherbet with melon.

    And so, as the meal wasing to an end.

    ¡°Now, dessert. Eat.¡±

    The sherbet I served as the final dessert.

    The four of them, already quite full, took a bite.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡­¡­.¡± ¡±¡±¡±

    They all closed their mouths tightly again.

    Silence.

    All of them just quietly scraped and ate the sherbet.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth¡­ the money.¡±

    Kain muttered. His voice was a little choked.

    No, he was actually crying.

    ¡°¡­Sniff.¡±

    The sight of him wiping his tears with his arm was a bit disgusting, but well.

    Even though Kain looks like a bandit, he¡¯s actually a very precious young master who¡¯s been raised delicately. He probably has never cooked, let alone butchered.

    He¡¯s a rich young master who¡¯s far from self-sufficiency.

    ¡°Why are you crying and making a fuss- sniff.¡±

    Asher, who was next to him, tried tofort Kain but ended up bowing his head.

    La looked at the two of them with disbelief and snorted.

    ¡°¡­These guys are crazy!¡±

    Quietly, I watched Soliette savoring the sherbet.

    ¡°Hmm. Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Her enjoyment of the food was genuinely different from La¡¯s. Perhaps it¡¯s because she¡¯s a real aristocrat.

    ¡°Considering it¡¯s a high-end restaurant,e by asionally. Don¡¯te too often, though, as it¡¯s bothersome for me.¡±

    I said this as I wiped my hands.

    Knock, knock-

    Then, the knock on the door sounded again.

    ¡°Excuse me-¡±

    The person who cautiously opened the door and spoke was Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Perhaps-¡±

    Elise nced around the room.

    She first looked at Soliette and me, then found La.

    ¡°Ho ho~ Elly¡¯s here too~ I wonder what brings her here~¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing?!¡±

    She snapped back, quickly turning around.

    ¡°Shion. Are you going to log into [Bethune Dungeon] today?¡±

    Soliette asked just then.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise, who was about to run out, froze in her tracks.

    Her ears perked up.

    I replied briefly.

    ¡°Yeah. I should. Elise, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    With her lips pouting, Elise left the ranch.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡­ I wonder what¡¯s going on¡­¡­ Elly came to see Shion¡­¡­ I wonder what it could be¡­¡­¡±

    La alternately looked at the firmly closed door and me, murmuring with a smirk.

    ¡°Sniff- Sniff-¡±

    ¡°Sniff- Sniff-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why on earth are you two crying?¡±

    I shook my head at Asher and Kain, who were crying dramatically.

 Chapter 150: Abyss (1)

    <strong>Abyss (1)</strong>

    Stumbling back to [Room 106], Elise slumped onto the bed.

    ¡°I wanted to eat it.¡±

    She mumbled, puffing her cheeks.

    What could that delicious-smelling menu have been? Her student ID achievement points were almost over 30,000, but she couldn¡¯t buy anything because of La.

    She¡¯d have to sneak inter.

    To clear her mind, Elise pulled out her game console from under the bed.

    Her new hobby these days©¤[Bethune Dungeon].

    She murmured as she pushed the CD into the console.

    ¡°Log in.¡±

    Swoooosh©¤©¤©¤

    The sensation of being wrapped up.

    She would be transported to a spacepletely different from the dormitory.

    Whiiiiing¡ª¡ª¡ª

    After the trembling sensation, she looked around the room, which was about 10 pyeong, with a slightly queasy stomach.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    Beside her, who had clumsily logged in, a camel was sitting like a loaf of bread. It was ¡®Bianca¡¯, who she had adopted two days ago.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Seeing her immediately brought a smile. This child was capable of indoor life. She was so smart that she knew where to relieve herself, didn¡¯t smell, and even showered herself, as if she had mysophobia.

    ¡°Bianca.¡±

    Elise called her name and stroked her. Bianca yawnedzily.

    ¡°Have you been taking good care of the house?¡±

    Bianca, being poised, didn¡¯t answer.

    Elise smiled faintly and went downstairs. Bianca followed.

    The first floor was a 20-pyeong clinic. She had rented the entire two-story building.

    It¡¯s on rent now, but she ns to earn more money and buy it outright.

    [Bianca Clinic]

    [CLOSED]

    Elise opened the door of the clinic. She was thinking of taking a night walk with Bianca.

    ¡°Oh, Doctor!¡±

    ¡°The Doctor is here!¡±

    But already, there were many people waiting for tomorrow¡¯s early morning treatment, from a skinny old man to a mother holding her child to a young man with an injured arm.

    ¡°¡­¡­Come in.¡±

    Elise called them in.

    It wasn¡¯t treatment time, but money was always short, no matter how much she earned.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°One by one, write your name on the counter ande in.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The unique skills of a high priest are [Diagnosis], [Healing Touch], and [Drug Synthesis], but Elise rarely uses anything other than [Drug Synthesis].

    The NPCs here operate like real people.

    The term ¡®operate¡¯ might be a bit off, but anyway, it¡¯s possible to treat them with real medical knowledge.

    [br][/br] [It¡¯s Elise]

    ©¦Advanced Human ©¦ Lv. 8 High Priest ©¦

    Thanks to this, her level is now 8. Non-skill treatments give more experience points.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple fracture. I¡¯ll wrap it in a cast and bandages, don¡¯t remove them.¡±

    ¡°It seems like there¡¯s inmmation in your lungs. I¡¯ll make a medicine, take it three times a day after meals.¡±

    ¡°Your baby has a high fever. I¡¯ll prescribe a fever reducer and an anti-inmmatory painkiller, so lie down for a while.¡±

    Elise quickly finished diagnosing, treating, and caring for 20 people.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±

    Now, it¡¯s time to go out with Bianca.

    Clip-clop- Clip-clop-

    Elise climbed onto Bianca¡¯s back and headed to the market.

    She was going to buy medicinal herbs at the night market.

    ¡°Oh my, Doctor, you¡¯re here.¡±

    The merchant recognized her first and greeted her. She was, after all, a somewhat famous figure, being the only high priest in the starting vige.

    ¡°Yes. Three roots of Bes. Three stalks of Rhyno flowers. Ten stems of Caldons, please.¡±

    ¡°Understood~¡±

    ¡°¡­But, there seem to be a lot of people these days?¡±

    Elise asked as she looked around. The night market was bustling with people under the bright lights.

    ¡°Oh yes. Lately, a lot of foreigners have beening in.¡±

    Foreigners referred to users.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Elise pricked up her ears towards the group of users. It was a skill called [Five Senses].

    ©¤Did you hear about that, bro? Apparently, a lot of people are trying to get into Shadowring these days.

    ©¤Shadowring? But users are blocked from entering there.

    ©¤It seems the newbies don¡¯t know that.

    ©¤Ah, true. There have been a lot of newbiestely.

    Elise, while still on Bianca, approached them.

    ¡°Excuse me-?¡±

    When she asked from atop her pretty pet camel, the party turned around in surprise.

    ¡°Oh. Yes. Hello. You have a nice ride.¡±

    As expected, they looked at her with envy.

    Hehe- Elise curled her lips in satisfaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s a camel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we know it¡¯s a camel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary camel. Anyway, there seem to be a lot of users these days?¡±

    ¡°Well, Bethune is pretty hot these days. There¡¯s also a strange rumor going around.¡±

    ¡°A strange rumor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you know? They say if you break it, your wish will be granted or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A wish?¡±

    Elise was dumbfounded.

    If I had a wish, it would be to take Bianca and leave this reality.

    ¡°We don¡¯t believe it either. We¡¯re here to farm.¡±

    ¡°Farm? Are you farming food?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s farming.¡±

    ¡°Farming? Is it like fish?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No. We¡¯re farming money in Bethune to sell in reality. It¡¯s quite profitable. If you do it for 8 hours a day for a month, you can earn about 900,000 to 1,000,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ I see.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a conversation she wanted to prolong.

    ¡°If you get hurt while farming food,e to Bianca Clinic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®farming¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Depending on the injury, it starts from a minimum of one dime, but I¡¯ll give you a free coupon for a minor injury.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Thank you. Are you a priest? What¡¯s your ID?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t talk to me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Just as [It¡¯s Elise] was handing out coupons and turning around.

    At the entrance of the beginner¡¯s vige, two people as white as snow caught her eye.

    A pair of siblings, white from head to toe, as if molded from snow.

    C¨¦line and Erick.

    The twins from the family [Aventagher] that produced the Chairman of the previous council.

    The two, famous for their enmity, were walking side by side for some reason. As expected.

    -Move. Did you eat a boiled turtle?

    Erick, the younger brother, pushed his sister C¨¦line.

    -¡­¡­

    C¨¦line, who clenched her teeth, put strength into her feet and pushed Erick¡¯s back.

    -Uh!

    Erick almost fell but barely managed to maintain his bnce. C¨¦line smirked.

    -You move. You weak-legged bastard.

    -¡­¡­Are you crazy? I have HP, you lunatic.

    -Get lost, you lunatic. Always getting ignored by Soliette. You stick-thin legged bastard.

    -You crazy bitch-

    The two snarled at each other, as if ready to grab each other by the hair.

    ¡°Miss, young master, we don¡¯t have much time. You must go to the Shadowring immediately.¡±

    Knights from the Aventagher family appeared in droves, stopping the two.

    ¡°¡­Erick. C¨¦line.¡±

    They were the upper echelons of Edsi, who had a certain closeness with Elise.

    In terms of family rank, they were almost on par with Libra and Arkne.

    Especially Erick, a handsome man whom Elise had admired like a prince when she was 6 or 7 years old¡­

    Anyway.

    The great family of Aventagher wouldn¡¯t havee here for no reason.

    ¡°Something¡­¡±

    Something seemed to be happening in this [Bethune].

    * * *

    At the same time.

    I returned to the dormitory and opened the door to room [107].

    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±

    There was someone who had arrived before me.

    A woman named Akane, sitting on the bed with her long legs crossed, smoking a cigarette. We¡¯ve been meeting a lot today.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Her voice was harsh, as if scorched. The heat of the magic emanating from her body made the room hot.

    ¡°Did you leave without locking the door?¡±

    I fiddled with the doorknob.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane stared at me in silence.

    ¡°But why are you smoking inside? It¡¯s impolite.¡±

    I ced my student ID on the desk and hung my coat on the hanger.

    Even then, Akane was still creating a dangerous atmosphere.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡±

    I opened the window, took off my socks and shirt, andy down on the bed in my running clothes, in the empty space where Akane was sitting.

    That seemed to be her limit.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to, I could kill you with my little finger.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m your lifesaver. I saved you when you were about to die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get it twisted. To me, my body is nothing more than a more intricate doll than a piece of paper.¡±

    As she said, she could live even if her body died. That¡¯s why she is the most human-like and yet the least human-like monster I¡¯ve ever seen.

    ¡°It would be better if you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Iy on my side and looked at Akane. Akane asked back with a thin smile.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because the body is precious. Not in terms of magic or power, but in terms of living as a human, ¡®roots¡¯ are important. Without them, you¡¯re not a human.¡±

    Before my regression, I received a lot of help from Akane. In the process, we formed a deep bond.

    I¡¯ve heard a lot from her.

    ¡°You seem to know that, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you think I know?¡±

    Akane still had eagle-like eyes. Facing her red eyes, which were a terribleplex for her, I said,

    ¡°You need someone to ¡®confirm¡¯ you.¡±

    The supreme task of a doll maker is to realize the human body, but a doll maker who has achieved this feat loses herself.

    Because the boundary between the body and the doll disappears.

    Therefore, a doll maker who has reached the extreme can only confirm herself by ¡®another being that can distinguish herself from the doll¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Before my regression, Akane had spent her entire life searching for such an existence but failed to find it, eventually stepping out of the category of ¡®human¡¯.

    In other words©¤©¤ She became the ¡®phenomenon¡¯ known as Akane.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Akane muttered, rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of a soon-to-die guy confirming me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A soon-to-die guy. The nuance contained in those words was clear.

    ¡°Did you know?¡±

    She took out a second cigarette from her pocket. She lit the second cigarette with the heat of the first one that was still burning.

    ¡°I¡¯m also on the edge, like you. Maybe starting tomorrow.¡±

    Hoo¡­¡­. She exhaled a harsh smoke and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Come visit the farm sometime. The food is already rumored to be delicious.¡±

    ¡°Anytime.¡±

    The rumor was probably thanks to La.

    If you want to spread a word, just whisper to her and say ¡®this is a secret¡¯, and it¡¯s done.

    She is at the top of the caste, so any rumor flows from top to bottom.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    Akane got up. I also got up.

    I almost forgot.

    ¡°Ah, wait a moment. This is the tobo I harvested today?¡±

    I took out a metal cigarette case from my coat pocket.

    For some reason, Gerkhen brought tobo seeds, and I harvested them and rolled them like homemade cigarettes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Tobo?¡±

    Akane first smelled the cigarette case I handed over. Her eyes widened like threads. It was a pleasant expression.

    Shezily smiled and put the gift in her pocket.

    ¡°Thanks. I have something for you too.¡±

    And then she threw something.

    It was a mana core.

    Not an ordinary mana core. A well-polished one, almost like a gem, an S-grade mana core that a lower-ss person like me couldn¡¯t buy even with money.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You said you used a mana core to treat mest time. That¡¯s the price.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this much.¡±

    ¡°My hands are a bit big. So I¡¯m a debtor.¡± (Essentially, since her hands arerge, money flows through it, aka she¡¯s generous, thus she¡¯s in debt)

    Akane was about to leave as she was, but she hesitated.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    She turned to look at me, clutching the doorknob.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your life is your own. It¡¯s okay if tomorrow is burdensome. It¡¯s okay if life is unfair. Don¡¯t make ns. Laugh loudly, and fly today. Because you are alive. Always live as if you are alive.¡±

    She left those words and went outside.

    Thump-

    Looking at the closed door, I chewed over her words.

    ¡°¡­¡­What does she mean.¡±

    * * *

    [narium].

    Administrator Akane¡¯s office.

    She was lost in thought, lighting the cigarette Shion had given her as a gift.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s 1,000 Ren per stick, it¡¯s worth buying.¡±

    Thanks to being grown in a heavenly environment, the quality is top of the top.

    However, now more than that¡­¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re not a doll, you know.¡±

    Shion Ascal

    Just as he said, she is now the original body.

    ¡®Still¡¯ she can distinguish herself.

    However, this too is a matter of time.

    If she scatters her consciousness into a clone that surpasses a mere doll modeled after herself, to the point of being virtually identical to her, she will eventually forget whether she is the original or a clone.

    ©¤©¤Is it¡­ the hymn of humanity, then?

    At that moment when Akane was lost in thought.

    A sinking voice from behind her, looking out the window.

    ©¤©¤Congrattions, Akane. You¡¯ve finally found an anchor to tether you to reality.

    Curly hair like a medieval noble. Pale skin and crimson eyes. His essence reaches the end of the ceiling, and the blood vessels bulging on his face like a goblin are clearly not human.

    ©¤©¤However, it¡¯s pitiful. You were caught by me of all people.

    The head of the monster association. He who refers to himself as the world¡¯s destruction©¤ [Jude Velot].

    He spoke as if threatening, but Akane calmly lit a cigarette.

    ¡°You know, when I first created myself? From then until now, I¡¯ve been searching for 7 years. For an existence that could confirm me.¡±

    The first body she ever made was her own.

    A finished product where the distinction between nothingness and self is impossible. The time when she imnted a soul into it and brought it to life is still vivid in Akane¡¯s mind.

    Ecstasy.

    At the same time, despair.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. He is my anchor. If not for him, I would never find it. After a year, I will forget whether I am the original or a clone.¡±

    A human without roots ceases to be human. It degenerates into a simple mass, or a herd, or even further into a phenomenon like a typhoon or lightning. Into a phenomenon close to a magical disaster, ¡®Akane¡¯.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hard for you to handle me, who is no longer human?¡±

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­

    Then Jude Velot was silent for a moment.

    ©¤Indeed, we need an anchor too.

    As if he had made his own calctions, he melted into the darkness.

    ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s a pitiful guy.¡±

    Akane echoed Jude¡¯s words and lit her third cigarette.

    Shion Ascal.

    He wasn¡¯t even a candidate. Hecked insight, his senses were inadequate, he had no intuition, and above all, he was on borrowed time.

    Perhaps it¡¯s because of themonality of being on borrowed time.

    Akane¡¯s days of existing as a human are not far off, and his days of living as a human are not far off.

    The emotions they each feel are probably simr.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    She took a puff of her cigarette.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hymm of humanity my ass. This cigarette is the hymn.¡±

    She admired it with a face almost in ecstasy.

    Check out Chapter 139 and 142¡­

 Chapter 151: Abyss (2)

    Abyss (2)

    After a long time, I logged back into [Bethune Dungeon].

    The rooftop room of Shadowring.

    ¡°Shion. Have you arrived?¡±

    Soliette, who had logged in before me, greeted me.

    ¡°Yeah. Did you wait long?¡±

    ¡°I just logged in too.¡±

    For the record, her friend window showed she had been online for three hours.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s work a bit harder today.¡±

    I said while stretching.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    I checked Soliette¡¯s level.

    [Solize]

    ©¦Advanced Human ©¦ Lv. 20 Rogue ©¦

    She¡¯s already at level 20. That¡¯s a rapid level-up.

    Compared to Soliette, who pours all her remaining time into Bethune Dungeon excluding [narium], my character is still only at level 6.

    ¡°¡­¡­You should take it easy. Where are the rest of the party members?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve already gone to the second hideout. I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Shion.¡±

    As Soliette slung her bag over her shoulder, she handed me a crossbody bag.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    We both stepped out of the hideout.

    ¡°It¡¯s dark.¡±

    The streets of Shadowring were shrouded in thick fog and swallowed by darkness.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect for moving stealthily. Follow me.¡±

    Soliette took the lead.

    We moved through the silent darkness.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hunt first, Shion. It¡¯s a bit tough here for level 6.¡±

    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think my ss is much affected by levels.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I think you¡¯re right. You gain so little from leveling up, Shion. You can¡¯t increase your basic stats. Do you have any other advantages?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I do get unique skills. Since I¡¯m at level 6 now, I¡¯ll get another unique skill when I level up.¡±

    A new [Unique Skill] blooms whenever a Gambler reaches a certain level. My luck also increases little by little.

    ¡°Oh. I see. Let¡¯s level up right away then. Follow me.¡±

    Soliette guided me.

    ¡­¡­

    ©¤©¤Level up!

    ©¤©¤You have reached level 7, the ¡¸Gambler¡¹ ss unique skill has blossomed.

    In a quiet garbage dump on the outskirts of Shadowring, Soliette and I ughtered the ghouls that spawned like mushrooms after the rain.

    ¡°Are you some kind of de master?¡±

    Especially Soliette, she swung her sword like a whirlwind. She was too powerful for a rogue.

    ¡°Yes. Haha. Watch this.¡±

    Whirrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    Soliette spun around holding her twin swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s a new skill I learned. It¡¯s called ¡¸Sword Storm¡¹.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­But you¡¯re a rogue.¡±

    ¡°It suits me.¡±

    Her lips answered firmly.

    If that¡¯s the case, she should have been a warrior. Somehow, it seems like she¡¯s bing a failed character.

    ¡°More importantly, Shion. Did you level up?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just now.¡±

    ¡°What skill did you get?¡±

    ¡°I got ¡¸Gift Box¡¹. It¡¯s a passive.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Gift Box?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡¸Gift Box¡¹

    :From now on, every time the Gambler levels up three times, they will receive a gift box appropriate for their level.

    :The box must be opened within 72 hours, and the level of the item obtained varies depending on the Gambler¡¯s luck.

    I opened my inventory.

    [Consumable Item Box]

    [Equipment Item Box]

    [Enhancement Item Box]

    There were three item boxes.

    ¡°This is it. They say you get these boxes every time you level up three times.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please open them.¡±

    Soliette looked at the boxes with eyes full of envy.

    I started with the consumable item box.

    [You have acquired a Return Token.]

    [You have acquired a Return Token.]

    Two Return Tokens.

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    I let out a sound without realizing it.

    ¡°What is it-?!¡±

    Soliette also reacted curiously.

    ¡°Two Return Tokens!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes widened. She pped her hands and congratted me.

    ¡°Congrattions, congrattions.¡±

    Return Tokens are truly precious items.

    No pun intended, they¡¯re practically extra lives, worth about 40 to 50 gold coins each. (Pun is rted to the Koreannguage, not exining it, cause it doesn¡¯t matter)

    ¡°Next, let¡¯s open the Equipment Item Box.¡±

    She stuttered like a child, full of curiosity.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Next, I opened the Equipment Item Box.

    ¡¸Extra Stiff Leather Gloves¡¹

    ¡¸Blink Bracelet¡¹

    ¡¸Comfortable Socks¡¹

    Iid them all out.

    ¡°Not great. I guess there¡¯s no treasure since I¡¯m only level 7.¡±

    ¡°Is that so-? They all look good to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the socks.¡±

    I held out the socks. At that moment, Soliette took a deep breath.

    Gasp-

    ¡°¡­May I ept them?¡±

    She asked, ncing at me.

    ¡°Yeah. Thieves need to move quietly.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Soliette carefully took the socks. A wistful smile yed on her lips, as if she had found a long-lost pet.

    Finally, I opened the [Enhancement Item Box].

    ¡¸Enhancement Imnt: Fruitful Body¡¹

    ¡ô Every 12 hours, beneficial fruit is generated from your body.

    That¡¯s what enhancement are. They grant special effects to the character itself, like R-elix.

    ¡°This one¡¯s nothing special. Let¡¯s go now. To meet the party members.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face darkened a bit.

    ¡°Shion. Level 7 might be a bit of a stretch. We should level up more-¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t fall behind. Let¡¯s just try. I have Return Tokens too. I need to level up through quests.¡±

    Perhaps because my ss is a ¡¸Gambler¡¹, I want to take on quests, even if they¡¯re dangerous, especially since I can use my unique skill ¡¸Betting¡¹.

    ¡°¡­Yes. Then¡­ follow me. Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    * * *

    We arrived at a certain forest.

    The only path leading to the inner sanctum of Shadowring.

    A forest where trees are densely packed, endlessly rising, and fog swirling between them, ominous to anyone who sees it.

    [Forest of the Flowing Abyss.]

    Even the name is Forest of the Flowing Abyss. Quite fierce.

    ¡°This is the Forest of the Flowing Abyss.¡±

    ¡°It looks tough.¡±

    ¡°Yes. There are three trials to reach the Count¡¯s castle, and this is one of them.¡±

    Soliette clenched her teeth in what seemed like tension. It was an unusual sight for her.

    ¡°Why is it an abyss?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Emotional darkness¡­ Traumas and stuff like that¡­ They keep flowing out in this forest.¡±

    I immediately understood. Soliette¡¯s trauma. It must be about Jared and Felix appearing.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It feels like it¡¯s probing my soul, bringing out the deepest darkness. I couldn¡¯t pass through. I barely escaped with my life.¡±

    [A quest has been triggered]

    ¡ô With the help of your party member Solize, you have discovered the ¡®Forest of the Flowing Abyss¡¯. You must cross this ce to get closer to the Count¡¯s castle.

    ¡ô Completion Reward: EXP + 900

    [You can use the Gambler¡¯s Unique Skill ¡¸Betting¡¹.]

    [Sess Probability: 22%]

    22%.

    It¡¯s very low, but worth betting on.

    ¡°Soliette. Give me the socks again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°Give them to me.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Yes.¡±

    Soliette diligently rummaged through her pocket.

    Then she spoke with a somewhat embarrassed tone.

    ¡°Shion. It seems I¡¯ve lost the socks.¡±

    ¡°Give them to me. I¡¯ll make them better and give them back.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then she looked at the ground, lifted her shoes to check the soles, touched everywhere on her upper clothes, and then wore a surprised expression.

    ¡°Shion. This is serious. I think I really lost them.¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯ll pay you back. Give them to me quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette then reluctantly handed over the socks.

    I immediately used ¡¸Betting¡¹.

    I bet all the items I got from the ¡®Gift Box¡¯, and all 800EXP.

    [I bet on the sess of the quest.]

    ¡°Soliette. Before we go in.¡±

    I flicked a ¡¸Return Token¡¹ to her. Soliette caught it in surprise and her hair stood on end.

    ¡°Shion. The Return Token is-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m lending it to you. If you use it, pay me back in moneyter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    She answered in a low voice.

    ¡°Be careful, Shion. When the narrationes out, that¡¯s when the trauma will appear.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can just say ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯ about.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I am immune.

    ¡­¡­Or maybe not?

    I might bergely immune to magic or magical aspects, but I haven¡¯t confirmed it in this game yet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I held up a torch.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Soliette also held up a torch.

    We stood side by side and entered the forest.

    [You are entering the Forest of the Flowing Abyss.]

    [All system operations are suspended.]

    As soon as we were covered in fog, all systems were turned off.

    ¡°Soliette. Are you following?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She was right behind me. I could hear her footsteps.

    But strangely, I felt anxious.

    ¡°Ah. Let¡¯s hold hands and walk for now.¡±

    It might seem childish, but I can¡¯t help it.

    I reached out to hold Soliette¡¯s hand.

    ng-

    Then, the sound of something falling.

    The sound of a ss window breaking, and shards flying out, a sharp explosion.

    Then, an unidentified voice whispered in my ear.

    ©¤©¤You feel your heart being separated.

    ©¤©¤The world is unaware, the biggest secret you harbor¡­¡­

    ©¤©¤It seems to be taking shape.

    It was the precursor to the ¡®abyss¡¯ that Soliette mentioned©¤ the narration.

    I froze for a moment. I checked my body all over. There was nothing unusual.

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    I called Soliette again.

    There was no answer.

    ¡°¡­¡­Soliette?¡±

    I called her once more.

    Again, silence-

    ©¤©¤Maintain the formation!

    -Instead of silence, a loud shout rushed in.

    Instead of Soliette, intense and urgent vibrations.

    With a ng-! The sound of a sword about to burst, and from within the violently trembling magic, the low tone unique to the undead mixes in.

    Grrrrrrr¡­¡­.

    I looked at the spot.

    Zombies were clinging to a carriage.

    -Lady! Sir! Stay inside the carriage! You must not fight!

    The knights trying to escort the carriage swung their torches and swords, but they were already caught in an illusion, only shing at the air here and there.

    [A quest has been triggered]

    ¡ô You have discovered users caught by the undead of the abyss. Whether you rescue them or ignore them is your choice.

    ¡ô Completion Reward: EXP + 500

    Unfortunately, betting is on cooldown, but there¡¯s no reason to refuse this quest.

    I drew a ¡¸Card¡¹. It was a colorless card.

    With a flick- I activated it and the card turned into a dagger of magic.

    At the same time, I rolled the ¡¸Dice¡¹.

    Rolling-

    [18]

    18.

    This time, I won¡¯t make a mistake.

    Attribute distribution is Agility 14. Endurance 3. Strength 1.

    [The stat values of Dice Roll are applied.]

    The moment that happens, everything from the speed of my breath quickens.

    Even with Agility 14, eleration is full. The zombies clinging to the carriage, iling their hands, and the swordsmanship of the knights trying to cut them down. The entire battlefield seems slow to me, as if stuck in the air.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    One deep breath.

    Holding the dagger, I walk through the frozen world.

    There¡¯s no need to run. Just move as slowly as possible to minimize stamina consumption.

    Grr¡­¡­uh¡­¡­uh¡­¡­.

    A chunk of groaning zombie takes 3 seconds to growl.

    In fact, these guys are tricky undead. They don¡¯t die just by blowing up their heads like in the movies. To kill a zombie, you have to destroy its ¡®core¡¯, and its location is random for each individual.

    I turned on the SZX-9500. All thirty-three of them. I observed all of their ¡®cores¡¯.

    Thump-!

    I stabbed one¡¯s heart.

    Shush-!

    I cut one¡¯s throat.

    Tsuzun-!

    I split one¡¯s back.

    Crack-!

    I broke one¡¯s femur.

    Thud-!

    I burst one¡¯s eyeball.

    In this way, I cleanly cut the cores of exactly 33 zombies.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s so hard I could die.

    ¡°End.¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤¡ª!

    The moment I said that, they all disassembled. They fell over, their bodies chopped up like firewood.

    ¡°Sir! Lady¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know! I¡¯m doing well not to fight, so in front of¡­¡­ What? They¡¯re all dead?¡±

    The people in the carriage were confused. They blinked their eyes nkly at the sudden massacre, then they found me.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    They saw the blood dripping- drip- drip- from my dagger.

    I btedly examined their faces.

    Snow-white hair.

    Snow-white hair.

    Two of them had snow-white hair.

    No, their entire bodies were white.

    I knew who they were.

    C¨¦line Aventagher, Erick Aventagher.

    Including the three escort knights, a total of five people were staring nkly at me.

    ¡°¡­Did you help us?¡±

    The most senior escort knight asked in a polite tone, and I nodded. Just then,

    ¡°Huh? Wait a moment.¡±

    Suddenly, C¨¦line inside the carriage stretched out her finger. It was a natural gesture.

    ¡°You, look at me.¡±

    I looked at her. She also looked at me.

    C¨¦line Aventagher, illuminated by the torchlight, was indeed beautiful. Her appearance was so stunning that it was considered the best on the continent.

    ©¤©¤However.

    To exin again at this point.

    The pre-return C¨¦line Aventagher was a viiness with a twisted fate.

    She was pushed out of the session of the great Aventagher family. She had everything taken away by her twin brother Erick. Still, she lived as a viiness after bing the wife of a conglomerate. Then she fell into the abyss due to rumors of an affair with a mere chauffeur¡­.

    Yes, she fell because of rumors of an affair with ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯.

    ¡°Right. You¡­.¡±

    At that time and now, I think that the affair was an event that could not be manifested, urring in a very special situation where she was psychologically cornered after countless coincidences ovepped.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Right?¡±

    ¡­¡­However.

    Seeing that she, who never needs to remember the name of someone she met once, remembers my name like this.

    ¡°You applied to my club. With Gerkhen.¡±

    I have a slightly ominous feeling.

    Perhaps she might be an ¡®odd person¡¯ who likes guys like me from the beginning.

    She raised her eyebrows in a frown.

    ¡°Hey. Why are you just standing there? You¡¯re Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Who is that? Shion Ascal?¡±

    Erick appeared next to her.

    C¨¦line pped his lips with a smile.

    ¡°You shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, this crazy woman has been going on since yesterday.¡±

    Erick grabbed her hair.

    ¡°Let go, you crazy bastard! Let go-?!¡±

    The two of them rolled around inside the carriage.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The escort knight came over, closing the carriage window.

    Bang-! Thud-! Crash-!

    Something big seemed to be happening inside the carriage.

    ¡°Ignore it.¡±

    Hmph. The escort knight coughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re a benefactor, yes. I am ¡®Raelro¡¯. Did you have a connection with thedy?¡±

    At Raelro¡¯s words, I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°¡­Well, yeah. We had a little connection during a college tour.¡±

    ¡°Then, would you like to go through this forest with us? The reward will not be disappointing. Here and in reality.¡±

    [A quest has been triggered¡­¡­.]

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry. I have someone to find.¡±

    I received a lot of help from C¨¦line before the regression, a lot indeed, but right now, Soliette is my top priority.

    ¡°Let¡¯s search together. You¡¯re a student at Magic High, you should know our faces, right?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    They are the elites of the Aventagher Knights. Raelro is particrly famous among them, being the second-ranked knight.

    The problem is, their levels are low.

    They¡¯re all on the same level as me. The fact that they¡¯ve made it this far is probably due to the luck of their real lives.

    Creak-!

    At that moment, the carriage window opened again. C¨¦line, with her hair all messed up, poked her head out.

    ¡°Hey,e with us.¡±

    There was no sign of any disturbance inside, perhaps she had won against her younger brother.

    ¡°We have connections inside once we get through here.¡±

    [A quest has been triggered]

    ¡ô Very wealthy users are asking for your help.

    ¡ô Completion Reward: EXP + 600

    I stared at C¨¦line. C¨¦line squinted one eye.

    ¡°¡­Ah, what! Why!¡±

    The eyes of C¨¦line facing me now are definitely not looking at an ideal type or anything like that.

    ¡°Why have you been staring at me since earlier? If you don¡¯t like it, just say so!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Well, the C¨¦line before the regression and the current C¨¦line are practically different people.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll join.¡±

    I told Raelro.

    ¡°But first, help me find my party member.¡±

    ¡°Of course. If you¡¯re a student at Magic High, we can even write a rmendation letter for you in the Aventagher dimension.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I bit my lip.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ I won¡¯t refuse.¡±

    A rmendation letter from Aventagher could be an unexpected ie.

    ¡°Pfft. Look at him, he likes it.¡±

    C¨¦line snickered and closed the carriage window again.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Raelro silently patted my shoulder. I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Whether it¡¯s C¨¦line or Erick, the personalities of the two sessors would be famous even within the family.

    But I don¡¯t dislike C¨¦line¡¯s behavior like that.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    That means, the favor I ¡®already received¡¯ before the regression is significant.

 Chapter 152: Abyss (3)

    <strong>Abyss (3)</strong>

    The rustling footsteps trampling the moss of the silent forest.

    Following behind, the rumbling of a rolling carriage.

    We are advancing into the Forest of the Abyss, guiding our way with torches.

    C¨¦line and Erick are inside the carriage while I am outside with the escort knights.

    ¡°Do you have time during the college board progress? It should be the second quarter.¡±

    Raelro, a senior member of the Aventagher Knights, spoke to me.

    ¡°Yes. But tomorrow is also a weekend, and I have about 4-5 hours free. This game also helps in real life.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. By the way, where is your friend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The system is unavable ¡­ let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    Thanks to the return token, I¡¯m at ease. Just press the button, and you¡¯ll return to the waiting room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. But why is Aventagher ying this game?¡±

    I was curious about that.

    Aventagher is a major family. Of course, their situation itself isn¡¯t good. The family is on a worsening path after the death of the head, ¡®Silrokt¡¯.

    However, like the saying that a rich man is still rich for three generations, Aventagher is still on par with Libra¡¤Arkne.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Raelro, who nced inside the carriage, quietly spoke.

    ¡°Is this city called Shadowring?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s someone in the city who owes a great debt to Aventagher. He contacted the family first. He said that if we clear this game, we will get a treasure beneficial to the family. Somehow, the young master and the youngdy found out about it¡­ Anyway, think of it as part of a project they are pushing.¡±

    In other words, it¡¯s a joint venture of the sessors.

    Then, it makes sense that it seems a bit loose.

    ¡°More importantly, is your level high? You¡¯re killing the zombie rather easily.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that high. What level are you, Raelro? You¡¯re missing a lot of hits.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is it because I¡¯m level 5? It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Level 5? No matter how skilled you are, it¡¯s hard at level 5. You should¡¯ve leveled up more.¡±

    In reality, Raelro would grind hundreds of zombies like a blender, but the ¡®level scaling¡¯ of [Bethune Dungeon] is quite strict.

    Things like Magic Spell, swordsmanship, and physical skills learned in real life are just ¡®controls¡¯ here.

    For example, in a battle between level 5 and level 8~9, if the real-life skill of level 5 is superior, level 5 can win.

    It¡¯s a ¡®control difference¡¯.

    But as the level difference continues to widen, and there is a huge gap in almost all stats, it bes almost impossible to ovee with control.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll take your advice to heart. As soon as I enter the inner chambers, I¡¯ll have to level up. If I¡¯m to assist the young master and the youngdy.¡±

    Raelro¡¯s choice of words is full of sincerity.

    ¡°But, Shion. Are you okay with this abyss?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. How about you, Raelro?¡±

    ¡°I somehow overcame it¡­ but it was hard. My dead daughter appeared. It was a kind of experience.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At times like this, it¡¯s best to spare words.

    I nced at the carriage.

    ¡°Are the seniors inside the carriage okay?¡±

    Would the pure white twins, who grew up without fear, have something like trauma?

    ¡°Ah. This carriage is made of a material that resists the abyss. We received it as a gift from the acquaintance I mentioned earlier. The young master and miss inside should be fine.¡±

    Thud-

    Just then, the carriage window opened.

    It was C¨¦line.

    ¡°Hey. Shion Ascal. I¡¯m bored, do you want toe in here? There¡¯s a spot left.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Suit yourself~¡±

    Thud- She closed the window again.

    Thud- It opened again immediately.

    ¡°Hey. But does Gerkhen not y this game?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Ah, whatever.¡±

    Thud- She closed the window again.

    As always, she¡¯s hard to handle.

    Raelro spoke with concern.

    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t worry too much. The youngdy is just showing her gratitude in her own way.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±

    I know her. That¡¯s why no matter what she does, I can¡¯t hate her.

    In fact, when I first met her, I thought she was crazy. She was so twisted and warped, honestly, she was a personification of the abyss itself.

    But as time passed, I learned about her loss, her sorrow, her secrets, and from the way she protected my name without revealing it even in the midst of an affair scandal, I acknowledged her.

    I was grateful.

    ¡°But who¡¯s your friend? Seems like an Endex person.¡±

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    Thud-!

    At that moment, the window opened again. This time it was Erick.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    ¡°It must be a with the same name! Just sit still, you moron.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Shutting up is for you who¡¯s being ignored.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Crazy bitch.¡±

    Erick looked at me with veins popping on his forehead.

    ¡°Is Soliette that Soliette?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s that Soliette.¡±

    Erick likes Soliette. Of course, it¡¯s not reciprocated.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you close?¡±

    ¡°No. We have a business rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Business? Like ying the game together?¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡±

    With a face that said, ¡®Well, that¡¯s that,¡¯ Erick closed the carriage window.

    ¡°It¡¯s a crossroad.¡±

    Just then, a three-way fork appeared. Raelro asked me.

    ¡°Shion. Which way should we go?¡±

    ¡°Just a moment.¡±

    I moved my finger. Where should we go? Please decide.

    The third road.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Going my own way. It¡¯s the best way to use luck.

    Thud-

    The carriage window opened again. This time it was C¨¦line.

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯ll take responsibility if it¡¯s not, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I answered immediately. C¨¦line smirked after furrowing her brows.

    ¡°Alright. Do as you please~ You said you¡¯d take responsibility.¡±

    Thud-

    And then she closed the window again.

    Raelro quietly said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to take responsibility, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    I responded with a small smile.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    * * *

    Meanwhile, Soliette was moving through the [Forest of the Flowing Abyss] with a torch in hand.

    ¡°Shion. Are youing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m on my way. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    She is still with Shion.

    From the moment they set foot in the forest, they hadn¡¯t been apart for even a single minute.

    ¡°There seem to be quite a few undead around.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    She waved her torch back and forth. The handle kept slipping due to the sweat on her hand.

    ¡°Another fork in the road, Shion.¡±

    The fork that had appeared.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go left.¡±

    Shion spoke first.

    Like this, he had been deciding the direction at every fork. There was no hesitation, and he was always right.

    ¡°Can you see the path clearly, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±

    Thanks to him, the only undead they encountered were ghouls.

    She had been avoiding facing her own abyss for a long time. Although sweat kept forming on her hands and lower back, not knowing when it would appear¡ª

    Grrrrrrrr¡­

    Suddenly, a distinctly foreign zombie cry flowed in.

    Ghouls were okay, and they had been dealt with easily, but zombies would be a different story.

    ¡°Shion. Stand behind me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll help. Looks like there are about twenty.¡±

    Shion pressed against her back.

    ¡ªAt that moment.

    Soliette sensed a strange unease. She felt an unidentifiable eerieness from his body.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She nced back quietly. But she couldn¡¯t reveal her suspicion just yet.

    She activated her skill first.

    [Rogue¡¯s Sense]

    Agility instantly upgraded by 2, and the power of the dagger became sharper. It¡¯s a rogue-exclusive skill that helps pierce the heart in one blow.

    Just then, the zombies rushed in.

    Grrrrrrrrr¡ª!

    A full-on charge in formation, shaking the ground.

    Soliette calmly received the approaching creatures. Thud-! Thud-! She quickly killed them by stabbing their cores.

    Kyaaaaa¡ª!

    One particrly fast zombie leaped out from among them.

    Thwack-!

    The ¡¸Card¡¹ retaliated.

    The ¡¸Card¡¹ stuck to the zombie¡¯s forehead emitted a white light, burning the undead¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette was slightly surprised but continued the fight.

    Thrust-! Thrust-! Thrust-!

    She quickly finished off by stabbing the zombies¡¯ cores.

    ¡°Phew~ Soliette. You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±

    The guy who naturally asked this with a sigh of relief after the situation ended.

    Soliette, tightly gripping her dagger, slowly turned around.

    In the fog, there was the figure of Shion.

    However, he was not Shion.

    He used Shion¡¯s skills, spoke like Shion, and acted like Shion.

    But he was not Shion.

    ¡°¡­¡­who are you, impersonator!¡±

    Soliette impulsively infused magic into the torch.

    Fwoosh¡ª! Therge me swallowed the fog.

    The identity of the guy revealed by it was¡­¡­

    ¡°What. Why?¡±

    It was still Shion.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette was slightly taken aback.

    Is this also an illusion? A deception of the forest?

    She stumbled before finally catching a discrepancy.

    ¡°Hey, why did you throw the torch!¡±

    ¡°I dropped it.¡±

    She said calmly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette red at him and reached out. She grabbed his arm tightly.

    It was cold.

    There was no warmth that a person should naturally possess.

    It felt just like a frozen log.

    ¡°Surprising. Why are you like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why am I like this? You are not Shion.¡±

    Soliette was certain.

    He was not Shion.

    He was apletely different entity wearing Shion¡¯s skin.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Nevertheless, he shamelessly shook his head.

    ¡°I am Shion.¡±

    ¡°Stop the insolent talk-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I am.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette clenched her fist tightly.

    ¡°Speak honestly. Where did the real Shion go?¡±

    She raised her mana. Magic Body red up in red. She held the dagger in reverse grip.

    ¡°Or are you my abyss?¡±

    The abyss she had experienced here came to mind again.

    She had seen Jared here. She had met Felix.

    Both of them reached out to her. They pulled her into the abyss.

    Thanks to [Jenny]¡¯s help, she barely escaped¡­

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you honestly.¡±

    The guy shrugged his shoulders. He twisted his lips in a smirk.

    It was a habit identical to Shion¡¯s.

    ¡°I can¡¯t lie to you. Maybe because only that part of me has separated.¡±

    ¡®Only that part has separated¡¯?

    He keeps mumbling iprehensible words.

    ¡°What are you talking about? Exin in detail.¡±

    As he scratched his jaw, he spoke.

    ¡°Yeah. I am Shion¡¯s abyss.¡±

    As calm as introducing himself at a first meeting.

    Soliette¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°Shion¡¯s abyss?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not your abyss. So, you don¡¯t need to be on guard against me.¡±

    In the [Forest of the Flowing Abyss], the abyss of a person, that is, the deep unconsciousness, flows and materializes.

    Then, does it mean that he himself is an abyss separated from Shion?

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®don¡¯t be on guard¡¯ if you¡¯re an abyss.¡±

    ¡°I will protect you. No matter what happens.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette¡¯s face twitched slightly. She swallowed and spoke.

    ¡°What¡­ what do you mean by that.¡±

    Then Shion, no, his abyss, gave a faint smile.

    ¡°Do you think an abyss of a person only contains all sorts of evils? That¡¯s not the case. Desperate wishes, desires, hopes can also be an abyss.¡±

    After finishing his words, he grabbed Soliette¡¯s wrist. Soliette was greatly surprised, but he gently pulled her.

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    And then, he covered her eyes with both hands.

    ¡°What, what are you-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes.¡±

    His tone deepened again.

    ¡°There are things you shouldn¡¯t seeing.¡±

    Thump©¤©¤ Thump©¤©¤.

    Footsteps approached like a scorching bonfire.

    Soon, an ashy voice enveloped her ears.

    ©¤¡­¡­Soliette.

    She could tell just from that fragment of his voice.

    It was her abyss.

    They had materialized and were approaching again.

    ¡°Just bear with it a little. They¡¯re not the people you know.¡±

    He steadied her. He calmed her down gently.

    His palms covering her eyes were cold, but his voice was warm.

    ¡°I wish you could forget them¡­¡±

    Soon, her ears were blocked.

    She could hear no sound, and she could see nothing.

    Soliette breathed slowly.

    She calmed herself as if she couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay now.¡±

    Soon, he let her go. Soliette quietly opened her eyes.

    The forest was covered in fog.

    Her abyss was already gone.

    ¡°I have to protect you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette looked up at him nkly.

    He sighed softly as he faced her.

    ¡°Shion¡¯s abyss.¡±

    The [Forest of the Flowing Abyss] touched Shion¡¯s soul. It peered into the deepest part.

    ¡°Shion¡¯s trauma.¡±

    In this way, it brought to life the image he least wanted to see.

    ¡°Soliette. It¡¯s you.¡±

    The dark forest.

    The silence where not even a leaf rustles.

    Soliette cautiously asked.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°Because of love.¡±

    At that moment, her body stiffened, just like when she fell into a frozenke as a child. Her limbs stiffened from the iing chill, and it felt as if her heart had stopped.

    ¡°When you suppress the emotion called love. When you suppress it with the idea that you must give it up, and it sticks to the bottom, it bes an abyss.¡±

    While gently looking at such Soliette¡­

    ¡°The emotion Shion gave up. A very deep emotion. An abyss.¡±

    He confessed in a whisper.

    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±

 Chapter 153: Abyss (4)

    <strong>Abyss (4)</strong>

    ¡­The tranquil forest of the abyss. The blowing wind wrapped around her skin, and her heart still trembled within.

    Soliette looked at Shion.

    No, she looked at Shion¡¯s abyss.

    He was Shion, but not Shion, and at the same time, he was the most genuine Shion ever.

    ¡°¡­I wanted to protect you.¡±

    He said so, looking down at Soliette.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have the ability to do so then.¡±

    Soliette looked up into his eyes. Deep regret and sorrow were buried in them.

    ¡°I found out toote.¡±

    He ced his hand on Soliette¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°That I shouldn¡¯t have loved you.¡±

    Was that a wound to him?

    What kind of wound was it?

    Soliette bit her lip.

    ¡°¡­I wanted you to forget them.¡±

    He continued in a dark voice.

    ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t have wished for that. Because I can¡¯t rece them.¡±

    Abyss.

    Heid himself bare like a true abyss. He revealed his everything.

    Soliette pondered, her breath trembling.

    Should she be hearing these words?

    It was Shion¡¯s abyss.

    The emotions Shion didn¡¯t want to reveal, the feelings he forcibly hid.

    ¡­But.

    ¡°Since when?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t pretend not to know the heart that had deepened as much as the abyss.

    Because she already knew.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    He gave a hollowugh. As if he himself couldn¡¯t remember well.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    The word he floated with a sigh, and the next word he dropped was.

    ¡°Half of my life, you were there.¡±

    It shook Soliette.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her eyes dropped.

    She couldn¡¯t bear to face him.

    ¡°I just wish for you to live.¡±

    Now, Soliette¡¯s thoughts naturally assembled.

    Shion, who came to her when she needed him.

    When she desperately needed help, when she felt like she was letting go of herself.

    The only person who came to her and repeated the words ¡®Knightmare is alive¡¯.

    The grateful man who turned the empty echo into a conversation.

    Despite being too much of a coincidence, she forcibly epted them¡­

    Love.

    If it¡¯s just that one emotion, everything makes sense.

    If he had been watching over her for so long, if he had been secretly suffering and while developing affection.

    The gears of the process fit perfectly without a gap.

    ¡°Half your life¡­¡±

    Soliette quietly muttered, looking up at him.

    ©¤©¤Kwaaaaaa!

    Suddenly, arge explosion urred somewhere. It was not far away.

    She had a hunch.

    It¡¯s Shion.

    Not the abyss, but the real Shion.

    ¡°¡­Go.¡±

    He on the other side gestured. Soliette nodded, but hesitated for a moment.

    What should she say to him?

    What should she repay to the abyss that protected her?¡­

    She carefully chose her words.

    ¡°Thank you for being honest.¡±

    Fortunately, the ¡®abyss¡¯ also smiled.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤30 minutes earlier.

    I led the Aventagher party. We navigated through thebyrinth [Forest of the Flowing Abyss]. There were quite a few forks in the road, but I chose all of them as I pleased.

    ¡°It seems like this is the end.¡±

    My ¡®luck¡¯ seemed to have worked somewhat, as we arrived at the final downhill path.

    At the end of the road stood arge tree, and beyond it, the fog-swallowed inner chamber, the Earl¡¯s castle, was faintly visible.

    Even the ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹is activated. My temples are buzzing.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I can see the castle¡¯s inner chamber. Good job.¡±

    Raelro patted my shoulder.

    Thud-!

    C¨¦line opened the carriage window.

    ¡°Really? We¡¯ve arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss. Look.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. I see the castle. It¡¯s a fortress, huh? I don¡¯t really like the design. It¡¯s too old.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a building made to suit your taste.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Eric often says the right things about his sister.

    Anyway.

    Almost relieved, we were going down the downhill path when.

    ¡°Wait. Isn¡¯t there more left?¡±

    C¨¦line narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger.

    Just when I thought she was trying to find fault again.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    At the end of the downhill path.

    Therge tree that had been standing there suddenly uprooted itself from the ground.

    Creak¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    It stood up.

    [The Abyssal Tree awakens]

    ¡ô A tree that lures and devours users. It is the gatekeeper of the Forest of the Flowing Abyss.

    ¡ô Run away or confront it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that.¡±

    Roar©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The tree spewed wooden fragments towards us. The knights easily deflected them due to the distance.

    But, it¡¯s graduallying up this way. Using its roots as legs.

    Raelro asked.

    ¡°Shion. That tree, it seems to have a pretty high Level.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    This is clearly a crisis of annihtion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for a moment-¡±

    I turned around and was startled. Zombies were rising from the forest floor.

    ¡°Hey! What are we going to do! Isn¡¯t this a total mess?!¡±

    C¨¦line shouted out loud.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s right¡¯, are you insane?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at C¨¦line in the carriage. C¨¦line distorted her face in frustration.

    ¡°What are you looking at.¡±

    I looked down again.

    The carriage she was riding in.

    A special carriage that resists the abyss.

    ¡°¡­¡­Raelro, by any chance. Can we use this carriage?¡±

    I asked Raelro.

    ¡°The carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The carriage will be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to break the carriage now?!¡±

    C¨¦line interjected, her hair standing on end.

    ¡°Yes. But the reward will be much greater than this carriage. Your level will also increase a lot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Really? Really?¡±

    C¨¦line asked again in her still jingling tone. I nodded.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What do you think, Raelro?¡±

    ¡°This guys seems to be more experienced with Bethune. Let¡¯s leave it to him.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then try it. If it doesn¡¯t work, you¡¯re responsible.¡±

    Surprisingly, she agreed coolly.

    C¨¦line immediately got off the carriage and dusted off her clothes.

    ¡°Hey, Eric! What are you doing? Aren¡¯t youing out?¡±

    Eric came out with a rather dissatisfied look on his face. C¨¦line smirked at him.

    ¡°Why. Don¡¯t you want to do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you unusually talkative today? Be quiet before I rip your mouth off.¡±

    ¡°Idiot. You must be so scared that your legs are shaking, huh? Oh dear, our little Eric might wet his bed tonight. Coochie-coochie~¡±

    ¡°You crazy bitch. Hey you-¡±

    ¡°Fightter.¡±

    I separated them and drew the ¡¸Cards¡¹ one after another. All 10 remaining in the deck.

    Two were duds, but the remaining eight perfectly suited my purpose.

    I attached them to the carriage.

    Two on the front of the carriage.

    Two on the ceiling.

    Two on the floor.

    Two on the rear.

    In addition, I granted ¡®Perion¡¯ to the entire carriage.

    ¡°The task is simple. We¡¯re going to push this.¡±

    ¡°Push?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    If the carriage resists the abyss, its material itself probably blocks or destroys magical interference.

    This means it could be used as a weapon with the right modifications.

    C¨¦line whistled.

    ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±

    ¡°Give the signal, Shion.¡±

    I put my hand on the rear of the carriage. The others also clung to the rear like me.

    C¨¦line rolled up her sleeves and asked.

    ¡°Hey! We really just have to push this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Push when I give the signal.¡±

    Snap-

    I flicked my finger. Then, a crimson me ignited from the ¡¸Card¡¹ on the ceiling, and the ¡¸Card¡¹ on the front transformed into a long spike.

    ¡°One, two. Push!¡±

    Tadadadada©¤©¤©¤!

    All six of us exerted our strength on the rear of the carriage and charged.

    The carriage, aze, sped up rapidly, and when it gained enough eleration, I activated the ¡¸Card¡¹ on the rear.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    A gust of wind blew fiercely. The carriage, freed from our hands, sped up like a jet.

    ©¤Thud!

    In an instant, it crashed into the giant tree. The spike on the front anchored the tree and the carriage almost as one body.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    At the same time, I activated thest two ¡¸Cards¡¹ on the bottom of the carriage.

    It was a simple explosion.

    Kwaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The carriage exploded entirely. The burning debris of the carriage was embedded in the roots of the tree. Those fragments would now tear apart the magical circuit inside the tree.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The tree writhed here and there, screaming. The crimson mes spread all over its body, like an octopus being cooked alive.

    ¡°Hey! Look behind!¡±

    The front was almost over, but as C¨¦line said, the problem was behind.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    Zombies running like mad. Faster than any ordinary car.

    The one who had already approached and reached out to my clothes, however.

    Swish-!

    Its head flew off in a streak of sword light.

    ¡°Shion!¡±

    The red-haired woman flying over the zombie¡¯s head.

    It was Soliette.

    I was quite d to see her, but there was no time for greetings.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this! Get down quickly!¡±

    Level 20. An incredibly higher level than us.

    The reliable woman danced with her dagger, providing cover, and we ran down for now.

    * * *

    [Bet Sessful]

    [Additional quest rewards will be given.]

    ¡ô Level up!

    ¡ô Level up!

    ¡ô Level up!

    ¡ô Level up!

    [You receive all your stakes back.]

    ¡ô The ¡®Blink Bracelet¡¯ is upgraded to ¡®Blink Defense Bracelet (Rare)¡¯.

    ¡ô The ¡®Extra Stiff Leather Gloves¡¯ are upgraded to ¡®Premium Leather Gloves (Rare)¡¯.

    ¡ô The ¡®Comfortable Socks¡¯ are upgraded to ¡®Extremely Comfortable Socks (Rare)¡¯.

    ¡ô The ¡®Enchantment Imnt: Fruitful Body¡¯ is upgraded to ¡®Enchantment Imnt: Good Fruitful Body¡¯.

    I gained a whopping four levels, and got all my stakes back.

    ¡°Thanks to this, I¡¯ve gained three levels.¡±

    Raelro said with a satisfied tone.

    ¡°What should we do now, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s first gather all the dropped items and distribute themter?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    Then, Erick approached.

    ¡°Hey. The settlement should include the price of the wagon-¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Why do you have to be so petty, you little shit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    C¨¦line cut off Erick¡¯s words. Erick nced around. Not at me, but at Soliette, who was standing quietly by his side.

    ¡°I was going to say that the price of the wagon should not be included.¡±

    He changed his words.

    I approached Soliette.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, yes?¡±

    Soliette looked at me with a slightly awkward face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s log out now. It¡¯s almost dawn.¡±

    It¡¯s been ten hours since I logged in. If I stay too long, I¡¯ll get hungry.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. See you in narium.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Just then, Erick, who had just coughed, approached.

    ¡°Soliette. It feels like it¡¯s been a long time since we met. Now it¡¯s probably the second quarter of college board-¡±

    Poof!

    Just in time, Soliette logged out.

    ¡°Pffft!¡±

    C¨¦line, who was drinking water, spewed it out, and Erick¡¯s face turned all sorts of colors.

    ¡°Hahaha! Ah, I¡¯m dying ofughter because of this idiot.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you crazy bitch-¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep calling me crazy bitch, you ignored asshole!¡±

    While the two were bickering, I approached Raelro.

    ¡°Um. Sir Knight.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Shion. What¡¯s up?¡±

    He, who was gathering the dropped items with all his might, looked back at me.

    I asked cautiously.

    ¡°¡­¡­But. Can you give me a hint?¡±

    ¡°What kind of hint?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ What¡¯s so precious in this game that Aventagher ising for it.¡±

    Raelro¡¯s expression hardened slightly, but soon he looked around and whispered.

    -Can you keep a secret?

    I also lowered my decibel in response.

    -Of course. I don¡¯t have any friends anyway. If you tell me, I can help Aventagher too.

    -¡­¡­In that case.

    Raelro put his mouth to my ear.

    -That connection said. This game [Bethune]¡­¡­ could be a part of reality.

    -¡­¡­

    A part of reality.

    Without realizing it, I furrowed my brows.

    -A part of reality?

    -Yes. We¡¯ll have to meet him in person to hear the details. But I suggest you continue leveling up your ount. Everything we have, everything we obtain, could be reality.

    Bethune could be a reality.

    Was this an event that didn¡¯t ur before my regression?

    I¡¯m not sure about the details. My life was saturated by aggressive cancer treatments for about a year or two.

    -¡°Yes. Please contact me if anything happens. I¡¯ll help as much as I can.¡±

    -¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Raelro! What are you two talking about?¡±

    C¨¦line looked at us suspiciously. Raelro answered nonchntly.

    ¡°We just added each other as friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Friend request?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded at her.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going-¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    C¨¦line grabbed me. She spat out in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Do it with me too. Friend request.¡±

    [C¨¦line has sent you a friend request.]

    ¡°Uh¡­ Sure.¡±

    I have plenty of room in my friend list anyway.

    I epted her friend request.

    ¡°You should feel honored, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    No matter what C¨¦line says, the best response is always ¡°yes¡±. I know this well from past experience.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    I waved my hand and pressed the logout button.

    * * *

    The waiting room of [Bethune].

    ¡¸Notepad¡¹

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Skills

    I created a separate subfolder called [Skills].

    I n to move not only ¡¸Card Draw¡¹ but also ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹ into Memory.

    ¡¸130 / 156¡¹

    Thanks to the S-grade mana core given by Akane, I have plenty of capacity.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    First, I activated the skill ¡¸Dice Roll¡¹.

    Just like when I moved ¡¸Card Draw¡¹ into Memory¡­

    ¡°Memory.¡±

    I moved everything into ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡¸Notepad¡¹ [135/156]

    :Card Draw

    :Dice Roll

    Sure enough, the consumption capacity is only 5.

    If this game is bing a ¡¸reality¡¹, it would be reasonable to assume that it has some connection to reality.

    ¡°I wonder if this will work.¡±

    I pulled out an [Enchanment Pill] from my inventory.

    ¡¸Enchanment Transnt: Fruitful Body¡¹

    ¡ô Every 12 hours, a very beneficial fruit is produced in your body.

    This is an enchanment literally ¡®within the game¡¯.

    I¡¯m not sure if it will work or not, but

    ¡°Gulp-¡±

    Anyway, I swallowed the pill.

    A strange sensation spread inside my body.

    [Enchanment Applied: Fruitful Body]

    ¡ô From now on, every 12 hours, a very beneficial fruit will be produced in your body.

    There¡¯s no need to worry.

    Whether it works or not, all of this¡­ goes into ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    [143/156]

    It¡¯s been memorized in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, but it consumed quite a bit of capacity.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it because it¡¯s an ability that¡¯s detached from reality?¡±

    It seems like that might be the case. Dice Roll, Card Draw could somewhat exist in reality, but Fruitful Body?

    In what reality would such a body exist?

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±

    But, there are still three more left.

    This time, it¡¯s items.

    ¡¸Notepad¡¹

    ¡ö Memory

    ©¸Skills

    :Card Draw

    :Dice Roll

    ©¸Enchantment

    :Fruitful Body

    ©¸Items

    I carefully categorized the folders. I pulled out the ¡¸Blinking Defense Bracelet¡¹, ¡¸Premium Leather Gloves¡¹, and ¡¸Extremely Comfortable Socks¡¹ from my inventory.

    If I can ¡®Memorize¡¯ the performance of the items, I just need to memorize them first and then infuse them into the bracelet, gloves, and socks in real life.

    ¡°¡­¡­Memorize.¡±

    At that moment, I felt a pain as if the Magic Core was being torn apart, and my consciousness cut off.

 Chapter 154: Test (1)

    <strong>Test (1)</strong>

    Sssshhhhhhh¡­¡­

    The cold water pouring from the showerhead.

    Drenching her entire body in the chill that seemed to gnaw at her flesh, Soliette fumbled through her memory.

    She cautiously shed light on the past she had tried so hard to cover up.

    Back then, when her precious people hadn¡¯t died yet.

    Her past self had already met Shion.

    Probably, not long after she enrolled at Endex.

    The sports field.

    ©¤Felix! What are you doing?

    Back then, she, a first-year student, was standing on the sports field with Felix.

    ©¤What do you mean, what am I doing? I¡¯m preparing for the college board.

    ©¤Oh~ College board~

    Soliette first learned about Shion then. To be precise, she remembered Shion¡¯s name and appearance.

    The reason was¡­¡­

    ©¤Ah. That guy.

    Felix nced at the window of the Endex building and spoke. Soliette also tilted her head and looked in the same direction.

    There was a yellow buzz cut.

    Standing by the window of the corridor, a guy who was either watching the sports field or us, it was hard to tell.

    ©¤Do you know who he is?

    ¡­¡­It was the popr way of speaking at the time.

    ©¤He¡¯s the guy who had leukemia. Shion.

    ©¤Wow.

    Soliette looked at him again. This time, a little more cautiously.

    He was small in stature, and there was a long scar above his ear. His bones and flesh were almost stuck together.

    ©¤Be nice to him. He¡¯s in the same ss as you.

    ©¤¡­¡­With me?

    When Shion made eye contact with her, he walked down the corridor again. Somehow, he seemed deted.

    Soliette murmured quietly.

    ©¤He¡¯s probably all better now, right?

    ©¤Probably so.

    ©¤But how did you know about that?

    ©¤You. You¡¯re so cheeky.

    Felix pressed hard on her forehead.

    ©¤Oh, really.

    ©¤It¡¯smon knowledge. It¡¯s rare for someone with leukemia to enroll at Endex¡­¡­ I know his father a little.

    Soliette nced up at Felix.

    He was still staring at the corridor where buzz-cut Shion had left.

    ©¤It¡¯s good if he¡¯s all better. Anyway, do you want to have a sword fight? I think I can win this time.

    ©¤¡­¡­Not yet. Maybe in 10 years.

    ©¤Ha! I feel like I could win if I tried a little more. Come on. Let¡¯s have a duel¡­¡­

    Soliette smiled brightly.

    It was a memory of those days when even the school meals tasted delicious.

    Kkik-

    She turned off the shower.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    She sighed and shook off the water with a towel.

    Could it be that Shion has been nurturing his feelings since then?

    Or was it even before that?

    Of course, it must have been much earlier.

    Since half of his life, from some day when she didn¡¯t know him until now¡­¡­

    She doesn¡¯t know.

    Now, how should she treat Shion?

    Should she just treat him as usual? Or should she show a slightly different side of herself?

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it because of me.¡±

    Soliette murmured quietly.

    His abyss, in the end, was because he couldn¡¯t forget them.

    No.

    Because he didn¡¯t even try to forget.

    Shion had been hurting himself, fearing that he might burden me, that he might be my sorrow. He pushed all his emotions into the abyss.

    She hade to know the secret.

    She knew it too clearly, so she could never go back to the way it was before¡­

    Soliette stepped outside. As she was about to change her clothes as usual, she nced at the floor of her room.

    ¡°¡­Oh! Shion?!¡±

    Shion was lying there.

    He was sprawled out almost in a straight line, clutching something in both hands.

    ¡°Socks?!¡±

    Not just socks. There were bracelets and leather gloves as well.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the problem.

    Cough-! He had vomited blood.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Soliette moved quickly. She bent down and put her ear to his chest.

    Fortunately, his pulse was steady. It was regr.

    He was safe.

    At least, theoretically.

    ¡°Hoo¡­.¡±

    Without realizing it, Soliette was out of breath. Her fingers trembled as much as his heartbeat.

    She did what she could for him.

    She wiped the blood from his mouth and slightly lifted his chin to prevent his airway from being blocked.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Fortunately, there was no more bleeding.

    Shion fell into a peaceful sleep. He breathedfortably.

    ¡°Haah¡­.¡±

    She patted her chest. As she mindlessly relieved, she inadvertently looked at the mirror.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, her brow furrowed.

    There were tears in her eyes.

    It was a very faint trace.

    It was so faint that she couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the moisture left over from the shower or from her eyes.

    However.

    Even that was a question to Soliette.

    She hadn¡¯t shed a tear since they left. Her tear ducts had dried up because she couldn¡¯t cry.

    But now, was it because she was too surprised?

    Or was it the moisture she hadn¡¯t managed to shake off?

    Soliette wiped the droplet from her eye and murmured softly.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    I opened my eyes.

    My forehead was damp.

    No, my whole face was soaked.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    I identified the culprit.

    It was a wet towel.

    No, it wasn¡¯t a wet towel, it was just water.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    I was startled. It was Soliette.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Why? The game console is here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    I had forgotten. When you log out of a two-yer game, you appear in the same space.

    ¡°¡­You scared me. Why did you suddenly copse?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. But this towel-¡±

    ¡°Leave the wet towel for now. You had quite a fever.¡±

    I smiled faintly and sat up.

    ¡°My hair is going to get wet. You should have squeezed it out.¡±

    I wrung out the water. It was almost a waterfall.

    Iy back down and put it on my forehead.

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±

    Soliette eximed as if she had just realized.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you know this?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think to squeeze it because you had a high fever. I¡¯ve know now. But what are these?¡±

    Soliette held out some things.

    They were a bracelet, gloves, and socks.

    ¡°What are those?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You were holding them in your hand, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­.¡±

    I examined them closely.

    ¡°Oh, really? Wait a minute.¡±

    ¡°¡­crazy.¡±

    This is the ¡¸Blink Defense Bracelet¡¹. It¡¯s a bracelet that instantly shortens the distance by about 40~50 cm.

    This is the ¡¸Premium Leather Gloves¡¹. They¡¯re gloves that are said to be incredibly helpful when gripping something.

    The socks are¡­ Soliette¡¯s.

    ¡°So ites out like this.¡±

    I was just trying to memorize the performance, but it seems like the game items have actuallye out.

    I don¡¯t know what the principle is.

    Could it be that this happened because I memorized the ¡®code¡¯ that embodies the item?

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I handed the socks to Soliette first.

    ¡°What¡­ Wait. Aren¡¯t these socks from the game?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. It seems like I got them as a quest reward, so I¡¯ll give them to you.¡±

    I beat around the bush because I didn¡¯t want to exin.

    Then Soliette stared at them.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Why is she treating a mere pair of socks like a precious, valuable item?

    ¡°Half of my level was raised by you. It¡¯s worth receiving.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡±

    Only then did Soliette ept the socks.

    ¡°Try them on.¡±

    It¡¯s strange to say this about mere socks. It¡¯s as if I gave her a pair of luxury shoes.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She put on the socks with a very tense face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    Her eyes, nose, and mouth all widened in surprise.

    The look on her face as she turned the white socks she had put on her feet this way and that was like she had received a real pair of luxury shoes.

    ¡°They¡¯refortable. Really.¡±

    Grrr-!

    That¡¯s when a sound came from Soliette¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She subtly checked my reaction.

    I almostughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry too. Shall we go?¡±

    Soliette nodded quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Outside of the dormitory, it was already morning. There were many seniors.

    They were each stretching, doing morning training, and so on. It was a familiar sight, but there were also many different things.

    It¡¯s a ¡®marketce¡¯.

    There are stalls lined up with meat butchered like in a butcher¡¯s shop, and there are many people selling the grass and fruits they have gathered.

    Self-sufficiency is achieved like this.

    Especially where the line is long¡­ it¡¯s coffee.

    [Terence Cafe]

    The shop looked like a 5~6-year-old child selling lemonade on the street. However, since coffee itself is a rare item here, the seniors were waiting in line.

    -Hey. Have you been to the farm in the mountain?

    -You heard too? La and Kain praised it.

    -Isn¡¯t 300 a bit overkill? It¡¯s two days¡¯ worth of wages.

    -Yeah. It¡¯s expensive. So I¡¯m a little curious. Kain ate that and was out of it for almost three days.

    Achievement points have already be an official currency among them.

    It seems to have developed steadily while doing various things in [Bethune Dungeon].

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, wait. Isn¡¯t that Terence?¡±

    Suddenly, there he is, making coffee at the caf¨¦.

    When I looked at him because his face was familiar, it was ¡®Terence¡¯.

    It¡¯s the guy I met during the first quarter evaluation, whose Spectrum is ¡¸Home¡¹.

    [Terence Cafe]

    Even the name of the cafe was Terence.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yeah. He¡¯s a good guy. He¡¯s doing well.¡±

    I looked at him. Just then, Terence spotted me too. He was busy pouring coffee with both hands and moved only his lips to speak.

    ¡®Shion, who beat Gerkhen!¡¯

    I waved back at him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some food then. To the farm.¡±

    -Just as we were about to leave.

    ©¤©¤Hey!

    A loud voice echoed.

    Everyone in the square was startled and looked in that direction.

    ©¤©¤Attention, everyone!

    It was a statue. A four-foot-tall stone statue.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey. There¡¯s a statue here too?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just one.

    The statues that seemed to be both present and absent outside the dormitory suddenly began to speak the same words.

    ©¤©¤Now. From now on, we will start the formal second quarter test of [narium].

    The statue dered the ¡®second quarter test¡¯ with a strange expression, and all the seniors froze in ce.

    ©¤©¤Ah. Only those who want to participate should participate. Not everyone needs to participate. Because you might die.

    The words that one might die.

    The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

    ©¤©¤It means that the producers can just produce.

    Then, Terence¡¯s voice flowed in faintly.

    ¡°Coffee, I¡¯m still selling coffeeee~¡±

    ©¤©¤But there is a qualification to participate in this test! Those who want to participate in the test should find the ¡®ticket¡¯! The ticket is somewhere in this narium! If you find it and bring it to the destination, it¡¯s 1,000 achievement points!

    1,000 achievement points seemed to be quite a lot of money, the seniors were stirred.

    I earn that much in a day¡¯s business.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s hide and seek! Now, let¡¯s find it! The lucky ones might get an ¡®outing pass¡¯!

    ¡°Outing pass?!¡±

    Someone shouted loudly.

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s right! It¡¯s an outing pass that allows you to go home and rest for three nights and four days.

    ¡°But if you go down to the continent, you can¡¯t earn achievement points.¡±

    ©¤©¤Ahem! Since it¡¯s a legal outing, appropriate achievement points will be given!

    ¡°Wah! Where! In the forest?!¡±

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s right! It¡¯s somewhere in this narium!

    Then, there was amotion. Nearly 2,000 seniors rushed out of the dormitory and ran in all directions.

    Someone was flying using magic, someone was advancing by raising a golem, and such scenes were spectacr.

    Soliette asked calmly.

    ¡°Shion. What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Oh, do you want some coffee?¡±

    Thanks to that, the cafe was deserted.

    ¡°Ah. Coffee. That sounds good.¡±

    Soliette gave a faint smile.

    I approached Terence, who had finished his day¡¯s business.

    ¡°This is crazy¡­ Why is business like this today.¡±

    ¡°Terence. Long time no see?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Shion, who beat Gerkhen. Long time no see.¡±

    ¡°Stop using that old nickname. Just call me Shion.¡±

    Terenceughed heartily.

    ¡°Sure. What would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have an Americano. Soliette, you?¡±

    ¡°I would also like an Americano.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that? Two cups, please.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay!¡±

    Terence served the coffee he had prepared in advance.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be 20 achievement points.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I was about to tag my student ID on Terence¡¯s when Soliette cut in.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay.¡±

    She hurriedly said, tagging her student ID.

    Beep-

    -20 AP was deducted from Soliette¡¯s student ID.

    ¡°¡­Uh, thanks.¡±

    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You two seem close. Soliette and Shion.¡±

    Terence looked at us, or rather, at me, with a hint of envy.

    ¡°Well¡­ Terence. Where did you get these beans?¡±

    ¡°They were at the ¡¸home¡¹. You know what I mean, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    It means he got them from his Spectrum.

    ¡°Strangely, the beans don¡¯t go bad.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Souls don¡¯t eat beans. They don¡¯t drink coffee at all. They only drink in water.

    You don¡¯t see anyone offering c on the ancestral rites table, do you?

    ¡°But I¡¯m running out of beans now. It¡¯s getting hard to do business because of the annoying customers¡­¡±

    ¡°Annoying customers?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Those who bring their huge tumblers and ask to fill them up. You know, those slightly delinquent types. The tough ones.¡±

    I crossed my arms.

    Beans.

    Come to think of it, there are coffee trees at the [Ascal Farm]. Thanks to Gerkhen who really brought everything.

    ¡°Hey Terence. Want to enter a supply contract? Like a franchise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Franchise?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll provide much tastier coffee beans. And for protection¡­¡±

    Not only Endex, but a protector who can fend off all the nuisances of all other magic high schools.

    One persones to mind.

    ¡°Kain. I¡¯ll attach Kain.¡±

    Terence¡¯s eyes widened as big as baseballs.

    ¡°Really?! Ka, Kain will protect me?¡±

    I just need to give Kain a few coupons for free use of the farm, no, discount coupons.

    ¡°He won¡¯t be on constant guard. But if he shows his face, the nuisances won¡¯t be able to act up. If they do, you canin to Kain.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Just give me 30%.¡±

    His beaming face hardened a little. I chuckled.

    ¡°But raise the price. The beans I¡¯ll supply will be of much higher quality.¡±

    Caffeine is addictive. Good beans are all the more addictive.

    Thinking about it, Gerkhen didn¡¯t bring tobo seeds and coffee trees for nothing. You can sell more by getting them addicted.

    He¡¯s a real politician.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it! Should I write a contract?¡±

    Terence said with a determined face.

    ¡°Oh~ You¡¯re proactive.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Those annoying bastards were really fuking annoying!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The curse words spewing from the innocent and cute face of Terence, well, they must represent the difficulty of running a business.

    ¡°Fucking bastards. Shitheads. Crazy motherfuckers.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, calm down.¡±

 Chapter 155: Test (2)

    <strong>Test (2)</strong>

    The forest of [narium].

    I¡¯m walking with Soliette, sipping coffee.

    ¡°Where do you think the ticket is, Shion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ isn¡¯t working either. Well, achievement points aren¡¯t exactly treasure.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been scattering my senses around.¡±

    ¡°I see. Show me.¡±

    Soliette has been in Magic Body activation mode since earlier. So, it¡¯s hot being next to her. It feels like an egg or potato could cook if ced near her.

    Gurgle©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gurgle©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Perhaps due to that, her stomach growls are even louder.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t it sound like two wild boars just appeared somewhere?¡±

    I was joking.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion thinks so too? I thought I saw them as well.¡±

    Somehow, this doesn¡¯t seem like a joke.

    In the meantime, we arrived at the farm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and think¡­¡­ What¡¯s this?¡±

    I looked at the sign of the [Ascal Farm]. There was a reservation board hanging on the corner that wasn¡¯t there before.

    ¡°It looks like a reservation board. Someone must have made it and left.¡±

    On the paper drawn on the corkboard is my face. Names are listed below it.

    It seems like La did this on her own.

    Surely, La is the first in the reservation order.

    [Ascal Farm Reservation Board!!]

    [It would be nice if the owner wrote the business hours here!! When do you make money if you¡¯re always off?!! When do we eat?!!]

    [If you don¡¯t follow the reservation order, there will be a big problem!! << Seriously!!! << Real fact!!]

    [1. La]

    [2. Kain]

    [3. Asher]

    [4. Mel]

    [5. Elise]

    When did Elisee and go?

    I opened the farm gate. But there was a person lying on the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, you startled me.¡±

    It was Gerkhen.

    ¡°What are you doing? I thought you were a corpse.¡±

    Like arva in a sleeping bag. He sluggishly got up, looking at me. I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Are you trespassing?¡±

    ¡°You seem to have forgotten. I have a stake here. 10%.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, right.¡±

    I stood in the kitchen of the farm. I turned on the faucet that Grawl had installed. As I washed my hands in the running water, I asked.

    ¡°Hey Gerkhen. Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Gerkhen quickly shook his head as if he had been waiting for this.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll make something.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Do I have to pay?¡±

    ¡°No. You have a stake, and Soliette is a party member, so it¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°No, I will pay. I¡¯ve received too much from Shion already.¡±

    Soliette quickly waved her hand.

    ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s 300AP.¡±

    She¡¯s strangely stubborn about things like this. There¡¯s no need to try to persuade her unnecessarily.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say thank you for letting them pay.

    I opened Gerkhen¡¯s refrigerator. There was quite a lot ofrge meat inside.

    ¡°Oh. You¡¯ve stocked up on meat?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen silently clenched his jaw.

    I¡¯m so good at this job ¨C what a face.

    ¡°Right. If you keep the ingredients stocked, I¡¯ll keep cooking for free-¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He¡¯s very quick to respond when it benefits him.

    ¡­¡­

    Salmon sd. Mushroom soup. Wild boar tomahawk steak. Mango ice cream.

    We indulged in four generous dishes.

    ¡°Shion. It was really delicious.¡±

    Soliette ced her hand on her belly with a satisfied face. Gerkhen was still savoring the mango ice cream.

    How long is he going to eat that one thing?

    ¡°Shall we go find the ticket now?¡±

    I got up. Then, Gerkhen ced a ticket on the desk.

    ¡°Consider it the cost of the meal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?!¡±

    I quickly reached out and picked up the ticket. It was no ordinary ticket. For starters, its size was almost like two cellphones put together.

    ¡°Where did you find it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then Soliette suddenly rummaged through her belongings. It seemed like she was looking for something to give.

    ¡°I found it luckily here and there.¡±

    He spoke modestly, but he probably found it using ¡¸Scrying Perception¡¹.

    I carefully examined the ticket.

    It looked more like a small map than a ticket. The surrounding radius was marked, and a green dot in the center was twinkling.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a map?¡±

    ¡°It seems so. The green dot represents the location of the person holding the ticket. If you move with the ticket, the disyed map also moves ordingly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen, who was exining smoothly, left me speechless.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t free for nothing. From here on, you can¡¯t figure it out alone, so let¡¯s find it together, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He shuts up when it¡¯s not in his favor.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not a loss for me; if it¡¯s beneficial, it¡¯s a gain.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will really try my best.¡±

    Soliette, who apparently had nothing to give, widened her eyes. She stared hard at the ticket.

    I also pondered while looking at the ticket.

    ¡°¡­¡­Map.¡±

    Ticket.

    Map and ticket.

    Map inside the ticket.

    Just as the three of us were concentrating as if using some superpower.

    A red dot appeared at the edge of the map.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Soliette raised her hand, letting out a sigh of relief as if she had aplished something.

    ¡°Shion. I think I found it. When I focus my magic on the pupil, I see a red dot.¡±

    ¡°I see it too. It just seems to have appeared.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    The red dot seemed to be approaching us. It blinked threateningly.

    I followed the movement of the dot.

    Suddenly, the words of the stone statue this morning came to mind.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a game of hide and seek! Now, let¡¯s find it! The lucky ones might even get an ¡®exit pass¡¯!

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡±

    I rewound part of the stone statue¡¯s words.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a game of hide and seek!

    ¡°Stone statue. You said it¡¯s a game of hide and seek, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what it said. It¡¯s a game of hide and seek.¡±

    Soliette chimed in.

    The red dot and hide and seek.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a game of hide and seek!

    ¡°Hide and seek¡­¡­¡±

    Hide and seek.

    The red dot slowly approaching.

    The seeker.

    ¡°¡­¡­This.¡±

    I held up the ticket.

    If the goal was to find the ticket itself, it would have been a treasure hunt, not hide and seek.

    ¡°It seems to be chasing the ticket.¡±

    Then, this red dot is not simply getting closer.

    It¡¯s pursuing us.

    ¡°Hey, Gerkhen. If you have this ticket, that is, just having it means¡­¡±

    ¡°©¤You¡¯re participating in the test.¡±

    Gerkhen finished my sentence for me. I nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Right. So, it seems like if you have this ticket, you¡¯re being chased by ¡®it¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡®Destination¡¯ must be a ce you can enter with this ticket. It means you¡¯re safe once you find that ce.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Gerkhen and Ipleted the hypothesis together.

    Soliette muttered in a base tone.

    ¡°I should also get a ticket soon.¡±

    ¡°But who is ¡®it¡¯?¡±

    I looked outside the vinyl house.

    If ¡®it¡¯ is easy, we should be able to handle it to some extent.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s see.¡±

    I slightly opened the farm door.

    The location of the red dot marked on the map. I activated the SZX-9500 while looking in that direction.

    Zzzzzzzz©¤©¤.

    The view stretched out in an instant.

    Passing through the grass, trees, and squirrels in the forest.

    Some entity moving forward with a creaking sound was detected.

    ¡°¡­¡­What.¡±

    I was taken aback.

    Is that it?

    ¡°What is it, Shion?¡±

    A ck full-te-mail wrapped in chains. A knight gripping a sword in one hand, covered in armor from head to toe.

    ¡°Soliette. You know ¡®Death¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°¡®Death¡¯?¡±

    The Knight of Death.

    ¡°Death Knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­We usually don¡¯t shorten it to ¡®Death¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move for now. We¡¯re in big trouble if we get caught.¡±

    The monster-ss beast, Death Knight, is definitely not a beast to deal with at the senior level. The farm could be destroyed for no reason.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. To y hide and seek¡­¡­. But before that.¡±

    I took out my bag.

    ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s take all the food here.¡±

    * * *

    We ran through the mountains of [narium].

    ¡°Keep looking at the ticket while running.¡±

    But it¡¯s meaningless to just keep running. The red dot is still pursuing us, so we need to find the ¡®destination¡¯ quickly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see the ticket. I can¡¯t see it.¡±

    Soliette, the only one without a ticket, responded anxiously.

    Anyway, while Gerkhen and I were running, looking at the ticket.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait.¡±

    Suddenly, something caught my eye.

    I stopped in the rocky area. Gerkhen and Soliette also stopped.

    ¡°Hey. This is the ticket.¡±

    While leaning my hand on the huge rock, I flicked the ticket.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it somewhat translucent?¡±

    Then Soliette muttered while looking around the terrain.

    ¡°Ticket¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen. Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I didn¡¯t notice when I was in the farm, but outside in the sunlight, slightly translucent parts are revealed.

    ¡°Give me your ticket.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I took Gerkhen¡¯s ticket.

    I oveid that ticket on top of my ticket.

    ¡°¡­¡­As I thought.¡±

    I pped my hands.

    ¡°Here. I found it.¡±

    ¡°Where? Show me too.¡±

    Soliette and Gerkhen peered in.

    When two tickets ovep at the exact same location, a specific part of the map is marked with an ¡®X¡¯.

    ¡°So it is.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. There¡¯s more than one.¡±

    To be precise, there are four.

    ¡°We should go to the closest one. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I just nodded, and suddenly, the eyes of Soliette and Gerkhen widened.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    They stepped back, looking at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sh, Shion. Your head. On your head¡­.¡±

    I looked up.

    There¡¯s nothing there.

    ¡°It¡¯s your scalp, your scalp.¡±

    ¡°Scalp?¡±

    I pulled out my smartphone from my pocket. I looked above my head in selfie mode.

    ¡°¡­What is this.¡±

    A tree trunk had grown on my scalp.

    Upon closer inspection, it was hair.

    My hair had grown like a tree trunk¡­ and was bearing some sort of ¡®fruit¡¯.

    Thud-

    A fruit fell from the end of the trunk. My hair returned to its original state.

    ¡°¡­Ah. So that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    It must be the ¡¸Enchantment: Good Fruitful Body¡¹. An enchantment I brought from [Bethune].

    ¡°What are you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it really Shion?¡±

    Thanks to that, Soliette and Gerkhen suddenly doubted me.

    Especially Soliette, who bit her lip with a base expression.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ ¡®The Abyss¡¯?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about. I¡¯m Shion¡­ Oh shit!¡±

    I casually looked at the ticket and was startled.

    The red dot was rapidly approaching. As if it had teleported.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤!

    An ominous vibration rang out.

    I quickly turned around.

    ¡­Clink!

    The rattling of chains. The resonance of the fading magic was on a different level from other monsters.

    It¡¯s a Death Knight.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Whoosh©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Something like a scythe flew and cut the rock like tofu.

    We ducked and ran. I even rolled the dice.

    [2]

    Added to Agility!

    Whooshhhhh©¤©¤©¤!

    The destination is the ¡®X¡¯ marked on the ticket. We ran as fast as we could, and the Death Knight pursued us fiercely.

    Is it that fast when it detects an enemy with its naked eye? It¡¯s too good at ying tag.

    ¡°There it is!¡±

    The location marked on the ticket¡¯s map.

    Between the bushes in the mountains, a door was cleverly hidden.

    We barely made it. We quickly opened the door and rushed in.

    ¡°I thought I was going to die.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The three of us exhaled heavily.

    ¡°Shion. Are you okay?¡±

    Soliette asked.

    ¡°Yeah. For now.¡±

    I tried to calm my heart and close the door, but something was wrong.

    It wouldn¡¯t close.

    It didn¡¯t budge at all.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this. Why is it like this. Hey, this won¡¯t close!¡±

    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be!¡±

    Soliette grabbed the doorknob. No matter how much she pulled, it didn¡¯t move.

    Roarrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    Beyond the horizon, the Death Knight wasing, scattering a crimson aura. A persistent pursuer.

    In that urgent situation, I suddenly looked above the door.

    I found some numbers written there.

    [2]

    2.

    2 people.

    Only 2 people.

    It wouldn¡¯t close because three people had entered.

    ¡°Grrrr¡­!¡±

    I looked at Soliette in front of me, her red hair tied up, struggling to close the door with the knob clenched in her hand.

    ¡°¡­Soliette.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Trust me. I¡¯ll close it!¡±

    Soliette was trying to pull the door closed, even activating her Magic Body.

    It was about to break.

    I put my hand on her back.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it. You¡¯re fine because you don¡¯t have a ticket.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m fine¡­ Ah?¡±

    Soliette, who seemed to have realized something, turned to look at me.

    ¡°Take a break outside.¡±

    I¡¯ll handle this.

    ¡°¡­Wait, wait-¡±

    I pushed her back hard.

    Very hard.

    Losing her bnce, Soliette fell forward, and bang-!

    The door closed on its own.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    I turned around, wiping my sweat.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen was standing there.

    His subtle eyes were somehow piercing.

    ¡°People without tickets are safer outside. You know that.¡±

    ¡°I know. I would have done the same if I were you.¡±

    See? Even Gerkhen agrees.

    I looked around the interior.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, is there?¡±

    It¡¯s a very small cave. A cave that would be packed with 4-5 people.

    That¡¯s it.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be the destination.¡±

    After all, the door opens even without a ticket. It¡¯s just a hideout where you can catch your breath.

    ¡°No. There¡¯s a passage over there.¡±

    Gerkhen pointed somewhere.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    There was a hole-like passage.

    As I approached to look inside.

    Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump©¤©¤©¤!

    The sound of knocking on the door echoed from outside.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a surprise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen was also taken aback.

    We silently looked at the door.

    ¡°Well¡­ nothing will-¡±

    Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Watching that inexplicable phenomenon quietly, I spoke to Gerkhen first.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Death Knight, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gerkhen nodded.

    ¡°Yes. It must be the Death Knight.¡±

    Soliette couldn¡¯t be like that.

    ¡­Let¡¯s think that way for now.

 Chapter 156: Test (3)

    <strong>Test (3)</strong>

    ¡°It¡¯s quiet now.¡±

    Inside the hideout, silence had fallen.

    At Gerkhen¡¯s words, I yawned and nodded.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°How much time is left?¡±

    I looked at the ticket.

    [10:53]

    A timer is disyed on the ticket like this. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s roughly the maximum time we can stay in this hideout.

    ¡°About 10 minutes. Yawn¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Is it the bacsh from the ¡®Dice Roll¡¯? I¡¯m quite sleepy.

    By the way, the dice in reality are ordinary, unlike the [Bethune Dungeon]. It¡¯s a cube that only shows numbers from 1 to 6.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I took out a fruit from my pocket.

    A fruit that grew from my head. I wonder if eating this will recover my fatigue.

    ¡°What about the Death Knight?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s gone far.¡±

    The pounding, screaming fists that were pounding away had disappeared about 5 minutes ago.

    ¡°It seems the Death Knight has given up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Should we open it?¡±

    Gerkhen grabbed the doorknob.

    Creak-creak-

    Creak-creak-

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I approached him. Gerkhen slightly furrowed his brow.

    ¡°It won¡¯t open.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    He gripped the doorknob.

    Creak-creak-! Creak-creak-!

    Just a moment ago, it wouldn¡¯t close, but now it won¡¯t open.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Did Soliette block it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The Death Knight.¡±

    Gerkhen corrected my mistake.

    ¡°Ah. The Death Knight blocked it.¡± (to protect Soliette¡¯s Dignity)

    ¡°It¡¯s probably just not opening.¡±

    He pointed to the passage in the corner of the hideout.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, okay.¡±

    It¡¯s almost like a mouse hole, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any other way.

    The two of us went in.

    The passage itself was too narrow for two people to walk side by side, and it was very dark.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    I drew a ¡®Card¡¯.

    Shriek-

    The first one was a dud, but the second one was drawn correctly.

    It¡¯s a ¡®shlight¡¯.

    The card emitting a sh illuminated the entire passage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We walked for about 5 minutes.

    A door appeared at the end of the passage.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    [2]

    The same number 2. But there was a different sign underneath.

    [Rest Area]

    ¡°Rest area?¡±

    Gerkhen grabbed the doorknob.

    ¡°This door seems to open.¡±

    ¡°Is there a separate entrance and exit? But, wait a moment.¡±

    I looked at the ticket.

    [03:15]

    ¡°There¡¯s only 3 minutes left, you know? Let¡¯s wait until the time is up.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    We waited in front of the door.

    Click-!

    When the 3 minutes were up, the door automatically opened. Outside was still the [narium].

    ¡°Ah, as expected. It seems that you can only use the same hideout once per ticket.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it.¡±

    I held up the ticket.

    The red dot that had moved a reasonable distance, as soon as we came out, changed its course towards us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to another X mark for now.¡±

    Gerkhen nodded.

    It¡¯s a bit empty without Soliette next to us, but well. We can¡¯t do anything until she finds a ticket.

    Because of the damn Death Knight, it might be more convenient not to have a ticket.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    * * *

    Gerkhen and I looked at all the X-marked on the tickets.

    [5]

    [Empty Lot]

    An empty lot where up to five people can stay for an hour. It was truly an empty lot, and the Death Knight couldn¡¯t step foot in it.

    [7]

    [Store]

    A store where seven people can stay for two hours. It looked like an ordinary convenience store, but it was already full with seven people, so we couldn¡¯t enter.

    [25]

    [Bank]

    A bank where 25 people can stay for three hours.

    It was a decent-sized bank, but the remaining time was too long, so we left halfway through.

    ¡°We¡¯re just being chased around. Is enduring the test?¡±

    ¡°Could be.¡±

    Thanks to that, we were chased around in [narium] for almost half a day.

    ¡°How many hours can you endure with a ticket? It¡¯s a sufficient test.¡±

    At Gerkhen¡¯s words, I nodded.

    Then, something caught my eye in the distance.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    With a sigh of relief, I smiled.

    ¡°Hey. That looks like we¡¯ve found the right ce?¡±

    [300]

    [Cave]

    Maximum entry of 300 people.

    A cave.

    ¡°Shall we go in?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    We both went in. As soon as we stepped in, we both looked at our tickets.

    [3 : 00 : 00]

    ¡°What? We only have 3 hours here?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡±

    If it¡¯s 300 people, there should be a lot.

    We walked in. The cave, which was only twones at first, widened as we went in, almost bing a park.

    ¡°¡­What is this ce.¡±

    I pulled out a ¡¸Card¡¹ again and lit up the surroundings with a shlight.

    It was an empty space with nothing, just vast.

    ©¤Who¡¯s there!

    Just then, a voice echoed. It seemed to have caught the light.

    It was a familiar tone. The echo was elevated due to the cave, but it was La.

    I stopped the card operation for now and walked towards where the voice came from.

    ¡°¡­There are a lot of people over there.¡±

    There were almost 200~300 people there.

    ¡°Oh. What? Is that Shion? Gerkhen is here too?¡±

    Among them, La blinked her eyes at us.

    ¡°Are you two in a party?¡±

    I asked first.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cave. 300 of us are resting here. Hey Shion! But when are you opening your farm?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll open it after this test.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah~ Hey, you saw the reservation, right?! I¡¯m the first one!! If there¡¯s someone going before me, don¡¯t let them go!!¡±

    ¡°I got it, I got it.¡±

    I looked around. Most of the seniors had extremely tired faces.

    ¡°Have you guys just been chased around?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There were a lot of monsters. Duhan, Death Knight, Amarok¡­ Phew! I almost died!¡± (Amarok is a giant wolf-like creature)

    Just then.

    At the entrance of the cave, another person appeared.

    Thud-!

    A footstep that seemed deliberately loud.

    La turned to look, and I felt a strange heat in my chest.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Soliette!¡±

    Soliette.

    She was tightly clutching a ticket in one hand, but her body was covered in mud, indicating that quite a lot had happened.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s full with 300 people!

    At that moment, a strange sound echoed from the ceiling of the cave.

    Thank goodness.

    ©¤©¤Good!

    I looked up. The cave ceiling writhed like a human face.

    ©¤©¤First, take that ticket and find [A ce of Starvation]!

    It was the same voice as the stone statue in the dormitory this morning.

    La furrowed her brow.

    ¡°A ce of Starvation?¡±

    ©¤©¤Yes! You can use the ticket at [A ce of Starvation]!

    I cleared my throat and got up. I approached Soliette. As soon as I sat down, she lifted her buttocks and fled to the side.

    I followed her.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette kept her mouth shut. She lifted her buttocks again and fled to the side.

    I followed her once more.

    Then, our hands slightly touched.

    ¡°!¡±

    Soliette reacted unusually.

    ¡°Why, why are you touching me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    Only then did Soliette let out a sigh with a slightly softened face.

    ¡°¡­¡­I understand. I understand, but I¡¯m just a little angry.¡±

    ¡°The Death Knight didn¡¯t even care about you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the ticket?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I happened to meet a senior who was giving up. I took it instead.¡±

    ¡°No©¤©¤©¤¡±

    La, scratching her hair, abruptly stood up.

    ¡°A ce of starvation. A ce of starvation¡­¡­.¡±

    She kept mumbling, ¡°A ce of starvation, a ce of starvation,¡± furrowing her brow.

    ¡°Ah~ Where could a ce of starvation be. It can¡¯t be the market¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    At that moment, my ears perked up.

    Market.

    Market smell.

    It seems like it¡¯s the market?

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I cautiously looked around.

    Still, nobody seemed to suspect much.

    I tapped Soliette¡¯s shoulder and got up from my seat.

    ¡°?¡±

    She looked puzzled, but followed me quietly when I gestured.

    ¡°What¡¯s up. Where is Shion going?¡±

    ¡°To the restroom.¡±

    ¡°Really? Soliette too?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    La giggled with a curious face.

    ¡°¡­¡­What about you, Gerkhen?

    Before I knew it, Gerkhen was also behind me.

    ¡°Restroom.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Gerkhen.

    Nearly 300 seniors were subtly getting up from their seats, showing signs of leaving the cave.

    La chuckled.

    ¡°Why are you guys going all together? Ah~ Are you guys thinking about the market? It¡¯s not the market~ Definitely not~ Well, there is a saying about the market smell¡­¡­.¡±

    La¡¯s words stopped.

    Her lips closed tight.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡­ market smell¡­¡­ market¡­¡­ A ce of starvation¡­¡­.¡±

    She was the first to guess the answer, and she waste to assemble the puzzle while only looking at her own finger.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    La¡¯s pupils shook violently.

    In an instant, nearly all of the 300 people moved hurriedly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah! No!¡±

    La let out a scream of defeat.

    ¡°No! You can¡¯t! Don¡¯t go! I was the one who figured it out!¡±

    Clutching at the hems of the running seniors¡¯ clothes, she cried out.

    ¡°No! If you¡¯re going, take me with you! Take me with you! I don¡¯t know where the market is, where is the market©¤©¤©¤!!¡±

    * * *

    A ce of Starvation.

    The market.

    [50]

    [Market]

    We arrived there, but there was a problem.

    ©¤It¡¯s full here!

    ©¤There¡¯s no ce for you, go back.

    Already filled with 50 people.

    I looked at the ticket again. There was another red dot nearby.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Somewhere else?¡±

    Soliette asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°There must be another market. Surely it¡¯s not the only one.¡±

    ¡°Ri, right. Surely it¡¯s not the only one~?¡±

    La had joined our party in surprise.

    She was just running and ended up sticking to our tails.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split into teams of two.¡±

    I drew a ¡¸card¡¹. I gave one to Gerkhen, and I kept the other.

    ¡°Gerkhen and La are a team. Soliette and I are a team.¡±

    ¡°With me¡­¡­ Shion?¡±

    Soliette nced at me suddenly.

    ¡°Yeah. Why. Don¡¯t you like it?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it-¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t betray you now. And what¡¯s the betrayal. I gave youfort.¡±

    ¡°What? Gave mefort?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes narrowed again.

    ¡°Anyway. If you find the market first, write on that card. It¡¯s connected. If possible, keep a ce for us.¡±

    I told Gerkhen.

    By the way, this card is like a shared notebook. If you write on one side, the same text appears on the other side.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Gerkhen took the card. La looked at it with curiosity.

    ¡°Really? Shion has interesting things¡­¡­ I want to analyze it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s night now, so it¡¯s really dangerous. As much as possible, hide until the end of the night.¡±

    This is sincere advice. The night of [narium] is, frankly, as dangerous as the underworld.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up. The red dot is right nearby.¡±

    We separated. Gerkhen and La went to the right, Soliette and I to the left.

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one enemy.¡±

    It¡¯s not that. Now, the red dots on the ticket are countless.

    The dot that was only one Death Knight, is now rushing towards us from almost all directions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t abandon me this time.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d abandon you twice in one day?¡±

    I ran towards the X on the ticket.

    First, I tried to find a ce to stay up all night¡­¡­

    [4]

    [Boat]

    [6: 00 : 00]

    A harbor reached by chance.

    A pier ced in the middle of a mountain.

    There was a single boat left there.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a boat.¡±

    And it¡¯s for 6 hours.

    ¡°Yes. But, is this a river?¡±

    narium is clearly a mountain, but that¡¯s just ¡®on the surface¡¯. This is a space not bound by geography.

    ¡°It¡¯s the sea. The sea of souls.¡±

    So sometimes ces like thise out. A sea with a mysterious and enchanting view.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on here first.¡±

    I got on the boat first. It was a boat that couldfortably amodate 4 people, perfect for spending a day.

    ¡°Is it okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The sea of [narium] is safe.¡±

    The usual sea on the continent is filled with unknowns, fear, horror, and deep sea, but [narium] is rather the opposite.

    The sea here is the safest ce, melted with only the positive parts of the soul.

    ¡°Get on quickly.¡±

    Red dots are rushing in from behind in an enormous amount. Like a horde of zombies.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Only then did Soliette get on the boat.

    ¡°Do you know how to drive?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    As soon as I sat in the driver¡¯s seat, I stepped on the elerator.

    Vroooom©¤©¤©¤!

    The boat swept through the water and moved forward. Soliette was shaken for a moment, but soon regained her bnce.

    Vroooom©¤©¤©¤©¤

    The vast sea of souls, rushing through on a boat. The vast expanse of it.

    There, I stopped.

    I stopped inadvertently.

    ¡°¡­¡­The view is nice.¡±

    The view was too good.

    So good that it¡¯s hard to express with any word meaning ¡®good¡¯.

    The color reflecting vast and holding blue, purple, white, and green. A mesmerizing scene like a decaania that also holds the appearance of the sky on the water surface.

    This ce, where even the wind is dyed in rainbow colors in the multicolored splendor¡­ truly fits the description of ¡®fantastic¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    I looked back at Soliette. She had a simr face to mine, but suddenly she slightly turned her eyes towards me.

    Our eyes met that way.

    She was the first to be surprised and withdrew her gaze, and I awkwardly looked back at the sea.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A short silence flowed a bit awkwardly.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ Shion.¡±

    Afterwards, Soliette quietly called my name. Still keeping her eyes down.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something, I want to ask.¡±

    ¡°What is it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    There was no answer.

    No matter how long I waited, the next part didn¡¯t continue.

    Is she contemting?

    What does she want to say?

    I looked back at her and said.

    ¡°What. Say it. Before I throw you into the sea.¡±

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    She seemed to have made up her mind and looked up at me. I smiled quite leisurely.

    ¡°Why-¡±

    ¡°Do you like me, Shion?¡±

    A voice that formed a sentence in a moment.

    Words that flowed without hindrance.

    Her words made me speechless, and the leisure at the corner of my mouth disappeared.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­.

    A quiet current urred. The colored wind shook her hair. Small waves sshed on us.

    I looked into her eyes.

    For a moment©¤©¤

    No.

    For quite a long time.

    I just looked into those clear eyes.

 Chapter 157: Test (4)

    <strong>Test (4)</strong>

    ¡°Do you like me, Shion?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s voice, carried by the moist wind, echoed over the waves of the sea. I watched her from a distance, lost in the scenery.

    I hesitated for a moment.

    Why would Soliette say something like this?

    What led her to harbor such thoughts?

    Scratch-

    Suddenly, a scratching sound echoed from my pocket.

    It was a signal from Gerkhen and La.

    ¡°Just a moment.¡±

    I pulled out the card.

    [We found another market, but there are already 48 people there. Sorry, if we enter, it will be full at 50]

    A hastily written message, implying they should handle it themselves.

    Clearly La¡¯s work.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve been betrayed?¡±

    I chuckled dryly, showing her the card.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    But Soliette¡¯s face didn¡¯t waver. She continued to gaze up at me with steady eyes.

    ¡°Shion. You¡¯re avoiding the question.¡±

    Her eyes were clear, refusing the change in subject.

    I scratched the back of my neck and put the card back in my pocket.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking too, Shion.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s voice was breathy.

    ¡°From the beginning, you approached me as if you knew me. You knew what I needed, what Icked, everything.¡±

    Her lips moved steadily, slightly trembling.

    ¡°¡­¡­As if you¡¯ve been watching me for a very long time.¡±

    She said, her expression shy and drawn out.

    I gave a bitterugh.

    For a moment, I contemted.

    Should I confess honestly?

    Even if I reveal my biggest secret¡ªthe fact of my regression¡ªwouldn¡¯t the current Soliette believe me?

    Wouldn¡¯t she understand me?

    ¡­¡­But.

    Belief and empathy are always separate.

    Soliette and I, we started from different points.

    Even if she could believe me, if any rtionship is built on that premise, it would be no different from before.

    A rtionship built on sympathy,passion, pity.

    That¡¯s what we were in the past.

    I don¡¯t want to repeat that mistake.

    So now, perhaps a different kind of honesty is needed.

    At least, that¡¯s what I think¡­¡­.

    ¡°Yeah. I did like you. A lot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    When I confessed my feelings honestly, colors swirled in Soliette¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Quite a lot.¡±

    She inhaled sharply. Her tightly clenched hands trembled.

    I¡¯m not sure.

    Is it because of this sea of souls? Is it the prism-like spreading wind and sea that resonates with my heart?

    ¡°¡­¡­And.¡±

    I looked down at her.

    Things that have been frustrating, even though I¡¯ve understood them until now.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about you as much as you¡¯ve thought about them.¡±

    Words I would never have said under normal circumstances.

    I poured them out to her.

    ¡°If anything, I¡¯ve thought about you more, never less.¡±

    I loved the Soliette before the regression.

    Soliette pitied me, but I also feltpassion for her.

    Loss.

    That sorrow isn¡¯t only yours.

    Mypassion turned into love, while your pity remained just that.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette froze. It seemed like even her breath had stopped. Her face, looking up at me, was as stiff as wax.

    ¡°¡­¡­But.¡±

    I gave a small smile and shook my head.

    ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    Unrequited love.

    It gets tiring if it goes on for too long.

    Of course, I might still like her.

    Deep down, I might be fighting the desire to be with her.

    But, the Soliette I¡¯m referring to isn¡¯t the one standing here.

    The Soliette I loved was the one before the regression.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Soliette asked in a whisper.

    I gave a bitter smile and nodded.

    ¡°Yeah. If you like someone too much, for too long, therees a point when giving up bes easier.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    For the first time, Soliette lowered her head. Unable to meet my gaze, she bit her lip. I looked at the scenery instead of her. We stayed quiet for a while on the colorful boat in the sea.

    ¡­Beep-

    Suddenly, a sound rang out from my pocket.

    I pulled out the card again. Something was written on it.

    [Help!!!]

    It was La¡¯s handwriting again.

    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡±

    Didn¡¯t she betray us just 10 minutes ago?

    [The thing about finding a market was a joke, you know? We would never betray you!!]

    [So please save us!!!]

    Something seems to have happened in the meantime.

    Although it¡¯s annoying, we desperately need a change of topic right now, given the awkwardness between us.

    I replied to the card.

    [I¡¯ll send you the coordinates,e here]

    ¡°La contacted me.¡±

    I showed the card to Soliette.

    ¡°Do you want to go together?¡±

    Soliette nodded slightly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The corners of her eyes drooped as she responded.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤©¤30 minutes ago.

    [Market]

    [50]

    Gerkhen and La found a second market. A magical barrier surrounded the rectangr area like a fence, and the entrance was engraved with the number [50].

    ¡°Found it. Let¡¯s go in!¡±

    As La pulled Gerkhen towards the entrance, the seniors inside the market recognized them first.

    ©¤Oh? It¡¯s La and Gerkhen.

    ¡°Yep! You know me~? What¡¯s your name?¡±

    La greeted them cheerfully. The senior smiled back at her.

    ©¤It¡¯s Elling.

    ¡°Elling! How many people are there?¡±

    ©¤There¡¯s exactly room for two more. It¡¯s filled up to 48.

    ¡°¡­¡­48?¡±

    ©¤Yeah. It¡¯s over when you twoe in.

    Filled up to 48¡­¡­. La muttered quietly and nced at Gerkhen. He was still expressionless.

    ¡°¡­¡­48.¡±

    La repeated in a whisper.

    The agreement between Shion¡¯s team and theirs was to secure ¡®4 spots¡¯ as soon as they found a market.

    They have to find another market since this one is filled up to 48¡­¡­.

    However.

    La looked at her ticket. The number of red dots chasing her had increased significantly.

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two. Whether it was increasing over time or not, it was almost 30 now.

    ¡°Gerk.¡±

    La called Gerkhen. He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Gerk! Gerk!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Gerk, Gerk!¡±

    ¡°Why is he like this? Why did he suddenly freeze? Is he worrying like me?¡±

    ¡°Gerk! Gerk! Gerk!¡±

    She kept calling, but there was no response.

    Frowning, La tugged at Gerkhen¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Gerk?¡±

    Only then did Gerkhen turn to look at her.

    ¡°¡­Are you calling me?¡±

    ¡°Who else would it be?¡±

    ¡°I thought you were imitating a frog.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about! Stop joking around!¡±

    ¡°You keep ribbiting-¡±

    ¡°Gerk. We need to be serious now.¡±

    La¡¯s voice settled calmly. Gerkhen looked at her expressionlessly.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to make a decision. We need to think rationally about just the two of us.¡±

    Her words were stretched out, but it meant they should just go in, even without Soliette and Shion.

    ¡°Soliette and Shion will find another market. They¡¯re so capable. So¡­ let¡¯s part ways with them here.¡±

    La struggled to say the words.

    Gerkhen didn¡¯t answer, seemingly deep in thought.

    ¡°I get it. I understand how you feel. But! Give me that card.¡±

    La reached out her hand to Gerkhen. Gerkhen willingly handed over the card.

    La scribbled a sentence on it.

    [We found another market but there are already 48 people there, sorry. If we enter, it will be full with 50]

    ¡°Done. This isn¡¯t a cowardly stab in the back, but a fair punch in the face. There¡¯s nothing we can do now.¡±

    Like a president making a national decision, her expression was filled with dignity and determination.

    ¡°The die is cast¡­¡±

    With a stern face, La murmured and entered the market.

    Gerkhen followed her.

    [50]

    Thud-!

    As soon as it was full with 50 people, the door locked, and the market¡¯s magical barrier was fully activated.

    Gerkhen and La looked around.

    ¡°Wow! There¡¯s food here too?!¡±

    There were many stalls selling not only food like chicken skewers and red bean bread, but also books, equipment, and more.

    However, all the shopkeepers were spirits. Their silhouettes were faint, and their semi-physical forms had no light in their eyes.

    ¡°It seems like spirits are selling things.¡±

    Gerkhen said this as he stood in front of a cotton candy stall.

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ It¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±

    ¡°How do we purchase?¡±

    Gerkhen asked the spirit managing the cotton candy. The spirit pointed to the reader in front of the cotton candy panel.

    Gerkhen tagged his student ID.

    Ding!

    [-30 AP]

    It was a reasonable price. He received a cotton candy as big as a cloud.

    ¡°Hey Gerkhen. Are you going to eat that?¡±

    Someone called them then.

    La was the first to turn around.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Bran! Hi, Bran!¡±

    It was their ssmate from Endex, Brown. La waved at him with a big smile.

    ¡°Oh, hi.¡±

    Brown spoke to Gerkhen.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit ufortable buying from a spirit?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as you can handle it.¡±

    Gerkhen, nonchntly said as he bit into his cotton candy. La stared intently at the piece.

    ¡°How does it taste, Gerk?¡±

    ¡°It tastes like cotton candy.¡±

    ¡°It must be delicious, Gerk.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Gerkhen took a couple of wary steps away from La.

    Brown pointed towards the back of the market.

    ¡°Come this way first. There¡¯s a statue here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it!¡±

    They followed him. The square in the center of the market. Other seniors were gathered in front of the statue there.

    ¡°Bran. What were you guys doing here?¡±

    ¡°We were waiting. Until we reach a full 50. Hey, statue! We¡¯ve got 50 now!¡±

    Just as Brown pointed at the statue.

    ©¤©¤Ha ha ha ha!

    The statue formed an expression andughed.

    ©¤©¤You¡¯ve answered the question correctly!

    ¡°Me~ I was the first to get the answer right!¡±

    La waved her hand excitedly.

    ©¤©¤Good. But this is not the destination!

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    La flinched. The seniors in the market stirred.

    ¡°You just said we found the right ce!¡±

    ©¤©¤Ha ha ha ha! Yes! But the question itself was a trap-! You stupid and pathetic fools-!

    ¡°What, what did you say?!!¡±

    La¡¯s face turned ashen.

    ©¤©¤This is the narium! How could you fools who don¡¯t easily believe human words so easily believe the words of a soul! It¡¯s your fault for believing so naively!

    ¡°You, you crazy bastard!! You lunatic-like stone statue!!¡±

    La shouted at the statue, waving her fist.

    ¡°I abandoned my team because of you!¡±

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s your fault!

    Then, La¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.

    ¡°¡­¡­You shouldn¡¯t have betrayed.¡±

    Worry-decision-joy-surprise-anger-sadness.

    The fierce and steep change of emotions that urred in just 5 minutes.

    ¡°Sob sob.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen calmly looked at his ticket.

    [00 : 00 : 10]

    There were only 10 seconds left.

    ¡°10 seconds.¡±

    As he said that, time ran out.

    The magical barrier protecting the market weakened, and all the seniors were exposed to danger.

    ¡°What the!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey look at the ticket!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Hey, time¡¯s up?¡±

    The seniors each looked at their tickets, their faces hardening. Red dots were rushing in from all directions.

    La quickly scribbled [Help!!!] on her card.

    ¡°Gerk, I¡¯ve asked Shion for help, okay?!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you stab him in the back 5 minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll add that it was a joke just now.¡±

    She wrote more on the card.

    [The thing about finding the market just now was a joke, you know? We wouldn¡¯t betray you!!]

    [So please save us!!!]

    ©¤©¤Ha ha ha ha-! If you want to give up, tear the ticket anytime-!

    With thosest words, the statue hardened again. La gritted her teeth.

    ¡°That damn stupid statue.¡±

    ¡°Guys, follow me! I know of another hiding ce nearby!¡±

    Brown shouted. La tried to follow him, but Gerkhen was standing still. In one hand he held a card, in the other, cotton candy.

    ¡°Gerk! What are you doing?!¡±

    He nced at La. Then he showed her the card.

    [I¡¯ll send you the coordinates,e here]

    It was Shion¡¯s reply. But the coordinates he sent were almost the exact opposite of Brown¡¯s. It seemed like he was going to dive right into the red dots¡ªthe ¡®it¡¯ in the game of tag.

    ¡°I¡¯m going this way.¡±

    Gerkhen chose that direction.

    ¡°Wh, what?¡±

    La looked back and forth between Gerkhen and Brown, hesitating but¡­¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going with you, Gerk!¡±

    She quickly followed Gerkhen.

    * * *

    Gerkhen and La reached the coordinates Shion had guided them to. It was a beach.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here?!¡±

    They stood by the water¡¯s edge and looked back. The murderous intent of the enemies who had chased them to their chins touched their skin.

    ¡°Gerk! It¡¯s just the sea! Oh no! Did Shion realize we betrayed him and decided to lure us here to die, then hide andugh at us?!¡±

    La rambled on with her delusions. Gerkhen squinted at the sea beyond.

    Vroooom¡­

    Something was stirring the faint currents, rushing towards them.

    A boat.

    An engine boatrge enough for about six people.

    ¡°Wha-!¡±

    Soon, La also discovered it and her eyes widened.

    ¡°Shion!!!!¡±

    She shouted loudly, then sat down on the beach, scooping up water with both hands and sshing it towards the boat.

    ¡°Hurry! Hurry up!¡±

    It was an inexplicable action for Gerkhen. Would the boate faster if she did that?

    Anyway.

    He finished off the remaining cotton candy in one bite. He drew the sword from his waist. Looking back, he activated Magic Body.

    Swoooosh©¤©¤!

    The enemies¡¯ spears that rushed in at that moment. Gerkhen split them with his sword.

    ¡°Get on!¡±

    Just as it touched the shore, Shion shouted. La jumped on first, and Gerkhen, fending off the following enemies¡¯ attacks, btedly got on the boat.

    The moment the four people got on the boat, a massive sword strike from the Death Knight swept in.

    Kwaaaaang©¤©¤©¤-!

    A sword de that seemed to shoot out the crescent moon.

    It hit the boat, but

    Ping©¤!

    It bounced off weakly.

    ¡°We still have four hours left.¡±

    Shion said so, looking alternately at Gerkhen and La.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Shion¡­¡­¡±

    La looked at Shion. Her eyes were moist with emotion, shining brightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re really a good guy!¡±

    She shouted loudly, then lunged at Shion. She hugged him with both arms.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Let go.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!!¡±

    Shion was slightly taken aback, and Soliette next to him stared at the scene, then pulled La¡¯s hem a little harder.

    Rip©¤! The clothes almost tore.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    La, who was pulled off, looked at Soliette with a surprised face. Soliette said expressionlessly.

    ¡°Sit down. If you¡¯re not careful, you could fall off and drown.¡±

    ¡°Drown?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the sea, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Uh, sorry.¡±

    La obediently sat down.

    The four people on the boat looked at the water¡¯s edge from the boat. Not only the Death Knight but also enemies with indistinct forms were standing there.

    As if they were regretful for not being able to catch them¡­¡­.

 Chapter 158: Spirits (1)

    <strong>Spirits (1)</strong>

    We are floating on the sea of souls.

    It¡¯s peaceful in its own way. The scenery is cinematic, and the wind and waves are calm.

    [3 : 13 : 03]

    The remaining time is quite reasonable.

    ¡°No, that statue lied to us!! That damn statue!!¡±

    La, on the deck, is stillining.

    ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t trust the words of the spirits. I don¡¯t know what the purpose of this test is.¡±

    Thunk-!

    Just then, a bite was caught on the fishing rod I had set up. I quickly pulled it in.

    Zzzzzz©¤©¤!

    Arge fish was caught.

    It¡¯s almost 70cm. This is the tenth one.

    I said to the group.

    ¡°Shall we eat now?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡±

    La was the first to shout and run over.

    ¡°Wow! You caught a big one, Shion! Let¡¯s slice it and eat it raw!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to grill it.¡±

    ¡°What, Shion, don¡¯t you like raw fish? You¡¯re such a kid~¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a waste.¡±

    In a situation where we don¡¯t know when the test will end, eating raw fish is a waste of calories.

    There was a simple kitchen on the boat, so I prepared the fish there.

    Just as I was about to start cooking, someone quietly approached me.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    It was Soliette. She fiddled with the handle of the frying pan and asked.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then she slightly stepped back and opened the kitchen cab.

    ¡°There are quite a few seasonings.¡±

    Just as she said, there was plenty of salt, pepper, and the like. Of course, there were no brands, just stored in ss bottles.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    I picked up the salt shaker. I sprinkled it on the prepared fish.

    Soliette nced at me and asked.

    ¡°Shion. Aren¡¯t you curious about what our team members from Bethune are doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably eating.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion, you¡¯re cold-hearted.¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤What¡¯s Bethune?¡±

    It was La, who hade to see the kitchen. She tilted her head and approached. Then, Soliette immediately put on a business-like face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a game. It¡¯s fun, La. It¡¯s a bit dangerous, though.¡±

    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t really like games¡­¡­.¡±

    I put the fish in the frying pan. As I watched the fish sizzle and cook, Soliette smiled a small smile.

    ¡°It looks delicious.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it. I¡¯ll be outside.¡±

    La swallowed her saliva and left the kitchen.

    Again, we were left alone.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Soliette cautiously called my name. I looked back at her.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She didn¡¯t say anything.

    I didn¡¯t have anything to say either.

    Honestly, it was awkward for me and seemed a bit ufortable for her as well, but it wasn¡¯t to the point where we couldn¡¯t talk to each other.

    Rather, it¡¯s morefortable than before.

    Is it because we¡¯ve honestly, refreshingly, let it all out?

    ¡°¡­¡­No, never mind.¡±

    Soliette nced at me and then lowered her head. I gestured to the tes on the shelf.

    ¡°If you want to do something, just set the tes.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±

    As if she finally found something to do, she enthusiastically chose the tes.

    * * *

    The freshly grilled fish, steaming hot on the te. Soliette picked up a chunk with her chopsticks and took a bite.

    ¡°Woah©¤©¤!!¡±

    La, sitting next to her, was the first to exim. Soliette almost choked in surprise.

    ¡°Shion, this is really good!! Did you make it all by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Soliette helped too.¡±

    At Shion¡¯s words, Soliette puffed up with pride.

    ¡°I was in charge of serving and ting.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t cook.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I found the salt.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s really good!¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is.¡±

    She smiled quietly.

    It tasted good.

    Since when. No, since [narium], it seemed like her sense of taste was returning.

    She had essentially given up on the joy of eating since ¡®that day¡¯.

    Soliette picked up another chunk of meat.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡±

    The delicate taste spread in her mouth.

    From it, she gained a small sense of confidence.

    Just as her sense of taste seemed to be returning, she felt she could recover herself.

    That she could move forward to the present, not the past¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Soliette called him. He turned to look at her with a smirk.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m d.¡±

    Shion chuckled, and Gerkhen, sitting next to him, nodded.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s good. But we should start looking for another ce soon.¡±

    There was 1 hour left. Fortunately, there was no mark on the ticket. At least it meant there were no enemies nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Land will appear soon.¡±

    Shion said. Gerkhen looked around the sea. La also craned her neck and muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a vast sea, though?¡±

    ¡°I can see it. Just eat your meal for now.¡±

    They focused on their meal, and when about 30 minutes were left, Shion started driving the boat again.

    After about 20 minutes,nd appeared.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s true. Shion, you have really good eyes.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, get off.¡±

    7 minutes left on the ticket.

    The group got off the boat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Shion led the way.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette followed him, looking at his back.

    Suddenly, she remembered the past. Once, she had been carried on his back.

    His back was broader than before.

    Physically and psychologically.

    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a statue!¡±

    Then La pointed somewhere. There was a four-meter-tall statue.

    The team members approached it.

    ¡°That bastard!!¡±

    La, as if she would smash it right away, ran towards it. Soliette followed her.

    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re listening, aren¡¯t you!¡±

    At her words, the statue moved again.

    ©¤©¤You¡¯ve finally made it here.

    ¡°What do you mean finally! We almost got screwed because of you!¡±

    ©¤©¤Hahaha. Take it as a lesson.

    The statue spoke, its mouth moving. La stepped back in surprise.

    ¡°What, what are you trying to do now!¡±

    ©¤©¤Ptui!

    The statue spat out a piece of paper.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a map leading to the destination. This time, it¡¯s the truth.

    La¡¯s face showed a hint of belief, but she soon shouted out loud.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t believe you!¡±

    ©¤©¤Ha-ha-ha! Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you! It¡¯s your ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood!

    ¡°What?! Guys, don¡¯t be fooled! He¡¯s a habitual liar!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    But Shion silently picked up the paper. Soliette also nced at it.

    Not far away, there was arge destination marker.

    ¡°But this is the only hint we have.¡±

    Shion said, flipping the map.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    La looked at the stone statue with doubtful eyes.

    ¡°Is it real this time? Can we trust you?¡±

    She had switched back to politenguage. The stone statue chuckled and nodded.

    ©¤©¤Yes. It¡¯s right to doubt the words of a soul, but I promise this time. It¡¯s the truth.

    ¡°¡­¡­On the honor of your soul?¡±

    ©¤©¤On the honor of my soul!

    ¡°Then¡­¡­¡±

    La looked at the others.

    ¡°What should we do? Shall we be fooled just once?¡±

    * * *

    [Airport]

    The [destination] written on the stone statue¡¯s map was the airport. A decent-sized airship was docked, and the stone statue was standing on the dock leading to the entrance.

    ¡°There it is!¡±

    La ran quickly.

    ¡°Mr. Stone Statue, you didn¡¯t lie this time, did you?¡±

    She had switched to a super-polite form of address.

    ©¤©¤Ha-ha-ha! You¡¯ve passed the first test!

    The stone statue said,ughing. La pped her hands together.

    ¡°I believed in you~¡±

    ©¤©¤Good! Now, hand in your tickets and board the airship one by one! I will conduct the admission process!

    ¡°Here!¡±

    La was the first to hand in her ticket. The stone statue bit it.

    ©¤©¤Spit! Confirmed! Get on! You¡¯ve passed the first test!

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    La dashed in. I also handed in my ticket.

    ©¤©¤Spit! Confirmed!

    I climbed the stairs and entered the airship.

    Whooooosh¡­¡­

    The moment I entered, I felt a strange sense of difort. It was as if a bizarre wind was clinging to my skin.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    But nothing happened. I looked around the inside of the airship. There were many seats, but they were all empty, and La was sitting in the front.

    ¡°Shion,e here! There are plenty of seats!¡±

    She waved her hand, bouncing around.

    Then Soliette and Gerkhen came in.

    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s spacious.¡±

    ¡°Uh. Let¡¯s sit.¡±

    We sat side by side next to La.

    ¡°Is there no in-flight meal~?¡±

    La looked around, and Soliette had a slightly tense face.

    I found her quite cute. Feeling my gaze, she mumbled with a blushing face.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time on an airship.¡±

    ¡°Really? Soliette¡¯s first time on an airship~?¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤Uh, what.¡±

    Then, a familiar voice came from behind.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that La¡¯s voice just now?¡±

    We turned to look.

    It was a new party.

    Kain, Asher, Brown, and Elise. They had just entered the airship.

    La waved her hand.

    ¡°Oh, Elly~!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we exist?¡±

    Kain narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Everyone, take your seats! We¡¯re about to set sail!¡±

    At the very front of the airship, the stone statue moved his mouth again.

    Elise took a seat right behind us. La turned to look at Elise, a wicked smile on her face.

    ¡°Elly, want to switch seats with me?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see who¡¯s sitting next to me? Hehe, it¡¯s Shion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I also turned around. As our eyes met, Elise flinched and gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Keep quiet. Before I kill you.¡±

    ©¤©¤Everyone fasten your seatbelts! We¡¯re about to take off!

    Click, click. The sound of seatbelts being fastened echoed.

    Vroooom©¤©¤ The airship began to ascend.

    ©¤©¤Takeoff sessful!

    Soliette whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Shion, isn¡¯t that stone statue too noisy?¡±

    Now, even the stone statue is being gossiped about.

    I nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ©¤©¤You may now unbuckle your seatbelts!

    But I kept feeling a gaze from behind.

    It was Elise. She was looking at Soliette and me alternately with an ufortable expression.

    ©¤©¤Then, let¡¯s start the second test right away!

    Everyone was startled by the sudden announcement. Those who were leisurely leaning against their seats quickly turned their gaze towards the stone statue.

    The stone statue had a stern expression.

    ©¤©¤Hehehe. This is the airship of spirits. There¡¯s an ¡®impostor¡¯ among us.

    Flicker, flicker. The lights inside the airship started to blink intermittently.

    The atmosphere turned chilly.

    ©¤©¤The spirit takes the form of a human. It¡¯s mixed in with us. Find the spirit before the airship takes off. If you can¡¯t, you might lose your body forever.

    ¡°What, what did you say?!¡±

    La was startled. I nced at the seats next to me. La, Gerkhen, Soliette.

    Behind were Elise, Asher, Kain, and James. (Author Changed Brown: ??? to James: ???)

    Was there a chance for the spirit to sneak in?

    ©¤©¤But! If it¡¯s too difficult, it¡¯s no fun, so I¡¯ll take questions! One per person! I¡¯ll answer all questions truthfully. You can ask quietly or publicly!

    Click. Elise was the first to unbuckle her seatbelt. She stood up and scanned the surroundings.

    I also unbuckled my seatbelt. Seeing this, Elise casually asked me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not it, right?¡±

    Soliette intervened.

    ¡°Shion isn¡¯t. He¡¯s been with us all along.¡±

    ¡°¡®All along¡¯¡­?¡±

    Elise¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. She seemed to be deep in thought, biting her lip.

    ¡°Soliette. Did I ask you?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s certain because he¡¯s been with us all along.¡±

    Soliette answered. Elise cracked her neck. She looked ready to fight at any moment.

    ¡°First of all!¡±

    p!

    Just then, Asher pped his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask a question first. So, there¡¯s one impostor among us, right?¡±

    He approached the stone statue first.

    ¡°Hmm. Mr. Stone Statue, does the spirit know that it¡¯s a spirit?¡±

    ©¤©¤It doesn¡¯t know.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. It doesn¡¯t know, huh?¡±

    Asher came back, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh, oh. It¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    La hurried over to the stone statue. She put her hands on her belly and bowed.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Stone Statue. I¡¯m La. You know that, right?¡±

    ©¤©¤I know!

    ¡°Thank goodness! Then-¡±

    ©¤©¤Next!

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    La asked nkly.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked yet.¡±

    ©¤©¤Your question is over. You asked if I knew you, and I said I do.

    ¡°What, what are you talking about! That was just an introduction!¡±

    La¡¯s face turned bright red. The stone statue coldly shrugged.

    ©¤©¤Go back. Fool.

    ¡°What, what did you say?! You damn statue! Do you want to die?!¡±

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Elise pulled La away, lightly pping her cheek.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    I raised my hand. Elise looked at me gently and nodded.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    I approached the stone statue. Standing in front of it, I reviewed its words.

    -This is the airship of spirits.

    -There¡¯s an ¡®impostor¡¯ among us.

    -The spirit takes the form of a human.

    -It¡¯s mixed in with us.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a thought came to mind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask a personal question.¡±

    ©¤©¤Go ahead.

    I quietly looked around at the people inside.

    La, still upset, stomping her feet and grumbling. Soliette looking at me. Elise, alternating her gaze between Soliette and me. Asher and Kain with suspicious eyes. Gerkhen standing calmly, seemingly deep in thought.

    ¡°Stone statue.¡±

    I whispered into the stone statue¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Did you lie on this airship?¡±

    Perhaps it was the most important question.

    ©¤©¤No. I only spoke the truth.

    ¡°On the honor of the soul?¡±

    ©¤©¤Yes.

    I nodded. Thanks to that, I knew right away.

    It wasn¡¯t that it wasn¡¯t there, but when I boarded the airship.

    The unidentified ¡®difort¡¯ that had brushed my mind then had been bothering me all along.

    ¡°Do you know?¡±

    Elise asked. I answered with a smirk.

    ¡°Yeah. I knew right away. Who the impostor is.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Who is it?!¡±

    La¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°The impostor is¡­¡­¡±

    I pointed my finger.

 Chapter 159: Spirits (2)

    <strong>Spirits (2)</strong>

    La, with her eyes wide open. Elise, with her arms crossed. Soliette, standing right next to me. Kain, seemingly uninterested. Asher, with a furrowed brow. Gerkhen, with a calm expression.

    Among them, the impostor is¡­

    ¡°Who is it?!¡±

    La asked urgently.

    I raised my finger.

    ¡°Who is it?!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±

    While ring at La, I pointed straight at my chest.

    ¡°The impostor is me.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    At that moment, everyone tilted their heads.

    ¡°Shion. What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡±

    Soliette asked with a puzzled look, and Elise chuckled.

    I didn¡¯t need to pay attention to them.

    I turned to look at the stone statue.

    ¡°Everyone on this airship is a ¡®real¡¯ spirit. Therefore, the ¡®impostor¡¯, or human, is only me.¡±

    The stone statue narrowed its eyes at me.

    It had clearly said,

    ¡®This is the airship of spirits. There¡¯s an ¡®impostor¡¯ among us!¡¯

    However, it only mentioned that there was an impostor on the spirit¡¯s airship, not which side was the impostor.

    Whether the human was the impostor, or the spirit was the impostor.

    ¡°You said to identify the spirit before the airship takes off.¡±

    ¡®We¡¯re about to take off! Sessful takeoff!¡¯

    ¡®¡­Identify the spirit before the airship takes off.¡¯

    The two statements from the stone statue seemed to contradict each other.

    At first, I understood without much thought. Since we had already taken off, it must mean ¡®of course, before wend¡¯ ¨C something like that.

    But the stone statue answered that it only spoke the truth.

    So.

    ¡°This fake airship has taken off, but the real airship hasn¡¯t even taken off yet?¡±

    ©¤©¤¡­Hahahaha!

    Then, the stone statueughed loudly. The other seven lost their expressions. Their focus blurred, and their skin hardened like pale wax.

    ©¤©¤Correct!

    The stone statue shouted. Suddenly, the surroundings melted like a watercolor painting in the rain. The revealed scenery was the dark interior of the airship.

    As expected, the airship was still stuck to the ground, and the others were sound asleep in their seats.

    ¡°¡­Are they experiencing the same thing?¡±

    Next to me were La and Soliette. Right behind me was Elise. Gerkhen was lying on the floor for some reason.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ Master Stone Statue¡­ Shaba shaba¡­¡±

    Just then, La next to me mumbled in her sleep.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what kind of dream she¡¯s having.

    I pped her cheek once.

    p-!

    ¡°Oops, sorry.¡±

    I failed to control my strength. I hit her too hard without realizing it. My wrist snap was perfectly wound.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay? I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There was no answer, and La¡¯s cheek, which I had pped, gradually turned red. It quickly swelled up like a bun, and now it looked like she had several wisdom teeth removed at once.

    She doesn¡¯t wake up even when I hit her like this?

    ¨C I thought for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    La reacted quitete.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­¡±

    She kept writhing as if the pain wouldn¡¯t stop. She trembled with pain, her eyelids fluttering, and her arms and legs shaking.

    ¡°Damn stone statue¡­ You hit me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Crazy stone statue¡­ Shit stone statue¡­ I trusted you, but you betrayed me¡­ Ahhhhh¡­.¡±

    I turned to look at the stone statue again.

    ¡°Stone statue. They¡¯re trapped in dreams, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s right!

    ¡®Dreams¡¯ are the most efficient way for spirits to seize the physical body.

    They confine the original owners of the bodies to the other side of unconsciousness, that is, in dreams.

    Those original owners who cannot escape from there fall into aa, and the control of the external world of the dream¡ªnamely, the ¡®body¡¯¡ªis seized by the spirits.

    ¡°Can you help me? I want to enter their dreams.¡±

    ©¤©¤You¡¯ve just escaped and you want to plunge back into danger?!

    The stone statue asked. I nodded my head.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Entering isn¡¯t particrly dangerous, yet it is. My magic and magical interference are almost nullified, but souls that primarily utilize spiritual energy are a different category.

    ©¤©¤Understood. But you must be careful! I won¡¯t be able to forcibly pull you out!

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The unconscious is not such an easy space.

    It¡¯s not a phenomenon that can be shattered by shaking the body or pping the cheek.

    One must make oneself aware of one¡¯s ¡®reality¡¯.

    ©¤It¡¯s simple! Just sleep next to them! Who will you enter first!

    The stone statue asked. The first one I saw was Gerkhen. I don¡¯t know why, but he was lying on the floor.

    ¡°Him first.¡±

    * * *

    Meanwhile, inside Gerkhen¡¯s dream.

    ¡°Cotton candy clouds, what a surprise.¡±

    Gerkhen had crashnded on cotton candy clouds. In fact, it was an even more peculiar situation. His airship had gotten stuck in the cotton candy clouds.

    So, the group had no choice but to descend onto the cotton candy.

    The cotton candy clouds were real cotton candy, and when they tore it off and ate it, it tasted like sugar cotton candy.

    ¡°Exactly. Why cotton candy clouds of all things?¡±

    Then someone spoke. It was Shion.

    Gerkhen nced at him, theny back down. He chewed on the cotton candy while lying down.

    Unable to bear it any longer, Shion spoke.

    ¡°Hey. You found the fake, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen looked at Shion while eating cotton candy. He asked as if he was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Do you want to stay here forever?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad to enjoy it. If I can use it.¡±

    Gerkhen already knew that the current situation was a dream caused by the spirits. However, he had sent a false signal to the spirit that coveted him, creating thisndscape.

    This is a so-called lucid dream¡ª¡¯Lucid Dream¡¯.

    ¡°But how did you know? That this is fake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been training. As time goes by, there will be more guys coveting my mind.¡±

    Indeed, for him, whose future hope is to be a politician, this training is almost essential.

    Shion shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

    ¡°Is that so? Then when are you going toe out?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Gerkhen pondered and raised two fingers.

    ¡°20 minutes.¡±

    Shion¡¯s forehead furrowed.

    ¡°Are you going to eat an entire cloud¡­ Well,e out in exactly 20 minutes. I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Gerkhen nodded his head, and Shion went outside.

    * * *

    I woke from Gerkhen¡¯s dream.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the cotton candy clouds?¡±

    It was absurd, but I got up anyway.

    ¡°¡­Aaargh¡­ betrayal¡­ I won¡¯t forgive¡­¡±

    La¡¯s face still looked as if she was being tortured.

    ¡°Should I wake her up?¡±

    ¡°Kraaa¡­ Kyaak¡­ Spit¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I¡¯ll just leave her forst. She¡¯s practically turning into a beast.

    I looked at Elise, who was sitting behind La.

    ¡°¡­What is she muttering about?¡±

    She was smiling in her sleep.

    Assuming the opponent is a spirit, it could be said that she¡¯s in the worst state. It¡¯s harder to wake from a good dream than a bad one, after all.

    I went over and sat next to her.

    I quietly closed my eyes.

    I surrendered to the sleep that was gently creeping in.

    ¡­Whoosh!

    Suddenly, a cold wind blew in.

    I opened my eyes.

    It was a sandy beach on an ind.

    Everywhere I looked was covered by the sea, and the salty smell of the sea tickled my nose.

    ¡°What is this ce-¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±

    I turned to look beside me. Elise was sitting hunched over on the beach. She was resting her chin on her hand, looking out at the horizon.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t allow proper takeoff andnding, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    She smirked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I looked around. There were remnants of a split-in-half airne behind the ind.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Elise asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    It seemed like Elise had crashed the ne. Preventing it from taking off ornding.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Under the dark night sky, looking out at the faint boundary of the sea, Elise asked me in a gentle voice.

    ¡°What do you think¡­ about Petra?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It seemed like Elise¡¯s dream situation had already progressed quite a bit. The atmosphere was quite base and emotional.

    For now, I had to go along with her.

    As the saying goes, ¡®This is a fake world, so wake up from your dream-¡® would have the opposite effect.

    Not only that, the keyword ¡®wake from a dream¡¯ would only make the sleep deeper. Very few people know how to wake up voluntarily from a dream.

    ¡°¡­Petra?¡±

    I asked Elise back.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elise added in a small voice.

    ¡°My family.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The Petra family itself doesn¡¯t deviate much from the category of nobility.

    They pretend not to look down onmoners while looking down on them, they don¡¯t hesitate to use any means for the prosperity of the family, and most importantly, they¡¯re the biggest culprit that led to the death of my mother, whom I don¡¯t even remember the face of.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression hardened. She bowed her head deeply. She buried her face between her knees.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand why Elise was apologizing.

    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you yet.¡±

    Elise murmured as if in pain.

    I asked her casually.

    ¡°Well, did you find the fake?¡±

    ¡°Fake? Oh¡­ the airne? There¡¯s no need to find it now.¡±

    Elise pointed to the split airne behind her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I felt a chill run down my spine.

    This doesn¡¯t look good.

    Elise doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s real or fake. No, she¡¯s not even trying to figure it out.

    The only way to wake her from this dream is to make her recognize the situation as ¡®fake¡¯¡­

    Suddenly.

    A brilliant idea came to mind.

    Right now, for some reason, aren¡¯t we the only two on this ind?

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    I gently looked into Elise¡¯s eyes. She met my gaze for a moment, then averted her eyes, biting her lip.

    ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    I moved closer. I leaned into her, who was sitting huddled up.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What, what is it, why?¡±

    ¡°I like being with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?!¡±

    Elise¡¯s face shook greatly. She licked her lips and asked again.

    ¡°What, what are you talking about, are you stupid?¡±

    ¡°Is it better because we¡¯re alone?¡±

    ¡°Crazy¡­¡­ Stop talking nonsense. I want to leave.¡±

    Elise tried to get up to run away. I grabbed her hand. I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down onto the sandy beach.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Elise¡¯s back hit the sand. I was on top of her, pressing her down. She looked up at me and shook her head.

    ¡°Let, let go of me. Now-¡±

    ¡°No. I want to be with you.¡±

    I slowly approached Elise. Almost ovepping our bodies.

    ¡°No¡­¡­ we can¡¯t. We¡­¡­ shouldn¡¯t be like this!¡±

    She shouted out. I paused for a moment in front of her nose. I looked straight into her moist, shaking eyes and said.

    ¡°We can.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. I¡¯m Petra¡­¡­ and you¡¯re Ascal, aren¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    What the hell is she talking about? Is she filming a movie?

    I almost gave up on the situation itself for a moment, but I forced myself to focus again.

    ¡°What does that matter? Whether you¡¯re Petra or some rug, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I understand, so let go of me first, gasp!¡±

    I put my hand on Elise¡¯s cheek. I touched her soft earlobe and said.

    ¡°Stay with me¡­¡­¡±

    Our breaths intertwined, and our noses were about to touch.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay here forever, Elise. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Here, forever¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait. Forever?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Forever.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, Elise¡¯s expression hardened. Her body stiffened as if she had realized something.

    ¡°You.¡±

    Her eyes, which had been shaking violently until a moment ago, froze as she looked up at me.

    ¡°Who are you.¡±

    A question of who I am.

    I held back augh and replied.

    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t you know? I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Elise gathered power in her palm. She looked at me as if mocking me and coldly muttered.

    ¡°Get lost. The Shion I know isn¡¯t this weak.¡±

    ¡­¡­I seeded.

    I was satisfied to get out of her dream.

    * * *

    Again, the airship.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    When I woke up, I saw Elise. She was still asleep, but cold sweat was beading on her forehead.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±

    Her face was pale as if she was in pain, and magic was sparking from her hand.

    It meant she would wake up soon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try this!¡±

    Then a clear shout rang out.

    I turned to look in that direction.

    It was La. She was wildly waving her arms above her head, like one of those intable tube men used for advertising.

    ¡°Did you wake up too?¡±

    ¡°I can do this all day!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    But her reaction was a bit strange. I approached La again.

    ¡°You damn bastard¡­¡­! Bring it on!¡±

    While shouting like this, La¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. She was iling her arms as if swimming, and roaring loudly.

    ¡°Come at me!! Hit me again!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Well, it seemed that pping La was the best way to wake her up.

    Just in case, I pped her one more time.

    This time, a little softer.

    Smack.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    La flinched.

    And then, huff©¤©¤! Huff©¤©¤! She trembled as if she was incredibly angry, hyperventting.

    ¡°You¡¯re really dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­She¡¯ll wake up on her own.¡±

    She seemed fine, no need to worry.

    ¡°Heh!¡±

    In the meantime, a groan came from behind.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­ Haah¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise had woken up from her sleep. I turned to look at her.

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You.¡±

    She pointed at me with her finger.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    But she couldn¡¯t say anything, just licking her lips. Her face was slightly flushed.

    ¡°Why. What.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡­ I had a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t ask. It was terrible.¡±

    Elise looked around.

    ¡°It seems everyone is the same. When did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°Just now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I woke up about a minute ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    Then Elise let out a sigh of relief. I pretended not to know and asked.

    ¡°Do we have to wait until the others wake up?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    She wiped the sweat off her forehead and shook her head.

    ¡°We can go into the dream. We¡¯ll have to help. It would be hard for them alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You damn bastard!!¡±

    ¡°Kyah!¡±

    Elise was startled by La¡¯s sudden outburst.

    ¡°Hey!! Come here!! You¡¯re dead!!

    ¡°What, why?¡±

    She quickly checked La¡¯s face, but,

    ¡°Come here!!! I¡¯ll make your cheeks like mine!!¡±

    La was still asleep.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s with her? Why are her cheeks like this?¡±

    Elise asked, looking at La¡¯s cheeks, which were swollen like a balloon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have no idea.¡±

    I shrugged.

 Chapter 160: Spirits (3)

    <strong>Spirits (3)</strong>

    Elise and I began the dream awakening process on the Spirit¡¯s Airship.

    Firstly, Kain.

    ¡°We need to force him to think that this ce is fake.¡±

    Elise, who had entered Kain¡¯s dream, suggested a simple method.

    White robes and long hair. That became our disguise as Kain¡¯s nightmare.

    ¡°Hehehehe- Kain-¡±

    ¡°Kyahahaha-¡±

    We disguised ourselves as phantoms.

    ¡°You, what are you! Don¡¯te- Don¡¯te- Don¡¯te-!¡±

    Kain was chased by us for a long time, screaming until his throat was sore.

    ¡°No! No! Ah, no, ahhhhhh-!¡±

    In a state of extreme exhaustion, he desperately wished that it was all a dream, and while mindlessly repeating the words of the stone statue, he found the answer.

    ¡°¡­Ah, right! This is the answer! Everything except me is fake!¡±

    Immediately after shouting that,

    Kain woke up from his dream.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Huh¡­.¡±

    He looked around nkly.

    Of course, he was inside the airship, and there were no phantoms.

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    Elise, who was sitting next to him, asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Kain seemed too exhausted to answer, just panting and looking at Elise and me alternately.

    ¡°He seems to have woken up.¡±

    At my words, Kain quietly closed his eyes.

    It was a mix of exhaustion and fainting.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Asher next.¡±

    Next, Asher.

    A considerable amount of time had already passed in Asher¡¯s dream.

    The location was the continent where the college board had already ended. Edsi National Magic University.

    I clenched a newspaper that was rolling on the ground.

    [College Board Valedictorian: Asher]

    [Asher Dredd, fastest to reach 100 million SNS followers¡­¡­.]

    ¡°What is this.¡±

    Asher was even the valedictorian of the college board and the brightest star at Edsi Magic University.

    ¡°Hey, this seems a bit difficult?¡±

    Bing a superstar on top of being a star, it might be hard to persuade him.

    ¡°You¡¯re short-sighted, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Elise spoke as if it was no big deal.

    ¡°The higher you climb, the greater the despair when you fall.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But how are you going to make him fall?¡±

    ¡°Easy. All you have to do is ruin Asher¡¯s face.¡±

    ¡°¡­Face?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you tear his face off or burn it, he will automatically-¡±

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll do it. You¡¯re too brutal.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to burn his face. It would be too painful.

    ¡°Do whatever you want. Look, Asher is passing by over there.¡±

    Elise pointed her chin in the distance. Asher was surrounded by people. He was taking pictures whileughing in a cheesy way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead.¡±

    I approached Asher. As soon as Asher saw me, he frowned.

    ¡°What. Isn¡¯t that my manager Shion? What are you doing here?¡±

    Manager. I smirked at his words.

    ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m not a ve.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a third-tier manager, so you¡¯re practically a ve.¡±

    Should I just burn his face?

    ¡°¡­Hey. You have something on your face.¡±

    I pped a makeshift face mask I had created with ¡¸Notepad¡¹ over his face. It was the ugliest face I¡¯d ever seen on a person.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing with those filthy hands?¡±

    Asher pped my hand away. I grinned at him instinctively.

    ¡°Yo, Asher. What¡¯s with your face?¡±

    ¡°Jealous?¡±

    ¡°Nah, just take a look at this mirror.¡±

    I showed him the mirror.

    ¡°What¡¯s this mirror for¡­ Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to rupture my eardrums¨C¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    At that moment, Asher found the answer and woke up from the dream.

    Like Kain, Asher immediately fainted upon finding the answer.

    ¡°Both of them got it easy.¡±

    I said to Elise. She nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Should we wake her up too, though?¡±

    This time she pointed at La.

    ¡°True.¡±

    This one seems like she might wake up, but hasn¡¯t yet. She¡¯s just been mumbling something vague the whole time.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I have to do it. Only I, La, can do it.¡±

    She was making a face as if saving the world depended on her. Is this why she bes a heroter?

    ¡°Sigh¡­ yes, that¡¯s right. La. It¡¯s something only I can do.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s dreaming about.¡±

    I took a seat next to La. Elise sat right behind her.

    Suddenly, I grew curious about what Elise was thinking about her dream.

    ¡°Hey Elise, what were you dreaming about?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond, just red at me with flushed cheeks, then looked away.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t any dream. I woke up right away.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie to you? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s something important. You¡¯re not that important.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

    ¡°Quite the outburst there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an outburst¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep first.¡±

    I dozed off beside La.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤La.

    The hero of the continent, La the Great.

    She¡¯s preparing for a duel with the stone statue.

    Amidst the swirling sands of a desert, in a grand coliseum, the final showdown is about to take ce.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    In the waiting room, La sits with her eyes closed, deep in thought.

    Thinking about her own end, and also the end of the stone statue.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve been so foolish. Socent.¡±

    She mumbled, practicing some sort of mental exercise.

    ¡°I¡¯ve beenzy in my training and studies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°But now¡­?¡±

    A voice answered from somewhere.

    La furrowed her brow. She was definitely alone in the waiting room. Did she hear wrong?

    ¡°Did I hear wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you heard right.¡±

    ¡°What the¨C!¡±

    She swiftly turned her head. Shion was in one corner of the waiting room.

    When did he get here? Was he here the whole time?

    ¡°What! Shion, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here the whole time.¡±

    Shion responded with a natural ease. La tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°¡­Huh? Since when?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your manager, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ right. I forgot for a moment.¡±

    La epted this quickly. Shion chuckled softly.

    Dreams are like that. Even when the plot changes abruptly, you just ept it.

    ¡°But don¡¯t throw up. This is a serious situation. As a manager, you should support me.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    La took a deep breath to calm her heart.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡±

    She immersed herself back into the situation.

    Everything she had learned so far.

    Everything she had honed to win against ¡®that guy¡¯.

    She gathered all of it within her, warming herself up.

    Creak©¤©¤©¤.

    Slowly, the door to the Colosseum¡¯s waiting room opened.

    La stood up.

    Of course, her heart was not perfect. It was still iplete, and she was still afraid.

    Because the weight of too much expectation was on her shoulders. Because the fate of this world depended on her.

    But¡­

    She couldn¡¯t run away.

    Unyielding determination. A will as strong as a mountain.

    Holding these resolutions, La stepped beyond the threshold.

    Whoosh©¤©¤!

    The hot wind of the desert swept through the Colosseum.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been weak for too long.¡±

    Acknowledging herself, La took a step forward, staring at her enemy across the way with determined eyes.

    ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    ©¤©¤Ha ha! You¡¯ve finally arrived!

    Her opponent was a massive stone statue.

    La clenched her fists.

    ¡°¡­Stone statue. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Just as she was setting a resolute atmosphere, from the side again.

    ¡°Hey, La.¡±

    The manager kept bothering her.

    ¡°¡­Damn it, really.¡±

    Shion, the manager, might get fired at this rate.

    La turned towards him and shouted.

    ¡°What now!¡±

    ¡°Who did that to your cheek?¡±

    ¡°¡­Cheek?¡±

    La touched her own cheek. It was still burning hot.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    She let out a bitterugh.

    A long time had passed, but this wound had not yet healed.

    ¡°This¡­ was the beginning.¡±

    She nodded seriously, continuing her story.

    ¡°I was once pped by that stone statue. I followed it, calling it my master¡­ but I was betrayed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so.¡±

    ¡°Yes. From that day on, the stone statue became my enemy, and I pushed myself to the limit.¡±

    La gently closed her eyes.

    ©¤One! Two! Three! Four! Hundred! Five hundred! Thousand!

    A thousand push-ups a day.

    ©¤1km! 2km! 3km! 40km! 100km!

    A hundred kilometers of running a day. In addition to that, a thousand pull-ups, five thousand games of flicking stones, fifty thousand jump ropes, and so on.

    After countless efforts, she had reached this point.

    Defeating all enemies and finally©¤©¤ arriving at the end.

    ¡°The final boss¡­ the stone statue.¡±

    La muttered, ring at the statue.

    ¡°No, this won¡¯t do. Hey, let me see your cheek.¡±

    But Shion interfered again. Why was the manager so annoying?

    ¡°Can you just shut up! If you interrupt one more time, you¡¯re fired! You¡¯re a contract worker, you know!¡±

    La pushed him away.

    ¡°From here on, it¡¯s all up to me. Only I can stop the stone statue-¡±

    p-!

    Shion pped her cheek. La shuddered.

    It was a familiar sensation.

    A pain too vivid.

    It felt like she had just been pped 10 minutes ago¡­ a p on the cheek.

    ¡°¡­This sensation.¡±

    La turned to look at Shion. Her eyes widened. It felt like a thunderbolt had struck her head.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Shion silently looked at her.

    ¡°I thought it was the stone statue¡­ but it was you!¡±

    ¡°The stone statue pped you?¡±

    ¡°Do you take me for a fool?!¡±

    Only then did La realize the strangeness.

    Was the p she thought was from the stone statue actually from Shion?

    That made no sense.

    Then who pped me?

    I clearly remember the stone statue pping me in my memory.

    Why am I here in the first ce?

    How many years have passed?

    Why is my cheek still swollen?

    No, has that much time passed?

    Didn¡¯t it all go by too quickly, like a movie?

    ¡°Could it be¡­ all of this was a trick by the stone statue!¡±

    In the flow of these thoughts, La finally realized.

    ¡°This whole world is a fake!¡±

    The truth she finally realized.

    She pointed at the stone statue and shouted.

    ¡°Stone statue! This whole world is a fake!¡±

    Then, the stone statue, her final boss, spoke in a tone of contempt.

    ©¤©¤¡­That¡¯s correct, you foolish creature.

    Immediately after, La opened her eyes. She was still inside the airship. Shion was next to her, and so was Elise.

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    Shion asked.

    La tilted her head and muttered faintly.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been through too much. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±

    And then she fell asleep again.

    * * *

    Kain, Asher, La, Elise.

    A total of four people had been awakened.

    ¡°So, there¡¯s one left.¡±

    Finally, Soliette.

    I sat next to her. Elise also took a seat next to me.

    ¡°I think I can handle Soliette on my own?¡±

    Elise said with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it together. You never know what could happen. ¡­But how do you maintain a human form?¡±

    ¡°Human form? Oh, right. Why didn¡¯t you show up in La¡¯s dream?¡±

    Elise was not in La¡¯s dream. Fortunately, it was easy enough to handle on my own.

    ¡°I was there. But not as a human, as a weapon. It seems that when you¡¯re excluded from a dream, you appear in that way.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I guess my mental strength is strong enough to maintain a human form.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at enduring too, you know?¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and leaned my head against the seat.

    ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m going in.¡±

    And with that, I fell asleep.

    ¡­.

    The dormitory of narium.

    Soliette and her party returned to the airship. Thanks to Soliette¡¯s amazing deduction, everyone passed the test.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Shion.¡±

    As she disembarked from the airship, Soliette said.

    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±

    Shion responded a bit awkwardly. Soliette added with a small smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Elise to be a fake.¡±

    Then, a sharp sound rose from the ground.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    There was a cat next to Shion.

    ¡°A cat.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the one we saw before?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡­ am taking care of it.¡±

    At the mention of ¡®taking care of it¡¯, the cat reacted subtly. It seemed pleased, smacking its lips and raising its tail.

    ¡°It seems to resemble Elise. Haha.¡±

    Soliette smiled contentedly. It did resemble the real Elise.

    The cat, despite being a cat, had long hair, shiny blonde hair, and sparkling golden eyes.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    The cat, however, seemed displeased, ring at her.

    ¡°How cute.¡±

    Soliette reached out her hand. Elise, no, the cat tried to bite her, but Soliette managed to touch it while dodging its attempts.

    The cat, having been touched, let out a cry and ran away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it be. Shall we take a short walk?¡±

    Shion pointed somewhere.

    ¡°A walk?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s something I want to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Soliette walked with him.

    Before she knew it, they were in a forest.

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    She refocused on the situation.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What did you want to be when you were a child?¡±

    In the tranquil forest, a somewhat base question.

    Soliette looked around the forest and pondered for a moment.

    What she wanted to be.

    What did she want to be?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°Think about it. You had something you wanted to be when you were young. Besides killing Knightmare.¡±

    At the word ¡®Knightmare¡¯, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

    ¡°A dream¡­ you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Looking back, she had a dream too. A dream she had nurtured since she was young, but had somehow forgotten.

    ¡°A swordsman.¡±

    ¡°A swordsman?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I vaguely wanted to be the best swordsman.¡±

    Shion gave a small smile.

    ¡°That was an easy dream.¡±

    ¡°An easy dream? It¡¯s very difficult.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyebrows shot up.

    ¡°No. It would have been easy for you.¡±

    Shion chuckled and drew his sword.

    ¡°Why are you drawing your sword?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a match with Eight Swords.¡±

    Eight Swords? With her, an Arkne, using the basics of Arkne?

    Soliette was momentarily at a loss.

    ¡°Shion. I am Soliette Arkne. Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I know. But I feel like I won¡¯t lose to you right now. Here.¡±

    Shion threw the sword. Soliette caught it in surprise.

    In that instant, the surrounding scenery transformed dramatically.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Shion assumed his stance.

    ¡°Sure. Anytime. I¡¯ll give you the first move.¡±

    Soliette prepared her defense, as if she found the situation amusing.

    Meow-

    Just then, that cat, Elise, appeared. It was cute because it resembled Elise. However, the actual cat seemed displeased as soon as their eyes met.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted!¡±

    Shion immediately swung his sword. It was the First Sword of the Arkne¡¯s Eight Swords.

    The First Sword is usually defended with the Third Sword. It¡¯s a sensation that has be second nature after learning it for over a decade.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh!¡±

    However, Soliette missed her timing. Her body moved awkwardly, and she couldn¡¯t muster strength in her arms and legs.

    It was as if she was in a dream.

    ¡­A dream?

    ¡°Why are you floundering?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This is strange.¡±

    ¡°Strange indeed.¡±

    Shionughed at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re just clumsy.¡±

    ¡°Clu, clumsy? What are you-¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    Shion swung his sword again. This time, it was a beginner¡¯s move, a mix of the First Sword and a second sword.

    Soliette raised her sword, but, ng-!

    She was pushed back by a single collision.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°See? You¡¯re clumsy. You don¡¯t have a purpose right now.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Shion, don¡¯t look down on me!¡±

    She yelled as she got up. She struggled to steady her trembling arms and legs.

    ¡°Thene at me first. I¡¯ll give you the first move.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her pride was scratched. She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t regret this.¡±

    She charged at Shion, but he easily blocked the First Sword she deployed with his Third Sword.

    ¡°See? Easy. Pretty skilled.¡±

    ¡°Would you just shut up-!¡±

    ¡°Then try to block it.¡±

    Heughed and swung his sword.

    Chaaaaaang©¤©¤!

    Soliette couldn¡¯t block it. She fell t on the ground. She was surprised at herself.

    ¡°What the hell¡­.¡±

    Am I losing to Shion, who has only learned the Eight Swords for a mere two months?

    Me, who has been mastering the arcane of Arkne since birth?

    ¡°Do you get it now? You¡¯re falling behind me.¡±

    Shion taunted with a cocky tone. Soliette nkly looked up at him.

    ¡°A sword bound by the past cannot move forward.¡±

    Soon, he raised his sword high into the sky.

    Boooooong©¤©¤

    That strike.

    Looking at it trying to settle into her essence.

    ¡°¡­A sword bound by the past cannot move forward.¡±

    Soliette quietly murmured.

    At that moment, Shion¡¯s sword stopped abruptly.

    ¡®A sword bound by the past cannot move forward.¡¯

    She gently closed her eyes.

    Just now, she felt as if something had broken.

    It was not an illusion.

    Fragments of a childhood dream, somewhat sshed onto her heart.

    ¡­Don¡¯t forget your dream.

    Shion¡¯s voice whispered faintly in her ear.

    Soliette opened her eyes again.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Shion was already gone.

    The suddenly ¡®created¡¯ stage of emptiness, her ¡®dream¡¯-like floundering body movements, were now gone.

    ¡°¡­The fake is.¡±

    Soliette spoke to the sky.

    ¡°Is this world.¡±

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s the correct answer!

    The scenery reflected in Soliette¡¯s retina- slowly changes.

    It¡¯s still inside the airship. A space that hasn¡¯t taken off ornded.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    Someone called her with a gentle voice.

    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Soliette quietly looked at him.

    He is the one who helped her, even in her dreams.

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°No.¡±

    She shook her head nkly.

    ¡°Rather than a nightmare¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, she felt relieved. Her body and mind settled peacefully.

    ¡°¡­Somehow.¡±

    Without realizing it, Soliette leaned her head on his shoulder. She yfully rested her forehead against him.

    ¡°I dreamt of finding a dream within a dream.¡±

 Chapter 161: Going Out (1)

    <strong>Going Out (1)</strong>

    Soliette leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He didn¡¯t say a word. She could only feel his gaze on her.

    ©¤©¤We¡¯re taking off!

    Just then, the announcement came. Vroooom©¤ The airship began to ascend. She sighed in relief and murmured.

    ¡°I¡¯m d. That it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Right. Get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As she closed her eyes to sleep, suddenly.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    The voice she had just heard seemed strange.

    The scent tickling her nose was overly familiar.

    A scent she dearly missed, but shouldn¡¯t be here right now.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion?¡±

    Soliette called out to Shion and looked up at him.

    In that moment, her eyes widened. Her heart fluttered. Her body felt as if it had lost all its strength.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Shion.

    Smiling just like he used to, nodding gently, it was.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Felix Alter.

    The man who was killed by Knightmare.

    Soliette momentarily lost her breath, but soon shook her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re a fake.¡±

    At that, his expression hardened. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead.

    ¡°Soliette. You can¡¯t ovee it.¡±

    He said that. It sounded like a curse.

    ¡°You know it too. Everyone around you bes unhappy.¡±

    Soliette bit her lip.

    His face, already drenched in blood. It turned back into Shion and red at her.

    ¡°Knightmare wille for your loved ones again.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    She woke up from her dream again.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­.¡±

    She spat out ragged breaths and looked around frantically.

    Thankfully, it was in the airship. It hadn¡¯t taken off yet.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    A voice came from the seat next to her.

    It was Elise. She was flipping through a magazine.

    ¡°You were sweating. Must have been a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette felt dazed. The line between dream and reality was still blurry.

    Was it just a nightmare?

    ¡°This is reality.¡±

    Elise pointed ahead. Shion was lying on the floor of the airship with Gerkhen.

    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Everyone else is awake, and now we¡¯re trying to wake Gerkhen. He¡¯s eating cotton candy.¡±

    ¡°Cotton candy¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and leaned back in her seat. Elise nced at her nonchntly.

    ¡°What was your nightmare about?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette washed her face with her hands.

    ¡°It was a strange¡­¡­ dream.¡±

    ¡°A strange dream.¡±

    Elise raised an eyebrow.

    Just then, Gerkhen suddenly woke up. Shion also got up. He looked at Gerkhen and said.

    ¡°Stop stuffing your face. What¡¯s so tasty?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m taking advantage while I can. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll regret itter.¡±

    Gerkhen licked his lips. The taste still seemed to linger in his mouth.

    ©¤©¤We¡¯re taking off now!

    Just then, the stone statue called out. Soliette looked at Shion.

    Suddenly, Felix¡¯s face oveid on him, stretching casually. Soliette closed her eyes in surprise.

    He is not Felix. He is Shion Ascal.

    Shion is not dead.

    She will not let him die.

    Even if it means paying any price¡­.

    She clenched her fists.

    Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes.

    Shion Ascal.

    He was still there.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤We¡¯rending!

    The airshipnded on the open ground of narium Academy. We all disembarked with tired faces. Especially Kain and Asher, who had a rough time in their dream, were exhausted.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Akane, the person in charge, was on the ground.

    ¡°Congrattions. You will each receive 3,000 AP.¡±

    Ding- Our student IDs shed in unison.

    [+3,000 AP]

    ¡°And¡­ this is an outing pass.¡±

    Akane pulled out a card from her pocket.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    La in front of me shivered all over.

    Why is she so reactive?

    ¡°This outing pass will be given to one person who performed the best in this test. Hey, statue.¡±

    ©¤©¤Yes!

    Akane gestured towards the stone statue.

    ¡°Is it one of them?¡±

    ©¤©¤Yes!

    At that moment, La¡¯s eyes, nose, and mouth widened. She couldn¡¯t stay still. As if she expected it to be her, she trembled.

    ¡°Hey. Are you in vibration mode?¡±

    La mumbled, pushing me with her arm.

    ¡°Hey, watch. I think it might be me.¡±

    Then, the statue pointed at us.

    ©¤©¤You!

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    La sped her hands together. She jumped up and down, shouting.

    ¡°Thank you, statue!¡±

    ©¤©¤Not you!

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    La stopped. The stone statue was looking behind La. La also turned to look at me.

    ©¤©¤Shion Ascal!

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    La¡¯s expression changed drastically. She pouted her lips, staring ahead again.

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ©¤©¤What did you do, you fool.

    ¡°¡­¡­I treated you with respect, statue.¡±

    ©¤©¤Good job! Now go and rest!

    Ignoring La, the stone statue quickly turned back into a stone.

    ¡°Here. The outing pass.¡±

    Akane handed me the outing pass. While La was still ring like she was shootingsers, Soliette said.

    ¡°Congrattions, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    A 3-day, 2-night outing pass.

    Grawl would probably like it more than me. He¡¯s beenining a lottely because he can¡¯t use SNS.

    ¡°However, the rest also have the right to get an outing pass.¡±

    Akane looked at the other students.

    ¡°Those who have seeded in the second test have the right to purchase a 3-day, 2-night outing pass for 4,000AP.¡±

    4,000AP. It¡¯s more AP than the 3,000AP we earned from the test.

    ¡°Elly.¡±

    La turned to Elise in a base manner.

    ¡°Buy me one.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Elise ignored her cleanly. Akane waved the outing pass and said.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t buy it today, will it be gone?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough AP.¡±

    Soliette and Gerkhen didn¡¯t seem particrly interested, and Asher and Kain looked like they wanted to return to the dormitory and sleep immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    Having received the outing pass, I was about to head straight to the dormitory when a thought suddenly urred to me. I looked back at the others who were still contemting.

    ¡°Oh right. The farm reopens today. The price remains 300AP.¡±

    Their faces fell at the news.

    * * *

    [Ascal Farm].

    A pseudo-restaurant where the sounds of nature flows like a melody. In this ce, where the menu changes daily depending on the owner¡¯s mood and the avability of ingredients, a luxurious meal is in full swing.

    tter- Oh- tter- Hmm-

    The sound of utensils and exmations of appreciation filled the air.

    Today¡¯s guests are five people: Gerkhen, La, Kain, Asher, Elise.

    ¡°Shion, the taste won¡¯t be the same when we go down to the maind, right?¡±

    At La¡¯s emotional question, I nodded.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be ingredients as good as these.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. I should eat as much as I can.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kain. Look at this.¡±

    I handed a contract to Kain, who was cutting his steak. Kain furrowed his brows.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a kid running a caf¨¦ here, right? But there are guys who keep robbing him.¡±

    It was a contract asking him to be a bodyguard.

    Kain skimmed the contract and snorted.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha. Why would I do such a thing as a bodyguard-¡±

    I ced ten [Priority Reservation Coupons] and [Discount Coupons] each on the contract.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Kain looked puzzled. I exined the coupons.

    ¡°[Priority Reservation Coupon] allows you to use the farm first, no matter how long the wait. [Discount Coupon] is just as it says, a 50% discount coupon. You can also transfer it to anyone.¡±

    ¡°What, what!¡±

    Suddenly, La next to me shouted out loud.

    ¡°Shion! I¡¯ll do it, no, I¡¯ll do it instead of him!¡±

    ¡°Whoa. Hey, why are you butting in all of a sudden.¡±

    Kain quickly grabbed the contract and coupons. La red at him.

    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t do it just now! You said you wouldn¡¯t do the bodyguard thing!¡±

    ¡°When I read it carefully, it¡¯s not a bodyguard but a security guard. And you¡¯re not even aspiring to be a knight. Who would be scared of you?¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s scared! Give it to me. Then let¡¯s split it in half-¡±

    Kain pushed away La, who was reaching out her hand.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    La, who fell backwards, red at him with a shocked face.

    ¡°Kain, you betrayed me.¡±

    ¡°What betrayal. It¡¯s something Shion entrusted to me.¡±

    Kain quickly pointed his finger at me.

    ¡°Give me a pen. Where¡¯s the pen. I¡¯ll sign it right away.¡±

    I handed him a pen. Kain wrote his name on the contract.

    La, who got up, was about to grab him by the cor.

    ¡°Kain, you¡¯re such an asshole!¡±

    ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s not go overboard. It was originally meant for me.¡±

    ¡°Fine, you just pushed me! So give me one too!¡±

    Kain feigned ignorance and slipped the coupons into his pocket, and I carefully folded the contract. La narrowed her eyebrows into a V shape with all her might.

    ¡°You just pushed me! It hurts so much! Give me one. Just one!¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­ please be quiet.¡±

    Elise, who was eating, nced at them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t enjoy my meal because you¡¯re too noisy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Asher chimed in. He wiped his mouth with a napkin andined.

    ¡°Anyway, youck dignity. It¡¯s 300AP per meal.¡±

    La gritted her teeth and red at Kain.

    ¡°¡­You, Kain, I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°You bastard.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, and I served thest dessert, coffee.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°This is your caf¨¦?¡±

    Kain looked up at the sign that read [Terence¡¯s Caf¨¦] as if it were a wooden nk. He held a tone of disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Terence scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°But it¡¯s mynd here. I only bought four pyeong, though.¡±

    Kain looked down at him with his arms crossed. Terence squinted his eyes as if he was embarrassed. The height difference between the two was almost 30cm.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s annoying.¡±

    Kain sighed.

    ¡°Hey. What was your name, Tering?¡±

    ¡°Terence.¡±

    ¡°Anyway. If anyone bothers you, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh!¡±

    Terence, who was smiling brightly, fiddled with his fingers and said.

    ¡°And, Kain. If you stand by during the business hours today and tomorrow morning-¡±

    ¡°What? You want me to stand by? Do you think I¡¯m some kind of club bouncer-¡±

    I pped Kain¡¯s shoulder. Kain, who stopped talking, sighed again and nodded.

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    ¡°Good. You two talk amongst yourselves. I¡¯ll renovate the caf¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Renovate?¡±

    Terence asked back.

    ¡°It looks too much like a street stall.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Does it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You two should go first. You need to discuss how you¡¯re going to do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    Terence nced at Kain. Kain sighed for the third time in a row.

    The two of them exchanged nces and left together, and I called Grawl.

    ¡°Grawl. Did you hear?¡±

    ©¤¡­Master. When are you going to use the outing pass?

    Grawl answered with a question.

    ©¤I¡¯m dying of boredom here.

    ¡°You have plenty of mana cores.¡±

    ©¤Still¡­ Rtionships are important in life. It¡¯s been too long since Ist used SNS¡­ I have many followers waiting for me to upload my photos! Kyaaaak!

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go down in two days.¡±

    Grawl¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ©¤Yay!

    He quickly stood up. The simple stall-like counter had transformed into a surprisingly fancy mini caf¨¦.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Can you do this on the maind too?¡±

    ©¤No! It¡¯s hard. narium is a special space, so I think my abilities have been greatly upgraded!

    * * *

    For two days, the [Ascal Farm] had be synonymous with a high-end restaurant.

    Not just the familiar faces, but almost all the seniors who could be called silver spoons, the social elites, had put themselves on the waiting list.

    Thanks to this, La was upset, but it was good news for me.

    In addition, the [Terence Cafe] also gained poprity. Thanks to Kain, there were hardly any disruption to the business, and the premium coffee beans were quite addictive. Even after raising the price to 40AP per cup, the profits doubled.

    Moreover, Terence and Kain seemed to have be friendly, developing menus and hunting together.

    ©¤We¡¯re going down to our continent, right?

    And then, today.

    Grawl spoke with a look of longing in his eyes.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m packing, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ©¤Yeah!

    I packed my bag and went outside.

    But at the entrance of the dormitory was Elise. She, like me, was carrying a backpack and looking at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing here?¡±

    Without a word, she showed me her outing ticket.

    ¡°What? You bought one too?¡±

    ¡°I have enough AP.¡±

    She shrugged he shoulders, and subtly looked behind and around me.

    ¡°What¡¯s Soliette doing? Is she noting with us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s busy with Bethune.¡±

    She¡¯s in the process of finding a way into Knightmare castle with the party.

    ¡°I see. Well then.¡±

    With that, she left the dormitory first. I followed her.

    ¡°Hoverboard. Want a ride?¡±

    Elise pointed to arge board parked in a corner of the dormitory.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I regretted not riding thisst time.

    Climbing up and down the mountain was incredibly tiring.

    ¡°Okay, give me a lift.¡±

    Elise smirked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Get on the back.¡±

    Meow-!

    At that moment, Grawl cried out from beneath the ground.

    Meo-

    He climbed onto Elise¡¯s shoulder with a joyful face.

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Meow- He rubbed his cheek against her neck.

    ¡°He seems to like me more than you.¡±

    Elise, stroking Grawl, wore a victorious smile like a child.

    ¡°Did you ever punch a cat, like abuse or something?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It seems like a sign of affection that can¡¯t be exined otherwise~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­let¡¯s go down.¡±

    I climbed onto the back of Elise¡¯s hoverboard.

    ¡­¡­

    Afterpletely descending from narium on the hoverboard, we arrived at the ground train station.

    ¡°There¡¯s Akane, our contact.¡±

    Elise pointed to Akane, who was sitting in the waiting room of the tform.

    Akane, reading a book, looked our way.

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Akane extended her hand. We handed over two outing tickets.

    ¡°Good. Rest well ande back.¡±

    Ding ding ding ding ding©¤!

    Just then, the sound of the train entering. Elise stood looking at the training into the station.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion Ascal.¡±

    In the meantime, Akane called me briefly. I looked at her. She blinked without a word.

    I thought I knew what she wanted.

    I looked into her eyes and said.

    ¡°A doll. That¡¯s what you are.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. Noted.¡±

    The train fully arrived, and Akane gave a small smile.

    ¡°Hey. Aren¡¯t you getting on?¡±

    Elise gestured.

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I boarded the train with Elise. The interior waspletely empty. We sat in a four-seater facing each other. I was by the window, and Elise was diagonally across from me.

    Vroooom¡­

    The train started moving.

    Meo-

    Grawl escaped from Elise¡¯s arms and ran to the back seat where we couldn¡¯t see him. He was probably going to use social media.

    Ding-

    Our smartphones rang.

    The signal must have been restored.

    ¡°It seems to be working now.¡±

    Elise picked up her smartphone. I also picked up mine.

    It was almost an instinct for modern people.

    [Kanya: Sir Mage. I have something to say about Bethune.]

    [Grou¡ª¡ª¡¯s notification: It¡¯s been too long since thest upload ?-? Nice to see you guys. It¡¯s Grou~]

    And so, without saying a word to each other, without any reaction, we just checked our smartphones.

    Thump-

    Suddenly, Elise nudged my shin with the heel of her foot.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    I looked at her.

    While still looking at her smartphone, flipping through the screen¡¯s scroll swiftly, she said,

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    As if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, pretending to ask a casual, uninterested question.

    ¡°Do you like Soliette?¡±

    She asked the same question she had asked before.

 Chapter 162: Going Out (2)

    <strong>Going Out (2)</strong>

    ¡°Do you like Soliette?¡±

    Is it a trend these days, or is it just obvious?

    It¡¯s a question I hear quite often.

    I put down my smartphone for a moment.

    ¡°Are you bored?¡±

    ¡°¡­If that were the case.¡±

    Elise was still fiddling with her smartphone.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    A sharp gaze shed over her smartphone.

    ¡°It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be achieved.¡±

    I was dumbfounded by her confident words, but I just leaned back in my chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m too old to have the luxury of liking anyone.¡±

    Revenge on Libra. Individual survival.

    Those two things alone fill my life to the brim.

    Of course, ¡®individual¡¯ here includes not only me but also Soliette, and not only Soliette but also the benefactors from my previous life.

    ¡°You seem to have a lot of free time. You even y games.¡±

    Elise pulled out a book from her backpack. The cover read [The History of the Edsi Family]. She flipped through it as she continued.

    ¡°Commoners often misunderstand. They think that if they work hard, they might be able to have some romantic encounter with a noble.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand.¡±

    ¡°The marriage rate betweenmoners and nobles in Edsi is only 1%. And most of them are coteral, only if they are not sessors.¡±

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t.¡±

    Elise thoroughly ignored my words.

    Well, if she has something to say to me, she will say it no matter what. Regardless of how I react, what she¡¯s going to say is already decided.

    ¡°Moreover, Arkne is a family that believes in magic evolution.¡±

    ¡°¡­evolution?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The quality and number of magic circuits are less affected by gics, but the ¡®Spectrum¡¯ itself is extremely hereditary.¡±

    She flipped a page in the book.

    ¡°For example, if humans without a ¡®Spectrum¡¯ reproduce, the probability that their offspring will awaken a ¡®Spectrum¡¯ is less than 3%. But if both parents have a ¡®Spectrum¡¯, it reaches 97%.¡±

    Elise reclined her seat.

    Thud-!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    It went down a bit too much, but Elise didn¡¯t flinch. She swallowed once and then crossed her legs leisurely.

    ¡°¡­But Arkne goes one step further. They assert that all magical talents, including the Spectrum, are directly linked to gics.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve reclined your seat too much.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, Arkne has never had a non-strategic marriage in its 500-year history. At least not the sessors who will be the family head.¡±

    She slowly lifted her body.

    ¡°If there is no suitable partner, they are proactive in adopting coteral lines, not even hesitating to engage in quasi-incest.¡±

    Then she put the book on the table.

    She pushed it towards me as if to suggest I read it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a much more dangerous family than you think.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous?¡±

    Just then, a snack cart came into the train car. Elise casually waved her hand.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    She bought various items like squid, dried fish, milk, snacks, and ced them on the table. I asked her.

    ¡°What¡¯s dangerous?¡±

    ¡°¡­Soliette is a talent that ranks among the history of the Arkne family, no, the history of the continent, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Thump-! Elise tore into the dried squid.

    ¡°Despite the recent events, the Arkne family remains optimistic. They believe Soliette will eventually master arcane swordsmanship.¡±

    Chew, chew- she continued speaking while munching on the squid.

    ¡°So, the Arkne are likely watching you closely from somewhere. They might even consider you a parasite. Therefore.¡±

    She punctured a straw into a banana milk carton.

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to stay around Soliette for too long. For your own safety.¡±

    Elise held the banana milk with both hands and sipped.

    Watching her, I asked,

    ¡°Is Petra any better?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her face hardened. Her right eye twitched slightly.

    However, she soon put down the banana milk with a calm expression.

    ¡°Compared to Arkne or Libra, Petra is saintly. They¡¯re very progressive and open-minded. Above all, we believe in strict maanaology, magic, and science. We don¡¯t believe in superstitions or religions that are close to rumors. To be precise, ¡®I¡¯, the sessor, don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You just asked.¡±

    Elise frowned. I picked up a piece of squid. I chewed while looking out the window.

    Passing clouds.

    Watching their flow, suddenly.

    A hypothesis spread like a current in my mind.

    A chill that cooled my back.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I looked back at Elise. Elise giggled while sipping her banana milk.

    ¡°You know, Felix Alter.¡±

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    She almost spit it out but stopped herself with ¡¸telekinesis¡¹, coughing and ring at me.

    ¡°Cough, what is it?¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°You suddenly ask about a taboo word.¡±

    Felix Alter. In Endex, his name is as taboo as it gets.

    Because it was too shocking.

    But that¡¯s not the problem now.

    ¡°How can a person¡¯s name be taboo? Besides, Felix Alter was amoner, right?¡±

    Felix Alter¡¯s background.

    I asked about it.

    ¡°¡­¡­He was a random noble, but very close to amoner. But it¡¯s different from you. He had a time when he was a noble.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I slowly sank into thought.

    Vaguely, I had concluded, ¡®There are no beneficiaries from Felix Alter¡¯s death.¡¯

    But, thinking about it now.

    That ¡®benefit¡¯ will definitely vary depending on the standard.

    It will differ depending on how someone thinks.

    Therefore, if a group considered Felix Alter, as Elise said, a ¡®parasite¡¯.

    If they considered him an obstacle hindering Soliette¡¯s growth¡­¡­

    Chew, chew-

    I delved deeper into the thought while chewing on the squid.

    Swish-!

    But Elise snatched away the squid.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. You ate all the legs.¡±

    She red and bit her lip. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s share.¡±

    ¡°Did you buy it? Did you? You shamelessly ate all the legs?¡±

    Elise¡¯s forehead vein popped.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    A chuckle escaped my lips. It was amusing to see the once-famed phantom of Petra now getting angry over squid legs.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are youughing at? You¡¯re such an idiot.¡±

    Elise grumbled and put down the squid again.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care much for the body.¡±

    ¡°I can cut it long like the legs.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Pathetic. Many people cut the body long like the legs, but it¡¯s a cheap trick.¡±

    ¡°Even a cheap trick?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A cheap trick beyond cheap, an endlessly cheap trick. The body is much tougher and harder than the legs, putting more strain on the teeth and jaw. The taste is much less, and there¡¯s no chewy texture, so it¡¯s nd.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you some squid expert?¡±

    Elise raised an eyebrow and opened a book again. This time, it was a magic major book.

    I sank into the chair.

    I looked out the window of the train.

    Felix Alter.

    Jared Arkne.

    Soliette Arkne.

    And¡­¡­ the Arkne family itself.

    The puzzle in my head seemed to fit together in a not-so-good way.

    * * *

    Elise got off at the train station before Shion.

    ©¤Take care.

    She made an effort to ignore him waving from the train window. She had a ce to go today.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±

    She got into a sedan with the station staff waiting and quickly arrived at.

    [ Petra Psychiatric Ward ]

    It¡¯s a ce she didn¡¯t want to visit often, but with the election seasoning up, she had no choice.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    Quite a few people from the family were already there. They bowed to greet her.

    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve been first all quarter.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Elise, who happened to acquire [Fragments of Time], is the ¡®overwhelming¡¯ first ce in the current quarter. The ranking board on the entrance exam site has been updated.

    Thanks to that, whatever she does is legal.

    ¡°Do you have no eyes to see? I¡¯ll check.¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes sharply.

    The people of the family, meaning her father¡¯s people, couldn¡¯t be fully trusted.

    ¡°Yes. Of course. The Senator also said so.¡±

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    In the visiting room of the psychiatric ward.

    In the middle of the room, surrounded by white walls and a magic barrier, a man was restrained.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Little sister.¡±

    Yael.

    Her own flesh and blood. A sibling tied by blood.

    Elise swallowed a rising sigh as she saw him.

    ¡°I heard the news. You¡¯ve been first all quarter?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond and quickly looked around the room. Surveince cameras, eavesdropping, traces of magic were all absent.

    ¡°Elise. The election ising up soon?¡±

    Yael spoke. Elise twisted her mouth expressionlessly.

    ¡°Yes. Father will seed in re-election and be a ¡®Round Table¡¯ Senator.¡±

    Round Table. A semi-permanent Senator position that doesn¡¯t require re-election.

    There are only 13 seats at the Round Table, and a minimum of three terms as a Senator is required.

    Yael smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Elise. Do you think Father doesn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase.¡±

    Elise sat across from him.

    She had no intention of being swayed by him. Everything was under her control-

    Yael spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Shion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s hand trembled slightly. Yael, shaking his bound arms, continued.

    ¡°To get into the Round Table, you need a war. You have to pull down another family.¡±

    That¡¯s why the Round Table is a ¡®semi-permanent¡¯ Senator. If a new family wants to enter the Round Table, an existing family must be pulled down.

    She stared into his eyes and asked seemingly calmly.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t see what that has to do with Shion. Your story doesn¡¯t add up.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you know what I¡¯m talking about. Shion Ascal is quite high in the rankings. He¡¯s getting a lot of attention.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s true. Not only in the second quarter narium, but also in the first quarter, he is high enough to be in the upper ranks.

    He can enter Edsi National University.

    ¡°The more Shion stands out, the more he grows, the more of a stumbling block he will be for Petra.¡±

    This is not because of Shion¡¯s individual power.

    If the war of the Round Table©¤a bloody feud between families were to break out.

    The opposing family would ¡®recruit¡¯ him as a weapon, or material for the war.

    ¡°Elise. You know that too.¡±

    Yael smiled, showing his teeth. Elise gritted hers.

    ¡°You will have to make a choice someday.¡±

    His tant, explicit, and disgusting truth.

    She also smiled in the same way.

    ¡°You. You seem to think I¡¯ll choose Shion?¡±

    She leaned back. She crossed her arms as if amused.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a mistake, so please keep your mouth shut.¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°He is¡­¡­¡±

    He is a good person.

    ¡°He means nothing to me.¡±

    However, he cannot be a friend of Petra.

    Elise knows this all too well.

    Because someday he wille to hate her.

    Because he wille to despise Petra.

    ¡°Keep in mind. The election ising soon. If you open your mouth, then it¡¯s really over for you, so keep your mouth shut.¡±

    At her words, Yael wore a silent smile.

    ¡°Elise. I will always follow your choice.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    She had gone to great lengths to get a leave permit, but she was only stressed and on her way home.

    Elise turned on her smartphone while leaning against the sedan window.

    [ At Your Service ]

    She thought about consulting him, but then turned it off.

    Instead, she closed her eyes.

    Thump, thump, thump.

    She endured the pain that seemed to pierce her heart.

    ¡®The more Shion stands out, the more he grows, the more of a stumbling block he will be for Petra.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion.

    Shion Ascal.

    He is Petra¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel.

    ¡­¡­No.

    Not Petra, but ¡®my¡¯ Achilles¡¯ heel.

    She quietly thought of him.

    What is he doing now?

    Is his desired ¡®revenge¡¯ progressing well?

    When will he find out that Petra is the target of his revenge?

    When he finds out¡­ what kind of betrayal will he feel?

    Elise inadvertently opened her messenger.

    She searched for [Shion Ascal].

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    She was taken aback.

    His profile picture had changed.

    He, who always kept it default, without a profile picture, had suddenly uploaded a selfie.

    ¡°What¡­¡­.¡±

    Was there a change in his feelings?

    Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Elise chuckled and put down her phone.

    The picture seemed well taken, but she wasn¡¯t particrly interested¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Why all of a sudden.¡±

    Elise picked up her smartphone again.

    She pressed hard on the small profile picture. His face filled the screen.

    She nced at the driver.

    Fortunately, he was only focusing on driving. He couldn¡¯t see her through the rearview mirror anyway.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise stared at the picture, letting out a sigh.

    There might be some hint in it, after all¡­¡­

    * * *

    After a long time, I visited Trick City again as Dale Kal.

    I met Kanya at [A ss of Whiskey].

    ¡°Sir Mage. Are you using that?¡±

    Kanya Wieder.

    She asked about the ¡®Bethune Premium Special Edition CD¡¯ she had given me as a missionpletion bonus.

    ¡°I¡¯m using it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Did you use all the bonuses too?¡±

    I nodded. Then Kanya slumped in her counter chair.

    ¡°Haaaaa¡­¡­.¡±

    She sighed and leaned back.

    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She looked at me again. She chuckled, pressing her temples.

    ¡°No, I just gave away a treasure for cheap.¡±

    ¡°Cheap?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, but I can¡¯t do anything about it now¡­¡­ just enjoy it.¡±

    Kanya spoke in a voice that was almost whimpering, seemingly regretful.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth almost a million Ren now.¡±

    A million Ren. I was slightly surprised. Even if I added up all the money I¡¯ve made so far, it wouldn¡¯t exceed a million Ren.

    ¡°Is it because of the rumors about Bethune?¡±

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve heard about it, sir Mage? Yes. There¡¯s a rumor that Bethune will be part of a real dungeon, so the CD itself is now rare.¡±

    The idea of a game bing reality seems absurd, but it¡¯s entirely possible for a dungeon.

    Because a dungeon is ¡®part of reality¡¯.

    Kanya pouted her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, sir Mage. I got fooled. But at least I stopped that human trash from bing a Senator. The most likely person to be elected now is an old man called ¡®Mayers¡¯. He¡¯s a typical old fogey, but at least he¡¯s somewhat fair. A bit of a sheriff style?¡±

    She spread out some papers on the counter.

    They were [Mission Request] forms.

    ¡°Thanks to you, our Section will be a bit better off. Not as much as a million Ren, though.¡±

    I picked up those request forms.

    [ Background Check ]

    ¡°Background check?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I still don¡¯t know your preferences, sir Mage. I put in all the requests that named you.¡±

    Of course, background checks are my specialty.

    It¡¯s not just a specialty, it¡¯s a specialty among specialties. The ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is incredibly helpful for these types of requests.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Berrieda Ren Casano.¡±

    The subject of the background check.

    The name ¡®Berrieda Ren Casano¡¯ stood out.

    ¡°Yep. Someone requested a background check on that gentleman. Strange. He doesn¡¯t have a bad reputation. I personally dislike him a bit, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Reputation.

    His reputation might not be bad.

    But I know this guy.

    A crazy old man.

    A man who hides all sorts of vile intentions behind a seemingly kind facade.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    Individual survival.

    Not only that, but revenge on individuals.

    He¡¯s one of the targets.

    This guy is one of the ¡®hotlines¡¯ dispatched to the surface world by the underworld. In simple terms, he¡¯s a spy.

    Thanks to him, quite a few of myrades died.

    ¡°Sir Mage, you look scary.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Memories I had forgotten until nowe flooding back.

    Now I¡¯m strong enough to deal with those things from the past.

    Of course, they might argue that ¡®they didn¡¯t do anything¡¯, but it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Because I remember.

    Because the memories from before my regression make up who I am now.

    Whether it was before or after the regression, the fact that you guys deserve to die remains unchanged.

    I tucked the request form into my pocket.

 Chapter 163: Going Out (3)

    <strong>Going Out (3)</strong>

    ¡°Berrieda Ren Casano.¡±

    He¡¯s a well-known figure in C-Section. Various personal details are written in the file, but there¡¯s no need to memorize them.

    Because I already know him.

    Instead, I searched for him on TrickNet in Trick City.

    For reference, TrickNet refers to a magicalmunicationwork that only works in Trick City. It¡¯s deeper and perfectly anonymouspared to the inte of the continent, but it requires a dedicated imnt called a ¡®Trickto Chip¡¯. If you imnt a Trickto, you can connect to TrickNet anytime you want using mana as fuel.

    I inserted that chip into my wrist.

    ¡°It¡¯s a D-grade chip. Upgrade it when you earn more money.¡±

    D-grade chip imntation could be done even on a cheap seat.

    I ced my finger on my wrist. As I infused mana, TrickNet appeared like a hologram in front of my eyes, on my retina.

    [Connecting to TrickNet¡­]

    [Identity confirmed: D]

    [[[Newgle]]]

    Newgle, a representative web surfing site on TrickNet.

    I searched for articles rted to Berrieda Ren Casano.

    ©¤©¤A renowned phnthropist and devout religious person. Meet the light of C-Section, Berrieda Ren.

    ©¤©¤Volunteering with children.

    ©¤©¤Berrieda Ren, advocates for vignte ¡®M¡¯. The children of Trick City need a hero¡­

    All of them only introduced his mask and hypocrisy. His shell of deception is still solid.

    Well, I was led by his ¡®manipted reputation¡¯ in the past.

    I turned off TrickNet and walked towards my destination.

    It wasn¡¯t far.

    [Ren Orphanage]

    Orphanage, Berrieda¡¯s residence. Three simple but well-decorated buildings built on a not-sorge site on the outskirts of C-40 Section.

    There must be secrets here.

    ¡°Grawl. Can you scan?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Just a moment.

    Grawl sat down on the ground with a thud. He crossed his arms with his eyes closed. His eyebrows trembled as if he was concentrating.

    ©¤¡­Do you see that building at the end?

    He pointed somewhere in the Orphanage. The smallest building on the Orphanage site. It was the director¡¯s residence.

    ©¤There¡¯s a space underground.

    ¡°Any personnel or security forms?¡±

    ©¤I can¡¯t detect any. There¡¯s no one, and no security forms either.

    In that case.

    I put a fencing mask on my face.

    It¡¯s better not to get caught. The identity of Dale Kal is valuable.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. I summoned a specific Magic Spell with the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Mana gathered at my feet, and the surface of my body became foggy.

    Shadow-like movement. It¡¯s a 5th level Magic Spell©¤¡¸Shadow Spot¡¹.

    From level 5, the consumption of magic power is quite serious, but thanks to my growth so far, I can maintain it moderately.

    I quietly approached the director¡¯s residence. The building, simr to a two-story house, had a window half-open.

    I slipped my body through it. I stepped on the shabby wooden floor. All the processes were done without a hint of noise, like a snake.

    ©¤Here it is.

    Grawl pointed to a bookshelf in the living room.

    ©¤There¡¯s a secret space beyond this bookshelf.

    I scanned it with the SZX-9500.

    ¡°There¡¯s a form.¡±

    The security form was wrapped around the entire bookshelf. Touch it, and an rm would sound.

    ©¤Is that so? I must have misjudged it because it¡¯s made of wood.

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡±

    I lifted my wrist. There was a bracelet simr to a rosary.

    It was the ¡¸Blink Defense Bracelet¡¹. An item I brought from Bethune.

    I activated it.

    ©¤©¤Whizz!

    A strong sensation, as if the wind was lifting my whole body.

    For a moment, my feet left the ground, and quicklynded again.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Everything around was dark, but the SZX-9500 brightly observed the interior.

    Nothing special. Carpet, reading desk, drawers, etc¡­ A space decorated like an ordinary study.

    But the reality was hidden in a clever illusion form.

    It was the carpet.

    I looked at the carpet with the SZX-9500.

    There were evidences ¡®inside¡¯ the various geometric patterns embroidered on the carpet.

    Letters exchanged with the underworld cartel. Proposals to overthrow Trick City and n terror attacks.

    Berrieda, the contact of the underworld, had disguised all the materials he received and delivered as ¡®pretending to be carpet patterns¡¯.

    Thud-

    At that moment, the entrance opened. I quickly activated the ¡¸Shadow Spot¡¹ and melted into the darkness.

    Thump- Thump-

    The approaching footsteps.

    Click-

    Then, a faint light turned on and a face was revealed.

    Berrieda Ren Casano.

    The white-haired man took off his hat.

    Then, I grabbed him from behind.

    ¡°If you move, you die.¡±

    I coldly warned him, pressing my wand against his back. At the sensation of the magic, Berrieda froze.

    ¡°If I see a hint of magic, you die.¡±

    The waist is a vital point. If I detonate a form in this state, he would be cut in half before he activates his Magic Body.

    ¡°¡­¡­Calm down.¡±

    Berrieda raised his hands. He spoke as calmly as possible.

    ¡°If you need money or food-¡±

    ¡°Drop the gentleman cosyer act.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Young man. There are thirty children here.¡±

    Berrieda¡¯s voice was solemn. As gentle as his wrinkled face, and as merciful as his appearance.

    ¡°For the sake of the children-¡±

    ¡°Omert¨¤ of the underworld.¡±

    I cut off his words.

    The code of silence, Omert¨¤.

    The word also means ¡®a spy dispatched by the underworld cartel¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    For a moment, his lips twitched. A deep tremor ran through his body.

    I smiled faintly, and said his real name.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Beltrino.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­There was a rat inside.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a clich¨¦d line like, how did you know. He just expressed his anger, furrowing his brows. He put his hand in his pocket.

    ¡°You moved.¡±

    I clearly told him he would die if he moved just 5 seconds ago.

    I gathered magic in my wand. He tried to pull up his Magic Body, but my Magic Spell was faster.

    I pulled out two Magic Spells from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹andbined them.

    Level 3 Magic Spell ¡¸de¡¹and Level 4 Magic Spell ¡¸Gale¡¹.

    Condensing the magic of the ¡¸de¡¹ into a crescent shape,

    And sending it flying at close range with the ¡¸Gale¡¹,

    If I had to express it, it would be a ¡¸Gale de ¡¹.

    At that moment, the speed far surpassed a bullet. It was enough force to separate that bastard¡¯s upper and lower halves.

    Kwazzzzzuck©¤©¤!

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrrrah©¤©¤©¤!¡±

    ck blood spurted from him. His body split as brutally as his scream.

    ¡°Krrrrrr, Krrrrrrrrr¡­¡­.¡±

    He looked back at me, supporting himself with his hands on the ground. Even with only his upper body remaining, he was still alive.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what kind of vermin you are.¡±

    Staring at me, his brain was Berrieda Len Casano.

    In his malicious voice, the gentle tone from before his regression ovepped.

    ©¤Shion. You¡¯re a really good person.

    Once upon a time, in the distant past.

    When myrades and I were being hunted as fugitives.

    Berrieda willingly invited us to stay here. He weed us warmly.

    ©¤So don¡¯t worry and restfortably. As long as you¡¯re here, you won¡¯t get caught.

    ¡°I will¡­ curse you¡­ human¡­¡±

    He now was quite different from before his regression.

    No, this was his true form.

    ¡°Existence¡­ annihtion¡­ chewed up¡­¡±

    The true form of the repulsive creature who sold me and myrades to the underworld, and as a pawn of the underworld cartel, tried to overthrow Trick City.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr¡­¡­.¡±

    He died.

    Split into upper and lower halves, grotesquely with his mouth wide open.

    But then.

    Kwaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    A fire broke out underground. Fire spread everywhere. It was a system for destroying evidence.

    ¡°!¡±

    The carpet caught fire in an instant, and I barely managed to escape with a tiny piece of evidence.

    Hwururururuk©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I came out to the Orphanage. I stood in the garden decorated by the children. I looked distantly at the building being swallowed by the mes.

    Today, I killed him as Dale Kal.

    At the same time, I set a ¡®standard¡¯.

    Dale Kal kills his enemies.

    In the future, I will ¡®preemptively¡¯ kill those who will take too many lives, those who will be my enemies.

    To prevent things from happening that are too horrific.

    Rustle-

    A small footstep sound.

    I looked back.

    There was a child.

    The small child trembled as he looked at me. He asked in a frightened voice.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    The child held a teapot in his small hands.

    Did hee to put out the fire?

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked into the child¡¯s eyes.

    Hisrge, trembling pupils.

    Children are innocent.

    Therefore, I should answer his question, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Raquel.¡±

    Just as ¡®La Hilton¡¯ is ¡®M Sayre¡¯.

    An anagram of ¡®Dale Kal¡¯.

    ¡°Raquel Dra.¡±

    Saying so, I put my hand on the child¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m someone who came for revenge.¡±

    I infused a little magic.

    Swoosh¡­¡­. The child fell into a powerless sleep.

    I gentlyid him down on the ground.

    Wiiiiiiing©¤©¤!

    Just then, the sound of a siren rang out.

    Well, it must be the fire department responding.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, Elise, having returned home, felt aimless. Bored. Dull. Numb.

    She thought it should be a crime to waste time like this. A time-murder crime, or something of the sort.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    She had already made all the calls she could, and her energy was fully recharged, but she still had a day left of her outing period.

    So, she became curious.

    Shey on her bed and opened the messenger on her smartphone.

    [Lilden: You¡¯re out, aren¡¯t you?]

    [Cellio: You¡¯re out, right? The kids said they saw you lol]

    [Bellin: You were on SNS lololol. Congrats on the early college admission.]

    She scrolled past many messages with an expressionless face.

    She scrolled through her friend list.

    She stopped at one name.

    [Shion Ascal]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    What could this guy be doing right now?

    There must be a reason he changed his profile picture.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Elise cleared her throat with a fake cough.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    It was a rehearsal.

    ¡°What are you doing¡­ rather, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Choosing the right first word. Not too much, not too little, seemingly indifferent but enough to start a conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a waste of time, but our outing time is almost over. So-.¡±

    Ring©¤©¤.

    Her phone rang at that moment.

    ¡°Who¡¯s calling¡­?¡±

    Elise, frowning, looked at the name disyed on the screen.

    ¡°!¡±

    She flinched as if she had been startled.

    Ring©¤©¤.

    The ringing continued.

    Her eyes were fixed on the contact of the person who called.

    [Shion Ascal]

    Elise took a deep breath.

    There was no reason to be nervous. No need at all. He means nothing to her.

    Click-

    She pressed the call button. She unknowingly held the phone with both hands and quickly switched to one hand.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ©¤Hey. What are you up to?

    He asked nonchntly.

    The first words she had been pondering over, not too much, not too little, seemingly indifferent but enough to start a conversation.

    Could it be¡­ was he thinking the same thing as me?

    Elise answered as usual.

    ¡°I¡¯m studying.¡±

    ©¤I see.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why did you call?¡±

    ©¤I was going to ask when you¡¯re going up to narium. We have to go by tomorrow.

    His voice was quite low.

    ¡°Well, why do you ask?¡±

    ©¤Lend me your hoverboard. I¡¯ll ride it up too.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise clenched her teeth. It was a very practical reason.

    ©¤Why. Can¡¯t you?

    ¡°You buy one.¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s really expensive. It¡¯s almost the price of a mid-sized car.

    Sigh. She let out a sigh naturally.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hang up.¡±

    ©¤Hey, by the way.

    Shion held her back. Elise asked while searching for a hoverboard on her smartphone.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ©¤Can you teach me a Magic Spell?

    ¡°¡­¡­Magic Spell?¡±

    ©¤Yeah. Not levels 1~3.

    Elise let out a hollowugh for a moment. She was dumbfounded.

    ¡°If not levels 1~3, so levels 4~6? You mean intermediate?¡±

    ©¤Oh, is that considered intermediate?

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Elise sat up, baffled.

    ¡°You must not know because you¡¯ve never properly learned. Magic Spells aren¡¯t as easy as you think.¡±

    ©¤Oh. I haven¡¯t learned properly.

    ¡°¡­Even if you don¡¯t know the lower levels, the intermediate levels aren¡¯t easy. If everyone could learn just by teaching, the whole continent would be mages, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Elise scanned the bookshelf. There were hundreds of books rted to Magic Spell.

    ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re an aspiring knight. Magic Spell requires talent. The closer the Magic Spell is to magic, the more so. That¡¯s why you need to first determine whether you have the talent.¡±

    ©¤I have a bit. Of talent.

    ¡°That must be wishful thinking. Talent isn¡¯t for you to judge.¡±

    ©¤So are you saying you¡¯ll teach me or not?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise carefully selected books from the bookshelf.

    ¡°¡­Tomorrow.¡±

    She said as she neatly packed them into her backpack.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check your talent on the train.¡±

    * * *

    The next morning.

    At [A ss of Whiskey], Kanya was checking the ounting books of [Valmant¡¯s Tease].

    ¡°We would have gone bankrupt if it weren¡¯t for Death Eater.¡±

    Thepany she runs is barely in the ck this year. All thanks to Dale Kal¡¯s Death Eater.

    Of course, if Bethune was still in her hands, she wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about this.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no luck at all.¡±

    She still regrets it and has nightmares every day.

    But Dale Kal is Valmant¡¯s treasure. Let¡¯s think of it as buying favor.

    [Breaking news.]

    Suddenly, the TV screen flickered and changed.

    [Phnthropist and social welfare worker ¡®Bedonna Ren Casano¡¯, who runs the C-40 Section, Ren Orphanage, was found murdered.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Kanya watched the screen.

    [The police department of Trick City has created a montage of the suspect based on the testimony of the only witness, a child.]

    ¡°What kind of montage is that?¡±

    Rather than a montage, it¡¯s like a fencing mask. There¡¯s an X mark on the face.

    ¡°Some guy is in a suit.¡±

    Is it a trend these days?

    [Furthermore, the suspect called himself ¡®Avenger Raquel¡¯. With the death of phnthropist Berrieda, who advocated volunteer¡­¡­]

    As Kanya Wieder watched the screen quietly, a person suddenly came to mind.

    Dale Kal.

    She stroked her chin with a somewhat hardened face, but soon chuckled.

    ¡°Oh, no way.¡±

    [With the recent prevalence of hate, indiscriminate crime and terror, even the Orphanage, which should be protected the most¡­ The former Senators of Trick City are expected to convene a meeting.]

    Creak-

    Suddenly, the door opened a bit eerily.

    Kanya looked there.

    It was Dale Kal. He trudged over and sat down on the counter chair.

    ¡°Background check.¡±

    He pushed forward the request for a background investigation of [Berrieda Ren Casano].

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s no need to do it.¡±

    Kanya stared at him with a nk look.

 Chapter 164: Going Out (4)

    <strong>Going Out (4)</strong>

    [A ss of Whiskey]

    A quiet bar where the rhythm of the record gently flows, always quiet due to theck of customers.

    The owner, Kanya, ced a ss of whiskey on the table with a thud. I took a sip. Kanya, observing my reaction, blurted out.

    ¡°¡­Sir Mage. I¡¯m asking just in case.¡±

    I already had an idea of what she was curious about.

    I handed her a few pieces of paper across her table. They were evidence against a viin named ¡®Berrieda Ren Casano¡¯.

    ¡°He was a puppeteer in the underworld.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Kanya hastily grabbed the papers.

    They were letters exchanged between ¡®Beltrino¡¯ and Master Cartel.

    ¡°Master Cartel¡­ Beltrino? Who is Beltrino?¡±

    ¡°Berrieda¡¯s real name. Master Cartel, specifically ¡®Fontana¡¯s¡¯ hotline.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She touched her chin with a somewhat shocked face, but soon folded the papers with a resigned look.

    ¡°It¡¯s vague evidence. You can¡¯t actually prove that ¡®Beltrino¡¯ is ¡®Berrieda¡¯.¡±

    It¡¯s because of the evidence destruction system.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Whether there¡¯s evidence or not, I would¡¯ve killed him. The most certain evidence is saved in my head, in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    It¡¯s not that©¤ The underworld¡¯s Master Cartel had a close rtionship with Libra.

    The current head, Sherlock, rapidly expanded Libra¡¯s power, thanks to the secret pact with Master Cartel.

    ¡°So¡­ Sir Mage.¡±

    Kanya tapped the letter.

    ¡°So, Sir Mage got this evidence and escaped, and Berrieda Ren Casano was held responsible for losing the evidence and was killed by Master Cartel. Is this how I should understand it?¡±

    She poured more whiskey into the ss.

    ¡°Or is Sir Mage a bad guy who kills bad guys?¡±

    She meant she would ept my words rather than the truth of the situation.

    ¡°Think what you will.¡±

    I gulped down the whiskey.

    The poison burned in my stomach, but suddenly, in my still cold head, a question arose.

    [Client: Anonymous]

    An anonymous request.

    ¡°¡­Kanya.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Kanya furrowed her brows slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re calling me by name all of a sudden. Out of the blue.¡±

    I know Berrieda Ren Casano.

    However, his reputation will not be shattered for years toe, but will be even more solid. As the beacon of C-Section, a phnthropist who embodies sacrifice and dedication.

    It¡¯s strange to even doubt him now.

    ¡­Surely.

    ¡°Do you know who the client for the background investigation is?¡±

    Who is this client, what for, and how did they doubt Berrieda?

    Kanya waved her hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They came wearing a robe. But the color of the robe itself looked good?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I thought quietly.

    There must be someone.

    I don¡¯t know who it is, but they know something.

    ¡°But. Sir Mage.¡±

    Kanya tilted her head slightly.

    ¡°Do you have any other Magic Spells you¡¯ve invented?¡±

    ¡°¡­There might be oneing soon.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    I¡¯m getting the hang ofbining Magic Spells. Of course, today I implemented it through the ¡®legendary wand¡¯ that Akane gifted me.

    First, Ibine the Magic Spells stored in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ Database, verify theirpatibility, and then release the content to the outside world.

    ¡°When will it be?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take another 1-2 months.¡±

    I must produce a result that will sell well. In this field, releasing just anything can backfire.

    ¡°1 month, 2 months¡­ Great! Make it happen!¡±

    Kanya clenched her fist.

    * * *

    [Grawl Research Institute]

    Before leaving for narium, I visited the Grawl¡¯s Research Institute. Construction materials were piled up on one side, and the skeleton of the building was almost up.

    ©¤You¡¯ve arrived, Master?

    Grawl approached, his mana core ne jingling.

    ©¤What do you think?

    ¡°It¡¯s neat. The rest is going underground, right?

    ©¤Yes. We¡¯re only going to build up to the second floor on the outside.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go inside then.¡±

    ©¤¡­What?

    Grawl blinked. He looked troubled.

    ¡°Why.¡±

    ©¤¡­There¡¯s nothing inside yet~ You don¡¯t have time, just go~

    ¡°I still want to take a look.¡±

    ©¤Ah.

    I entered the building. Grawl followed with slightly anxious steps.

    As he said, there was nothing inside yet.

    No, there was something.

    ¡°¡­There seem to be too many cat towers.¡±

    Cat towers. Almost all the walls of the building were cat towers. Too long, high, and numerous for one to use. Cat beds, sofas, cushions were also abundant.

    ¡°Are you nning to settle down?¡±

    ©¤No way.

    Then it happened.

    Meow-

    A small, white kitten appeared from somewhere. It was a very tiny kitten.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ©¤¡­.

    Cold sweat formed on Grawl¡¯s forehead. He wiped the sweat with his front paw and said.

    ©¤It¡¯s, it¡¯s a stray. I adopted a dying kitten from outside. It¡¯s a baby.

    ¡°¡­Do whatever you want. Just take good care of it.¡±

    ©¤Wow! As expected of Master!

    Grawl smiled brightly.

    Then, he fidgeted and looked up at me.

    ©¤So¡­ can I stay here?

    ¡°¡­Stay? You want me to go to narium alone?¡±

    ©¤Yes. But I¡¯ve stored part of my abilities in the R-elix. So, you can use my abilities too.

    He pointed at my right forearm.

    ©¤Of course, you won¡¯t be as proficient as me, but if there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll advise you through telepathy.

    ¡°Telepathy?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Telepathy.

    ¡°That magic.¡±

    ©¤It is when used between others. But we¡¯re connected~ So it¡¯s much easier to use. Since telepathy ismunication of the soul, if you talk to me like you¡¯re talking to yourself, I can hear it.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    I put my hand on my arm. I thought for a moment.

    ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯

    ©¤Of course~

    Grawl smiled.

    ¡°Well then¡­ do as you please. But, this research institute needs to make some money.¡±

    ©¤Don¡¯t worry. I have a lot of SNS adsing in.

    ¡°¡­Ads.¡±

    ©¤Yes. And I¡¯ve also changed your messenger settings.

    What messenger?

    I turned on my smartphone. The profile of [Shion Ascal] messenger was my face.

    ¡°What the hell. Did you take this?¡±

    ©¤I did. You should manage it too. What will you do if you get interviewedter?

    I took the picture down again.

    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway. I¡¯m leaving. Make sure everything is ready by the time Ie back.¡±

    ©¤Yes! Say goodbye, NyangNyang.

    Meow-

    Grawl¡¯s NyangNyang also said goodbye.

    The more I see, the more absurd it is.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    I went outside.

    * * *

    Train station.

    I¡¯m sitting in the waiting room, waiting for the train and the group going to narium.

    ¡°Haahhhhhhh¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m yawning because I¡¯m tired,

    Click-

    Unnecessarily, only his footsteps were clear.

    Wow- Wow-

    Not only that, but the admiration that usually flows around when you see celebrities.

    Elise, whose presence precedes her appearance.

    I looked in her direction.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you going to the South Pole?¡±

    Elise was dressed in a huge backpack. Two hoverboards were attached to the sides of the backpack, and she even wore a headset on her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She nced at me and passed by without acknowledging me.

    Well, what.

    It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to acknowledge her.

    I walked to the station following her.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the train.

    We are sitting in the same car, but quite far apart.

    There¡¯s no good in taking a picture together.

    Elise received countless requests for autographs and photos, and I slept the entire time.

    When the number of people decreased and the train car was empty.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Elise looked at me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you studying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    I crossed over to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you suddenly wanted to learn Magic Spells.¡±

    Elise took out a book from her backpack.

    [Collection of Lower Rank Magic Spells]

    ¡°Levels 1~3 are lower. 4~6 are intermediate. 7~8 are advanced.¡±

    ¡°What about levels 9 and 10?¡±

    ¡°Each is supreme and heavenly, but it has nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    Elise turned the pages of the book quickly.

    ¡°Level 1 is practically a Magic Form, so I¡¯ll skip it. If you can¡¯t even do that, you don¡¯t deserve to learn from me.¡±

    ¡°I can do levels 1~3, so let¡¯s start at intermediate.¡±

    ¡°First, you need to understand the levels of Magic Spells. It¡¯s not usually judged by the number of Magic Forms, right? If three Magic Forms are linked, it¡¯s a level 3 Magic Spell, if four are linked, it¡¯s a level 4 Magic Spell. But ¡®scale¡¯ is also important.¡±

    Elise didn¡¯t even listen to my words.

    ¡°If the ¡®scale¡¯ of the form increases, ¡®segmentation¡¯ is essential for acquisition, so it¡¯s much harder than other Magic Spells with the same number. So the way to segment is also important-¡±

    ¡°No. I can do up to level 4, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes in what seemed to be dissatisfaction.

    It seems like she¡¯s telling me not to interfere with the lesson she prepared in advance.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°No, really. Look.¡±

    I snatched Elise¡¯s book.

    ¡¸Wind Sphere¡¹.

    A level 3 Magic Spell that condenses wind into a sphere and shoots it out.

    I spread my palm and implemented it in an instant.

    ¡°?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened as she watched.

    But soon, she snorted and crossed her arms as if amused.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, it seems you can do it. Congrattions. Are you bragging about your achievement to me?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not bragging. I don¡¯t understand the principles well. I just do it intuitively.¡±

    Again, my method of unfolding Magic Spells is pure intuition.

    Applying the operating principles of various Magic Spells umted in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ to other Magic Spells and ¡®implementing¡¯ them.

    But with this method, I can¡¯t respond to entirely new variables.

    What I want from Elise is that ¡®variable¡¯.

    ¡°I understand what you mean. You don¡¯t know why ¡®Wind Sphere¡¯ is level 3?¡±

    ¡°Because there are three Magic Forms.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡®scale¡¯ is also important.¡±

    She raised her fingers.

    ¡®Calling the wind¡¯ is the first.

    ¡®Condensing¡¯ is the second.

    ¡®Ejection¡¯ is the third.

    ¡°The key here is the Magic Form of ¡®ejection¡¯. It¡¯s used in almost all attack forms. If you add ¡®scale¡¯ to this ¡®ejection¡¯, it bes a level 4 Magic Spell.¡±

    ¡°Because it shoots out stronger?¡±

    ¡°Roughly correct.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Then how do you add that scale?¡±

    ¡°There are two ways. First, theoretically strengthening the Magic Form of ¡®ejection¡¯ itself. Second, adding a magic circuit when using it in practice.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°The first is strengthening the constant, and the second is setting a variable?¡±

    ¡°If you have to express it, yes. The first method is strictly verified in the Magic Tower, but the second method has a high failure rate. It¡¯s correct to call it a variable.¡±

    Elise handed me a notebook and pen.

    ¡°Well. Since you¡¯re not aplete ignoramus, I¡¯ll start the lesson from there. Take notes diligently. The note is also important¡­¡­¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s end here for today.¡±

    At the same time as the arrival at the terminal station, the private lesson ended.

    Elise packed all her belongings.

    Shion spoke to her.

    ¡°You teach well. Teach me every Monday.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Did you schedule a lesson?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the same as I gave to Kain.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, who was getting up from her seat, stopped abruptly.

    She pursed her lips as if hiding a happy expression and asked again.

    ¡°You mean a priority pass ¨C and a discount coupon -?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s insufficient as a tuition fee. But your restaurant has enough value in the special environment of narium. I¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Deal.¡±

    Shion also got up from his seat. Then he grabbed Elise¡¯s backpack, which she was about to sling on.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too big for you.¡±

    ¡°Too big, what¡­¡­¡±

    Elise suddenly looked up at him. Their eye levels didn¡¯t match at all.

    He had grown so tall without her noticing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry it. You brought it because of me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He snatched the backpack with a chuckle. Elise quietly handed it over.

    The backpack, which had taken up nearly half of her body, fit him perfectly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They got off the train.

    The scenery was as beautiful as ever.

    ¡°How do I use this?¡±

    Shion asked as he put down the hoverboard. Elise mounted the hoverboard first.

    ¡°Infuse it with magic. You can easily control the output of magic with your feet. Just like using One Belt, Four Lines.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t this a hoverboard Proarcane?¡±

    Hoverboard Proarcane (Provision).

    It¡¯s a much more expensive item with many more features than a regr hoverboard, making it much harder to handle, but once you get used to it, it¡¯s much more versatile.

    Elise tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need to thank me-¡±

    ¡°Why would you bring this? You should have brought a beginner¡¯s one.¡±

    Shion frowned. Elise was momentarily irritated.

    Even if you buy him something, heins.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to ride it.¡±

    He got on the hoverboard. Elise red at him and said,

    ¡°Do you have nothing in your brain? Just infuse it with mana. If you¡¯re at the College Board level, you¡¯ll pick it up quickly.¡±

    ¡°Mana¡­ Woah!¡±

    Suddenly, his hoverboard shot up high. Elise caught it with telekinesis as it tried to bounce away.

    ¡°¡­Sigh. Pathetic. Try moving slowly. I¡¯ll hold it for you.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    Shion infused it with mana. As someone who had no experience with One Belt, Four Lines, fine control of magic was difficult, but he moved it moderately by feel.

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-

    ¡°Keep going like that.¡±

    The two of them moved slowly. At first, walking was faster, but gradually they sped up.

    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly easy.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±

    ¡°¡­But what¡¯s this? Aunch function?¡±

    ¡°That is-¡±

    ¡°-Eek!¡±

    As soon as Shion activated the unch¡¯ function, the hoverboard charged forward. Elise hastily activated her telekinesis, but it changed direction and flew towards her.

    Bang-!

    The two hoverboards collided.

    ¡°Kyaa!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Roll, roll, roll©¤ The two of them rolled in the bushes with their hoverboards.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    Elise, buried in the rough grass, groaned. Her face was scrunched up in pain. Anger surged up rapidly.

    She looked to her side. Shion¡¯s face was right in front of her.

    ¡°You really-¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha.¡±

    But he wasughing out loud. His mouth and eyes drew a clear arc. His golden eyes sparkled transparently in the sunlight.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise closed her mouth. The anger that had surged up melted away like snow.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    His innocentughter.

    The heart-pounding sensation she felt from his childlike demeanor, from his wave-like smile,

    Thump- Thump-

    The trembling of her heart.

    Shionughed for a long time, and Elise watched him for a long time.

    ¡°Ah, this is fun.¡±

    He dusted himself off. He also brushed off the leaves that had stuck to his shoulder.

    Only then did Elisee to her senses.

    ¡°¡­What are youughing at?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shion, who got up first, took Elise¡¯s hand and helped her stand. Caught off guard, Elise leaned on him.

    ¡°Sorry. I guess I shouldn¡¯t have turned on the booster.¡±

    ¡°Just stop trying to learn. You have no talent, absolutely none.¡±

    She pushed him away, needlessly harsh.

    He climbed back onto the hoverboard.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll learn quickly. I was born to drive. It¡¯s just that this isn¡¯t driven with a handle.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Elise also sighed and got on the hoverboard.

    Whirr-

    They moved side by side.

    At a moderate speed. Through thendscape of the mountain path. Under the soft sunlight.

    Elise stole a nce at his profile.

    Nothing special.

    Just focusing on the hoverboard.

    Thump-

    But it¡¯s strange.

    Thump-

    Why won¡¯t this pounding heart calm down?

    Is it arrhythmia? Heart disease?

    It keeps growing every time I look at him¡­

    Then Shion looked back at her.

    ¡°Hey! Look ahead!¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Ahh!¡±

    ©¤Thud!

    Elise¡¯s face hit the surface of a tree.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±

    Elise fell down, lying t on the ground.

    ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡±

    Shion asked. She quickly clutched her face.

    More than the pain, it was embarrassing.

    ¡°¡­fine.¡±

    She spoke, covering her face.

    ¡°Are you sure? Hey, let me see.¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine!¡±

    Elise shouted in frustration.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Hey, but-¡±

    ¡°Before I kill you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just that my nose is too hot right now.

    ¡°If you go ahead, I¡¯ll follow on my own¡­¡±

    This is definitely a nosebleed¡­

    * * *

    Meanwhile, in Petra Senator¡¯s office.

    In the ce where fragmented sunlight flowed through the blinds, Ken Petra received a report from a close confidant of the family.

    ¡°Ascal¡­ the kid from that time.¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s currently settled in the top 100.¡±

    The confidant handed over a document.

    A scouting report and rted documents on a senior named [Shion Ascal].

    Tapping the document, Ken twirled his cigar.

    ¡°If he¡¯s in the top 100.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a stable force in Edsi Magic University. The scouts are also keeping an eye on him. He seems to be attracting curious attention because he suddenly rose to prominence.¡±

    Huuuu¡­

    Hisrge mouth exhaled thick smoke.

    ¡°Leave him be until the entrance exams are over.¡±

    ¡°Until the entrance exams, you say. The election season is almost upon us.¡±

    The confidant seemed worried. Ken, who nced at him, stood up.

    ¡°Elise is a strong candidate for valedictorian at College Board. There¡¯s no need to stir up trouble in this batch.¡±

    He straightened his suit, which had ridden up on his corpulent body, and looked out the window.

    ¡°However.¡±

    His office had a clear view of the Edsi Parliament.

    He should have been here four years ago, but damn political maneuvers dyed him by four years.

    There¡¯s no more time to dy.

    Ken Petra stroked his thick beard and continued.

    ¡°In the worst-case scenario, we should think of a suitable way to handle it.¡±

 Chapter 165: Second Test (1)

    <strong>Second Test (1)</strong>

    [ Room 107 ]

    I returned to narium.

    I had just unpacked my things in the dormitory and was about to take a nap when¡ª

    Knock-knock¡ª

    The sound of knocking.

    I nced towards the door.

    Knock-knock¡ª

    The knocking sound again.

    I got up and opened the door.

    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±

    It was Elise. She peeked over my shoulder and asked,

    ¡°Can Ie in?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I stepped aside. She entered and looked around.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here. It¡¯s cramped.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Oh, right. Hey, listen.¡±

    It was good timing. I still had questions about Magic Spell.

    ¡°When I use a form, the mana consumption is too high, you know?¡±

    I had put the lesson about ¡®scale¡¯ into the ¡¸Notepad¡¹, but I hadn¡¯t properly asked about ¡®efficiency¡¯.

    Elise raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s simple. Your mana pool is small, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. But there¡¯s also the matter of efficiency.¡±

    Magic Spells of levels 1-3 are manageable, but from level 5, the mana consumption is no joke. It means I¡¯m using the form in an ¡®inefficient way¡¯.

    Elise asked with a nk face.

    ¡°Efficiency?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a swordsman anyway.¡±

    ¡°Swordsmen also use Magic Spells. Look at Gerkhen.¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen is¡­ Sigh. Sit down.¡±

    Elise pointed to a chair. I sat on the only chair avable. Elise also created a chair-like form using telekinesis and sat on it.

    ¡°¡®Efficiency¡¯ is hard to teach theoretically.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s too simple. The quality of mana dedicated to the ¡®path¡¯ in the form¡¯s circuit¡­ That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°Path?¡±

    I tilted my head. Elise raised a finger.

    ¡°Let me exin it simply. The circuits of Magic Spells arergely just ¡®paths¡¯.¡±

    She drew a level 4 Magic Spell in the air.

    ¡°Look. The core circuits here are the ¡®nucleus¡¯.¡±

    The center of the Magic Spell turned red. It was the ¡®nucleus¡¯.

    ¡°The circuits supplying mana to the nucleus are the ¡®paths¡¯.¡±

    The outer parts leading to the center turned green. They were the ¡®paths¡¯.

    ¡°Usually, if the nucleus of a form is 30%, the remaining 70% is the ¡®path¡¯ to reach that nucleus.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so don¡¯t waste magic on that ¡®path¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Roughly. Just pouring mana doesn¡¯t make the mana transmission speed of the ¡®path¡¯ faster.¡±

    It was a simple story.

    The form I deploy with the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ was inefficient because I poured the same amount of mana into all parts. Like Elise, I didn¡¯t distinguish between the ¡®path¡¯ and the ¡®nucleus¡¯, and dumped a set amount into the entire form like a machine.

    ¡°But it will be difficult for you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s purely a matter of talent. Per unit of mana¡­¡±

    Elise stopped talking.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    She sighed lightly and simplified her exnation.

    ¡°In other words, whether your mana is a railway, a highway, or a dirt road is determined from birth. Academia calls this the ¡®quality of mana¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a railway. A high-speed railway.¡±

    ¡°Then show me. Draw it in the air as you go.¡±

    ¡°¡­You ask for a lot.¡±

    ¡°Start from level 2.¡±

    Elise grumbled as she drew a Magic Spell in the air.

    Level 2. Two Magic Forms were intertwined.

    Just as Elise had said, the lines on the outer part of the form were thin but sturdy. A ¡®path¡¯ had been formed.

    However, as it moved towards the center, it became thicker and darker, and by the time it reached the ¡®nucleus¡¯, it waspletely dense.

    ¡°Look. The outer part is thin and the center is thick, right? But, this is because the quality of my mana is good. If a person with poor mana quality makes the path thin, the Magic Spell won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see why.¡±

    Think about it. If the path is a ¡®railway¡¯, a single line can transport a train.

    But if it¡¯s a ¡®dirt road¡¯ that¡¯s just one line? At most, it can handle a cart.

    It¡¯s that kind of logic.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    But, the quality of my mana shouldn¡¯t be that bad. At least due to ¡®Perion¡¯, it should be at the level of a highway.

    I saved Elise¡¯s Magic Spell in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡ö Elise¡¯s Efficient Level 2 Magic Spell.

    I created a separate folder and focused on saving the efficiency of the ¡®path¡¯ that Elise showed.

    ¡°Show me just two more Level 2 spells. And about four Level 3 spells.¡±

    ¡°¡­Haah.¡±

    Elise sighed as if annoyed, but did as I asked without anyints.

    ¡­.

    ¡ö Elise¡¯s Efficient Level 2 Magic Spell [ 3 ]

    ¡ö Elise¡¯s Efficient Level 3 Magic Spell [ 4 ]

    Three Level 2 Magic Spells.

    Four Level 3 Magic Spells.

    I saved a total of 7 Magic Spells. To be precise, I added the technique of ¡®efficiency¡¯ to the database.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯. This technique is something you can-¡±

    ¡°Just watch and tell me. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    ¡°¡­Try to be a little more self-aware.¡±

    Elise furrowed her brows, and I deployed a Magic Spell. A smoke ball the size of a ping pong ball floated up from my palm. It was the Level 3 ¡¸Smoke Bomb¡¹ that Elise had just demonstrated.

    ¡°The magic consumption is definitely less. It seems to have dropped by almost half?¡±

    Thanks to Elise, who understands the theory better than most schrs, I was able to grasp it quickly.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I felt a bit guilty, as if I had stolen some knowledge.

    I looked at Elise with an awkward expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Her eyes were glued to my ¡¸Smoke Bomb¡¹, and the dense fog that had settled down obscured her expression.

    A moment of silence.

    Then she spoke.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not without talent.¡±

    Her tone was a bit bitter.

    She made a small gesture. The ¡¸Smoke Bomb¡¹ was instantly dispelled.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You implemented it in the same way as me. So, it can be dispelled immediately by reverse calction. That¡¯s why ¡®security¡¯ is needed for the form. I¡¯ll tell you about thatter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh~ Okay. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Then.¡±

    Elise reached out to me. I stared nkly and asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­When are you going to give it?¡±

    Give what? What does she want?

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I ced my hand on hers.

    ¡°©¤No!¡±

    Elise flinched and pulled away. She pped my shoulder with her palm and said,

    ¡°¡­¡­Farm coupons. Why aren¡¯t you giving them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    She came for the coupons from the beginning. I casually cut a piece of paper lying on the desk and made it into a coupon.

    Elise frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? It¡¯s just a scribble on paper.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for my business anyway.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    [Ten Pre-Order Coupons], [Ten Discount Coupons]. Elise stuffed a total of twenty into her wallet.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    She left without a word.

    * * *

    The high floor of the dormitory.

    Elise, who had climbed up to the rooftop, was facing the cold wind. Looking at the daytime moon of narium, she seemed to be lost in someplex thoughts.

    Suddenly-

    The door opened. Elise nced that way.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It was Gerkhen. He seemed surprised by Elise.

    ¡°Why. Was it your spot?¡±

    ¡°Even though I like that spot, I can¡¯t im ownership. The rooftop is agreed to be used only by residents above the 30th floor.¡±

    Elise chuckled.

    ¡°Tell the dissatisfied ones toe up and speak.¡±

    Again, she leaned on the railing and looked at the view.

    Gerkhen stood at a distance.

    The wind blew gently, stirring her hair.

    Elise opened her mouth as if sighing.

    ¡°You were right.¡±

    Gerkhen looked at her. He seemed to have forgotten what he had said.

    ¡°Last time, about the first quarter human chess. You said if it wasn¡¯t for the stamina issue, you would have chosen Shion as the queen.¡±

    She thought it was an overestimation at the time.

    But Elise vaguely realized today.

    Shion Ascal operated the ¡¸Smoke Bomb¡¹ as efficiently as herself. He almost mimicked it exactly.

    No, the thickness of that smoke was even denser than hers.

    She didn¡¯t show it, but from her perspective, and even from the perspective of the many magic teachers who had taught her, it would have been a shocking ¡®incident¡¯.

    Elise herself had struggled for nearly a year to achieve such efficiency.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Right. Just as you said.¡±

    As Gerkhen said, Shion has talent.

    A talent that came toote, and therefore it is wasted.

    It¡¯s not that it isn¡¯t, magical talent is most important in early education. The best age for circuits to open is before 15. No matter how good the talent you are born with, if you don¡¯t get proper training at that time, the circuit itself closes.

    Like Shion Ascal.

    He has good quality mana. Beyond good, it¡¯s excellent.

    However, due to the fatal drawback of not receiving early education©¤ his mana conduit is small.

    Therefore, the limit is clear.

    He can never grow high.

    90% of his talent¡­ maybe 95% is already blocked.

    ¡°Shion has excellent talent. It¡¯s toote though.¡±

    There were many reasons why it had be toote for him.

    Because a proper environment was not provided.

    Because he lost his mother at birth, and his father died at a very young age.

    Because he became an orphan and was raised in an Orphanage.

    He had been afflicted with a brain tumor and leukemia.

    ¡­¡­Because of Petra.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Petra, He would have had a mother.

    If he had a mother, his father wouldn¡¯t have died so early.

    He would have been able to cope more easily with the brain tumor and leukemia with the help of his parents.

    ¡°You seem to be emotionally troubled right now.¡±

    Gerkhen said. Elise tilted her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you a robot?¡±

    ¡°Think rationally when you¡¯re like this. Calcte.¡±

    Calcte.

    Whates to mind at that word is plus, minus, zero.

    SameSame.

    So far, Shion is a minus.

    Almost, an infinite minus.

    No matter how much she pours in the plus¡­¡­

    Unless she gives up the calction itself, there¡¯s no improvement.

    ¡°If you think about it in terms of calction, it¡¯s a bigger loss.¡±

    She muttered, brushing her hair back.

    ¡°¡­¡­Much more of a loss.¡±

    She pulled away from the railing.

    Her mind wasplicated.

    She felt like she needed to take a break, stroking Bianca¡¯s fur at [Bethune].

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Elise turned around.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Gerkhen, as if he had been waiting, took his ce as it was.

    It really was his own seat.

    He also has a strange routine.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­I ran the [Ascal Farm] for a week. Every day new silver spooners came, and thanks to them, I was able to maintain the upper ranks just by cooking without any problems.

    But it wasn¡¯t all good.

    ¡°Ah. I wish they would stoping now.¡±

    Preparing about 10 servings every day was not easy.

    Anyway, today, like yesterday, I was about to finish my day¡¯s work and go back.

    ©¤©¤Hey!

    ¡°What a surprise.¡±

    A stone statue outside the farm called me.

    The one that announced the first testst time.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ©¤A stone statue! You¡¯re an excellent student, so I came to give you a hint!

    ¡°A hint?¡±

    ©¤Yes! Be prepared! Something big is about to happen in the dormitory!

    ¡°¡­¡­What big thing?¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s a test!

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Is he telling me in advance? I¡¯m kind of thankful.

    I pointed to the farm.

    ¡°Do you want to eat?¡±

    ©¤I don¡¯t eat human food! See you in a bit!

    In a bit, it¡¯s about to start.

    ¡°Preparation¡­¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to prepare for, but let¡¯s start with the food since it¡¯s in the dormitory. Food preparation is also preparation, right?

    I took out the wand from my waist.

    ¡°Telekinesis.¡±

    I muttered in a low voice with my arm stretched out. Chururururuk©¤©¤! All the food and ingredients in the farm rose and were put into the cart.

    Thanks to Elise¡¯s ¡®efficiency¡¯ lecture, this much is now as easy as chewing gum.

    Now all I have to do is move this cart to the dormitory.

    ¡­¡­

    Dormitory 1st floor lobby. Elise, who was pouring water into a tumbler from the essence machine, and the other seniors chatting on the sofa blinked their eyes at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing? What¡¯s with that cart?¡±

    I looked back at the cart. On top of the cart, about the size of a refrigerator, it seemed like loads almost the size of two refrigerators were stacked.

    ¡°I was told to prepare. So, I brought everything from the farm.¡±

    ¡°Prepare?¡±

    Elise made a face as if she didn¡¯t understand.

    I opened the door to Room 107, pulling the cart.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, right.¡±

    I flinched to a stop as I tried to push the cart in.

    My Room 107 is quite narrow. Well, most of the first floor is like this. They say the higher you go, the wider the rooms get.

    ¡°Will that big cart fit in?¡±

    Elise, who happened to follow me, asked. I shook my head.

    ¡°As you can see. Even if I put it in, there¡¯s no space.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. What are you preparing for?¡±

    Elise muttered as she opened her room door. Then she cleared her throat as if to get my attention.

    I looked into Elise¡¯s Room 106.

    ¡°What the. Why is your room so big?¡±

    At first nce, it¡¯s three times, no, four times, no, more than five times the size of my room.

    ¡°It¡¯s an expansion form.¡±

    ¡°Oh. In that case.¡±

    I pointed at the cart to Elise.

    ¡°Can you keep this? For preparation.¡±

    ¡°I asked you. What are you preparing for?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The stone statue just told me to prepare in the dormitory. So, I¡¯m just preparing.¡±

    ¡°The stone statue?¡±

    Elise tilted her head, but soon pushed the cart into Room 106 with telekinesis.

    ¡°Come in. Tell me in detail.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I also entered Room 106.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s really spacious.¡±

    Not only is the arearge, but there are also many pieces of furniture. Bed, desk, bookshelf, sofa, hammock, rocking chair, radio, snack table, and so on¡­¡­

    ¡°Is making furniture your hobby?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±

    Elise tilted her head with a puzzled face for a moment.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ I¡¯m not sure. It suddenly became a hobby. Anyway. Before that, recite exactly what the stone statue said-¡±

    Wiiiiiiiiing©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    At that moment, the sound of a siren.

    Bang-!

    The door closes roughly.

    ©¤©¤Starting now!

    The voice of the stone statue pierced down from above.

    We looked up at the ceiling in surprise.

    ©¤©¤The second test will begin! Everyone outside the dormitory should go into their dormitory rooms! We take no responsibility for anything that happens if you¡¯re outside!

    Elise lowered her gaze. With a rather serious expression, she nudged my shoulder.

    ¡°Look out the window.¡±

    I looked that way too. Beyond the dormitory window, it was pitch ck.

    ¡°This seems like a big deal.¡±

    ©¤©¤You can give up at any time now.

    The voice of the stone statue fell chillingly.

    ©¤©¤Enemies will swarm in endlessly. Your goal is to survive.

    Grrrrrrr¡­¡­

    Somewhere, the stretched-out cry of a beast flowed in.

    I gripped the Ascal short sword at my waist.

    ©¤©¤If you want to give up, request a transfer with your student ID at any time. We will facilitate an emergency escape at the cost of 3,000 AP. However, that will be the end of the second quarter for those who give up.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I gave Elise a small smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ¡®teaming¡¯. What do you think?¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders with her arms crossed.

    ¡°¡­¡­Weren¡¯t you the one who deviated to be a mage?¡±

    -Just as she was teasingly saying that.

    Chaaaaang-!

    All the ss windows around us shattered, and ck beasts rushed inside.

    At that moment, I unsheathed my sword.

    Swoooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    The clear circr sh split all the beasts in two.

 Chapter 166: Second Test (2)

    <strong>Second Test (2)</strong>

    Scarlet beasts endlessly poured into the room. Their forms varied. Some were wolves, some were hawks, and some were octopuses.

    I assumed the stance of the [Eight Swords]. I cut them down while standing in ce, and Elise supported me from the rear.

    The first hour or two was manageable. It was even on the easier side. Their endurance was soft.

    Three or four hours were also bearable. They vanished upon death, leaving no corpses behind.

    However, I had a gut feeling that something was wrong when five hours had passed.

    ¡°¡­Huff!¡±

    My stamina was rapidly draining. Fatigue surpassed my recovery rate, making my hand holding the sword tremble. My vision blurred due to sweat.

    Still, stamina is my weakness.

    ¡°Domain.¡±

    Elise quietly muttered. At the same time, a telekic barrier expanded like a domain.

    Krrrrrrr©¤©¤!

    The dark beasts were pushed outside the window in an instant.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Elise asked. I didn¡¯t have the energy to respond. I pulled out a [Fruit] from my pocket.

    It¡¯s a fruit that grew from my head. It¡¯s an enchantment I brought from [Bethune].

    I can get one every 12 hours, but they rot quite quickly, so I only have six left now.

    Gulp-

    I swallowed the fruit. At that moment, I felt like my stamina had recovered by about 30%.

    Fascinating.

    I threw one to Elise as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as a potion. Eat it in an emergency. More importantly, do you know the cause?¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a cause. They¡¯re just mindlessly pushing with numbers.¡±

    Krrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    The sound of them scratching the telekic barrier.

    Even for Elise, the ¡¸Telekic Field¡¹ is a huge drain on magic power. It¡¯s a level 7 Magic Spell after all. It means she can¡¯t hold it for long.

    I rolled the ¡¸Dice¡¹.

    [3]

    I invested it all in stamina.

    ¡°Release it.¡±

    I picked up my sword again.

    ¡°Move as efficiently as possible. It¡¯s a long battle.¡±

    Elise advised and released the telekic barrier.

    Kwrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    Dark beasts poured in again in countless numbers.

    Swoooosh©¤©¤

    I swung my sword and cut them down. The enemy was still numerous. They surged like a tidal wave.

    I stopped thinking. I didn¡¯t even have time to suffer.

    I just focused on the whole situation©¤my sword and the charging enemy for seven hours.

    Eight hours.

    Nine hours.

    Ten hours¡­¡­

    I don¡¯t know after that.

    It must have been 12 hours.

    Over hundreds, thousands, almost 10,000.

    I swallowed three more [Fruits], and mechanically deployed the [Eight Swords].

    Chaaaaang©¤©¤!

    The sword that splits the scarlet form.

    That sword path is clear.

    The path of my sword, it¡¯s visible to my eyes.

    Swoooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    The ¡®straight¡¯ line engraved in space.

    Staring at it, a thought suddenly came to me.

    Efficiency.

    Like the efficiency of a Magic Spell, couldn¡¯t I apply efficiency to the way of the sword©¤the sword path?

    The feeling of exhaustion brought up such a thought.

    It¡¯s too trivial to be called an enlightenment, but it¡¯s a sudden inspiration.

    I lowered my sword.

    A straight sword is not efficient.

    An efficient sword should not be ¡®straight¡¯.

    It should produce the greatest effect with the least effort.

    Therefore, an efficient sword is probably a ¡®continuum of curves¡¯.

    Aaaaaaaaah!

    Dozens of monsters, mouths wide open, charged at me.

    I flicked my wrist.

    Whooosh!

    One swing, one curved sword.

    A curve that felt more like a brush stroke.

    I condensed the essence of the [Eight Swords] into a ¡®single stroke¡¯.

    I drastically omitted the sword dance.

    I reduced all unnecessary parts of the initial form and contained it in a ¡®single stroke¡¯.

    Like a single stroke of a brush.

    Swoosh!

    They were cut. Even if it seemed like a mere flick.

    Swoosh!

    They were cut. Even if it seemed like a mere swing.

    The curve, like a sign, cut through space itself.

    -!

    I unfolded my sword with a flick of my wrist.

    My stamina consumption was halved, but the power was rather upgraded. They were shredded like in a blender.

    Holding onto that sense of ¡®efficiency¡¯, I cut them down, and at some point.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡±

    Elise said.

    I looked back at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders. As she said, the room was quiet.

    Suddenly, my hand lost its strength.

    ng-

    The sword fell to the floor.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    I red at Elise with a resentful look.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t help at all halfway through.¡±

    Elise looked a bit stung, but soon smirked.

    ¡°You were immersed. It was clearly a sequence of enlightenment, would it be right to interrupt that?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Well, she seemed to be right. If she had helped, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of ¡®imnting efficiency into the sword dance¡¯.

    Elise crossed her arms and asked.

    ¡°Your swordsmanship has changed, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    I let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯m so tired I could die.¡±

    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case.

    I fell asleep right there.

    * * *

    Eliseid Shion on the bed. She also slipped a [fruit] into his mouth. Gulp- Shion swallowed in his sleep.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Looking at the sleeping Shion, Elise stroked her chin.

    ¡°What could it have been?¡±

    He is a swordsman. A swordsman aspiring to be a knight.

    His ¡®unorthodox¡¯ style, like an invertebrate, is somewhat famous in the world.

    A famous scout wrote a column about it, and Elise had read it herself.

    But, just now it was a bit different.

    Unorthodox¡­ it seemed.

    But it was a very minor deviation. Just a single stroke of the sword coiling like a snake.

    ¡°It¡¯s good talent.¡±

    Of course, not as much as me.

    -Aaaaaah!

    Suddenly, a scream echoed from outside.

    -Sa, save me!!

    Elise looked at Shion. He was already asleep.

    She didn¡¯t have the leisure to help someone else either.

    -Sa, save me! Please save me!

    But the voice echoing from outside, somehow, sounded familiar.

    Elise heard it every morning when she bought coffee¡­.

    ¡°¡­Terence, the owner of the cafe.¡±

    Terence.

    After some hesitation, she opened the door. Terence was being chased by crimson beasts.

    ¡°Ah-ah-ah©¤?¡±

    Terence looked her way. Elise pulled him in with telekinesis.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    In an instant, he was pulled into the room, and Elise promptly closed the door.

    ¡°Huff, huff¡­.¡±

    Terencey on the floor, gasping for breath.

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, Terence looked up at her.

    ¡°¡­Miss Elise!¡±

    His face was filled with emotion, but there was no time for that.

    ¡°Hush.¡±

    Elise warmed up her Magic Body and looked towards the door. She prepared for the impending enemies¡­.

    Nothing. It was quiet. Peaceful.

    ¡°Gasp! Shion!¡±

    Just then, Terence spotted Shion.

    ¡°He¡¯s asleep.¡±

    Elise exined and sat in a chair. Terence let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the first floor?¡±

    ¡°I just ran away from the second floor, so I don¡¯t know the details¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Elise took a piece of paper from her desk drawer, folded it like a bird, and infused it with magic to animate it. She slightly opened the door and let it fly.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Terence was amazed, and Elise closed her eyes. She shared her vision with the paper bird.

    The situation on the first floor was visible. At first nce, it was very bad. The beasts¡¯ w marks were everywhere in the corridor, and blood was sttered.

    The room seemed much safer inparison.

    ©¤Aaargh!

    A voice filled with pain. Elise shifted her gaze in that direction.

    ©¤I, I surrender! Spare me!

    A senior was being mauled by a crimson creature and cried out in surrender. His student ID oxidized, and he was teleported somewhere.

    Elise continued to fly the paper bird.

    The half-broken dormitory door. Room 115. Inside, three people were barricading themselves.

    ©¤What¡¯s that? Looks like a familiar spirit, right?

    ©¤Is anyone there? Please help us!

    Elise passed them by too. She spotted someone on the stairs leading to the first floor.

    Red hair. A sword at the waist. An impassive face despite the sudden chaos.

    It was Soliette.

    ©¤¡­Oh. Is that you, Miss Elise?

    Soliette recognized Elise just from the magical waves emitted by the paper bird.

    ©¤Where are you?

    Elise nced at Shion on the bed. She hesitated for a moment.

    Should she tell him, or not?

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Suddenly, she found herself repulsive.

    The emotion she just felt, the difort spreading like fog in her heart, was petty jealousy. A malignant lump she should never harbor.

    Elise moved the paper bird.

    Room 106. Room 106.

    ©¤1¡­ 0¡­ 6. Room 106. Understood.

    ©¤©¤You can give up at any time!

    The voice of the stone statue echoed from the ceiling again. Elise stopped the operation of the paper bird.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°What, what is?¡±

    ¡°The monsters.¡±

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    Elise opened a drawer. She took out a container filled with mana stones and gems. Some were collected from the narium, and others were brought from home.

    She used the mana stones as a medium to deploy a Magic Spell on the floor.

    Zzzap-!

    With a spark, a ¡®Magic Bullet Turret¡¯ sprouted from the ground. It was a college-level ¡¸Ductile Form¡¹.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Terence looked on in astonishment, and Elise created four more in the same way.

    ¡°They should be of some help, right?¡±

    She asked Terence. Terence nodded nkly.

    ¡°Ye-yes. Yes.¡±

    Knock-knock-

    Just then, probably Soliette¡¯s knock. Elise opened the door.

    It was indeed Soliette.

    ¡°Miss Elise. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Fortunately, we have plenty of supplies. What¡¯s the situation on the second floor?¡±

    Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr. Beasts have invaded¡­.¡±

    ©¤©¤Congrattions to the survivors!

    The stone statue spoke again.

    ¡°Ah¡­ so noisy.¡±

    Shion woke up from the bed. Soliette looked at him. Elise looked at Soliette¡¯s face. She saw the smile blooming on her face as she looked at Shion.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She quietly lowered her head.

    Shion spoke.

    ¡°What¡¯s up. Soliette?¡±

    ¡°Shion. So you were here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought you¡¯d be busy with Bethune.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t y Bethune at times like this.¡±

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders.

    ©¤©¤Try to hold out as long as possible!

    At the statue¡¯s words, Shion sat up.

    ¡°¡­¡­But we have to trust what it says.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust it.¡±

    Elise also chimed in.

    ¡°Unless it swears on its soul that its words are true. But it¡¯s fortunate that we have a lot of supplies.¡±

    The cart that Shion brought was filled with a lot of food and materials. It was enough for four people tost a week.

    Elise looked out the window again.

    It was too dark. Too cold. Even the dust flowing in the air was ominous.

    Wheeeee©¤©¤©¤!

    The siren rang again. Elise¡¯s four Magic Bullet Turrets were activated first.

    Bang©¤! Bang©¤!

    They fired Magic Bullets out the window, and beastsrger than before poured in.

    * * *

    At the same time.

    In the VVIP monitoring room set up outside the [narium].

    In the spacious and cozy ce prepared by the college board, Igris, the head of the Arkne family and Soliette¡¯s father, was sitting. He was looking at Soliette on the tablet.

    More precisely, at Shion, who was standing next to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Igris felt a bit strange.

    No, he was ufortable.

    Shion Ascal.

    This guy had deployed the [Eight Swords].

    It was unpleasant enough that a mere senior was deploying the [Eight Swords], but he even dared to increase or decrease the number of swords at his whim.

    Moreover¡­

    The way Soliette looked at this guy.

    The smile blooming on Soliette¡¯s lips.

    ©¤©¤Squeeze.

    He clenched his fist.

    Everything about him irritated Igris¡¯s nerves. It was like a single mosquito clinging to her.

    Probably, the Eight Swords were also taught to this guy by Soliette. Without the family¡¯s permission.

    ¡°He¡¯s doing well.¡±

    Someone next to him said. Igris looked at him with a somewhat furrowed brow.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he?¡±

    The VVIP monitoring room was spacious. However, that man was looking directly at him.

    A man with blue hair fluttering proudly.

    Jade, the second son of Libra.

    He tried to ignore him, but Jade had been snooping on who Igris was observing since a while ago.

    ¡°Who, you mean.¡±

    ¡°The student that Lord Arkne was just watching.¡±

    Jade said with a poker face.

    He meant Shion Ascal.

    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s doing well? He¡¯s just showing off some insignificant skills.¡±

    ¡°Insignificant skills?¡±

    Jade echoed his words. Then he looked at Shion in the tablet screen again. Now, observing the swordsmanship that Shion Ascal was showing, he twisted the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°It rather seems more efficient to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too conservative, Lord? There¡¯s no rule that a sword always has to be straight.¡±

    Igris¡¯s jaw twitched. He tilted his head again and red at Jade.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a deep understanding of swordsmanship, it would look like that. It¡¯s thew of seeing as much as you know.¡±

    Jade still had a dry expression and his eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to know. My body doesn¡¯t need to learn swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°A body that doesn¡¯t need to learn swordsmanship. Are you pursuing weakness?¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Then Jade let out a scoff. He put his finger on his nose. With an incredulous, casual smile, he said,

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a strong body, far from weakness.¡±

    Jade¡¯s head shaking with disdain left Igris speechless.

    The madman of Libra. Daring to talk about a strong body in front of Arkne¡¯s Igris.

    But he decided to ignore it.

    Jade was always like this.

    He just looked at the woman next to Jade.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is she the youngest?¡±

    Her name was, probably, Zia.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    The woman sitting next to Jade, it was even questionable how she received the VVIP invitation.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t necessarily have toe.¡±

    ¡°I also¡­¡­ have a subject¡­¡­ I¡¯m keeping an eye on¡­¡­ as a knight¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Igris waved his hand. She must have been raised wrong when she was young, she can¡¯t even speak properly.

    He focused his gaze back on the tablet, but the situation was already over.

    The chaotic swordsmanship of Shion Ascal, who twisted the [Eight Swords] had concluded.

    Because Jade suddenly picked a fight.

    Igris was displeased with that, but he soon focused on the tablet again.

    The way Soliette was looking at Shion.

    Although he couldn¡¯t hear her, the way she was softly smiling and saying something.

    The ¡®atmosphere¡¯ of it all.

    Igris deeply engraved it in his eyes.

 Chapter 167: Second Test (3)

    <strong>Second Test (3)</strong>

    ¡­24 hours have passed.

    ¡°It seems to be over.¡±

    Room 106 of Elise.

    We had been dealing with the crimson figures for almost 4 hours. It was much easier than before, thanks to Soliette¡¯s joining.

    Grrr-

    Suddenly, the sound of a growling stomach echoed. I looked at Soliette. She bowed her head with a slightly reddened face. Elise next to her giggled.

    ¡°Soliette. Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems I¡¯ve moved my body too much¡­¡­¡±

    Grrr-

    A simr sound echoed again, but this time it wasn¡¯t Soliette.

    It was Elise. I asked her.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise clutched her stomach and quickly turned around.

    Grrr-

    But my stomach was the same.

    ¡°You thought I wasn¡¯t?¡±

    Elise grumbled.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ahem. Let¡¯s eat first. How many hours have we been going?¡±

    I asked as I took out food from the cart.

    ¡°Exactly 24 hours.¡±

    We¡¯ve been fighting almost all day.

    I lifted arge frying pan and ced it on the burner. Snap- I sparked a me and put the meat on it.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ that looks delicious¡­¡­¡±

    Terence, admiring the sizzling, cooking meat.

    Elise nced at him with a somewhat dissatisfied face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything on your side?¡±

    She almost despises freeloaders.

    ¡°Oh. Right. Just a moment.¡±

    Terence created a portal of magic in the air. He reached into it and pulled something out. It was a 1L bottle of water. Elise¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    Terence shyly spoke as he put down the water.

    ¡°Now I can put things in or take them out of the ¡®home¡¯ without summoning the ¡®home¡¯ itself.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ You¡¯ve grown too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s still iplete though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useful.¡±

    Elise alsoplimented.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Terence smiled brightly, but his expression quickly darkened again.

    ¡°But how many hours do we have to hold out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I divided the meats and put them on tes. I don¡¯t know how many hours we have to hold out.

    But if it continues like this, I won¡¯t be able to hold out until the end. My stamina is too disadvantageous for this kind of long-term battle. I need to find a way before I be a burden.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ©¤©¤Bang bang bang bang bang!

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

    Another enemy?

    I took a defensive stance, but.

    ©¤Open the door!

    This time it was a human voice.

    ©¤If you don¡¯t open it, we¡¯ll break it!

    ¡°Hey, hey. Wait a minute.¡±

    I quickly went and opened the door. It shouldn¡¯t be broken.

    Sure enough, there were not monsters outside, but three seniors. They deliberately made their faces look scary.

    ¡°What are you eating? Hand it over-¡±

    ¡°Who are these guys?¡±

    Elise peeked out from beside my shoulder. As soon as they saw Elise, they hesitated and backed off.

    ¡°Oh, ah, that¡­¡­ sorry.¡±

    They bowed their heads and tried to run away quickly, but Elise caught them with telekinesis.

    ¡°¡­¡­You guys seem to be from the 13th floor. Are you looting?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Ha, haha. The smell wasing up¡­¡­ My Five Senses are sensitive. I didn¡¯t know it was Elise¡¯s room. We don¡¯t have anything to eat either¡­¡­¡±

    The seniors scratched their backs and bowed, trying to look pitiful.

    Elise frowned.

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°So, sorry! We¡¯ll go!¡±

    The seniors quickly ran down the hallway.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    I called out to them. I threw four chocte bars and half a kilo of meat at the halted seniors.

    ¡°Take it. Don¡¯t try to loot next time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Sorry! We won¡¯t loot next time! We were just too hungry!¡±

    ¡°I get it, now go.¡±

    They quickly gathered up the food and ran up the stairs, and I closed the door.

    Elise stood there with a dissatisfied look on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re too soft-hearted, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? We have enough for ourselves tost a month.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. If theye begging again-¡±

    Just as she was about to continue her nagging.

    Roarrrrrrr!

    The crying sound became clearer.

    Again, the wave had started.

    * * *

    ¡­48 hours had passed.

    During that time, a total of eight hordes had attacked. By the time the seventh one ended, I had already retired.

    By the way, all the fruits were also consumed. I even took back the one I had given to Elise. She looked disappointed, but there was nothing I could do.

    ¡°Why are they making us do this?¡±

    I mumbled while lying on the floor.

    I was seriously dumbfounded. Efficiency is one thing, but there¡¯s no way to withstand this kind of onught¡­

    If this is why they say the college board is a college board, then I admit it.

    It¡¯s tough.

    ¡°It seems to be getting harder.¡±

    Elise and Soliette also looked unwell, though not as much as me.

    ¡°Hang in there. It seems like it¡¯s almost over.¡±

    Elise seemed to harbor such hope, but¡­

    ¡°Hahaha! There are still many of you who have survived!¡±

    The speaker in the ceiling rang out again. It was that damned stone statue.

    ¡°But it¡¯s still far away! The remaining time is 120 hours!¡±

    ¡°One hundred and twenty¡­¡±

    Elise was speechless, and I suddenly had a headache.

    ¡°Where the hell are these hordesing from?¡±

    Elise grumbled irritably.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    I agreed listlessly, then suddenly.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a good point.¡±

    Where the hell are theying from?

    Maybe there¡¯s a ¡®total amount¡¯ set.

    If that¡¯s the case¡­

    I quickly got up.

    ¡°Shion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to scout a bit.¡±

    I have to find something out. Anyway, I can¡¯t hold out for 120 hours. I know my body¡¯s limits best.

    Soliette the replied.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stand out if there are two of us.¡±

    Instead, I pointed to the walkie-talkie. It was something Terence had brought from his ¡®home¡¯.

    ¡°Let¡¯smunicate with this. Does it work?¡±

    ©¤Let¡¯smunicate with this. Does it work?

    Soliette held the walkie-talkie.

    ¡°Yes, it works. But going together-¡±

    ©¤Yes, it works. But going together-

    Elise grabbed the flustered Soliette.

    ¡°What will we do if you go?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°Right. Soliette, you stay here. We¡¯ll keep in touch with the walkie-talkie. I¡¯ll give up if it gets dangerous anyway.¡±

    Soliette wore a slightly sad expression at me saying ¡®give up¡¯.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°You know it too. I¡¯m already spent. I can¡¯tst 12 hours, let alone 120.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise clicked her tongue, and Soliette let out a small sigh.

    My entire body is currently under extreme stress. I need at least half a day¡¯s sleep to recover.

    But it¡¯s unreasonable to ask them to watch over me until I wake up. Even if they offer to endure it, I would decline from my end.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet a bitter.¡±

    I said, as if sighing.

    ¡°Or, after the second quarter ends. I¡¯ll send anything I find out via radio.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. We¡¯ll wait.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    ¡°Shi, Shion! We¡¯ll wait!¡±

    These were the respective farewells of Soliette, Elise, and Terence.

    I chuckled and opened the door.

    I stepped beyond it.

    Creak¡­¡­

    I carefully closed the door.

    The hallway was quiet, but just in case, I activated the ¡¸Shadow Spot¡¹ form. A faint shadow clung to my entire body.

    The dormitory was a mess. It was like hell. Dried bloodstains were everywhere, and the whole ce was filled with the w marks of beasts.

    ¡°The first floor is¡­¡­¡±

    Annihted.

    There¡¯s not a single sign of life.

    I looked at a map of the dormitory on the side of the hallway.

    [Map]

    There¡¯s a single ¡®dormitory¡¯ building where we¡¯re staying, a ¡®park¡¯ in front of it, and behind it are the disaster prevention room, broadcasting room, electrical room, and other ¡®facility management rooms¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­Broadcasting room?¡±

    I squinted at the broadcasting room among them.

    Broadcasting room.

    No matter how I think about it, this test is impossible to clear alone, or with two, or three, or even four people.

    Also, the voice of the statue that descended from the ceiling.

    I looked up.

    There was a speaker.

    A speaker from the broadcasting room.

    At the same time, a thought suddenly popped into my head.

    ¡°What if¡­¡­¡±

    This test wasn¡¯t an individual test, but a cooperative test?

    If all the seniors weren¡¯t peting¡¯, but ¡®coborating¡¯?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I stepped outside the front door of the dormitory on the first floor. The sky was dark. The entire dormitory grounds were wrapped in a barrier.

    Just then, a summoning form flickered in the empty air. I quietly hid and watched.

    Zzzzzzzzzt©¤©¤©¤!

    Sparks flew in the space. The form became a ¡®passage¡¯. Countless monsters rushed in, howling like mad. They swarmed into the windows of the dormitory.

    Watching this spectacle, I was certain.

    ¡­¡­The total number of monsters that all seniors have to face is ultimately fixed.

    If the person next to me dies, I have to deal with it, and if I die, the person next to me has to.

    Therefore, as many seniors as possible must cooperate to survive this test.

    So©¤©¤

    I quietly walked to the opposite side of the dormitory.

    ©¤Grrrrrrrr!

    But these creatures have sharp senses.

    ©¤Graaaaaaaa!

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    I was quickly discovered, and I switched to sprinting at full speed.

    After about 20 minutes of running, I arrived at the facility management office, a building separate from the dormitory.

    As I opened the door and entered-

    ©¤Kyaaaaaak!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    There were already several monsters inside. I killed them all.

    Then I went straight up to the broadcasting room.

    ©¤©¤Oh ho! It¡¯s you!

    Sure enough, there was a statue in the broadcasting room. It raised its eyebrows in front of the microphone.

    ©¤©¤What¡¯s going on here?

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯s going on¡¯? You know everything. I have something to do, so move.¡±

    I pushed the statue aside and took its ce.

    * * *

    ¡°Gerkhen! The wave has started again!¡±

    At that call, Gerkhen, who was on the roof, opened his eyes.

    As a resident of the top floor, he had formed a ¡®team¡¯. It was semi-forced. The test was impossible to clear alone.

    ¡°Wow¡­ how are we supposed to do this?¡±

    One of the team members muttered nkly.

    The monsters descended from the sky like crazy. The creatures themselves aren¡¯t difficult, but there are so many of them that they¡¯re now on the verge of exhaustion.

    ¡°There¡¯s no answer.¡±

    James and Brown, the two top-tier members, sighed first.

    ¡°One step at a time.¡±

    That¡¯s all Gerkhen said. James drew his sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to take it one step at a time. We still have 120 hours left. And, it seems like the number of monsters is increasing.¡±

    The top-tier team of six, including Gerkhen.

    Just as they were muttering in fatigue¡­

    ©¤©¤Ah ah.

    A strange voice echoed from the speaker on the roof.

    Everyone turned to look at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the statue¡­ is it?¡±

    ©¤©¤Ah ah.

    Gerkhen looked at the speaker carefully.

    ©¤©¤Can you hear me?

    It¡¯s certain.

    It¡¯s Shion Ascal¡¯s voice.

    ¡°¡­I can hear you.¡±

    Gerkhen responded without thinking.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Oh! Chocte bar, my chocte bar.¡±

    On the 27th floor, La found a chocte bar while rummaging through someone else¡¯s room.

    ¡°Where!¡±

    At that moment, Kain and Asher turned to look at her. La quickly hid the chocte bar in her arms.

    ¡°I saw wrong!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying. I saw it just now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s split it.¡±

    Kain and Asher looked at her suspiciously.

    ¡°¡­Split it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You eat half. You found it.¡±

    They cleverly persuaded her, but La, after some thought, pointed to the end of the hallway.

    ¡°Oh! Hey!! It¡¯sing!!!¡±

    ¡°What, already?!¡±

    ¡°Where!¡±

    Kain and Asher drew their swords. They also raised their Magic Body.

    Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom.

    La quickly ate it while they were distracted. Kain turned around abruptly.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah. Sorry. I must have been mistaken. The chocte bar was a mistake too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got chocte all over your mouth.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I didn¡¯t want to eat that nasty thing.¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ©¤©¤Ah ah.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaak!!!¡±

    La screamed. Kain and Asher also jumped.

    ¡°Ah shit!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was more surprised because of you!¡±

    ©¤©¤Ah ah. Can you hear me?

    The voiceing from the speaker.

    The voice was familiar.

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this Shion?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Kain and Asher furrowed their brows.

    ©¤©¤Can you hear me?

    Kyaaaaa©¤©¤!

    The real cries of monsters seeped into the corridor.

    ©¤©¤I am about to make the only proposal that can help you survive this test.

    The three of them prepared for battle while listening closely.

    ©¤©¤The number of enemies rushing in with each wave is steadily increasing¡­..

    ¡­¡­

    Room 106 on the first floor.

    Elise, Soliette, and Terence were engrossed in battle. Countless monsters flowed in through the shattered windows and doors.

    Soliette burned them with her swordsmanship, Elise crushed them with telekinesis, and Terence also diligently helped in any way he could.

    ©¤©¤I am about to make the only proposal that can help you survive this test.

    They heard Shion¡¯s voiceing from the speaker.

    ©¤©¤The number of enemies rushing in with each wave is steadily increasing.

    ¡°So what?!¡±

    Elise asked while beating back the monsters.

    ©¤©¤Therefore, as the number of seniors decreases, the Magic Space bes increasingly disadvantageous.

    She nodded her head.

    ©¤It means you can¡¯t pete¡¯ tost 120 hours.

    That¡¯s true.

    If the total amount of enemies is fixed, then if half of the remaining seniors give up, the other half has to handle twice as much.

    However, because all the seniors are aware of the fact that they are each other¡¯spetitors.

    While ¡®team y¡¯ might be possible, ¡®total cooperation¡¯ was not in Elise¡¯s mind. It was as if such a thought process was somewhat excluded from the start.

    ©¤©¤Therefore, it is a winning strategy to form a front line throughplete cooperation rather than being defeated separately as iplete teams.

    Elise looked back at Terence.

    ¡°Terence. Can you put the cart in the ¡®home¡¯ too?¡±

    She blurted out in informal speech due to the urgent situation.

    ©¤©¤I rmend the park in front of the dormitory as the location. Form a front line and barricade in the open field.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I can!¡±

    Terence immediately prepared.

    ©¤©¤Well¡­¡­. Whether you listen to my words or not is up to you.

    Shion inside the speaker let out a small sigh. Suddenly, Elise¡¯s hand stopped trembling. She looked up at the speaker.

    ©¤©¤I wish you luck.

    I wish you luck.

    For them in room 106, it was somehow an ominous phrase.

 Chapter 168: Second Test (4)

    <strong>Second Test (4)</strong>

    Inside the broadcasting station room. In that rather spacious ce for a broadcasting station, I was broadcasting.

    ¡°¡­The number of enemies rushing in with each wave is steadily increasing.¡±

    I was conveying my countermeasure to all the seniors throughout the dormitory.

    ¡°Therefore, as the number of seniors decreases, Magic Space bes increasingly disadvantageous. It means you can¡¯t pete¡¯ tost 120 hours.¡±

    Without everyone¡¯s cooperation, the test is impossible to clear from the start.

    ¡°It¡¯s important to form a front line rather than being defeated separately.¡±

    Even if they are all full of pride, they would cooperate in the face of elimination.

    ¡°I rmend the park in front of the dormitory as the location.¡±

    Fortunately, the stone statue next to me is quiet. It doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of interfering.

    ¡°Form a front line and barricade in the open field.¡±

    Only the top talents from all over Edsi remain. They would quickly form a front line.

    ¡°¡­Well. Whether you listen to my words or not is up to you.¡±

    Kyaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The faint cries of monsters outside the booth. The sound of footsteps rushing up like crazy. The fluctuating vibrations.

    I nced in that direction and said,

    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±

    Thud©¤©¤©¤!

    The monster¡¯s fist pounded on the booth¡¯s door.

    Click-

    I turned off the microphone. I looked at the stone statue. The stone statue was also looking at me.

    ©¤©¤What are you going to do now?

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Fortunately, I have a lot of AP left. Even if I give up now, I can maintain the upper-middle rank.

    ©¤©¤Are you going to give up?

    ¡°¡­I have to at least try.¡±

    I drew my sword.

    These monsters are surprisingly honest. They only rush in through open doors or windows. Whether they can¡¯t break the walls or choose not to, I don¡¯t know.

    Since this soundproof booth has no windows, I only need to guard ¡®one door¡¯.

    Thump-.

    ¡°?¡±

    A [fruit] fell from my head.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I quickly swallowed one.

    Gulp-

    It doesn¡¯t seem much better. About 20%?

    How many hours can I hold out with this?

    ©¤©¤Thump thump thump thump thump!

    The sound of knocking on the door is intense. The beast¡¯s beastly howl also seeps in faintly.

    I drew my sword.

    ¡°¡­Huh. I wonder if this will work.¡±

    I drew a ¡®line¡¯ on the floor right in front of me.

    Also, I opened ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Efficiency alone is not enough to endure the remaining time.

    So, I n to write a very simple ¡®algorithm¡¯ in ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    This is my first time using it this way, but there¡¯s no better time to try.

    [Condition: If they cross this line.]

    The condition of the algorithm is simple.

    If these monsters cross this ¡®line¡¯ I¡¯ve drawn.

    [Result: Cut them down efficiently with Eight Swords.]

    The output is also simple.

    Self-modification or automation mode performed by ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Now I just have to entrust my body.

    Like a gatekeeper.

    Crash©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The door was broken through. Monsters poured in from beyond. Dozens of entities crossed the ¡®line¡¯.

    At that moment, my hand moved on its own.

    Swoosh©¤!

    I swung the sword as fast a bullet at them.

    * * *

    At the same time, in a separate room within the VVIP monitoring room of the College Board.

    Jade, was preparing to leave due to priormitments, but Zia was still glued to her tablet PC.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    As Jade straightened his tie, he nced at her.

    Her posture was odd. She had her legs up on the chair, her knees almost touching her chest.

    ¡°Do you like it that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    Zia looked back at him. Jade pointed his chin at the man on the screen.

    ¡°I mean him.¡±

    Her subject of observation was still Shion Ascal.

    For the first three hours, she had been observing one by one, but once her eyes settled on Shion Ascal, her eyes locked onto him for almost the entire day.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ It¡¯s peculiar¡­¡­ and fascinating¡­¡­¡±

    Zia answered with a sleepy face.

    ¡°He is indeed peculiar, but you should sleep first. Yourplexion doesn¡¯t suit Libra¡¯s constitution.¡±

    Dark circles were heavily under Zia¡¯s drooping eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Even though she said that, her eyes were still glued to the screen.

    That¡¯s how peculiar Shion Ascal was.

    Zia had seen Gerkhen, Soliette, Elise, La, Kielli, Asher, Kain, and Mel. She had observed everyone from the children of influential families to famousmoners.

    However, they were somewhat stereotypical in the category of ¡®promising¡¯. They were in the stage of learning ¡®standard¡¯ rather than ¡®individuality¡¯.

    ¡°What¡¯s the most peculiar thing?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­¡­ different¡­¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal was not. It¡¯s not just a little different. His individuality ispletely foreign. It¡¯s impossible to grasp his talent.

    Where the high point is, where the low point is, it¡¯s impossible to predict the ups and downs.

    Simply put©¤©¤ it¡¯s like a lottery.

    ¡°Hmm. Just watch it moderately.¡±

    Click. Jade changed his cufflinks. Looking at the expensive essory that would cost 300,000 Ren each, Zia asked nkly.

    ¡°But¡­¡­ Is it okay¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The head of the Arkne¡­¡­¡±

    Jade had picked a fight with Igris. There was no need to do so. There was no need to make enemies.

    Jade frowned.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like him from the start. I don¡¯t wear a mask and tter. I¡¯m different from those who im to be nobles and act like servants.¡±

    ¡­¡­It was a very arrogant statement.

    Zia blinked her eyes quietly and changed the subject.

    ¡°That person also¡­¡­ was watching Shion Ascal¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°He must have noticed [Eight Swords]. It¡¯s a family that takes pride in mere swordsmanship.¡±

    Shion Ascal freely and arbitrarily increased and decreased the [Eight Swords]. To Jade, and to Zia, that in itself was a talent.

    However, Igris dismissed it as a mere gimmick, a mere trick, or even ¡®immature disy¡¯.

    ¡°If you take pride in swordsmanship itself, you end up like that person. You end up pursuing swordsmanship for the sake of swordsmanship. You don¡¯t even know what it means and what is the end.¡±

    Swordsmanship cannot precede humans. It¡¯s too obvious a fact.

    Therefore, a person who sees swordsmanship as the goal is no different from a monster swallowed by the sword.

    ¡°But still¡­ Igris is the First Sword of the continent¡­¡±

    First Sword of the Continent. Igris is certainly called that in the world. His name alwayses up when you mention the strongest on the continent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Even so, Jade doesn¡¯t care.

    ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯ is the perfect expression.

    Jade can measure the strength of his opponent as much as his own strength. In that regard, Igris is a clear powerhouse. He¡¯s one of the top on the continent.

    However, ¡®one of the top¡¯ and ¡®the top¡¯ are different.

    Jade has never met anyone stronger than himself.

    It¡¯s somewhat embarrassing to that extent.

    ¡°Being the best on the continent, the strongest, there¡¯s nothing more despicable than a person who takes pride in mere physical strength. It¡¯s no different from the worthless gossip that the social butterflies chatter about.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because human nobility does not originate from the strength of the body.¡±

    Those who show off their strength look rather pitiful.

    That¡¯s why Jade despises the ns who boast about being martial families.

    ¡°Zia. Will you stay here longer?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ just a little more¡­ to watch¡­¡±

    VVIP monitoring of the College Board. Even for Libra, a baseless youngest member would not normally be invited. She came thanks to Jade, so she intends to take advantage of it.

    ¡°Contact me when you¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Jade left the room like that, and Zia looked at the tablet PC again.

    Shion Ascal.

    She followed the sword he unfolded with her two eyes. Her two pupils were dyed as colorful as the screen of the PC.

    Kwarururu©¤©¤©¤!

    Shion Ascal, who drew only one line on the ground, faced countless monsters alone. A spectacle that unknowingly makes her clench her fists.

    Suddenly, Zia became anxious. What if other families are also noticing this guy¡­

    She has a desire to collect talents like this. Her radar is also developed.

    That intuition is telling her.

    Shion Ascal is definitely a lottery ticket that must be scratched.

    * * *

    Immediately after Shion¡¯s broadcast ended.

    The seniors ran out of the dormitory. Some jumped off the roof or out of the windows, some came down the stairs honestly, and some ran with their phantom beasts.

    ¡°Join us.¡±

    Of course, Gerkhen, who jumped off the roof with the upper ranks.

    ¡°Elly!! We¡¯re here too!!¡±

    La, Kain, and Asher, who came looking for her, waved their hands.

    One, two, three, four¡­ Elise took control of the rapidly gathering seniors.

    She formed a front line centered on Shion¡¯s supply wagon and the parkke, and constructed a circr barricade like a temporary wall with the seniors who were ¡¸Flexible¡¹.

    ¡°Six hundred people?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Including you, Elise, exactly 613!¡±

    This guy was the senior who Shion threw chocte bars and meat at and sent back.

    They were somehow alive, and he, whose Five Senses were his Spectrum, urately conveyed the number of people.

    ¡°We¡¯ve lost a lot.¡±

    ¡°There might be a few more people, maybe they¡¯re hiding underground?¡±

    Hiding is, of course, one of the methods. If it¡¯s a cheeky Spectrum that can hold out for 120 hours.

    Anyway, from Elise¡¯s perspective right now, they are cowards.

    ¡°Tsk. I¡¯ll arrange the personnel first. Everyone listen carefully©¤©¤!¡±

    Elise shouted loudly and partitioned the space.

    Soliette to the east, Gerkhen to the west, Kain and Asher to the south, Mel to the north as the person in charge, and distributed the appropriate personnel to each direction.

    ¡°Elly, why don¡¯t you make me the person in charge?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll steal the supplies when you¡¯re hungry.¡±

    ¡°What? When did I?!¡±

    ¡°Soliette. Take her with you.¡±

    Elise ced La under Soliette to the east.

    ¡°La. Pleasee.¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh-huh¡­¡­¡±

    She seems unable to move when ites to Soliette.

    ¡°Terence. You divide the water and food here and split it into supply boxes.¡±

    ¡°Yes! And here!¡±

    Terence pulled out a megaphone.

    ¡°Ah, thank you. I needed it.¡±

    Elise put it to her mouth.

    ¡°©¤©¤Everyone! If there¡¯s a problem with the front line, send a messenger right away! From now on, exactly 110 hours left!¡±

    * * *

    The seniors gathered together and formed a front line. Golems, turrets, and familiars took their ces on the barricade.

    ©¤Don¡¯t be prated!

    Numerous monsters flooded into one point©¤the park, but it was manageable. 600 seniors were indeed a legion-level force.

    ©¤If it seems like it¡¯s going to break through, switch!

    Through rotation, they even had the luxury of resting during battle.

    With the park¡¯ske inside the barricades, the food problem had been solved to some extent.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    However, the problem still remains.

    Elise, with her arms crossed, quietly stared at the walkie-talkie on the field desk.

    She picked it up and pressed the click- button.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    There was no response from the walkie-talkie. Whether it¡¯s broken or not receiving.

    He¡¯s probably in the broadcast room.

    But rescue is impossible. The facility management room is too far from the park, and the waves don¡¯t stop.

    We have to hold out in our own way, and Shion has to hold out in his own way.

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you hear me?¡±

    Elise quietly asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Or have you given up.¡±

    There was no answer.

    He probably gave up. His stamina was almost at the bottom when he left.

    As Elise sighed a bitter sigh.

    ©¤No.

    The voice flowing with the crackling- sound.

    ©¤I haven¡¯t given up yet.

    ¡°!¡±

    Elise quickly picked up the walkie-talkie.

    ¡°You, are you still in the broadcast room?¡±

    ©¤Yeah.

    ¡°Can you hold out?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­It¡¯s hard. How many hours have passed?

    There was no strength in his voice. It felt like his soul itself had shrunk.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much left. Just hold out for 90 hours.¡±

    ©¤Are you crazy.

    Elise smiled for a moment.

    ¡°So, are you going to give up?¡±

    ©¤Well, I¡¯ve earned a lot of AP. At this rate, it seems like I¡¯m a bit in Edsi¡¯sfort zone?

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    She stared at the radio, her eyes wide.

    ¡°You¡¯ve found a way, but what if you die? You don¡¯t seem to care. Or are you just heartless? Pathetic.¡±

    ©¤No, I won¡¯t die. What is this, a movie? I can just give up.

    ¡°¡­¡­There are many who ride for free, you know. Those who hide underground, waiting for others to do their work.¡±

    ©¤You¡¯re just saying what you want to say again.

    ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    ©¤I¡¯m listening.

    Kwaah©¤!

    Arge explosion urred. It was some senior¡¯s Spectrum.

    Elise let out a small sigh as she looked in that direction.

    ¡°¡­¡­You know.¡±

    ©¤Yeah.

    She lowered her head slightly.

    ¡°I¡­¡­.¡±

    She gently bit her lip.

    Every night, she was in deep thought.

    Petra.

    About Petra.

    Should she confess everything?

    Or should she keep it all to herself?

    ©¤What.

    He said. Elise slowly raised her head.

    ©¤If you have something to say, say it.

    Something to say.

    Elise gently closed her eyes.

    ¡°So¡­¡­.¡±

    ©¤Yeah.

    ¡°¡­¡­If I-¡±

    ©¤Ah, shit, I¡¯m so tired, and you¡¯re making a movie by yourself. I¡¯m hanging up.

    Click-

    The radio was cut off.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise tapped the radio a few times.

    ¡°Hello, can you hear me?¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise stared at the radio with sunken eyes. She mmed it down on the desk.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    But she couldn¡¯t choose either way.

    If she confessed to Shion, she would have to abandon Petra. She would trample on her family, her father¡¯s dreams and ambitions.

    ¡°But why¡­¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, a fundamental question arose from deep within her heart.

    Why am I having this dilemma?

    It should be obvious to choose family over strangers.

    Why am I so tormented?

    ¡­¡­Suddenly.

    An old memory popped into her head.

    The days when the Endex students, including Kain and Asher, bullied and ostracized Shion.

    The reason was simply ¡®because Elise disliked Shion¡¯.

    And the foolish her who even condoned it.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise covered her face with her hands. She quietly thought about Shion Ascal.

    He is special.

    He is special in many ways, peculiar, and a person she feels sorry for.

    These days, thoughts about him upy half of her mind.

    Then, the reason is¡­¡­.

    To be honest.

    Elise thinks she vaguely knows.

    Why she keeps dreaming about Shion, she thinks she knows a little.

    But she¡¯s suppressing it.

    She¡¯s deliberately turning a blind eye.

    Because she ¡®shouldn¡¯t¡¯ be.

    Because she doesn¡¯t even ¡®deserve¡¯ to¡­¡­

    ¡°Miss Ellis!¡±

    Just then, Terence arrived.

    ¡°The supplies are here!¡±

    He, who was in charge of supplies through fishing and water collection, brought out the supplies from the ¡¸Home¡¹.

    Fish and water were piled up on the floor.

    p-p- p-p-

    ¡°¡­¡­Good job.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡±

    Salute! Watching him salute, Elise nodded.

    This guy, he might be morepetent than I thought?

 Chapter 169: Second Test (5)

    <strong>Second Test (5)</strong>

    On the screen, Shion Ascal was deploying the [Eight Swords].

    Based on the ¡®line¡¯ drawn on the ground, he swung his sword and cut down his enemies.

    A self-hypnosismonly used by swordsmen. However, the sudden change in his posture of non-action is far frommon.

    The ¡®trembling¡¯ has disappeared from his demeanor as he cuts down his enemies.

    If an enemy crosses the line, he calmly cuts them down.

    He doesn¡¯t allow even an inch of approach, focusing solely on his own purpose.

    His defensive sword using the [Eight Swords] is remarkably calm. The whole process of deployment is too natural.

    As if he had be one with his sword¡­.

    Arkne¡¯s Igris was watching it.

    Not just Igris.

    Famous people, influential people, and a few so-called strong people who were invited to the VVIP college board were all appreciating him.

    ©¤Is this the guy who beat Gerkhen in the Three Sword Forms duel?

    ©¤Yes, that¡¯s right.

    ©¤I see. I remember. The kid who put his body on the line while using that sword. Now it seems like [Eight Swords], but he¡¯s using [Eight Swords] in his own way.

    ©¤It¡¯s interesting. Because the test is difficult, these kinds of guys pop up. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that the scouts gged his name.

    While Igris was trying not to listen to their words, trying not to show any reaction even if he heard, managing his expression.

    ¡°Igris.¡±

    Someone called him.

    ¡°You¡¯re staying for a long time.¡±

    Igris looked in that direction.

    It was Theia. Theia Esil, a professor at Edsi National University.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s worth watching. They said this batch is good, it seems to be true.¡±

    He responded leisurely. Theia nced at his screen.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you watching your daughter?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll do well on her own.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Theia was silent for a moment.

    In fact, she too had seen Shion Ascal. She had seen his use of [Eight Swords]. It wasn¡¯t a typical [Eight Swords], but she didn¡¯t bother to say it out loud.

    ¡°It¡¯s the pros and cons of poprization.¡±

    So Igris opened his mouth first.

    ¡°Even someone without any foundation can learn [Eight Swords] and modify it in their own way.¡±

    ¡°Is that okay, though?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to stop it. As a family that became the origin of swordsmanship, we have to generously ept it. Although it¡¯s annoying.¡±

    Igris chuckled. Theia looked back at the screen with a nk expression.

    Shion Ascal. A senior who ims to be a loyal knight of Libra.

    So Theia doesn¡¯t like him.

    There¡¯s no way she could like him.

    A guy whose future hope is to serve a family that is an enemy of the world.

    ¡°Your daughter is moving.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Soliette?¡±

    Igris looked back at the screen.

    Just as she said, Soliette had left the front line.

    Suddenly, she started running somewhere.

    Igris calcted her direction and route.

    Facilities office¡­ more precisely, the direction of the broadcast room.

    Could it be, she¡¯s going to save that guy?

    Igris ground his teeth at the thought.

    Just then, Soliette was surrounded by monsters. She was encircled by a massive number of them.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Being swallowed up on all sides meant game over. Igris wore a face of dejection. It was ridiculous, he had lost hisposure without realizing it.

    But then.

    Kwaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    A huge me surged up, as if to reach the sky. The monsters surrounding Soliette were turned to ash in an instant.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Igris quickly leaned forward. He stared hard at Soliette.

    The massive explosion of fire. Her sword that caused it was flickering with mes.

    It was a [me Sword].

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Even Theia couldn¡¯t help but admire.

    The corners of Igris¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. Indeed, it was a growth to be proud of.

    ¡°She¡¯s reached the point where she can manifest a me Sword¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette incinerated everything that clung to her.

    And then she ran again, towards the broadcast room.

    ¡°Your daughter seems to be close to Shion Ascal.¡±

    Theia made a very annoying remark, but Igris didn¡¯t bite.

    ¡°Friend¡­¡­ it seems.¡±

    He spoke as if it were a delight.

    ¡°I¡¯m d she¡¯s made a friend after a long time.¡±

    He¡¯s just amoner who will soon fall away.

    Whether a friend or whatever, Soliette is in a world that meremoners can¡¯t stand.

    Igris stroked the sword at his waist without any worries.

    * * *

    I¡¯m still in the booth. The monsters are rushing in like a tide, and my sword cuts down those who cross the ¡®line¡¯.

    It¡¯s a bit strange.

    I¡¯m clearly swinging my sword with my hand and arm, but it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m the one swinging it. It feels like the automation algorithm of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is controlling me.

    Squeak©¤©¤©¤!

    I can¡¯t help but admire it.

    The [Eight Swords] is definitely the pinnacle of basics. It can respond in any situation.

    Indeed, it¡¯s a swordsmanship worthy of the epithet of all-purpose sword.

    But even that has its limits.

    I¡¯m cutting down the enemies as concisely as possible, but my stamina is still being drained.

    Squeak©¤©¤©¤!

    Of course, my body is sturdy.

    No matter how I swing my sword, even if I put a load on my joints that feels like they¡¯ll twist, my body doesn¡¯t break.

    If anything, Ick stamina.

    As a patient with cancer of the magic¡¯s core, Ick the ¡®inside¡¯ to handle such a good ¡®outside¡¯.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    I can¡¯t go on.

    Suddenly, that thought came to me.

    I swung my sword with one hand and put the other hand in my pocket.

    And then¡­¡­.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    I heard something burning below. Soon, a strong heat rose up. All the monsters in the space were burning fiercely.

    The sight dyed in crimson.

    In those mes, a woman with red long hair approached me.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to give up, Shion.¡±

    Soliette.

    She smiled at me.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­1 hour ago.

    The eastern gate of the barricade that Soliette was in charge of.

    Kraaaaaa©¤©¤!

    The monsters were still pouring in relentlessly, but the front line was now somewhat stable.

    Hweeeeeek©¤©¤©¤!

    La stretched out her magic like a wedge, splitting the monsters within a fan-shaped radius in half.

    ¡°Phew. I was awesome just now.¡±

    While praising herself, she sneakily nced at Soliette.

    She was swinging her sword in the middle of the front line, but herplexion was not good. She had been looking worried for a while now.

    It probably wasn¡¯t physical fatigue.

    ¡°Soliette!¡±

    La called out to her. Soliette, after ying a monster, turned to look at her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Soliette, you~!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    La squinted her eyes, nose, and mouth as if she knew everything.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re thinking too much! Are you thinking about Shion?!¡±

    Soliette was taken aback.

    Could it be that obvious?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Shion is-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±

    La rushed over to her and handed her a box filled with supplies. Soliette tilted her head.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Take it and go quickly. If you¡¯re going to go, now is the only time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression hardened for a moment. She looked around.

    The number of monsters had significantly decreased. Another wave would start soon, but for now, it was rtively calm.

    ¡°Are you going or not?¡±

    La asked again.

    ¡°Are you going to leave Shion in the broadcast room like this?¡±

    Soliette alternated her gaze between the supply box and the barricade, contemting, but soon clenched her fist.

    ¡°¡­¡­La.¡±

    In Soliette¡¯s opinion, it was irresponsible.

    No matter how she thought about it, that was the case, but she couldn¡¯t help it.

    Even if the barricade was breached and 600 people were crushed, she wanted to save Shion.

    Because to her, the ¡®individual¡¯ was more important than the group.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take care of things here!¡±

    La said to Soliette, who had a determined look on her face.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Trust me! I¡¯m La!¡±

    Ssang-

    Without even listening, she ran off beyond the eastern gate.

    As Soliette was getting farther away, La watched her swaying red hair and smirked.

    ¡°Kuhuhuhut¡­¡­ ording to n.¡±

    Now, Soliette was not at the eastern gate.

    In that case.

    ¡°Everyone listen up!! From now on, I¡¯m in charge here!!! I¡¯m La©¤!!¡±

    La quickly tookmand.

    At the same time, she activated the temporary suit she had secretly made in the narium.

    ¡°Everyone follow my lead!! Don¡¯t go outside the barricade, fight them from inside!! There¡¯s no need to go out!!¡±

    Pazuzzuzz©¤!

    Just then, a summoning form flickered in the air.

    Another wave had begun.

    ¡°Here theye!! Everyone get ready!!¡±

    -Shut up.

    A smallint trickled in.

    ¡°What did you say?! Who was that just now!¡±

    -¡­¡­

    It quickly quieted down.

    ¡°Assholes. Don¡¯t talk back to the person in charge, everyone get ready!!¡±

    Kraaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    Monsters poured down from the sky, screeching.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    La faced them with both fists.

    ¡°Hup! Hah! Hah!¡±

    With each punch of her authority, the monsters¡¯ heads and teeth exploded¡­¡­

    ¡°Wait! What¡¯s that gummy!¡±

    Some supply caught her eye.

    ¡°You there, yes you!¡±

    It was a bear-shaped gummy that a kid shooting arrows from behind was about to pop into his mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s that bear-shaped gummy! Where did ite from!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This, this? A friend made it. He has a ¡®Spectrum¡¯ in the food production skill-¡±

    ¡°Give it!¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh?¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m at the front line, I should eat it.¡±

    La monopolized the tasty-looking snacks among the supplies. She didn¡¯t eat all of them out of conscience, she ate half and returned the other half.

    In the midst of this.

    ¡°¡­¡­La.¡±

    Elise approached. La was startled and looked at her. Themander had a slightly bitter face.

    ¡°Uh, Elly. Um¡­¡­ that is¡­¡­ Soliette is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know. She must have left.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, you knew?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Elise nodded.

    ¡°I think we can dispatch a few more people that way.¡±

    At her words, La¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Are you going yourself, Elly?¡±

    ¡°No. Are you crazy. What will happen here if I go.¡±

    Elise prioritizes the group over the individual.

    ¡°They¡¯ll manage on their own.¡±

    Even if the two of them retire there, she willmand the barricade here.

    Above all¡­¡­

    If there is someone worthy of Shion. If there is someone he needs right now.

    It would be Soliette, not Elise.

    * * *

    ¡°©¤©¤That¡¯s what happened.¡±

    Broadcast room.

    Soliette was rubbing her right forearm as she spoke. I looked at it too. There was a wound. The bleeding was rtively light, but I tore my clothes. I wrapped her forearm with it.

    ¡°That¡¯s what happened, but why did youe here.¡±

    I was slightly angry. I was about to press thefort button just now.

    Soliette narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Why? I came here to find a way.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way. I was about to give up because there¡¯s no way¡­¡­¡±

    For now, it¡¯s a very long-awaited rest time. Thanks to Soliette almostpletely burning down the facility management room.

    ¡°If I were me, Shion would have done the same. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Soliette asked very naturally.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I was momentarily at a loss for words, and she firmly continued.

    ¡°Shion has already done so. During the evaluation test. When I couldn¡¯t finish the stairs and copsed. Why did you help me?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°¡®That¡¯s¡¯ what? I¡¯m right. When it seemed like there was no way for me, Shion also came looking for me.¡±

    I looked at her. She gave a faint smile.

    ¡°So, I came looking too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    I sighed.

    In this situation, I have no choice but to endure it semi-forcibly. If I give up, Soliette will have to handle this ce alone.

    Kyaaaaa©¤©¤.

    The sound of the rapidly proliferating monsters rushing in again echoed, and although it¡¯s now hard for me to even lift a finger.

    ¡°Shion, conserve your strength.¡±

    Soliette stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take over from here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    Fortunately, if we can hold out for another 6 hours, another fruit will ripen.

    ©¤There!

    But, again, there was a strange noise from the ceiling. Soliette and I looked up.

    Thud-! Thud-!

    The sound of footstepsnding on the ceiling.

    Those presences quickly descended and joined us.

    ¡°Here they are! Guys, over here!¡±

    There were four seniors. Three of them looked familiar. They were the guys who had received half a chocte bar and a piece of meat from me.

    I blinked my eyes.

    ¡°¡­What? How did you guys get here?¡±

    ¡°We rode a hang glider. We have to repay the chocte bar!¡±

    The three of them came into the booth with a fleeting smile.

    And the remaining one, the guy loitering outside the booth.

    ¡°Kielli?¡±

    It was Kielli. Why, he was on the same team as Soliette in a previous group project.

    The nuisance from ¡®Fog Mountain¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Ahem. Yes. Yes.¡±

    Kielli scratched the back of his neck and drew his sword.

    ¡°I also came to repay a debt. The debt from that time at Fog Mountain.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette and I looked around at them.

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll install the ¡¸Vitality Form¡¹! We¡¯re all long-range fighters, so we won¡¯t ovep.¡±

    The chocte bar team each took their positions andid down supplies inside the soundproof booth.

    Thump-

    Soliette tapped my shoulder. She nced sideways and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Shion. You did well.¡±

    ¡°¡­I just gave a few chocte bars?¡±

    Anyway, I sat down on the floor.

    ¡°Well¡­ please hold on a bit. I¡¯m going to rest for a while.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us!¡±

    With their confident voices behind me.

    I closed my eyes.

    And fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 170: Inspection (1)

    <strong>Inspection (1)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I opened my eyes. I could feel the heat of magic on my skin, but my consciousness was still hazy. My ears felt numb, as if I was deep underwater. Reality didn¡¯t seem like reality. My eyelids were heavy.

    I closed my eyes again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I opened my eyes. I tried to move, taking a deep breath, but there was no strength in my fingertips or toes. My whole body was powerless.

    I closed my eyes again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I opened my eyes. Now, I have to wake up. I did my best to twitch my fingers.

    I twitched.

    That was it.

    I closed my eyes again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I opened my eyes. Right in front of my nose, on the ground, a [fruit] had fallen. It meant that 6 hours had passed.

    I opened my mouth. I stretched out my tongue like a camel and licked it. Lick-lick- The tip of my tongue barely wrapped around the fruit.

    Gulp-

    Only then did I regain a bit of consciousness.

    I closed my eyes again.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yawn.¡±

    I opened my eyes. A yawn naturally flowed out.

    Now, I felt a bit more lively.

    I sighed and sat up.

    I¡¯m hungry. I think I need to order something to eat. What time is it now?

    ¡°You finally woke up? You sleep well!¡±

    Suddenly, someone called me.

    ¡°?¡±

    Rrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    At the same time, the cries of the monsters echoed.

    Screeeeee©¤©¤!

    The sound of a sword cutting through space.

    Reality dawned on me btedly.

    I quickly raised my head. Only Soliette was still standing at the entrance.

    Long-range fighters and auxiliary mages were helping her from afar, and Kielli was lying on the floor, sleeping.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for almost a day.¡±

    ¡°A day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Gurgle-!

    A loud noise echoed from my stomach. The guy next to me handed me a supply box.

    ¡°Eat.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I stuffed the food in hastily. I quickly got up and looked around.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey. Didn¡¯t another fruit ripen?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? Soliette ate that.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Well, then.

    I stretched my body. I was still a bit sluggish, but much better. At least 70% was recharged.

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    I drew my sword next to Soliette. She took a step back and nced at me.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I looked at the ground. The ¡®line¡¯ was still clear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take turns.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Surprisingly, she answered obediently. If this stubborn girl is this tired, it seems like quite a long time has passed. Herplexion was indeed pale.

    ¡°Leave it to me now. Go rest.¡±

    ¡°I trust you, Shion.¡±

    She immediately sat down on the ground, and I activated the automation.

    Swish©¤©¤! Swish©¤©¤!

    I was unconsciously shing, when suddenly I felt a gaze from behind.

    Soliette.

    Her eyes were watching me.

    More precisely, the movement of the curve drawn by my sword, very closely¡­¡­.

    * * *

    The relentless monster wave. Within them, the seniors are breaking, both physically and psychologically.

    Some give up, unable to endure. Some persist out of stubbornness. Some discover a new aspect of themselves in that ¡®extreme¡¯.

    Of course, there are seniors who stand out in particr.

    Elise, who astonishingly maintains the hastily constructed barricade and efficiently controls all personnel.

    Gerkhen, who never copses, no matter what enemy pushes against him.

    La, Kain, Asher, Mel, and others, who demonstrate martial arts growth far beyond the first quarter¡­

    ©¤It was a worthwhile test.

    As the week-long test wasing to an end.

    ©¤Indeed. It brings back old memories. Of course, it was more intense back then.

    ©¤Right. It wasmonce for limbs to be torn off and people to die¡­

    The VVIPs in the monitoring room are also preparing to leave one by one.

    ©¤¡­They are working hard over there.

    As they said this, they nced at Zia, who was left alone.

    The illegitimate child of Libra, whoes to the monitoring room early every morning and stays untilte at night alone.

    Fortunately, she seems to have tact, as she does not participate in the evening parties held daily.

    ©¤She must havee to study.

    ©¤But does she not attend school at all?

    ©¤Haha. She¡¯s a product of the ¡®homeschooling¡¯ that Libra prides itself on.

    There were many files and handwritten notes on Zia¡¯s desk.

    She had analyzed a great many seniors.

    Not just Shion Ascal. Including the early dropouts, she focused on seniors with lower current abilities (= lower sry costs) but high potential.

    She was filtering out those worth scouting for thepany she operates under a pseudonym.

    ©¤She must be nning to pick up even the scraps. Once the session is finalized, she¡¯ll be kicked out, so it seems smart at a nce. If only she didn¡¯t have that veil.

    ©¤Exactly. What¡¯s with that veil?

    ©¤Libra is quite peculiar. Especially the closer to the barrier, the more so.

    Zia extremely avoids external activities. Therefore, when she goes out, she always wears a ¡®veil¡¯ that covers her face, in addition to artifacts that prevent photo and video shooting.

    The VVIPs were annoyed by Libra¡¯s peculiarity.

    ©¤Well. Let¡¯s go. Let the youngest y house. Really.

    ©¤Yes.

    While letting such backtalk go in one ear and out the other, Zia, who had been silently staring at her tablet, suddenly¡­

    Caught something on the screen.

    She frowned slightly, thinking she had seen it wrong, but she had seen it right.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    She cautiously called out to a nearby VVIP. He didn¡¯t hear her and just walked past.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    The same was true for all the other VVIPs. They all got up and disappeared quickly.

    Zia looked around quickly and found someone.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Theia Esil. A chaired professor at Edsi University.

    Zia reached out to her.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    Theia definitely heard her voice.

    But she coldly ignored Zia and walked away.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia silently stood up.

    She walked over to the stone statue in the corner of the monitoring room.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­¡±

    The stone statue remained still. But Zia showed her the screen of the tablet.

    ¡°What is¡­¡­ this¡­¡­?¡±

    Then, the stone statue turned its head. It looked at the screen of the tablet.

    A ck figure shimmering in the bushes of narium. A being that has arms and legs like a human, but is not human, and is neither a beast nor a monster.

    The stone statue answered.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a spirit body.

    ¡°A spirit body¡­¡­ Is that also part of the test?¡±

    ©¤©¤No. It seems to have intruded voluntarily.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia blinked her eyes, and the stone statue looked at her.

    ¡°Spirit bodies are¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤©¤Difficult to deal with.

    A spirit that has formed a body. That¡¯s what a spirit body is.

    Since it¡¯s not a material, it¡¯s not a problem that can be solved at the senior level.

    ©¤©¤However, the principle of this test is non-interference. narium negotiated that way. If you want to interfere, you can negotiate by paying another price.

    Zia moved her eyes back to the screen of the tablet.

    As it is now, the ce this spirit body will go to is clear.

    The broadcasting room where Shion Ascal is.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She thought hard about it.

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    She shook her head.

    She sat back down in her chair.

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch a little more¡­¡­¡±

    Zia intends to watch.

    How far he can go and how much he can solve.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­160 hours have passed. Now, 8 hours short of a week.

    Finally, the number of monsters is gradually decreasing.

    ¡°It¡¯sing to an end. Finally.¡±

    We have maintained three shifts during this time.

    Although Soliette alone took care of 12 hours, thanks to the [Fruit] that ripens twice a day, it was barely bearable.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start returning.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­ Somehow we managed to finish.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so tiring, really.¡±

    The others each let out a sigh of relief. I also stretched my body.

    Now, it¡¯s time to leave this tedious booth.

    Cough-! Cough-!

    ¡°Come out, you weaklings. You¡¯re nothing but cannon fodder.¡±

    We killed the remaining monsters and came out of the broadcasting room.

    The sunlight we met after a long time was weing. The wind was refreshing. The grass was bright green.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­ The path ispletely empty. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Soliette led the way without showing any signs of fatigue, and the rest followed.

    I tapped Kielli¡¯s shoulder next to me.

    ¡°Hey. Thanks?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m just repaying a debt.¡±

    Kielli answered with a twitch of her eyebrows. I chuckled.

    ¡°Is this the price of a life? I was up against a monster.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He just pouted his lips quietly.

    ¡°Hey, Shion.¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette nced at me.

    ¡°Shion¡¯s sword was¡­¡­ the [Eight Swords]?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    She had been watching me every time I swung my sword.

    Well, she was the original owner of the Eight Swords, so she must have been concerned.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Eight Swords, but I¡¯ve modified it to my liking. Does it bother you?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just¡­ there was someone who, like Shion, had twisted the [Eight Swords] to suit himself.¡±

    There was a small sadness mixed in her voice. I asked.

    ¡°Felix?¡±

    At that, the people around us were taken aback. They looked at me as if I was crazy.

    Swoosh©¤

    Just then, a gust of wind rustled the tree branches.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette nodded her head bitterly.

    ¡°It was Felix.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She said so and walked on, and we quietly followed,

    Then.

    An explosion urred.

    A light too intense to be sunlight shed, and before I could turn around, Soliette had already raised her Magic Body. She raised both arms in a defensive stance.

    Kwaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    A shockwave surged. It swallowed up the area.

    Soliette, she made her body a shield.

    Tap- Tap-

    Then, the sound of the earth, trees, and sky burning.

    My ears are ringing. Tinnitus repeats high and low.

    My vision is blurred due to the intense light. As if I¡¯ve been hit by a shbang.

    I shook my head. I forced myself to breathe and regain my senses.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    I felt around my body. My limbs were intact.

    Not just me, but Kielli and the others too.

    But¡­¡­

    Soliette was lying on the ground.

    With her arms and legs almostpletely burnt.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I blinked my eyes.

    In my head, something went snap-!

    The sound of breaking was clear.

    ¡°What, what is it! Over there!¡±

    Kielli pointed somewhere and shouted.

    I turned in that direction. There was a figure about 2m tall.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s a spirit body.

    A familiar voice came. It was the stone statue.

    The stone statue was buried in some tree.

    ©¤©¤I¡¯ve liked you since the airne.

    ¡°Uh, ugh¡­¡­¡±

    The others trembled. It must have been instinctive fear.

    The shockwave just now had a power to induce fear. It was ¡®primordial energy¡¯.

    I quietly drew my sword.

    Shrring-

    The sound of the de scraping the scabbard was clear.

    ¡°Uh, ughaaak!¡±

    The others ran away first, and Kielli grabbed the hem of my clothes with his fingers from behind me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, it doesn¡¯t seem possible? Hey! Let¡¯s run away!¡±

    I tilted my eyes.

    My back and waist were stiff.

    Heat rose to the back of my neck.

    My head was hot.

    My thoughts did not stretch long.

    Extreme boiling anger rather froze other distractions cold.

    Only the murderous intent of ¡®kilingl©¤¡¯ stood straight like an ice pick.

    ©¤©¤It seems like that guy wants your body. Are you okay with that? Aren¡¯t you going to give up now?

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If he wants it, tell him I¡¯ll give it.¡±

    Thud-

    I gritted my teeth and drew a line on the ground with my foot.

    ¡°If you can cross this line.¡±

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­.

    The stone statue frowned, and the spirit body approached. Like a gori charging.

    But there was no sound. No weight. It just came quietly, like a disaster.

    It¡¯s because it¡¯s not tangible. It¡¯s not real. It¡¯s a residual of a soul clinging to the world.

    However¡­..

    I raised my sword over my shoulder.

    The Severing Sword can cut it.

    The Severing Sword can cut what is not visible.

    The Severing Sword can cut what has no form, what is intangible.

    It¡¯s the ¡®Severing Sword¡¯, which maximizes the concept of ¡®cutting¡¯, which is almost magic itself.

    Suddenly, the spirit body appeared in front of my nose.

    Its hand reaching out to me.

    The moment it, trying to cling like a tentacle, crosses the line on the ground©¤©¤

    I deploy the Severing Sword.

    My whole body moves.

    The foundation is simple.

    In a very short time, cut a lot.

    In the domain of zero, where not even a second of gap appears. Nine vertical cuts followed by nine horizontal cuts.

    81 divisions that can even cut the air.

    The spirit body was trapped in countless grids.

    * * *

    At the same time, in the silent VVIP monitoring room.

    Only one person, the youngest of Libra, ¡®Zia¡¯, was left in the ce where even the manager had left.

    She, who had thrown off her cumbersome silk dress, was looking at her tablet PC.

    Swoosh- Swoosh- She kept pushing the screen to the side with her fingers.

    Hoping that this would rewind.

    Wanting to rewind.

    Wanting to rewind time to see the spectacle just now again.

    However, the tablet does not rewind, and the video only circles in her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She definitely witnessed it. Captured it on her retina.

    Shion Ascal projected his own sword and cut the spirit body with it.

    He cut what is not visible.

    He cut what has no form.

    No, he ¡®severed¡¯ it.

    It was a sword that could do that.

    Perhaps, it was the talent she had been looking for.

    That could extend her life¡­..

    Thud-

    The heavy footsteps sinking.

    The sound of the shoe heel filling the empty monitoring room.

    ¡°¡­¡­You were still here.¡±

    It was Jade. He was perfectly dressed, as if he had just finished his external activities.

    He waved at her.

    ¡°Come out. It¡¯s over now, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Zia looked back at him. She looked straight into his sharp eyes. She got up and approached him.

    ¡°Big brother.¡±

    Jade seemed a bit puzzled, but his lips twitched as if he was pleased with the word ¡®big brother¡¯.

    ¡°Hmm. Was there something?¡±

    She showed him her tablet PC in response to his question.

    ¡°Yes. There was.¡±

    In it was Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­¡­This swordsman.¡±

    Pointing at him with her finger, Zia said firmly.

    ¡°Give him to me.¡±

 Chapter 171: Examination (2)

    <strong>Examination (2)</strong>

    Wake up¡­ Wake up¡­ Wake up¡­

    A voice that wakes me up.

    Shake¡­ Shake¡­ Shake¡­

    The gesture that shook my body.

    I quietly opened my eyes.

    ¡°Wake up¡­ Huh? He¡¯s awake.¡±

    My vision filled with La¡¯srge eyes. La is looking into my eyes, right in front of my nose.

    ¡°Elly! It seems like Shion is awake?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    How can her eyes be so big? They¡¯re so colorful, it¡¯s as if they contain the universe.

    ¡°No? Not yet?¡±

    She tilted her head.

    ¡°Still sleeping? Wake up!¡±

    She shook my shoulder again.

    I wanted to say something, but my lips and tongue wouldn¡¯t move yet.

    Maybe it¡¯s the aftereffect of using Perion and Severing Sword at the same time.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Hey, wake up.¡±

    p-

    A palm touches my cheek. La lightly pped my cheek.

    ¡°Hey. Hey.¡±

    p-

    She pped me one more time.

    ¡°Hey. Hey, hey.¡±

    p-

    Sheughed wickedly as she pped me.

    ¡°Hey. Hey, hey. You try getting hit. How is it? Hehe.¡±

    p-

    A smirk ying at the corner of her mouth. The palm that keeps pping my cheek.

    I just stared nkly.

    p- p-

    ¡°Hehe. You pped me on the airne too.¡±

    p-

    ¡°Hey, hey. Hey, you brat~ How is it~¡±

    p- p-

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, brat~ How does it feel to get hit~¡±

    p-

    As I was getting pped, suddenly.

    ¡°How is it~ Hey!¡±

    Instinctively, my palm swung out. Unconsciously, I pped La¡¯s cheek.

    p©¤©¤!

    ¡°Ah! Ahhh!¡±

    Her whole body fell backward.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±

    La trembled as if she¡¯d been electrocuted.

    I slowly sat up. I was still dazed.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhh©¤©¤¡±

    I looked at La, shaking my head from side to side.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaa©¤ Kya©¤¡±

    La rolled away on the floor.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked around. Everything was white.

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Where, you ask.¡±

    Swish-!

    The curtain was drawn back.

    ¡°It¡¯s the dormitory. The infirmary, to be exact.¡±

    It was Elise.

    Only then did I realize the situation. The ¡®phantom¡¯ that had attacked us came to mind btedly.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa©¤©¤.¡±

    La rolled back in. Elise kicked her away again.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa¡­¡­¡±

    La¡¯s voice faded away.

    I stared nkly, then suddenly remembered.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Soliette?¡±

    Elise calmly pointed to the next curtain.

    ¡°Soliette was badly burned. Almost the entire body was cooked.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I quickly drew back the curtain.

    Soliette was lying on the bed.

    ¡°¡­¡­She looks fine?¡±

    She looks fine. There¡¯s no wound at all. She¡¯s upright, with her hands folded on her chest.

    ¡°Hrrrrrr¡­¡­¡±

    She¡¯s even snoring like a lion.

    ¡°Hrrrrrrrr¡­¡­¡±

    If there was a mane under her chin, it would be exactly like a lion¡¯s roar.

    ¡°Why are you surprised? It¡¯s Arkne.¡±

    Elise raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

    ¡°At least, this monstrous direct descendant can¡¯t be killed by ¡®heat¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Upon reflection, that¡¯s true. I seemed to have inadvertently forgotten a fact so obvious.

    Arkne possesses an abnormal resistance and recovery ability to heat. Among them, Soliette could even survive being submerged in boiling water at 100¡æ.

    Because she is the one who inherited the thickest blood of Arkne.

    ¡°But who brought us here?¡±

    I clearly copsed right after dealing with the spirit body.

    Whoosh-! The curtain on my opposite side was drawn.

    It was Kielli.

    ¡°Hey. With this, I¡¯ve truly repaid you. Don¡¯t hold a grudge when we meetter.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Was it you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Who else would it be? Everyone else ran away. Haha.¡±

    Kielli tossed his long hair behind his ears, revealing his side profile. I drew the curtain again. I saw Elise.

    ¡°But, you guys managed to hold out somehow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say. How did you endure in such a confined space?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to the fruit.¡±

    The fruit enchantment obtained from [Bethune].

    It was a real lifesaver.

    ¡°More importantly, how many of us survived?¡±

    ¡°Exactly 507. Only about 20% are left.¡±

    507.

    I nodded and asked again.

    ¡°Did they eat?¡±

    * * *

    I gathered all the food in the dormitory. All the harvest from the [Ascal Farm], and everything else the seniors had brought on their own.

    Then I recruited about twenty helpers and cooked inrge quantities.

    We used all avable ingredients to create a buffet, and the other seniors hastily set up a long table and chairs in the middle of the park.

    In no time, a banquet was set up.

    ©¤Wow, this is delicious.

    ©¤I know, right? Is it because it¡¯s almost the end?

    ©¤Don¡¯t we still have a week left?

    ©¤Honestly, if we¡¯vee this far, it¡¯s the end¡­¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense if there¡¯s more like this.

    I watched them from behind. The 507 filled the park. Fortunately, most of them seemed to enjoy the food.

    ©¤The wall copsed, and I blocked it with my body~.

    This was Kain¡¯s heroic tale. He was surrounded by men, showing off his muscles.

    ©¤It was tough. But, well, we made it, didn¡¯t we?

    On the other hand, Asher was busy flirting with a girl.

    ©¤Drink, drink~ Eat and live~

    At La¡¯s table, where her cheeks were flushed red, some kind of drinking game was in full swing.

    Where on earth did they get the alcohol?

    ©¤Hehehe. You drink! A shot, dumbass!

    I still can¡¯t believe that La is a hero.

    By the way, Soliette hasn¡¯t woken up yet. She overexerted herself, so it will probably take another two to three days.

    Rustle-

    Then, footsteps approaching from my side.

    I nced in that direction.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it noisy?¡±

    Elise. She sipped from her wine ss with a calm demeanor. The color was that of red wine.

    ¡°You like noise, don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She pursed her lips as if I had hit the nail on the head. I gestured towards her ss.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Wine.¡±

    Elise swirled her wine ss elegantly and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Anyway, congrattions.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°You. You¡¯ll be in the safe zone of Edsi University.¡±

    Edsi National University. An academic achievement I couldn¡¯t even dream of before regression.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    I can feel it too.

    It¡¯s there, almost within my grasp.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the same university. Us.¡±

    Elise shuddered slightly. But she soon responded with a tone of amusement.

    ¡°Probably not. You¡¯re aiming for the Knight Department. I¡¯ll probably head to the Magic Tower after a year.¡±

    Magic Tower. It¡¯s not the most honest institution, but it¡¯s a natural path for Elise.

    She has a tremendous talent for magic, after all.

    ¡°You. A guardian knight of Libra?¡±

    Elise asked. I chuckled and nodded.

    A guardian knight of Libra.

    Edsi National University is just a stepping stone for that.

    ¡°Well¡­ good job.¡±

    Elise muttered, taking a gulp from her ss. I wasn¡¯t sure who she was talking to, but I turned to look at her.

    ¡°You too.¡±

    I ced my hand on her head. Very lightly. Elise shook her head at that moment.

    ¡°Wha-where do you think you¡¯re touching? Are you crazy?!¡±

    She quickly became flushed. Not just her face, but all the way to her neck, as red as tomato ketchup.

    Her reaction was so intense that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Do you like me?¡±

    ¡°Ar-are you a lunatic?!¡±

    Ssh! Elise sshed wine on my face. The red liquid clung to my skin.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, perhaps acting impulsively, swallowed hard. I narrowed my eyes and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s a joke, a joke.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh my, oh my. Such a, such a low and¡­ that¡­¡­¡±

    Elise feigned calmness and coughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing a joke based on such wild spection. Isn¡¯t a joke supposed to be funny? Or¡­¡­¡±

    She handed me a handkerchief, a smirk in her eyes.

    ¡°Is it your wishful thinking?¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I just took the handkerchief and wiped my face.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Suddenly, a sinisterughter echoed from behind.

    We turned to look.

    It was La.

    She had been ying a drinking game at the table, but somehow she hade over here and was looking at us, chuckling.

    ¡°Hehehehe.¡±

    ¡°Why is she like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Should¡¯ve killed her then. By pping her.¡±

    Elise grumbled aggressively.

    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡­¡±

    As La left with a meaningfulugh, Elise red at her, grinding her teeth.

    * * *

    After the second test, it was peaceful for a week.

    The [Ascal Farm] and [Terence Cafe] were operating normally. However, since the overall number of seniors had decreased and the ie wasn¡¯t as high as before, I had to hunt monsters as a side job.

    That was all.

    Running the farm, hunting monsters, converting AP, and ying [Bethune Dungeon] with Soliette during my free time.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. If it was going to be like this, they should have just let us go.¡±

    Late at night.

    At the end of the day, after finishing hunting and returning, I grumbled and locked eyes with Elise in the hallway. She seemed to be getting ready for bed, dressedfortably.

    ¡°If they gave us a break, why don¡¯t you rest? What will you do if another test like the second onees up?¡±

    She¡¯s been nagging every time our eyes meet these days.

    ¡°Go and get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡±

    Elise opened the door to room 106. I opened the door to room 107 as well.

    Bang-

    I closed the door and looked out the window.

    The night in narium is dark. At the same time, fireflies, or perhaps will-o¡¯-wisps, rise and dance.

    It¡¯s sufficiently dreamlike.

    But now, it¡¯s tiresome.

    ¡°It¡¯s finallying to an end.¡±

    The second quarter is nearing its end, and the third quarter is just university interviews, so it will be over in two weeks. Those two weeks will only actually involve about three days of interview time.

    Finally©¤©¤ this damned hell of college entrance exams is ending.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ©¤©¤Are you resting well!

    It was the courteous voice of the statue. As soon as I heard it, I felt a slight headache.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s time to go home!

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    What¡¯s this? Is there no third test?

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s right! It¡¯s time to go home! It¡¯s the end of the second quarter!

    Waaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    A huge cheer echoed throughout the dormitory. A faint smile crept onto my face.

    ©¤©¤Great! Then! Escape!

    I got up. Then, a word suddenly caught my attention.

    ¡°¡­¡­Escape?¡±

    But, the dormitory was filled with the sound of people bustling out.

    I started packing my bag in a hurry. I opened the door on a whim.

    Whoosh- A gust of wind swept over me.

    ¡°¡­¡­.?¡±

    I blinked my eyes.

    The corridor waspletely empty.

    ¡°What the.¡±

    There was no one. Just a moment ago, it was filled with the sounds of seniors rejoicing.

    It was eerily quiet.

    No sound could be heard, no presence could be felt. It was enough to give me goosebumps.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡­¡±

    I walked down the dormitory corridor. I opened the door leading outside.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    It was a typical night in narium.

    I started moving. Slowly, I started descending the mountain path.

    No matter how much I thought about it, something felt off, so I drew my sword. I walked cautiously, keeping an eye on my surroundings.

    So it went for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours¡­¡­.

    ¡°?¡±

    In the distance, at the end of the mountain path, I saw a familiar silhouette.

    ©¤©¤No way?!

    It was him. He looked surprised to see me.

    ¡°What is it.¡±

    ©¤©¤Shion Ascal¡­¡­ Did you escape?

    ¡°Escape? I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ©¤©¤Good. You¡¯re the first!

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?

    [1st ce : + 3,000 AP]

    3,000 AP appeared on my student card.

    It was bewildering, but apparently, I was the first.

    ¡°Is this the end?¡±

    ©¤Yes. You can just go down!

    ¡°Well, okay.¡±

    I started descending the mountain path again.

    Crackle-

    Somewhere, the sound of a radio transmission echoed.

    Crackle-

    Right behind me. In other words, inside my bag.

    I quickly opened my bag. I grabbed a fist-sized piece of equipment.

    Crackle-

    It was a radio. The radio was emitting a signal.

    I turned it on.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ©¤Eek! You scared me.

    It was Elise¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Oh. Elise, is that you?

    ©¤Who are you?

    ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    ©¤Phew¡­¡­.

    Elise let out a sigh of relief.

    ©¤Where are you?

    ¡°Where am I? I¡¯m outside right now? I¡¯m about to arrive at the train station.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­What?

    Her voice rang out in surprise. I bet her eyebrows shot up too.

    ©¤What are you talking about?

    ¡°What do you mean, what am I talking about¡­¡­.¡±

    Ah.

    A thought suddenly brushed past my mind.

    When I opened the door to my room, there was a peculiar ¡®wind¡¯ that blew in.

    I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but was that the effect of magic?

    I smiled contentedly and shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve passed. The third test.¡±

    ©¤What¡­¡­ Are you crazy? No, are you really Shion?

    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t mess with me. I have a tremendous resistance to this kind of magic or magical power.¡±

    Hahaha.

    Iughed.

    ©¤¡­¡­Resistance?

    ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m going, so take care. Oh, I see the train station.¡±

    Under the night sky. The lights of the train station are twinkling.

    ©¤Hey. Stay. Won¡¯t you help?

    ¡°I¡¯d like to help, but I¡¯m already done.¡±

    I looked at my student card.

    [3rd Test 1st ce: Shion Ascal]

    It¡¯s clearly marked.

    Whether it¡¯s a fluke or unexpected luck, thanks to this test being designed extremely favorably for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­bastard.

    Elise cut off the radio.

    I chuckled and tucked the radio into my pocket. I sat down on a chair at the train station.

    ¡°¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you going?

    ¡°!¡±

    My body jolted.

    ¡°Ah, you startled me. Give me a heads up.¡±

    Akane was right next to me. She was flipping through a newspaper, ncing at me.

    ¡°I asked if you¡¯re not going.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Where to?¡±

    ¡°The test.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I pass?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Akane furrowed her brows.

    ¡°But you could still help, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Help? Me?

    More than that, Akane¡¯s behavior is strange. She¡¯s not usually like this.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, is there a problem there?¡±

    Snap!

    Then Akane folded the newspaper. She looked at me with a slightly mischievous face.

    ¡°There is a problem.¡±

    She said, chuckling.

    ¡°You killed a very important spirit entity in narium. Everyone is very angry.¡±

 Chapter 172: Escape (1)

    <strong>Escape (1)</strong>

    In a snow-covered mountain lodge in [narium].

    Elise was staying there.

    No, she was trapped there.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­.¡±

    A sigh naturally escaped her lips.

    The circumstances that led to her being trapped here were still unclear to Elise herself.

    She just opened the door to her dorm room, a cold wind blew, and when she opened her eyes, she was right here.

    What kind of trap had she fallen into?

    Click- Click-

    She turned the radio on and off.

    Click- Click-

    She turned it on and off as she wandered around the inside of the lodge, then opened the door.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤

    A blizzard rushed in.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Looking at the snowkes rapidly piling up on the floor, Elise counted the seconds.

    ¡°One, two, three, four, five.¡±

    She closed the door. She measured the height of the snow that had quickly piled up.

    15 cm.

    The same. Even though this was her 30th check.

    15 cm in 5 seconds.

    A very regr and consistent blizzard.

    ¡°The space loop is certain.¡±

    She circled around the outside of the lodge five times. It was to find an exit, but escape was impossible.

    No matter how far she walked, there was no end to it, only this ¡®lodge¡¯.

    Just like the Earth is round, she always ended up back here.

    ©¤©¤Knock knock.

    Then, a sudden knock. A strangely resonating echo.

    ¡°!¡±

    Elise flinched, but then approached the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ©¤Who else. Hey. Open up.

    A voice that was too familiar and casual.

    Who was it¡­¡­.

    She rummaged through her mind.

    Ah.

    Shion.

    It was Shion.

    Elise smiled.

    ©¤Are you going to open the door?

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    She quickly opened the door.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, it¡¯s cold.¡±

    It was indeed Shion.

    She pouted her lips for no reason.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯ting?

    ¡°I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? Move. Let me in.¡±

    As he entered the lodge, he shook off the snow. He quickly looked around and sat down on a chair.

    ¡°Did youe here like that?¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a backpack¡­¡­.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even have a backpack, let alone a coat.

    Shion asked nonchntly.

    ¡°So, should I equip a full te armor or something?¡±

    ¡°Well, not that.¡±

    ¡°Why were you stuck here?¡±

    ¡°Why? This ce is a space loop¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise¡¯s words stopped.

    She quietly looked up at Shion.

    ¡°¡­¡­I want to ask first. How did you get here?¡±

    It¡¯s not that, this ce is an inescapable lodge. But is it possible to enter©¤toe in?

    It¡¯s a very suspicious choice.

    ¡°I have a resistant, so magic or magical interference doesn¡¯t affect me.¡±

    Shion exined simply. Elise frowned slightly, but she didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.

    He was a guy who was not very susceptible to magic. She knew that very well.

    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway. This ce is trapped in a space loop.¡±

    Elise ced a teacup in front of him. It was something that had been in the lodge from the beginning.

    Shion spoke.

    ¡°Ah. I thought so. It¡¯s probably because of a spirit.¡±

    Chirr- As Elise poured the tea, she responded.

    ¡°A spirit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Spirits can¡¯t escape from narium.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it trapped me here too?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Shion pointed at himself. Elise sat across from him.

    ¡°So what about us? How do we escape?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. That¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to find out.¡±

    Shion looked around the inside of the lodge and slurped- his tea. Elise also took a sip from her teacup.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Suddenly, he called her.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Did you notice anything strange here?¡±

    ¡°Strange?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Like meeting someone here. Or seeing someone.¡±

    The questions were strange. In fact, they had been strange from the start.

    From the moment he entered the lodge¡­

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Elise let out a small sigh. She put down her teacup and rested her chin on her hand.

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    Shion blinked his eyes innocently.

    At the sight of him, a rxed smile spread across her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Shion, are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    His expression hardened for a moment. Elise tried to immediately draw up her magic, but¡­

    nk-

    He put down his teacup.

    In an instant, all of Elise¡¯s movements stopped. Not just hers.

    The blizzard raging outside the lodge window, the radio that had been clicking, everything seemed to have stopped in time¡­¡­

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders. Akane across from me responded.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    ¡°¡­But why is the spirit angry?¡±

    I was annoyed. I had already passed first.

    Akane put a cigarette in her mouth.

    ¡°You killed the spirit¡¯s body, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But that guy started the fight.¡±

    Fwoosh- The filter lit up. Akane took a cool puff and chuckled.

    ¡°A spirit¡¯s body doesn¡¯t die when you kill it. Even if you kill the ¡®body¡¯, it just flows back as a spirit. The bastard himself is trying to take revenge on you.¡±

    ¡°Using Elise as a hostage?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s trying to lure you in by taking Elise hostage.¡±

    That was unbelievable.

    If he was going to take a hostage, he should have taken Soliette. Why Elise, of all people?

    ¡°There¡¯s not much time toin. The closer a spirit gets to a human, the more it forgets that it¡¯s a spirit.¡±

    A spirit that takes on a human form and tries to steal a human body eventually forgets that it¡¯s a spirit.

    I nced at the cigarette Akane was smoking.

    ¡°Why do you keep smoking that? It¡¯s not good for your health.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a doll anyway.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s your main body?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that, Akane stiffened. She chewed her lips as she looked at me.

    ¡°If you lie, you¡¯ll lose a hand.¡±

    I avoided her gaze. I looked at the painting hanging on the wall.

    ¡°¡­A lodge in the snow. It¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±

    ¡°Is it a doll or the main body?¡±

    Akane only asked that.

    I smiled slightly.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a doll. So far, your intuition is correct.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She immediately lit another cigarette.

    ¡°Anyway. It¡¯s certain that only Elise is trapped, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have to find her before she¡¯spletely mesmerized.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think a unique one like Elise will be mesmerized.¡±

    I got up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop resting and go. To find her.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­A lodge where time had stopped, the blizzard frozen like a scene from a canvas.

    Shion waved his hand as he looked out the window.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Shion, are you?¡±

    Elise¡¯s words from just a moment ago rewound in time.

    Back to the moment when their conversation first started, sitting across from each other.

    ¡°¡­This ce is trapped in a space loop.¡±

    Elise exined the space again, and Shion responded with a smallugh.

    ¡°Ah, I thought so. It¡¯s probably because of a spirit.¡±

    Chrrr- She poured tea as she replied.

    ¡°A spirit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A spirit can¡¯t escape from narium.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it trapped me here too?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Shion nodded.

    ¡°So what about us? How do we escape?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. That¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to find out.¡±

    Shion stood up, holding his teacup. He looked around the lodge carefully.

    The refrigerator. The coffee pot. The tea on the shelf. The radio. The transceiver. The painting. The painting of the snow-covered lodge. And five doors.

    ¡°¡­What are you looking at? Like you¡¯re searching for something.¡±

    Elise asked. Shion replied as he sipped his tea.

    ¡°Just curious about this ce.¡±

    Shion opened the door to the lodge. Then Elise also narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve searched the inside of the lodge. There was nothing special.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? ¡­Hey, but.¡±

    Shion turned back to Elise.

    ¡°Was there really no one here but you?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Was there anyone else with you? Or.¡±

    Shion pointed to the transceiver. Elise looked at it too.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious if you tried to call someone with that.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    In an instant, Elise calmly sat down. She looked back at Shion with serene eyes.

    Shion opened another door to the lodge.

    Creak-

    Shion, who seemed to be searching, quickly scanned the interior. Watching him, Elise gathered magic in her palms.

    Just as she was about to release it¡ª

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    Snap! He sighed and snapped his fingers.

    Time stopped again.

    In that state, he looked back at Elise. She was frozen in the act of releasing her magic.

    ¡°This is really hard.¡±

    He put a finger to his temple as if he had a headache.

    ¡°¡­This crazy woman.¡±

    He muttered and sighed.

    * * *

    ¡°Is it over already?¡±

    Akane asked. I answered, panting.

    ¡°This surprisingly drains a lot of energy. I¡¯m alreadycking in stamina, so I¡¯m getting impatient.¡±

    ¡°Then take a break. We¡¯re not out of time yet.¡±

    I slumped to the floor. Akane spread out a newspaper.

    ¡°¡­But, you know. You caused a ruckus in Trick City?¡±

    ¡°Why Trick City all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Look at this. The fencing mask.¡±

    Akane showed me the front page of the newspaper. There was an article in the headline.

    [Orphanage Director Berrieda Ren Casano Dead.]

    [The Fencing Mask that Extinguished the Lantern of C-Section¡­ Trick City, Engulfed in Waves of Mourning and Rage¡­]

    ¡®The Berrieda Ren Casano murder case¡¯.

    It was the murder I had dealt with when I went out.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The repercussions of killing that hypocrite in disguise seem to be quite significant in Trick City right now.

    I guess I wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected.

    ¡°Is this you?¡±

    ¡°This fencing mask?¡±

    ¡°The precise viin name is ¡®Avenger¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Viin?¡±

    I frowned. Thebel of viin was a bit irritating.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Akane raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°This ¡®Avenger¡¯ viin killed the ¡®Lantern of C-Section¡¯, who sponsors and operates the Orphanage, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    The Lantern of C-Section.

    Such an ill-fitting name.

    ¡°¡­Have you ever thought that it¡¯s not antern but jizz?¡±

    ¡°Huh- Huhem.¡±

    Akane burst intoughter for a moment but pretended not to. She regained herposure with a bted fake cough.

    I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°If it¡¯s funny,ugh.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No, if youughed without showing it, I wouldn¡¯t know. Anyone can see you burst outughing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph. It¡¯s just low ss.¡±

    ¡°It means John¡¯s fluid, what¡¯s low ss about it?¡±

    I smirked.

    ¡°Oh, you like this kind of joke?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I smirked.

    ¡°Oh, you like this kind of joke?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Akane quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Besides, the situation in Trick City is going in a strange direction.¡±

    ¡°Strange?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a very strong public opinion to establish something for the heroes.¡±

    Heroes.

    I blinked at that word.

    ¡°Heroes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Do you know? In my time, suchics were quite popr. Jetman, Ionicman¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re only 10 years older than me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who are you teasing?¡±

    Iy on the floor for a moment, thinking.

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±

    The enactment of Trick City¡¯s hero-rtedw.

    Before my regression, it was something that would happen at least 3 yearster.

    It¡¯s been moved up.

    Of course, it¡¯s a much better situation.

    Heroes like M will receive more support, more talents will be trained faster, and they will face the underworld.

    ¡°So, is this fencing mask you or not?¡±

    Akane asked. I looked back at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to lie to her.

    ¡°Berrieda, that bastard, is a hypocritical son of a bitch. He¡¯s selling Trick City¡¯s information to the underworld.¡±

    I have no regrets.

    Rather, I will continue to kill such bastards in the future.

    In this sense, ¡®Avenger¡¯ is right.

    I asked Akane.

    ¡°What do you think? Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    She chuckled and took a puff of her cigarette.

    ¡°The world needs viins. Viins who will burn jizz without regard for means and methods, puff. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I silently looked at her.

    Laughing at your own joke isn¡¯t exactly cool. Therefore, the person who throws the joke must always maintainposure.

    When the person who cracks the jokeughs, it bes too obvious that they were trying to be funny. Then, even a funny joke loses its charm.

    ¡°¡­Your sense of humor is a bit low ss.¡±

    At my words, Akane slightly furrowed her brows.

    ¡°You started it first. You jizz shit.¡±

    ¡°I was joking. You just wanted to do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane seemed to feel guilty and scratched her arm for no reason.

    I got up.

    ¡°¡­Shall we go back now?¡±

    For reference, we are in a dormitory.

    narium Dormitory.

    In the corridor of the ce, where most seniors have escaped and left empty, a painting is hanging.

    It¡¯s andscape painting depicting a [Snow-Covered Mountain Lodge].

    ¡°Please send me now.¡±

    I put my hand on the painting.

    Inside it, Elise is trapped.

    Not the Elise pretending to be Elise, but the ¡®real Elise¡¯ is hidden somewhere.

    ¡°Ungrateful bastard.¡±

    Akane seemed to be upset about her humor being pointed out, but she soon activated her magic.

    I was ¡®transferred¡¯ into the painting.

    * * *

    Snow-covered mountain lodge.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion silently looked at Elise.

    Elise was still standing in the same ce.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    As he sighed lightly and waved his hand, the time inside the mountain lodge where Elise was rewound.

    At the same time, her paused state was released.

    ¡°¡­This ce is trapped in a space loop.¡±

    Then Elise exins about this space again, and Shion appropriately responds while looking around.

    To find the ¡®real¡¯ one.

    However, not long after.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not Shion.¡±

    Elise doubts Shion like that.

    At that moment, Shion flicks his finger. It¡¯s a signal to Akane who is waiting outside the painting.

    When he does this, Akane stops and rewinds the time inside the painting.

    It¡¯s only for a moment.

    This Elise is really quick-witted, and she soon doubts Shion again.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not Shion.¡±

    Flick-!

    Shion flicks his finger, and Akane rewinds the time again.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not Shion.¡±

    Flick-!

    Shion flicks his finger, and Akane rewinds the time again¡­.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not Shion.¡±

    After about thirty repetitions, it bes annoying.

    When rewound while trapped in the painting, it hurts the head and drains too much energy.

    ¡°You. You¡¯re not Shion?¡±

    Elise twisted her lips as she looked at Shion.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­.¡±

    Shion let out a deep sigh. He gritted his teeth.

    Just now, his anger reached its limit.

    ¡°You¡­ always ask ¡®Are you Shion?¡¯ Don¡¯t you have any other lines?¡±

    Shion took a step towards her. She took a step back.

    ¡°Don¡¯te!¡±

    She stretched out her telekinesis while shouting, but Shion¡¯s body didn¡¯t flinch. Like a lump of steel.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Shion rushed at her. He grabbed her thin neck with hisrge hands.

    ¡°Kuh¡­!¡±

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    While choking her struggling neck, he growls in a rough voice.

    ¡°Speak up!¡±

    ¡°What¡­ let go!¡±

    She had apletely clueless face. Rather, she seemed unjustly treated and red at Shion fiercely.

    He found that face disgusting.

    The very fact that she believes she is the ¡®real¡¯ one¡­

    ¡°Tell me where you hid Elise, you crazy bitch©¤©¤!¡±

 Chapter 173: Escape (2)

    <strong>Escape (2)</strong>

    ¡°Tell me where you hid Elise, you crazy bitch©¤©¤!¡±

    As he choked the fake Elise and shouted, I was pulled out of the painting.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    The narium dormitory.

    Akane, right in front of me, narrowed her eyes. Her crimson pupils were eerie.

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    I blinked nkly. Zing-! I pressed my throbbing temples with my fingers.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, my head hurts so much that I don¡¯t even know. Can¡¯t we just kill the ghost?¡±

    I can resist Akane rewinding time within the frame.

    But the headache is excruciating. Over and over, it feels like some thought is about to surface in my mind¡­¡­.

    ¡°You can¡¯t, idiot. The ghost already has a physical body. If you kill the ghost, the body dies too.¡±

    ¡°But my head feels like it¡¯s going to explode.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s natural. Time is rewinding while you¡¯re standing still. It¡¯s simr to motion sickness. Just ignore it.¡±

    Akane put a cigarette between her fingers.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush anyway. He¡¯s already caught in the trap.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    Right now, the ghost who imprisoned Elise has a simple goal.

    ¡®Bing Elise.¡¯

    If I had been fooled by him and helped the Elise in the painting escape, the real Elise would have been trapped forever. The fake Elise would have lived as the real Elise.

    However, that n has already been exposed by ¡®Akane¡¯.

    Of all people, by the most dangerous mage on the continent.

    ¡°But why are you helping Elise, Akane?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not helping Elise, I¡¯m helping myself. I can¡¯t lose my anchor. Besides, change your strategy. You¡¯re too anxious.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°How can I not be anxious around spirits?¡±

    ¡°Just treat it as usual. The spirit doesn¡¯t even know it¡¯s a spirit. It needs to remain not knowing to deceive those around it.¡±

    Akane pointed at me with her finger.

    ¡°You have to treat Elise as Elise as much as possible, so you can find out where the ¡®real¡¯ one is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. Even so, there wasn¡¯t much in the cabin, right?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all?¡±

    ¡°From what I saw.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure there was nothing?¡±

    I rummaged through my mind for a moment, but soon shook my head.

    ¡°Yes. There wasn¡¯t anything special in the cabin¡­¡­ wait.¡±

    Then, one thing came to mind.

    The ¡®painting¡¯ hanging on the wall inside the cabin.

    There was anotherndscape painting there.

    ¡°There was a painting.¡±

    ¡°A painting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at the painting hanging on the dormitory wall.

    Thendscape painting of the ghost where Elise is currently trapped. A cabin covered in snow.

    I pointed at it and said.

    ¡°Inside this painting, there was another painting.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Snap-! Akane snapped her fingers as if she understood.

    ¡°A frame within a frame, huh. It¡¯s a famous trap. The real soul must be hidden there.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

    ¡°The probability is the highest.¡±

    ¡°Then, how do I get into that ¡®frame within a frame¡¯? You¡¯re not there, Akane.¡±

    Akane stroked her chin, deep in thought.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ probably Elise can do it.¡±

    ¡°Elise? But she¡¯s a fake.¡±

    ¡°No, she¡¯s as good as real. She believes she¡¯s real, and all her memories are identical to the real one.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    I nodded my head.

    The ¡®fake Elise¡¯ in this painting believes she¡¯s real, and almost every aspect of her is simr to the real one.

    Then, she should be able to cast magic like the real Elise.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to use the fake?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You understand well.¡±

    Akane pped her hands.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back to the beginning. From the moment you knock on the door.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    * * *

    Whooosh©¤©¤!

    Outside the mountain cabin, amidst a snowstorm.

    Shion, having returned, knocked on the door. Not long after, Elise opened the door.

    Upon seeing Shion, she gave a strangely mischievous smile.

    ¡°¡­What? You said you wouldn¡¯te.¡±

    ¡°I came anyway, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­e in.¡±

    Once again, the two sat across from each other, sharing a cup of tea and conversation.

    ¡°Hey, how did you end up trapped here?¡±

    Shion asked Elise.

    Elise raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that myself. How did you get here?¡±

    ¡°You know. My body, it¡¯s highly resistant to magic and mana.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°You also asked for my help.¡±

    ¡°Hm, hmm.¡±

    Elise coughed as if embarrassed. Shion didn¡¯t rush.

    As if dealing with the usual her, with a casual yet friendly attitude¡­.

    ¡°Anything unusual happen?¡±

    Elise let out a small sigh.

    ¡°I was just trapped.¡±

    ¡°Must have been fun.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you joking?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You get it now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Such pointless conversations continued, and Shion asionally rubbed his temples and forehead.

    It was due to the persistent headache.

    ¡°So, Shion. This space loop¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s probably because of a spirit.¡±

    Finally, the main point.

    Shion nced at Elise¡¯s face. It was a in face.

    Fortunately, she doesn¡¯t suspect anything yet.

    ¡°There¡¯s a spirit somewhere in this cabin.¡±

    ¡°So, we need to find that spirit?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Finally, they were getting on the same page.

    Now, somehow, he had to persuade this Elise to lead them to the desired conclusion.

    Shion pretended to sip his tea while looking at the painting on the wall.

    ¡°Hey. But that, doesn¡¯t it seem suspicious?¡±

    A single painting hanging in the cabin.

    Just like the current one, andscape painting depicting a snow-covered cabin.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a painting.¡±

    ¡°No, take a closer look.¡±

    ¡°Closer¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, Elise froze.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    She abruptly stood up. Her face was creased with various doubts.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Shion asked, hiding his anticipation. She scrutinized the painting in front of her nose with a serious expression.

    ¡°This. It¡¯s not an ordinary painting.¡±

    At that moment, shivers ran down their spines©¤©¤!

    A severe headache surged in Shion¡¯s mind. He stood beside her, trying hard to endure it.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ soul magic.¡±

    ¡°Soul magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Spiritism, which is fundamentally different from magic¡­ but this painting could definitely function as some sort of ¡®gateway¡¯.¡±

    Elise abruptly turned to look at Shion.

    ¡°There seems to be a spirit inside.¡±

    Shion also hardened his expression in response.

    ¡°How do we enter?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±

    Elise imbued her finger with mana.

    Sssssst¡­!

    She blew the sparking energy into the frame of the painting. Then, soul magic writhed on the surface of the painting, like hundreds of worms squirming.

    It was certainly not a spell meant for human use.

    Elise nodded her head.

    ¡°Here, it seems right.¡±

    Shion gulped down the ck tea in his teacup.

    ¡°Bingo. How do we get in?¡±

    ¡°¡­Just touch it.¡±

    Elise nced at him and stepped aside.

    ¡°You try first.¡±

    She seemed to doubt him again.

    Absurd, but well.

    ¡°So, I just need to touch it?¡±

    Shion poked the magic in the painting with his finger.

    In an instant, he was sucked in.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Thud!

    His head hit the floor. He looked around in his upside-down position.

    It was the same cabin.

    ¡°What- Ack!¡±

    ¡°Kyak!¡±

    The next thing he knew, Elise dropped down and her forehead mmed hard at his nose.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Shion got up, holding his face. Elise also clutched her head.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think it hurts as much as me?¡±

    Shion looked around the interior again.

    ¡°Hey. There¡¯s nothing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise silently sharpened her gaze. Her eagle-like eyes thoroughly searched the area.

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°Look here.¡±

    She then stomped on the floor with her shoe.

    ¡°There¡¯s a carpet.¡±

    A carpet.

    In it, a ¡®cabin¡¯ was embroidered.

    ¡°Oh? Could this be?¡±

    ¡°Right. It seems to beyered multiple times. Quite clever.¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    At her words, Shion unknowinglyughed. Elise furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±

    ¡°Just. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? He must have hidden it so diligently.¡±

    A prison designed by a spirit, being unlocked by the spirit itself. Nothing could be funnier, but well.

    Shion quicklyposed his expression.

    ¡°The spirit seems to want to y a game with us. Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡±

    ¡°I am in a hurry.¡±

    Throb, throb, throb¡­!

    The headache surged again.

    ¡°My head hurts like hell right now, so I want to finish this quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise looked puzzled, but she quickly knelt on one knee and blew mana into the carpet.

    The ¡®soul magic¡¯ inside was revealed.

    She stepped back and gestured to Shion.

    ¡°You go first.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Can¡¯t you go first now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise red at him slightly.

    It would be annoying if she doubted him again.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    Shion stepped into the soul magic.

    * * *

    This time, it was a log cabin. A serene log cabin.

    Shion looked around the interior first.

    Aside from a firece, wooden furniture, and a bed, there was nothing else.

    Whoosh-

    Elise entered a bitter. Shion turned to look at her.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the cabin.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Had she found something again? Elise pointed somewhere.

    A small picture frame ced on the bedside table.

    It was a photograph. It seemed to be a picture of the interior of a one-room apartment.

    ¡°Oh~¡±

    Shion was impressed. Elise approached it first.

    Ssssssssst¡­¡­.

    When she infused it with magic, the soul spell spread out in blue.

    Elise pointed at the picture in the frame and said,

    ¡°Go ahead. You first.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you go this time? Am I some kind of key?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    At that, Elise¡¯s shoulders shook slightly. As if I had hit the nail on the head.

    She quickly smiled and replied.

    ¡°Yep. You¡¯re sharp. So go ahead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. Fine, fine.¡±

    Shion tapped the frame lightly.

    Whoosh-!

    He was sucked in again.

    It was a small one-room apartment.

    The surroundings were all white, and there was only one bed in the room.

    But, this ce was different.

    The only bed in the room. On top of it¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­So it was here.¡±

    There was someone.

    At least, ¡®something¡¯ was there. Something that had pulled the nket over its head.

    ¡°You hid it quite deep.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    A voice flowed in from behind. It was Elise.

    ¡°Pull back the covers.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I felt like a servant.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes~ ma¡¯am.¡±

    When I find the real Elise, you¡¯re done for. Shion gritted his teeth and lifted the nket.

    Of course, the real Elise would be lying inside¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Huh.

    Shion¡¯s shoulders shook greatly. His eyes widened in shock. The hairs all over his body stood on end.

    ¡°This¡­¡­¡±

    Shion couldn¡¯t even finish his sentence and stepped back.

    Thud-

    Something touched him. It was Elise¡¯s finger.

    ¡°Move aside.¡±

    Elise gently pushed Shion aside and approached the bed. She looked at the face lying there.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s you.¡±

    A smile appeared on her lips. She ced her hand on ¡®his¡¯ forehead as if relieved.

    ¡°Finally found you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­.¡±

    Shion nkly stared at her back. He couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all.

    No, the entity lying on this bed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief.¡±

    The one Elise was softly murmuring and looking at was¡­¡­.

    ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯.

    ¡°What the hell is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°There was a witness.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A witness?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Kielli said.¡±

    Elise tilted her head.

    ¡°¡®Shion destroyed the spirit¡¯s body, but it looked like the spirit that flowed out was absorbed by Shion.''¡±

    She turned to look at the ¡®spirit¡¯ that had been pretending to be Shion until just now.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been watching you closely. You really seemed like the real thing. Well, you would have to believe you¡¯re the real one to fool us. It¡¯s a basic survival instinct.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise let out a soft chuckle. The spirit red at her slightly.

    Zzzzzzzz©¤©¤©¤!

    A throbbing headache once again revived the spirit¡¯s memory.

    The time when it was disassembled into 81 parts by Shion Ascal,

    When it flowed into Shion Ascal¡¯s body as a spirit that had thrown away its form,

    After corroding the physical body of Shion Ascal, who had fallen into aatose state,

    Isting Shion Ascal¡¯s soul in this prison,

    Andpletely transforming itself into ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯¡­¡­

    ¡°That headache is a signal that you, the spirit, are trying to realize yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You. You pretended to be fake when you¡¯re real?¡±

    The spirit¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief.

    ¡°Yes. I needed to tempt you. To make you mistake me for a spirit. That way, you would ignore that headache. You wouldn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re a spirit.¡±

    ¡°Then, you turning back time was¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°An act. How was it?¡±

    Elise wore a noble¡¯s smile.

    The spirit bit its lip. It furrowed its brows as if to deny it.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The blizzard definitely stopped-¡±

    ¡°You took Shion¡¯s memory. If you took it, use it properly. I¡¯m Elise. My speciality is telepathy.¡±

    She could easily stop a blizzard swirling around this area.

    ¡°We nned it from the beginning with Akane. If I flick my finger?¡±

    Snap- Elise flicked her finger.

    ¡°Time pretends to stop. If I wave my hand?¡±

    Swoosh- She waved her hand in the air.

    ¡°Time pretends to rewind.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She sat on the bed and crossed her legs.

    ¡°This is a prison you designed. A prison where you locked Shion¡¯s soul.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders with her arms crossed.

    ¡°We diligently investigated and found a passage to reach Shion, but there was no key.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­So I¡¯m that key.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we brought you in. Because no one but you can open the prison you made.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    The spirit let out a hollowugh. It fiddled with its temple, where the headache had now disappeared.

    ¡°Do you have more to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What changes by saying that?¡±

    The spirit put its hand on the sheath of the sword at its waist.

    ¡°What changes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here. With a physical body©¤©¤!¡±

    It almost shouted as it drew its sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll behead you©¤©¤ What the hell is this!¡±

    The sword was flimsy. It drooped down without even rising. It was a toy sword.

    Elise shook her head as if it was pathetic.

    ¡°I told you. We nned it from the beginning with Akane. We switched that sword a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Even, even so.¡±

    The spirit seemed flustered, but it hardened its expression again.

    ¡°Can you beat me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to beat you. I have no reason to fight.¡±

    Elise pouted her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already lost to Shion once.¡±

    And then she took something out of her pocket and ced it on Shion¡¯s forehead. It was an object like the end of a stethoscope.

    The spirit asked in an anxious voice.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. Akane developed it, it¡¯s called a soul wave generator.¡±

    Elise infused it with her magic. At that moment, arge wave rippled from Shion¡¯s forehead.

    Goooooo©¤©¤©¤.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    A moment of silence.

    Eventually, ¡®he¡¯ on the bed slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Yaaawn.¡±

    The first words, an ear-splitting yawn.

    The spirit was flustered, and Elise was dumbfounded by his overly calm demeanor.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Shion Ascal¡¯s tongue waspletely loose. Elise asked with a furrowed brow.

    ¡°Are you awake, you idiot?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    Shion slowly sat up.

    In the same space, he nkly stared at the spirit that had taken over his body.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it a dream?¡±

    ¡°You broke the spirit¡¯s body, and the spirit flowed into yours.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    Shion mumbled nonchntly.

    ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve had a really good sleep for the first time in a while?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a good sleep, you were in aa. This guy took advantage of that.¡±

    Shion shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°That makes sense. With the Severing Sword and Perion¡­¡­.¡±

    Thebination of ¡®Severing Sword¡¯ and ¡®Perion¡¯.

    Nine vertical shes and nine horizontal shes in less than a second. A total of 81 divisions.

    If it¡¯s the price to pay for doing something physically impossible, it¡¯s cheap.

    Blinded by anger, he almost shattered his own body.

    Or perhaps, he survived thanks to this spirit?

    ¡°So, am I in a soul state now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You should reim your body first.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Shion got up. The spirit looked around, its teeth chattering in fear.

    It seemed to be looking for an escape route, but this ce was alreadypletely sealed off.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    The ¡®real¡¯ Shion called out to the spirit.

    ¡°D-don¡¯te!¡±

    The terrified guy swung his toy sword around, but Shion just spoke with a slightly refreshed face.

    ¡°Give me back my body.¡±

 Chapter 174: City Hunter (1)

    <strong>City Hunter (1)</strong>

    I grabbed the spirit¡¯s hand. At that moment, arge vibration emanated from it. The entire space resonated.

    A tiny barrier enveloped us both.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared.¡±

    The spirit that had taken over my body.

    I pulled it towards me and spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a conversation.¡±

    A crimson aura emanated from the spirit. It was transferred to me. It was quite hot.

    A struggle for survival, perhaps.

    I gave a small smile.

    ¡°Listen. You¡¯vee to know all about me. I¡¯ve never met such a being, you know?¡±

    Regression is not a secret that can be easily shared with anyone.

    Neither is the incurable disease called cancer.

    The spirit knows both of these things. It believes in them more certainly than anyone else.

    I said to it.

    ¡°How about it. Aren¡¯t I just as pitiful as you?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    The spirit had now lost its voice.

    I was reiming my body, and the spirit was moving away from it.

    However, I had no intention of letting it go.

    ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s go together.¡±

    The spirit is literally a ¡®soul condensed with resentment¡¯.

    A soul wandering the heavens, having forgotten who it was in its lifetime, with only resentment remaining.

    A wandering entity that was once ¡®human¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find who you were.¡±

    I¡¯m curious.

    Just what kind of resentment it holds, the origins of its desires, and how unjustly it had to die to take this form.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, you know.¡±

    I felt a certain kinship with it.

    Perhaps, if I had died without regression.

    I would have be a spirit too.

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than disappearing like this. No matter how I think about it, it seems like I survived because of you.¡±

    The Severing Sword that had cut through the spirit¡¯s body.

    It had far surpassed my limits. My body should have broken because of it, but I survived thanks to it continuing life activities in my stead.

    ¡°¡­Of course, the original culprit is you.¡±

    A small smile slipped out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. It might be fate that you sought me out.¡±

    I can understand the spirit.

    As a regressor, and as a ¡®prospective spirit¡¯ who once lived in narium for a long time.

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    The spirit quietly nodded its head.

    That settled it.

    * * *

    I opened my eyes.

    ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡­¡±

    I slowly sat up, yawning.

    It was the inside of a dorm room.

    I was lying on the bed, and Elise and Akane were sitting across from each other at the tea table.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Elise asked, sipping her tea.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    My neck, shoulders, arms, and legs, my whole body felt stiff. I started with stretching.

    Creak- Creak-

    I feel like my bones are going to snap.

    ¡°Ugh. My stride is off.¡±

    I tried to walk a bit, but my bnce was off. It felt like I was moving for the first time in a long time.

    ¡°You. Are you pretending to be the spirit?¡±

    It was Akane. I turned to look at her.

    ¡°Did you return to your original body?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Akane raised an eyebrow. Then she took out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it.

    Phew¡­¡­ She exhaled a puff of smoke, a satisfied expression on her face.

    ¡°Indeed. A good cigarette should be smoked in the original body.¡±

    ¡°Original body? What does that mean?¡±

    Elise looked back and forth between Akane and me with a puzzled face. Akane ignored her.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Do you remember what happened? When the spirit was pretending to be you.¡±

    ¡°A bit. It feels like I dreamed it.¡±

    ¡°Did you dispose of the spirit?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s still with me. We made a deal.¡±

    ¡°What kind of deal?¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Akane asked about the details of the deal, and Elise narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Do you know how hard it was to get you out? Are you joking?¡±

    She shook the crumpled papers she had taken out of her bag. It was a script titled [How to Deal with Spirits].

    ¡°I wrote hundreds of pages of scripts. But you didn¡¯t even get rid of the spirit?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not a threat anymore.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±

    ¡°Because we talked.¡±

    ¡°Talked?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, thank you. I¡¯ll pay you backter.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to. You don¡¯t seem to value others¡¯ favors anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you want me to do?¡±

    Elise turned her gaze.

    She sighed softly and waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.

    ¡°Ugh. Just go. I have something to talk about with Akane.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at Akane. Akane nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go down first.¡±

    * * *

    After Shion left.

    Elise and Akane had a conversation. It was a discourse on magic, the Magic Tower, and mages.

    ¡°So. You want to be a mage?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Akane is a legend of the Magic Tower. For better or worse.

    The opportunity to learn something from her is rare.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. But be careful with the Magic Tower.¡±

    Thud-! Thud-!

    Akane put her various equipment into a suitcase. Elise quietly watched her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors. The Magic Tower is an extremely rational group.¡±

    ¡°Extremely rational? No. They only have ¡®rationality¡¯. Humans who only have rationality are monsters. If the Magic Tower offers to do something for you, doubt it. If the Magic Tower offers to give you something, doubt it. If you enter the Magic Tower, always live doubting what their true intentions are.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if I be a magic professor?¡±

    ¡°Professors are a bit less so. They conduct independent research and manage independent personnel. You can put your own color into your workshop. But until then, it will be very harsh.¡±

    Harsh.

    That¡¯s enough to endure.

    Honestly, every time she sees Shion now, every time she thinks about her family Petra, and every time the two collide, the storm that arises in her heart is not just harsh, but brutal.

    ¡°But.¡±

    Akane picked up the suitcase and asked.

    ¡°Why did you lie?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise tilted her head slightly, asking in a low voice.

    ¡°What lie are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You mentioned a different witness.¡±

    Elise had said the witness was ¡®Kielli¡¯.

    That was a lie.

    The real witness was¡­

    Soliette.

    Even as Soliette¡¯s body was burning, she saw Shion. She detected the spirit flowing into his body.

    She was the only one who tried to protect him.

    The others had just run away and then returned.

    ¡°¡­I wonder.¡±

    It was Soliette who first proposed the hypothesis that Shion was a spirit, and it was Soliette who found the painting where Shion¡¯s soul was trapped.

    She was not familiar with acting¡ªit was truly terrible acting¡ªso she was excluded from the operation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    That was all Elise replied.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve be narrow-minded.¡±

    Akane twisted her lips.

    ¡°Not knowing oneself is also a privilege of youth.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you still in your youth, Akane? You¡¯re only ten years older than us.¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep bringing up the ten years? It¡¯s ufortable.¡±

    Click. Akane raised her middle finger.

    ¡°I mean it. At twenty-five, you¡¯re a professor at the Magic Tower. It¡¯s unbelievably young. You¡¯re already a legend, Akane.¡±

    ¡°You can surpass that.¡±

    It was a sudden statement from Akane. Elise was taken aback.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem like the type to pay lip service.

    ¡°Physical power, psychic power, and ¡®maism¡¯ that epasses both.¡±

    Akane recited Elise¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    ¡°¡®Maism¡¯ is one of the principles that govern the origin of this world. All matter,rge or small, possesses ¡®maism¡¯. In that sense, your ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ is muchrger than you think.¡±

    Elise looked at her. Her lips quivered like a caterpir.

    She was happy.

    ¡°So be careful.¡±

    ¡°Of what?¡±

    ¡°Of yourself.¡±

    Akane picked up her suitcase. She slung it over her shoulder.

    ¡°The more magnificent a mage bes, the more they pursue miracles outside of themselves. As a result, they are more likely to lose themselves.¡±

    The dilemma of a mage.

    In this world, there are monsters who have be so engrossed in the magic that they pursue, that they be the magic itself.

    ¡°Create your own center¡­ Some call it a ¡®totem¡¯, others a ¡®anchor¡¯. It¡¯s the most important thing for a mage.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Elise nodded after a moment of thought.

    She felt like she already had such an ¡®anchor¡¯.

    * * *

    At the same time.

    La wasing down the mountain path with a bouncy stride.

    The third test, ¡®Escape¡¯.

    She had been trapped in some kind of maze alone. The other seniors were probably trapped in various other ces, right?

    But La escaped very quickly.

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Suddenly, La¡¯s eyes widened. She saw a ¡®stone statue¡¯ at the bottom of the mountain path. There was no one around it.

    ¡°Yay! I must be the first one!¡±

    She quickly moved her legs, running with her hands waving cheerfully.

    ¡°Statue!! Statue!!¡±

    The cycle of conflict, reconciliation, and understanding¡ªrepeated by La alone¡ªwith the statue, they could now be considered somewhat close.

    It was bittersweet to part ways.

    ¡°Statue!! Am I the first?!¡±

    La asked right in front of the statue¡¯s nose.

    The statue turned its head to look at her.

    ©¤©¤You¡¯re 99th.

    ¡°Yay¡­¡­ huh?! What?!¡±

    Crash¡ª! A bolt of lightning struck La¡¯s mind. She froze as if she had been shocked.

    The statue spoke dryly.

    ©¤©¤Go down.

    ¡°¡­¡­Crazy statue.¡±

    ©¤©¤Why are you venting at me for beingte?

    ¡°Shut up, fucking statue.¡±

    ©¤©¤stupid bastard.

    ¡°You stone-headed statue! You¡¯re being a prick!¡±

    La pointed a finger at the statue. The statue ignored her.

    She felt like pulling her hair out.

    ¡°99th ce¡­¡­.¡±

    She had secretly hoped.

    She pouted her lips and went down the mountain path.

    Staggering-

    There were already quite a few seniors gathered on the ground.

    ¡°Oh~ Here shees.¡±

    Kain and Asher looked this way andughed. La squinted her eyes for no reason.

    ¡°What are youughing at? What ce did you guys get?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m 13th.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m 15th.¡±

    Kain 13th, Asher 15th, La 99th.

    ¡°Wow. Really.¡±

    This doesn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    It must be the statue¡¯s scheme. She should have really hit that stone statue.

    La was sulking when she saw the smartphone in Asher¡¯s hand and her eyes widened.

    ¡°Huh? Your phones, oh right! We can use our phones now!!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    La quickly took out her smartphone from her bag.

    Ding-

    Ding-

    Ding-

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m getting a signal. Oh.¡±

    Like a primitive man discovering fire, she opened her messenger. With almost miraculous typing, she sent replies, and then opened the inte.

    She quickly checked various issues she hadn¡¯t been able to check for the second quarter¡ª.

    Suddenly.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Her fingers froze.

    Her eyes cooled down.

    Right now, it was because of an article on the main page of Trick City.

    [Orphanage Director Berrieda Len Casano Dead.]

    [The fencing mask that extinguished the light of C-Section¡­ Trick City, covered in waves of mourning and anger¡­]

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Berrieda Len Casano.

    He was the founder of Len Orphanage. A famous phnthropist.

    He often wrote columns advocating for [M], and was a good person who transparently operated various volunteer activities.

    As M, she had visited his orphanage and yed with the children.

    [Burnt Frame: Ouw ¡®M¡¯ and the children of the Orphanage.]

    [The death of a phnthropist¡­ Is ¡®M¡¯ really an vignte? What does Trick City need?]

    The photo taken back then was in the online article, its edges burnt red.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡±

    A strange emotion welled up in La¡¯s heart. It boiled within her, threatening to consume her.

    It was hard to describe clearly, but it was swirling between anger and sadness¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s up. Hey La. Are you crying?¡±

    Kain blinked at La.

    La hastily lifted her head.

    ¡°What! I, I¡¯ll go first! Something urgent came up!¡±

    She put her smartphone away and ran towards the train station.

    * * *

    The next day. Trick City¡¯s [Selfless Coffin].

    By the way, the second quarter of the college board is still in progress. There are still about 300 guys who haven¡¯t escaped.

    Thanks to the ghost who made me number one, I¡¯m enjoying some downtime.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Rustle-

    I¡¯m reading a file.

    [Rexton Welton]

    : 222 cm. Male

    : Numerous crimes including murder, armed robbery, arson.

    : Currently appears to be working as a mercenary for the Master Cartel.

    ¡°222 cm? That¡¯s huge.¡±

    It¡¯s a list of murder requests from Kanya. It¡¯s a sort of side job, like ¡®bounty hunting¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Just then, Akane in the workshop spoke. I turned to look at her.

    ¡°Is it done?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She had created a fish tank with narium¡¯s stuff. It was an Artifact to contain the ghost, no, the ¡®soul¡¯ that had been wriggling in my body.

    Souls cannot exist outside of narium. So she created an environment for it.

    ¡°Right. Now, as you say, it¡¯s not a spirit, but a soul.¡±

    I looked at the fish tank. There was a clear soul inside.

    ¡°Can this guy talk?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. It will be possible as it grows slowly. But, what¡¯s that file?¡±

    Akane gestured towards the file. I waved it and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s a guy I have to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. To deal with.¡±

    Akane turned on the TV with a remote control.

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­Twenty lower Senators from Trick City¡¯s D-Section and C-Section have submitted a ¡®Hero-rtedw¡¯ to the upper council. This bill, triggered by the ¡®Berrieda Len Casano murder case¡¯ by the viin ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯, is expected to take at least 2-3 years to enact even if it passes in the upper council.

    ¡°You want to be on the news again, it seems.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway, it¡¯s not as Shion Ascal.¡±

    But the avenger, Raquel Dra.

    ¡°Raquel Dra¡­ a viin name that¡¯s now officially settled.¡±

    ©¤©¤The most active ouw to date, who imed to be a ¡®hero¡¯, ¡®M¡¯, is currently showing no reaction. However, public opinion about her is not as cold as in previous years.

    ¡°M. Is that woman bing your enemy?¡±

    Akane asked in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m M¡¯s enemy. Not the other way around. I respect M.¡±

    In fact, it¡¯s closer to admiration.

    Her unyielding spirit has always given me hope and reminded me of the old man.

    ¡°I could easily be a viin for her sake.¡±

    I knew her before my regression, when she was pointed at and called an ¡®vignte¡¯ for years, and suffered quite a few wounds and injuries.

    So now, M might really need an enemy. A perfect viin to highlight M as the perfect good.

    ¡°Raquel Dra¡­ should be enough of an enemy.¡±

    I looked back at Akane. She calmly pointed to the counter of [Selfless Coffin].

    ¡°Then have a look around. Equipment is essential for your activities.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you give me a discount?¡±

    Akane raised her middle finger.

    ¡°The bounty on your file is 150,000 Ren. Installments are possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­When did you see it?¡±

    Well, regardless of the price, Akane¡¯s Artifacts are all top-notch. Luxury items that can¡¯t be bought even with money. Moreover, they¡¯re not properly ¡®registered¡¯, so they can¡¯t be traced.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just look around for now. That¡¯s okay, right?¡±

    ¡°Feel free.¡±

    Akane quickly assumed the posture of serving a customer.

 Chapter 175: City Hunter (2)

    <strong>City Hunter (2)</strong>

    Akane¡¯s [Selfless Coffin].

    ¡°¡­How much is all this?¡±

    I cautiously asked about the price.

    The outfit reflected in the full-length mirror consisted of a vest, pants, shoes, belt, and bracelet.

    A total of five Artifacts.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. If I calcte it¡­¡±

    Firstly, the vest is an armor with various functions like [Environmental Adaptation], [Bulletproof], [de Resistance], and [Magic Resistance]. The pants have simr features.

    Both have sticity, adjusting to the wearer¡¯s body, and they adapt to the environment, unaffected by temperature or climate. They are generally ck, but the [Camouge Color] is always activated, so there¡¯s no risk of looking like a ¡®spy in all ck in the snow¡¯.

    The shoes are military-style boots. When you walk in them, they leave no footprints or even a trace.

    The belt is practically an inventory. It has an expanded space imnted, which is 2-3 times the capacity of amercial travel suitcase.

    The bracelet is a ¡®Mana Shooter¡¯. A luxury artifact that allows you to project magic in any desired shape.

    I particrly like this shooter. It seems like it can synergize with my R-elix¡¯s ¡¸Ancient Magic¡¹.

    I don¡¯t want to miss any of them, but¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for 10 million Ren.¡±

    10 million Ren.

    This price is probably discounted. Most of Akane¡¯s luxury items trigger a ¡¸Treasure Hunter¡¹ reaction. There would be plenty of people willing to pay 3-4 times the price.

    ¡°Is a 300-month installment n not possible?¡±

    I asked as I started to take off the equipment. Of course, it was a joke.

    Akane raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Really?¡±

    ¡°40,000 Ren per month for 300 months. 2 million Ren as interest.¡±

    40,000 Ren per month. It¡¯s expensive, but it¡¯s not an impossible amount like before. I¡¯ve grown too.

    But it would be a huge loss for Akane.

    ¡°Are you joking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m so selective with my customers that there aren¡¯t many who can afford to buy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Even though 10 million Ren is expensive, yourbat power will increase at least twofold. It¡¯s not bad for the price of your life.¡±

    Akane seemed to take it as a given.

    I hesitated slightly, but then nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Let¡¯s think of it as an investment.

    From now on, I¡¯ll be doing quite a lot of side jobs, and there will be more fights.

    ¡°Plus, keep supplying these cigarettes.¡±

    Akane pulled out a cigarette from her pouch. It was a tobo grown in the [Ascal Farm] of narium.

    The [Ascal Farm] is still there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you that farm, Akane. Just sow the seeds and manage it, it will grow on its own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already doing that.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    No wonder, I only gave her one pack, but she kept smoking heavily.

    ¡°So, since I bought these, can I wear them and go?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Akane went back into her workshop, and I picked up the file again, fiddling with the equipment that was worth more than most houses.

    There were two targets to deal with today.

    [Lexton Welton]

    ¨C 222 cm. Male.[br][/br] ¨C Numerous crimes including murder, armed robbery, and arson.[br][/br] ¨C Currently seems to be working as a mercenary for the Master Cartel.[br][/br] ¨C Bounty: 150,000 Ren.

    [Raphael Bartra]

    ¨C 181 cm. Male.[br][/br] ¨C Has been running the Lyol Church in Section D-44 for five years.[br][/br] ¨C His activities before establishing the church are unclear.[br][/br] ¨C No bounty. Has a history of fraud, but not significant.

    ¡®Raphael Bartra¡¯.

    He is the only religious person in Section D-44. He has been running the church for quite a while, providing free meals to the homeless and wanderers, and has built a decent reputation.

    In reality, he is a dealer for the cartel.

    He sells homeless and wanderers, who have no connections and no one to look for them when they¡¯re gone, as human experiment subjects.

    ¡®Lexton Welton¡¯ is the mercenary who backs him up.

    If I catch Raphael, Lexton wille as a bonus.

    Ring~

    Just then, I received a call from Kanya.

    ¨C Sir Mage. As you said, I did a background check on that religious man. There are some shady points. He has a history of fraud in other countries. How did you know?

    Kanya Wieder. She is willingly cooperating with me. She is trustworthy enough for me.

    Not just now, but it was the same before I regressed. Of course, back then, Kanya was the boss giving orders.

    Hmm. I changed my voice.

    ¡°Where is the target now?¡±

    ¨C Are you going to deal with it right away?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¨C ¡­Hmm.

    Then Kanya let out a slightly grumpy snort.

    ¨C Well. Sir Mage. I¡¯m not helping you out of any expectations, but you¡¯re treating me too casually-

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a 10%mission.¡±

    What Kanya is doing now can be broadly called ¡®informer¡¯, and they usually take a 5-7%mission.

    10% is quite a steal.

    ¨C Alright~ I¡¯ll tell you the location~

    Kanya¡¯s voice brightened.

    She loves money, just like before.

    ¨C Raphael Bartra is at his church~ The Lyol Church in Section D-44. Today is confession day, so it should be easy to approach him. Gote at night~

    ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    I nodded and burned the file.

    * * *

    ¡®Raphael Bartra¡¯.

    He is a pastor running the Lyol Church in the D Section of Trick City.

    In Section D-44, where life¡¯s losers, criminals, and looters swarm, he is a rare religious person.

    ¡°Confession of sins is the evidence of God.¡±

    ¨C Thank you. Saint Raphael¡­

    Evente at night, the church¡¯s confession continues.

    ¡°Take a piece of bread when you leave.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t forget to offer food to the wanderers.

    ¨C Saint¡­ Thank you every time¡­

    ¡°The title of saint is too much. Just call me pastor.¡±

    Thanks to his five years in Section D-44, he easily built a reputation as a saint.

    ¡°Is the next person here?¡±

    Raphael had hoped for an empty confessional, but ¨C

    -Thud.

    Footsteps echoed. A figure sat on the other side of the veil.

    He swallowed the rising sigh.

    Today, of all days, the crowd was unusuallyrge. Exhaustion was gnawing at him.

    ¡°What sins have youe to confess, my child?¡±

    -¡­¡­

    The man remained silent. Raphael stole a nce at his wristwatch.

    2:33 AM.

    Workingte is a pain in the ass, why isn¡¯t this guy answering?

    ¡°Believer?¡±

    -¡­¡­Yes. The congregation here says that many vagrants, homeless without ties,e to seek sce in this church.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. The Lord always watches over us all. Even if you have nothing, the Lord loves you. He hopes that hismbs will lean on him.¡±

    -Heh.

    The man chuckled softly.

    -Most of them are trash, aren¡¯t they? Homeless clinging to the city. Junkies addicted to drugs. Criminals who¡¯ve killed and fled. They scam food like it¡¯s a game¡­ I heard you were even almost robbed of your donations once.

    Raphael almost smiled. It had been a while since someone understood him, but he couldn¡¯t show it.

    ¡°No, every life holds equal value. Faith blooms most beautifully from the mud. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve established ourselves here.¡±

    -¡­¡­Value.

    The man exhaled a small breath.

    -When you think about it, you¡¯re right. Even a person who contributes not a speck to society can have value if used as a subject for human experimentation.

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Raphael was momentarily at a loss for words.

    -If you sell off a few hundred of those guys and develop a new technology with the proceeds, that¡¯s a pretty good cost-performance ratio, isn¡¯t it?

    What a lunatic.

    Raphael pressed the button under his chair.

    ¡°¡­¡­You seem to be in pain.¡±

    -My body hurts. I¡¯m a patient.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s end it here for today.¡±

    Raphael tried to stand from his seat, but-

    His feet wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    He looked down at his feet.

    Spiral-shaped concrete had wrapped around his feet. No matter how much he struggled, it was as if roots had taken hold¡­¡­

    ¡°What is this.¡±

    -How is it? Much sturdier than mud, isn¡¯t it?

    The flowing voice turned cold.

    Raphael¡¯s face paled.

    ¡°You. Who sent-¡±

    -¡­¡­

    A quiet slicing sound echoed. A long curve tore through the air. There was no sound in the process.

    Only apressed gust of wind cut Raphael in two.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡­It works. The silencer.¡±

    I muttered, looking down at the already dead Raphael.

    This time, Ibined three forms. ¡¸Gale¡¹, ¡¸High-Pressure Discharge¡¹, and ¡¸Silence¡¹.

    Two level 4s and one level 3,bined into my unique assassination weapon.

    Boom©¤©¤!

    Just then, the church door burst open.

    I didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was.

    The 222 cm tall giant, ¡®Lexton Welton¡¯. A cartel mercenary with a bounty of 150,000 Ren, he was the one watching Raphael¡¯s back.

    As expected, Raphael had called him for help as soon as he felt threatened.

    -¡­Come out.

    ¡®Lexton began by raising his Magic Body. He must have seen the blood trickling down from the confessional.

    I ced my hand on Raphael¡¯s face.

    ¡°Memory.¡±

    I muttered softly, then turned my face mask inside out. In that state, I only stuck my face out a bit.

    If I went outpletely, my physique would give me away.

    ¡°Huh. What.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    At that moment, Lexton released his Magic Body.

    ¡°Crazy. Fuck, what have you done?¡±

    ¡°There was a bit of an ident. Some lunatic came by. I called for help to deal with this.¡±

    ¡°Who the fuck does this fucking bastard think he is, treating me like an errand boy?¡±

    The guy, havingpletely let his guard down, approached, swearing. I naturally moved aside.

    ¡°You. I¡¯ll get an extra fee for thister, right¡­?¡±

    Then, Lexton saw it.

    Raphael Bartra, split in two. He asked in a flustered tone.

    ¡°¡­Hey. Did you have a twin?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then-¡±

    -¡­

    I discharged the Magic Spell. A high-density air de emerged from the wand.

    The same formbination that had cut Raphael.

    But Lexton managed to withstand it once. The form had caught on his spine.

    ¡°Cough-¡±

    I discharged it once more at the man who was coughing up blood.

    -¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked around at the two corpses. It was a bit grotesque, but I wouldn¡¯t bother cleaning it up. Instead, I applied magic to the pool of blood umting like a puddle. With it, I engraved red letters on the floor.

    [SIN]

    Sin.

    The cartel guys would probably know best what kind of sin it was.

    I immediately texted Kanya.

    [Done]

    Ding-

    As if she had been waiting, the reply came.

    [Kanya: Did you cut off his ear and thumb? They¡¯re necessary as proof for personal bounties.]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I almost forgot. I cut off Lexada¡¯s ear and thumb.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    I was about to leave as is, but I hesitated.

    The word SIN engraved on the floor seemed too short for a ¡®message¡¯.

    I added a few more letters.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, back at the mansion in the capital of Edsi, La is ¡®spacing out¡¯.

    Staring nkly at the ceiling.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Someone keeps calling from the side, but she couldn¡¯t hear them.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    The booming voice was annoying.

    La turned her head to the side.

    ¡°What are you doing? I went to the trouble after you invited me.¡±

    It was Elise. She looked at La with a puzzled face.

    La pouted her lips.

    ¡°¡­I only invited you, I didn¡¯t say we were going to do anything. And the kids kept asking me to invite you. I didn¡¯t even want to have a party in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°What-? You didn¡¯t want to have a party? You, La?¡±

    Elise distorted her face as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Her expression quickly turned suspicious.

    ¡°Are you a spirit?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Elly? I¡¯m feeling down, so could you please be quiet?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Got it.¡±

    La raised an eyebrow at Elise.

    ¡°Elly, did you think I invited Shion too?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s body shivered.

    She had hit the nail on the head.

    ¡°What nonsense, sigh. Why would I discuss anything with you?¡±

    ¡°Do you really like Shion, Elly?¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy! You must not be a spirit after all. You can¡¯t distinguish between what should and shouldn¡¯t be said, just like La.¡±

    She spat out her words like a machine gun and quickly ran away.

    Bang!

    She mmed the door shut.

    Suddenly!

    What, she¡¯s opening the door again?

    La looked at Elise.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you spread any rumors, I won¡¯t let it slide. I mean it. Don¡¯t spread false rumors. I might even sue you for defamation.¡±

    She threatened and then,

    Bang!

    She didn¡¯t wait for a response and shut the door.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    Finally alone, La let out a sigh.

    Just as she was about to immerse herself in her thoughts, ring-

    Her phone rang.

    ¡°Ah, what now.¡±

    ©¤La. There¡¯s breaking news from Trick City.

    It was her AI assistant ¡®Eri¡¯.

    La asked in a weary voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s the news? I¡¯ve already seen plenty of news¡­¡±

    The reason she was so deste right now was because of those news.

    The death of the operator of the Ren Orphanage, a person who was like a beacon of light.

    Of course, there was anger and sadness about the incident, but the sense of emptiness about public opinion was a bit stronger.

    All this time, when she imed to be a hero and saved people, she was cursed as awbreaker, but now that a ¡®real¡¯ casualty has urred, they¡¯re looking for me.

    ©¤It¡¯s different news. You should see it right away.

    The assistant brought up the news.

    ¡°What the¡­ huh?!¡±

    At that moment, La¡¯s eyes widened. She sprang up from the bed.

    [Breaking news. Pastor Raphael Bartra of Section D-44 has been found brutally murdered]

    Raphael Bartra.

    La knew him.

    She had helped him before.

    In fact, in thewless Section D, it would be quicker to find someone she hadn¡¯t helped. Especially those running religious and educational facilities.

    Anyway.

    As M, La had taken down the thugs who tried to steal the church¡¯s offerings, and Pastor Raphael had given her a cross-shaped bracelet as a gift.

    However, the more important issue was.

    [ording to eyewitnesses, aposite suspected to be ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ was found again.]

    Aposite that was of no help in finding the suspected culprit, just a fencing mask.

    Raquel Dra.

    [Also, a sentence sent by Raquel Dra to someone was written on the floor of the church.]

    A sentence written in blood filled the screen.

    La nkly read the red letters.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯M. Do you know the sins of this man?¡¯.¡±

    Suddenly, herplexion turned frighteningly pale.

    ©¤Yes. This dangerous person is calling for you, Master.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    La clenched her teeth. Her tightly balled fists trembled.

    [In the midst of what is presumed to be a message from Raquel Dra to the ouw ¡®M¡¯, who has been operating like a vignte in Trick City until now¡­¡­.]

    ©¤It¡¯s the appearance of an archenemy.

    Artificial secretary Eri chimed in.

    ¡°Eri. This isn¡¯t aic book.¡±

    La retorted.

    ©¤Yes, Master. I¡¯ll give you some time to think.

    The secretary quietly withdrew, seemingly proud of her demeanor.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­ what the hell is going on.¡±

    As La red at her smartphone, deep in thought-

    Suddenly!

    The door opened again.

    It was Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, Elly, not now!¡±

    La burst out in annoyance.

    ¡°Make some room.¡±

    Elise hurriedly entered and rummaged through her nightstand.

    ¡°Elly. I¡¯m serious right now.¡±

    La crossed her arms seriously, but Elise just ignored her and continued fixing her makeup.

    ¡°Ah, why are you doing this, really. I¡¯m freaking out, really aaah.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Aaaah©¤¡±

    Then, Elly also nced at her as if she was resentful.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t invite him.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    She red at the mirror and corrected her makeup as gently as possible. Not too forceful, yet not too in.

    Emphasizing her soft freshness the most.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not true, but Shion Ascal is outside right now.

    ¡°Elly, you¡¯re pretty even without makeup, so get out! Do it in the bathroom!¡±

    ¡°Doing makeup in the bathroomcks elegance¡­¡­ Ah. Was it a y on words, ¡®makeup¡¯ in the ¡®makeup¡¯ room? If so, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what are you talking about, if you¡¯re sorry then just get out!!!¡±

    La shouted, almost crying.

 Chapter 176: City Hunter (3)

    <strong>City Hunter (3)</strong>

    I arrived at La¡¯s party venue. I had received an invitation, and I was curious about how she would be in the wake of the breaking news.

    Boom©¤ Boom©¤ Boom©¤

    But speakers were ring from all directions. Loud enough to hurt the ears.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, it¡¯s noisy.¡±

    A typical La-style party that teenagers would love. The faces here and there are familiar. Most of the invited people are from the upper ss, well-known by name.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Then suddenly, I spotted someone. She seemed to have noticed me too, turning her head this way.

    I blinked and asked.

    ¡°You¡­¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Elise. She wore a gentle smile.

    As if to say, why are you so surprised?

    ¡°No¡­¡­ You¡¯re different than usual.¡±

    ¡°Different than usual? Well, I guess.¡±

    Her makeup right now is very unique. Her eyeshadow is too colorful, not matching at all, and too excessive. She even seems to have had a bit of alcohol, her cheeks slightly flushed.

    What is she, a peacock?

    Does that mean she¡¯s having a lot of fun?

    Elise slightly lifted her chin.

    ¡°Even so, don¡¯t stare too nkly. It¡¯s rude.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Are you enjoying the party?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t like this kind of noise. It¡¯s just loud.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like it. You look like a peacock right now. Not a female, but a male. You know, those with unnecessarily shy feathers.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to attend a party like this, but the college board exams are over, aren¡¯t they? Would it be okay if I, the valedictorian of the second quarter, am not at a party celebrating that?¡±

    She, as always, only says what she wants to say.

    ¡°Oh, okay. Where is La?¡±

    Boom©¤ Boom©¤ Boom©¤

    I asked, slightly covering my ears.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably in her room.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s noisy here, let¡¯s go to her room for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Follow me.¡±

    Elise guided me.

    ©¤Pour! Hey, pour more!

    As we walked down the hallway, Kain¡¯s robust cheer echoed from somewhere.

    I nced in that direction. Kain was pouring all sorts of alcohol into arge barrel.

    ¡°Kain is in the top 10. He received an unlimited card as a gift from his family to celebrate.¡±

    ¡°Lucky him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s your rank?¡±

    Elise subtly asked. I shrugged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t check, but probably around 40~50.¡±

    40~50 means a guaranteed admission to Edsi National University.

    Depending on the third quarter, i.e., the college interview results, admission to the knight school is also possible.

    ¡°You can get into the national university? You¡¯re lucky.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    At the end of the third-floor corridor. Elise knocked on La¡¯s door.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Is she here?¡±

    Abruptly- Elise just opened the door.

    ¡°La¡­¡­. Huh?¡±

    There was no one. The spacious room waspletely empty.

    ¡°La¡¯s not here?¡±

    Startled-

    I closed the door as I entered.

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Wait a minute.¡±

    At that moment, Elise turned to look at me. She nced back and forth between the closed door and the empty bed, then asked in a strange tone.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly close the door?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡­¡±

    Suddenly, she tightly grasped thepels of my clothes.

    ¡°¡­Did my makeup make you lose your senses?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You need to sober up.¡±

    I sat down on a chair in the room.

    I roughly had an idea of where La might have gone.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I spoke to Elise, who was still looking at me suspiciously.

    ¡°Show me some Magic Spells.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t taught me this week¡¯s lesson yet.¡±

    The method for me to learn Magic Spells from Elise is simple.

    Just observe. Whether it¡¯s a 4th level spell, 5th level spell, or 6th level spell, I just need to observe with my own eyes and memorize the process of the form working in my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    After that, I can manifest it as long as my magic power and capacity allow.

    ¡°¡­Here?¡±

    Elise asked with a slightly drained face.

    ¡°Yeah. La probably won¡¯t be back today anyway.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Anyway.¡±

    I said with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re like a human textbook. There¡¯s no better teaching material than you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then, Elise tilted her eyes slightly. She pouted her lips a little.

    ¡°Just showing you doesn¡¯t mean anything, does it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just showing, it¡¯s observing and recording. That¡¯s my ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.¡±

    Elise looked a bit surprised.

    Well, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve talked about my Spectrum.

    ¡°Just for an hour, show me about 4-5 spells. Preferably new ones.¡±

    She quietly responded.

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    ¡°And wipe off that makeup too.¡±

    Elise made a slightly amused face.

    ¡°Pfft. So you were bothered by the makeup after all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. In many ways.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Wait.¡±

    Elise removed her color makeup with telekinesis.

    Now, she didn¡¯t look like a peacock anymore.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Wow, this is amazing.¡±

    In front of the door to the third floor of La¡¯s mansion, where Elise and Shion had entered.

    ¡®Someone¡¯ was eavesdropping on the voicesing from inside, clenching his fist tightly.

    He had followed them because they went together, thinking they might do something.

    ¡°¡®Human textbook¡¯, huh? ¡®There¡¯s no better teaching material than you?¡¯ Hahaha.¡±

    Such a bold pair.

    He immediately picked up his smartphone.

    [Editor, I think I¡¯ve caught something, can I exin?]

    He was a reporter. When he heard that the seniors were having a party, he sneaked in pretending to be a scout, wondering if there might be some news. He was a reporter from The Moon.

    [Douchebag: What is it? And where did you run off to? You had an interview with Mr. Ralmus today. He lost his cat.]

    [No, it¡¯s not about the cat. You know Elise Petra, right?]

    [Douchebag: So where are you, you bastard, hurry up ande back?]

    [Ah, listen to me. That Elise Petra, she¡¯s in a romantic rtionship right now. Right in front of my eyes.]

    He pressed his ear against the door where the two had entered.

    ©¤Watch carefully. Don¡¯t miss a thing.

    He was about to send another text message when he suddenly stopped. A security guard had appeared.

    ¡°Identification. Please present it.¡±

    The hulking security guard extended his hand towards him.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve already entered, do I need to show my ID again?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We received a report that you are suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Ah haha¡­ Me? I¡¯m suspicious?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He had already heard all he needed to. He had taken pictures of everything, their backs as they walked down the hallway together, their faces as they looked at each other.

    ¡°Oh, right. I left my ID. I¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    Elise Petra and Shion Ascal.

    These days, college students are as famous and hot as celebrities, so he came in case something happened.

    He hit the jackpot.

    This was worth more than an S-ss celebrity scandal.

    ¡°Please leave quickly.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay, I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    He walked out on his own before he was dragged out.

    * * *

    At the same time, Trick City Section D-44.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re investigating.¡±

    Edsi¡¯s inspector©¤©¤¡¯Rena Heller¡¯ is currently at the scene of a murder in Trick City¡¯s D Section.

    ©¤This is a case that¡¯s attracting public attention, so solve it well. Trick City is still part of Edsi. Even if it¡¯s an autonomous district.

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    ©¤Yes, yes, huh? Report anything you find right away. Help me get back to the center. Huh? Help me, help me.

    She was originally from the Edsi Central Inspector Office, but she was exiled to Trick City¡¯s D Section due to a certain incident.

    ©¤You get it? Don¡¯t mess with useless people this time.

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    ©¤You little brat-

    Click.

    She scratched her orange hair and looked at the scene.

    ¡°¡­¡­They cut it so cleanly. How did they cut the body like this?¡±

    Two people, cut in half.

    ¡®Lexton Welton¡¯ and ¡®Raphael Bartra¡¯.

    The scene itself was well preserved. But there was no evidence.

    No fingerprints, no footprints, just a witness statement about a fencing mask.

    Ah, there¡¯s one more thing.

    [M. Do you know the sins of this man?]

    A message left by the culprit himself.

    ¡°What sin should I know?¡±

    Why is a murder case in Section D-44 getting so much attention? This is Section D-44 where one person dies every two hours.

    She casually looked behind her.

    There was a woman in the darkness. Like in a horror movie.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Rena was startled. Her heart dropped.

    ¡°Who¡­ Ah, you surprised me.¡±

    She quickly reached for her gun, but stopped.

    This woman who suddenly appeared was awless woman in a blue suit, a famous person in Trick City, ¡®M¡¯.

    Rena knew her too.

    ¡°Did youe because I called you?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    M didn¡¯t say anything. She quietly looked down at the red letters carved on the church floor.

    [M. Do you know the sins of this man?]

    ©¤What happened?

    Her voice trailed off.

    ¡°Just as you see. It seems like a crime targeted at you¡­ Do you have any connection with this church?¡±

    ©¤A few times. I¡¯ve dealt with criminals trying to extort donations.

    ¡°Hmm. And you also had a connection with the orphanage run by ¡®Berrieda Ren Casano¡¯?¡±

    ©¤¡­Yes. I¡¯ve been there to give gifts to the children.

    ¡°Well then. It seems like you were the obvious target. They even left a message to make sure it was clear.¡±

    Rena Heller pulled out a notebook and recorded the keywords of the case.

    [M and Raquel Dra. What is their rtionship?]

    ©¤But why are there two bodies?

    M asked.

    ¡°Ah. The other guy, besides the priest, is ¡®Lexton Welton¡¯. He¡¯s a mercenary with a criminal record. It¡¯s still a mystery why he died here. Whether he suddenly converted to religion, or if there¡¯s something else shady going on¡­ we¡¯re still investigating.¡±

    Rena pointed at M with her pen.

    ¡°Anyway. This crime might have urred because of you.¡±

    ©¤¡­Do you really think so?

    ¡°Somewhat. The crime rate in D Section is the same whether you¡¯re here or not. You¡¯re useless on your own.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    M was expressionless, and Rena smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t mean you¡¯re useless. I mean you shouldn¡¯t be alone.¡±

    ©¤¡¯Shouldn¡¯t be alone¡¯?

    ¡°Yes. Actually, I was going to approach you first. I¡¯m grateful that you came first.¡±

    Rena put her notebook away.

    ¡°M, I¡¯ve been exiled here. I¡¯m an inspector in the damned D Section that even the locals of Trick City don¡¯t want to deal with. To return to the center of Edsi, I need to leave a clear record.¡±

    ©¤¡­So?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tolerate you. In return, let¡¯s cooperate.¡±

    M looked at Rena. Rena smiled faintly.

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, this Raquel Dra guy is strange.¡±

    ©¤What¡¯s strange about him?

    ¡°I¡¯m getting requests from all sides. To catch him. They insist I must catch him.¡±

    ©¤He¡¯s a criminal, so that¡¯s natural.

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Sheughed as if it was amusing.

    ¡°I can guess your age range. You¡¯re at least not in your 30s.¡±

    ©¤Wh, what?

    M was embarrassed. The hairs on her back stood up.

    ¡°Anyway. Do you know how much the underground cartel lobbies politicians?¡±

    ©¤Hmm¡­¡­

    Rena sighed.

    ¡°Over a billion Ren each year. They throw money around in Trick City and Edsi. They hope for chaos on the surface. The cartel, more than anyone, hopes that D Section doesn¡¯t get cleaned up.¡±

    ©¤¡­I know that the cartel interferes with public authority.

    ¡°Right. But this time, they¡¯re not interfering. Rather¡­¡­¡±

    Rena Heller has been trapped in this D Section dump for three months. As a price for digging up the corruption in Magic Tower and putting a guy named ¡®Shelton¡¯ in prison.

    ¡°My request for reinforcements has been approved.¡±

    The public authority in D Section was a mess. Above all, there was ack of manpower. Despite daily requests for reinforcements, they were cut off from the top.

    That in itself was the influence of the cartel, but this time it had been approved.

    Coincidentally, just a day after the Raquel Dra incident urred.

    ¡°The cartel also wants this ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ caught,¡± Rena said, a smile of interest on her face.

    ¡°So it¡¯s fascinating. This guy, somehow, seems like he could be a big shot.¡±

    Big shot.

    There were no viins in Trick City worthy of being called big shots. Even if they were viins, or rather, especially if they were viins, they were ultimately in the palm of the cartel.

    Therefore, a ¡®big shot¡¯ signifies a threat not only to the Trick City Council but also to the cartel.

    ©¤That won¡¯t happen.

    M shook her head.

    ©¤Because I¡¯m going to catch him.

    ¡°Whatever you say. Anyway, here.¡±

    Rena handed M a USB.

    ©¤Is this a receiver?

    ¡°Oh. You know well. If you connect it to a transmitter, you can eavesdrop on the police and prosecutor¡¯s radio.¡±

    M took it.

    ¡°Deploy whenever you feel like it. Just report where in the Section you¡¯re deploying to is. That way, we can move efficiently without ovepping.¡±

    ©¤¡­And then?

    ¡°I will build a record of dramatically reducing the crime rate in D Section with your help. You will win the heart of the city.¡±

    Rena crossed her arms.

    ¡°In the end, we catch this ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ and put him away. Win-win. Okay?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    M pondered for a moment before putting the USB in her pocket.

    * * *

    On a clear day in September.

    Elise woke up with a clear mind.

    ¡°¡­¡­Today is the end.¡±

    She looked out the window and smiled faintly.

    Today, thebined scores for the first and second quarters of the College Board are finally announced.

    Now all she has to do is write the application based on those scores and ¡®directly¡¯ submit it to the respective university.

    Her aspiration is, of course, the ¡®Department of Magic Studies, Edsi National University¡¯.

    Soon, she will officially be a student of the Department of Magic Studies, which is rated even higher than the Department of Knight Studies.

    It was a matter of course for her, but she was somewhat excited.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She got up.

    After finishing her bath in the bathroom, she sat at the dressing table.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Makeup.

    Until now, the maids had done it for her, but considering Shion¡¯s reaction at the party that day, she seemed to do it better herself.

    Not just Shion, almost everyone couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her face.

    -Just as Elise picked up the makeup sponge with that thought.

    ¡°Miss©¤©¤!¡±

    A loud noise echoed from outside.

    Startled, Elise turned towards the sound. A maid was rushing towards her, eyes wide with rm.

    ¡°What, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a disaster, a huge disaster!¡±

    ¡°Shh. Keep it down-¡±

    ¡°Look at this!¡±

    The maid thrust a smartphone towards her. Elise sighed and reluctantly took it.

    ¡°Whatever it is, next time don¡¯t make such a fuss¡­¡­¡±

    However.

    The moment she saw the inte article on the screen.

    [Exclusive] Petra¡¯s sessor, Elise Petra, in a romantic rtionship? The partner is spected to be a senior within the top 50.

    Along with the unbelievable headline, there was a photo of her walking side by side in the hallway of La¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯splexion turned ashen. The breath from her nostrils trembled.

    Soon after, a roar like that of Godzi erupted from her Magic Core.

    ¡°What©¤©¤is this©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡±

 Chapter 177: City Hunter (4)

    <strong>City Hunter (4)</strong>

    ¡°Mother. Have you seen the article?¡±

    Elise immediately called her mother, pressing her fingernails into the desk in needless anxiety.

    ©¤Yes, I saw it. It was interesting.

    ¡°Interesting? It¡¯s not true. It¡¯s fake news.¡±

    The Petra family is entangled with various human factions and interests.

    It¡¯s not just her mother, father, and herself as the sessor.

    The elders who hold a position in the family, the vassals who serve the direct bloodline, and even the branches spread out across the continent, all of them together form the prestigious ¡®Petra¡¯ family.

    That¡¯s why Elise needs to establish her prestige as the next sessor. Not all family members are allies.

    ¡°We need to handle this-¡±

    ©¤Dear. Of course, we checked it before you did.

    ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡±

    But her mother¡¯s response was strange.

    ©¤They informed us first. That an article of this content would break. We didn¡¯t bother to stop it.

    ¡°What, why?¡±

    ©¤You were careless.

    Her mother ¡®Celine¡¯ chuckled.

    ©¤I know it¡¯s not true. The public will probably think the same. Because he doesn¡¯t suit you at all. But, don¡¯t you need to experience this once to know how it feels?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise was momentarily at a loss for words.

    ©¤Be careful next time. Think of it as a pre-emptive measure. From now on, these kinds of things will bemonce in your world. Paparazzi will be everywhere.

    In the current generation of Edsi¡¯s magic industry, that is, ¡®all industries using magic¡¯, the element of entertainment is strong.

    The line between celebrities and news is more blurred than ever, and ¡®high-ranking mages¡¯ are more famous than most movie stars, singers, and top stars.

    Therefore, Elise¡¯s star power is on par with any A-list celebrity.

    ©¤Shion Ascal, was it? Don¡¯t associate with him anymore. I understand that you¡¯ve be friendly with various people over the past two quarters, but shouldn¡¯t they be on your level?

    Elise gritted her teeth.

    Judging from her mother¡¯s calm response, dry tone, and indifferent voice, she could guess.

    Her mother still doesn¡¯t know.

    About Shion Ascal¡¯s past.

    About the ¡®incident¡¯ between Petra and Ascal.

    Is it fortunate, or unfortunate?

    ©¤You¡¯re not answering?

    ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll see each other, because he¡¯s going to National University.¡±

    ©¤ Have you ever had the asion to meet him in person?

    Ding-

    A text message arrived on her smartphone.

    ¡°I have something to take care of right now.¡±

    ©¤Alright. Congrattions on being the valedictorian. The elders sent congrattory messages.

    ¡°The valedictorian for the second quarter?¡±

    ©¤No. Overall valedictorian.

    ¡°¡­¡­Overall valedictorian? Really?¡±

    Without realizing it, Elise gripped her phone with both hands.

    Her mother can receive news rted to the college board in advance.

    ©¤Yes. Co-valedictorian, to be exact. If you need anything, let me know, and take care of your business.

    Celine ended the call.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise was stunned for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­Valedictorian.¡±

    She smiled faintly.

    Honestly, she had half expected it. She was certain about being the valedictorian for the second quarter, but she was far behind Gerkhen in the first quarter.

    Thanks to that, she wasn¡¯t too disappointed about being a ¡®co-valedictorian¡¯. Rather, she was feeling quite good.

    ¡°Hehe. Hehehe. Hehe¡­ ha¡­ hehehe.¡±

    Ding-

    Another text message on her smartphone.

    Elise turned on the screen.

    [La: Elly@@@!! I swear I didn¡¯t leak the news this time@@@@@!!]

    [La: Don¡¯t misunderstand nononono it¡¯s not me. I¡¯ll find out who did it and kill them!!!! ?-?!!! I¡¯m so pissed off!! Fuck! Who the hell is it!!!!!!]

    [La: Was it Kain? Haha, I should ask Kain hahahaha]

    The text came from La. Elise put down her smartphone.

    ¡°¡­¡­That girl.¡±

    She shouldn¡¯t be the one that was texting her.

    What could he be doing right now?

    Elise looked at the article again.

    [Exclusive] Petra¡¯s sessor, Elise Petra, in a romantic rtionship? The partner is presumed to be a senior in the top 50.

    Two photos were uploaded in the online article.

    Elise and Shion walking side by side, one photo.

    Elise and Shion looking at each other, two photos.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise felt a sting in her heart. It felt like she was being pricked everywhere with a needle.

    It felt like a dead end. As if she had hit a wall called ¡®reality¡¯.

    The election season ising soon.

    It¡¯s next April.

    Around that time, all sorts of negative attacks will pour in.

    In that situation, can Shion avoid getting hurt?

    Can the Petra family prevent Shion from getting hurt?

    ¡­¡­Impossible.

    Shion shouldn¡¯t be with her.

    If he is with her¡­¡­ it will be dangerous.

    She shouldn¡¯t be with him either.

    If she is with him¡­¡­ it will be dangerous.

    ¡°When was this photo taken.¡±

    I should be more careful, just as mother said.

    Muttering to herself, Elise saved the photos from the article to her smartphone album.

    * * *

    After a long time, I returned to [Endex].

    I¡¯m lying on the sofa in the basement of old man Belthos¡¯s room.

    ¡°Old man. I told you I¡¯m definitely going to the national university.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Just get epted first.¡±

    Belthos holds out the mended uniform.

    I had grown too fast, so he had to erge itpletely.

    ¡°Oh. It fits perfectly. Thanks.¡±

    I smiled, fiddling with the uniform.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Belthos waved his hand.

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯lle back with the eptance letter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te back.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    I climbed up the basement stairs, ducking my head so it wouldn¡¯t hit the ceiling.

    I walked out and strode through Endex.

    But for some reason, people around me are looking at me. Not just ncing, but staring openly.

    Is this the gaze that Edsi National University students receive? The eyes of envy?

    It¡¯s not so bad.

    I arrived at [Clemen Hall]. There were quite a few seniors who had arrived before me.

    Gerkhen was reading at the front seat, La was sleeping with her head on the desk, and for some reason, Elise was also lying down next to her.

    As soon as I opened the door, it seemed like she quickly put her head down, maybe?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    On the other hand, Soliette is nowhere to be seen. She hasn¡¯t contacted me at all this week.

    Probably because of [Bethune].

    Or maybe she¡¯s trying to run away like before the regression.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter.

    I know exactly where she would run to. I just need to grab her by the hair and drag her back.

    Swoosh©¤©¤

    9 o¡¯clock sharp in the morning.

    The front door opens and the person in charge, ¡®Chedric¡¯, appears.

    ¡°Nice to see you.¡±

    It was good to see a familiar face after a long time.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard for the second quarter.¡±

    A hollow greeting that went unanswered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s distribute the university application forms right away.¡±

    As always, Chedric went straight to the point. The application forms floating in the air settled on the desk.

    ¡°You are each given three application forms. You need to submit these forms directly to the university you want to attend. The deadline is in three days.¡±

    Elise slowly got up. Then our eyes briefly met. She quickly put her head down again.

    What is she doing?

    ¡°The third quarter is for university interviews. The universities will test you themselves, so be prepared.¡±

    I looked at the application forms.

    Three forms. But I only need one.

    Because there¡¯s only one university I want to apply to.

    ¡­¡­

    Edsi National University.

    Inside the campus, a tent with a card reading ¡®Application Submission¡¯ is temporarily set up, and a group of good-looking folks are gathered.

    Not only current seniors but also repeaters and foreigners, everyone is gathered.

    ¡°Now, let me exin. Please pay attention.¡±

    p, p©¤!

    The teaching assistant pped.

    ¡°We will distribute the test papers once you submit your application forms¡­ Let¡¯s start with the applications.¡±

    Then, about 1,000 people lined up to submit their applications. It was quite orderly.

    The teaching assistant handed out envelopes containing the exam tickets and test papers to the candidates.

    ¡°¡­¡­Everyone got it?¡±

    About a thousand candidates stood each holding an envelope.

    ¡°There¡¯s a test paper in that envelope. You can open it now.¡±

    Rustle©¤

    The sound of tearing envelopes echoed everywhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s a theoretical Magic Spell test. There are a total of 12 questions. Each question has a different score.¡±

    I also opened my envelope.

    ¡°Six questions are worth 1 point, three questions are worth 2 points, two questions are worth 3 points, and one question is worth 20 points. You just need to score over 10 points.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What the¡±

    The moment I saw the test paper, I was breathless. Even the 1-point questions made my hair stand on end.

    It was a perfectly difficult Magic Spell test.

    Fortunately, it seemed I was not the only one.

    ¡°Excuse me, for a moment-¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know. It¡¯s difficult.¡±

    As someone tried to raise their hand, the teaching assistant spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This test is the minimum requirement. The deadline is November 3rd, when the first interview test is held. In other words, if you can¡¯t score 10 points within 6 weeks, you will be disqualified due tock of qualifications.¡±

    Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

    6 weeks is quite a long time.

    ¡°If you solve the problems and umte 10 points, you will naturally find out where the interview location is. Depending on which problem you solve and how you solve it, the interview location will change.¡±

    I quickly flipped through the pages.

    1-point question, 2-point question, 3-point question.

    All of them are as difficult as level 6-7 Magic Spells.

    ¡°This is a big problem.¡±

    How can I solve this in 6 weeks?

    As a sense of foreboding was rising©¤©¤

    At that moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    My brows furrowed.

    I stared at the question. I looked closely.

    Not the 1-point question, but the 12th question at the very end of the page. Thest 20-point question.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡±

    The 12th question is a 20-point question to anyone who sees it.

    It¡¯s the biggest. The mostplex. It seems to be the most difficult.

    In fact, it¡¯s 12 pages of A4 paper.

    But why?

    I know a Magic Spell that is simr, almost identical, to this.

    I know the answer.

    Not in my body¡¯s memory, but in my head.

    On one of those days that ¡¸Notepad¡¹ remembers¡­¡­

    Suddenly.

    ¡®¡­It¡¯s a simple problem if you just know how to interpret it. It¡¯s a riddle that¡¯s so simple it¡¯s too difficult.¡¯

    A voice spreads in my ears.

    A cozy and generous tone.

    It¡¯s my old teacher, ¡®Theia Esil¡¯.

    ¡®¡­Did three people solve it in 5 years? Even they couldn¡¯t solve it when they were students. One came to me saying he solved it in the first semester. One of them was Gerkhen.¡¯

    She once showed me this Magic Spell.

    A ¡®masterpiece¡¯ of the riddle system that can only be interpreted if you fully understand the ¡®theory¡¯.

    ¡®¡­Shion. I¡¯ll give you the biggest hint. This is actually not a Magic Spell.¡¯

    With a voice as clear as a child¡¯s, as if it was fun.

    Lips that subtly smiled.

    ¡®¡­It looks like a Magic Spell connected by 13 Magic Forms, but if you disassemble it correctly, it ¡®divides¡¯ into 43 letters. I¡¯ll write down the disassembly method and go, so take a look. And try to solve it yourself.¡¯

    Before I received my tenth cancer treatment.

    ¡®¡­Don¡¯t die until you solve it.¡¯

    The riddle she gave me the answer to was on the test paper I now held in my hand.

    [12th] [20 points]

    Q: Manifest the following Magic Spell.

    A simple question and not so simple pages.

    A Magic Spell the size of 13 sheets of A4 paper.

    Most seniors wouldn¡¯t dare to attempt it because it¡¯s soplex, but I know the core of this problem.

    I heard it directly from the person who created the question.

    Well, let¡¯s not bother exining how to solve it. It¡¯s unnecessarily long.

    ¡°¡­¡­urate disassembly. Division into typefaces.¡±

    I manifested the principle that Theia from before the regression had exined to me.

    If you disassemble this 12th Magic Spell ording to Theia¡¯s method, simplify it like a typeface structure, and interpret it ording to the system.

    [Not November 3rd, but October 30th]

    [Come up to the rooftop of the National University¡¯s Evina Building by 10:30 a.m.]

    It is divided into three sentences.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I gave a small smile.

    A sigh of unknown reason slipped out. I quickly found the answer, but for some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

    I put the test paper back in the envelope and turned around.

    Thud-

    ¡®Someone¡¯ quickly turned around, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with me.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that person?¡±

    I could tell just by looking at the back of their head.

    Of course, it was Elise. Next to her, La also turned her back like Elise.

    As La tried to turn her face slightly, Elise pinched her side sharply.

    ¡°Ouch©¤©¤!¡±

    La let out a loud scream. Then, they both quickly moved away from the spot.

    ¡°Did she eat something bad yesterday?¡±

    Anyway,

    I was also about to head home.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I doubted my eyes for a moment.

    Is this what a coincidence is like?

    That person was there on the other side.

    Theia Esil was there.

    She was with her student ¡®Makanen¡¯.

    While handing a bag of bread to Makanen, Theia herself was eating soboro bread as she walked.

    I looked at her, and she seemed to feel my gaze and looked this way.

    Our eyes met.

    I didn¡¯t avoid it.

    Although this is the second encounter since my regression, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen her in such a casual setting.

    Theia also didn¡¯t look away. She just slightly furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    I came to my senses btedly.

    I scratched the back of my neck and looked down.

    ¡°No, just. I¡¯m a fan of the professor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A fan?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I smiled slightly and looked down at her.

    ¡°I¡¯lle to see youter.¡±

    ¡°Later?¡±

    Theia Esil narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°In October.¡±

    ¡°October¡­¡­?¡±

    Her eyes, which had been narrowed, opened wide again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    I passed by her.

    * * *

    See you in October-

    Leaving such strange words behind, the blonde senior walked away.

    ¡°Is he a friend you know? He said he¡¯s a fan of the professor.¡±

    Makanen asked, looking at his back.

    Theia answered in a slightly uneasy tone.

    ¡°¡­¡­I do know him. He¡¯s probably an anti-fan.¡±

    ¡°Anti-fan? You¡¯re ying the victim again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not victim mentality-¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s tall and handsome. I thought only Gerkhen and Asher wore the Endex uniform.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia silently took a bite of her soboro bread.

    There was something unsettling about that guy just now.

    ¡°But what does ¡®see you in October¡¯ mean?¡±

    The words about meeting in October.

    That was the reason.

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was no reason to mention October¡­¡­

    ¡°Problem number 12.¡±

    No matter how much I thought about it, it could only be problem number 12.

    The ultra-difficult puzzle worth 20 points that only two people have solved in five years. A particrly excellent masterpiece among puzzles.

    ¡°Problem number 12?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mentioned there.¡±

    ¡°Hey. How can you solve it right away? It would take at least three days for the TAs to solve it if they tried.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s a valid point.

    There¡¯s no way he could solve that puzzle in just 30 minutes.

    ¡°So, who is he?¡±

    ¡°Shion Ascal. His future ambition is to be a ¡®dog of Libra¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ So that¡¯s why you said he¡¯s an anti-fan? If his future ambition is that, he could really be an anti-fan.¡±

    Makanen raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°He is an anti-fan, I¡¯m telling you. It¡¯s not victim mentality.¡±

    The ¡®bad blood¡¯ between Theia and Libra is a well-known fact, even to monkeys.

    It¡¯s quite famous that the only reason Libra can¡¯t extend its hand to the university association is solely because of Theia Esil.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting. He¡¯s in the top 50. He¡¯s definitely going to college, right? He¡¯ll also take Professor Theia¡¯s ss.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia was inwardly displeased, but she was the type to distinguish between public and private matters.

    Above all, she was only concerned about the word ¡®October¡¯.

    Why did he say he would meet her specifically in October?

    The interview test starts from November 3rd.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to think so deeply about it. He¡¯s not worth taking up her attention.

    Theia shook her head slightly and took a bite of her soboro bread.

    ¡°Ah, professor. That¡¯s Gerkhen over there.¡±

    Makanen pointed in a certain direction. Gerkhen was standing distantly in front of the left bench of the schoolyard.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    It was a cotton candy left bench.

    ¡°That person still likes sweet things.¡±

 Chapter 178: Souls in a Bottle (1)

    <strong>Souls in a Bottle (1)</strong>

    [Base of Dungeon Dungeon]

    Soliette had been in Bethune Dungeon for almost a week. She had been exploring and farming the dungeon, and now she was back in the city, disposing of her loot.

    ¡°How much for all of this?¡±

    ¡°100 copper.¡±

    ¡°Alright, deal.¡±

    Having received a fair price, she turned around, her basket jingling.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Suddenly, she lifted her head towards the sky. The towering castle of the Count was visible.

    Wrapped in a dense fog, its spire was obscured from view.

    Who could be there?

    Could Knightmare really be there¡­¡­

    ¡°Halt.¡±

    In the midst of this, the city¡¯s guards called out to her. Soliette responded calmly.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a period of intensive scrutiny for foreigners. Present your ID.¡±

    To them, ¡®foreigner¡¯ meant user. In the Count¡¯s city, foreigners were subject to execution.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Soliette presented her ID. It was a forged ID made in the ck market.

    The guard nced at it.

    She thought it was the end, but then he pulled out a small machine that looked like a reader.

    Whirring©¤

    The sound of scanning was ominously unsettling. Soliette fiddled with her fingers behind her back.

    Beep.

    ¡°Captain. It¡¯s a fake.¡±

    Their expressions hardened in an instant. The captain smirked.

    ¡°I heard that foreigners have been sneaking intely.¡±

    Soliette quietly ced her hand on her waist.

    In case she needed to draw her sword immediately-

    ¡°Ah. Wait a minute.¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

    Soliette and the guards turned to look. Her eyes widened.

    ¡°That thing. It seems to be malfunctioning?¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    He casually walked over, snatched Soliette¡¯s ID and the machine, and scanned the ID again.

    Whirring©¤ Ding!

    ¡°See? It says it¡¯s real.¡±

    He showed them the screen. The captain frowned at it.

    ¡°¡­¡­Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m this kind of person.¡±

    He presented his ID. The captain tilted his head.

    ¡°¡®Royal Pce Direct Investigator¡¯¡­¡­? Was there such a position?¡±

    ¡°You can check it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    With a suspicious face, the captain scanned his ID.

    Ding-!

    Shion smirked.

    ¡°Is it real? Oh maybe, does the Count take precedence over the King?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No! Salute!¡±

    The captain hastily saluted.

    ¡°I apologize for not recognizing you! Everyone, salute! It¡¯s a public servant directly under the royal pce!¡±

    ¡°Not a public servant, an investigator.¡±

    ¡°An investigator!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°¡°Salute!¡±¡±¡±

    All the guards saluted loudly. Shion waved his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it obvious that you¡¯ve seen me. I¡¯m a secret investigator. You may go.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They quickly left, and Shion gave Soliette a slight wink. She asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Shion, what just happened?¡±

    ¡°¡¸Deception¡¹. A unique skill of the Gambler.¡±

    ¡°I activated deception on the machine. It makes anything scanned appear as genuine. Of course, the ¡®Royal Pce Direct Investigator¡¯ ID is also a Deception.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ a unique skill¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this the time to be envious? Didn¡¯t you have to submit something for grad school?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡±

    Soliette mumbled with a defeated expression. She had honestly forgotten, but she bowed her head a little nervously.

    ¡°But¡­ Shion. No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t think college will be helpful to me.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t ask for much. She just has a simple yet difficult dream.

    To reveal the true nature of Knightmare to the world and correct everything about him.

    To make those who used him for their own benefit, including Knightmare himself, pay a proper price.

    College doesn¡¯t help with that dream at all.

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s words trailed off. She blinked as she looked straight ahead.

    ¡°¡­Shion.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Why are you grabbing my hair?¡±

    Because her hair was caught in my hand.

    ¡°To drag you along.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Uh-oh.¡±

    Shion twisted her hair around his fist. Her hair was tightly tangled between his fingers.

    ¡°What, what are you doing, let go. Let go right now, eek©¤©¤¡±

    He pulled her along. Soliette screamed as she was dragged away.

    ¡­¡­

    Bang©¤©¤!

    Edsi National University Admission Office.

    A stamp was pressed onto Soliette Arkne¡¯s application.

    ¡°Haah¡­.¡±

    The person herself sighed a small sigh as she looked at it.

    ¡°Here are your exam ticket and question paper.¡±

    Soliette nced at the envelope of question papers handed to her by the admissions assistant.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Which colleges did you apply to, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you like this school, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Unlike you, I need to earn a lot of money. A lot.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°You should also earn a lot, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a desire for money.¡±

    ¡°You have to pay me a sry.¡±

    Soliette narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never beente with your sry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also a sess fee of ten million Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Then she made a surprised expression.

    Indeed, she had forgotten about my sess fee.

    ¡°You said you would definitely give me ten million Ren if I find Knightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­Whistle-¡±

    Soliette whistled to change the subject.

    ¡°Whistle-¡±

    No, she¡¯s just making a sound with her mouth.

    ¡°You can¡¯t whistle, can you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Cough, cough- She coughed and I said to her.

    ¡°Just get admitted. Take one semester in the Knight Department and then take the knight exam right away. And join the Knights. Then you¡¯ll have a lot of free time.¡±

    The knight exam doesn¡¯t really matter when you take it. The qualification requirement is ¡®Knight Department student or graduate¡¯.

    Someone like Soliette can easily pass.

    ¡°By the way, did you solve all these questions, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you lying? They look difficult.¡±

    ¡°I solved the most difficult question. Number 12.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hahaha. I see.¡±

    Solietteughed scornfully. I ignored her.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Shion, you¡¯re always so humorous.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Ahem.¡±

    Noticing my expression, Soliette changed the subject.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back to Bethune. Shion, I have something to discuss with you at the base.¡±

    * * *

    [Base of Dungeon Dungeon]

    Soliette led me to a mansion somewhere in the city.

    ¡°Where is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is Miss C¨¦line¡¯s mansion. Our party members and I stay here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? But why do they have a mansion?¡±

    ¡°They say it¡¯s provided by their connections.¡±

    Ding-dong-

    Soliette rang the bell. A voice flowed from inside.

    ©¤Who is it?

    ¡°It¡¯s Soliette. I¡¯vee with Shion.¡±

    Drrrrr©¤©¤

    The gate opened. As soon as we entered, a familiar middle-aged knight greeted us.

    ¡°Ah~ Shion, is it you? Nice to see you. Did you do well on the college board?¡±

    It was the knight ¡®Raelro¡¯, who had reached level 19 by now.

    The one we met when we defeated the giant of the abyss, he was now a high level.

    ¡°Yes. I think I can get into the national university.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good news. Come in. Have you heard the quest exnation?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s a serious matter, so let¡¯s get straight to it.¡±

    Raelro led us to the living room and said.

    ¡°In short, the ¡®Count¡¯ of this city is the root of all evil.¡±

    I asked back.

    ¡°By ¡®Count¡¯, do you mean Knightmare?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s not certain whether the Count is Knightmare, but anyway, the problem is the ¡®Count¡¯ named Knightmare.¡±

    He spread out some kind of blueprint on arge table.

    ¡°That ¡®Count¡¯ is coveting the souls of users.¡±

    ¡°Souls?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Have you heard that when you die in this game, you be an NPC?¡±

    ¡°If you die twice.¡±

    ¡°Right. The purpose of [Bethune] was that from the beginning. Collecting the souls of users, making the game itself a part of reality.¡±

    I looked at the blueprint on the table. It was arge fish tank-like container.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this container?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s evidence that the Count is coveting those souls.¡±

    ¡°Coveting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you sacrifice about a thousand lives, you can get a mana nucleus. If you sacrifice about ten thousand, you might even get a philosopher¡¯s stone. But what if you sacrifice a hundred thousand?¡±

    ¡°One might even be able to fulfill a wish.¡±

    Soliette finished the sentence for him.

    I also slightly furrowed my brows.

    ¡°Is this why there were rumors that wishes would be granted?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, the original purpose of this game is not something like an individual¡¯s wish. Bethune was designed with the purpose of ¡®bing reality¡¯.¡±

    Raelro pointed at the blueprint with his finger.

    ¡°But, the Count is trying to intercept the power of those souls. He has put the souls gathered in the game into his own tank.¡±

    ¡°By tank, you mean this?¡±

    Souls in a bottle. (I changed this purposefully so it can demonstrate the idea of Wish in a bottle)

    It¡¯s a somewhat familiar concept.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Like a brain in a jar, he has trapped souls in a tank. Probably inside this tank-¡±

    ¡°It would be filled with happiness.¡±

    The voice this time wasn¡¯t Raelro¡¯s. Nor was it Soliette¡¯s.

    Above the railing.

    C¨¦line Aventagher, with the world¡¯s most tired face, yawned©¤©¤ and looked at us.

    ¡°Only fun things are in the tank~ Because the souls can¡¯t escape¡­¡­ Hello~?¡±

    C¨¦line waved at me. I didn¡¯t react at all. Her arrogant expression distorted grotesquely.

    ¡°Hey, asshole. Aren¡¯t you going to greet me?¡±

    ¡°Hello. C¨¦line. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Soliette bowed her head slightly.

    ¡°Not you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    I raised my hand slightly. C¨¦line, raising her eyebrows, continued.

    ¡°Anyway. I don¡¯t know what wish he¡¯s trying to make by gathering these souls~ But these are souls for everyone, we can¡¯t let individuals fulfill their wishes, right? Whether it¡¯s because of a stomach ache, or for world peace.¡±

    C¨¦line shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m thinking of stopping it~ And make a profit on the side.¡±

    I looked back at Raelro.

    ¡°Do we have a method?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Destroy the tank before it¡¯s full. Then the souls will escape outside the castle, and the ¡®original purpose of the game¡¯ will be achieved.¡±

    ¡°The original purpose of the game, you mean, the transcendence to reality?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This [Bethune Dungeon] will be a real dungeon.¡±

    Raelro clenched his fist, somewhat excited.

    ¡°It means we can take out the wealth we¡¯ve gathered in the game, like businesses.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°For that, we need manpower. An elite minority. Those withbat sense, high level, and clearly trustworthy¡­¡­ Soliette. Shion. Your party.¡±

    At those words, I looked back at Soliette.

    She quietly nodded her head.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­The Count¡¯s castle.

    In the deepest, most intimate part of the ce shrouded in dark fog, there is arge tank. Inside it, countless souls are overflowing, colliding, and shimmering happily.

    The ¡®Count¡¯ sits on his throne and gazes at the scene. The colorful cluster of soul lights reflects in his eyes.

    ¡°Is it a tank of rest, Count?¡±

    Someone spoke to the Count. The Count looked up at him.

    ¡®Noah Lucille¡¯.

    The head of The Spectres, he smiled at the Count.

    ¡°Should I call you Knightmare to get a response?¡±

    Still, the Count said nothing.

    Again, he turned his gaze to the tank of souls, as if lost in some thought, or chasing some illusion¡­¡­.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Soon, many people wille to kill you. Including Soliette.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    ¡°Many families on the continent are worried. If your existence is exposed, the chaos on the continent won¡¯t be small, right?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Tell them there¡¯s no need to worry.

    His voice fell low.

    ¡°To whom? To Arkne?¡±

    The Count let out a small sigh, then gripped the greatsword slung over his back.

    ¡°Oh, oh, oh. Sorry, sorry.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    Noah stepped back, waving his hand. The Count put his sword down again.

    ¡°Phew¡­ But, Count. This is a really tempting thing. Can I go in for a bit?¡±

    The souls inside this tank are living happily, unaware that they are already dead.

    To put it simply, it¡¯s a ¡®virtual reality within a game¡¯.

    ©¤Do as you wish. If you can ovee it yourself.

    The Count warned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ovee it¡­ I can¡¯t do it.¡±

    Noah Lucille quickly retreated.

    ©¤No.

    Suddenly, the Count¡¯s eyes sharpened. His reddened irises shed as if boiling.

    ©¤I¡¯ve changed my mind. I can¡¯t forgive trespassers.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hm. Is that so?¡±

    Noah Lucille chuckled.

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    The Count red at him in silence.

    ¡°I got it, I got it.¡±

    He took a dive position.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go in.¡±

    Noah Lucille jumped straight into the tank. The Count watched his retreating figure, frowing.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, I logged out with Soliette. To fill our hungry stomachs.

    ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡±

    Outside was my residence in the Endex district.

    My resting ce, which I would soon have to leave.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But¡­¡­.¡±

    Soliette pointed somewhere. It was towards the window of the residence.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I also turned around, puzzled.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    There was a man. A familiar face. He scratched the back of his neck, looking somewhat flustered, and coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Hem hem¡­¡­. Are you, by any chance, living together?¡±

    Belingham Kantar.

    The executive of Libra, blushing in my house. I wonder what indecent thoughts he¡¯s having.

    I shot him a dissatisfied look.

    ¡°Did you trespass?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ Technically, Shion, you¡¯re the one who trespassed? Trespassing and squatting.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Belingham alternated between looking at Soliette and me, giving a bitter smile.

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a love escape, I understand¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. That. It¡¯s not a love escape.¡±

    Soliette quickly denied it with a flushed face.

    ¡°We were just ying a game together. Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Nothing much.¡±

    He pped his hands.

    ¡°67th ce in the entire College Board. Congrattions. It¡¯s almost a sure score for admission to a national university.¡±

    ¡°Did the rankingse out now?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    I quickly picked up my smartphone and stopped.

    ¡°Have you solved the national university interview questions by any chance?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I solved them all.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Shion, you¡¯re lying again. Did you solve question number 12, Shion? If it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll be Shion¡¯s younger brother-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I red at Soliette. Soliette quietly averted her gaze.

    ¡°You said you¡¯d be my younger brother, for sure.¡±

    I red at Belingham again.

    ¡°No, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This is why.¡±

    He handed me an invitation.

    ¡°I came to deliver a message for you to participate in the Libra internship.¡±

    ¡°Internship?¡±

    I epted the invitation. The content was a genuine Libra internship card.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not even a college student yet?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just one month, from January to February, before the start of the college semester. Think of it as a privilege for your loyalty to Libra so far. You¡¯ll probably be able to take home not only an intern sry of 200,000 Ren but also various gifts.¡±

    ¡°200,000¡­¡­¡±

    I carefully looked at the card. Soliette clung to my side with curious eyes.

    Belingham gave a wry smile.

    ¡°Do you want one too, Miss Soliette? I can give you one anytime.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡­¡±

    Then, as if she had a good idea, she wore a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Yes. If possible, please give me one too.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I quickly turned to look at Soliette.

    She hurriedly spoke to Belingham.

    ¡°I want to experience Libra. I want to see what¡¯s in Libra that makes Shion so loyal¡­¡­¡±

 Chapter 179: Souls in a Bottle (2)

    <strong>Souls in a Bottle (2)</strong>

    Endex¡¯s dwelling.

    Scratch ¨C Scratch ¨C

    With the peaceful echo of Soliette scribbling her pencil at the desk, Iy on the mattress.

    Scratch ¨C Scratch ¨C

    Soliette is currently solving National University interview questions.

    If left alone, she would just y [Bethune] every day, so I had to intervene.

    Ring ¨C Ring ¨C

    The smartphone on the bed rang. I thought it was mine, but it was Soliette¡¯s.

    ¡°Soliette. You have a message.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Can I check?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [Dad: Did you apply properly? I haven¡¯t been able to contact youtely.]

    Soliette¡¯s father. It¡¯s Igris.

    A potential suspect in the Nightmare incident, one of the prime suspects.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your father is asking if you¡¯ve applied.¡±

    ¡°Please reply ¡®I did.''¡±

    [I did]

    I sent the reply. My eyes naturally scanned her messenger.

    Surprisingly, Soliette didn¡¯t have many contacts. Family, father, and the ignored Erick Aventaher were all.

    ¡°I sent the reply.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    I put down the smartphone.

    I nkly followed the movement of the clouds outside the window.

    ©¤ Meow.

    While stroking Growl, who was yawning on the bed, I lifted the card I had just received from Belingham.

    [Libra Internship]

    Looking at it, the feeling is a bit new. Just like Soliette is getting closer to Nightmare, I¡¯m also getting closer to ¡®that ce¡¯.

    Step by step, slowly but surely.

    Tap ¨C Tap ¨C

    Suddenly, the sound of the keyboard.

    I looked at the desk. Soliette, who had been scribbling theories, was now tapping on herptop.

    Tap tap tap©¤ Tap tap tap tap tap©¤

    She shakes her shoulders as she types on theptop keyboard. Is she writing ament or something?

    I turned on the SZX-9500 and zoomed in on her screen.

    [Lol, you¡¯re full of shit. You say that warriors are optimized for dungeon farming? You¡¯re a newbie. You¡¯re talking like a newbie. And who told you that rogues are the worst in Bethune? Lol, unbelievable. Bring me the person who says that. Anyway, you sound like a newbie, so shut up. There are too many newbies these days.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I turned off the SZX-9500. I just observed her from a distance.

    Tap tap tap ¨C She almost broke the keyboard, then click ¨C click ¨C clicked the mouse a few times, then scratch ¨C scratch ¨C picked up the pen and solved the theory problem again, then click ¨C click ¨C clicked the mouse again¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette turned this way. Our eyes met for a moment.

    ¡°Oh, you startled me. Huh.¡±

    ¡°Shion. What is this?¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    She turned theptop screen towards me.

    [Exclusive] Petra¡¯s sessor, Elise Petra, in a romantic rtionship? The partner is estimated to be a senior in the top 50.

    ¡°It seems like a rumor.¡±

    I muttered nonchntly.

    There¡¯s no way a person named Elise would be in a rtionship. At least not now, or probably ever.

    * * *

    Elise had solved all the national university interview questions the night before.

    Except for thest one, ¡®number 12¡¯.

    After discussing with other seniors, it was concluded that ¡®number 12¡¯, worth 20 points, would take at least 1-2 weeks even for a PhD to solve.

    Of course, it might be barely possible if you cling to it for 5 weeks.

    However, Elise is a highly efficient person. After all, the interview exam is just a minimum requirement. She didn¡¯t want to waste those 5 weeks.

    Because.

    ¡°¡­¡­Miss, fight! Enjoy the camp!¡±

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    She was participating in the 135th ¡®Magic Camp¡¯.

    That urs once every 10 years, as a senior.

    ¡°I know, so go on, everyone.¡±

    Elise waved to those who had followed her to the airport.

    ¡°Yes! Miss, try hard!¡±

    The 13 escorts cheered and left. Elise took out a rabbit doll from her arms.

    ©¤Hello!

    Cookie. PTSD is still the same, but it¡¯s reassuring with this guy.

    Elise headed for the airport¡¯s boarding gate.

    ¡°Here. Ticket.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    The Magic Camp hosted by Magic Tower is literally a gathering to train, experience, and learn magic.

    Most of the participants are mages affiliated with the Magic Tower or the association, so Elise is probably¡­ She doesn¡¯t want to admit it, but she will be at the bottom. She needs to focus on participation rather than ranking.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s wearing robes.¡±

    The venue for this 135th ¡®Magic Camp¡¯ is a small hotel in a city called [Mellock].

    200-300 participants gathered in the front yard of the hotel. They were all dressed in robes, and Elise was the only one in a luxury setting.

    She felt embarrassed for no reason.

    ¡°This is a magic hotel.¡±

    Elise looked up at the podium.

    The person in charge, ¡®Deol Lang. A neatly handsome middle-aged man with brown long hair fluttering.

    He is a high-ranking mage who often appears on Me whenever a magic incident urs.

    ¡°The purpose of the camp is simple.¡±

    He continued in a noble-like voice.

    ¡°Study, collect, investigate, research, and train. Please gather in the seminar room.¡±

    Then the mages start to move. There¡¯s no expectation or excitement. They just entered the seminar room with drawn and tired expressions.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise is a bit taken aback. No one is talking, and everyone¡¯s faces are tired.

    She had only heard of mages, but most of them were really like this.

    She¡¯ll have to get used to it now.

    Elise also entered the seminar room. Mages were sitting in the seminar room where the seats were arranged in a circle.

    Elise sat down wherever.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m Elise.¡±

    She spoke to the person next to her. The person nced at her but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Elise asked him.

    ¡°What are we doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The mage looked at her.

    Elise asked again.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s somewhat understandable. The eloquent and neatly handsome mages who appear on the mass media and be the object of admiration are the top 1%.

    Most are these cold, emotionless types.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ©¤©¤The camp will now begin.

    The high-ranking mage Deol Lang spoke from the front of the seminar room.

    He lit some kind of incense. At the same time, he snapped his fingers.

    A magic form rose throughout the space.

    ©¤©¤This magic form will transport you to a specific magical space. When the time limit is over, you will return. Entrust your body to the magic circle.

    Blue light emanates from the magic form.

    Her eyes slowly closed, and the seminar room was swallowed up in blue.

    ©¤©¤Be careful. Everything is real.

    And then¡­¡­.

    Elise opened her eyes.

    She was taken aback.

    A gloomy atmosphere wrapped around her. A humid, unpleasant wind blew in. It was a swamp covered in dark green moss with a dull color palette.

    ¡°So this is the magic space.¡±

    Elise quickly attached Cookie to her waist.

    It seems that the entire seminar room was just connected to a magic space.

    Moreover, all of these are real. They are not fake spaces for teaching materials.

    ¡°The space connection magic is very natural.¡±

    Is this what magic is? It¡¯s definitely different from Magic Spell.

    Elise quickly attached Cookie to her waist.

    Bang¡ª Bang¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Let¡¯s start with analysis first.

    She picked up a pair of tweezers. She tore off the moss from the ground and put it in a test tube.

    As she stirred it, the magic power content was disyed.

    ¡°3%?¡±

    Elise¡¯s face was shocked.

    3%.

    This means that 3% of this moss is made up of magic power. It¡¯s an incredible figure.

    She took out a recorder.

    ¡°Swamp moss. Magic power content 3%. 30 times the normal detection. I wonder what kind of magical realm this is.¡±

    She recorded while walking. Moss, grass, stagnant water with a foul smell, the surface of rotting trees, etc¡­¡­. All had abnormally high magic power content.

    ¡°The materials in the space have a very high magic power content. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the space gained self-awareness-¡±

    Then.

    ©¤©¤Creak. Creak.

    The sound of bones grinding, no, teeth grinding, echoed from somewhere.

    It¡¯s not far.

    Rather, it¡¯s close.

    Right behind her.

    A creepy and cold sensation blew in.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Goosebumps rose on Elise¡¯s back.

    ©¤©¤Creak¡­¡­ Creak¡­¡­

    The sound grew louder.

    Hello©¤ Hello©¤

    Who is Cookie greeting?

    Elise felt cold sweat all over her body, but she clenched her fists.

    She turned around.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    There was a horribly twisted human. It was the shape of a human. But it was not a human.

    It was a phantom.

    ¡°Kyaaaah!¡±

    Elise screamed.

    At that moment, the space changed again.

    It was the seminar room.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise was dazed andughed awkwardly.

    ©¤©¤Participant number 97. Elise.

    The mage Deol Lang on the stage called her.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­?¡±

    ©¤©¤You were recalled due to a sudden increase in stress levels.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    ©¤©¤Do you want to give up?

    She quietly looked around. The seminar room was empty.

    It seemed like she was the only one who was recalled.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°I will continue.¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤Aaaah!¡±

    Just in time, one more person was recalled so she wouldn¡¯t be alone.

    ©¤©¤Participant number 99. Vilront.

    ¡°Som, someone tried to cut me with a sword.¡±

    ©¤©¤A sword?

    Deol Lang frowned.

    ¡°Yes! Some damned blond!¡±

    The mage named Vilront pressed his temples and shook his head vigorously.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this wrong? It seems there¡¯s an outsider in the magical realm! A tall guy with blond hair!¡±

    ©¤©¤That¡¯s impossible. What did this outsider say?

    ¡°He said he knows everything I¡¯m going to do¡­¡­¡±

    Participant number 99, Vilront, stopped speaking. He slowly turned his head. His eyes met Elise¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing. I must have been mistaken.¡±

    ©¤©¤Do you want to give up?

    ¡°I won¡¯t give up.¡±

    The man seemed a bit suspicious, but soon closed his eyes again.

    ©¤©¤Please prepare.

    Elise also closed her eyes in the same way.

    * * *

    ¡­¡­In the magical realm: the swamp, phantoms appeared incessantly, and Elise was recalled every time she encountered a phantom.

    Not that it wasn¡¯t, but because telekinesis didn¡¯t work on phantoms.

    For Elise, it was the worstpatibility.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡±

    This was already the fifth time.

    Elise was recalled while foaming at the mouth.

    ©¤©¤Do you want to give up?

    ¡°No.¡±

    She shook her head at the mage¡¯s question.

    ©¤©¤Please prepare.

    And then she closed her eyes again, but,

    ¡°©¤©¤!¡±

    As soon as she was summoned, she met a much more terrifying monster. It was right in front of her nose.

    The skin was all rotten and falling off, the eyeballs were swollen to the point of bursting, the flesh on the legs was torn in various ces, and above all, it gave off a stench that made her want to vomit as soon as she smelled it.

    Elise was recalled without even being able to scream.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She vomited in the seminar room.

    Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t the only one. About 20 out of 200 to 300 people were exhausted in a simr state.

    That¡¯s about the top 90%.

    ©¤©¤Participant number 97, Elise. Do you want to give up?

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise was thinking of enduring with her mental strength.

    Because it would be a great help for her growth.

    No, because this is a mage camp that her father sent her to with almost lobbying effort.

    She can¡¯t waste this opportunity. She must not waste it.

    ©¤©¤Your stress level has reached the limit. This is thest time.

    ¡°¡­¡­I understand.¡±

    She said sullenly and closed her eyes.

    ¡­¡­.

    It was night in the swamp. Elise walked soggily.

    ©¤Hello!

    Cookie on her waist was fine, but she was on the verge of death.

    As Deol Lang said, this was thest time.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Creak!

    She hadn¡¯t walked much, but a phantom¡¯s headnded from a tree.

    Elise¡¯s heart sank as if it was going to burst.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    She hastily ran to the opposite side, raising a white g.

    ¡°I really, truly, I¡¯m going crazy, I give up. I give up!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t do it anymore.

    ¡°I give up!¡±

    What is this? It¡¯s not magic. It¡¯s just extreme training, psychological conditioning. Damn it. She would kill whoever designed this curriculum.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise stopped, clutching her heart.

    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±

    But, there was no response.

    She wasn¡¯t being recalled.

    She had clearly just said she was giving up.

    ¡°I said I give up!¡±

    There was no answer.

    Nothing was happening.

    Sssssssss¡­¡­

    A strange, creepy presence was stirring behind her.

    Elise¡¯s chest tightened, and her fingertips and toes tinged with anxiety and ominousness.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­no!¡±

    She ran. She ran away from the phantom.

    Tadadadadadat©¤©¤©¤!

    The night in the swamp was terribly dark.

    With her legs spread wide, Elise shouted to the sky.

    ¡°I give up! I said I give up!¡±

    ©¤Hello! Hello!

    But the only answer was from Cookie.

    The surroundings were already steeped in darkness.

    For Elise, it was unbearable, a kind of fear and istion.

    ©¤©¤©¤Kuhahahahahahaha.

    A strangeughter echoed in her ears. Her heart pounded as if it was going to explode.

    With each step, she sank deep©¤ deep©¤ as if sinking into mud, into a swamp.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t hold on any longer.

    Her vision blurred with dizziness, and her legs wobbled¡­¡­

    At that moment.

    She saw a light in the distance.

    A light was flickering on thekeshore.

    It was faint and dim, but it was certain.

    There was ¡®someone¡¯ there.

    Elise ran towards it.

    ¡°Excuse me©¤©¤!¡±

    She waved her hand, asking for help.

    ¡°Here. Please help me©¤©¤!¡±

    There was one person sitting on thekeshore.

    On a fishing chair, a man in a fishing hat.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    Pfft.

    As she got closer, he chuckled.

    Elise stopped abruptly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you a human?¡±

    She asked in a trembling voice.

    ¡°Of course. If not.¡±

    Then, as if he had been waiting, he turned around and answered. His expression was one of amusement, almost mocking.

    ¡°A monster, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.?¡±

    On the other hand, Elise was momentarily stunned. Her vision turned white, and she involuntarily fell to her knees.

    She muttered as she sat on the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this a dream?¡±

    ¡°It must be a dream.¡±

    Elise rubbed her eyes.

    It was still the same.

    The man who had thrown off his fishing hat, the one looking at her from an impossible ce.

    Shion Ascal.

    Why, is he here?

    It must really be a dream.

    ¡°I came here to fish, and you¡¯re disturbing me.¡±

    Shion smiled and stood up from his seat.

    Behind him, still chasing Elise, were the phantoms©¤©¤

    He drew his sword.

 Chapter 180: Souls in a Bottle (3)

    <strong>Souls in a Bottle (3)</strong>

    The summary of a news article I once saw was as follows, [Elise is trapped in the magical realm of the mage camp]. Not for a day or two, but almost a month.

    So, what is this ¡®magical space¡¯?

    Literally, it¡¯s a ¡®space made of mana¡¯. To exin it a bit more simply, it¡¯s a ¡®space created within mana¡¯.

    There are two main ways to enter this magical space.

    The first is through a ¡®magic circle¡¯ connected to the magical space. You enter through the magic circle of summoning and reverse summoning.

    Elise was trapped here because the magic circle of reverse summoning was damaged¡ªsomeone had damaged it.

    The second way is through a ¡®gap¡¯ that directly connects to the magical space. In this case, you can walk in with your two legs.

    I found that ¡®gap¡¯ and came in. It was quickly discovered when I scanned it with SZX-9500.

    ¡°¡­¡­So, you¡¯re on a trip?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A trip and an exploration.¡±

    I beat around the bush with Elise.

    ¡°I saw something interesting and when I looked, I ended up here. It was a gap in the tree roots.¡±

    Elise nced at me with suspicious eyes. I shrugged nonchntly.

    ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t know there was such a magical space.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Did youe alone?¡±

    ¡°No. I came with Soliette.¡±

    At that, Elise pouted her lips slightly.

    ¡°Where is Soliette?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be here soon. What¡¯s up? Sit down for now.¡±

    I sheath my sword and pointed to the fishing chair. By the way, I had already taken care of the phantomsst night.

    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±

    Elise sat on the chair. I nced at her as I gripped the fishing rod.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling me?¡±

    ¡°You also y ¡®Bethune¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°Bethune is hot these days. You¡¯re a famous NPC in themunity.¡±

    The number of concurrent users in Bethune has increased 30 times recently.

    Rich people flocked in because of the rumor that it grants wishes, and ¡®gold diggers¡¯ flocked in because of the rumor that rich people were flocking in.

    In that respect, Elise is the only doctor in the beginner¡¯s vige. Her job is a High Priest, which is quite rare.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an NPC, how can I be an NPC? I¡¯m a user.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s just a figure of speech. Anyway, What level are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why are you asking?¡±

    ¡°I have something to ask. What level are you?¡±

    Elise answered in a small, somewhat embarrassed voice.

    ¡°¡­¡­23.¡±

    23 is quite high. She seems to have worked hard.

    ¡°That¡¯s high.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s high? If you y for three hours a day, you get like this. If your level is lower than mine, you¡¯rezy.¡±

    She talks a lot unnecessarily. She must be embarrassed about ying the game so hard.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­¡±

    I was about to suggest a party when I btedly noticed Elise¡¯s condition. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face looked quite worn out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter. Rest for now. Go ahead and sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­okay.¡±

    Elise, who responded curtly, leaned into the fishing chair. She fell asleep right away in that state.

    ¡°She must be tired.¡±

    I gripped the fishing rod.

    ©¤Hello!

    The doll, Cookie, hanging from her waist waved at me.

    I nced at Elise. She was almost half unconscious.

    ©¤Hello!

    I spoke to the greeting doll.

    ¡°You¡¯re Yael, right?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    The doll Cookie fell silent.

    He stared at me with doll eyes and asked.

    ©¤¡­¡­How did you know?

    His voice deepened. Too deep for a rabbit.

    ¡°I have good eyes.¡±

    The color of magic captured by SZX-9500 is different.

    ©¤Well, nice to meet you.

    Yael. Elise¡¯s older brother by blood. The benefactor of my life before regression, my first friend.

    He was watching over Elise through a rabbit doll.

    ¡°When did you connect?¡±

    ©¤Not long ago. After the second quarter of the College Board ended, my sister visited me once. That¡¯s when I did it. I was curious about the outside world too.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    I looked at Yael. He perked up his rabbit ears.

    ©¤Friend. I¡¯m curious about something.

    ¡°What is it.¡±

    ©¤Why are you helping Elise?

    The reason for helping Elise.

    It was a strange question.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s your sister.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­That¡¯s it?

    ¡°At first.¡±

    At first, it was because of Yael.

    Yael, who sacrificed his life for me before regression. To fulfill his promise to ¡®protect Elise¡¯.

    ©¤And now?

    ¡°Now¡­¡­ I¡¯ve received quite a bit of help from Elise. So, I¡¯m trying to make it even.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to owe Elise. I don¡¯t want to owe anyone.

    Perhaps we feel the same way, so we help each other.

    ©¤¡­¡­You don¡¯t have to. We owe you too much.

    ¡°That¡¯s your thought.¡±

    Rustle©¤

    Just then, the sound of brushing through the grass.

    ©¤Hello!

    Yael turned back into a rabbit.

    I looked in that direction.

    It was Soliette.

    ¡°Shion. I found the exit.¡±

    She had grass in her ruffled hair, and her eyes widen.

    ¡°Oh. Shion, you found Elise too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She seems really tired.¡±

    Snore¡­¡­

    She¡¯s snoring, albeit very quietly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go when she wakes up.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    * * *

    The next day.

    As Soliette and I walked towards the exit, we suggested Elise join our ¡®Bethune¡¯ party. Elise shook her head with a contemptuous attitude.

    ¡°¡­¡­You guys. It seems like you¡¯re misunderstanding something. It¡¯s still the exam period. The third quarter hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±

    ¡°I know. Anyway, the operation will be carried out after the entrance exam.¡±

    ¡°Even after the entrance exam, I have a full schedule.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re really good at pretending to be busy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not pretending to be-¡±

    ¡°Whatever. But you¡¯ll regret it, won¡¯t you? It¡¯s an opportunity to turn a game into reality.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Did you take some drugs? How can a game be reality?¡±

    I nced at Soliette. It was a gesture asking her to exin.

    Soliette cleared her throat awkwardly.

    ¡°Miss Elise. Allow me to exin. The story I¡¯m about to tell is not at all frivolous, nor is it a hallucination or auditory hallucination stemming from drug abuse¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­You guys sometimes believe in too many frivolous things.¡±

    Despite Soliette¡¯s exnation, Elise still looked skeptical.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. Why else would the number of users increase?¡±

    ¡°The number of users, huh¡­¡­¡±

    As Elise was about to refute Shion¡¯s words, suddenly.

    She remembered the Aventagher twins.

    The Aventagher, a great family, had moved within the [Bethune Dungeon]. Both sessors were involved.

    It was by no means an ordinary event.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are there any other party members besides me?¡±

    ¡°The only ones you would know are from Aventagher.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s mouth opened slightly.

    Soliette didn¡¯t miss the opportunity.

    ¡°The goal of this quest is to destroy the Soul Vessel created by the Count. Then, the Bethune Dungeon will be incorporated into reality. If we fail, countless souls will be exploited by the Count¡¯s selfish desires.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s this Count?¡±

    ¡°Count Knightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Knightmare?¡±

    Elise looked at Soliette. Her gaze was somewhat worried.

    ¡°Soliette. You¡¯re not still-¡±

    ¡°Knightmare is alive.¡±

    This answer came from Shion.

    Elise sighed and rubbed her temples.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­ You guys are all¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, who was about to say something, suddenly froze.

    Because of the phantom that appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Please, take care of it.¡±

    Saying so, she hid behind Shion¡¯s back. Shion chuckled in disbelief.

    ¡°Hey. Why are you whining about something like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Whining. It¡¯s the worst match.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s not tangible. Telekinesis doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Says who?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s science, science.¡±

    Elise pouted from behind Shion¡¯s back.

    All matter has maism. But things that do not have matter do not have maism. Therefore, telekinesis doesn¡¯t work.

    Such an obvious fact-

    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem? If there¡¯s no maism, you can just apply it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Shion put his hand on her head. Hisrge fingers tightly gripped her small head.

    ¡°Ah, what are you doing? Let go, let go!¡±

    ¡°Think a little. Don¡¯t set your own limits. If there¡¯s no maism, you can artificially apply it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened slightly.

    Thinking about it, he might be right.

    Her ¡¸Spectrum¡¹ is not ¡®using maism¡¯.

    It is maism itself.

    ¡°¡­¡­I got it. Now let go.¡±

    Shion didn¡¯t let go of her head. Instead, he rubbed it refreshingly.

    ¡°Ah, haaah¡­¡­ No.¡±

    Thanks to the refreshing sensation, Elise unknowingly moaned, but soon she pushed him away.

    ¡°Let go.¡±

    Then she took a deep breath. She stretched out one hand. The phantom, which did not possess maism. Towards the non-material entity.

    Elise sent her magic to its heart. First, she precisely set the vector point, and then artificially applied ¡®maism¡¯ to the corresponding area¡­¡­

    Thud-thud©¤

    Blood rushed to her temples. Her nose bled.

    At the same time, a definite sensation arose.

    ¡°¡­¡­I got it.¡±

    She clenched her hand in the air.

    Zap©¤©¤©¤!

    The phantom was squeezed into a single point.

    Not a trace was left.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise, panting, wore a vacant smile.

    Shion put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°See. Thepatibility is rather the opposite. If you just apply maism, because it¡¯s not mater, you can squeeze it much more easily.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re amazing, Miss Elise.¡±

    Soliette also pped her hands. Elise licked her lips, ncing at Shion.

    ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s nothing big.¡±

    ¡°Wipe your nose if it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    Elise touched her nose with her hand. A clump of blood came out.

    ¡°Gasp.¡±

    She quickly covered her face. Shion gestured.

    ¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s get out.¡±

    ¡°You, you go ahead. I¡¯ll follow.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Whether Soliette understood Elise¡¯s feelings or not, she dragged Shion away.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise inadvertently watched their retreating figures.

    Soliette and Shion, walking side by side. The two of them, sharing some conversation, giggling about Bethune or rted stories.

    ¡­¡­She bowed her head for a moment.

    Once, she had seen a very interesting statistic.

    Adult mages are surprisingly often single, or the proportion of strategic marriages is high. Even if they get married, the divorce rate is 53%.

    On the other hand, knights are surprisingly often bound in a hundred-year pact with other knights, and the proportion of love marriages is high. The divorce rate is much lower than that of mages.

    But¡­¡­

    Elise wedged herself between Soliette and Shion. She almost separated the two.

    She asked Shion.

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    The closer Soliette gets to Shion, the more dangerous Shion bes. Because Arkne is not a normal family.

    ¡°That the game bes reality.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course.¡±

    Soliette quickly answered. Elise asked one more question.

    ¡°Bianca. Can I bring my pet camel too?¡±

    ¡°Pet camel, you have something like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My hospital is the Bianca Clinic.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ Well, it should be possible. I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Despite Shion¡¯s uncertain answer, Elise hesitated a bit, then nodded as if sighing.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m in.¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    Soliette¡¯s cheer, not Shion¡¯s. She scratched the back of her neck, seemingly embarrassed by the words she¡¯d blurted out unknowingly.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m just too happy. High Priest is a precious ss. It¡¯s a very valuable ss, Miss Elise. I¡¯ll protect you so that you won¡¯t be disadvantaged. I¡¯m a top yer in Bethune, Miss Elise. Just trust me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤!

    At that moment, a gust of wind blew in from behind. It was mixed with an ominous smell.

    We turned to look. Four men in robes were standing there with their Magic Bodies activated.

    Shion drew his sword and said,

    ¡°¡­Looks like they¡¯re the ones who damaged your magic circle.¡±

    The ones who damaged the ¡®reverse summoning¡¯ magic circle and blocked Elise¡¯s reverse summoning.

    In other words, the mages who tried to kidnap Elise.

    The motive for this incident itself is nothing special.

    The arrogance of the ¡®magic families¡¯.

    An act to intimidate Ken Petra, who didn¡¯t sponsor the magicmunity despite trying to raise his child as a mage.

    If Ken Petra sponsors them, they would release Elise, but of course, Ken Petra didn¡¯t sponsor a single penny. He considered this itself as a hardship for Elise¡¯s growth.

    ¡°Stop right there. If you don¡¯t want to see blood.¡±

    Four mages, in ck robes and even wearing masks to hide their existence.

    They¡¯re probably the offspring of the magicmunity. Their research, their mage career depends on the sponsorship of the magicmunity, so they would be desperate no matter what the order is.

    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll handle this alone.¡±

    Shion said so, picking up a branch from the ground.

    He intended to use the branch instead of the sword. Because mages are national talents, if something goes wrong and they get killed, it would be a big problem. He could get in trouble for no reason.

    Soliette and Elise frowned.

    ¡°Alone? Don¡¯t underestimate active mages too much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Shion-¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You know me.¡±

    Shion brushed it off calmly.

    ¡°What a senseless thing to say¡­¡­¡±

    Elise seemed about to scold him, but then a thought seemed to cross her mind, and she wore a subtle smile.

    ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go, Soliette.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Elise dragged Soliette away.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just guide us to the exit.¡±

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    Soliette nced at Shion as she was dragged away.

    ¡°©¤©¤Don¡¯t do anything foolish!¡±

    The mages growled, releasing their magic.

    Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤! A Gale blew fiercely. But there were no other effects.

    With one swing of Shion¡¯s branch, everything was destroyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We just need to go.¡±

    Elise exined to Soliette, who still looked a bit puzzled.

    ¡°When I think about it, Shion Ascal¡­¡±

    Shion has a peculiar trait. Whether it¡¯s anti-magic or something else, it¡¯s a power whose identity is still unknown.

    As a result, he has tremendous resistance to various magical interferences that try to invade his body, whether it¡¯s magic, form, or whatever.

    Therefore©¤©¤.

    ¡°He¡¯s a mage¡¯s nightmare.¡±

    He will not lose to mages.

    Whether the opponent is an active mage or whatever, he has a diabolical advantage that can easily ovee at least three tiers of difference¡­

 Chapter 181: Souls in a Bottle (4)

    <strong>Souls in a Bottle (4)</strong>

    Mana is the essence of magic. If a form is ¡®refinement¡¯ of magic, whereas mana is its original manifestation.

    Therefore, the physical force caused by magic is ultimately ¡®mana-like¡¯.

    Unless you move external objects with telekinesis like Elise, the damage from magic manifestations like fireballs are also ¡®mana-like¡¯.

    I have some resistance to all of these.

    The same goes for direct physical impacts.

    In terms of numbers, it¡¯s offset by 10%, or less.

    Thanks to this, most magic is bearable.

    However, the decisive advantage I have when dealing with mages is not just that.

    I can observe the ¡®core¡¯ of magic with SZX-9500.

    If I can observe it, I can destroy it with just a branch.

    Kwaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The mages caused a whirlwind filled with mana. They trapped me in it. It was indeed a magic befitting of an active mage.

    Kwaddddddd©¤©¤©¤!

    The Gale de rotated like a blender. It erupted powerfully like a thunderbolt.

    To me?

    It was like a feather.

    To put it in a metaphor, it was like a pebble in my shoe?

    It¡¯s not that it doesn¡¯t hurt at all, but it¡¯s just annoying or stinging. Instead, my clothes are getting torn.

    ¡°Follow them. They couldn¡¯t have gone far.¡±

    The mages passed by, and I quietly walked out of the whirlwind. Perfectly fine.

    I threw a branch at the back of their heads as they ran.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    One of the four fell. The remaining three quickly looked back.

    I threw another branch at the surprised guys. It stuck in the forehead of one of the three.

    The remaining two formed a barrier.

    I held a third branch. I blew mana into it and threw it hard.

    Chwaaaaak©¤!

    A branch cutting through the air.

    They showed the arrogance unique to mages. Trusting only their barrier, they did not take any other measures.

    It was a mistake.

    Cwaaaaak©¤!

    The branch easily prated the barrier.

    Not simply a pration. From the beginning, it smoothly passed through as if it ¡®was not affected at all¡¯,

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    It smacked one of the guy¡¯s nose sideways. The guy who had no other preparations outside the barrier fainted on the spot.

    It was because of the mana I blew in. Not only my body, but even the mana flowing inside me has the same properties.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Anyway, now only one guy was left.

    He activated an individual magic. He gathered wind and shot it like a vacuum wave, and a tremendous wave of Gale surged.

    Kwaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    Now it was a magical effect.

    If I had to quantify it, it would be about 0.2 dragon breaths.

    I took it with my whole body.

    ¡°It hurts.¡±

    Those weren¡¯t just meaningless words.

    It was actually painful, as if I had been punched in the stomach, or as if I had done a belly flop dive.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this guy?¡±

    The mage was quite flustered, but that was only for a moment. Soon, he looked me up and down with a schrly face.

    ¡°Interesting. Is the body itself sturdy? Or-¡±

    I threw a branch at him.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    The man with the discerning eye. True to a mage who puts off using his full name as long as possible, I still don¡¯t know his name, but he¡¯s a decent person at least.

    ¡°What kind of analysis is it?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ would you like to see it together?¡±

    The man showed the smartphone screen with a rather sharp tone. Elise tilted her head.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    It¡¯s aposite of a fencing mask.

    A man wearing a fencing mask.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about the Edsi people, do you? This viin is famous in Trick City.¡±

    ¡°Viin?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    Trick City is considered a progressive city. Hence, terms like heroes and viins, which you would only see in oldic books, are actually mentioned in real legition.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re from Trick City.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a resident. But what I¡¯m analyzing is.¡±

    He rewound the smartphone video all the way back.

    [This is a CCTV footage containing the special form used by the avenger ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ for murder.]

    It¡¯s a CCTV footage.

    Compresses the air and shoots it like a de. Using a wand as a medium, it detonates a very special Magic Spell¡­.

    The person is bisected.

    Elise frowned slightly.

    ¡°Oh. Is it too gruesome?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    [Currently, the experts of the Trick City Magic Department are trying to analyze and manifest this form, but the connections of the form are meticulous andplex, so it will take some time¡­.]

    ¡°Can I see it again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Elise narrowed her eyes thinly.

    The Magic Spell thatpresses the air and shoots it like a sh, like a crescent moon.

    At first nce, it seems simple, but thebination of its form is, as the news says, extremely meticulous andplex. If the purpose is solely ¡®killing¡¯, it¡¯s an excellent and highlyplete form.

    Even for Elise, it¡¯s not easy to decipher or interpret.

    It¡¯s definitely not an ordinary skill.

    A clear expert who can ¡®weave¡¯ a simple magic spell into a bination¡¯, with a power greater than magic¡­.

    ¡°It seems like a strong viin.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The person who is cut down here is said to be a cartel mercenary. He was a famous knight-ss thug in Trick City¡¯s D-Section. I¡¯m from B-Section though.¡±

    ¡°He must be a mage.¡±

    Elise guessed so.

    If not a mage, such a form harmony is impossible. I don¡¯t know why a mage is going around like this.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Trick City Enforcers are also guessing that. That a mage is going around killing people-¡±

    ¡°©¤Participant Elise.¡±

    Then, Deol Lang on theb stage called her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Come up.¡±

    She went up to the stage.

    High mage Deol Lang. He looked alternately at the report that Elise had just submitted and at Elise.

    Elise became nervous again.

    The rest are unknown mages, but this person is an important mage.

    Deol Lang gave a faint smile.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elise, you don¡¯t need a semester. It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    Apliment amongpliments, implying that she could enter the Magic Tower right now, without the need to attend university.

    Elise maintained herposure, struggling to suppress her twitching lips.

    ¡°Have you decided on a school?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±

    ¡°If you have a talent for dynamic magic, the Veloci school will teach you well. If you want to delve deeper into theory, the Elmander school is also good.¡±

    Deol Lang returned her report as he spoke.

    ¡°Well, anyone would want Miss Elise. I¡¯ll see you soon at the Magic Tower.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s too kind.¡±

    A humble, modest attitude.

    Elise bowed her head and turned around.

    Pretending to go to the bathroom, she stepped outside theb.

    ¡­¡­Yes!

    She clenched her fist in silent triumph.

    And then, after a moment of hesitation, she made a call somewhere.

    Ring©¤©¤

    ©¤What.

    Shion Ascal. The other party picked up quickly.

    Elise cleared her throat awkwardly.

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s nothing¡­¡­ Did you solve the problem?¡±

    She had received help at the camp, even if it was by chance.

    If Shion still couldn¡¯t solve the problem, she was thinking of helping him.

    Of course, if they get caught, they¡¯ll both fail, but it¡¯s fine as long as they don¡¯t get caught.

    ©¤Yeah. I solved it.

    ¡°How far did you get?¡±

    ©¤I only solved number 12.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise was slightly at a loss for words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me.¡±

    ©¤What.

    ¡°Tell me honestly. I can help you.¡±

    ©¤Honestly, I solved it.

    A vein popped on Elise¡¯s temple.

    ¡°No. Shion. I¡¯ve told you over and over, you have talent in Magic. You¡¯re not without it. So, with a little help from me, you can do it. So, tell me honestly. How far-¡±

    ©¤I¡¯m hanging up.

    Click-

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elise, frowning, called again.

    Ring©¤©¤

    Shion picked up the phone.

    ©¤What.

    ¡°Hey. How could you solve number 12 that even I couldn¡¯t-¡±

    Click-

    Shion hung up the phone. Elise red at the screen, puffing up her cheeks.

    ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s crazy.¡±

    * * *

    These days, the seniors of Endex are surprisingly busy.

    Although the first and second quarters are over, the lights are still on in ces like the Endex library and other study cafes because of the third quarter.

    Of course, I¡¯m rxed.

    Today is October 30th.

    ¡®That day¡¯, the answer to the riddle.

    The day to meet my old teacher, Theia Esil.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    I yawned loudly and looked at the sofa.

    Soliette was lying there.

    These days, she¡¯s been staying at my ce. Under the pretext that she¡¯s going to solve problem number 12.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Soliette turned her drowsy body to look at me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She had a very sleepy face. Her face was so puffy that her eyes were filled with sleepiness.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    She barely woke up from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Strangely enough, I sleep well here.¡±

    Haaaaahhh©¤©¤ Soliette yawned.

    A hint of moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes.

    ¡°I used to have nightmares all the time in my apartment. But here, it¡¯sfortable. I don¡¯t dream when I sleep. I haven¡¯t slept this peacefully in a long time. But I think it will be ufortable again when I return home.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She was taking too long to say, ¡®Don¡¯t kick me out.¡¯

    ¡°Do as you please.¡±

    I got up.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I told you. I¡¯ve solved the 12th problem.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion- Are you lying again-?¡±

    Soliette mumbled as she rolled on the sofa.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Please return safely.¡±

    ¡°Clean up.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Leave it to me.¡±

    As soon as Soliette said that, she closed her eyes on the sofa.

    * * *

    Edsi National University. Filled with the continent¡¯s best facilities, it¡¯s a prestigious institution where the continent¡¯s top talents gather.

    ¡®Theia Esil¡¯ stood on the rooftop of ¡®Evina Tower¡¯ as a chair professor responsible for the university¡¯s future.

    Every year since she became a professor, she presented a riddle. It was a wait born out of curiosity if anyone could solve it.

    It seemed unlikely this year too¡­ but if not this golden batch, then who and when would solve this riddle?

    So far, not a single person had.

    Ah, there was one.

    But he wasn¡¯t an undergraduate. Her old friend. Now practically estranged, ¡®Belingham Kantar¡¯ who had defected to be a confidant of Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The current time was 10 AM.

    The deadline was until 10:30 AM, exactly 30 minutes.

    Theia leaned on the rooftop railing, looking over the universityndscape.

    The campus was bustling with students in the morning. They all had smiling faces.

    Undergraduates always seem so happy. From the time they move on to master¡¯s or doctoral studies, they start to get a taste of hell.

    Theia looked at her wristwatch.

    10:15 AM.

    It was about time to head back.

    It seemed unlikely that anyone would show up this year too.

    She sighed softly, counting the passage of time.

    10:25 AM.

    Only 5 minutes left.

    This year ising to an end too.

    Neither Gerkhen, who she had her eye on, nor Soliette, who the world was making a fuss about being talented, nor Elise¡­

    None of them solved the 12th problem.

    At this point, it seemed like her fault for setting such a problem.

    Well, what good would solving such a problem do?

    10:27 AM.

    She swallowed a sigh and quietly turned around.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, she froze.

    Creeeak©¤©¤

    Suddenly, the door opened.

    The iron gate echoed loudly, and a figure appeared from beyond.

    She looked at him.

    He looked at her.

    For a moment, the rooftop was steeped in silence.

    The wind blew in, messing up her neat bob. Her gentle eyes wavered.

    ¡°Is this the ce? The 12th problem.¡±

    Soon, ¡®he¡¯ spoke first, smiling.

    ¡°Evina Tower. Until 10:30 AM.¡±

    Thud©¤ Thud©¤

    He approached with a stride full of confidence. His wide steps were unhesitant.

    In front of a somewhat flustered Theia, he boldly extended his hand.

    ¡°Shion. I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

 Chapter 182: Prepare (1)

    <strong>Prepare (1)</strong>

    The solution to the 12th problem, the rooftop of the Evina Tower.

    A one-on-one interview began there, in a ce devoid of chairs, tables, or anything else.

    The interviewer was Chair Professor Theia Esil.

    The interviewee was senior Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask.¡±

    Against the backdrop of a full blue sky, Theia Esil asked Shion Ascal about his solution.

    To prevent any ¡®guesswork.¡¯ Half in doubt, half in certainty.

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    However, Shion Ascal exined to her the method he used to solve the 12th problem.

    Just as Theia Esil intended. Without a bit of error, without a bit of hesitation.

    ¡°©¤©¤So. The answer is ¡®Not November, but October 30th. Until 10:30 AM. The rooftop of the Evina Tower.''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia Esil¡¯s face went nk.

    It was hard to believe.

    She couldn¡¯t believe it.

    No, she didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    ¡°I was lucky. I also like riddles.¡±

    Shion Ascal spoke calmly, but his expression was ambiguous.

    Theia Esil was adept at reading others. With her genius Five Senses, she could quickly grasp the other person¡¯s emotions.

    In that respect, Shion Ascal was rather©¤©¤

    Understanding of Theia¡¯s self-doubt.

    Perhaps because he knew about the rtionship between Theia Esil and Libra.

    Something surged within Theia Esil, but she forcefully suppressed it.

    The distinction between public and private is strict.

    Even if this person is from Libra.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your exam ticket.¡±

    Theia Esil handed him the exam ticket.

    [0001]

    As the first person to solve the problem, he was number 0001.

    He turned the exam ticket upside down and asked.

    ¡°So, am Ipletely epted?¡±

    ¡°If you score more than 20 points, you pass the interview. No, being here with me is the interview itself.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t need to show off his purpose, skills, or ambitions in the interview room.

    ¡°But you still have to take the national university final entrance exam. The final exam day is November 7th. Be at the ¡®Trinity Building¡¯ by 10 AM.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    Theia Esil left Shion and turned around.

    ¡°Professor.¡±

    He called her. Theia turned her head slightly to the side.

    ¡°If I get admitted, can I see you again?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That depends on your efforts.¡±

    She answered his question in a stiff tone in an instant.

    This is how Theia treats undergraduates.

    If he can solve the 12th problem, he won¡¯t fail the final exam. Shion Ascal is practically an undergraduate already.

    ¡°Ah. Yes. Thank you.¡±

    She left the rooftop without responding and looked at her wristwatch. It was already 11:10 AM.

    There¡¯s a meeting with the professors at 11.

    She hurriedly moved her steps.

    [Conference Room]

    Theia Esil stopped in front of the conference room door. She was about to go in when she pricked up her ears. She listened quietly, killing any sign of her presence.

    ©¤No. But, why on earth does Professor Theia give this 12th problem? No one has solved it for years.

    ©¤It¡¯s a personal preference, isn¡¯t it? I do understand it to some extent. The problem itself is well made.

    ©¤Or is this deliberately for corruption? If she gets a request from her cousin or something, she¡¯ll tell them the answer.

    ©¤If you can get up to the third quarter, you don¡¯t need to ask for a favor. She¡¯s just incredibly picky. ording to the graduate students, she gets upset if you contradict her lunch menu. We¡¯re the young and great professors who feed and keep our national university alive, so we should adjust to her-

    Bam!

    Theia opened the door. The professors in the conference room quickly straightened up.

    ¡°Cough, cough. You¡¯ve arrived, Chair Professor Theia.¡±

    The bald professor Wally, who had just been talking about solicitation,ughed nervously, sweating coldly.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Theia took her seat.

    The chairman of the board, ¡®Ben¡¯, gave her a small smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bitte. Not like Professor Theia. 15 minutes.¡±

    A young man in his early thirties, is the second son of Senator ¡®Esteban¡¯.

    Theia answered while cing the document files on the table.

    ¡°There was.¡±

    ¡°What was there?¡±

    The chairman asked in a rxed tone, and Theia retorted briefly.

    ¡°A senior who solved the 12th problem I gave ording to my taste.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Everyone in the conference room was surprised. The chairman asked with a curious tone.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Theia licked the inside of her mouth with her tongue.

    ¡°Number 0001. It¡¯s Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Shion Ascal¡­ Ah~ That. The one who defeated Gerkhen with swordsmanship?¡±

    The professors hurriedly manipted their tablets.

    They all checked the profile of Shion Ascal, and soon swallowed their words. There was a professor who made a smirk-like expression.

    It was because of his profile, that is, his future hope in the Endex school record.

    ¡®Knight of Libra¡¯.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you reconcile this time?¡±

    Chairman Ben subtly said. Theia red at him. It was a fierce expressionless face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a joke, a joke. Still, it¡¯s amazing. Solving the problem that Chair Professor Theia devoted her heart and soul to in just 5 weeks.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the tablet.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. I should remember him. He was a person with very clear strengths and weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Shall we start the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    The chairman smiled.

    ¡°While celebrating the solver of the riddle that came out after 6 years.¡±

    Theia silently chewed her lips.

    * * *

    Edsi National University. The new university I will be attending from next year.

    I was walking around the campus I couldn¡¯t even dream of before my regression.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s Gerkhen.¡±

    Gerkhen was there, buying and eating filled-pancake on the left side of the campus.

    He probably got up to the ¡®date¡¯ of the 12th problem right.

    In reality, Gerkhen did solve the 12th problem after entering the university. That led him to be Theia¡¯s disciple.

    But I am¡­¡­

    Today is the end.

    Theia hates Libra as much as I do. Therefore, she can never have good feelings for me, who will be a dog of Libra.

    Nevertheless, I will strive alone.

    So that Professor Theia can avoid reaching that future of defeat.

    So that you, who fell by Libra, can avoid losing everything.

    I will live to create such futures.

    Because the silver garden before regression, the times forgotten by everyone, ultimately define me.

    ©¤Ding.

    My smartphone rang just in time.

    It was [Kanya Wieder].

    I quietly retreated into the alley of the university district.

    * * *

    Drip-drip©¤©¤

    In Trick City¡¯s D-Section, where the rain mixed with mana stone debris is falling.

    A cloudy noon.

    In the workshop of [Valmant Manaology], Kanya is on a call with a recent hot topic in Trick City.

    ¡°¡­¡­Chevin Billington. The president of Chevin Corporation. Bribing public officials to manipte safety evaluations. Discharging magic-contaminated water. Covering up industrial idents. A total garbage pig bastard. There are rumors that he¡¯s involved with the cartel, and recently he¡¯s been spouting nonsense that he has connections with Libra.¡±

    Raquel Dra. He asked for a background check on the wealthy businessman ¡®Chevin Billington¡¯ of B-Section.

    ¡°Are you going to handle it right away? The families of the people who died working at Chevin Corporation have put up a bounty of about 50,000 Ren.¡±

    Raquel Dra(=Dale Kal) is a dangerous person.

    No one in this world, including Kanya herself, knows where he came from, but his abilities are murderously dangerous.

    ¡°From the D-Section¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s better if he dies¡­¡­.¡±

    However, Kanya decides to willingly take the risk.

    Because Raquel Dra is definitely a person beneficial to D-Section.

    No, broadly speaking, he¡¯s a ¡®necessary¡¯ viin for Trick City and herself.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be as easy as before. You. Do you know exactly what kind of ce B-Section is?¡±

    The people of Trick City¡¯s A and B-Section think they are nobles above nobles. Their security is that strict.

    Of course, ¡®Chevin Billington¡¯ is a low-life even among the B-Section wealthy. He¡¯s a leech sucking money from D-Section to stick to B-Section.

    However, even such a person has connections with Trick City politics.

    If he is assassinated, a much greater impact will ur than before.

    ©¤I know. There¡¯s a barrier in B-Section.

    The barrier of B-Section fundamentally blocks the entry of lower Sections.

    ¡°That¡¯s why. Getting in is the first problem. 50,000 Ren is too cheap.¡±

    ©¤Can you send me a list of security?

    ¡°¡­¡­A list of security?¡±

    Chevin Billington¡¯s security guard list. That¡¯s easy. Kanya is one of the most reputable and trusted informers in this field.

    Click ¨C Click ¨C

    A few mouse clicks and she had it.

    ¡°Send it?¡±

    ©¤Yes, Thanks.

    ¡­¡­

    I¡¯m currently in B-Section.

    ¡°Have a nice trip, Mr. Billington.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I quickly passed the barrier that Kanya warned me about.

    Thanks to the skill ¡¸Deception¡¹ I acquired from Bethune.

    First, I created a fake ID with ¡¸Deception¡¹, then manipted the scanner with ¡¸Deception¡¹. Done.

    Of course, it will be detected as an illegal intrusion when the central Database is checkedter, but all I need to do is get past it right now.

    Once I reach B-Section, it¡¯s simple.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is this the ce?¡±

    A four-story mansion built on the outskirts.

    It¡¯s like a fortress, with B-Section enforcers patrolling regrly and private security guards lurking everywhere.

    ©¤Yes, that¡¯s right!

    Grawl, perched on my shoulder, answered. He meowed and jumped down to the ground.

    ¡°Lure them out.¡±

    ©¤Yes~

    Grawl disappeared somewhere, and I waited.

    Soon, he lured a security guard, his tail swishing back and forth.

    ¡°How did this cat get in¡­? Oh? A mana stone.¡±

    It¡¯s a simr method tost time. When Grawl attracts attention, there¡¯s a high-quality mana stone lying on the ground.

    ¡°Lucky day.¡±

    Strangely enough, the guards can¡¯t resist mana stones. Maybe it¡¯s their weakness.

    I pounced on him.

    ¡­¡­

    When using ¡¸Notepad¡¹ to disguise, body size is always an issue. My physical specs aren¡¯t thatmon.

    Fortunately, there were quite a few guards of simr build among this target¡¯s security.

    I looked in the mirror in the mansion corridor.

    ¡®Michael¡¯.

    That¡¯s his name.

    I didn¡¯t kill him. I just made him lose some memory.

    He¡¯ll probably wake up after a day or so. It will buy me time to escape.

    Having infiltrated the mansion without shedding blood, I calmly walked down the corridor. I climbed the stairs.

    To the fourth floor, where the greedy toad named ¡®Chevin Billington¡¯ resides.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    It seems he uses the entire fourth floor as his residence, with arge door right at the end of the stairs.

    If I turn on the SZX-9500 and scan it©¤it¡¯s covered in all sorts of intrusion detection forms.

    Even the CCTV cameras mounted on the ceiling of the fourth floor are tantly filming me.

    It doesn¡¯t matter.

    It will be over in 3 seconds.

    I slightly bent my knee and peered through the keyhole. I zoomed in the view of the SZX-9500 until I spotted the target.

    Found him.

    Chevin Billington was drinking in the living room.

    I took out my wand.

    There¡¯s no need for me to go in personally. There¡¯s no need to take even a slight risk.

    All I have to do is insert the tip of the wand into the keyhole¡­

    Detonation.

    ©¤©¤.

    This time, it¡¯s abination of 5 forms.

    ¡¸Gale¡¹,

    ¡¸High Density Compression¡¹,

    ¡¸Elegant Curvature¡¹,

    ¡¸Tracking¡¹,

    ¡¸Silence¡¹.

    The Gale,pressed beyond high density into a super-high-density curve, elegantly bends through the keyhole, roams the interior of the dwelling, and tightly bites Chevin Billington¡¯s neck.

    There is no sound in the entire process.

    It¡¯s just quiet.

    So quiet that one wouldn¡¯t know whether he¡¯s dead or merely asleep.

    ©¤Michael, what are you doing there?

    The voice from the control room flowed into my earpiece.

    ¡°Ah, I thought I heard something. I came to check, but there¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and answered.

    ©¤Come down quickly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    * * *

    ©¤©¤©¤Bang!

    On the day of the national university interview. Pollen adorns the sky, weing the seniors participating in the interview.

    Under that sky, Elise, La, Kain, and Asher are walking through the campus, their hearts somewhat heavy.

    ¡°Wow¡­ finally, the entrance exams are over.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. We have onest test left.¡±

    Elise tackled La¡¯s words. Although it was a foregone conclusion that they would pass the interview, they should not take the final test with repeaters and foreigners lightly.

    ¡°Hey, you two are both in the Department of Magic, right?¡±

    Asher asked Elise and La.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to the Department of Magic too.¡±

    Kain looked at La with a slightly skeptical eye.

    ¡°Do you have the grades for it?¡±

    ¡°I do?!¡±

    ¡°Hey Elise. Is that right?¡±

    Elise just twitched her eyebrows without saying anything.

    In fact, the Department of Magic ces more emphasis on talent than any other department. Therefore, for someone like La¡­ it¡¯s a pass through the interview.

    ¡°Oh yeah. Did you guys hear that rumor?¡±

    Kain brought up a topic with a slightly nervous tone.

    ¡°What rumor are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Someone solved question number 12.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Elise furrowed her brows.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°My dad¡¯s friend is a professor at the national university.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Could it be Gerkhen?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Gerkhen.¡±

    If it were Gerkhen, there would certainly be a rumor.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me who it was. He said you wouldn¡¯t believe it anyway.¡±

    You wouldn¡¯t believe it anyway?

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened.

    Could it be, Shion Ascal?

    She quickly sent a text to someone.

    [Hey. Did you really solve number 12?]

    The reply came in no time.

    [Shion: Yep.]

    [Don¡¯t joke around. Where are you right now?]

    [Shion: Home. I scored 20 points, so I¡¯m exempt from the interview.]

    Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang©¤©¤!

    At that moment, lightning struck Elise¡¯s head.

    Anyway, it was such a shocking effect.

    [Shion: I was lucky. I like puzzles, and when I analyzed it, it turned out to be a puzzle.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s a clich¨¦ in this world.

    The master (Elise) and the disciple (Shion).

    The master teaches the disciple, and in the end, the disciple surpasses the master.

    It¡¯s a clich¨¦ called ¡°greenhorn surpassing the veteran.¡±

    It¡¯s the clich¨¦ Elise hates the most in the world.

    This can¡¯t be.

    The disciple must always remain a disciple. At least ¡®my¡¯ disciple should¡­¡­

    ¡°Elly. Why are you so pale? Are you upset because someone else solved the problem you couldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    La giggled and nced at her.

    Then Asher tapped his smartphone.

    ¡°Hey La. There¡¯s been a big fuss in Trick Citytely, hasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s just been news. An assassination in B-Section.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Fuck. In B-Section? That¡¯s a big deal, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    La was genuinely surprised.

    An assassination in the security-tight B-Section is a major incident that hardly happens once a year.

    ¡°Yeah. But it seems to be the work of Raquel Dra.¡±

    Asher is sensitive to thetest trends, information, and trends. Whether it¡¯s Trick City or Edsi, it doesn¡¯t matter. Therefore, he knows very well about Raquel Dra of Trick City.

    ¡°You know Raquel Dra, right? The hot viin these days.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang©¤©¤!

    At that moment, lightning struck La¡¯s head.

    Anyway, it was such a shocking effect.

 Chapter 183: Prepare (2)

    Notice: Seems like I forgot to edit in a part for chapter 181. I fixed it. Just search ¡°I threw a branch at the back of their heads as they ran.¡± and you¡¯ll see the part I forgot to edit in.

    <strong>Prepare (2)</strong>

    Edsi National Magic University. In the campus, brimming with the colors of November fall, interviews are in full swing.

    However, the ¡®interview location¡¯ varied depending on how much and how well the problems were solved.

    Seniors who barely scored over 10 points had their interviews in various university buildings, while seniors who solved almost all problems except number 12 gathered in ¡®Bertrude Hall¡¯.

    ¡°Elise, who scored over 20 points, has already passed.¡±

    If, like Elise, one scored over 20 points, they were exempt from the interview itself.

    Submit the exam ticket, present the solution, and it¡¯s over.

    ¡°But¡­ Elise, you¡¯re applying for the Magic Department?¡±

    At least they had to make small talk.

    After all, the interviewers seemed to have a lot to say to her.

    Elise gave a ceremonial smile.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m applying to the Magic Department.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It suits you.¡±

    The ¡®Magic Department¡¯ is the top department of the Magic University. It epts fewer students than the ¡®Knight Department¡¯, and it¡¯s heavily influenced by talent, making it almost impossible to apply with average grades. However, judging by the interviewers¡¯ attitudes, Elise is as good as pre-approved.

    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. Your father was a steel-hearted knightmander, and yet his daughter has such a strong talent for magic. What a curious world.¡±

    ¡°Even Mr. Ken was multi-talented. He chose to be a knight because he had a passion for it, but he could have easily entered the Magic Tower.¡±

    The interviewers chatted among themselves about Petra, and Elise silently smiled.

    ¡°Well then. We won¡¯t take up any more of your precious time.¡±

    Bang©¤©¤!

    The interviewer with a satisfied face stamped the final exam ticket.

    [Elise Petra]

    [Application: Magic Department, National Magic University]

    [Exam Number: 0002]

    [Final Exam Participation]

    ¡°Well done, candidate number 0002, Elise.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    She turned around with a noble¡¯s grace and left the interview room.

    There were about thirty seniors in the hallway. Notable faces included Gerkhen, Asher, La, Kain, Soliette, and Mel?

    ¡°Next, Gerkhen. Pleasee in.¡±

    Gerkhen entered the interview room, and Elise was the first to exit the building.

    ©¤Here shees!

    ©¤Get the camera ready!

    Before they knew it, the press had swarmed the campus, standing like a barricade. They fired shes at Elise and thrust microphones at her.

    She had expected it. After all, her father had given her a heads-up.

    The image of a daughter being a model co-valedictorian is very beneficial for a politician.

    ©¤Elise, congrattions on bing the co-valedictorian of the college board.

    ©¤What are your thoughts on being a ¡®co¡¯ valedictorian¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a given. I¡¯m not relieved or disappointed because I¡¯m a co-valedictorian. I worked hard, so I have exactly as much pride as the effort I put in.¡±

    She handled the press adeptly.

    ©¤The election ising up soon. Regarding your father, Senator Ken Petra¡¯s re-election¡­

    ¡°What are your thoughts on your father¡¯s election, what major do you n to pursue, any future volunteer ns?¡± Elise answered all these questions without hesitation until¡ª

    ¡°Could you perhapsment on the rumors of your romantic rtionship?¡±

    Some jerk had abruptly thrown in a bizarre question. Elise turned to look at the lunatic.

    It was an entertainment reporter from ¡®The Door¡¯.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not true. There are many things in the world more important than such gossip.¡±

    Elise responded calmly.

    The reporter didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°There¡¯s a senior named Shion Ascal. He¡¯s now ranked within the top 60 of the college board. A year ago, he couldn¡¯t even make it into the top 3000.¡±

    Shion Ascal. As soon as that name came up, Elise¡¯s expression hardened slightly.

    The reporter smirked.

    ¡°There are opinions suggesting that the senior, who was nowhere to be seen on the college board until now, has risen along with you, Miss Elise. They say you were together.¡±

    ¡°Risen together? I¡¯ve always been in the same ce. He must have made his own efforts. I have nothing to do with him.¡±

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°I will not ept any more questions rted to gossip. No, let¡¯s end the interview here.¡±

    Elise cut him off like that. Just then, a bodyguard from the Petra family appeared and escorted her.

    As Elise brushed past the reporter amidst the shing lights, he whispered with a smile still on his face.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re lying too much. I have evidence¡­ Shall I blow it up?¡±

    Elise ignored him.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, at the prosecutor¡¯s office in D-Section of Trick City.

    Rena Heller was working in her office.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time in a damn ce thatcks prisons¡­ Oh, you startled me!¡±

    She was surprised.

    From the coat rack in the corner of the office, someone suddenly appeared.

    It was M, dressed in a ck suit.

    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s blue. Do you change it ording to your mood?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s camouge. I can change the color as I please.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I thought you woulde. Because of that news, right?¡±

    M nodded.

    ¡°Was the B-Section assassination really the work of Raquel Dra?¡±

    Rena shook her crimson hair from side to side.

    ¡°The B-Section nobles are so high and mighty. Seems like they don¡¯t want a D-Section prosecutor like me to interfere.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m not one to fail to obtain information.¡±

    Rena pulled out a file from her drawer and tossed it to M.

    M caught it.

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    ¡°The crime scene was analyzed by the mages of B-Section. You know, right? Mages can reconstruct the scene using magical residue. But the content is quite a joke.¡±

    ¨C The direct cause is a ¡®Gale¡¯ condensed with super-high pressure magic.[br][/br] ¨C It extended like a curve, assassinating the target in an instant.[br][/br] ¨C Super-high pressure and curvature are opposing properties. However, the criminal harmonized them very smoothly. All the mages involved in the analysis concluded it was a type of form they had ¡®never seen before¡¯.[br][/br] ¨C The form and principle are simr to those used to kill the phnthropist ¡®Berrieda¡¯ and the religious figure ¡®Raphael¡¯ in D-Section.[br][/br] ¨C A very high-level variant magic (or a personally crafted Infima mask) was used.

    ¡°The mages say it¡¯s a Magic Spell they¡¯ve never seen in their lives.¡±

    A mage, or the forms used by other mages, fundamentally differ in trajectory.

    Raquel Dra thinks of ¡®low¡¯ forms that fit the situation, assembles them into aplex and meticulous ¡®single form¡¯, and then implements it with ¡®tremendous output¡¯.

    ¡°If I had to express it¡­ a ¡®Chimera form¡¯ perhaps?¡±

    ©¤Chimera form?

    ¡°Yes. It uses various forms to create apletely different, very lethal killing form. So B-Section is in chaos right now.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    M fell silent, lost in thought.

    She didn¡¯t know what kind of talent it was, but it was definitely a one she had never heard of before.

    ¡°The enforcers will probably move. The bounty will be about 1 million Ren. And M, you¡¯ll probably get a request too.¡±

    ©¤What about the victim, Chevin Billington?

    ¡°He was a wicked tycoon. This time, he deserved to die.¡±

    ©¤¡­Is that so?

    ¡°He was like a hyena tearing up D-Section. There¡¯s a private bounty of about 50,000 Ren on him, but it doesn¡¯t seem like Raquel Dra killed him for that. It¡¯s too cheap.¡±

    ©¤Right. A B-Section assassination wouldn¡¯t be for 50,000 Ren¡­

    ¡°Well, more importantly, shall we share clues about this Raquel Dra?¡±

    ©¤¡­I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have any clues.

    Even for M, although she was chasing, there were no clues. The guy didn¡¯t leave any traces.

    ¡°We¡¯re the same. Well, we¡¯re both ipetent. Or, this guy is incredibly meticulous.¡±

    ©¤Mhm, hm. So, if any clues are found, or if I need something.

    M ced a ¡®searchlight¡¯ the size of a spoon on her desk.

    ©¤Please light this signal in the void of the prosecutor¡¯s office.

    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve seen this before. Like in aic?¡±

    ©¤¡­Yes.

    Aic with a bat. It¡¯s a method from there.

    ¡°You seem to likeics.¡±

    ©¤Not really¡­ Huh?! What¡¯s that!

    At that moment, M pointed abruptly out the window. Rena turned to look.

    ¡°What? There¡¯s nothing there¡­¡±

    When she looked back, M had already disappeared.

    ¡°¡­Clever girl. Too clever.¡±

    Rena chuckled softly, looking at the shlight M had left behind.

    * * *

    Trick City¡¯s D-Section, Valmant Manaology.

    Kanya was in her workshop, watching the TV news and sipping a ss of whiskey.

    [The assassination in B-Section, suspected to be the work of avenger Raquel Dra, has beenbeled by high-ranking Senators as a terrorist act that shakes the foundation of Trick City¡­]

    ¡°Terrorist act, my ass. Just because some worthless person died.¡±

    Kanya scoffed at B-Section. She had once been a noble in A-Section, but that very fact had led her to despise the upper Sections more than anyone else-

    ©¤Hey! Kanya! Kanya!!!

    Suddenly, Diesel shouted from outside.

    Kanya frowned. She had been trying to enjoy the atmosphere.

    ¡°What now©¤!¡±

    ©¤Sir Mage is here!

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Kanya hastily opened the door.

    There was only one person they referred to as Sir Mage.

    Dale Kal.

    ¡°¡­Ah, Sir Mage.¡±

    He was standing in Valmant Manaology.

    ¡°Hmm. What brings you here?¡±

    Kanya faced him calmly. Her act was quite natural.

    Dale Kal handed her a scroll.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°A Magic Spell. It¡¯s called ¡®Delivery Box¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯Delivery Box¡¯?¡±

    He nodded.

    It was a future Magic Spell used during his ¡®delivery¡¯ days, found by rummaging through the memory of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡±

    ¡°Unroll it and see.¡±

    Kanya unrolled the scroll. Her eyes widened as she quickly took in the full circuit of forms on the scroll.

    Dale Kal exined.

    ¡°When you activate the Magic Spell using a mana stone as a medium, a box is assembled. It¡¯s a ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹. The size of the box varies depending on the size of the mana stone. Once you set a path, it flies there and returns to its owner on its own. It can be recycled until the mana stone¡¯s lifespan ends.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Kanya¡¯s hand trembled slightly. Dale Kal shrugged and continued.

    ¡°The purpose is obviously for supply or delivery. However, it¡¯s difficult to use in dangerous ces. There¡¯s a risk of being plundered, and it¡¯s hard to fly as high as an airship. But to counter that, I¡¯m thinking of adding a ¡®Protection¡¯ form.¡±

    Kanya tilted her head slightly.

    ¡°A protection form? There¡¯s no protection form on this scroll?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®Low-ss Delivery Box¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Low-ss¡­¡­ Ah!¡±

    Understanding his thought process, Kanya smiled.

    ¡°A price differentiation system?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I n to divide the ¡®Delivery Box¡¯ form into low, middle, and high sses, and vary the box¡¯s endurance ording to the price of the form. The low ss doesn¡¯t have a ¡®Protection¡¯ form, but I n to assign appropriate ¡®Protection¡¯ forms to the middle and high sses.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ You¡¯re quite the businessman, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Kanya praised him with a delighted face, but Dale Kal kept his expression in check.

    He still didn¡¯t know the ¡®Protection¡¯ form. He nned to learn it from Eliseter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll test it out today.¡±

    Kanya rolled up the scroll, licking her lips.

    ¡°But, if this works as you say, wouldn¡¯t it revolutionize freight?¡±

    ¡°Hardly? It¡¯s a method only mages who can use magic can use. It¡¯s just a bit faster and more urate than drones.¡±

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t used much in the future. The speed was too slow.

    However, Shion Ascalbined the ¡®Delivery Box¡¯ with a speed auxiliary form called ¡®Soft Fluid¡¯.

    It¡¯s not certain, but it should be faster than most drones.

    ¡°Drones are much more expensive, you know? They break more easily. You don¡¯t know Trick City. While it¡¯s an exaggeration to call it a freight revolution, you¡¯ll see it quite often?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. Check the speed in particr. It¡¯s useless if it¡¯s too slow.¡±

    At his words, Kanya clenched her fist.

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    At the same time, she reaffirmed once again.

    Dale Kal.

    Whether he was Raquel Dra, the president, or Buddha, it didn¡¯t matter.

    She would follow him to the grave.

    ¡°Besides, are you okay? The Trick City self-defense force will be after you.¡±

    Kanya was genuinely worried now.

    Dale Kal was already a benefactor of Valmant Manaology.

    ¡°There are many monsters in the B-Section. You know the mage ¡®Lato¡¯ we metst time? Mages like him are in the lower-middle rank even in B-Section. And in A-Section, where I used to live¡­ there were non-human creatures pretending to be nobles.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Dale Kal turned around. Kanya said no more.

    Considering his skill in assassinating people in B-Section, he didn¡¯t seem likely to die easily.

    ¡°Check the form in a month¡­ no, make it two weeks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also deliver the intermediate and advanced forms soon.¡±

    Dale Kal left the workshop.

    About five minutes passed.

    As if taking turns with him, Gerkhen visited Valmant Manaology. Kanya narrowed her eyes at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s with your timing?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait. Aren¡¯t you Dale Kal?¡±

    ¡°What are you-¡±

    Kanya yfully squished Gerkhen¡¯s face with both hands.

    Just because she was in such a good mood right now.

    Gerkhen pushed her away, scrunching up his nose.

    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Never mind! We have a blockbuster form to submit, you know? Since you have nothing to do, help me check it. I¡¯ll pay you for your time¡­¡±

    * * *

    Endex¡¯s residence.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much about the final test, Shion.¡±

    Soliette said, typing on herptop.

    I asked her.

    ¡°Why do you think so, little sister?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s always been that way.¡±

    She furrowed her brows slightly, seeming a bit annoyed.

    ¡°90% is cut based on college board scores, and mental tests are the main part. Just in case a spy from another country infiltrates the university.¡±

    ¡°I see. As expected of my little sister. Should I pat your head or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette clenched her teeth. Ah¡­ A hot breath slipped through her tightly closed lips.

    I tilted my head.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten about our deal, little sister?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You said if I answered question 12 correctly, you¡¯d call me big brother. You said you¡¯d stick to your word, little sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, big brother.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°You should call me ¡®older brother¡¯.¡±

    At that moment, Soliette¡¯s eyes turned into murderous eyes.

    What, eyes wide open with visible whites around the iris. The kind thates up when you search for ¡®killer¡¯s eyes¡¯ on the inte.

    I quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Little sister. How was the interview? I didn¡¯t have to do it because I answered question 12 correctly.¡±

    ¡°¡­It was okay. The Knight Department.¡±

    ¡°Really? Good job, little sister.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ Shion, will you use the dormitory?¡±

    ¡°I guess so?¡±

    There¡¯s no particr reason not to use the dormitory. The Knight Department of the Magic University offers single rooms and the dormitory fees are incredibly cheap. There¡¯s no reason tomute from Endex to the national university.

    ¡°Then, is it okay if I continue to use this ce?¡±

    With that, Soliette excitedly shook her fist.

    ¡°Do you like it here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think the ce is very good. Whether I sleep on the sofa or on the floor, I don¡¯t have nightmares. My quality of life is better than ever. There¡¯s a reason why Shion has grown rapidly in a year.¡±

    I shed a small smile.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s make a rental agreement then. 5,000 Ren per month.¡±

    ¡°¡­fuck. What the hell?¡±

    ¡°My little sister swears too.¡±

    ¡°¡­5,000 Ren is too expensive. Please make it 2,500 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that then.¡±

    ¡°Oh! No haggling.¡±

    Her face instantly brightened. She got up, beaming.

    ¡°Then. I¡¯ll go out for a bit. My mouse is broken.¡±

    Just as she opened the door.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I heard a gasp.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I turned to look.

    ¡°Who¡­!¡±

    I also gasped.

    There was a person beyond the door.

    If it had been a student president, or an Endex official here to catch an illegal resident¡­ that would have been much better.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A sharp silence. This man, who was scanning Soliette and me alternately with knife-like eyes, was not just any person.

    A middle-aged man with a half-bald head, a wild, bushy beard growing in the opposite direction, and a strong impression¡ª ¡®Gillon Berrieto¡¯.

    ¡°Master Gillon¡­¡±

    He was Soliette¡¯s former swordsmanship teacher. He was arade who shared life and death with her father, Igris.

    In other words, he is a confidant of Arkne.

 Chapter 184: Prepare (3)

    <strong>Prepare (3)</strong>

    ng©¤! ng©¤!

    The sounds of engines and hammers clung heavily in the air of Trick City¡¯s D-Section, at Valmant Manaology.

    ¡°Kanya! What the hell is this!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something weird flying around! It¡¯s interfering with our work!¡±

    The factory workers shouted, wiping their sweat.

    Kanya responded with an excited face.

    ¡°You blind old men, quiet down! This is a jackpot!¡±

    Whoosh- Whoosh- Whoosh- Boxes were flying in the factory¡¯s empty space.

    Their speed surpassed that of an average drone. They automatically avoided obstacles, and even calcted the shortest route to their destination on their own.

    ¡°It¡¯s working. It¡¯s working! It¡¯s a jackpot!¡±

    ¡°¡­So can I go now?¡±

    Beside her was Gerkhen, who looked as if he had been drained of life.

    He had been implementing this ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ almost all night for two days.

    ¡°Okay. Gerkhen. Don¡¯t worry about the part-time job payment, I¡¯ll take care of it properly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need it, huh. You cheeky. Your sister is rich.¡±

    Kanya pulled out her wallet. She held a 1,000 Ren bill. She hesitated for a moment, but handed it over anyway.

    Gerkhen checked the bill and tilted his head.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s 1,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. Part-time job payment.¡±

    She had 10,000 Ren in cash in her wallet. It was the money she received as an informer¡¯s brokerage fee.

    It¡¯s money earned by killing people, but it doesn¡¯t matter.

    The ones Dale Kal killed were all trash anyway.

    In fact, she doesn¡¯t care who he kills.

    There¡¯s no one in this world who is only good.

    Because she, who was betrayed by everyone and fell from a noble in A-Section to a pauper in D-Section, vowed to live that way.

    ¡°Hey Gerkhen. Isn¡¯t it amazing? You can use this like a ready-made product, like the old ¡®Sixth Sense¡¯. The size of the box varies depending on the grade of the mana stone. It can even be recycled until the mana stone is depleted.¡±

    One mana stone. One ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ form set.

    With this, you can send deliveries to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely going to be a hit in Trick City. No, even those egoistic Magic Tower guys might use it? We¡¯ll soon be seeing boxes flying in the sky very often~¡±

    It¡¯s incredibly creative. It¡¯s wless and precise.

    As if she brought something from the future as it is.

    ¡°Old man! Let¡¯s release this right away! I don¡¯t think we need to wait for the form check! Let¡¯s start with the promotion! Let¡¯s shoot a video!¡±

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be going-¡±

    ¡°Where are you going, Gerkhen! You have to help with shooting the video!¡±

    Kanya handed a camera to Gerkhen.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen alternately looked at the camera and the 1,000 Ren, then sighed.

    * * *

    Trick City, A-Section.

    Returning to the Hilton family mansion, La was lost in thought.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Raquel Dra.

    She found him puzzling. Confusing.

    He had clearly called out to her. He had mentioned ¡®M¡¯ at the scene of the incident.

    Why M, of all people?

    Simply because she was the only hero in Trick City?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    She was a little afraid of Raquel Dra, but at the same time, she felt a strong desire.

    Hero and Archenemy.

    Such a rtionship existed in the cartoons she watched as a child.

    It¡¯s not that a hero can¡¯t stand alone as a hero.

    A hero who is only a hero is nothing more than a vignte. Only a hero who stands against ¡®strong evil¡¯ can truly be a hero recognized by all.

    The viin ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ is ironically an opportunity for her to emerge as a true hero¡­.

    ©¤Master. Are you okay?

    Artificial Intelligence butler ¡®Berrie¡¯ asked. La slowly shook her head.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not okay. Honestly¡­ I¡¯m scared too.¡±

    La had faced the Cartel¡¯s weapon-grade monster, the [Blind Brute], but Raquel Dra was different.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt this kind of fear before. Why me, of all people?¡±

    The Chimera form.

    How should she confront it, something terrifying even by name? Would she also fall victim to his form?

    No, what does he really want?

    What is his purpose inmitting these crimes?

    ¡°He has no standards. No motives. He just kills people. That is¡­ chaos.¡±

    La nodded gravely.

    ¡°Is it chaos that defines him¡­? What a difficult world¡­ Sigh.¡±

    ©¤¡­Pfft.

    ¡°What? Why are youughing?¡±

    La furrowed her brow.

    ©¤It¡¯s nice to see you being so humble.

    In fact, there was simr content in a cartoon.

    Perhaps almost the same dialogue.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been humble. How¡¯s the fabric research going?¡±

    La asked humbly.

    To confront Raquel Dra, she too must progress, day by day, continuously.

    ©¤We¡¯ve secured the raw materials, so we should be able to upgrade.

    ¡°Good. Proceed.¡±

    Berrie, the AI secretary, didn¡¯t think La¡¯s growth was entirely bad.

    * * *

    Endex¡¯s illegal squatting area.

    ¡®Gillon Berrieto¡¯, dispatched from the Arkne family, was forced to sit on a sofa. It was because Soliette had grabbed his hem.

    ¡°¡­.Speak.¡±

    Gillon red at Soliette.

    For the record, Shion Ascal was temporarily kicked out, and only Soliette was sitting on her knees.

    ¡°That is-¡±

    ¡°No matter what you say, I will report to the head of the family, but are you out of your mind? A young man without blood on his hand, living together-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not cohabitation.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it. This situation right now.¡±

    The wrinkles on Gillon¡¯s bald head squirmed. Soliette looked at it and thought.

    It¡¯s like an octopus sucker.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to live, live in a good ce. Such a shabby¡­ No, did you avoid Arkne¡¯s eyes like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it. Stop looking at my head and speak.¡±

    Gillon made an angry face. Soliette widened her eyes.

    ¡°¡­.You knew.¡±

    ¡°Three thousand of them were lost because of you.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. Rather, say it was torn by an octopus.¡±

    ¡°You son of a-¡±

    ¡°Shion is my disciple.¡±

    Soliette quickly said. Also, it was not a lie. In fact, she considered Shion her disciple.

    ¡°Disciple?¡±

    Gillon¡¯s thick eyebrows wriggled like caterpirs.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    So far, Soliette had taught Shion the Eight Swords. Shion had definitely mastered up to the ¡®Six Swords¡¯.

    ¡°¡­.So it was.¡±

    Gillon didn¡¯t seem surprised.

    After all, he must have taken a college board ss. Shion used a modified version of the Eight Swords there.

    ¡°Then you taught him wrong. He is far from the standard. It can¡¯t even be called Arkne. It¡¯s a ¡®ragged swordsmanship¡¯ that ripped off the scales of the Eight Swords.¡±

    ¡°No. Because he mastered the basic-¡±

    ¡°Felix thought so too.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s words were blocked.

    ¡°If you focus on modification, you lose the essence. Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking you¡¯ve be something. The most important ¡®skeleton¡¯ is weak.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°The Eight Swords is not a sword that can be modified. It¡¯s overwhelming just to maintain the basics and memorize, and to create thatbination. There are so many possibilities that there is no need for modification in the first ce. Or, does his memory function like aputer?¡±

    Soliette pursed her lips without a word.

    Gillon let out a dry sigh.

    ¡°Even though he¡¯s not aputer, did you leave it as it is? If you, Soliette, were to im to be a teacher, you should have corrected it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.He¡¯s already been corrected.¡±

    She raised her head and red at Gillon.

    Gillon let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Then let¡¯s test it. How much your disciple has mastered the Eight Swords.¡±

    Then he abruptly stood up.

    ¡°If he passes my test, if he pleases my eyes, I won¡¯t report your scandalous cohabitation to the head of the family.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not scandalous cohabitation. I¡¯m just trying to secure a monthly rent house¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hush. Before I p you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Gillon clenched the doorknob.

    ¡°You stay here. If you don¡¯t want to see the man you call your disciple get beaten.¡±

    ¡­..

    The vacant lot behind the Endex old building.

    ¡°Soliette told me. You¡¯re her disciple.¡±

    Gillon said, ring at me. I tried hard to avoid his gleaming bald head.

    ¡°¡­.Yes? Ah, well. I am her disciple in swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°Do you live with your disciple?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not cohabitation. She just barged in.¡±

    At that, Gillon seemed even more displeased.

    ¡°Did Soliette cling to you?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t cling-¡±

    ¡°Are you that great? Except for being a bit tall and having a lot of hair¡­. Never mind.¡±

    He pressed his temples as if he had a headache.

    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for a swordsman to have a disciple. It¡¯s even encouraged. However, to be a direct disciple of Arkne, you should have a certain talent.¡±

    He pointed at the sword at my waist.

    ¡°Draw your sword. I will verify your talent now.¡±

    ¡°The sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you please my eyes, I won¡¯t report today¡¯s incident. Though that¡¯s unlikely.¡±

    I drew my sword anyway. Gillon chuckled.

    ¡°If you want to me someone, me Soliette. Or, if you¡¯re a man, get away from Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Soliette is the one who barged in.¡±

    He also drew his sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Defend my ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹bination with your ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only learned up to the Six Swords.¡±

    The ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹ is so voluminous that attunement is difficult, and it takes up quite a lot of space in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹. So, I only have up to the Six Swords now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that into ount. Don¡¯t aim for the lower body.¡±

    Gillon held his sword. It was the basic stance of the Eight Swords.

    ¡°¡­.Do you know? The ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹ is as deep as an endless well. Whichbination is powerful varies depending on the swordsman¡¯s style and strength. If you modify it, you won¡¯t know that.¡±

    I closed my eyes for a moment.

    Huuuu¡­. I activated the Eight Swords in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ with deep breaths.

    The ¡®automation¡¯ of using what is Memorized in the body.

    In other words, it¡¯s the¡¸Eight Swords Mode¡¹.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll do it by the book.¡±

    Gillon frowned at me. He must have realized there was no gap in my stance.

    ¡°A good start.¡±

    He took a step forward.

    Swish©¤!

    He immediately stabbed his sword from the upper right. It was the Second Sword.

    I blocked it with the same Second Sword.

    Gillon immediately deployed the Fourth Sword from the left.

    But, it was a feint.

    While pretending to deeply sh with the Fourth Sword, he swiftly changed his stance. He aimed for my head with the First Sword.

    If I allowed it, it would be fatal.

    I twisted my sword diagonally. I deflected his First Sword with my Third Sword.

    ng©¤! ng©¤!

    The offensive and defensive rhythm of Eight Swords against Eight Swords continued in this manner.

    Blocking the opponent¡¯sbination with mybination, like a game of Go or in boxing.

    ng©¤©¤!

    Of course, ¡®Gillon Berrieto¡¯ of Arkne is an extraordinary swordsman. He is an essential teacher for Soliette, a swordsman who will go down in history. If we only consider strength, I wouldn¡¯t even reach his knees.

    However, there is no Magic Body or Sword Strength now.

    Pure basics©¤©¤it¡¯s a duel of [Eight Swords] only.

    If that¡¯s all, I can definitelypete.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    ng©¤©¤©¤!

    Our swords met each other.

    Creak©¤©¤©¤!

    Beyond the trembling sword¡¯s edge, I saw Gillon¡¯s eyes.

    There was a tremor in those deep pupils.

    It was a sight simr to when Soliette first saw my talent.

    ¡­¡­.

    Gillon was flustered.

    To be honest, it was almost absurd.

    He knew, Soliette knew, everyone in Arkne knew that thebinations of [Eight Swords] were infinite.

    From the First Sword to the Eight Sword, each sword stroke has 8 strokes, so if you properlybine them, the number of initial moves is 8 to the power of 8©¤ easily exceeding ten million.

    Therefore, most of the swordsmen of Arkne choose only the initial moves they are familiar with and use a somewhat standardized assembly.

    ©¤©¤Surely that¡¯s the case.

    What on earth is this guy facing him now?

    ng©¤©¤©¤!

    Even as Gillon swung his sword, he kept distorting his expression.

    Shion Ascal.

    The guy is defending all his initial movebinations.

    Stroke by stroke, all are [Eight Swords].

    It means he has ¡®Memorized¡¯ all the countlessbinations of [Eight Swords].

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Even the aggressive initial movebinations that Gillon himself does not use for various reasons, that his old body can¡¯t withstand, the guy twists his whole body to force them out.

    It¡¯s the perfect textbook itself.

    ng©¤©¤©¤! ng©¤©¤©¤!

    Moreover, how about his ability to respond to his feints?

    Whirrr©¤©¤!

    A feint that quickly beats the sword path by pretending to stab the Fourth Sword.

    Only one opponent hadn¡¯t fallen for this on their first encounter, and it was Igris alone.

    Today it became two.

    Thud©¤©¤!

    A bouncing sound. A sense of blocking the sword path in advance, anticipating the feint.

    Shion Ascal did not fall for it like this.

    He tried to deceive him several times, but he did not fall for it.

    Has he already figured out the subtle difference between feint and truth?

    Has he already grasped such an extremely calcting ability?

    ng©¤©¤!

    Of course, the power Shion Ascal puts into his sword is infinitely inferior to his own.

    If he were to activate his Magic Body and Sword Strength, or even just manifest his me Sword, he could burn him to ashes in one stroke.

    But, no matter how much he holds back¡­

    Screeee©¤©¤©¤!

    First Sword, Second Sword, Third Sword, Fourth Sword, Fifth Sword, Sixth Sword.

    Gillon linked a total of six swords in a basicbination andunched a grand attack. He unleashed a total of 43 strokes.

    ©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤!

    Yet, he defended them all. As if ying a piano. With the dignified and precise [Eight Swords]. Not allowing a single hit.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Gillon had to admit it.

    He took a few steps back and lowered his sword.

    It was talent.

    Soliette¡¯s words about it not being a fluke finally made sense to him.

    If such talent were to suddenly appear, even he would be momentarily blinded.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    Gillon let out a hollowugh.

    Looking at Shion Ascal, who was still maintaining his [Eight Swords] stance, he asked as if he was amazed.

    ¡°Are you some kind ofputer?¡±

    * * *

    ¡­¡­A weekter.

    Edsi National University.

    The day of the final entrance exam.

    Theia Esil looked at the over 2,000 examinees filling the underground facility. They were current seniors, repeat students, foreigners, and more.

    Theia, holding a microphone, spoke.

    ¡°Wee. Today is the final exam.¡±

    There were 2,000 capsule-like devices in the facility.

    ¡°These capsules will examine your subconscious. They will construct various situations, ask questions, and get answers.¡±

    Subconscious exploration.

    Simply put, it¡¯s a way to weed out spies or troublemakers.

    ¡°Edsi National Magic University is a national institution of Edsi, and receives national support from the parliament to educate, train, and deploy students to actual battlefields. Therefore, we have a duty to exclude any possible infiltrations by terrorist groups, spies trying to steal information or technology.¡±

    The capacity of Edsi Magic University is 2,000 students.

    Therefore, more than 90% of these over 2,000 people will pass.

    However, a few dozen will be identified as spies from the underworld, operatives of cartels, etc., and will be filtered out.

    Also, the final exam scores will somewhat determine their ¡®department¡¯.

    The difference between the Magic University¡¯s lowest department, ¡®Magic Artifact Department¡¯, and the top ¡®Magic Department¡¯ is, to put it simply, like the difference between a worm and a dragon.

    ¡°Everyone. Please enter the capsules.¡±

    At her words, the lids of the capsules opened. The examinees entered and sat inside with tense faces.

    ¡°In exactly one hour. The final exam will begin.¡±

 Chapter 185: Prepare (4)

    <strong>Prepare (4)</strong>

    On the day of the final entrance exam at Edsi National University.

    From the spectator seats, Gillon Berrieto searched for someone¡¯s name on an unfamiliar tablet.

    [Shion Ascal]

    [Endex ©¦ College Board Rank 67]

    [Desired Department ©¦ Knight Department]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gillon recalled the events of the previous week for a moment.

    ¡®I did it by the book because you told me to.¡¯

    Shion Ascal had answered his question like that.

    ¡®¡­No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Are you memorizing all the Eight Swords?¡¯

    ¡®The Eight Swords techniques?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, thebinations of the sword basics.¡¯

    ¡®Somewhat. Once I learn something, I don¡¯t easily forget.¡¯

    ¡®Once learned, not easily forgotten¡­¡¯

    Shion Ascal had used the Eight Swords in the College Board curriculum. But because he had modified it at his discretion, Igris had belittled it as a trick.

    Gillon himself initially thought the same. He thought it was a ruse that focused only on what was visible, ignoring the basics.

    It wasn¡¯t.

    Rather, it was because his basics were perfect that such a radical modification was possible.

    ¡°Photographic memory. Something like that.¡±

    Eight Swords is a swordsmanship that openly requires memorization. Probably, memory itself would be included in the basics.

    ¡°Mr. Gillon.¡±

    Just then, someone approached him.

    ¡°Ah, Theia. It¡¯s you.¡±

    Theia Esil. She was a renowned professor at the national university.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Theia chuckled as she looked at Gillon.

    She is a mage and a knight at the same time. A genius among geniuses who entered the Magic Department of the national university and double majored in the Knight Department.

    Gillon was her old swordsmanship teacher.

    ¡°Are you examining the unconscious with those capsule-like things?¡±

    When Gillon asked, Theia sat next to him.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re examining the unconscious.¡±

    ¡°Is it magic?¡±

    ¡°Um~ No.¡±

    Theia, dealing with Gillon, was quite lively. In fact, during her college days, she was a reckless girl who overestimated her own talent, but now those old images remain only in the memory of a very few, including Gillon.

    ¡°It¡¯s closer to science.¡±

    ¡°Science?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To be precise, it¡¯s electricity, recing storage space with magic power. It reads the subject¡¯s brain waves to create a deep structure, manifests the unconscious into consciousness there, and obtains information.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so? I see.¡±

    His face showed that he didn¡¯t understand at all.

    Theia gave a small smile.

    ¡°Did youe to see Soliette?¡±

    ¡°Yes, fortunately, she attended.¡±

    The reason Igris dispatched Gillon was originally because of Soliette¡¯s college admission.

    In case she changed her mind and disappeared.

    ¡°But, professor. Do you know a Shion Ascal?¡±

    For a moment, Theia¡¯s expression hardened slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why that examinee?¡±

    ¡°He seems to have talent.¡±

    ¡°They all have talent. If they¡¯ve made it this far.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true. Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gillon cleared his throat, and Theia stood up from her seat.

    ¡°The exam should take a reasonable amount of time. Shortest would be 2 hours, longest could be up to 6 hours?¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    ¡°Alright. It was nice seeing you.¡±

    Leaving Gillon behind, Theia returned to the monitoring room.

    There, hundreds of monitors were already conducting the exam.

    Tap-tap-tap©¤

    Examiners were busy typing on keyboards, and words were being updated in real time on the screens.

    [Q: What is your name?]

    [A: Elise Petra.]

    [Q: Why did you choose the National University?]

    [A: I thought the National University was the only suitable university to develop my talent.]

    ¡°Elise is as self-loving as I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen¡¯s unconscious is filled with things like cotton candy and chocte.¡±

    ¡°Asher is¡­ a social media person. There¡¯s a possibility he might leak confidential information on SNS.¡±

    In this way, when the examiners in the monitoring room ask questions via keyboard, the subject¡¯s unconscious answers.

    This is the first round of the exam.

    The second round of the exam involves making the examinee¡¯s unconscious experience ¡®situations¡¯ and ¡®environments¡¯.

    ¡°Professor. We¡¯re ready.¡±

    A researcher spoke to Theia. She turned to look. The door to the capsule was open.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go in yourself, professor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have some free time today.¡±

    This is a capsule for directly entering the unconscious of a person in question.

    Theia sat down inside.

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll try experiencing one person.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Which scenario will it be?¡±

    Which scenario should she choose?

    Theia pondered for a moment, but then¡­

    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯ll try Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Examinee number 0001?¡±

    Theia was curious about him. He imed to be a confidant of Libra, caught the eye of her own swordsmanship teacher, and solved her own riddle.

    ¡°His ranking has suspiciously skyrocketed. Let¡¯s examine him.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    * * *

    Ding©¤ Ding©¤ Ding©¤ Ding©¤

    Inside the capsule, a bell-like sound that seemed to hit the brain rang out.

    Ding©¤ Ding©¤ Ding©¤ Ding©¤

    I nkly opened my eyes.

    It was pitch ck all around.

    Zzzzzzzzzz©¤©¤!

    Soon, the door of the capsule opened. Right in front of me was a researcher in a gown.

    ¡°The brainwave test is over.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes? It¡¯s over?¡±

    He adjusted his sses and spoke.

    ¡°Follow me. We will ask a few questions in the interview room.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Yes.¡±

    I followed him.

    The interview room was a stark white space. Only two chairs were ced in the middle.

    ¡°Please sit.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sat in the chair opposite the examiner.

    ¡°First. Examinee number 0001. What is your name.¡±

    ¡°I am Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Why did you choose the National University?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the best university on the continent.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The job I want won¡¯t even look at me unless I¡¯m a graduate of the National University.¡±

    That¡¯s how Libra is.

    * * *

    Of course, even if you¡¯re not from a national university, you can still be a tool for Libra. However, a tool is merely ¡®consumed.¡¯

    I cannot be that. I must be an ¡®irreceable¡¯ person.

    ¡°Where do you work?¡±

    ¡°¡­Libra.¡±

    ¡°Is your dream job at Libra?¡±

    ¡°I am a knight of Libra.¡±

    All of these are prepared answers. But they are not lies. I sincerely wish for it.

    I will definitely be a knight of Libra.

    ¡°Your College Board scores have significantly improvedpared to your Endex grades. What do you think is the reason¡­¡±

    ¡°Determination and effort.¡±

    After that, I exchanged several questions and answers.

    * * *

    ¡¸3 monthster¡¹

    ©¤©¤Wee to Edsi National Magic University.

    Today, the auditorium of the National Magic University is bustling with the entrance ceremony.

    On the stage are school officials, including the chairman and professors, holding the weight, in the center are students with overwhelmed faces, and in the audience seats are parents.

    ©¤©¤On this day when the green spring is approaching, A magical space will wee a new beginning¡­

    Tap-tap-

    Then someone touched my arm.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    It was a cute-looking guy with ck hair.

    ¡°Oh. Hello.¡±

    I responded briefly.

    He asked again.

    ¡°You¡¯re Shion Ascal, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­you know me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know. You¡¯re famous.¡±

    He covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled. I just raised my eyebrows.

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also in the knight department. You¡¯re in the knight department too, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I saw you beat Gerkhen. Want to exchange numbers after the entrance ceremony?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    I have no intention of working hard in college life or bing friends with anyone.

    ©¤©¤Thank you all. Pleasee as undergraduates starting next week.

    Finally, the boring entrance ceremony ended. The apuse resounded off the ceiling. The parents in the audience came down.

    They hugged each other with proud faces, but of course, I am alone among them.

    I have no family.

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±

    As I was about to leave the auditorium, suddenly.

    That guy caught my eye.

    The guy who suddenly started talking to me. The guy with ck hair. He was standing there, staring nkly.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Does he not have a family either?

    I clicked my tongue and approached him. It was because of a senseless sense of kinship.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    He looked up at me. His eyes, like obsidian, were wide open. He was only as tall as my chest, which made me feel strangely sorry for him.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Tei.¡±

    He hesitated before telling me his name.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family?¡±

    It¡¯s quite a sensitive question. Not many people are allowed to ask this kind of question. If someone with a family asks, it¡¯s either picking a fight or they¡¯re clueless.

    It¡¯s a question only allowed for people like me who don¡¯t have a family.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence. I don¡¯t have one either.¡±

    Then he held out his phone.

    ¡°Do you¡­ want to exchange numbers?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I entered my number into his phone.

    ¡¸9 monthster¡¹

    We are on the field. As university students, we are ¡®practicing.¡¯

    This practice ss is about collecting materials in a crystal cave.

    ¡°Be careful, Shion.¡±

    Tei spoke, his hand sweaty with worry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got this.¡±

    Zzzzzz©¤©¤

    A crystal flower blooming in the corner of the crystal cave. Slowly grinding it with a magic grinder, I put the fully collected flower bud into the magic container.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    ©¤©¤At that moment.

    Swoosh!

    A quiet sound of cutting through the air. Something sliced through the crystal cave.

    ¡°Shion! Dodge!¡±

    Tei pushed me.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Instead of me, arge spike was embedded in his stomach. I quickly turned around. There was a crystal scorpion.

    ¡°Tei! Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. Are¡­¡­ you¡­¡­ okay¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m okay, you idiot.¡±

    I drew my sword.

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    Grrrr-!

    I swung my sword at the creature threateningly grinding its teeth. I showed no mercy. From the very beginning, I used the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹.

    The creature was cut in half in an instant.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion.¡±

    Tei called me. I looked at him. His eyes were like a startled rabbit¡¯s.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­¡­ hiding your swordsmanship?¡±

    Probably because of the Severing Sword.

    I spoke as I pulled a bandage from my pocket.

    ¡°Stop talking and apply pressure to the wound. You¡¯ll be fine if we get to the hospital right away¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    Edsi National Hospital.

    I asked the doctor while watching him through the ss window after the surgery.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is he going to be okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His life is not in danger. He will need to be hospitalized for a few weeks, though.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±

    A sigh of relief escaped me before I knew it.

    Why did this guy have to overdo it? It would have been easier and quicker for me to recover if I had been hit.

    ¡°Is he your colleague?¡±

    The doctor asked with a somewhat pleased face.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Colleague.

    I pondered for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose you could say that.¡±

    Actually, there was nothing to think about.

    Throughout university life, I was always with him. We were both loners, but it was a strange coincidence that we were partners in almost all sses.

    Then he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at me. He smiled like a fool and put his finger on the ss window.

    Tap-tap-

    He wrote letters.

    [Let¡¯s do the next practice together too]

    ¡°¡­¡­Sure.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and chuckled.

    * * *

    ¡¸2 yearster¡¹

    University life passed like a shot arrow. Like an arrow, it hit the target as soon as it was released.

    I wasn¡¯t lonely. I had almost all my lectures with Tei. He was in almost all of my university life.

    Anyway, only the knight¡¯s test was left.

    Climbing Mount Evert, rumored to be dangerous, is thest part of the knight¡¯s test.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it you again?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it.¡±

    Surely the partners should have been shuffled randomly.

    My test partner is this guy again©¤Tei.

    ¡°Ah~ Shion, I¡¯m getting a bit tired of this.¡±

    He yawned and nced at me. However, there was a smile on his lips.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I should be saying?¡±

    Anyway, Evert is not a mountain to climb in a day or two. It¡¯s a whopping 10,353m above sea level, so you have to be prepared for at least 2-3 months.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    We started climbing together.

    We climbed the sheer cliff, breaking through the swirling blizzard.

    So, one day, two days, three days, four days¡­¡­ At some point during our endless climb.

    Pazuzzuk©¤©¤!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Tei slipped off the cliff.

    ¡°Tei!¡±

    I rushed over and grabbed his hand, but his whole body hit the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­For now.¡±

    Hweeeee©¤©¤!

    The swirling blizzard. I barely pulled him up, hanging precariously on the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Hey. Check your body.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He looked at me and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡­¡­ I¡¯ll give up here. I hurt my leg.¡±

    His leg, especially his ankle, was almost twisted in the opposite direction.

    ¡°Would you do that if you were me?¡±

    But, I couldn¡¯t leave him behind.

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get better if you rest a bit. I¡¯ll carry you.¡±

    I forcibly carried him on my back.

    Hweeeee©¤©¤!

    I broke through the blizzard that I couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead of, and luckily found a cave.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s rest, then go.¡±

    Iid him down inside. I made a curtain to block the blizzard. I lit a fire with camping tools.

    Hwaruk©¤!

    The cave became warmly lit.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you. Shion.¡±

    Tei said in a shy tone.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have done the same?¡±

    Probably Tei would have done the same.

    Our university life was always like this.

    Because he was someone who would do it for me, I did it for him.

    ¡°¡­¡­But you know.¡±

    Tei nced at me as he warmed his hands by the bonfire.

    ¡°Why are you trying to go to Libra?¡±

    He seemed curious about it.

    Indeed, although we¡¯ve been together throughout university, we don¡¯t know much about each other.

    I didn¡¯t ept personal questions.

    ¡°¡­¡­My father was a knight of Libra.¡±

    ¡°Just because of that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I pondered.

    Would it be okay with this guy?

    Would it be okay to tell him my truth?

    ¡­¡­No.

    My secret should not be shared with anyone.

    For his sake, not mine.

    * * *

    Libra, especially the current head ¡®Sherlock¡¯, is a monster who censors even thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Our family owes a lot of debts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your family that owes the debts.¡±

    ¡°I also owe debts. I grew up in an orphanage.¡±

    ¡°So, is that the end?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. That¡¯s the end.¡±

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, a massive earthquake urred. The earth shook violently.

    ©¤©¤©¤Boom!

    Immediately, a second tremor urred. A pile of rocks fell from the ceiling. I pulled him in. We tumbled together.

    ¡°Ah. Hey, are you okay¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, my words stopped.

    It was because of the position we ended up in.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Tei silently looked up at me.

    I was on top of Tei, and Tei was beneath me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The position itself was embarrassing enough, but that wasn¡¯t the only problem.

    My hand was on his chest.

    I nkly looked down at it.

    The sensation of my hand right now was a bit, no, way too much¡­¡­

    ¡°What the.¡±

    In the silence.

    ¡°You, were you a woman?¡±

    He had always looked cute and pretty.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let, let go! Let me go!¡±

    He pushed me. I, who was thrown off by his fern-like hands, nkly scratched the back of my neck.

    ¡°No¡­¡­¡±

    It was a shock.

    It felt like lightning had struck my head repeatedly.

    ¡°What! No, what! Are you crazy! If you knew, you should have let go properly!¡±

    Tei wrapped his body with his two arms and red at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything but ¡®no¡¯.

    No, has she been hiding her gender all this time?

    No, but why did she hide it?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He bit his lip.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll go get some food for a while. You stay here and sort out your thoughts.¡±

    I hurriedly left the cave.

    Alone in the cave.

    Theia frowned, her annoyance visible.

    ¡°¡­¡­ha.¡±

    She surveyed the harsh surroundings. This was an experience beyond herprehension. She shouldn¡¯t have delved into his subconscious.

    Of course, he was more than qualified. Mental strength, stamina, will, and loyalty¡­¡­. Shion Ascal ticked all the boxes.

    Though it would be a mistake to say that all of them were loyal to Libra.

    Regardless, it was time to conclude the test.

    Theia flicked her wrist andmanded.

    ¡°End.¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    She spoke into her wrist again.

    ¡°Shut down. Can you hear me?¡±

    Still no response.

    She tapped her wrist, and a clock-like disy emerged from her skin.

    It was nk.

    The Wi-Fi indicator was off. That meant there was no external reception.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡­..¡±

    She bit her lip.

    Was it the device itself?

    Or the handiwork of the Libra trio infiltrating the university.

    Either way, it was a nuisance.

    If the test went awry, it would tarnish her reputation, and Libra would relish that.

    ¡°Perhaps I should have rooted them out.¡±

    It was no secret that a mole from Libra had infiltrated the National University. She¡¯d just been waiting for the right moment to act¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Regardless, right now, she needed to escape from this subconscious realm.

    Huh-uh-uh-uh.

    Just then, the door to the cave swung open, letting in a flurry of snow. Shion had returned.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    He coughed roughly, a mountain beast strapped to his back.

    Theia gestured towards the campfire.

    ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s eat quickly and climb the mountain.¡±

 Chapter 186: Prepare (5)

    <strong>Prepare (5)</strong>

    Inside the cave on the snow-covered mountain, Shion cooked, and Theia finished her meal. It was surprisingly tasty.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t actual ¡®taste¡¯, but merely electrical signals transmitted to the brain.

    After all, this ce was Shion¡¯s subconscious. Time stretched to extremes here, so there was no need for nutritional intake or gourmet experiences. Whether you ate a zombie brain or indulged in five-star fine dining, it was all the same.

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    Shion Ascal©¤ or more precisely, his subconscious©¤ asked.

    Theia shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Right now, she had to pretend to be ¡®Tei¡¯, the person Shion knew. She wanted to dismiss it all due to her temperament, but maintaining ¡®flexibility¡¯ was extremely important in this situation.

    Theia showed her ankle.

    ¡°My leg seems to be healing quite well.¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s healing incredibly fast.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m a knight, after all. I heal well.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    If the flexibility waivers, the subject¡¯s subconscious copses.

    When the subconscious copses, it rises to consciousness.

    Everything that happens in the subconscious transfers to consciousness.

    In other words.

    Shion would actually mistake the entire final test process, which should have been buried at the bottom of his subconscious, the 4-5 years that passed in the Matrix of the capsule, and ¡®Tei¡¯, hisrade, for reality.

    It¡¯s a huge error.

    Theia asked cautiously.

    ¡°¡­¡­So, shall we start climbing?¡±

    ¡°No. Let¡¯s rest for today.¡±

    Shion was worried about her, but Theia almost cursed.

    She couldn¡¯t exit the subconscious now that her external connection was cut off. The only way to end the experience was probably toplete the mountain climb.

    ¡°¡­¡­sigh.¡±

    For the record, the time Theia had directly experienced in Shion¡¯s world was barely three hours.

    Once she approached Shion as Tei and got somewhat close, Shion¡¯s subconscious would weave episodes rted to ¡®Tei¡¯ on its own. As therade or friend Shion wished for.

    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t worry. I can keep a secret.¡±

    Shion, misunderstanding Theia¡¯s expression, spoke. She bit her lip gently, recalling the inappropriate physical contact just now.

    Of course, that too was merely an electrical signal¡­¡­

    It¡¯s annoying. It¡¯s bringing out my old personality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep for a day and go.¡±

    Shion spread out his sleeping bag.

    Theia sighed. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. She repeated to herself and held back.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    She also rummaged through her backpack. She had a sleeping bag too. She slid her body into it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She nkly stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Shion spoke. Theia kept her gaze attached to the ceiling and closed her mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­I told you to speak.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re hiding it, but I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re a man or a woman.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia remained silent.

    Then, Shion let out a faint sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. Hey, I¡¯ll tell you something too.¡±

    Theia narrowed her eyes slightly. At that moment, Shion looked back at her.

    ¡°What will you tell me?¡±

    ¡°My secret.¡±

    As Theia, this was somewhat intentional. It¡¯s why she had disguised her gender as ¡®male¡¯.

    The best way to find out someone¡¯s secret is to share a secret.

    She never dreamed it would go like this.

    ¡°You have a secret too?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±

    Shion gave a somewhat bitter smile.

    ¡°You probably can¡¯t imagine it.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we reach the summit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Fine.¡±

    She had nned to do the same.

    As long as the flexibility isn¡¯t damaged, she has to help him climb as quickly as possible. That¡¯s the only way to escape from here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s climb to the summit together.¡±

    ¡°Alright. So, rx your face and rest a bit. I really can keep a secret, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±

    Theia closed her eyes.

    Whooooo©¤©¤©¤

    The snowstorm quietly rolled in from outside the cave.

    Crackle©¤ crackle©¤

    The warm campfire burning inside.

    It was abination that invited sleep.

    * * *

    Two hours into the final test.

    Zzzzzzzzz©¤©¤!

    The lids of the capsules in the examination room were opening one by one. Those who passed quickly were Gerkhen, La, Asher, Kain, Elise, and so on¡­¡­. As expected, most of them were in the top ranks.

    ¡°Ah~ why am I so drowsy.¡±

    La looked around with half-open eyes.

    ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡­. I¡¯m sleepy.¡±

    She yawned as she stretched.

    ¡°La. Do you remember the test content?¡±

    Elise, who was stretching next to her, asked.

    ¡°Me? Remember¡­¡­ I barely do. What about you, Elly?¡±

    She had a feeling that she had taken some test in this capsule, but it was vague like a dream.

    ¡°I remember a little bit of thest part.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I was great.¡±

    Elise said it in the most basic way. La looked at her and chuckled.

    ¡°Pfft. Oh, really. ¡®Elly the Great¡¯, huh~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably an aftereffect. A phenomenon simr to ¡®residue¡¯.¡±

    The voice of a researcher who happened toe by.

    He was checking several things on his tablet as he spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll forget it in a day or two. Elise, you scored a perfect 10. La, you got 9.¡±

    A perfect score.

    A satisfying score.

    Elise nced at her waist. The rabbit doll ¡®Cookie¡¯ was hidden there.

    Even in her unconsciousness, she had often relied on this Cookie. It was a strange thing.

    ¡°Why did I get 9? Elly got 10.¡±

    La nced at Elise and asked.

    ¡°La, you passed in several areas, but you had an unconscious defense mechanism.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Right.¡±

    La had undergone unconscious training. To prevent herself from being discovered as ¡®M¡¯. To hide her memories of her deceased father.

    ¡°There were deductions for transparency, but in all other areas, you showed excellent mental strength and pure empathy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~ That¡¯s good, right?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. You scored 9 points.¡±

    ¡°Yay.¡±

    Elise shifted her gaze elsewhere.

    Shion Ascal. He was still in the capsule.

    But he¡¯ll probably be out soon.

    He¡¯s the one who even survived the phantom.

    ¡°Elly. Shall we have a party to celebrate passing?!¡±

    La hooked her arm around Elise¡¯s. Elise pushed her away.

    ¡°I have a magic tutoring schedule.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Even though the entrance exam is over? Why is your life like that, Elly?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my life?¡±

    ¡°You only study.¡±

    Elise raised an eyebrow and packed her stuff.

    ¡°Life is a process of learning.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­¡­Ebert Mountain.

    Theia climbed the mountain while maintaining as much flexibility in the situation and characters as possible.

    With Shion, for a full three weeks. Of course, in real time, it would probably be between 10 and 20 minutes.

    Whooooo©¤©¤©¤

    As always, a blizzard was raging halfway up the mountain.

    Shion stopped Theia from moving forward.

    ¡°Hold on. There¡¯s a yeti over there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A yeti?¡±

    Yetis are not programmed monsters.

    Theia looked in that direction.

    As he said, it wasn¡¯t a yeti¡­ It was just a transparent skeleton covered in a blizzard, making it look like a yeti.

    It¡¯s a ¡®vine¡¯.

    The capsule matrix¡¯s own security program. The target is likely herself.

    In a situation where the external connection is cut off, an outsider like ¡®Theia¡¯ would be nothing more than a virus.

    However, it¡¯s crucial that Shion doesn¡¯t discover that it¡¯s a vine. That in itself would be a flexibility error.

    ¡°Kill it in one hit. Yetis have excellent recovery abilities and will recover quickly.¡±

    At Theia¡¯s words, Shion drew his sword.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    The vine stomped its feet and charged. Shion took a deep breath and loosely held his sword.

    At first nce, his posture seemed like he had given up on life.

    But the moment the vine crossed a certain ¡®line¡¯.

    ©¤©¤.

    The first sword soared vertically.

    The second sword swept horizontally.

    The third sword intertwined diagonally.

    The three strokes of the sword were ¡®simultaneous¡¯.

    As if three swordsmen had released their sword strikes at the same moment.

    His swordsmanship ¡®cut¡¯ through space, and the vine soon crumbled.

    Theia observed the scene with an analytical eye, but analysis was impossible. It was an enigma in itself.

    ¡°What kind of swordsmanship is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I learned it from my master.¡±

    That¡¯s all Shion answered.

    ¡°Which master¡­ No, let¡¯s move on.¡±

    Regardless of what happened, she needed to keep Shion focused on the goal of reaching the summit. Before he discovered the existence of the vine.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Shion sheathed his sword. The two of them resumed their climb up the snow-covered mountain.

    After some time had passed,

    ¡°Ah. There, a shelter.¡±

    Theia pointed in the distance. There was a faint shelter, like a distant lighthouse.

    Shion¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°A shelter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ebert is popr as a training ground. So, there are such shelters starting from the middle. It means we¡¯ve made it at least 60% of the way.¡±

    Indeed, the real Ebert Mountain is the same.

    Theia, who had already conquered Ebert, knew this.

    ¡°Oh. You know a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen it before¡­ in a Dra-ma.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s rest here for today.¡±

    The two of them entered the shelter together.

    In the cramped shelter, which seemed full with just four people lying down, there was a single TV.

    ¡°There¡¯s a TV?¡±

    Shion showed interest.

    ¡°It seems so. It must operate on magic.¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s a machine prepared by the capsule matrix itself. The TV is the best way to project unconsciousness.

    Theia, noticing this, picked up the remote.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shall we watch it?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°You turn it on.¡±

    She handed the remote to Shion. It was to activate the unconsciousness with Shion¡¯s will.

    Ding-

    He turned on the TV.

    ©¤In the news, Arkne¡¯s sessor Soliette has been appointed as the first-ranked knight¡­¡­

    The first news was about Soliette.

    Shion stared at the screen quietly. His expression was filled with affection and relief.

    ©¤In other news, there has been an incident of patients escaping from the Petra mental hospital.

    ¡°¡­¡­Mental hospital?¡±

    Theia chuckled, not understanding. On the other hand, Shion smiled somewhat proudly.

    ©¤In other news, Professor Theia, who was surrounded by all sorts of suspicions, has quelled all controversies and is said to be returning to her professorship.

    ¡°All controversies quelled¡­¡­?¡±

    The sudden news about Theia. At that moment, Theia furrowed her brows, and

    Rumble©¤©¤©¤!

    The inside of the shelter shook violently.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Shion looked around. Theia looked at her wrist.

    [Warning: Flexibility Decrease]

    It was a flexibility error. This TV only shows the content that Shion Ascal unconsciously ¡®wishes¡¯ for, so he felt ufortable.

    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t notice with the TV.

    ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡±

    This guy.

    He¡¯s definitely not ordinary.

    ©¤In other news, thepletion of the clinical treatment is not far¡­¡­

    Theia quickly turned off the TV. The vibration stopped at that moment.

    ¡°What was that just-¡±

    ¡°Shion. Do you know Professor Theia well?¡±

    She quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°Professor Theia?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She was just on the news.¡±

    ¡°Of course I know¡­¡­ huh?¡±

    Shion suddenly stopped speaking. Then, blinking his eyes, he looked at himself.

    His gaze was too sharp. Theia¡¯s head shrank back like a turtle.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait. What is this.¡±

    He furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±

    Could it be.

    Did he realize that she was Theia?

    ¡°¡­¡­Speak. What.¡±

    Despite this, Theia maintained herposure. She quietly met his gaze.

    ¡°You look like Professor Theia? Are you her hidden younger sibling or something?¡±

    Phew.

    She swallowed a sigh of relief and shook her head.

    ¡°No. Would that be the case?¡±

    ¡°Right? There¡¯s no way she¡¯d have a sibling. She doesn¡¯t even have friends.¡±

    Shion chuckled and leaned back against the chair.

    ¡°¡­¡­Friends.¡±

    Thement about not having friends was a bit irritating.

    ¡°But, you, Tei. You really do resemble Professor Theia. Your names are even simr. Now I understand why I became friends with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You became friends with me because I resemble Professor Theia?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­ not exactly. It¡¯s just that, for some reason, I didn¡¯t feel any aversion towards you from the moment we first met.¡±

    To Theia, the flow of this conversation felt somewhat strange.

    Would a face resembling Theia¡¯s be a reason to not feel aversion?

    ¡°To that extent, you. You must know Professor Theia well, right?¡±

    Theia asked him about Theia.

    Shion responded with a small smile and a shrug.

    ¡°¡­¡­I know her well. But she doesn¡¯t know me well.¡±

    Theia is good at reading people¡¯s expressions.

    She saw the faint colors spreading across Shion¡¯splexion.

    Within them were hues of longing and goodwill, as well as respect and admiration.

    ¡°You know Professor Theia well? What kind of person is she?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ first of all. She¡¯s cold and aloof to everyone.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Theia was puzzled.

    When did we ever meet?

    Of course, up to this point, even if they hadn¡¯t met, these facts could be roughly known through rumors.

    ¡°Also, she doesn¡¯t have any friends. She doesn¡¯t have anyone to confide her innermost thoughts to. To use a metaphor, she¡¯s the type who likes good restaurants but can¡¯t go because she has no one to go with?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia wanted to punch his face.

    He had hit the nail on the head.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s a harsh and prickly person. She goes out of her way to make enemies. It¡¯s the same with her superiors and subordinates. Instead of just saying ¡®I understand-¡® and turning away, she points out every single mistake, making people tired.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve said enough-¡±

    ¡°She seems to do this because she knows better than anyone else that she¡¯s irreceable. She knows too well how good she is. So, she¡¯s frustrated with her subordinates and superiors who can¡¯t keep up with her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia justy down on the bed.

    Shion¡¯s voice continued to flow.

    ¡°But¡­¡­ she¡¯s a good person. She¡¯s always been a good person.¡±

    His tone was reminiscent of recalling a pleasant past.

    She was irritated by that.

    ¡°Hey. How do you know all this? Are you a stalker?¡±

    Theia lost herposure for a very brief moment. Her questioning voice was prickly.

    ¡°A stalker¡­¡­ no. I was just a fan.¡±

    ¡°A fan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just understand it that way.¡±

    ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­A very long time ago. It¡¯s probably been more than 10 years.¡±

    A fan.

    Of course, Theia was always a genius and always a star. Her every move had been publicized in the media since she was ten.

    But precisely because of that, if he was a fan of Theia.

    ¡°That professor hates Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Right.¡±

    Shion looked up at the ceiling with a sigh mixed with a smile.

    ¡°So, she¡¯ll probably be my enemy someday.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    My enemy.

    The one she could kill with the tip of her finger was talking about enemies.

    Theia covered her face. Sheughed silently.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no choice. Her methods are wrong.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know what was wrong.

    She didn¡¯t want to ask.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sleepy. Let¡¯s sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Shion alsoy down on the bed.

    ¡°Good night.¡±

    Theia didn¡¯t reply.

    * * *

    Rumble, rumble, rumble©¤©¤©¤!

    At the summit of Mount Ebert, where a snowstorm was raging like mad.

    I finally reached the top.

    With my friend and colleague after the regression, Tei.

    ¡°Yahoo©¤©¤!¡±

    I shouted, but the sound didn¡¯t echo. Damn snowstorm.

    I just looked at the person next to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­You did well. Tei.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You too.¡±

    Tei, who nced at me, shoved her hands into her pockets.

    ¡°But. Didn¡¯t you say you had something to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Something to tell?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When we reach the summit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, right. A secret.¡±

    I nodded.

    I had a promise with her.

    ¡°But¡­¡­. I¡¯m naturally tight-lipped? I won¡¯t tell anyone that you¡¯re a woman.¡±

    ¡°So. You¡¯re breaking the promise?¡±

    Tei¡¯s eyes narrowed. I scratched the back of my neck.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not exactly a pleasant secret.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a good person to begin with. I¡¯m naturally unpleasant.¡±

    Tei nced at her wrist.

    ¡°Quickly. Tell me. We have to keep our promise.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­.¡±

    A secret.

    I¡¯ve never told this secret to anyone with my own mouth. I¡¯ve been caught by someone, though.

    It¡¯s not a secret that gets better when shared.

    But¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±

    Tei, I feel like I can tell her.

    It feels like something will be relieved inside me.

    ¡°Tei.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Speak. Don¡¯t waste time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m trying to speak.¡±

    Tei has been quite sharp since the day she found out about my gender. Was that a sensitive secret to her?

    Anyway.

    ¡°I.¡±

    I put on an appropriate smile.

    What kind of expression should I use when I say this?

    Honestly, I¡¯ll never know, but at least I should pretend that I¡¯m not bothered.

    ¡°I¡¯m on borrowed time.¡±

    Borrowed time.

    Simply put, I don¡¯t have much time left to live.

    ¡°I probably won¡¯t make it past my 30s.¡±

    Tei¡¯s eyes looking at me.

    Her pupils, always like obsidian, gradually grewrger. They shook, mixed with the snowstorm that wrapped around the summit of the mountain.

    ¡°That¡¯s my secret.¡±

    And then¡­¡­.

 Chapter 187: Prepare (6)

    <strong>Prepare (6)</strong>

    [End of Test]

    Krrrzzzzz©¤©¤©¤!

    The capsule¡¯s lid opened.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    I looked around from inside the capsule. Everything was dark.

    ¡°Is it all over?¡±

    There was no response. Even the air felt heavy and silent.

    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±

    As I crawled out, I surveyed the capsules. All were empty.

    ¡°¡­¡­Am I thest one?¡±

    What on earth happened? If the ranking is determined by who finishes first, does that mean I can¡¯t go to the Knight Academy?

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m stiff.¡±

    I stretched first. I checked the time on my smartphone in my pocket.

    8 PM.

    I had been in this capsule for almost half a day.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hello? Excuse me?¡±

    I waved my hands towards the ss observation room on the second floor. I even jumped up and down, but there was no response.

    Even if I¡¯m thest one, shouldn¡¯t at least one person wait?

    I walked towards the exit. But there was no handle.

    ¡°How do you open this-¡±

    Krrrzzzzz©¤©¤©¤!

    It opened automatically. It was an automatic door.

    ¡°Oh, that startled me.¡±

    I took a step back in surprise. There was a person in the darkness beyond the corridor. She walked towards me, her heels clicking.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia Esil. Holding a tablet PC in one hand, she approached and spoke.

    ¡°Shion Ascal, you scored 9 points.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Out of 100?¡±

    ¡°Out of 10.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Theia was busy operating her tablet with her long fingers. I just watched her silently.

    ¡°Your subconscious was excellent in many ways, but¡­¡­¡±

    Thump-.

    Theia closed her tablet. Her sharp gaze swept over me.

    ¡°You should focus more on yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Devote the time you spend admiring others to your own development, and make ¡®yourself¡¯ the purpose of your life.¡±

    She rubbed her eyebrows with a rather tired expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­It would be better for you as well.¡±

    As Theia turned around, she was the very image of a professor. Her attitude towards undergraduates was the same.

    Perhaps, this means I¡¯ve passed.

    In fact, she was like this during our first meeting before the regression.

    She always wears a mask.

    When she kills a person, when she deals with a person, when she handles animals, when she deals with a case, when she focuses on her work, she switches her behavioral principles with different masks.

    ¡¸Switch¡¹.

    That is her Spectrum, her defense mechanism to hide herself, and the reason she is called a sociopath.

    Click©¤

    Theia¡¯s footsteps stopped. She only slightly turned her profile.

    ¡°Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The contents of your subconscious.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ It¡¯s vague.¡±

    I scratched my jaw.

    ¡°I think I wasn¡¯t alone.¡±

    I¡¯m sure I was with someone.

    The existence of that person is vaguely remembered, but the rest is blurry.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t remember well.¡±

    This is the first time I¡¯ve had an experience where something doesn¡¯te to mind since the regression. I wonder if things that happen in the subconscious escape the influence of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°It¡¯s an afterimage. It¡¯s a phenomenon close to an echo. You¡¯ll forget it in a week at thetest.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yes.¡±

    Leaving such a business-likement, Professor Theia left me.

    ¡­¡­.

    A dark night.

    Theia Esil sat alone in her office. Resting her hand on her chin, she closed her eyes in silence, retracing the afterglow of the subconscious.

    ©¤I¡¯m on borrowed time.

    His calm confession that he wouldn¡¯t live long, his words wouldn¡¯t be a lie. Because the subconscious cannot lie.

    Theia didn¡¯t ask him what kind of disease it was.

    Even she, who doesn¡¯t deeply ponder others¡¯ psychology, found the situation pitiable enough.

    His words, that he wouldn¡¯t live past his 30s, were hard to fathom even for her, who was always analytical.

    ©¤A stalker¡­¡­ no. I was just a fan.

    Moreover, Shion said he was a fan of Theia.

    Fan: A person who is passionately fond of sports games, yers, or theater, movies, music, actors, singers, etc.

    It was understandable.

    Theia had been a star since she was young. She grew up envied by all her peers, and the media observed her every move.

    A genius who stirred the jealousy of nobles with her talent alone.

    A hero of themon people.

    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute. Ascal?¡±

    Suddenly, Theia repeated his surname.

    It seemed like a name she had heard somewhere before.

    Did I meet his n at some point?

    She couldn¡¯t remember clearly¡­ anyway.

    Now, she had other work to do.

    Who the hell were the ones who infiltrated the test? And what information did they steal?

    She had to trace them back, catch them, and tear them apart.

    Tadadadadak©¤©¤.

    She drummed on the serverputer¡¯s keyboard like a piano.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤The next day.

    Edsi, Section 0 of the Aerial Garden.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Jade, the second son of Libra, was reading the [Unconscious Dialogue] in his office.

    ¡°I wonder if I should praise him at times like this.¡±

    He spoke with a neutral expression.

    ¡°He even does unconscious censorship for us.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡±

    His secretary chimed in.

    The [Unconscious Test] is legally permitted only to national universities. The very reason being ¡®the security of institutions operated with the nation¡¯s taxes¡¯.

    Therefore, although unconscious data is immediately discarded after the test, if it¡¯s stolen before that, it¡¯s fair game. Libra has the manpower for that.

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    Jade called Zia.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    He was buried under all sorts of dialogues on the sofa. Most of them were records of Shion Ascal.

    ¡°What part are you reading?¡±

    ¡°Libra¡­¡­ The part where he talks about Libra¡­¡­¡±

    She showed him the dialogue.

    [Tei: Professor Theia hates Libra, doesn¡¯t she?

    Shion: ¡­¡­Yes. So, she¡¯ll probably be my enemy someday.

    Tei: ¡­¡­.

    Shion: It can¡¯t be helped. Her methods are wrong.

    Tei: I¡¯m sleepy. Let¡¯s go to sleep.

    Shion: Yeah. Sleep well.]

    A section where Shion¡¯s unconscious loyalty can be seen.

    Jade chuckled.

    ¡°I also liked that part.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ But¡­¡­ Is there¡­¡­ nothing next¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Next?¡±

    Jade looked at his secretary. The secretary asked with a tense face.

    ¡°What next are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The ¡®secret¡¯ that Shion Ascal said he would reveal¡­¡­ It¡¯s not there¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ That¡¯s because¡­¡­ Professor Theia reset the programming and traced back as soon as she came out of the unconscious, so there wasn¡¯t enough time. The download was cut off in the middle.¡±

    Libra, or more precisely, the ¡®insider¡¯ of the university that receives Libra¡¯s orders, put Professor Theia into the unconscious.

    Of course, it was pure coincidence that the unconscious was Shion Ascal, but the insider installed a program on the server to transmit [Unconscious Information] to Libra while the professor was trapped, but Theia discovered it in just 10 minutes.

    That¡¯s why the information is sporadically cut off.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Zia looked disappointed, but Jade twisted his lips in a smirk.

    ¡°What secret could there be? It must be love.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Love?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯vee to like you, Tei. Something dramatic like that.¡±

    Jade. He surprisingly believes in love. Perhaps because love hase to him as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to dig out secrets.¡±

    Jade rose from his office chair. He looked out the window.

    ¡°Every person has at least one secret rted to love¡­¡­.¡±

    As he muttered this, a soft sigh flowed. A pale memory flickered in his eyes that followed the void.

    He might be reminiscing about his old love.

    ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    His secretary quickly vacated the spot.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade silently looked at his own palm.

    ¡­¡­Aaaaaaaah!

    A scream from a certain moment reverberates like a hallucination. The illusion of blood and flesh sttering induces a headache.

    This is the only pain that can torment him.

    Thus, Jade believes in love.

    Even if¡­¡­ it¡¯s a love he himself shattered.

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    Jade looked at Zia reflected in the window.

    ¡°Read the documents here. Do not take them outside, and burn them after reading.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I have some business to attend to.¡±

    He briskly left his office.

    * * *

    [Under Construction]

    Near Edsi. Apletely empty shop not far from the national university.

    I smirked at the construction sign hanging there.

    ¡°What.¡±

    This is the right ce for today¡¯s meeting.

    ¡°What do you mean what? It¡¯s a game room.¡±

    Someone sneakily appeared and stood next to me.

    Is it Elise¡­¡­ or not?

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Elise. I¡¯m in disguise, so shush.¡±

    She was disguised like some private detective. A burberry coat, sunsses as big as a fist, even a pipe.

    ¡°Why the sudden disguise?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t read the news at all, do you?¡±

    ¡°Ah~ That love affair? Does anyone believe that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Then Elise let out a faint sigh.

    ¡°You might think that way. No, everyone might think that way. But for me, the fact that such a love affair rumor is spreading¡­¡­ Anyway. Did you bring the game console?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    For some reason, Elise had reserved a space for gaming herself.

    It¡¯s safer to gather in one ce or something.

    I took out the game console and Grawl from my bag.

    Meow©¤ Meow©¤

    As soon as he came out, he rubbed his face against Elise¡¯s ankle.

    ¡°A cat, huh.¡±

    Elise blinked her eyes.

    ¡°I brought him to serve as a guard while we y. Oh, right. Hey. I intentionally invited Soliettete.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Elise¡¯s shoulders flinched. She fiddled with her sunsses and asked while biting her lips.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­ Why did you do that? Did you want to have some time, just the two of us?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about.¡±

    I opened the door. Contrary to the construction sign, the interior was neat.

    There was a sofa, several monitors, game console stands, even a conference table¡­¡­

    ¡°What the. It¡¯s neat?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s my building.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders a bit proudly.

    ¡°Your building?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Officially, it¡¯s the first real estate under my name. A gift for entering university.¡±

    ¡°But the admission announcement hasn¡¯t been made yet?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    She crossed her arms as if amused.

    ¡°I heard in advance. By the way, you also passed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I did?¡±

    My eyes widened slightly.

    ¡°Admission to the Department of Knight Studies?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You passed. You¡¯re in the top 120 nationwide. Congrattions? You survived.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ahem.¡±

    I coughed awkwardly.

    I thought she only knew how to say annoying things, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°More importantly, Elise. Sit here. In front of me.¡±

    I said, sitting at the conference table. Elise asked with a somewhat suspicious tone.

    ¡°Why are you asking me to do that?¡±

    Her face was slightly flushed. What¡¯s with the blush? Did she catch a cold?

    ¡°You know the ¡®Protection¡¯ form, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯Protection¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Can you teach me that quickly?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then Elise bit her lips tightly. She was like a sulky bulldog.

    ¡°You. Do you know how much my tutoring fee is? You¡¯re always asking me to-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve helped you too.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    She shook her head and put something on the table. Most of it was academic journals, but one thing bothered me.

    ¡°Hey. Wait. What¡¯s that?¡±

    It was the Magic Spell©¤¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    ¡°Why do you have that?¡±

    It¡¯s the form I submitted. Why does Elise have it?

    ¡°Ah~ this?¡±

    Elise chuckled. She proudly waved her hand. It was a gesture of a somewhat elegant noble.

    ¡°A mage should always follow the trend. This is a form released in Trick City three days ago, it was quite hot. I brought it right away to study.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡±

    It was released three days ago.

    ¡°Literally, it¡¯s a ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹. If you put a mana stone in this form andplete it, a box is assembled. If you set the coordinates, it delivers to the desired ce¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise recited the details rted to the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ with an excited face.

    ¡°¡­¡­So, is Trick City full of flying boxes now?¡±

    ¡°Soon? It will probably be like that soon. This form is not only academically valuable, but it¡¯s also very practical and versatile.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. These days, even the Magic Tower is showing interest in this mage named ¡®Dale Kal¡¯. There are rumors that he¡¯s an exiled mage. And¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise chattered tremendously about the rumors about a mage named Dale Kal circting in the Magic Tower.

    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway. I¡¯m curious about who he is too. He¡¯s probably someone who isn¡¯t bound by rules? He must have left for Trick City because he didn¡¯t like the procedures of the Magic Tower.¡±

    He¡¯s right in front of your eyes.

    -Of course, I swallowed those words.

    ¡°Okay then. Now teach me the Protection form.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. I guess I shouldn¡¯t have offered to teach.¡±

    Elise sighed.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Never mind, just watch. Protection is a bit different from Barrier. If ¡®Barrier¡¯ forms a shield of magic, ¡®Protection¡¯ is a concept of putting a glove on an object¡­¡­¡±

    * * *

    The National Magic University¡¯s Records Room.

    Theia Esil stood in front of a bookshelf, flipping through some confidential documents, when she suddenly froze. Her fingers tightened on the page.

    ¡°Dale Ascal.¡±

    Sheid her finger on a page with various names.

    [¡­123. Vinova Tineer

    124. Dale Ascal

    125. Velukan Skindor¡­]

    Dale Ascal.

    The name Ascal.

    She remembered seeing it somewhere, in an operation document from about ten years ago.

    ¡°¡­Am I some kind of unbelievable genius?¡±

    A name that seemed vaguely familiar.

    But she had actually met him. They must have crossed paths at the operation site at least once.

    She couldn¡¯t recall his face, but what level was this momentary memory?

    Swallowing a hollowugh, Theia gathered the documents. She stepped out of the records room-

    ¡°Excuse me, Professor.¡±

    An assistant professor suddenly appeared at the door.

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    Theia frowned. Had he been waiting for her toe out all this time?

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s about the magic formtion experiment you assigned.¡±

    The red-haired assistant professor kept rubbing the back of his neck, his head bowed low.

    ¡°There was a bit of a mistake.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of mistake?¡±

    Theia asked first.

    ¡°Well¡­ we ended up using external magic.¡±

    However, she couldn¡¯t stand the assistant professor¡¯s next words. A vein popped on her temple.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you countless times to induce magic purely scientifically during experiments-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    If all he can say is sorry, what¡¯s the point of his existence?

    If he can¡¯t even conduct such a simple experiment properly, what¡¯s the point of living?

    As Theia Esil was pondering these thoughts¡­

    -Why bother creating enemies? It¡¯s the same with superiors or subordinates. Just say, ¡®I understand¡¯, turn around and leave. Don¡¯t tire people out by pointing out every single mistake.

    Someone¡¯s voice came to mind.

    Ebert of the Snow Mountain, from Shion Ascal¡¯s unconscious¡­ the harsh words that no one else dared to say to her.

    ¡°¡­Understood. Just don¡¯t make the same mistake next time.¡±

    That¡¯s all Theia said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I said, don¡¯t make the same mistake. Do I need to repeat myself?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t make the same mistake next time.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to pay attention to this stupid assistant professor who just stands there blinking.

    Theia Esil quickly made her way to her office.

 Chapter 188: Jumbled (1)

    <strong>Jumbled (1)</strong>

    A game room with a sign that read [Under Construction].

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    I saved the ¡¸Protection¡¹ that Elise taught me in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ ¡®s database.

    Now, all I have to do is connect this to the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    The method of connecting forms, which the mages of Trick City find confusing and call ¡®Chimera¡¯, is actually quite simple. It¡¯s just a matter of assembling the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ and ¡¸Protection¡¹ in the database in various ways, and filtering out only thebinations that arepatible without any side effects.

    In other words, it¡¯s a process of randomly joining the ¡®dots¡¯ and ¡®points¡¯ of the forms.

    It sounds easy, but it¡¯s probably a method that only I use, and only I can use on this continent.

    It¡¯s tooborious for a person to do manually.

    For example, let¡¯s say there are 30 points that can be connected to a certain Magic Spell, and there are 15 points in another Magic Spell.

    The number of ways to connect these two in a brute force manner is ¡®202,843,204,931,727,360,000.¡¯

    Of course, if you only pick out theoretically possible connections, it reduces to about 20,000 to 30,000 possibilities, but even that¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s absolutely impossible on the spot.

    Not for me.

    ¡¸Notepad¡¹ can mechanically and automatically calcte and perform the above process. It finds a way to connect the forms like a chimera, no matter what.

    Therefore, this chimera form is definitely a privilege ¡®given only to me¡¯¡­¡­

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Elise said the same thing as me. I nced at her. A box the size of a small dog was floating in the air.

    Elise put a few drinks in it.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Whiing©¤

    The box came to me.

    ¡°Drink.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Uh. Thanks.¡±

    I took out a c and drank it. Elise asked with interested eyes.

    ¡°How¡¯s the taste? The same? No changes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same¡­¡­ Wait. Was this an experiment?¡±

    She muttered something as she wrote something in her notebook.

    ¡°There are no chemical or magical changes to the items inside¡­¡­¡±

    Knock knock-

    A timely knock.

    Elise, who checked her wristwatch, opened the door.

    It was Soliette, as expected.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Meow©¤

    Grawl meowed next to Soliette. She picked him up familiarly and said.

    ¡°Then. Shall we log in to Bethune right away?¡±

    She already had a happy face at the thought of [Bethune].

    Elise nodded.

    ¡°We gathered here for that in the first ce. But where are you guys now? I¡¯m in the beginner¡¯s vige.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I got a [Summoning Scroll] when I hit level 30. I¡¯ll summon you with that. Because you¡¯re a high priest¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette was about to put the game machine on the stand, but she hesitated. She looked at Elise with a strange face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elise.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°By any chance. You didn¡¯t lie about your ss, did you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Lie?¡±

    ¡°Like you¡¯re a regr priest but lied about being a High Priest¡­¡­ That¡¯s not it, right? Summoning Scrolls are expensive.¡±

    She was full of suspicion.

    Elise narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Do you doubt me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s log in first. Elise. What¡¯s your ID?¡±

    ¡°ID? Why?¡±

    ¡°I need to add you as a friend to summon you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    As Elise hesitated, Soliette furrowed her brows.

    ¡°If you lied about your ss to get the attention of a high-level user like me, say it now.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­.¡±

    Elise bit her lip and whispered something into Soliette¡¯s ear, ncing at me.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ll send the friend request right away. I¡¯ll log in first.¡±

    Soliette immediately inserted the CD into the game console.

    We followed her.

    * * *

    Inside [Bethune].

    Aventagher Mansion.

    As soon as I logged in, I was standing in the middle of the living room, and Soliette was next to me, manipting the friend window.

    ¡°Shion. I sent a friend request to Elise.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s her ID?¡±

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s Elise¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s Elise¡¯? Why is it soplicated?¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤Everyone¡¯s here!¡±

    Just then, Raelro appeared. Erick was by his side.

    He leaned against the wall and flicked his hair, as if trying to set the mood.

    ¡°Congrattions, Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­Congrattions?¡±

    ¡°You got epted. To the national university¡¯s knight department.¡±

    ¡°The announcement hasn¡¯t been made yet.¡±

    Erick approached with a chuckle.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way to know-¡±

    Whiing©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, a cylindrical light descended from the ceiling.

    A woman and a camel emerged from the dazzling light.

    Clomp©¤

    The camel set its foot down first. Its eyes scanned the room haughtily. Its body was covered in glossy ck fur.

    Clomp©¤

    Its walk was elegant, and surprisingly, its teeth were neatly arranged, unlike a typical camel.

    ¡°¡­I responded to the summon.¡±

    Elise, on the camel¡¯s saddle, said.

    Raelro looked at her with a surprised face.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you Miss Petra?¡±

    ¡°Phew. She is indeed a High Priest.¡±

    Soliette, who had checked the user information first, let out a sigh of relief.

    Clomp- Clomp- Elise moved the camel without a word. As if to show off. As if to say, praise my camel now. Admire it right now.

    Clomp- Clomp-

    She just went round and round the living room.

    Clomp- Clomp-

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    We just watched.

    Clomp- Clomp-

    ¡°¡­Why is she doing that?¡±

    Raelro whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Clomp- Clomp-

    Elise continued to circle the room.

    ¡°Elise. Long time no see.¡±

    Erick looked the camel up and down.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the camel? Is it a pet?¡±

    Probably the words Elise wanted to hear the most right now.

    ¡°A spirit animal would be a better term. Her name is Bianca. She¡¯s clean, so she can live indoors. Also, she¡¯s gically different from other camels¡­.¡±

    She talked about the uniqueness, intelligence, and loyalty of Bianca the camel for 15 minutes.

    * * *

    In the strategy room of Aventagher Mansion.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all. Do you understand?¡±

    Raelro had exined to Elise about the ¡®Count¡¯s Bottle¡¯ and Knightmare. Elise nodded.

    ¡°Of course. I understood everything.¡±

    What she liked most was the part about ¡®Bianca could be a reality-.¡¯

    ¡°What is the way to break the bottle?¡±

    Soliette asked directly.

    ¡°The way is inside the bottle. We have to enter the ¡®Bottle of Souls¡¯ created by the Count.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a very dangerous method?¡±

    Elise furrowed her brow slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a person with a lot of time. I have a schedule starting tomorrow.¡±

    She puffed out her cheeks. It was an elegant expression of dissatisfaction from a future mage and noble.

    ¡°Normally, yes. But we¡¯re going to choose a different method.¡±

    Raelro ced some goggles on the table. We all looked at it with the same eyes.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a machine. A machine that sends ¡®consciousness,¡¯ not the body, to the Bottle of Souls. With this, you can experience what¡¯s inside the bottle.¡±

    ¡°Experience?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Experience. Your ¡®consciousness¡¯ will be transferred inside the Bottle of Soulsl. With this, you can see, hear, and experience what¡¯s happening inside the bottle while being outside of it. If there¡¯s a problem, you can disconnect whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t n to put you guys in danger either.¡±

    Elise pouted her lips, while I picked up the goggles and examined them.

    ¡°Who made these goggles?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a mole inside the Bottle of Souls. We¡¯re going to find a way to break the bottle with these goggles.¡±

    Raelro raised his finger with a stern face.

    ¡°But there are a few precautions before that. First, since we¡¯re only transferring consciousness, not the soul, your appearance will bepletely different from now.¡±

    ¡°Appearance?¡±

    I touched my cheek.

    ¡°Yes. Not just your appearance, you¡¯ll be apletely different person. There, the second precaution. You won¡¯t recognize each other, so there¡¯s a password. The question is ¡®Do you have a nail clipper?¡¯. The answer is ¡®I buried it in the ground¡¯. Try it on me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    I asked Raelro. Raelro shook his head.

    ¡°I buried it in the ground. This way, we can recognize each other.¡±

    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s like espionage.¡±

    Elise finally looked a bit excited, and Soliette had already put on the goggles.

    ¡°Lastly, the third one. There are already agents we¡¯ve dispatched inside. The same goes for Soliette¡¯s party members.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You mean Hans, Karl, Jenny and Chris?¡±

    Soliette quickly took off the goggles and asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°They were there.¡±

    ¡°Not only them, but there are other agents as well, and they know the password. So if someone seems like arade, ask them. ¡­Now sit down.¡±

    We took turns sitting in the chairs. The order was me, Soliette, Elise, Eric. We each put on the goggles.

    ¡°Think of this as an experience. The connection will end in an hour. Here, an hour here is about eight hours there. Now, flip the switch attached to the right side of the goggles.¡±

    I put my hand on the goggles. As Raelro said, there was a switch.

    Thud-!

    At that moment, the world changed.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m dizzy¡­ What is this.¡±

    I looked around. It was noisy all around. Lights were shing everywhere.

    Oong©¤©¤ oong©¤©¤ oong©¤©¤ The noise and the sound of club music were everywhere, and the stomping of dancing people echoed like an earthquake.

    It actually seemed like a club.

    ¡°¡­So noisy.¡±

    I covered my ears.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    A voice flowed from the front. It was a bartender. I looked at her. Eyes, nose, mouth, and even ears, she was a perfect person.

    I swept over the bar counter. The touch was the same. Everything felt real.

    ¡°¡­Where is this ce?¡±

    I asked the bartender.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Then she looked a little surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯re too drunk. Haha.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Where is this? It¡¯s the Bern Club. Would you like a ss of whiskey?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I rummaged through my pocket. Fortunately, there was a wallet. On the ID card¡­

    [Detective: Victor Randle]

    Detective?

    I licked my lips slightly. Ahem ahem. I coughed and asked the bartender.

    ¡°Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    ¡°A nail clipper?¡±

    ¡°Um. No, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have one.¡±

    I got up from the chair.

    Oong©¤ oong©¤ oong©¤

    The speakers were ringing madly. To avoid the noise, I went outside.

    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±

    The outside¡¯s cold wind rushed in. In the alley, noisy guys were squatting and smoking, and pierced guys were arguing with each other.

    It was supposed to be a happy world. Guess not.

    I leaned against the wall and put my hand in my pocket.

    What am I supposed to do here?

    ¡°Hey, old man.¡±

    A sharp voice flowed from the alley.

    Some guy was smoking andughing.

    ¡°What¡¯s an old man doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    I just asked that. The guy frowned.

    ¡°What are you saying.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, never mind.¡±

    I flicked my finger. A card popped out. Fortunately, it seemed that skills were applied even in this state.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Clomp©¤ Clomp©¤

    A man with a hood flipped over came and stood next to me.

    A hooded man walked up next to me.

    He nced at me and asked, ¡°You. You seem to have something to ask me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    ¡°I buried it in the ground.¡±

    A slight chill ran down my spine.

    Is this the feeling of a spy novel, a thriller?

    ¡°But don¡¯t ask too often, or too loudly. Do you want to start a rumor?¡±

    Anyway, he¡¯s an agent. Not Elise or Soliette, but still.

    I asked in a small voice, ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­There is.¡±

    He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

    ¡°This ce is Edsi.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Edsi?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The bastard modeled a part of the capital, Edsi, to create this ¡®matrix¡¯. The poption is 130,000. Everyone here think they¡¯re in Edsi. They think they¡¯re living, breathing people. But they¡¯re all dead souls¡­ It¡¯s easier to think of it as a reality matrix.¡±

    I looked around. There was no suspicious movement.

    ¡°How do you destroy this bottle of souls?¡±

    The man answered curtly,

    ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯ll have to ask someone else.¡±

    ¡°Who is this other person?¡±

    He pulled his hood down further.

    ¡°That person¡­ you probably know, right? Even if you¡¯re not Soliette.¡±

    He mentioned Soliette and gave a small smile. I looked back at him.

    ¡°Who are you? I am-¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t say who you are.¡±

    He put his hand over my mouth.

    ¡°There¡¯s a system here called the ¡®Reality Maintenance Bureau¡¯, which also serves as the police. If they catch you, it¡¯s over. Your consciousness will be trapped in that body.¡±

    He then nced around.

    ¡°But before that, let me just ask if you¡¯re a trustworthy person. What¡¯s your level?¡±

    ¡°22.¡±

    ¡°And your job?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s a hidden ss.¡±

    At that, the man let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°A hidden ss¡­ I see. Here, the level and ss are different. It¡¯s the world of souls in the game. If you¡¯re a hidden ss, you¡¯re at least in the top five.¡±

    ¡°So, who should I look for?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He chewed on his lip. He seemed hesitant, then whispered very softly.

    ¡°Jared Arkne.¡±

    Jared Arkne.

    The blood of Arkne, and Soliette¡¯s older half-brother.

    A chill ran down the back of my neck. My back stiffened.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive here. His soul is alive and moving.¡±

    The man put his hand in my pocket.

    ¡°Go find him.¡±

    And then he disappeared into the alley. He melted into the darkness in an instant¡­

    I rummaged through my pocket. There was a note with an address written on it.

    It was probably the location of Jared Arkne.

 Chapter 189: Jumbled (2)

    <strong>Jumbled (2)</strong>

    I arrived at the address on the note. The city block itself was identical to the heart of the actual capital, Edsi, so I found it quickly.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s Presidium.¡±

    Presidium is a top-tier apartmentplex in the actual capital, Edsi. I bet the rich like Elise, Soliette, and Kain all live here.

    The problem is, whether real or fake, the security is strict.

    I walked through the Presidium gate, which was on par with an airport. Naturally, a security guard stopped me.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a detective.¡±

    I quickly showed my ID. The guard chuckled and pulled out a scanner.

    Beep-

    His expression turned slightly surprised.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why would it be fake? I¡¯m here to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a warrant?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket. It was a search warrant I had instantly created with ¡®Deception¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The guard slightly opened his mouth.

    ¡°Wait, you came alone?¡±

    ¡°There are many around. You just can¡¯t see them. It¡¯s a top-secret case, and since it¡¯s Presidium, I came alone to avoid causing a disturbance.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ How long will you stay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not yet.¡±

    He stepped aside. I entered the apartment lobby.

    I got on the elevator and pressed the button for the 13th floor.

    Ding!

    I quickly arrived at the 13th floor. As befits a luxury apartment, there was only one unit per floor.

    Hem hem. I cleared my throat with a fake cough and pressed the doorbell.

    Ding dong-

    This sound is somewhat familiar.

    ¡°¡­Is anyone there.¡±

    ©¤Yes. Who is it?

    A voice flowed from the inte. A deep and charming baritone.

    I threw him the passphrase.

    ¡°Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    ©¤¡­Pardon?

    Thud-

    The door opened immediately.

    I stepped back at that moment.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I just stared at him, asking that question.

    A man who was scanning me up and down from across the threshold, slightly furrowing his brow.

    In my childhood, a man I dared not approach, only admired from afar.

    Jared Arkne.

    He was really there.

    From the image of that time, with a slightly aged face¡­.

    ¡°How did you get up here?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ um.¡±

    I showed him my ID.

    ¡°I¡¯m a detective.¡±

    ¡°Detective Victor Randel¡­.¡±

    He alternated between looking at my ID and me.

    ¡°It¡¯s even more suspicious. Why would a detectivee here?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    I repeated the passphrase to him. He might have misheard.

    ¡°A nail clipper?¡±

    Jared furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Yes. A nail clipper.¡±

    ¡°I have one. But did a detectivee here to find it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Apparently, Jared doesn¡¯t know about the soul¡¯s number. He doesn¡¯t even know where he is, or why he¡¯s here.

    But why did that agent tell me to find Jared?

    ¡°¡­You. You don¡¯t know.¡±

    I looked at him closely. Blue eyes resembling Soliette. Red hair, a symbol of the Arkne.

    He was definitely Jared.

    ¡°What don¡¯t I know.¡±

    ¡°That this world is fake.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    One of Jared¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    The corner of his mouth turned into a sneer.

    ¡°If you¡¯re a scammer, please leave quietly. I won¡¯t ask how you got up here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I turned around silently, got on the elevator, and pressed the button for the first floor.

    Through the slowly closing door gap, I saw Jared staring at me.

    My head hurts.

    * * *

    I sat on a bench at a 24-hour convenience store. I sighed and looked up at the night sky.

    ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on indeed.¡±

    Then someone sat down in front of me. He ced a banana milk with a thud- on the table.

    ¡°Who are you¡­¡­.¡±

    It was a man in a hoodie.

    The agent who had given me the note.

    ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me.¡±

    He chuckled and pointed to the sky with his finger. I looked in that direction.

    ¡­¡­In the dark clouds, there was a ¡®crescent moon¡¯.

    ¡°It was you.¡±

    The Spectres©¤©¤Noah Lucille.

    He spoke, pulling his hood down tightly.

    ¡°Yeah. I wasmissioned by Aventagher. I also made those goggles.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why did you send me here? Jared doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t know anything, you have to tell him. Did you tell him?¡¯

    ¡°I told him this ce is fake. He probably doesn¡¯t believe it, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I couldn¡¯t even do that much. If I go, Knightmare will find out. Since my entire soul has entered this container, if I¡¯m discovered, I¡¯ll die on the spot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­How do you break the bottle? Haven¡¯t you found a way yet?¡±

    Thud-!

    He stuck a straw into the banana milk.

    ¡°This bottle was made by Knightmare to fulfill his wish. As long as that wish itself does not break, the bottle will not break.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the wish.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­To fully revive Jared Arkne. Right now, he¡¯s barely restored half a soul. The moment the container goes outside, it dies.¡±

    Suddenly, the wrinkles on my face twisted.

    ¡°He kills him and then revives him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Knightmare has changed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Has he repented?¡±

    Noah Lucille shook his head. He sucked on the milk and continued speaking.

    ¡°You guys are misunderstanding something. Knightmare is not a ¡®form¡¯. It¡¯s a ¡®phenomenon¡¯.¡±

    ¡°A phenomenon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Knightmare is literally a nightmare. You can think of it as a ¡®parasitic spirit¡¯. When it erodes the host¡¯s body, it controls the sleep and kills the person as a nightmare. I don¡¯t know who invented it, but it¡¯s the worst invention.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    For a moment, a cold awl pierced my brain.

    If what he said is true, Knightmare may not necessarily have framed someone. If the bastard could originally be ¡®multiple people¡¯¡­¡­.

    Thud- Thud-

    He tapped the table with his finger and spoke.

    ¡°In that regard, the old Knightmare is dead. To be precise, it moved on.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Speak clearly. Who did Knightmare die as, and who did it move in to?¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Heughed as if amused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the old Knightmare was. I don¡¯t know who he died to either. But, I do know who the ¡®current¡¯ Knightmare is.¡±

    Noah put down the banana milk on the table.

    I put my hand in my pocket.

    It felt like I was about to have a seizure.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    But then he suddenly closed his mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I also closed my mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    An oppressive silence, only for me. The guy who seemed to be teasing me by widening his eyes.

    I clenched my teeth.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Alright.¡±

    Heughed and sighed. He muttered in a very soft voice.

    ¡®Felix Altea¡¯.

    I thought I heard wrong. I reflexively asked back.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the current Knightmare. He didn¡¯t die. No, Knightmare revived him. As a host.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    This time, my whole body sank. I couldn¡¯t muster strength in my fingertips or toes, and it felt like my entire brain had stopped.

    On the other hand, Noah Lucille continued to speak as if he was enjoying himself.

    ¡°But, you know what? Interestingly, you were at the ce where Knightmare transitioned to Felix.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re interesting. You seem to be connected, big or small, to all the important moments of the people on this continent. It feels¡­ almost ordained.¡±

    He stopped talking. Suddenly, he looked at his wristwatch.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue thister.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Looks like time¡¯s up. Is there anything else I need to do next time?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯ve ¡®awakened¡¯ Felix. That¡¯s enough for now. Now, it¡¯s time to end.¡±

    Thud©¤©¤!

    The sound of a switch turning off.

    At that moment, the connection to my consciousness was cut off, and I took off the goggles.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡±

    I took a deep breath and looked around quietly.

    It was Aventagher¡¯s mansion in[Bethune].

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    Raelro asked.

    Without answering, I looked at Soliette. She seemed to be fascinated by the experience itself, repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fist.

    * * *

    We stepped outside of [Bethune]. It had grown dark outside the window.

    ¡°Now I can finally see a clue.¡±

    I looked at Soliette, who was murmuring that.

    ¡°Soliette. Can I see your Bethune CD for a moment?¡±

    ¡°My CD?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Without any suspicion, she handed it over. As I received it, I assembled the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    ¡°What¡¯s that box?¡±

    ¡°This? Well, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    After putting the CD in the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹, I immediately sent it flying out the window.

    ¡°Wha, what?!!¡±

    Soliette jumped up. She hastily tried to chase after it, then turned back and shook my arm.

    ¡°What, what are you doing, Shion!¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I made a promise. With Mr. Gillion. To reduce your gaming time.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t actually made a promise, but Mr. Gillion would probably want that anyway.

    ¡°What?! Was Shion the family¡¯s steward?!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. If I don¡¯t, they¡¯lle looking for me from the main house.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s hand, which was holding onto me, trembled. Her face was full of a sense of betrayal.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Mr. Raelro. From now on, we¡¯re only going to y Bethune once a week, and always together. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to y alone.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s change the condition.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise interjected. Soliette turned to look at Elise and nodded her head vigorously. She seemed to be under the illusion that Elise would help her.

    ¡°Not just the two of you. Us, all three of us, together. Let me join in. It was quite fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes widened like apletely empty mackerel.

    * * *

    Drip-drip-drip©¤©¤

    Thete winter rain drizzled down on Endex.

    [Edsi National Magic University] sincerely congrattes Soliette Del Luna Arkne on her eptance into the Knight Department. There is no specific registration period, and the tuition for the first year of Magic University is fully covered by a schrship.

    Congrattions on your eptance.

    Soliette looked at the message with bleary eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    She nkly stared at the ceiling.

    The current time was 3 a.m.

    Sleep wouldn¡¯te.

    Insomnia was striking again.

    ¡­¡­Was it because of Bethune?

    No, it couldn¡¯t be because of Bethune.

    Whether she yed Bethune or not, she always slept well here.

    But why¡­¡­

    Soliette was quite perplexed.

    Honestly, she felt like she had been scammed.

    She had prepaid the rent of 2,500 ren, and it was only the first day since she moved in, so why was this happening?

    Knock-knock-

    A knock.

    Soliette sluggishly got up. She opened the sliding door.

    It was Shion.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    She tried to close the door quickly, but Shion stuck his foot in first.

    Thud-

    The door hit his foot.

    ¡°Please remove your foot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey. Let me in.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°This.¡±

    He showed her the game console he held in one hand. Soliette¡¯s face almost brightened for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t a Bethune console.

    ¡°What is this. This crappy thing.¡±

    ¡°Crappy? This is a much more advanced game console than Bethune. Let¡¯s y this together.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s eyes became fierce.

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°You might change your mind if you try it.¡±

    He stubbornly pushed his way in. Soliette red at him with sharp eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re trespassing, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    ¡°Give me back the rent.¡±

    He sat down on the floor. He set up the game console on the TV and inserted a CD.

    [Elders Ring: Sky Scroll]

    ¡°¡­¡­The opening is pathetic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than pixel art.¡±

    ¡°Bethune only uses pixel art for visuals.¡±

    Soliette was grumpy, but Shion didn¡¯t care and started the game. Soliettey on the sofa pretending not to watch the screen.

    As he controlled it, the game character moved, swung a sword, and did this and that.

    [DIE]

    Shion kept dying.

    Not only did he die, but he was also terrible. Anyone would think he had three fingers.

    [DIE]

    The corners of her mouth twitched.

    [DIE]

    What she was curious about was, why didn¡¯t he use the roll function? The tutorial kindly exined it. He should use the roll.

    ¡°Ah~ this is hard.¡±

    Shion scratched the back of his neck, tilting his head.

    ¡°Tsk. What¡¯s so hard.¡±

    Soliette grumbled without realizing it. Shion turned to her and handed her the gamepad.

    ¡°Then you try.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. If you¡¯re pretending to be bad on purpose to get my attention, then you¡¯ve seeded.¡±

    Soliette snatched the gamepad and sat down next to him. Shion asked with a small smile.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°You said you sleep well here.¡±

    ¡°I think the psychological damage of being betrayed by Shion is too great.¡±

    Shion just stared at her.

    Drip-drip-drip©¤©¤©¤

    The sound of rain hitting the drainpipe. The faint mist spreading outside the window. The humidity fills the room.

    In the midst of this, Shion Ascal was lost in thought.

    We have a chance to revive Jared. No one knows yet if he¡¯s the real Jared.

    Felix is also alive. Even if he is a ghost resurrected by Knightmare.

    But¡­¡­

    Shion had pondered hundreds of times beforeing to Soliette today.

    He had asked himself like a madman.

    Why didn¡¯t Felix and Jared¡¯s lives happen before the regression?

    Simply because Knightmare¡¯s n would fail?

    Because Aventagher¡¯s n would seed?

    No.

    At least Shion doesn¡¯t think so.

    ¡°Look. I was born to control.¡±

    Soliette, who passed the tutorial in no time.

    Maybe, it¡¯s because of her.

    Thud©¤©¤©¤ thud©¤©¤

    From the quietly falling rain, Shion imagines.

    Soliette before the regression,

    Killing those two with her own hands.

    The two people she loved the most, the most precious,

    The scene of her cutting them off herself.

    Crying bloody tears, cutting off their necks who ¡®should not be resurrected¡¯.

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±

    [DIE]

    Soliette quickly covered the screen and looked back at Shion. He also gently looked at her. He put his hand on the small head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    What he wanted to say now. Even though she from that time is gone, he wanted to convey this, even if it¡¯s bted.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    She looked at Shion with slightly widened eyes. She turned off the game console with her toes wriggling.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it because of Bethune?¡±

    Soliette asked. Shion shook his head. He quietly pulled her who was about to say something. He warmly embraced her.

    ¡°Sh, Shion?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know why she from before the regressionmitted suicide.

    So he was a little resentful.

    Did she have to live?

    Did she have to think about what I would be like living without her?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡­.¡±

    But now, he knew.

    That no one can me your choice.

    No one can me you for wanting to let go of life¡­¡­

    Thud©¤ thud©¤

    The small grudges in his heart melt away in the rain.

    Thud©¤ thud©¤

    The sorrows from before the regression bubble up.

    Shion held Soliette tightly in his arms, burying his face in her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, no, Shion. There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s, it¡¯s okay. Now. You said it was okay once a week, right? I¡¯m not addicted to the game.¡±

    On the other hand, Soliette¡¯s face was as red as a tomato.

    Thump©¤

    Suddenly, she could even feel her own heart pounding.

    Thump- Thump-

    It wasn¡¯t clearly audible amidst the sound of the rain¡­¡­ but a definite turmoil of the heart.

    If it wasn¡¯t arrhythmia, then they were some new emotions sprouting like buds.

    ¡°Shion¡­¡­. I¡¯m sleepy.¡±

    Along with that, a gentle breeze of sleepiness blows.

    An overwhelming wave of sleepiness is pouring down.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Then, Soliette realized btedly.

    My problem wasn¡¯t ¡®space¡¯.

    It was ¡®people¡¯.

    People¡­¡­.

    Soliette slowly closed her eyes.

    She fell asleep to the sound of the rain.

    * * *

    [A painkiller with absolutely no side effects has been released.]

    At the same time, in the ¡®fake¡¯ Presidium.

    In the living room where only strange news is flowing, Jared Arkne is lost in thought.

    ¡®¡­¡­You. You don¡¯t know.¡¯

    Detective Victor Randel, who visited himst week.

    He keeps bothering him.

    ¡®That this world is fake.¡¯

    ¡°Fake¡­¡­.¡±

    Jared bit his lip slightly.

    It¡¯s definitely a cult¡¯s nonsense, but it doesn¡¯t disappear, lingering in a corner of his brain. It doesn¡¯t shake off for a whole week.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    He gritted his teeth. Eventually, he picked up his smartphone and made a call somewhere.

    Ring- Ring-

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ©¤Yes. This is Edsi Metropolitan Police Department.¡±

    ¡°I have a question. Is there a detective named Victor Randel there?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Yes?

    ¡°Detective Victor Randel.¡±

    Jared furrowed his eyebrows. Even while on the call, he wondered what this was all about.

    ©¤Speaking. What can I do for you?

    ¡°¡­¡­Victor Randel?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    ¡°You¡¯re Victor Randel? The one who visited my mansionst time.¡±

    ©¤I am Victor Randel, but who are you?

    Jared switched his grip on the smartphone. Clearly, he was a detective. He thought he was a cult member.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jared Arkne.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­You¡¯re a celebrity. But, what¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ve never visited your mansion.

    What¡¯s this strange talk now?

    ¡°What, do you have dementia?¡±

    ©¤What? Are you picking a fight now?

    Jared unknowingly threw a medical question, but soon remembered the strange question the detective had asked him.

    ¡°Do you have a nail clipper.¡±

    ©¤A nail clipper? No, seriously¡­¡­ what are you talking about. Are you joking? If you¡¯re Jared Arkne and have something to say,e and see me in person.

    Click-

    He hung up the phone.

    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what kind of trick this was, but Jared got up. He picked up his jacket and put it on.

    If he¡¯s asking me toe and see him in person, then I should go and see him in person.

 Chapter 190: Internship (1)

    <strong>Internship (1)</strong>

    ¡°Elly. What do you think about this?¡±

    On a winter day, just before their entrance to the National Magic University.

    The group of prospective freshmen, including Elise, were having a discussion in their private vi.

    ¡°Look at this. I¡¯ve made a n.¡±

    La handed over a piece of paper. Elise nced at it.

    [ We¡¯ll Do Anything Club ]

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a club we¡¯re going to create.¡±

    A university club is, as the name suggests, a small group formed by university students. Although it¡¯s much smaller in scalepared to university societies or hobby clubs, it¡¯s practically essential for magic university students. The activities carried out in the club itself be a part of their credentials.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to create a ¡®We¡¯ll Do Anything Club¡¯. Elly, you know [At Your Service], right? Just like the person who helped us with our Endex project.¡±

    Elise scrutinized La¡¯s face. Her eyes were bloodshot, probably fromck of sleep, and her dark circles were prominent.

    ¡°How about [Why is Your Head Like That Club]?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? What kind of club is that? Beauty?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in beauty. If not that, how about [Mystery Solver Club]? There are going to be mysterious magical incidents happening here and there. We can build our credentials by solving them! It¡¯s a great idea!¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you guys have any thoughts?¡±

    Elise turned to look at Kain and Asher, who were slumped on the sofa. Both of them yawned and shook their heads in unison.

    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to join a separate knights¡¯ club. With James Brown and Mel.¡±

    Elise and La were in the Department of Magic, but Asher and Kain were in the Department of Knights, so their paths were bound to diverge from now on.

    ¡°But Elise, you¡¯re going to advance to the Magic Tower in just 1-2 years, right?¡±

    Kain asked Elise.

    ¡°I need to build my credentials for that. Early advancement isn¡¯t easy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~ Should we ask Shion~?¡±

    La subtly hinted. Elise showed a bit of interest in that. She pretended not to be interested but nced at La¡¯s phone.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Noticing her reaction, La smirked and dialed a number.

    Ring, ring-

    ¡°Hey~ Shion~ What are you doing right now~?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Elise shook her head. La was pretending to have connected the call even though it hadn¡¯t gone through yet.

    ¡°Stop it already. There¡¯s no way he would answer your call-¡±

    ¡°What? A Libra internship?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened. Kain and Asher also turned their heads sharply.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a Libra internship?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise put her ear to La¡¯s phone.

    ©¤Yeah. I¡¯m on my way to the internship now. Why?

    ¡°How can you do an internship when you¡¯re not even a university student?¡±

    * * *

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. They told me toe, so I came.¡±

    I looked up at the [Libra Station] as I answered.

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ©¤Uh¡­ well, you know~ We have to participate in a club when we enter university~ We¡¯re thinking about doing that, so I was wondering what you¡¯re nning to do~

    ¡°Ah, a club?¡±

    A club is a gathering where university students prove their abilities outside of the university. They conquer dungeons, solve magical phenomena, help people. They also write reports in the process, and the university certifies it, so it¡¯s practically an official credential.

    ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡±

    ©¤We¡¯re nning to do some volunteer work with Elly!

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ©¤Really?!

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    I put my phone back in my pocket.

    [ Libra Station ]

    Libra Station. The nerve center of Libra and thepany that manages all its subsidiaries.

    It¡¯s arge corporation that uses an entire 99-story building, which was established and built by the current head, Sherlock.

    As such, there are a tremendous number of peopleing and going. Not only knights and mages, but also ountants,wyers, and employees from various departments straight from the headquarters.

    I came here after receiving an internship offer from Belingham.

    By the way, Soliette didn¡¯t get an internship card in the end. Of course, because it¡¯s Arkne.

    ¡°¡­What brings you here?¡±

    A security guard approached me as I was nkly looking around inside thepany.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m here to participate in the internship.¡±

    ¡°Did you receive an internship card?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You can scan it here.¡±

    The security guard pointed to the entrance gate. I tagged my internship card.

    Beep-

    ¡°You can go to the auditorium on the 5th floor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    I first got on the elevator. There were many people in the elevator. They each pressed for high floors, but mine was the 5th floor.

    ¡°¡­You seem to be participating in the internship?¡±

    A man nced at me.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a university student.¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Heughed and pressed the same 5th floor. The light for the 5th floor went out.

    ¡°Neers and interns usually don¡¯t use the elevator. It¡¯s a tradition.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s such a tradition?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s Libra.¡±

    I pressed the 5th floor again.

    Ding-

    The elevator stopped precisely at the 5th floor, and the man frowned.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t like traditions.¡±

    I headed straight for the auditorium.

    The space itself was veryrge, but there were fewer than twenty people sitting. They all looked at me with slightly puzzled faces.

    Probably because I¡¯m too young.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Exactly at 9 a.m. As soon as the promised time came, the doors of the auditorium closed, and a man in a suit climbed onto the stage.

    ¡°Let me remind you. In the internship, if you¡¯re even one secondte for any schedule, you¡¯re out.¡±

    Indeed, that¡¯s Libra for you. They were incredibly sensitive about time management.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll never bete again in the future. Tardiness is disqualification without a single warning.¡±

    He said that and opened a file of documents.

    ¡°The sixteen of you participating in the Libra internship. I will call each of you one by one, pleasee up to the stage. Mr. Bell Moore?¡±

    Bell Moore.

    The moment that name was called, my eyes widened.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Bell Moore.¡±

    I turned to look at him.

    Before the regression, he was the most malicious psychopath among Libra¡¯s executives. He slicked back his all-white hair and ascended the stage.

    ¡°Mr. Rellion Sensle.¡±

    The next name was familiar too. The face was familiar too.

    Once upon a time, he kidnapped and tortured myrade.

    ¡°I¡¯m Rellion Sensel.¡±

    ¡°Next, Riley Erin.¡±

    But when it was her turn, I felt a different emotion.

    Riley Erin.

    Purple-haired, with pouty lips. A woman with a firm and intellectual impression.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I smiled without realizing it.

    ¡°I¡¯m Riley Erin.¡±

    I had arade. If I were to make an analogy, it was a [group of people who were harmed by Libra].

    In that ce, she was an informant.

    From inside Libra, leaking Libra¡¯s information to the outside, a person like me now.

    But I didn¡¯t know her face. I only heard her name from myrades.

    The reason?

    She was executed before even five years had passed.

    ¡°Thames Horne.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Thames Horne.¡±

    He was a handsome ck man. He realized the beastly truth of Libra, defected from Libra, and opposed Libra just before my death.

    I smiled an ironic smile.

    From Libra¡¯s perspective, this internship was a batch mixed with a strange ratio of gold and snakes.

    ¡°¡­¡­Finally.¡±

    Fifteen names were called, and thest, the sixteenth.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    I silently stood up from my seat and went up to the stage.

    There were a total of sixteen participants in the internship.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. You¡¯ll be called Magic Space interns for now, but you¡¯re not really official interns. The internship is just an internship experience.¡±

    An unnamed Libra executive continued his speech.

    ¡°Magic Space. You¡¯re probably a university student, or a famous mercenary, or a mage. Just in case. Do you know what you¡¯ll be doing if you join Libra?¡±

    Someone raised their hand sharply.

    ¡°Dungeon conquest. Mission execution. Not only cargo escort, but all the tasks directed by Libra.¡±

    It was Riley¡¯s answer. She was disguising herself with a more passionate face than anyone else.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Libra holds manypanies. However, personnel who handle magic like you will be assigned to Libra¡¯s headquarters. Therefore, the internship is not about bing a simple employee, but about whether you can be ¡®a person of Libra¡¯.¡±

    Snap-!

    The executive snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s the first day of the internship, there¡¯s not much. There¡¯s a mock mission.¡±

    Then the scenery of the auditorium changed. It was a highway. A truck had overturned, and the driver was dead, impaled on the steering wheel.

    ¡°One day, Libra was transporting a precious magical material called ¡®Beryl Crystal.¡¯ But as you can see, an ident urred.¡±

    The executive pointed to the truck as he spoke.

    ¡°Magic Space is ¡®dispatched¡¯ to this scene. As the manager in charge of the delivery, I dispatched all of you to this scene.¡±

    He then looked around at the interns. Quietly, without saying a word.

    Bell Moore asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is being dispatched the end?¡±

    ¡°You are not personnel following Magic Space¡¯s orders. You are personnel making independent judgments.¡±

    That¡¯s what it means to be a ¡®person of Libra.¡¯

    In the event of an incident or battle in Libra, they are dispatched to the scene and carry out actions that are as beneficial to Libra as possible.

    ¡°So start moving now.¡±

    At the executive¡¯s words, the rest started moving busily. They alternately examined the corpse and the objects, releasing magic and reconstructing the scene in their own ways.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you going to stand still?¡±

    The executive asked me with a strange look in his eyes. I looked him up and down.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As soon as I answered, I moved. First, I examined the truck¡¯s cargopartment.

    There were many other decoy cargo, but the only thing stolen was the ¡®Beryl Crystal.¡¯

    As if I knew about the existence of the Crystal from the beginning.

    Next, I examined the truck driver¡¯s cell phone. After fingerprint recognition with the corpse, I read the work-rted texts.

    [ Sender: 0983-123-2910 ]

    [ Delivery Destination: 3D-95 ]

    [ Top Secret. Cannot be decrypted ]

    Next, I read the texts sent just before the truck driver¡¯s ident.

    [ Truck Driver: I¡¯m on a delivery. I got a big one, so let¡¯s have a drink when it¡¯s over. ]

    [ Colleague: A big one? You mean Libra? ]

    [ Truck Driver: Yeah. How did you know? ]

    [ Colleague: Libra hired quite a few trucks this week. They must be transporting something valuable. They¡¯re probably trying to hide it by using multiple trucks. ]

    Deception. A traditional delivery method. Hiring several delivery men and entrusting the real thing to only one of them.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s enough.¡±

    This is enough. There¡¯s nothing more to see.

    Because I know Libra. Perhaps I know Libra better than Libra itself.

    Therefore, inferring this much about the situation is as easy as chewing gum while lying down.

    * * *

    At the same time, the HR team was monitoring the internship situation through surveince cameras.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that college student?¡±

    Jean Blunt, the head of Libra¡¯s HR team, frowned as she watched Shion Ascal, a college student who was standing alone, yawning.

    ¡°He¡¯s just standing there.¡±

    ¡°Who invited him?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It was Belingham Kantar.¡±

    The right-hand man of the current master, Belingham Kantar.

    Jean sat heavily in her chair.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of putting a chick who¡¯s not even a college student yet into the internship¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But he was 67th on the college board.¡±

    ¡°I was fourth.¡±

    Her subordinate coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just an internship after all.¡±

    They turned their attention back to the screen.

    Ten minutes into the mock mission.

    Most of the interns had finished their investigations. The subordinate looked back at Jean.

    ¡°It seems like you should go now, Team Leader Jean.¡±

    ¡°Record it. Do it well.¡±

    Jean, who had put on her coat, went down to the auditorium. The interns were still lined up in the scenery that was still a highway.

    She faced them and spoke.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Jean Emily, the HR team leader of Libra Station.¡±

    p-

    ¡°No need for apuse.¡±

    The interns who were about to p quietly backed off.

    ¡°Everyone, please tell me how you n to respond. First-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    It was Bell Moore.

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll retrieve the stolen cargo. I¡¯ll kill the attackers with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The point at which the truck was attacked is inferred to be 10 minutes before I was dispatched. Well, if it had been me originally, I would have arrived in 3 minutes as soon as I received the signal, but 10 minutes is enough.¡±

    ¡°How will you track them?¡±

    ¡°Smell. It¡¯s the sense of smell. They used magic to stop the truck. I¡¯ll follow the lingering scent of magic. I can run at 300 km/h for three hours, but 30 minutes is enough for tracking.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s imed specs were monstrous, but there was not a bit of falsehood in them.

    Jean knew Bell Moore¡¯s physical abilities. He can indeed run like Superman.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    Jean checked the document and moved on. There¡¯s no correct answer to this problem.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also go to retrieve the stolen cargo. The Beryl Crystal is an enormous item worth close to 100 million Ren in current value¡­¡­¡±

    The interns each suggested different methods, but most of them had the first condition ¨C to retrieve the cargo. The tracking method only varied depending on their ability conditions.

    Jean, who had been checking appropriately, now looked at thest one.

    Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Last, Shion Ascal. What about you? Are you also chasing the cargo?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    Shion Ascal shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not chasing the cargo.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    In response to that question, he answered simply.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find the traitor within Libra. The traitor who leaked the location of this cargo and the existence of the Crystal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jean¡¯s fingers momentarily stopped. She alternately looked at the document she was writing and at Shion.

    ¡°A traitor.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Does any other intern have anything to say?¡±

    Jean asked the other interns. Then Bell Moore raised his hand.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°The existence of a traitor is probably something most of us have thought about. Only the Beryl Crystal was stolen among all these cargos. However, that¡¯s not the first thing we should do.¡±

    Bell Moore looked at Shion Ascal. Shion Ascal also turned his gaze to meet him.

    ¡°We can find the traitorter. The cargo needs to be retrieved right now.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s mouth twitched into a smirk. He chuckled at Shion Ascal as if he were a cute child.

    ¡°I understand you want to appear smart, but think about the primary task first, junior. All of us here have walked the same path as you, but in a much more elite way-¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need the cargo in the first ce.¡±

    Shion Ascal retorted. He red at Bell Moore with a small smile.

    ¡°From the beginning, this cargo truck was a setup to weed out the traitor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s forehead furrowed. Jean looked at Shion.

    Shion calmly continued his words.

    ¡°The primary task is to eliminate the traitor. Rehearsal is essential for delivering valuable goods like the Beryl Crystal.¡±

    Libra first suspects. Whether there is an entity with a different intention within.

    ¡°It¡¯s not likely to entrust delivery to a mere truck driver, but if delivery was entrusted, wouldn¡¯t the delivery itself be a fake? That¡¯s the first thought.¡±

    Shion drew his sword. Then he pointed it at someone¡¯s neck.

    It was the executive who had been calling the interns¡¯ names from the stage.

    ¡°Why are you pointing your sword at me?¡±

    The executive asked with a furrowed brow. Shion calmly replied.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re the traitor.¡±

    Jean watched the two of them and swallowed a smile inside.

 Chapter 191: Internship (2)

    <strong>Internship (2)</strong>

    Still, in the auditorium overlooking the highway.

    I did not lower my sword that was aimed at the executive¡¯s neck. I was a bit nervous, but I needed to make a ¡®special impression¡¯.

    ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s ask. Why am I the traitor?¡±

    The executive asked calmly.

    I responded.

    ¡°You said you were in charge of the delivery.¡±

    It was the first thing he said.

    ¡®I dispatched you all to this scene as the person in charge of delivery.¡¯

    It was an assumption that he was also included in this situation.

    ¡°Just for that reason?¡±

    ¡°There are probably dozens of cargo trucks that Libra hired for rehearsal. Probably all of them were robbed. If only the real truck was robbed, it would be like advertising that there¡¯s an insider.¡±

    ¡°What are the chances that the truckpany leaked the information?¡±

    ¡°The insider probably aimed for that, but another department of Libra sent a text to the truck driver first. The text was subject to a confidential protocol. It was the kind that destroys information immediately after receipt.¡±

    ¡°Confidential protocol.¡±

    ¡°Yes. From the beginning, this cargo had no destination. The truck driver received several confidential texts in session. They were probably texts that kept changing the destination.¡±

    The executive¡¯s lips twitched slightly.

    ¡°So far, it¡¯s just spection.¡±

    ¡°Additionally.¡±

    I gestured towards the inside of the truck.

    ¡°The truck number written on the truck driver¡¯s license and the actual truck¡¯s license te are different.¡±

    The license te number on the license was [GPA539-EDS].

    But the actual truck¡¯s license te was [GAP213-DDE].

    Clearly different.

    ¡°It probably was different from the start. Libra must have switched it. So if there was an insider at the truckpany, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to track this truck.¡±

    As a truckpany that only signed a delivery contract, they wouldn¡¯t know the destination of the truck or their license te number.

    It means it¡¯s impossible to track from the truckpany.

    ¡°The reason this truck was robbed is simple. Someone attached a GPS to the real truck. An ¡®insider¡¯ who definitely knows the delivery n.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but there was no GPS or anything.¡±

    Another intern interrupted. This time it was Riley.

    ¡°We inspected the truck as soon as we arrived. We used magic waves. Nothing was detected. If the robbers took the GPS while robbing the truck, that in itself means there¡¯s no evidence.¡±

    ¡°The robbers wouldn¡¯t have had time to retrieve the GPS. As Bell Moore said, Libra would arrive in 15 minutes and pursue in 30.¡±

    Bell Moore coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°So the only culprit is you.¡±

    I looked at the executive again.

    ¡°The person in charge who would have received the news of the incident first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    ¡°You probably retrieved the GPS first by rushing to the scene, and called the agentste.¡±

    ¡°Did I really do that?¡±

    ¡°May I search you?¡±

    The executive, who silently raised his eyebrows, put his hand in his pocket. A small GPS came out with it.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Bell Moore chuckled awkwardly, and I lowered my sword.

    Thud!

    Jean, the head of human resources, closed the documents.

    ¡°Yes, this incident actually happened. You may not know about Magic Space, but it urred 15 years ago. Hence, it¡¯s a bit of a ssic.¡±

    She spoke in a businesslike tone.

    ¡°15 years ago, Libra Station conducted a rehearsal to deliver the Beryl Crystal, and all the trucks participating in the rehearsal were robbed.¡±

    Her brown eyes looked at me.

    ¡°As intern Shion guessed, there was an insider. However, unlike today, it wasn¡¯t the delivery manager but one of his subordinates. In reality, it wasn¡¯t a GPS but a location tracking form that naturally disappeared over time, but we substituted it with a GPS because it would be too difficult without physical evidence.¡±

    Gene nced at the other interns. They all had faces like they had bitten into something bitter.

    ¡°Libra is challenged by all sorts of family minions, corporate industrial spies, not to mention monsters of the underworld, and insiders from cartels.¡±

    Although she said ¡®challenged¡¯, in reality, they were paying the price for their actions. It was no different from a penalty.

    Starting with Sherlock, who grew Libra through such petty tricks.

    ¡°Remember, as a person of Libra, there is only one code of conduct. ¡®Strive to benefit Libra¡¯.¡±

    * * *

    The interns moved from the auditorium on the 5th floor to the 6th floor. This time, it was a space like a train waiting room.

    ¡°Please, everyone, take a seat.¡±

    At the executive¡¯s words, the 16 interns sat down sporadically.

    ¡°There will be individual interviews for department cement. Riley, you¡¯re first.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The rest of you, please wait.¡±

    Riley entered the interview room. I pretended not to watch his retreating figure.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Suddenly, someone sat next to me.

    A man with arge chin and slicked-back hair, giving off a very mboyant impression.

    It was Bell Moore.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart, huh?¡±

    He was already a full-time knight who had graduated from college. He¡¯s six years older than me now. He looked too worn out to be in his mid-twenties.

    ¡°You¡¯re entering college this year?¡±

    He¡¯s one of the top psychopaths in Libra. A piece of trash who used to blow up homeless people¡¯s heads for fun.

    Do I need to bother talking to such a subhuman creature- I had such thoughts, but¡­

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m entering as a junior to Knight Bell Moore.¡±

    It seems better to get closer to him for now. If I can lessen his guard, it will be easier to kill him someday.

    Bell Moore rxed his body, chuckling.

    ¡°If my brain was a bit younger~ I wouldn¡¯t have thought to check the phone of the already defeated guy.¡±

    Despite his words, he¡¯s smart. Countless victims have been fooled by his ignorant appearance andbat style.

    Above all¡­ he¡¯s sizing me up right now.

    ¡°You. You said you¡¯re a loyalist of Libra?¡±

    Bell Moore must already be a confirmed hire. As far as I know, he¡¯s been a hunting dog, chosen and active since his college days. He¡¯s probably on a mission to identify interns among the interns.

    ¡°My family has been for generations.¡±

    ¡°Generations, huh~ That¡¯s nice.¡±

    He chuckled lightly.

    ¡°What about you, Mr. Bell Moore?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m simr. I received a schrship. I wouldn¡¯t be here if it wasn¡¯t for Libra¡­ but, well, working here is just a side gig.¡±

    ¡°A side gig?¡±

    I looked back at him, a hint of hostility in my eyes.

    Bell Mooreughed a bit more cheerfully and raised his hands.

    ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re so tense, as if I¡¯m not a loyalist.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just a bit annoyed by the term ¡®side gig¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Why? Not everyone is as pure as you. They don¡¯t all revere Libra like you do.¡±

    Bell Moore spoke as if he knew a lot about me.

    ¡°I have a lot to give to Libra, and Libra can treat me as a topmodity in the market. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not here for Libra like you are.¡±

    ¡°Are you belittling me?¡±

    ¡°I know. All the internship participants arepetitors. I¡¯ve figured it out. But, you know what?¡±

    Bell Moore whispered in my ear. A terrible smell of cigarettes wafted in.

    ©¤Loyalty doesn¡¯t feed you. Ability does. If Libra had to choose between you and me, they¡¯d probably choose me.

    I pushed his shoulder. He fell back quietly, arge smile on his face.

    He was smiling.

    ¡°Next, Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going.¡±

    The executive called him. He got up abruptly and went inside.

    I just sat quietly. It was a bit boring since my smartphone was confiscated.

    ¡®Grawl, can you hear me?¡¯

    I casually reached out to Grawl. It was telepathy through R-elix.

    ¡®Yes. What is it?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m bored, let¡¯s y a word chain game. You know it?¡¯

    ¡®Yes. A three-letter word chain game.¡¯

    ¡®Sodium, your turn.¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡­Are you kidding?¡¯

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll start.¡¯

    ¡®Go ahead. But the forbidden words are sodium, yttrium, cadmium¡­ anything ending in -ium is forbidden.¡¯

    ¡®Puppy, your turn.¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡­What¡¯s that?¡¯

    ¡°Next, Mr. Shion.¡±

    It was my turn before I knew it.

    I entered the interview room. HR Manager Jean and her two subordinates were sitting across from me.

    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±

    Jin said. I took a seat.

    ¡°Intern Shion. You were quite smart today, weren¡¯t you? It seems you weren¡¯t chosen as an internship member for nothing.¡±

    ¡°I was just lucky.¡±

    Libra values humility. They prefer talents who show loyalty to their lineage, yet do not seek attention or fame.

    ¡°There are a few questions¡­ From a D- grade in Endex to a sudden rise to 67th in the college board scores. Is there a particr reason?¡±

    On the continent, a sudden increase in skills is highly suspicious. The most likely cause is monster grafting, a procedure rampant in the underworld.

    ¡°As you know, I¡¯ve had some health issues.¡±

    Knowing this, I had prepared my answer in advance.

    ¡°After recovering from my illness, I resumed proper training. Once I escaped from the clutches of the disease, my skills improved.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯ve been through quite a lot. Your father was a junior knight of Libra, and you yourself were in the Libra Orphanage¡­ which is now closed, I believe?¡±

    ¡°It has been relocated. To the north.¡±

    Jean raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You said your goal is to be a guardian knight of Libra. Do you know what that entails?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The aptitude you demonstrated today seems more suited to a ¡®Chaser¡¯.¡±

    ¡°To be a guardian knight, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±

    A Chaser.

    As the name suggests, they are pursuers. They assassinate entities harmful to Libra or respond quickly to incidents.

    They also oversee setups and rehearsals to root out traitors, like the truck incident I experienced today.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to serve the direct line of the main house?¡±

    Jean asked about the main house.

    Libra¡¯s Derek, Johanna, Jade, and Zia.

    When I think of them, I can¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±

    ¡°¡­Just imagining it is an honor.¡±

    At that moment, my smile was truly sincere.

    ¡°I always hope to serve them.¡±

    When hatred crosses a certain line, it can be strangely endearing.

    * * *

    Tick-tock©¤ Tick-tock©¤

    Along with old man Belthos and Soliette, I¡¯m tending the garden of the old building.

    ¡°Shion. How about this? I cut it myself.¡±

    Soliette pointed to a tree she had cut into the shape of a dinosaur. I pped for her.

    ¡°You¡¯re learning well. You have talent.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    Sincest week, when I desperately held onto Soliette, she has been restraining herself from connecting to Bethune.

    She knows that Knightmare is in Bethune, but since it¡¯s a dead end, the creature can¡¯t escape, and Soliette herself will face it in a slightly detached state from obsession and hatred.

    Even Knight Raelro advised against connecting.

    He said that some ¡®change¡¯ is happening from within the bottle of souls. That now is the time to wait.

    ¡°Are you going to the internship again today?¡±

    Old man Belthos asked. Soliette looked interested.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m about to head out.¡±

    ¡°Shion. Until when?¡±

    ¡°Until the entrance ceremony.¡±

    It¡¯s a one-month schedule. Twice a week, a total of eight times.

    Ding-

    A message arrived just in time. It was rted to the internship.

    [Shion Ascal]

    [Today, your duty is assigned as a ¡®Chaser¡¯.]

    [We are dispatching you to the following location.]

    [This is an emergency dispatch. Please arrive at the location within 15 minutes.]

    ¡°¡­I need to hurry.¡±

    Again, Libra is strict about time management. Even a secondte would mean disqualification from the internship.

    ¡°Oh, are you going to the internship?¡±

    Old man Belthos and Soliette stood side by side, clutching garden shears. They looked like a granddaughter and grandfather.

    ¡°Yeah. I might not¡­e back until night.¡±

    ¡°When youe back, I¡¯d like one of those corned cheese chickens?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it when I get back.¡±

    ¡°Yay.¡±

    Soliette smiled like a child, and

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy the beer.¡±

    Old man Belthos also chimed in.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    ¡­

    As the HR manager said in yesterday¡¯s interview, I was assigned as a ¡®Chaser¡¯, a field worker. Therefore, my workce was in some mountainous area.

    ¡°¡­There are people here.¡±

    There were two people.

    One was an unknown man, bloodied and leaning against a tree.

    The other was Bell Moore.

    In front of him, Bell Moore turned to look at me.

    ¡°Huh? Ah~ I thought I smelled milk.¡± (symbolizes a baby, aka inexperienced person)

    He lit a cigar and chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re my partner? Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°Exin the situation first.¡±

    ¡°Asshole, you think I¡¯m your servant?¡±

    Bell Moore took a step back. There was a man covered in blood. I looked at him quietly.

    He frowned as he looked at me.

    ¡°¡­Who¡¯s this kid?¡±

    ¡°This gentleman here, ¡®Renkal¡¯, requested rescue. He was a spy inside the cartel, but he got caught.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get caught. I ran away with the information.¡±

    Bell Moore introduced him to me. Then he winked at me. Was he asking me to introduce myself?

    ¡°Shion Ascal. I¡¯m an intern here, like Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    ¡°Crazy. Two interns? The cartel ising! Why the fuck are you an intern?¡±

    I asked Bell Moore.

    ¡°Is the cartel chasing him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve already killed three. Seeing as you arrived safely, I guess that was the end of them?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked again at the man named Renkal. His name was different from memory, but his face was familiar.

    ¡°¡­Renkal?¡±

    I furrowed my brow.

    I approached him.

    I knelt on one knee and looked into his face.

    I brushed his thick hair back.

    ¡°¡­Hey. What the hell are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Now I understand.

    I know that face. I also remember the name.

    Melsus.

    Melsus, a bastard pedophile who flitted between Libra and the cartel like a bat, killing countless people and sacrificing many of my colleagues.

    From Libra¡¯s perspective, and from mine, he was a man not worth sparing.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, you punk? What¡¯s an intern touching?! You want to die?!¡±

    ¡°What am I doing?¡±

    I put my hand on my waist.

    ¡°Hey, what are you-¡±

    Before Bell Moore could reach out, I drew my sword. A sh of light flickered. A single line crossed the bastard¡¯s neck.

    Kwazuzzuk©¤©¤!

    Blood spurted out like a fountain.

    Degrurur©¤©¤

    The severed head rolled through the grass.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Bell Moore opened his mouth wide in shock.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best solution.¡±

    I sheath my sword. Bell Moore pushed my shoulder.

    ¡°The best solution? This man was a spy nted by Libra in the cartel, you idiot!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I rummaged through the corpse¡¯s pocket. There was a USB.

    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered the information.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    ¡°He infiltrated the cartel, stole information, and then ran away. So, is the value in the person, or in the information?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Bell Moore put his hand on his head. His face was one of confusion.

    ¡°The value is only in the information. A spy who gets caught is ipetent. Or.¡±

    I kicked the corpse with my foot.

    ¡°The hypothesis that he was caught and turned into a double agent is more likely than ¡®he was caught but miraculously escaped¡¯. The cartel guys aren¡¯t that easy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­So. How are you going to exin this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it as it is. I¡¯m doing something beneficial for Libra. This man is not beneficial to Libra.¡±

    This man named Melsus is garbage that is harmful to Libra and humanity itself. It¡¯s perfectly fine to kill him right now, no, he ¡®deserves to die¡¯.

    ¡°Heh, haha.¡±

    Then Bell Moore let out a hollowugh. He pressed his temples and made hisughter louder.

    Eventually, Bell Moore said to me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy a psychopath¡­¡­.¡±

    It was a line I never thought I¡¯d hear from him.

    * * *

    1.

    The bottle of souls. Jared Arkne¡¯s Presidium.

    ¡°¡­¡­Did I reallye to your house?¡±

    Detective Victor stared nkly at the CCTV footage of himself. Jared Arkne asked with a puzzled face.

    ¡°Do you really not remember anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Jared¡¯splexion hardened considerably.

    ¡°What did I say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This world.¡±

    You said it was fake.

    But he swallowed the rest of his words. There was no need to unnecessarily burden others.

    ¡°This world?¡±

    At Victor¡¯s words, Jared shook his head.

    ¡°No. Just in case, though.¡±

    And then he handed Detective Victor a notebook.

    ¡°Can you always keep this notebook with you, no matter what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This notebook?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ording to Jared¡¯s spection, this Detective Victor is not the Victor he saw then.

    He is not the ¡®unidentified entity¡¯ who said the world was fake. However, he may be ¡®that person¡¯ again someday.

    Therefore, Jared wrote a sentence in the notebook.

    [I am Jared Arkne. Do you have a nail clipper? I have a nail clipper. I want to talk.]

    In case ¡®he¡¯ enters this detective¡¯s body again, he can see this sentence ande to him immediately.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I understand for now. Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    Detective Victor left with the notebook, and Jared sat down on the living room sofa with a thud.

    He turned on the TV.

    [Breaking news. A ¡®Patrick Cure¡¯ that cures dementia has been developed. This new drug has no side effects¡­¡­.]

    Jared watched those news shes.

    [Next up. The hair loss treatment, ¡®Rotarka¡¯, has been approved. This miraculous treatment that can cure even when the hair roots arepletely dead¡­¡­.]

    Could these things be possible?

    Curing dementia,pletely conquering cancer, treating hair loss¡­¡­ Could these be feats that humanity can achieve in such a short time?

    Jared Arkne was lost in deep thought for a moment.

 Chapter 192: Internship (3)

    <strong>Internship (3)</strong>

    In the middle of a mountain densely popted with trees.

    I sat on a rock and connected a USB to Bellmore¡¯sptop. I checked the information that Renkal¡ªreal name ¡®Melsus¡¯¡ªhad smuggled from the cartel.

    [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö]

    It was full of encryption.

    ¡°Hey partner, you think this guy didn¡¯t encrypt it? This isn¡¯t a college board. It¡¯s different from that crib smelling of baby form.¡±

    As if he had been waiting, Bell Moore sneered. I examined Melsus¡¯s USB. Its shape was ordinary, but it had a panel that could receive magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic encryption.¡±

    Magic encryption can be easily understood as something simr to Morse code. Long magic is recognized as a line (©¤), short magic as a dot (¡¤), and these two types arebined to form an encryption.

    Therefore, digital hacking is impossible. It¡¯s an encryption that only exists in the owner¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Ha~ really now. I knew this would happen. We¡¯ll never be able to open it. Thanks, really.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    I ced my finger on the USB.

    This USB contains his memory. Specifically, the memory of the magic used to decrypt it.

    My ¡¸Notepad¡¹ can call up that memory. Like psychometry, which reads memory from objects.

    It does consume quite a bit of magic though.

    ¡°Phew. The young one really wants to make a fuss about being smart¡­¡­¡±

    I let his words go in one ear and out the other as I closed my eyes. I called up the memories buried in the USB with my ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡­¡­¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤

    Slowly, the signal of magic tingles on my finger.

    It¡¯s the pattern of magic that Melsus blew into the USB, forming a tactile sensation.

    ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¨C

    I blew magic into it in the exact same order.

    Click-

    The USB opened.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said you can¡¯t¡­ huh? What? It opened?¡±

    Bell Moore, who had been cursing me until now, had his eyes wide open. I quickly scanned the file list.

    ¡°How did you open it? Is it your ¡¸Spectrum¡¹?¡±

    [Marcus Cartel, New Drug Synthesis in Preparation]

    [Production process undecided. Seems to be nning arge-scale deal with Trick City]

    [Conversation Record £±]

    [Conversation Record £²]

    [Conversation Record £³]

    [Encryption stolen from the cartel]

    [Location of drug raw material factory¡­¡­]

    There were over hundreds of files.

    It was the information he had collected over the past month. Bell Moore put his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Look. There¡¯s a lot of information. Even with this, you say he¡¯s a double spy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m even more convinced.¡±

    ¡°You just want to justify beheading him, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no concrete information. Specifically, there¡¯s no information that would benefit Libra. From the cartel¡¯s point of view, these are all pieces of information they could easily give away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating¡­ okay. Let¡¯s say, as you said, he¡¯s a double spy. Even so, he¡¯s still worth using.¡±

    Bell Moore crossed his arms.

    ¡°What would I have done? I would have kept him as a double agent and fed him false information. That would have caused confusion in the cartel. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Right. You just cut off his head. So what¡¯s the reason for that?¡±

    ¡°Because he already betrayed Libra.¡±

    At that moment, Bell Moore froze. His smirking lips froze in ce.

    I closed theptop. I threw the USB to Bell Moore.

    ¡°We can¡¯t give a traitor a chance.¡±

    Bell Moore caught the USB in surprise.

    I looked at him quietly.

    ¡°Once.¡±

    I held up a finger.

    ¡°If you betray Libra even once, you¡¯re not worth living.¡±

    This applies to me as well.

    I must not be found out.

    With a single betrayal, everything must end.

    ¡°¡­Stop looking at me with those eyes.¡±

    Bell Moore raised both hands and backed away.

    ¡°You really are like a psychopath.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure who should be saying that. The guy who was juggling human skulls.

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll recover the body. We need to do an autopsy.¡±

    He picked up Renkal¡¯s head in one hand. He threw it around like a basketball and slung the torso over his shoulder.

    ying with a human head must be a habit.

    ¡°Instead, you write and submit the report.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­All of Libra¡¯s Chasers work in independent buildings.

    Even in Edsi, especially in the secretive underground. That ce, which was rebuilt into a state-of-the-art facility at the bottom of the ground, is the [Information Bureau] that operates only for Libra.

    ¡°He was a dangerous guy.¡±

    In the autopsy room of the [Intelligence Agency]. Bell Moore, who had returned, gave a hollowugh while looking at the beheaded Renkal.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny that you say that. That Lunatic Bell Moore says the intern is dangerous?¡±

    A colleague cut open the body with a scalpel. Bell Moore¡¯splexion turned cold.

    ¡°No. Seriously. That guy¡¯s a psycho.¡±

    ¡°Just because he cut his throat?¡±

    ¡°There was no hesitation.¡±

    ¡°You always say there should be no hesitation when killing a person. Seeing you being chewed up by an intern, you live long enough and you¡¯ll see it.¡±

    Bell Moore red at his colleague. He ignored him and focused on the autopsy.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, asshole. That guy¡­ seemed really angry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Angry?¡±

    Bell Moore had observed every part of Shion, even the minute movements of the wrinkles on his face and his irises. After all, his very purpose was to scrutinize the intern.

    ¡°Shion Ascal doesn¡¯t know this guy Renkal.¡±

    Shion doesn¡¯t know Renkal. He¡¯s never seen him anywhere, never encountered him. It means it was their first encounter with one another in their lifetime.

    ¡°But still¡­ just because he was exposed as a spy. So, just on the suspicion that Renkal would be harmful to Libra.¡±

    When Shion Ascal killed him.

    The moment he cut through a human neck as if it were a log.

    Bell Moore looked into Shion¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That lunatic was truly enraged.¡±

    A deep rage.

    A burning hatred that couldn¡¯t be condensed.

    A murderous intent that said, ¡®This guy shouldn¡¯t be alive.¡¯

    ¡°He treated him like the guy who killed his father. If Renkal¡¯s fault is that he caused even a speck of harm to Libra¡­ Haa.¡±

    Bell Moore let out a hollowugh without realizing it.

    ¡°Well, then he gets a perfect score. After all, it¡¯s only such people who be Chasers, right?¡±

    As he said, interns usually don¡¯t get assigned as Chasers. Naturally, because they have to handle the dirtiest jobs in Libra.

    Shion Ascal was already a person who had received permission from the top, in other words, ¡®directly.¡¯

    ¡°Or you could keep him as your subordinate. He seems like a machine that would rack up achievements.¡±

    ¡°¡­That might be possible.¡±

    Bell Moore looked at the floor of the morgue.

    ¡°But¡­ I want to kill that bastard.¡±

    Simply because he could imagine it.

    The future where Shion Ascal, with his eyes as cold as the steel floor of this ce, devoid of emotion for anything other than Libra, looks at him with those dead fish eyes and beheads him just like this headless corpse¡­

    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll know when you see his eyes. He¡¯s a psychopath dedicated to Libra.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Bell.¡±

    The hand of his colleague, who was performing the autopsy, stopped.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Look. It¡¯s a Heart-Eater.¡±

    He pulled out a grotesque creature from Renkal¡¯s heart.

    It was a bug.

    A Heart-Eater.

    It¡¯s the ¡®smallest monster¡¯ that the cartel guys mainly use. A ve form that leads to immediate death if you go against the will of the cartel.

    ¡°¡­he was right. A double spy.¡±

    Bell Moore immediately left the autopsy room.

    But right in front of him was a new intern.

    No, it was ¡®Riley,¡¯ an intern inspector like Bell Moore.

    ¡°I heard the news.¡±

    Riley asked with a nk expression. Bell Moore scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    Riley, who was his colleague when he joined thepany. A crazy woman he once admired quite a bit.

    Her eyes looking at him were still cold.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    She also had a scary look in her eyes, but after facing Shion Ascal, she seemed rather cute. It was adorable.

    Bell Moore said with aughing tone.

    ¡°I guarantee it. He¡¯s a monster, even more so than you.¡±

    * * *

    Sagurak-

    Within the one-on-one interview room in Libra Station.

    The HR team leader, Jean, flipped through the pages of the report I had written. I watched the side of her face. How did she manage to roll her hair into such a perfect apple shape?

    Thud.

    She put down the report.

    ¡°Apart from this report. During the autopsy, a ¡®Heart-Eater¡¯ was found in the corpse. As intern Shion thought, Renkal was a double spy. He must have been done in by the cartel.¡±

    She had started mixing informal and formal speech.

    ¡°I understand the self-judgment, and Chasers are originally such roles, but.¡±

    Bang-!

    She stamped a document.

    ¡°Chaser duties are suspended for now. Intern Shion will be assigned to security.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed slightly. She tilted her head.

    ¡°Are you dissatisfied?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m disappointed.¡±

    ¡°Trust me. This will be better.¡±

    Jin handed me a document. I just stared at it.

    p- p-

    ¡°What are you doing? Not taking it.¡±

    She shook it like a cat toy. I took it and read it.

    [Security for the social event ¡®Blue DeLuneman¡¯]

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You should be happier, right? Going there itself is a privilege for an intern.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Intern Shion. It seems you need to build up somemon sense. It¡¯s a social event where only the upper crust gathers. Direct descendants of Libra also attend.¡±

    Direct descendants.

    At that word, I quickly tucked the document into my pocket. Jean crossed her legs and spoke.

    ¡°Intern Shion. You once told Mr. Belingham, didn¡¯t you? That you wanted to serve Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Jean suddenly asked about Zia.

    I silently looked at her.

    ¡°Do you still feel the same? Or, have your ambitions grown?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Her eyes sharpened.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Do I need a reason?¡±

    ¡°You do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You do.¡±

    She repeated. This must also be part of the screening process.

    Zia is, at this point, someone everyone in Libra avoids, not even a rotten rope, but not a rope at all.

    ¡°As you know, I¡¯m from the Libra Orphanage.¡±

    I spoke in a voice as faint as a sigh.

    ¡°I heard the news of its closure earlier this year. However, Libra said that if we win a battle against the mercenaries, they would keep the Orphanage.¡±

    Of course, the reason for wanting to serve Zia could be made up, but this is genuinely curious about this.

    ¡°On the day of the battle, Miss Zia came. I don¡¯t know why she came then.¡±

    The HR team leader took continuous notes in her notebook as she listened to my words.

    ¡°We orphans lost in the battle, and so, the Orphanage should have been closed.¡±

    Sagak- Sagak-

    The sound of her fountain pen was a bit irritating.

    ¡°But on the day itself, different news came. The Orphanage was not to be closed, but ¡®relocated.¡¯ Thanks to that, the children didn¡¯t have to part, and I could leave the Orphanage with a lighter heart.¡±

    ¡°Is that an ¡®assumption¡¯ that it was thanks to Miss Zia?¡±

    Jin asked. I gave a small smile and nodded.

    ¡°A very likely assumption. Just like today, when we caught Renkal.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    With that response, thud-, Jean closed her notebook.

    ¡°Miss Zia asked for it. Not to close the Orphanage, but to move it to hernd.¡±

    Jean propped her chin on her hands, like a stand.

    ¡°But, will you be okay? Serving Miss Zia is a career-ending move in Libra.¡±

    I quietly closed my eyes.

    It doesn¡¯t mean much. Just that I felt likeughing.

    With a stiff face, I conveyed my intention.

    ¡°If I had wanted wealth and honor, I would have given up long ago. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure my illness.¡±

    No one knows the true value of Zia.

    Therefore, I am rather certain.

    That Zia herself is hiding her worth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want such things.¡±

    This much is sincere.

    I don¡¯t desire wealth, honor, fame, glory, and the like.

    ¡°What I want is beyond that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jean silently looked at me.

    For quite a while, it was like that.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Soon, she leaned back in her chair. She opened her notebook again and wrote a sentence that I couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can go, Intern Shion.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­¡­Shion Ascal. Right after that peculiar and special intern left.

    ¡°Did you get the video?¡±

    HR Team Leader Jean made a call to someone.

    ©¤¡­¡­Uh-huh.

    A drawn-out tone. A voice that seemed full of sleep, as if just awakened.

    It was Zia Libra.

    ©¤ Was it because of the Orphanage¡­¡­? That¡¯s interesting¡­¡­

    ¡°Sometimes, the good deeds you doe back to you like a butterfly effect.¡±

    Jean gave a smallugh.

    She serves Zia.

    But no one outside knows that fact. Even Zia¡¯s people don¡¯t know who serves Zia.

    Because that in itself is a service to Zia.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s for the same reason as me.¡±

    Serving the youngest direct descendant of Libra is something only possible if you have no ambition at all, or on the contrary, if you have a veryrge ambition.

    Jean is thetter.

    She has ambition.

    Despite all the hardships, she will survive and seize ¡®the entire future¡¯ as her reward.

    ¡°This intern doesn¡¯t seem to have the same reason as me. But, that makes him all the more trustworthy.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­No.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Jean tilted her head.

    ¡°Rather¡­ that¡¯s why it¡¯s more untrustworthy¡­ Kindness, you see¡­ has no price tag¡­¡±

    Yawn©¤©¤

    Zia yawned. The sound of her rubbing her eyes was heard.

    ¡°Having no price tag doesn¡¯t mean¡­ it has no value¡­ having no price means¡­ It can¡¯t be bought¡­¡±

    Zia continued her soft-spoken words.

    ¡°Not being able to buy it¡­ ultimately means it¡¯s a person who can¡¯t be possessed¡­¡±

    ¡°I think the opposite. Because kindness has no price tag, he can forever be a person for Miss Zia.¡±

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­

    Zia was silent for a moment.

    Soon, she whispered in a small voice.

    ©¤©¤¡­I¡¯ll hang up. My brother hase¡­ Goodnight¡­

    Her brother is probably Jade. The second son who strangely takes care of Zia among the direct descendants.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll contact you if I have something to deliverter.¡±

    Jean ended the call. Then she burned her smartphone with magic.

    Whoosh!

    One smartphone per call.

    Although the price of devices is rising day by day, considering Zia¡¯s value, it would be a bargain.

    * * *

    2.

    Jared Arkne was flipping through his smartphone.

    [Depression Treatment]

    : Are you suffering from depression? Not just depression. We can make you feel any emotion you want. The price? It¡¯s free!

    [Virtual Enchantment Game Release]

    : You can do anything you want. You can be anyone you want. The membership of the virtual enchantment game ¡®Fellow¡¯ will be on sale soon! The price? It¡¯s free!

    All sorts of s filled the smartphone.

    He started to question these things, and before he knew it, a week had passed.

    However, there was still no contact from Detective Victor, and Jared was just wasting time alone.

    ¡°¡­Something.¡±

    He sank into the sofa. He stared nkly at his hand and muttered.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    Suddenly, he began to question himself.

    Why am I the only one in this apartment?

    Have I always been alone?

    Or, was there something more important?

    ¡­Something more important.

    Did I have a family?

    At that moment, a voice echoed in Jared¡¯s ear.

    ©¤You don¡¯t know. That this world is fake.

    Is this world really fake?

    Or, is it just my simple depression?

    ¡°¡­Either way.¡±

    Whether one is real and the other is fake, I can¡¯t just sit still like this.

    I have to go out.

    I have to unravel the truth myself.

    ¡°Was my sword¡­ under the sofa?¡±

    Jared muttered as he reached under the sofa. He grabbed onto something hard.

    It was the dusty family sword of the Arkne family.

 Chapter 193: Internship (4)

    <strong>Internship (4)</strong>

    A luxury boutique in an affluent neighborhood.

    Elise is choosing a dress to wear to a social event. She¡¯s not particrly interested in the exclusive parties of the nobility, but this one is a bit different.

    [Blue DeLuneman].

    This masquerade is attended by quite a few of the social elite and heirs of major families, making it a sort of bucket list event.

    ¡°La. How about this one?¡±

    Elise asked while looking at herself in the full-length mirror. It wasn¡¯t an overly extravagant dress.

    A ck dress that entuated her fair skin. Her shoulders and corbone were quite exposed, but she thought it was eptable.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s fine.¡±

    La¡¯s voice was low. Elise turned to look at her.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you? You¡¯ve always wanted to go to Blue DeLuneman the most.¡±

    Throughout her time in Endex Life, La had been singing the [Blue DeLuneman] song and waiting. After all, you can¡¯t get invited if you¡¯re not an adult.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡­ but I¡¯ve been dealing with a lot of exhausting thingstely.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to buy a dress, at least decide on a mask. I¡¯m going to be a camel, so don¡¯t copy me.¡±

    ¡°Who wears a camel mask?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Haaaam.¡±

    La yawned. Had she been too active as M recently? She was tired, so tired.

    Oh right. I had something to tell Elise.

    ¡°¡­¡­Elly.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Do you know Raquel Dra?¡±

    La subtly changed the topic.

    ¡°You mean the murderer from Trick City?¡±

    ¡°They call him a viin in Trick City.¡±

    ¡°I know. Why?¡±

    Elise fiddled with her earrings. Then she put on the camel mask she had prepared in advance.

    ¡°¡­¡­How about we do this for our club activity? Catching a viin! We investigate Raquel Dra! If we catch him, our specs will skyrocket!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Haa. How many lives do you have?¡±

    Elise looked at her as if she was pathetic. La¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°¡®Raquel Dra¡¯, the viin, is not someone we can handle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a scaredy-cat, Elly. You have no confidence. You¡¯re the top of the College Board.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t bite off more than I can chew. By the way, there was talk about him in the Magic Towermunity.¡±

    Elise said as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

    ¡°Raquel Dra¡¯s ¡®Chimera form¡¯ was a research subject for mages. So they also debated about the level of that Raquel Dra-¡±

    ¡°Viin.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Viin. The academic consensus was?¡±

    Elise held up three fingers.

    ¡°Even with just the skills revealed to the public, Raquel Dra is at least a third-tier mage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Th, third-tier?¡±

    Gulp- La swallowed.

    A third-tier mage is equivalent to a one-man army. Even Elise, if she were to enter the Magic Tower, would start from the ninth tier.

    ¡°There are rumors that he could be second-tier in terms ofbat power.¡±

    There aren¡¯t many second-tier mages even in Edsi.

    ¡°How are we supposed to catch someone like that? ¡­¡­Please think.¡±

    Elise paid with her ck card. La pouted at her nonchnt demeanor.

    ¡°Still, Elly, aren¡¯t you being too irresponsible? Viins kill people!¡±

    ¡°La, isn¡¯t murder as old as humanity?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Catching killers is the job of the police or knights. I¡¯m busy saving those who are dying.¡±

    Elise always volunteers in medical services. She works in the emergency room for at least 10 hours a week.

    ¡°¡­Besides, are you really not going to buy a dress? I don¡¯t have much time today.¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of clothes.¡±

    La responded sulkily. Elise smirked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the type to not buy because you have plenty.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Whirrrrrr©¤©¤©¤

    At that moment, a box flew in through the open door of the boutique. Elise caught it.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my box.¡±

    ¡°A ¡®Delivery Box¡¯, huh? So you use this form too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s called ¡®Biantu¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Biantu? You even named it?¡±

    La examined her box. Despite being a box, it was decorated with various things. Even a rabbit headband?

    ¡°It¡¯s a message from a professor at the Magic Tower. He wants me to attend his lecture.¡±

    Elise showed the contents of the box, a letter with a seal, as she spoke.

    ¡°¡­So what? Are you bragging?¡±

    ¡°I have to go now. Just forget about Raquel Dra. There are people much stronger and more meticulous than you already nning to catch him.¡±

    La looked at Elly with discontented eyes. Then she abruptly turned to the staff.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the same dress she¡¯s wearing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s go as twins? I¡¯m going to dress exactly like Elly.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°And, I¡¯m also going to wear a camel mask.¡±

    ¡°¡­You. Just try it.¡±

    Elise¡¯splexion instantly turned cold. La huffed and walked out.

    ¡°You just try it!¡±

    Elise quickly followed and shouted at her back.

    ¡°The camel is mine!¡±

    * * *

    The residence of Endex¡¯s official. Late at night, serene moonlight streamed in through the window gap.

    I¡¯m reading the documents rted to the [Blue DeLuneman] escort, my second intern task.

    Drrrrrr©¤

    Soliette is sleeping on the sofa. These days, she¡¯s more dedicated to training than ever before. She says it¡¯s special training to face Knightmare, and her growth rate and speed are astounding.

    I couldn¡¯t evenst three minutes against her sincere sparring. Especially the ¡¸me Sword¡¹ almost burned my clothes.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t use the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹. I consciously hid it. Just in case she might show interest in the Severing Sword.

    Thanks to that, Soliette, who sleeps well, eats well, and trains diligently, was bing a different kind of master than before her regression.

    Now her weapon was the ¡¸me Sword¡¹, not the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hold on.¡±

    Suddenly.

    I spread out the work documents again.

    [Blue DeLuneman Escort Task]

    ¡°This.¡±

    A document outlining my route and role as a bodyguard.

    This year¡¯s Blue DeLuneman is held in ¡®Trick City¡¯, therge print says.

    From within, a certain memory blossomed.

    ¡­¡­Breaking news. There has been a kidnapping incident involving Senator Amota at the castle in Trick City, where the social party ¡®Blue DeLuneman¡¯ was taking ce.

    It was the voice of a news anchor.

    The Blue DeLuneman attack incident.

    Some big shots are targeting [Blue DeLuneman]. No, not big shots, but madmen. The mastermind is the ¡°monster association¡±.

    Anyway, a Senator gets kidnapped and killed here. The method is so unique that it seems like it would trigger a memory even without ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ©¤Here is the scene. At the time of the incident, the ¡®Blue DeLuneman¡¯ room where Senator Amota was staying disappeared entirely, and many high-ranking officials were trapped in a malfunctioning Barrier¡­¡­

    The voices of the reporters echoed. Among them, I searched for any information rted to ¡®Libra¡¯.

    ©¤Also, monsters and beasts suddenly appeared inside the Barrier¡­¡­ Libra¡¯s second son Jade and youngest Zia, under the leadership of the second son Jade, evacuated¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­So Jade was there.¡±

    Anyone with Jade is invincible.

    Also, Jade is not a good enough person to save others out of goodwill. Rather, he would never reveal his power in front of many people, so he would only take Zia and leave.

    There¡¯s no ce for me.

    I put down the documents. I muttered while stretching my neck.

    ¡°I thought it was a chance to score some points.¡±

    Zia ising. Jade ising too. As an intern, I¡¯m tempted to y the heroic role of saving Zia, but with Jade there¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    I leaned forward again. I meticulously examined the [Blue DeLuneman] [Room List], [Attendee List], etc. on the desk again.

    ¡°Senator Amota 107A. Erick 110C. Jade 108B¡­¡­.¡±

    * * *

    The most famous official social event in Edsi, [Blue DeLuneman].

    This year¡¯s venue is the castle in Trick City.

    However, there are no reporters or cameras nearby. This is because the entire castle is surrounded by a ¡¸Barrier¡¹.

    Most citizens simply wave from afar, weing the vehicles entering the castle.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I stand at the massive entrance of the castle. Wearing a mask that makes me look like a phantom. Because I¡¯m tall and neat, I¡¯ve be a ¡®guard¡¯ checking the invitations.

    It¡¯s rather good.

    ©¤The VIPs areing soon. Stand by.

    The voice of the security team leader came through my earpiece.

    I don¡¯t know who this team leader is. But he probably isn¡¯t worried. He must believe that the castle¡¯s Barrier will protect us.

    However, today, an error urs in that Barrier due to magic hacking.

    ¡°I will check your invitation.¡±

    I asked the VIPs approaching the entrance for their invitations. They handed me their invitations in their masked attire, and I checked their names.

    ¡°Please restfortably in the room written on the invitation. The party starts at 6 PM.¡±

    After repeating this for a few minutes.

    ©¤Senator Amota is entering.

    Senator Amota appeared. A stubborn Senator who hopes for cooperation between Trick City and Edsi and wants to bring down the cartel. The middle-aged woman had not yet put on her mask.

    I reached out to her.

    ¡°I will check your invitation.¡±

    Senator Amota pointed to her face as if puzzled.

    ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t seem to know me? I haven¡¯t put on a mask yet.¡±

    ¡°From what I know, Senator Amota is not in her 30s.¡±

    At that, a smile spread across the Senator¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Huhuh. True. That¡¯s right. I should have known.¡±

    She shook her head and handed me the invitation. As I epted it, I manifested ¡¸Deception¡¹.

    To prevent her from being kidnapped©¤I changed the room written on the invitation to another ce.

    From [107 A] to [108 B]

    ¡°Please restfortably in the room written on the invitation. The party starts at 6 PM.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the room key?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t one. You can set a password when you enter the room, Senator.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ I see. Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    She patted my shoulder and went inside. I watched her back.

    The best way is to cancel the social event itself, but [Blue DeLuneman] is a continental emergency social event. No matter what I say, it won¡¯t be canceled. I would only be treated as a lunatic.

    So, it¡¯s better to protect the person that needs to be protected.

    ©¤Guard. Good line, huh? You¡¯re an intern, right?

    I looked around.

    Someone¡¯s been watching me. Is he really the security team leader?

    ©¤They keeping. There will be people with forged invitations, so pick them out well.

    Quite a few people came after that.

    Most of them were celebrities¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Here¡¯s my invitation.¡±

    There was one wearing a camel mask. She hesitated as she handed me the invitation.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ by any chance, is it you?¡±

    She asked me. I silently returned the invitation.

    ¡°Ha ha! Elly. How do I look?¡±

    Just then, La appeared behind her. Elise quickly turned around.

    ¡°I told you! If I say I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    La was also wearing a camel mask like Elise.

    ¡°You, you! How dare you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going in first~¡±

    La went inside, and Elise followed her.

    ©¤Focus! It¡¯s a direct descendant of Libra. It¡¯s No. 3. Don¡¯t say anything weird. You don¡¯t even have to check the invitation.

    Next, a man of blue dignity appeared. The man who got out of the luxury car approached with long strides.

    It was Jade of Libra. His mask was ordinary.

    I said to him.

    ¡°May I see your invitation, please?¡±

    ©¤I told you not to check the invitation!

    He silently handed me the invitation. I swiped his invitation with my palm.

    I returned it and said.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Keep up the good work.¡±

    Jade, who seemed to have recognized me, chuckled and went inside.

    ©¤¡­¡­Interesting. No. 3 is unusually quiet. Still, don¡¯t do things like checking invitations next time. No. 3 doesn¡¯t like that.

    I looked at my wristwatch.

    5:55 PM.

    It seems early for Jade, but there¡¯s no sign of Ziaing.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is she already here?¡±

    There¡¯s a possibility. Zia extremely dislikes the gaze of others.

    I looked back for a moment.

    The towering spire. The huge castle wrapped in a Barrier. I took in all of its scenery.

    How the social gathering will proceed today¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know either.

    * * *

    Chewing©¤©¤

    From a hill where [Blue DeLuneman] is visible in one nce. A monster with dark arms and legs is staring at the castle, chewing gum.

    ©¤Are you ready?

    He asked. A strange voice flowed from his scorched vocal cords.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A man in a robe replied.

    ©¤Then activate the Barrier first.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The operation was all prepared in advance.

    The Barrier was already hacked, and the room signs were obtained in advance, and a Magic Spell was installed in the room where Senator Amota would stay.

    Today, a secret deal was made between the monster association and the Marcus cartel.

    The monster association kidnaps Senator Amota, who the Marcus cartel was annoyed with, extracts information, and then kills her.

    In return, the Marcus cartel cooperates with several operations of the monster association.

    It is known as©¤©¤¡¸The Day of Origin¡¹.

    ¡°¡­¡­It has been activated.¡±

    The man in the robe said.

    ©¤Is that all?

    ¡°Yes. Now it¡¯s impossible to circte between inside and outside the Barrier, and phantom beasts will soon swarm.¡±

    ©¤Hmm. Good. Then summon the Senator now.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The robe turned around. There was one giant form on the ground there. A ¡¸Spatial Transfer¡¹ to kidnap Senator Amota.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh!¡±

    The man infused the form with mana. Instantly, the ground beneath glowed blue, and a cheerful spark sizzled¡ª! A tiny vibration rippled.

    Soon, a room, including the door, walls, and ceiling, was entirely transferred above the ground.

    They had stolen the entire room of Senator Amota.

    ©¤Open the door first. She must be scared. Calm her down.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The man in the robe opened the door.

    ¡°Senator, please don¡¯t be too rmed and listen to what I have to say¡­¡­.?¡±

    The man, who had been speaking like a wicked impersonator, suddenly trembled. He staggered back in surprise.

    ¡°¡­¡­What is this.¡±

    ©¤What¡¯s going on?

    The monster asked. The man just blinked nkly.

    With no other choice, the monster approached the room himself. He peered beyond the opened door of room [107A].

    ©¤What the¡­¡­.

    They saw him.

    He was not Senator Amota.

    Seemingly in the middle of changing into his party attire, his shirt was slightly unbuttoned. A coat and mask neatly ced on the bed.

    Blue eyes ring at them with a furrowed brow.

    The second son of Libra, Jade.

    * * *

    3.

    Jared ransacked everywhere. He tackled the dungeon alone, cut down zombies in the sewers, and frantically asked about the ¡®nail clippers¡¯.

    There was no progress.

    No one gave him an answer about the ¡®nail clippers¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­A fake.¡±

    The night descended into darkness.

    On the ground of a hill where he had lit a bonfire for camping.

    ¡°Just that one word that this world is fake has dragged me¡­¡­.¡±

    How far is it going to pull me in?

    Jared chuckled and looked up at the sky. He gulped down whiskey and counted the numerous stars.

    ¡°If¡­¡­ there¡¯s an end to these stars.¡±

    He mumbled absentmindedly.

    ¡°If¡­¡­ this world is really fake.¡±

    Suddenly, his eyes widened.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fake!¡±

    If indeed the entire world is fake.

    If the horizon I walk and run on, and the sky I look up to, are fake.

    There must be a ¡®boundary¡¯.

    In other words, there must be an ¡®end of the world¡¯.

    Jared quickly got up. He was about to dash into the mountains but paused.

    ¡°¡­¡­A horse.¡±

    He needed a horse. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t run on two legs.

    He would get a fine horse and race to the end of this world.

    Let¡¯s see what¡¯s there with my own eyes¡­¡­.

 Chapter 194: Internship (5)

    <strong>Internship (5)</strong>

    ¡­¡­2 hours ago.

    At 6 PM, when all the guests had entered.

    ¡°Hall 1A clear.¡±

    I was patrolling from the guest rooms of the castle to the balcony, the roof, and so on, a little off from the main floor where the ssic orchestra melody was flowing. The route was received in advance, and I followed the order memorized in the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Walking down the corridor, I nced at the rooms of Jade and Senator Amota. I had manipted the invitations to switch their locations, and fortunately, neither of them had any suspicions.

    ©¤Make sure everyone follows their routes without ovepping. If anyone shows even a slight suspicious behavior, report it immediately.

    The n of the ¡¸Monster Association¡¹ was probably to kidnap Senator Amota, malfunction the castle¡¯s barrier, and plunge this charity party into chaos. In reality, the attendees would be trapped in this barrier for quite a long time.

    ¡°Is it not time yet?¡±

    I checked the clock. The rooms were still as they were. Of course, there was also a way for me to evacuate Senator Amota alone.

    The reason why I packed Jade instead of her was¡­¡­.

    It¡¯s a gift. The second son of Libra would be a much more valuable hostage than Senator Amota.

    If only I could kidnap him.

    ¡°Room corridor 1A clear¡±

    ©¤The charity party will start soon. Exactly 10 minutes after Senator Amota¡¯s speech.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ©¤©¤!

    A small ripple of mana spiked. It was a fairly quiet form manifestation. I briefly looked back at that ce.

    One room was missing. It was originally Senator Amota¡¯s room, but it was [107A], which I had switched with Jade.

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    Only the floor tiles remained in the ce where the room was neatly cut out. As if it had always been this way.

    I turned around with a smirk.

    Gulp-

    Just then, the door of room [108 B] opened. At thest moment, Senator Amota came out with a script in her hand.

    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s that guard at the entrance.¡±

    She gave me a small smile.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Did you really think I was in my 30s?

    ¡°I can¡¯t lie.¡±

    ¡°True. You¡¯re a smooth talker.¡±

    I don¡¯t know much about Senator Amota. Because she dies at this point before my regression.

    But I do know about the ¡®Amota Special Law¡¯. I¡¯ve heard the rumors about it.

    A Senator who was infinitely merciful to the lower sses of society, but mercilessly charged like a bullet at criminal groups including the cartel, and sadly oxidized.

    ¡°My speech will start soon. Will you be able to listen?¡±

    She asked me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch from afar.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Okay. Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t listen. It¡¯s just a talk about money.¡±

    Senator Amota headed across the corridor to the main hall, and I brushed my hair back and smiled quietly.

    ¡°I wonder if they received the gift well.¡±

    * * *

    In the main hall of the castle.

    Elise and La were observing the faces attending [Blue DeLuneman].

    ¡°That person is the CEO of ¡®Pine¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow¡­¡­¡±

    At Elise¡¯s words, La gasped in admiration.

    ¡°That person is thergest shareholder of ¡®Ruslion¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Gosh. That person is the 30th richest person in Edsi?¡±

    As Elise, who was well-versed in current affairs, there were many familiar faces. The CEO of ¡®Pine¡¯, the smartphone manufacturer she uses, the chief researcher of ¡®Villonde¡¯ who develops, invents, and exhibits various Magic Spells¡­

    ¡°La. Did you think Shion was here?¡±

    What bothered Elise more were the bodyguards.

    She was sure there was a bodyguard who resembled Shion. Was it a mistake due to the mask?

    ¡°Why would Shion be here? He didn¡¯t get an invitation.¡±

    La had a beaming face. It was a party after a long time, and it seemed exciting as it was a social event held in Trick City.

    ©¤©¤Ladies and gentlemen enjoying the party, could you spare a moment?

    Then a microphone sound echoed in the party hall.

    Everyone turned to look at the stage.

    ©¤©¤Senator Amota would like to say a few words to the guests.

    Somewhere, the spotlight fell. Many eyes were focused there.

    ©¤Hello. I¡¯m Amota, holding a small seat in the Edsi Parliament.

    It was Senator Amota. She, a three-term senator, was a person worthy of particr respect and trust at this party.

    Elise also looked up at her.

    ©¤Actually, what I¡¯m going to talk about today may not be very pleasant. Because of the way I normally speak. Perhaps, the corporate representatives here know better?

    Smallughter flowed. Elise slightly mimicked the rxed looks of the adults.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Elly. What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Be quiet.¡±

    ©¤Today, I want to talk about ¡®charity¡¯ using this tform.

    Elise suddenly scanned the edge of the main hall. There were many bodyguards.

    Among those bodyguards, someone simr to Shion¡­ was not there.

    ©¤This high-walled ce is Trick City¡¯s Section C-01. It¡¯s about halfway between the very stable B-Section and D-Section. It might be a very dangerous space for you?

    Then the adultsughed. Elise also covered her mouth and followed.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Elly. What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ©¤I was burdened to call you here. But it was the most appropriate ce. If you go up one block from here, there is B-Section full of mysterious magic buildings, cutting-edgepanies, and luxury homes.

    Senator Amota projected photos from the stage. It was a familiar scenery of B-Section for La.

    ©¤But if you go down one more block, in Trick City¡¯s D-Section¡­

    The pictures flipped like a film.

    ©¤A lot of children are still losing their lives.

    The sight of children sprawled out, dying in D-Section.

    La¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. Elise just stared at it quietly.

    ¡°Simply because they have nothing to eat, no water, and above all¡­ they are consumed as tools by criminals.¡±

    ¡°Right. The viins.¡±

    La gritted her teeth. Elise took a sip of her champagne.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just Trick City¡¯s D-Section. The outskirts of Edsi. Those ces we simply call the ¡®slums¡¯ and ignore and despise¡­¡±

    Senator Amota flipped through several photos.

    ¡°These social phenomena are not enough with justws. Your sponsorship and donations, and above all, attention. With these, we can protect the children from crime. We can brighten their future. At the same time.¡±

    As if it was the most important part.

    Senator Amota raised her finger.

    ¡°All of this process will be transparent. How your donations and sponsorships are used, every detail will be disclosed.¡±

    Then it happened.

    Suddenly, it got dark outside the window. Most didn¡¯t pay much attention. It was about time for the sun to set.

    ¡°¡­Well. I¡¯ve taken too much time. I hope you all enjoy the party and have a safe journey home.¡±

    Apuse echoed.

    Elise and La also pped. La was particrly enthusiastic.

    ¡°Elly. I¡¯m going to donate all my allowance.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll donate the same amount.¡±

    At that moment, celebrities also approached La and Elly. They were CEOs of variouspanies.

    Charity parties, whereworking is built through charity, proceed in this way.

    Some engage in conversation, some say they have something to talk about and quickly leave their seats.

    ¡°¡­Why is it so dark outside?¡±

    At some point, the one who noticed the strangeness was a researcher from a magicpany with particrly excellent intuition.

    Elise also looked around. Then she suddenly looked up at the ceiling.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    Her eyes widened.

    ¡°Elly. What?¡±

    La also looked up and shivered.

    ¡°¡­What? Was it always that high¡­?¡±

    The ceiling was dizzyingly high.

    Of course, the ceiling was originally high, but now it was abnormally high, so high that the end was not visible.

    ¡°Elly. What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before. In magic textbooks.¡±

    Elise quickly diagnosed the situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Boundary Error.¡±

    ¡°An error?¡±

    Then the businessmen around her gathered. They had detected something unusual.

    ¡°Yeah. Sometimes this happens when an expansion boundary malfunctions¡­.¡±

    The space itself distorts and expands, akin to a strand of stretchy taffy, indicating a peculiar distortion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not an incident that could cause casualties.¡±

    Elise said, looking around at them. The bodyguards also moved. They were about to go out to the corridor-

    ¡°Don¡¯t go out!¡±

    Elise stopped them with her ¡¸Telekinesis¡¹.

    ¡°Stay in a wide open space. If you go into a long space like a corridor, you could get trapped.¡±

    The orchestra stopped. Elise focused her magic on her retina. She was trying to observe the circuit of the barrier to find the error©¤

    ©¤Kwaaaa!

    A flying object appeared from outside the window and collided. It was a strangely shaped pile of rocks.

    Really, it looked like rocks were randomly clumped together and flying around.

    La asked.

    ¡°What, what is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a derivative effect of a Boundary Error. When magic leaks out, it settles in natural or man-made objects.¡±

    This is why most of the cursed mansions and phantom-infested one-room apartments that asionally appear in movies are due to this ¡¸Boundary Error¡¹.

    From the beginning, due to the poor design of the Barrier, or the Barrier being attacked at its weak points, errors ur, magic runs wild, and magical incidents ur within the Barrier.

    ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡±

    The scream of a businessman¡¯s wife was the signal.

    Even Elise, who casually turned around, felt her stomach churn.

    There, a golem made of flesh, intestines, muscles, skin, and bones that were presumed to be human was haphazardly stuck together.

    * * *

    At the same time.

    Zia was alone in a room. But, it was not her room. It was ¡®someone else¡¯s¡¯ room.

    [INSTALLING]

    [¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ó¡ó]

    She wanted to attend this social event too. She had deliberately asked Jade for an invitation.

    Tododododo-

    Nevertheless, she was not interested in the party itself orworking.

    She was just tapping on theptop keyboard.

    Tododododo-

    [INSTALLING]

    [¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ó]

    She was installing spyware. Zia herself had set it up very densely and cleverly, and currently, it was almost impossible to detect. The downside is that ¡®it has to be installed by directly manipting the device¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    This was her goal from the beginning.

    Some ¡®workaholics¡¯ tend to bring work to party venues, and businessmen who value privacy dislike CCTV.

    It¡¯s the optimal condition for nting hacking programs.

    Tadadadak- Tadadadak-

    [COMPLETE]

    Hackingplete. Now, all the informationing into thisptop is transmitted through a backdoor.

    ¡®Pine¡¯, ¡®Ruslion¡¯, and ¡®Vilong¡¯. She installed the program on theptops of important figures from three majorpanies.

    Even the scraps are worth at least ten million Elne. If she¡¯s lucky, she could steal core technologies worth a billion Elne.

    In this way, Zia asionally takes risks. She moves directly to aim for high returns. No one would think that Zia would do such a thing.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She put theptop back in the owner¡¯s bag. After erasing all traces, she went outside.

    Stealthily- stealthily- she walked down the corridor.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    But, something was strange.

    It was too dark.

    There was no lighting through the window, and the end of the corridor seemed to be swallowed by darkness and was not visible.

    She looked around.

    The corridor had gotten longer.

    There was no other way to describe it.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Zia started walking for now.

    She adjusted the strength of her steps, calcted the optimal stride, and took about six steps forward.

    ¡°¡­Error.¡±

    She predicted a Boundary Error.

    There are drawbacks to moving directly. Although there are returns, one is constantly exposed to risks.

    Swoosh¡­

    Suddenly, a strange wind blew in. It didn¡¯t feel good.

    But there was no way around it. She had to keep moving forward until a gap in the error appeared.

    Step. Step.

    She kept walking. The more she walked, the less she could see and the less she could hear.

    It felt like she was moving into darkness.

    ©¤©¤©¤Aaaahhhhh!

    Suddenly, a human scream echoed. The sound was distorted like a stretched tape.

    The Boundary Error is quite severe. Perhaps it¡¯s due to an attack from outsiders, or hacking.

    Zia swallowed.

    Whoosh-!

    Suddenly, a candle lit up in the not-so-distant corridor. The light was clear in the darkness. There was one person in front of the light.

    Zia paused for a moment.

    Should she be suspicious, or should she ask for help?

    But fear is not something she handles well. It¡¯s the only thing she fears. She could bear pain, but¡­

    Zia walked towards the light. She reached the candle, trying to control her breathing as much as possible.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    She stopped her words.

    Immediately, goosebumps rose all over her body.

    It wasn¡¯t a person.

    It was a painting.

    A full-length portrait.

    In it, a bizarre man made of paint was looking at her¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤Hahahahahahaha!

    Heughed. His eyes drew a line as if they were torn. The moment she met his gaze, it felt like her soul was being captured.

    She tried to step back. But her legs wouldn¡¯t move.

    The man in the painting reached out first.

    ©¤©¤©¤Hahahahahahaha!

    He burst intoughter, cing his hands on his own throat. He slowly began to strangle himself.

    Squirm¡­

    Twisting skin. Unending breath.

    To get away from him, Zia put all her strength into one step.

    One step.

    Slowly stepping back¡­

    Thud-

    It was the worst-case scenario.

    Something solid touched her back.

    Zia nearly fainted at that moment.

    But then¡­

    Screech©¤

    The sound of steel being scraped.

    Like drawing a sword from its sheath, an unfamiliar resonance.

    Whoosh©¤©¤!

    A sword swinging through the air. A sh of light in the void.

    The man in the painting¡¯s hand was severed, and a scream filled Zia¡¯s ears.

    Aaaargh©¤©¤©¤©¤!!

    It was a much more unbearable shriek. Zia let out an involuntary groan. Then, a thick palm reached out from behind her and covered her ears.

    ¡­¡­

    The world quieted down.

    Soon, someone¡¯s sword moved. The sword stroke curved in a diagonal line.

    Itpletely cut through the painting that had tormented her.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia staggered with the overwhelming sense of relief. She leaned her body against the figure behind her.

    ¡°¡­¡­calm down.¡±

    A soft voice flowed in.

    ¡°Take deep breaths. There¡¯s no need to be tense.¡±

    Zia took a deep breath. She struggled to maintain her consciousness.

    She couldn¡¯t let go of her consciousness. She still couldn¡¯t trust the person who saved her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be tense.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to be tense.

    Words spoken while holding her up.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­. Haah¡­¡­¡±

    Zia gasped as if she was about to faint¡­¡­. She looked up above her head.

    A blurry figure formed in her somewhat foggy vision.

    ¡°¡­¡­I will protect you.¡±

    Eventually, as the focus became clear, one person filled her eyes.

    The child she had once seen at the Orphanage.

    That tiny figure.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Shion Ascal.

 Chapter 195: First Encounter (1)

    <strong>First Encounter (1)</strong>

    The castle¡¯s corridor endlessly extended. No matter how much I walked, the distance seemed to increase, a result of error urring in various functions of the ¡¸Barrier¡¹, such as expansion, security, tracking, and auto attack.

    It was a much more dramatic phenomenon than what the news anchor in my memory had described. There¡¯s a big difference between simply receiving information and actually seeing it with your own eyes.

    Anyway.

    I found Zia wandering in the corridor. Surprisingly, I found her quickly, thanks to my careful consideration of the reason why Zia would havee to the social circle.

    She had made an effort to attend the party, but she was not actually there. If she were shy, she could have just watched from the balcony.

    Therefore, her purpose was not the social circle but behind the charity party. She was trying to do some sort of arrangement while going back and forth in the rooms where the upper ss stayed¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you okay?¡±

    I am standing behind her now, covering her eyes.

    Her frail body, about to break, is touching my chest, and her swan-like white and thin neck seems like it would break easily if I squeezed it hard.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Zia looked up at me. I met her blue eyes inside the rabbit mask.

    I hesitated for a moment.

    Should I pretend not to know who she is?

    However, Zia¡¯s blue hair.

    Blue eyes.

    The radiance, brighter than crystal, is the bloodline color of Libra, recognizable to anyone. Pretending not to know would be more suspicious.

    ¡°Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Her pupils dted vertically like a cat¡¯s.

    ¡°How did you know¡­¡­?¡±

    I silently looked into her eyes. Slowly, I lowered my hands.

    ¡°Those eyes.¡±

    I stepped back from her.

    ¡°Just by looking at a strand of that hair, I can tell.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Zia brushed a strand of hair next to her shoulder and nodded. She seemed convinced.

    ¡°Right now¡­¡­ the space is tangled¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know.¡±

    The duty of a bodyguard is to protect the VIP.

    It would have been Jade¡¯s role originally.

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk for now. I will protect you.¡±

    I walked down the corridor with my sword drawn. Zia followed me with her peculiar gait.

    * * *

    Boom©¤©¤! Boom©¤©¤! Boom©¤©¤!

    At the same time, in the main hall of the castle.

    Elise and La used the Flexible form to build walls and a roof. It was a task to create a closed space.

    A privacy room to calm people down and a temporary solution against the Boundary Error. In the infinitely expanding Barrier, a closed space is essential.

    ¡°¡­¡­Everyone, please go in one by one and rest.¡±

    Elise looked at their faces.

    CEO, researcher, pop star, movie actor, judge, etc. Most of them have some knowledge of magic, but that¡¯s it. They can¡¯t be like them, who specialize in learning and handling magic.

    ¡°If anyone is injured, please let me know at any time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your help, Miss Elise.¡±

    Senator Amota came up to Elise. She put her hand on her shoulder with a proud smile.

    ¡°Mr. Ken must be very proud too.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders, feeling awkward.

    ¡°What do you mean? More importantly, what about the outside situation?¡±

    ¡°Connection is impossible. But the situation will be resolved soon.¡±

    ©¤¡­It¡¯s too early to be confident.

    A mechanical sound flowed in. Elise turned to look. There was a man with a rather sharp appearance.

    He was a person, but he wore a mechanical mask on his mouth, making him look like a monster to anyone who saw him.

    ©¤Lato. I¡¯m a mage from Trick City B-Section.

    He introduced himself.

    ¡°A mage?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    Elise scanned him with a strange look. The mages of Trick City are definitely different from those of the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Then can you help with the Flexible? The mana consumption is quiterge.¡±

    The Flexible form is aborious task. Therefore, it¡¯s a field that most mages avoid.

    ©¤I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have a hobby with Flexible.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    This guy is also unpleasant. Are all mages like this?

    Senator Amota spoke with a small smile.

    ¡°But there are many bodyguards, so the space itself will be safe.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­But.¡±

    La, who had approached unnoticed, mumbled in a low voice.

    ¡°Who on earth¡­ would have done this?¡±

    The Barrier of the castle was clearly hacked. It¡¯s not a situation that could ur simply due to operational errors or Barrier aging.

    ¡°Let¡¯s think about thatter. For now-¡±

    ©¤One person. It doese to mind.

    Lato interrupted. La, Elise, and Senator Amota all turned to look at him at the same time.

    ¡°Who?!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Lato scanned the three people with his dry eyes.

    ©¤A mage who has exceptional skills to cause errors in the Barrier of this massive castle, and above all, targets the upper ss.

    His words continued in a low voice.

    ©¤A mutant that the mages of both Trick City and the Magic Tower call a ¡®new seed¡¯.

    La seemed to realize then, and she took a sharp breath.

    ©¤Coincidentally, there was a person who recently assassinated a tycoon in Trick City B-Section.

    Crack- La clenched her fists.

    ¡°La. What¡¯s wrong? Do you know who it is?¡±

    Then La, staring at the ground, murmured in a low voice.

    ¡°¡­¡­Raquel Dra.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Elise asked back, frowning. Senator Amota¡¯s expression hardened seriously, and Lato nodded mechanically.

    ©¤The avenger. Raquel Dra.

    * * *

    Corridor of the castle.

    Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°What¡­ what is that¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.

    We discovered a strange creature. It was a person entangled in space. Part of it was human, and part of it was space.

    Save meeeee©¤©¤©¤!

    He was banging on the wall like a madman. He was screaming for help with a ghastly voice.

    ¡°It seems¡­ he got caught in a Boundary Error while trying to escape¡­.¡±

    Zia exined. As she said, it must have been a bodyguard swept away by the infinitely expanding Barrier.

    I drew my sword.

    ¡°Are you going to¡­ kill him¡­?¡±

    I hesitated as I was about to swing.

    Again, I looked back at Zia and asked.

    ¡°Give me the order.¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­ no other way¡­?¡±

    Zia pointed to the man¡¯s tie.

    ¡°He¡¯s from Libra¡­.¡±

    A blue tie.

    The color of my tie is also blue now.

    Well, Zia¡¯s principle would be the same as always.

    ¡®Don¡¯t take your allies lightly, and don¡¯t let your enemies off easily.¡¯

    She takes care of her people better than anyone else. It¡¯s the reason she eventually gained a faith close to a religion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡±

    I raised my sword. I held it in a different posture than before.

    This time, the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹.

    I don¡¯t know if it will work or not.

    Even I can¡¯t control this sword as I wish.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    However, there¡¯s no rule that it absolutely won¡¯t work.

    ¡°Haah¡­.¡±

    I took a deep breath. I raised my sword over my shoulder.

    Kraaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The man, entangled with space, was screaming. If left like this, he would slowly mutate into something between an object and a being.

    However, the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹ is a ¡®severing sword¡¯.

    A man mixed up in space.

    The space between him and the man, the knot where the two are entangled, should be able to be cut off¡­.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    One sword strike. A sh crossing the diagonal line.

    Swish©¤©¤!

    At that moment, the man was separated from the space. He fell to the ground as if spat out from the mouth of a beast.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    So this can be done too.

    I was slightly surprised, but I didn¡¯t show it. After all, Zia prefers calm andposed individuals.

    Someone who doesn¡¯t get surprised or lose their sanity in any situation, whose judgment doesn¡¯t get clouded, and who carries out their duty faithfully.

    The second-inmand before her regression was such a person.

    Zia first knelt down and checked the man¡¯s pulse.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    Shing-

    I sheath my sword.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia looked up at me like a rabbit from her kneeling position. Her eyes were curious.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®severing¡¯ sword.¡±

    ¡°Severing¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Soliette said so.

    The act of ¡®severing¡¯ was developed to the extreme, eventually even severing ¡®concepts¡¯ and ¡®notions¡¯.

    ¡°Who¡­ taught you?¡±

    I pondered for a moment at that question.

    This is not my sword.

    It¡¯s not my father¡¯s, nor is it our family¡¯s.

    ¡­However.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ascal swordsmanship.¡±

    Zia is interested in me.

    I need to fuel that interest as much as possible.

    asionally, no, several times a day, I need to make her think about me.

    I have to be an ¡®irreceable person¡¯.

    Right now, she is a meaningless existence to Libra, but soon she will be Libra itself.

    ¡°From your father¡­?¡±

    ¡°I inherited it, but I am the one who developed it this way.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia looked forward again.

    Suddenly, I became curious.

    ¡°By any chance.¡±

    She, of course, dislikes pointless questions. Despite hernguid andzy demeanor, she is a person with a sharp edge.

    ¡°Do you know my father?¡±

    However, I wanted to ask this.

    Do you know my father?

    Perhaps, do you remember that foolish man who was like a speck of dust to Libra?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia was silent.

    Perhaps she is pondering for a long time. Or maybe she¡¯s rummaging through her mind for a possible memory.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Eventually, Zia¡¯s voice, calm andposed.

    It probably meant she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°He¡¯s a low-ranking knight. It would be strange if I knew him. I¡¯m satisfied just being able to carry on my father¡¯s legacy. Let¡¯s think about a way to escape.¡±

    I focused again on the present.

    A way to escape from this Barrier.

    Before the regression, Jade definitely escaped with Zia.

    Did he break the Barrier?

    No.

    Of course, it would have been possible. One punch would have shattered the entire Barrier.

    However, blowing up the Barrier from the inside would not only cause casualties, but it¡¯s also something Jade himself would hate the most.

    So¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­I think I know.¡±

    ¡°You know¡­¡­?¡±

    Somewhere here, there is a passage that allows us to escape.

    ¡°Yes. Follow me.¡±

    The ¡®Spatial Transfer¡¯ Magic Spell.

    Originally, it was intended to kidnap the Amota Senator, and now it has kidnapped Jade.

    It¡¯s not a one-time use.

    * * *

    Outside the Castle¡¯s Barrier. Trick City C-01 Section.

    The Edsi Police Department was dispatched as soon as they received the report of the incident. They quickly recognized the error in the Barrier and soon discovered the epicenter of the abnormal magical explosion.

    It was a rapid initial response, but what they encountered was¡­

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Only a massive crater.

    ¡°It seems something serious has happened.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    For now, they are standing on a mountain ridge. It¡¯s a point where they can see the entire city at a nce.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    But everything around them is devastated. It seems like every destructible part has been destroyed.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    A vast crater was formed in the mountains, and its edges seemed scorched as if swept by a magical nuclear bomb. Therefore, there was no evidence or traces. Well, if you insist, there ¡®were¡¯ traces.

    One trace was so massive that it annihted the entire area.

    ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡­Thud!

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Just then, an investigator raised a measuring device and chuckled. Everyone turned to look at him.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The meter¡¯s glowing. The shock amount is really like a magical bomb exploded.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, the machine says so.¡±

    ¡°Did the one who hacked the Barrier do this?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that moment, the agents on the scene thought to themselves that it was fortunate. If they had arrived a little earlier, they would have been swept up by this monstrosity.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s focus on the Barrier for now. When is the dismantling teaming?¡±

    ¡°We requested the Magic Tower, but you know. Those mage guys will probably crawl here like worms.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah. Heree the Enforcers.¡±

    The team leader squinted his eyes, ncing at the mountain path behind.

    Trick City Enforcers. From the police department¡¯s perspective, they are troublesome guys.

    ¡°Guys. Get up.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Edsi Police Department straightened their backs. They each made their faces stern. They confronted them with as high-pressure an attitude as possible.

    ¡°You¡¯rete? Not living up to the Enforcers¡¯ reputation.¡±

    The Enforcer members said as soon as they arrived.

    ¡°This ce is under Trick City¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±

    ¡°Trick City is also Edsi, and don¡¯t you know who¡¯s inside there? The social elites of Edsi are in there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Enforcers quietly searched the scene. The team leader sighed and said,

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s nothing to find here.¡±

    They kept digging the ground as if they didn¡¯t believe it, fiddling with the burnt soil and tree roots, measuring the magic with a counter¡­

    ¡°Hey, guys. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to share evidence or anything, but there¡¯s really nothing left.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then the Enforcers stepped back. They had some serious conversation among themselves.

    From the police¡¯s perspective, it looked suspicious. They seemed to know something.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    The team leader took the first step forward.

    ¡°Seems like you have some evidence. How about sharing it?¡±

    ¡°¡­There is no evidence.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you whispering?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re simply suspecting a person.¡±

    ¡°You suspect someone without evidence?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Enforcers fell silent.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The police department¡¯s team leader ced a hand on the shoulder of the Enforcer in charge.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this. We need to cooperate on this case.¡±

    ¡°Please step aside.¡±

    The person in charge brushed off his hand and made a phone call somewhere.

    ¡°¡­Yes. The Edsi Police Department is here.¡±

    The police department quietly watched.

    ¡°Should we share the information?¡±

    Information sharing. The team leader swallowed those words.

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    The person in charge looked back at the police department.

    ¡°If the perpetrator of this Barrier hacking incident turns out to be the suspect we¡¯re considering, Trick City will request a joint investigation with the Edsi Police Department.¡±

    ¡°¡­A joint investigation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Recently, there was an assassination in the B-Section. An outsider infiltrated the B-Section and killed a businessman, the first such incident in 7 years and 33 days.¡±

    The police department¡¯s officers slowly gathered around. They quietly listened to his words.

    ¡°Not only that, the mages of the Magic Tower are currently considering this person a key figure. A red assignment could be made soon.¡±

    Red assignment. It¡¯s a warning level system from the Magic Tower.

    The order is ck-purple-[red]-yellow-green-blue-colorless, and the meaning of ¡®red¡¯ is ¡®a mage that is difficult to handle even for the Magic Tower, so be careful¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, so who is it?¡±

    The police department¡¯s team leader asked in a frustrated tone. The person in charge of the Enforcer simply answered.

    ¡°¡®Raquel Dra¡¯. The viin of Trick City.¡±

 Chapter 196: First Encounter (2)

    <strong>First Encounter (2)</strong>

    The mana leaked by the Boundary Error was seeping into the castle, causing all sorts of curses to ur.

    Pictures in frames were crawling out like humans, candles and knives were flying around attacking, and strangeughter kept echoing ¨C it was like a house of horror.

    I was moving through the corridor with Zia in this environment, but the biggest problem was ¡®oxygen¡¯.

    The barrierpletely blocked the inside from the outside.

    Therefore, the oxygen supply was limited, but because the interior was infinitely expanding, the avable oxygen was decreasing.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huuu.¡±

    Zia couldn¡¯tst long in this environment. I could hear her struggling to breathe from behind me.

    The ¡®nameless bodyguard¡¯ I saved in Zia¡¯s name, who is now on my shoulder, is in the same situation, but Zia herself is likely much worse.

    As far as I know, she has a gic disease simr to pneumonia.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    I called out to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia stopped. But she didn¡¯t say anything. She probably realized theck of oxygen herself.

    ¡°Please wait.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia looked at me. There was nothing in her gaze. Still, the rabbit mask covered her bare face.

    ¡°I will try to sever the space.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The space?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I raised my sword.

    I feel like I¡¯m using the Severing Sword too much today, but I can¡¯t help it. If I can gain even a little more of Zia¡¯s trust, the side effects are a small price to pay.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡±

    One deep breath.

    Immediately after, I twisted the sword. A dark diagonal line drew across the void.

    Wobble©¤©¤!

    The space unnaturally shook. The flow of air awkwardly changed.

    The reaction caused pain to surge throughout my body, but anyway, it was sessful.

    ¡°¡­¡­Cough.¡±

    At some point, Soliette before the regression showed me a sword that severed space itself.

    The principle is simple. It temporarily ¡®cuts off the continuity of space¡¯ to shorten the distance. Like a wormhole.

    ¡°I will go first. Please follow.¡±

    I hoisted the bodyguard back onto my shoulder. I entered the passage I had cut open.

    Step-

    One step.

    Fortunately, there was no anomaly. It was just walking through the same space.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hua.¡±

    Then Zia crossed over.

    ¡°This is the passage.¡±

    I pointed to a corner where Senator Amota¡¯s room used to be. Now it waspletely kidnapped and empty, but the Magic Spell of ¡®Spatial Transfer¡¯ was still there.

    ¡°Two people are enough.¡±

    There was just enough mana left in the magic spell for two people. If the switch is activated, it will activate on its own.

    ¡°Together¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No. This person needs immediate treatment.¡±

    I pointed to the bodyguard.

    Late 30s, or early 40s. This man must have children. A son, or a daughter, or both.

    ¡°I can survive on my own.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia still had no expression.

    Suddenly, I was curious.

    What was she thinking right now?

    She was extremely calcting and seemed devoid of emotion, yet she cared even for the life of a mere bodyguard.

    I wondered how she was assessing me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Zia entered the range of the magic spell with the bodyguard.

    ¡°I will send you right away.¡±

    I immediately infused mana into the form.

    ¡¸Spatial Transfer¡¹.

    Then Zia and the bodyguard¡¯s bodies floated up and disappeared somewhere.

    It happened in an instant.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±

    I hadpleted my mission.

    With all this done, Zia should remember me.

    ©¤What just happened?!

    A voice flowed in.

    I turned to look in that direction.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh?!¡±

    It was La, holding a torch. Beside her were Elise and Senator Amota.

    ¡°Shion!¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Dudududu- Elise and La hurriedly ran over.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m a party bodyguard. An intern. But, don¡¯t you know it¡¯s dangerous toe out in the corridor?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a device. We¡¯re on an expedition to see what¡¯s happening outside.¡±

    La pointed to her waist. There was a thick belt with a button on it.

    ¡°If something happens, we can run away with this. I invented it in an hour. Hehe.¡±

    She looked quite proud.

    ¡°How does it work?¡±

    ¡°You just have to press this button.¡±

    Click-

    I pressed the button. La¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°No!!!!¡±

    Whirrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤! The line attached to the belt contracted in an instant, and La was pulled to the other end of the corridor.

    Aaaaaaah¡­¡­

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Hey. You. Do you know what¡¯s happening right now?¡±

    Elise asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a Boundary Error.¡±

    ¡°Have you been outside all this time, Mr. Bodyguard?¡±

    This time it was Senator Amota.

    ¡°Yes. I was in the corridor.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen any suspicious people?¡±

    ¡°What would a suspicious person be¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The culprit!!¡±

    La flew back in no time. Her hair disheveled, and she red at me.

    ¡°We were searching in case there might be some evidence!¡±

    I pretended to reach for the belt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!!¡±

    La quicklyy down like a shrimp. I asked Elise.

    ¡°So, did you find any evidence?¡±

    ¡°No. Everyone has someone they suspect. Why, when a crime urs, isn¡¯t the ex-convict the first suspect?¡±

    ¡°So who is it?¡±

    ¡°Raquel Dra. You know him, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    At that, I let out a hollowugh.

    Shaking my head, suddenly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at Senator Amota.

    There are many upper-ss people in this castle now.

    ¡°Why the sudden change in expression?¡±

    Moreover, from my position, the more notorious Raquel Dral is, the better. That¡¯s because the underground cartel will slowly form a bond with the monster association.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±

    Before the regression, the underground world waged a thorough guerri war with Trick City and Edsi.

    It was Libra¡¯s n.

    Libra provoked Trick City, the underworld, and Edsi to induce a war.

    The reason?

    The group that benefits the most from the war is Libra.

    Libra¡¯s base is not on the ground but in the air, and the family has been militarized since its inception.

    It¡¯s no coincidence that Zia invented the human upgrade, ¡®Perion¡¯.

    Sessful in their ns, Trick City was contaminated by the underworld, and due to the exponential chaos on the continent, all the gears of Edsi were turned solely by Libra.

    That¡¯s why I protect Trick City and respect M.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What is?¡±

    I smiled slightly.

    Fortunately, the instigators of this incident would have been wiped out by Jade.

    So, there is no evidence.

    ¡°I thought so too.¡±

    Therefore, I just need to create the evidence.

    Even a fragmentary evidence that ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ was here would be enough.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, Zia was gasping for breath in the car.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the hospital soon.¡±

    Even as she pounded her chest as if she were dying, she opened herptop. She checked the spyware she had nted today.

    [ ¡ñ ] [ ¡ñ ] [ ¡ñ ] [ ¡ñ ] [ ¡ñ ] [ ¡ñ ]

    All six spywares were working normally. It was twice as many as the original n of three.

    Despite feeling a burning chest pain, she smiled contentedly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Cough.¡±

    Blood flowed from her cough. Wiping the red liquid with her white hand, Zia thought about Shion Ascal.

    The ¡®Severing Sword¡¯ he showed.

    It severed space.

    So, she became curious.

    Perhaps he could sever her curse as well. Could he save her from this disease that¡¯s eating away at her life¡­¡­

    But it¡¯s still premature.

    Her disease would be a weakness once exposed.

    ¡°Where is Brother Jade¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°He has returned after watching. A mage has been dispatched to the barrier, so there should be no problem. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­36 hours after the incident.

    The mages from the Magic Tower slowly arrived. After hours of interpretation, they resolved the Boundary Error, and the rescue team entered the fortress.

    ©¤So, the barrier suddenly darkened and this happened.

    ©¤¡­Adjust the schedule. I was trapped.

    ©¤We¡¯ll do the interviewter.

    ©¤The stock fell by 3%? Shouldn¡¯t we sue this charity party?

    I escaped the fortress with the rescue team. Outside, there were many people from the Edsi Police Department and the Trick City Enforcers

    They were about to discover the ¡®evidence¡¯ I had left inside.

    There would be a portion of Raquel Dra¡¯s interest left inside the barrier, and the high-profile Senator Amota from both Edsi and Trick City would certainly help initiate the ¡®Hero Special Law¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    Elise tapped my shoulder.

    ¡°Huh. What.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be hurt?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    By the way, La is in the middle of an interview.

    ©¤Ah, that, I, I, uh, suddenly, boundary, error, appeared, but, we, um, tried hard, haha, um, built a wall, and so. Actually, when, um, space expands. We need, um, closed, space, and, also, inside, evidence¡­

    I¡¯m not sure if that can be called an interview. But anyway, there are almost hundreds of cameras, so she seems a bit too nervous.

    ¡°Are you ready for the entrance ceremony?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat. Course registration is a bit-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡±

    Elise spun around.

    ©¤Ah~ That¡¯s a shame.

    At the same time, someone lost their appetite.

    It was a reporter.

    He smirked while fiddling with his camera.

    He must have run away because he didn¡¯t want to be filmed.

    I took a step back.

    I was about to return alone when suddenly a car stopped in front of me.

    Vroom-

    The window rolled down. A luxurious scent wafted from beyond.

    ¡°¡­sir Jade?¡±

    It was Jade. He seemed a bit upset. At least it wasn¡¯t a pleasant face.

    Well, he¡¯s a noble who hatesbat itself, despite his heavenly strength.

    ¡°I heard you saved Zia.¡±

    Jade asked in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°Ah¡­ It just happened to be that way.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    He gestured to the seat next to him. It meant to get in.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sat in the seat next to him. Jade first took out his checkbook.

    Whisk-

    He wrote his name and 300,000 Ren in neat handwriting and handed it over.

    ¡°Zia is always in need, so it¡¯s hard to expect a reward.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t do it expecting a-¡±

    ¡°Libra is a heavenly order. It thus rewards for the tasks performed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    And then, Jade was quiet for a moment. There were no words, no actions. Only his wristwatch ticked.

    I was inexplicably bothered. I quietly asked.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    At my question, Jade¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°I just crushed a few bugs. It¡¯s not pleasant having dirty shoes.¡±

    Jade treated those monsters as mere bugs.

    If they could cause an error in the solid barrier and kidnap and kill Senator Amota, they should be at least between A~S rank.

    ¡°I¡¯ll step out.¡±

    Suddenly, the driver vacated his seat.

    I felt slightly uneasy.

    Being alone with Jade in a confined space is bound to be nerve-wracking. Any human, in front of Jade, would be a rabbit before a tiger.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Moreover, he called my name.

    It¡¯s unusual.

    No, it¡¯s a crisis.

    ¡°You know about me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What does he mean? I quickly racked my brain.

    ¡°You cleaned up nicely that time. Thanks to that, I didn¡¯t have to deal with annoying matters.¡±

    Berhalsi.

    The lion monster that dared to kidnap Jade and demand money, only to explode with one punch.

    ¡°Probably, you¡¯re the only one. The only living creature that knows that side of me.¡±

    Jade looked down at his palm.

    If he just flicks his finger, I¡¯m a goner.

    I was tense but didn¡¯t show it, and Jade didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of attacking, he just clenched his fist.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    He called my name again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever thought about how vast this world is?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The world is vast, and there are many talents.

    It¡¯s a thought everyone on the continent has.

    There¡¯s always someone better than me, somewhere.

    ¡°Not for me.¡±

    Jade leaned back against the seat.

    At first nce, it¡¯s an arrogant and haughty statement. But for Jade, it¡¯s an undeniable fact.

    Because he stands at the ¡®end¡¯.

    ¡°Rather, it¡¯s incredibly narrow. This continent, this world¡­ it¡¯s like a mere well.¡±

    His eyes looked out the window. A somewhat sad and lonely fog seemed to envelop him.

    Is this the image of an absolute being who unknowingly reached the peak?

    ¡°Have you ever heard? The story of how I tore off one arm of a certain painter.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I tried to stay as calm as possible, but this was Jade¡¯s atrocity.

    ¡°You must have heard. That¡¯s why you were so nervous when you painted my portrait. I tore off her arm because I didn¡¯t like the painting she drew.¡±

    He widened his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not.¡±

    He stared at the empty air.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to harm her.¡±

    As if trying to grasp the scattered days, nostalgia bloomed in his blue eyes.

    ¡°I was just trying to hold on.¡±

    It was such a vivid memory that it felt like I could see his past.

    ¡°To her, who was trying to get away from me¡­.¡±

    Jade.

    The him of long ago reaches out to someone.

    He grabs the hand of a woman trying to escape from him, a painter he once loved, or perhaps still loves.

    But¡­¡­

    Crack©¤©¤©¤!

    With a simple squeeze, her arm is torn off.

    The shoulder joint is dislocated, and the flesh and bone fall away from the body.

    Aaaah©¤©¤©¤!

    The woman screams in pain, bleeding like a fountain, sobbing until she faints.

    Jade stares at her hand, dazed.

    The only hand she has left.

    He still holds her hand, but it¡¯s no longer her hand.

    It¡¯s a lifeless arm.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her.¡±

    Jade said. His voice was colorless, mixed with regret. I calmed down.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    He chuckled, a self-mocking smile on his face as he lowered his head.

    ¡°Shion Ascal. You¡¯re trustworthy. At least to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    He looked at the rearview mirror of the empty driver¡¯s seat. He looked into my eyes in the mirror.

    ¡°I want to entrust Zia to you.¡±

    It was a heart-pounding statement, but it was still burdensome.

    ¡°Zia has many lieutenants. But none of them are trustworthy in my eyes. They¡¯re all just looking for their own gain.¡±

    There must be subordinates far morepetent and excellent than me around Zia now. Jade just doesn¡¯t know about them.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t follow in Jade¡¯s footsteps no matter how hard I try.¡±

    ¡°Shion Ascal. I¡¯ve told you my burden.¡±

    Jade¡¯s eyes sharpened like a wolf¡¯s.

    ¡°You should understand what that means.¡±

    He turned his head to look at me. He looked straight into my eyes.

    Then, I realized why he had to use the rearview mirror.

    It was a consideration.

    ¡°The people I care about¡­.¡±

    Jade, who is emotionally unstable now, is unknowingly releasing his mana.

    Therefore, just looking directly into his eyes puts a strain on the whole body.

    ¡°They can¡¯t even withstand a tiny¡­ tiny part of me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze. I looked deeply into his face, a piece of art, yet filled with deep wounds and loneliness.

    ¡°Now give me the right answer, Shion Ascal.¡±

    The strongest man in the world.

    The strongest man in the world is also the loneliest being.

    A man who created an artificial ¡®end¡¯ in an endless world, isted in his helplessness.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I gave him the right answer.

    Because what he wants is the correct answer.

    ¡°I will approach Miss Zia. Slowly, but surely.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Jade shifted his gaze again. Looking at the rearview mirror, he handed me a small box.

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    Thud-

    A luxurious box opens.

    Inside was a blue necktie.

    ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll support your back.¡±

    ¡­It was a very reassuring gift.

 Chapter 197: First Encounter (3)

    <strong>First Encounter (3)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­It seems like the young master trusts him a bit too much.¡±

    In Sector 1 of Libra Aerial Garden, Belingham Kantar, who lives there with his kin, is having a conversation with Libra¡¯s eldest daughter, ¡®Johanna¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read the file too. His abilities are evident.¡±

    The topic was Shion Ascal.

    A soon-to-be university student currently participating in Libra¡¯s internship.

    He had detected Libra¡¯s double spy nted in the cartel, and saved the youngest, Zia, from the fortress.

    Although his achievements were only these two, they were of high quality.

    ¡°He¡¯s also an excellent candidate in terms of his mindset.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Mindset. I like this word more than anything else.¡±

    Johanna pointed to a paragraph in the file. Among the report contents described by the intern inspector ¡®Bell Moore¡¯, there was a statement made by Shion Ascal.

    ©¤¡¯I do not give opportunities to those who have betrayed Libra even once,¡¯ he said, cutting off their heads¡­¡­

    ¡°Yes. Right now, Shion Ascal¡¯s aptitude is a perfect ¡®Bncer¡¯.¡±

    Bncer.

    Literally, ¡®one who bnces¡¯.

    They are the elite agents of Libra.

    However, they are not assigned to any particr independent department, but are simply embedded within Libra.

    The purpose of a Bncer is to detect internal sabotage and external threats.

    In other words, to weed out and execute harmful candidates inside and outside Libra.

    ¡°Has it been about 3~4 years since the Bncer lineage was broken?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯re all untrustworthy.¡±

    The recruitment of Bncers is so important that the direct line makes the final decision. They must maintain bnce politically while weeding out internal enemies.

    ¡°These days, people are too influenced by SNS or whatever. They have too many delusions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°But, this Shion Ascal is going to the youngest?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems the young master also wants to send him to the youngest.¡±

    Shion Ascal is going to Zia.

    Rather, it¡¯s a good thing. If it¡¯s youngest, who has no influence on the session structure, it means that the bnce is politically maintained.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since a promising guy showed up. I¡¯ll have to watch him for 2~3 more years.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay? Even if he doesn¡¯t serve Johanna.¡±

    ¡°From the beginning, all ¡®Bncers¡¯ belong to the direct line of Libra. Especially if they belong to the youngest. After all, the sessor ends up owning everything.¡±

    Johanna looked at Shion Ascal in the file and chuckled.

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit intriguing. I¡¯ll have to invite him to my casinoter¡­¡­¡±

    * * *

    [Trick City, traces of Raquel Dra found¡­¡­]

    [Who is Raquel Dra?]

    [Continent¡¯s No. 1 security force ¡®Iron Shield¡¯, permanent security contract signed with Amota Senator.]

    Underworld. The deep and damp heart of that dark city.

    While observing the surface world¡¯s news, ¡®Salruka,¡¯ the consigliere and executive of the Master Cartel, furrowed his brow in concern.

    ¡°The boss must be worried.¡±

    The subordinates behind Salruka bowed their heads again.

    ¡°¡­¡­We apologize. The monster association also said it was an unexpected variable.¡±

    ¡°We should have killed Amota.¡±

    The Cartel may be t on the underworld, but it¡¯s always eyeing the surface world. There¡¯s no future if they stay in the underworld.

    In that regard, the money they fed to the Trick City Section Senators under the pretext of ¡®business¡¯ is close to the budget of a decent country.

    ©¤I think Trick City will have learned a lot from this incident. That Amota will pay attention to the enactment of hero-rtedws with the Section Senators of Trick City¡­¡­

    ¡°That damned woman.¡±

    Senator Amota picks fights over everything. Neither threats nor persuasion work, and she even tries to cut off all the Cartel¡¯s dirty businesses.

    ¡°Are we sure it was Raquel Dra¡¯s doing?¡±

    The monster who led the barrier hacking is ¡®Getto¡¯, dispatched directly from the monster association. A monster close to A+ grade.

    ¡°We assume so, based on the circumstances¡­¡­ but there¡¯s no evidence. Everything was burned.¡±

    Trick City and the Cartel have very different views on this incident.

    For Trick City, it was suspected that ¡®Raquel Dra caused the Boundary Error¡¯.

    For the Cartel and the monster association, it was assumed that ¡®Raquel Dra ughtered all the monsters¡¯.

    ¡°But since his traces were found inside the Barrier¡­¡­ it¡¯s probably his doing. There¡¯s no other group or individual with a reason to attack us.¡±

    Salruka red sharply at him.

    ¡°¡®He¡¯? What do you mean by ¡®him¡¯? Are you speaking to a gentleman?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I apologize. ¡®That bastard¡¯s¡¯ traces were found inside the Barrier¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°More importantly. Why did he pick a fight with us? No, this is at the scale of a war, not just a fight.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, because we released the hitman¡­¡­?¡±

    Raquel Dra. The viin bastard killed B-Section entrepreneurs, D-Section religious people, and phnthropists in Trick City, all of whom were rted to the Cartel.

    So, the Cartel dispatched a hitman to kill him before he could do more damage.

    ¡°¡­¡­Call off the hitman. Do you think the bastard who killed Getto will be killed by a hitman?¡±

    We don¡¯t know where he suddenly popped out from, or what kind of life he¡¯s led, but now even the Cartel has to be on guard.

    It¡¯s been quite a while since such a ¡®big shot¡¯ has appeared.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to get rid of him as soon as possible¡­¡­ but let¡¯s leave that to Trick City.¡±

    Fortunately, Senator Amota and Trick City are moving on their behalf.

    The Hero Special Law.

    The Cartel tried to stop it even by lobbying, but if they catch Raquel Dra, it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad trade-off.

    * * *

    The next day.

    I was sick for almost a day due to the side effects of the Severing Sword. Thanks to that, Soliette had a hard time. She put a wet towel on my forehead and bought me fever reducers¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I was almost dead at the time, but my recovery wasn¡¯t too bad, so I was fine after a day¡¯s rest.

    ¡°But, Shion. Sir Raelro has contacted us.¡±

    ¡°From Sir Raelro?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He said the operation will start soon.¡±

    I nodded my head.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±

    ¡°I rather feel like I¡¯ve found a way.¡±

    Knightmare doesn¡¯t run away. He¡¯s there. Soliette might even be able to exact her revenge.

    But what if she finds out the truth?

    What will she do afterpleting her revenge, which is nothing but a wound?

    Can she find a new goal?

    Can she continue her life?

    ¡°Shion, how¡¯s your internship going?¡±

    Soliette asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. Yeah. I have to go to work tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be hard?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s an office job this time.¡±

    I picked up my smartphone. There was a text from Libra.

    [Shion Ascal Internship Attendance Guide]

    : Shion Ascal intern will experience the work of this week¡¯s business department.

    ¡­¡­

    The business department of [Libra Station].

    I went to work in a suit.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There were many people. There were also various sounds. Employees were talking here and there, making calls with buyers in numerous foreignnguages, and the copier was endlessly running¡­¡­

    I was assigned to the [Sales Team].

    I wasn¡¯t alone.

    I was with another intern, ¡®Riley Erin¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    However, Riley is a bit different from me. She, who was assigned about three days earlier than me, is already sitting in the office and working.

    Tap tap tap-

    She¡¯s busy typing on the keyboard, doing something.

    On the other hand, no one talks to me. Everyone in the office is just doing their own work.

    ¡°Uh. What¡¯s this.¡±

    After about 10 minutes, someone finally acknowledged me.

    ¡°Oh right. There¡¯s one more intern, right? I was wondering.¡±

    It was a middle-aged man sitting in the manager¡¯s seat. He looked at me with an annoyed face.

    ¡°Do I have to exin again? Do you know?¡±

    ¡°What are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°What the sales team does.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, listen carefully. The sales team interacts with other countries. Mana stones thate frompletely different environments. In addition, we find business opportunities that can make money and do sales, that¡¯s our sales team.¡±

    The manager nced at Riley.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to think of it as an office job, but it¡¯s actually simr to a field job. That¡¯s why all of us can handle magic to some extent. I¡¯m also a senior knight.¡±

    Not everyone who graduates from the Magic University¡¯s Knight Department and takes the knight exam bes a knight.

    Rather, knights who only pass the ¡®Knight Exam¡¯ mostly joinpanies with only their senior knight certification. It¡¯s more profitable that way.

    ¡°How about Riley leading the meeting today?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Me?¡±

    At that moment, Riley turned around.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the item you brought in, Riley. It might seem like we¡¯re stealing the intern¡¯s item if we help too much, and since you¡¯re confirmed to join us immediately, it¡¯s a good opportunity.¡±

    The manager chuckled, looking at Riley¡¯s purple hair.

    ¡°Try doing it yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Riley nced at me without a word. Then the manager pped the back of my head as if he had forgotten something.

    ¡°Right. Riley can¡¯t drive, can she? What do we do about this? That¡¯s why she always sits in the passenger seat when we go out as a team.¡±

    The manager seemed displeased with this.

    ¡°Shion, can you drive?¡±

    The manager asked me.

    ¡°I¡¯m a professional.¡±

    I was once a chauffeur.

    * * *

    I¡¯m driving. The early spring weather is quite clear, and the sunlight pouring in through the window is warm. The sheen on the river on the other side of the highway sparkles.

    ¡°Such fieldwork must be boring for you, Shion.¡±

    Riley, in the passenger seat, spoke.

    The woman with the somewhat mysterious purple hair is a spy infiltrating Libra. She¡¯s one of the main routes through which various information leaks from Libra.

    ¡°It¡¯s not boring.¡±

    ¡°Really? There were rumors that you achieved quite a lot on yourst business trip.¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a business trip or sales, it¡¯s all work that helps Libra.¡±

    I still don¡¯t know why she is hostile to Libra. She was no longer in this world when I started my active duty.

    But I do know why she fell.

    She was too clumsy.

    She couldn¡¯t hold back for her final goal. She was swayed by her feelings and refused Libra¡¯s orders.

    ¡°More importantly, what¡¯s the task?¡±

    I asked Riley.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. It¡¯s not that important. A ¡®Pr Mana Stone¡¯ was found in the territory of the Etherlin Kingdom, and we¡¯re going to negotiate for it.¡±

    Pr Mana Stone. Simply put, it¡¯s a mana stone like a ma. From the moment it¡¯s created, it¡¯s divided into ¡®poles¡¯ like N and S.

    ¡°A Pr Mana Stone¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unfamiliar, isn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s efficient. It¡¯s also used as a material for luxury goods.¡±

    Riley chuckled. I nced at her quietly.

    It¡¯s more efficient than a regr mana stone, but it¡¯s just that. For now, it¡¯s probably used for art or luxury goods.

    It changes in the future.

    In just 1-2 years, a very new way to use the Pr Mana Stone will be invented.

    The price will skyrocket.

    ¡°The reserves are abundant, and if we import at a reasonable price, it will yield a significant profit. However, the lord of the territory is quite finicky.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Count Tono. I heard he was staying at a hotel by chance, so I hastily arranged a meeting.¡±

    Riley shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°No one is helping. This isn¡¯t something interns should handle.¡±

    By the time we finished talking, we had arrived at the Parallion Hotel. It was a famous 5-star hotel, even in Edsi.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. You¡¯re a good driver. Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    At a window seat in the Parallion Hotel restaurant, a man in noble attire was cutting into a steak.

    We approached him.

    ¡°Hmm. You must be Miss Riley.¡±

    He asked without looking at us.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Riley who spoke to you over the phone.¡±

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    We took our seats. The Count nced at Riley, and she handed him her business card.

    For the record, I don¡¯t have a business card yet.

    ¡°¡­¡­An intern?¡±

    The Count¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked at the card.

    ¡°This is something.¡±

    He leaned back in his chair, clearly displeased.

    ¡°The team leader personally approved this matter. However-¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s disappointing. An intern shows up for a meeting.

    The Count cut her off. It was a sudden foreignnguage, and Riley perked up her ears with a slightly surprised look.

    ©¤So uncultured. Suddenly showing up, what is this?

    I scratched the back of my neck and hid a smile.

    ©¤I wonder if she even understands this.

    The Count spoke proudly, unting anguage that was all too familiar to me.

    It was ¡®Latinel.¡¯

    But it seemed a bit difficult for Riley.

    ©¤I apologize.

    She responded in Latinel, albeit clumsily, but that was all she could manage.

    ©¤Does an apology suffice? What do you think of a noble¡¯s authority?

    When the Count spoke a little faster, she just shifted her gaze,pletely unable to understand.

    ©¤Ha! This is ridiculous. I should go-¡±

    ©¤Count Tono.

    I stopped him. The Count paused awkwardly, about to stand.

    ©¤I apologize for only having interns, but we did not intend to disrespect you.

    At that, Count Tono¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. Riley quicklyid the contract on the table.

    ©¤¡­¡­Is that so?

    ©¤Yes. We are not ordinary interns.

    ©¤If you¡¯re not ordinary interns, then what are you?

    ©¤If Count Tono wanted merely a manager or team leader from Libra Station. I would like to say that they are nothing more than frogs in a well. We are going up. I am connected directly to Libra.

    I pointed to my tie.

    ©¤This tie. Jade personally gifted it to me.

    ©¤¡­¡­Really? That noble-like man?

    ©¤Yes.

    Jade is surprisingly well-regarded in noble society. Not only his appearance, but his unique sense of nobility fits very well with people living in a ss-based country.

    This means Riley did a great job of securing the item, even though she doesn¡¯t seem to fully understand its value.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, if you say so. I have no doubts considering your manners and etiquette. However, if we are to trade, I want 35 Ren per gram.¡±

    I looked back at Riley.

    ¡°He¡¯s asking for 35 Ren per gram for the extreme mana stone.¡±

    Riley¡¯s lips slightly frowned.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s too expensivepared to the market price. The current line is 15-16 Ren per gram.¡±

    I ryed Riley¡¯s words.

    ¡°15 Ren per gram is the market price, isn¡¯t that too expensive?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Then buy it from them. Our territory is abundant anyway. There¡¯s no need to put in the effort and trouble to mine one more ore.¡±

    He¡¯s right. For a noble who owns the territory itself, a mana stone ore is nothing more than insurance.

    He seems to be a noble with some discernment.

    ¡°How about 30 Ren per gram?¡±

    I spoke to both Riley and the Count.

    ¡°Considering the trend of high stone prices will continue for the next 10 years.¡±

    Extreme mana stones will be worth 100 Ren per gram in just 1-2 years. If we can somehow finalize the contract now, it will be a great achievement.

    ¡°It¡¯s not for us to decide. If we make a mistake, thepany could lose-¡±

    ¡°30 Ren is fine.¡±

    The Count changed his mind. He looked at me and smiled.

    ¡°¡­But do you have that much power?¡±

    It must have been a stimulus for the Count. From his point of view, 30 Ren per gram would be a tremendous profit.

    I told him,

    ¡°I always do what¡¯s beneficial for Libra.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Then I¡¯ll be back in a moment, to the restroom. It would be nice if we could contract today.¡±

    The Count stood up as if to consult with someone, and Riley turned to me.

    ¡°If it¡¯s 30 Ren per gram, we¡¯ll lose money as soon as we buy it. The deal won¡¯t be concluded.¡±

    Riley¡¯s forehead furrowed.

    ¡°Miss Riley. Shall we bet?¡±

    ¡°¡­Bet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Extreme mana stones have potential. No, all new types of mana stones have potential.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley scanned me with a slightly doubtful face.

    ¡°Do you have any insider information?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just my long-held theory.¡±

    ¡°Thepany is not a casino. You can¡¯t bet just based on a theory.¡±

    ¡°Should I write a report?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We need approval from above.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°When can you write it?¡±

    Riley asked as if interrogating.

    I was slightly flustered, but I had a memory of how extreme mana stones became more valuable than gold. I had read the report.

    In fact, even the re-evaluation of extreme mana stones was carried out by ¡®Libra Research Institute¡¯.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try to recall my memory.¡±

    It was originally something that would happen in 1-2 years, but I might be able to pull it forward.

 Chapter 198: Accumulating Achievements (1)

    <strong>umting Achievements (1)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡­30 Ren per gram. The deposit is 10,000 tons. Are you kidding me? No, you must be joking? Can¡¯t you do math? Even if you take care of the mining cost, it¡¯s 300 million Ren. If you sell it at market price, you¡¯ll lose 150 million Ren right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s say we expect a high stone price. Where are you going to store it? Storage costs, transportation costs, intion, etc., as soon as you conclude, you¡¯ll lose 200 million Ren. Intern Riley, will you do it?¡±

    We¡¯re getting scolded as soon as we return to thepany.

    The deposit amount that the Count wrote in the contract wasrger than expected, so the order size suddenly increased.

    ¡°Moreover, let¡¯s say this extreme mana stone has potential. No, whose idea is it that it has potential?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s intern Shion.¡±

    Riley pointed to me with her finger. I was betrayed in an instant.

    ¡°That¡¯s very intern-like. But, what do you need to maximize that potential? R&D, right? You need R&D. But the research cost? The research cost is on a different level. No matter how much you think, you need to add a few more zeros.¡±

    ¡°And, if you add the opportunity cost of not being able to research other things while researching extreme mana stones, you need to raise it to at least 40~50 Ren per gram to bnce the books. Will you do that?¡±

    Of course, it doesn¡¯t bnce out right now.

    ¡°Go back. I won¡¯t say anything more since you¡¯re an intern.¡±

    The manager waved his hand as if to shoo away a fly.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect anything anyway.¡±

    On the rooftop of Libra Station. Riley shrugged her shoulders and spoke. I handed her a banana milk.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t given up yet.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to give up, you should have lowered the price from the start.¡±

    Clock- Riley stuck a straw in the milk.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°That Count, his territory itself is affluent. Those nobles would rather wait than negotiate. Especially when the price of mana stones is rising day by day.¡±

    In just 1-2 years, the price will dramatically soar, then it bes toote to negotiate. It¡¯s only natural that the haughty Count bes the absolute party.

    ¡°Do you really know something?¡±

    Riley nced at me with suspicious eyes.

    ¡°I told you. I have a theory.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She silently shook her head. I leaned against the rooftop railing. I nced at Riley.

    Sip- Sip-

    What does she, who is sipping banana milk like a cigarette, want right now?

    Suddenly, I became curious about the inner thoughts of my colleagues who stood against the mountain called ¡®Libra¡¯.

    ¡°Why did youe to Libra, Riley?¡±

    Then Riley looked back at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Are you flirting? We¡¯re both interns.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret itter. What if I¡¯m the intern inspector?¡±

    Riley chuckled, a mature smile ying on her lips. I shrugged.

    ¡°Just curious.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be curious about? I came to Libra because I wanted to live a fabulous life.¡±

    ¡°Fabulous?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To earn a lot of money, to travel here and there, you need more money than you can imagine. It¡¯s simple math. 6-7 trips a year. Two weeks of amodation at a five-star hotel. Round-trip first-ss airfare. To live like that until I die¡­ I need at least 100 million Ren.¡±

    Riley smiled faintly, as if imagining herself traveling.

    ¡°So now I¡¯m holding my breath. Acknowledging that I¡¯ve be a cog in the wheel, but waiting for the day I can break free from it¡­¡±

    I looked into her face.

    Is she sincere?

    Or is it a lie?

    Either way, she will never escape from the cogwheel.

    Crushed and ground down in the infinite mesh of gears, she will be killed by Libra before she can even embark on a single trip.

    ¡°Quit.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Make money while traveling. Like a frencer.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s the worst. When travel bes work, and work bes travel, where¡¯s the fun in traveling?¡±

    Riley frowned.

    ¡°Besides, what were you hoping for when you came to Libra, Intern Shion?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and replied.

    ¡°I hope for Libra¡¯s rest.¡±

    It¡¯s not a lie.

    The eternal sleep of Libra¡­ I hope they sleep forever.

    ¡°Well, the rumor is that you¡¯re a loyalist.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I quietly stood up from leaning against the railing. I nced gently at Riley.

    ¡°I will find and execute those who oppose Libra.¡±

    This is also a warning.

    Riley has potential. Therefore, she will quickly rise to a high position in Libra. However, precisely because of this, she will be more easily exposed.

    Overconfidence in herself and the mistaken belief that Libra trusts her will lead to a fatal mistake.

    Riley silently met my gaze.

    I smiled at her.

    ¡°You can look forward to it.¡±

    Once, I had a chance to peruse Libra¡¯s internal documents. Living in the underground world¡¯s garbage dump, where information from the upper world flows, for a good half a year.

    There, not only the list of cartels and spies in the underworld who are currently infiltrating Libra, which are ¡®just right for my performance¡¯, but also¡­

    Riley.

    There¡¯s also a list of allies who pretend to be your colleagues and will eventually sell you out to Libra.

    ¡°Let us live long.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Just leave the extreme mana stone alone.¡±

    Riley stretched out nonchntly, without any change in her expression.

    ¡°Yes, do as you please, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°And you, Mr. Shion?¡±

    ¡°I will convey my thoughts to the direct line.¡±

    Riley froze, a peculiar smile ying on her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if things go well, I won¡¯t monopolize the credit.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of report are you nning to write?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all a coincidence.¡±

    I chuckled.

    Just like how the development of safety ss was due to a cat¡¯s mischief, or how ¡®penicillin¡¯ was discovered by a fortuitous mistake.

    The rediscovery of the extreme mana stone, in my opinion, is nothing more than a coincidence.

    * * *

    Three dayster, at the Aerial Garden.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Upon her discharge from the medical center, Zia discovered a certain report on her desk. It was a thin document of about ten pages.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    She pressed a button on her desk to ask the secretarial team.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­ did anyonee here¡­?¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    Thunk- Thunk- Thunk-

    After pressing it several times, a response finally came.

    ©¤Yes. There¡¯s a report from Libra Station to be delivered to Miss Zia.

    ¡°¡­Is that all?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    ¡°Who¡­¡±

    Themunication was cut off immediately.

    As such, while the secretarial team at the Aerial Garden serves the direct line, the ce is also fiercely contested by the sessor factions, making Zia the least favored.

    She picked up the report. She skimmed it with her eyes.

    It seemed to be about the extreme mana stone.

    At first, she intended to read a bit and put it down.

    [I have long held a theory about the extreme mana stone. In fact, it was something I experienced quite by chance. Once, I identally put an extreme mana stone I had found in the freezer with some meat.]

    ¡°Put it in the freezer with meat¡­¡±

    The principle is to store mana stones at room temperature. If frozen, the structure is damaged, causing about 20~30% of the mana to evaporate.

    [But strangely, the freezer exploded. The refrigerator waspletely destroyed. At first, I didn¡¯t know the cause¡­ but then I found the remnants of the burnt extreme mana stone.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was strange. If a mana stone is stored in a freezer, it loses its efficiency. Therefore, it doesn¡¯t cause explosions.

    Because the explosion itself is a mana reaction phenomenon.

    [So, I bought another extreme mana stone. I put it in the freezer of the meat shop where I was working part-time. But this time, there was no reaction.]

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    Zia became a bit intrigued.

    [Just when I was wondering if the extreme mana stone had caused the explosion. I had this suspicion. Could it be a problem with the refrigerator brand?]

    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    She furrowed her brows.

    Why am I reading this? She had this thought, but she had nothing else to do today anyway.

    [So, I bought a refrigerator of the same brand that had exploded before, and put the extreme mana stone in the freezer. As a result, the extreme mana stone exploded.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Zia¡¯s hair stood on end at that paragraph.

    She felt like she could somehow anticipate what wasing next.

    [However, it¡¯s hard to believe that the extreme mana stone reacts to the brand of the refrigerator. So¡­¡­.]

    ¡°It¡¯s the temperature.¡±

    She immediately came to a conclusion.

    The initial set temperature of the freezer varies by refrigerator manufacturer. Of course, consumers can change it, but initially, it¡¯s between -18 and -24 degrees.

    [¡­¡­The problem was not the brand. The refrigerator I bought had an initial freezer temperature set to -22 degrees. Then I thought. This extreme mana stone, could only trigger a special reaction at a very short range of a ¡®specific temperature¡¯.]

    It doesn¡¯t work at -24 degrees. It doesn¡¯t work at -18 degrees. Only when the vicinity of -22 degrees is consistently maintained.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She quickly reached out her hand to pull out a pen and a nk sheet of paper. From this report, she brought up her own thoughts. She whipped those thoughts into numbers. It was about calcting the output of magic power from the mana stone.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    Zia¡¯s heart pounded.

    Extreme mana stone.

    The mana stone, simply divided into extremes, is known to be more efficient than the average grade mana stone, but the actual ¡®magic power content¡¯ is small, making it a somewhat unique mana stone.

    But now¡­

    Calmness is needed.

    The biggest danger to Zia is herself more than anything else.

    Showing off oneself is bad. Therefore, if she monopolizes this information, there will definitely be a problem.

    She pressed the button on the desk again to contact the secretarial team.

    ¡°¡­¡­Um, excuse me.¡±

    There was no answer.

    But she had to leave a voice. As ¡®evidence¡¯.

    ¡°I have something to pass on to my brothers and sister¡­¡­.¡±

    There was no answer this time either.

    Are they ignoring her after hearing her, or are they ignoring her without even listening?

    It doesn¡¯t matter.

    Zia got up.

    She copied and scanned the report herself.

    She will send the physical report to Derek and Jade, and she will send it to Johanna by email.

    Derek probably won¡¯t care. Derek, who is blind to session politics, wants the present more than the future.

    Johanna is the same. She will dismiss this report as Zia¡¯s child¡¯s y. No, she might not even check the email.

    Therefore¡­¡­ perhaps only Jade, the most sensitive of the four siblings, will respond.

    If it¡¯s just Jade and her sharing, that¡¯s enough.

    Zia picked up the report again. She checked the name of the author on thest page.

    [Shion Ascal]

    ¡­¡­

    In the old mansion of the capital, Edsi, the eldest son of Libra, ¡®Derek¡¯, is grooming his clothes to attend a social event soon.

    ¡°Lord Derek.¡±

    His butler approached and spoke.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Miss Zia has asked that this report be delivered to you, Lord-¡±

    ¡°Throw it away.¡±

    Derek furrowed his brow and waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. So, I should just dispose of it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s probably just another request for money.¡±

    He had more construction projects failing than ever before, he didn¡¯t have time to indulge in the pestering of the youngest.

    ¡°There, there¡¯s a trash can.¡±

    Derek pointed to a high-end trash can behind the wardrobe. It was adorned with jewel decorations.

    ¡°Yes. Understood.¡±

    The butler threw the report in there.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside a dark room. Johanna¡¯s office in a hotel casino without windows.

    Ding©¤

    A small rm rang from Johanna¡¯sptop on the desk.

    Ding©¤

    The second alert rang.

    However, there was no one to open it.

    Theptop blinked a few times and then quieted down. It quietly blended into the darkness of the office.

    ¡­¡­

    At the same time. Inside a car leaving for a business trip.

    Jade was reading the report. It was a document containing Zia¡¯s own thoughts about the potential of the extreme mana stone.

    It was quite suspicious to just read the text©¤of course, there were many numbers that Zia herself had calcted, but he hated math©¤ but what if this was true?

    Anyway, if the extreme mana stone could be a ¡®new type of mana stone¡¯?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    Jade had met quite a few swindlers so far. They ripped off his money, and he ripped off their heads.

    However, Zia is not a swindler.

    The problem is Jade¡¯s own bank bnce.

    He had lived without thinking about his bnce so far, but recently, several businesses have been shaky and the expenses have been quite high.

    ¡°If it seeds, I can recover all the losses I¡¯ve suffered so far.¡±

    Jade is sincere about his business. He wants the title of a sessful businessman more than anyone else.

    Therefore, if it¡¯s time to take a gamble, isn¡¯t it now?

    Jade picked up his cell phone.

    He immediately called Zia.

    Doo-roo-

    Zia answered.

    ¡°Zia. So, you¡¯re saying you need money to acquire this extreme mana stone.¡±

    * * *

    4.

    Jared Arkne raced across the world with a single horse. He left the capital, crossed the wastnd, swept through the storm, and traversed the wilderness. He found his direction by looking at the stars, not distinguishing between day and night.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At the end of that mad dash©¤©¤ Jared arrived.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡±

    The end of the world.

    He nkly stared at whaty beyond.

    There was a wall.

    A wall made of transparent grid patterns, blocking his way like some kind of ¡®aquarium¡¯.

    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±

    Overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness greater than the wall itself, he was panting heavily when suddenly,

    ¡°Arrived, have you?¡±

    A voice sounded out of nowhere.

    ¡°!¡±

    Jared quickly turned around. There stood a man dressed in a ck hood.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jared rested his hand on the sword at his waist. He stared at the man, on high alert.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t be so wary.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    ¡°I buried it in the ground.¡±

    Despite this, Jared maintained his stance. He red at the man and asked,

    ¡°Where is this ce?¡±

    ¡°Where, you ask? It¡¯s the end of the world.¡±

    ¡°No. I mean this world.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At his words, the man gave a small smile. Then he stretched out both his hands.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    In each palm, there was a pill.

    ¡°What are these?¡±

    ¡°Red pill, blue pill. This is a very famous story, don¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll exin. If you take this red pill, you¡¯ll understand. What this world is, who I am. But¡­¡­¡±

    The hooded man looked at him and sighed softly.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be very pleasant.¡±

    ¡°Not pleasant?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You mighte to know some very ufortable truths. On the other hand, this blue pill will make youfortable. It will make you forget everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jared silently looked up at the wall for a moment.

    The end of the world.

    The proof that this world is fake.

    ¡°If I take this red pill¡­¡­¡±

    Jared suddenly stopped speaking, and the man continued for him.

    ¡°You¡¯lle to know the most important thing.¡±

    ¡°The most important thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Your memory.¡±

    The man pointed at Jared¡¯s chest with his finger.

    ¡°The memory that you¡¯ve seemed to have forgotten.¡±

    Suddenly, a strand of hair shed before his eyes. It was red hair, just like his own.

    Something he had lost without realizing at some point¡­¡­

    A very precious child.

    ¡°You¡¯ll regain that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jared looked at the man. He looked at the pills on the man¡¯s outstretched palm.

    He picked up one of them.

 Chapter 199: Accumulating Achievements (2)

    <strong>umting Achievements (2)</strong>

    Thest day of the second week of my Libra internship.

    The purchase contract for the extreme mana stone with Count Tono was concluded. The cost was paid 80% by Jade, the major shareholder and direct line of Libra Station, and the remaining 20% was borne by Libra¡¯s youngest, Zia.

    It was a massive contract that bought almost the entire stock in a short time.

    To meet this amount, Jade cut off several businesses. I heard that Zia also emptied all her savings, pocket money, and even precious gifts she had received.

    p, p, p, p, p©¤©¤

    Thanks to this, Jade made a visit to Libra Station.

    p, p, p, p, p©¤©¤

    ¡°The apuse is enough.¡±

    He¡¯s walking around the floor, receiving apuse from the employees, as if he has secured a huge profit from a contract.

    It¡¯s honestly a bit funny to do so in a situation where the value of the item has not been properly verified yet. The other employees must beughing inside too.

    But this is Jade¡¯s personality. He likes to count his chickens before they hatch. He¡¯s a man filled with confidence and optimism that he will definitely seed when starting a new business.

    ¡°So, the two interns from Sales Team 2 led the item?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ these two did it.¡±

    The Sales Team 2 manager didn¡¯t try to steal this honor at all. Instead, he pushed Riley and me in front of Jade like a bullet shield.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    Jade looked at us alternately and smiled like a nobleman.

    ¡°The item sample will arrive in two days, and if there is no problem, the contract will be fulfilled. We will see arge profit.¡±

    At the mention of arge profit, the manager turned his head. He must be holding backughter.

    ¡°Yes. I heard that Vice President Jade seeded in adjusting the conditions.¡±

    I added in a dignified manner. Jade clicked his tongue as if it was nothing.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s nothing. I just cut 2 ren per gram.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    I said so and lightly touched Riley¡¯s shoulder. Riley quickly bowed his waist.

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so impressive? When I met the count in person, wemunicated well.¡±

    I thought so. Jade naturally gets along well with nobles because of his birth.

    ¡°Well, keep up the good work. I think I¡¯ll be busy moving around thanks to this contract.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He patted our shoulders and turned around.

    p, p, p, p, p©¤©¤

    The employees pped for him as he left. Thanks to this, Jade had a pleasant face until he left.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    As soon as he disappeared, the manager let out augh of disbelief.

    ¡°Hey, you two take responsibility for this. I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know how much loss there will be. I might even see a direct line go bankrupt for the first time.¡±

    I sat down in a chair without saying a word.

    Of course, with this extreme mana stone, Jade and Zia will see tremendous profits. However, even if the value of the extreme mana stone increases tenfold, it will be difficult to catch up with Derek and Johanna.

    Derek is the embodiment of excellent financial prowess, cost-cutting, andyoffs, and Johanna is raking in money from the continent through casinos and department stores.

    ¡°¡­¡­As Intern Shion said. We might have to quit.¡±

    Riley whispered as if sighing. I chuckled and shook my head.

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ¡°Intern Shion?¡±

    Two men in ck suits appeared before me.

    ¡°Could you spare a moment?¡±

    At this, not only Riley but everyone in Sales Team 2 pretended to be engrossed in their work.

    I got up nervously.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    I was called to the HR office. Jean, the head of HR, who was sitting across from me, was scanning some documents and said,

    ¡°Next week is your college entrance ceremony, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You did well on the field. It seems you¡¯re not suited for office work.¡±

    ¡°I signed a contract for office work.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a contract that only incurs losses.¡±

    ¡°So far, yes.¡±

    Jean raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°One week in field work. One week in office work. Although the internship ends here, we¡¯re going to give you, Shion, the opportunity to join as a formal intern.¡±

    She signed something on the document. Then she looked at me again.

    ¡°But, you have a choice.¡±

    ¡°A choice?¡±

    ¡°Shion, you did quite well with the Chaser work. It seems that the higher-ups liked it too¡­ So, Libra wants to give you the opportunity to build a career while attending college.¡±

    I was momentarily excited, but quickly suppressed it.

    ¡®Perform Chaser duties in the underworld, and be hired as an intern in the overworld.¡¯

    I, who have studied Libra more than anyone else, know what this means.

    I¡¯ve been selected as a candidate for ¡®Bncer¡¯.

    As the word itself is bnce, it¡¯s the elite of Libra, which requires an extremely high understanding of not only the field but also the office.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    I answered quietly.

    ¡°Good. Then, you¡¯ll be working with a mentor for the Chaser duties.¡±

    Snap-

    Jean snapped her fingers. The door at the back of the HR office opened.

    A man walked in.

    A big-chinned man with slicked-back white hair. It was Bell Moore.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m your mentor. Unexpected?

    He chuckled at me.

    ¡°How about it. I was the intern examiner-¡±

    ¡°Is this the end?¡±

    I asked Jean. Jean licked her lips and nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s the end. Don¡¯t worry about the Chaser duties, they¡¯ll consider your college schedule. You can go now.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I got up. Bell Moore, looking at me, mumbled nkly.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is this all the reaction I get?¡±

    * * *

    On the day of the Edsi National University entrance ceremony.

    I stand in the auditorium of the Magic University campus. I¡¯m lined up in front of the fluttering ¡®Knight Department¡¯ g.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The students in the auditorium all have proud faces. So do the parents in the audience. There are quite a few people shedding tears.

    I don¡¯t have much on my mind.

    I¡¯m an orphan, after all.

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­As a representative of the new students, I swear.

    Just now, the freshman oath by Elise and Gerkhen, who are both new student representatives and co-valedictorians, has ended. Cameras clicked, capturing full shots of the two.

    Elise had a gentle expression, and Gerkhen¡¯s face was as usual.

    ©¤©¤Next, we will have a speech from the dean.

    There were many people on the stage.

    ©¤©¤On this day when the green spring is approaching, you will greet a new beginning¡­¡­

    The speaking dean, Theia sitting next to him, and professors and knights who often appear in the mass media¡­¡­

    I was looking at Theia. She seemed annoyed by the entrance ceremony itself.

    ©¤©¤I wee you to Edsi National Magic University, filled with potential.

    Then our eyes met briefly. Theia frowned quietly, but soon looked elsewhere.

    ©¤Now this university is yours. Feel free to explore anywhere. You¡¯ve worked hard so far!

    As soon as the dean¡¯s words ended, everyone pped. A rough cheer echoed from behind me.

    When I turned around, it was the senior students of the Knight Department.

    Whether they were one-year seniors or two-year seniors, they were dressed in knight uniforms and were picking out freshmen with their fingers.

    ¡°Attention, everyone!

    A senior appeared in front.

    ¡°All new students of the Knight Department, gather in the banquet hall!¡±

    Is it for discipline? Or a freshman weing party?

    ¡°Shion. Are you going?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡±

    Gerkhen will probably go. He¡¯s already standing at the front. The guy aiming to be a Senator won¡¯t miss such an event.

    ¡°No. Not really.¡±

    I don¡¯t really want to do it.

    ¡°Then, Shion. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. Are there any sses you want to take?¡±

    In the campus cafeteria. We are sitting across from each other, looking at the list of lectures.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­¡±

    The Knight Department curriculum is anchored. Most of it is practical.

    However, if a student wishes, they can squeeze in a few theory or liberal arts sses between the practical ones.

    [Utilization of Magic Spells]

    [Extremely practical forms for everyday life]

    ¡°Maybe these two?¡±

    These are lectures to umte Magic Spell data, and the first one, [Utilization of Magic Spells], is important.

    It¡¯s the only freshman lecture taught by ¡®Theia Esil¡¯. Course registration will probably be a war.

    ¡°Oh, there he is!¡±

    Then, a loud voice rang out. Of course, it was La. She was with Elise.

    ¡°Oh. La. Long time no see.¡±

    ¡°Yup-!¡±

    She pped a piece of paper onto our table.

    [Subgroup: My Muse Hero]

    ¡°My Muse Hero¡­ What¡¯s this?¡±

    I asked with a smirk.

    ¡°A club!¡±

    ¡°So, what kind of club is it?¡±

    ¡°Ah~ You guys know about the uing vote on the Hero Special Law in Trick City, right?!¡±

    La had a beaming face. As she said, M can now obtain a proper ¡®Hero License¡¯.

    Thanks to Raquel Dra.

    ¡°¡­¡­So?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to do the same kind of work as heroes in line with that trend. We¡¯ll help themunity, solve any incidents, do good deeds, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re all rushing in. Only those who can fit it into their schedule! Like a unit!¡±

    As La said, the enactment of the Hero Special Law is almost certain. That¡¯s how public opinion has been shaped.

    It¡¯s been brought forward by at least 3 yearspared to before my regression.

    There will be side effects to that extent.

    Substandard heroes, corrupt heroes, or¡­¡­ heroes who are spies infiltrated from the underworld, etc.

    Of course, I¡¯m not worried.

    If there are such guys, no, they will definitely appear.

    I can assassinate them as ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    I signed. Soliette also followed suit and wrote her name.

    Ding-

    My smartphone rang just then.

    [This is the Knight Department Student Council. For freshmen who did not attend the freshman wee party, there may be several disadvantages in semester events, so please take note.]

    I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve already decided to be an outsider anyway.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    La was giggling as she looked at the club proposal.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Elise nced at the course registration form on my desk.

    ¡°What sses did you register for?¡±

    ¡°Ah, these.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I showed her the registration form.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing particrly interesting.¡±

    Elise said that and copied something onto her smartphone.

    * * *

    At the same time.

    In Libra, Jade¡¯s office.

    ¡°How is it¡­¡­?¡±

    ©¤Yes. It¡¯s certain.

    Zia is on the phone with a researcher via speakerphone.

    ©¤The extreme mana stone reacts almost precisely at -22 degrees. Under those conditions, the activity of extreme mana bes vigorous, and the poles collide, releasing mana. The efficiency is¡­¡­ even a very poor quality extreme mana stone is equivalent to an average B++ grade mana stone.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    A very brightugh was heard. Zia nced in that direction.

    It was Jade.

    ©¤Aside from simple efficiency, it seems there are other possibilities, so we should intensify our research.

    ¡°Please¡­ keep the information as tight as possible¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤Yes. We should be able to keep the information under wraps for at least 3~4 months, but the news will have already reached the direct descendants.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Jade waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°I foresaw this, and have already contracted all the mines that produce extreme mana stones across the continent.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate¡­¡±

    Zia felt the same. She had been discreetly purchasing extreme mana stones through an ount and corporation under a pseudonym, and a dual identity. She had been careful not to arouse suspicion.

    ¡°Yes. I think it will rise to 50 Ren within this year.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade was wrong, even though he had finally made the right guess.

    From Zia¡¯s perspective, 50 Ren was ridiculously low. At least 100 Ren per gram. No, considering its potential, 200 to 300 Ren.

    ¡°Are you epting the Count¡¯s extreme mana stones¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re alreadying in. I¡¯ve also made a storage container.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ as soon as possible¡­¡­¡±

    The Count is a noble affiliated with the kingdom. The kingdom is a state ruled by a king, so if the potential of the extreme mana stone is confirmed, they might try to breach the contract. They need to absorb as many extreme mana stones as possible before that.

    ¡°Of course. In 3 months, all the extreme mana stones-¡±

    Bang©¤!

    The door opened then. Zia was startled, and Jade¡¯s face frowned.

    But even Jade didn¡¯t say much.

    ¡°¡­¡­I heard about the extreme mana stones.¡±

    The person was his eldest son ¡®Derek¡¯.

    He looked at Zia and Jade alternately with a rather flushed face.

    ¡°Did you y a trick?¡±

    ¡°Really. Brother, a trick? What¡¯s the matter that you¡¯re so angry all of a sudden?¡±

    Jade smirked as he looked at him. Derek gritted his teeth until veins popped out on his jaw.

    ¡°If it was a business you thought of with your heads, I would have let it go. But, did you intercept the report from Libra Station?¡±

    Zia opened her mouth hesitantly.

    ¡°I¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Speak up! Are you a fool?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia made a surprised expression. Then Jade stood up.

    ¡°No matter who you are, your words are harsh. Who are you ming? Zia has informed all of us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Informed everyone?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ha. These kids dare to y with who¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Derek¡¯s words stopped.

    As if a memory of a certain day suddenly came to mind, he quietly asked Zia.

    ¡°¡­¡­Two weeks ago? The report brought by the butler?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ that one¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek let out a hollowugh.

    If Zia¡¯s words were correct, there was no one to me, so he stayed silent for a while.

    ¡°Did Johanna participate by any chance?¡±

    He asked about Johanna, the eldest daughter and his number one rival.

    ¡°No¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­ I sent an email¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Speak up, speak up quickly!¡±

    Derek pointed his finger usingly, spittle flying from his mouth. Zia quickly opened her mouth to respond.

    ¡°I¡¯ve sent an email to my sister¡­¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t check it?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Derek finally let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That woman is crazy about gambling, after all. That must be why she hasn¡¯te looking for you yet. Too busy gambling.¡±

    He then looked at Jade. He wore a smile that seemed to drain the arrogance from his triumphant younger brother.

    ¡°Well, Jade. You¡¯ve failed enough times that it¡¯s about time you stumbled onto something. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Stumbled onto something?¡±

    Jade retorted with a sardonic smile.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think it¡¯s the result of carefully reading and analyzing the report.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been messing around for 10 years and yet you talk big. Fine, you two do your best. As the eldest brother, I suppose I can afford to give you that much as a startup fund. But.¡±

    Derek¡¯s expression hardened again.

    ¡°If you think about passing some rights to Johanna-¡±

    ¡°Brother. Do you really think I would do that?¡±

    Jade simply replied with a question. Derek stared into Jade¡¯s eyes for a moment before responding.

    ¡°No. You wouldn¡¯t. There¡¯s no one who dislikes Johanna as much as you do.¡±

    ¡°Then you may leave now.¡±

    Derek left without another word.

    Jade watched his back as he left and then closed the door to the office.

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    He turned to look at Zia.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°That guy is predictable. He¡¯ll probably try to win over Shion Ascal, who submitted the report.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, Shion Ascal is a man of loyalty, so he won¡¯t be swayed, but now that it¡¯s your turn, handle it as best as you can. He could be ¡®your¡¯ first Bncer.¡±

    In Libra, the term Bncer refers to the elite of the elite, and within the family, there are only about 40 of them.

    Out of these, 10 support Derek, 8 support Johanna, and the remaining 22 follow only the will of Sherlock.

    Jade himself once had three Bncers under hismand, but he let them all go, deeming them meaningless to him.

    Thus, among the four siblings, only Zia has never used a Bncer.

    In fact, she has never even encountered one.

    ¡°Bncer¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Shion Ascal is set to be a major force in Libra, whether inbat or internal affairs.¡±

    Jade smiled faintly and ced his hand on Zia¡¯s head.

    ¡°That guy will be the independence gift I give you as the eldest brother.¡±

 Chapter 200: Encounters (1)

    <strong>Encounters (1)</strong>

    Edsi National Magic University¡¯s campus. I¡¯m aimlessly walking around that vast and expansive ce, just out of curiosity to know what it feels like.

    It was once a dream of mine.

    To walk leisurely through a university bursting with flowers, student ID tucked in my pocket.

    Huff-puff©¤ Huff-puff©¤ Huff-puff©¤

    ©¤©¤Faster!

    ¡°¡­¡­ what the hell?¡±

    But, the scene unfolding before me is theplete opposite of that dreamyndscape.

    Huff-puff©¤ Huff-puff©¤ Huff-puff©¤

    A bunch of people sprinting at full speed on the sports field. Among them, I can see the faces of Kain, Asher, and Gerkhen.

    It seems to be the wee party for the freshmen of the Knight Department.

    I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t go.

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s the entrance ceremony today, they¡¯re doing that.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re desperate to join the fraternity.¡±

    Elise responded to my muttering.

    ¡°What? When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve been here from the start.¡±

    Elise flicked her hair with a nce at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any such aspirations?¡±

    ¡°What aspirations?¡±

    ¡°The fraternity.¡±

    The ¡®fraternity¡¯ that only men can join, and the ¡®sorority¡¯ that only women can join.

    They are loosely referred to as the ¡®final clubs¡¯ of the university social scene, and their influence extends far beyond the university to all fronts of politics and finance.

    I already have a firm grip on Libra, so it doesn¡¯t concern me.

    ¡°Not really. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Magic Tower anyway.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve already received countless offers.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Not really? It¡¯s not something to congratte me on. It¡¯s not a boast for me.¡±

    ¡°Was that sarcasm just now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    She furrowed her brow. She¡¯s surprisingly oblivious.

    ¡°More importantly, have you been on [Bethune]?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m on a break.¡±

    Elise snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been diligently connecting. Raised my level a bit. Laying the groundwork. It¡¯s going to be the real world soon, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked at me with an inscrutable expression, trying to gauge whether I was being sarcastic or not.

    ¡°I was just ying along.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡­ Anyway. Sir Raelro called for you. Come to the building by next Monday at 3 PM.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go.¡±

    I walked through the campus quietly and reached the dormitory. It was the site of the Knight Department¡¯s dormitory. The names were simply Dormitory 1 and Dormitory 2.

    Elise asked.

    ¡°Are you staying at the dorm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve applied for it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve applied, huh¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Click©¤

    The sound of a camera shutter echoed from somewhere. It rang clearly in our keen ears, and we immediately turned to look in that direction.

    There was a reporter.

    ¡°Ah, that person¡­¡­!¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth in anger as she red at the fleeing figure.

    ¡°What is the university doing, not managing outsiders properly¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that the reporter who spread the dating rumors?¡±

    Elise flinched at my words.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the reporter who spread the rumors. Lately, they¡¯ve been sticking around like paparazzi¡­¡­¡±

    She paused for a moment and nced at me out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you care?¡±

    ¡°About what? It¡¯s not true, so why bother.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Must be nice. You¡¯re so carefree.¡±

    Elise pouted as if she was dissatisfied with something.

    Swoosh©¤©¤

    Suddenly, a ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ flew in from the sky. It was a box adorned with a bright gold color.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is this your box?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise took the box and showed me one side. Engraved on the surface was the initial ¡®KEN¡¯.

    Ken.

    It¡¯s Ken Petra.

    ¡°Does your father use this too?¡±

    As the developer of the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹, I was once again amazed. And proud, too.

    Of course, strictly speaking, it¡¯s knowledge invented by someonepletely unknown in the future, but I¡¯m the one who refined it to be much more useful, right?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? This ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ is quite useful.¡±

    Elise took something out of the box. It was a sealed letter. It seemed to be a letter from her father.

    ¡°Why not just text?¡±

    She read the letter and replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s election season. You never know when you might be wiretapped or eavesdropped on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s intense.¡±

    ¡°Intense?¡±

    Elise put down the letter and took a step back from me.

    ¡°The re-election is almost certain. The problem is the Round Table.¡±

    The Round Table. Simply put, it means ¡®a table where re-election is not necessary¡¯.

    Only thirteen families can ascend to this Round Table, and as long as they are not challenged and ousted by other families, they reign as Senators indefinitely. Since it¡¯s a right given to the family itself, it naturally bes hereditary.

    The Petra family is aiming for a seat at that Round Table.

    In other words, they have to go to war with one of the thirteen families.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s going to be bloody.¡±

    Elise looked at me. Her eyes were slightly moist in a strange way.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Elise turned around. She took a step back as if dancing a waltz.

    But her legs quickly stopped.

    ¡°Should I not go?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    At my reply, Elise shook her head.

    ¡°It was nothing. Just talking to myself. Go ahead.¡±

    She tells me to go but leaves first herself. Step by step. She walks away like a noble.

    I watched her back and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Am I sick?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    In the shaded park of the national university campus, Elise sat on a college bench looking up at the sky.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    She let out a light sigh and lifted her father¡¯s letter.

    [Congrattions on bing a university student. However, from now on, be sure to distinguish who you associate with. I hope there won¡¯t be any more useless articles likest time. You are not an ordinary person. You are the heir of Petra, a noble, and now an adult. You must take care of yourself.]

    A letter clearly meant as a warning. Considering the timing, someone from the family within the university must have already reported something to her father.

    Probably, Shion is not included in the ¡®people to associate with¡¯ that her father mentioned.

    No, perhaps it was because of Shion that he sent this letter.

    But¡­ does Father remember?

    The day he led Shion¡¯s mother to her death.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    It would be a relief if he had forgotten.

    She felt uneasy instead.

    That Father, even remembering that fact, might act as if nothing was wrong. That he might not feel a twinge of guilt.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯You have to take care of yourself.''¡±

    Elise read thest line of the letter.

    ¡°Independence¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s partly why she was genuinely investing time in [Bethune].

    Right now, her foundation is all Petra. The buildings, the house, the clothes, all are given by the family.

    Therefore, she wants to have something that she has built on her own, even if it¡¯s a small part.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean she intends to reject the family. There¡¯s no reason to.

    Because the family is precious.

    Because they are family.

    ¡­¡­But.

    She quietly picked up her smartphone. In the Notepad app, there were notes like ¡®sses Shion Ascal is trying to register for¡¯, ¡®Whether he has a dorm or not¡¯, ¡®No thoughts of joining a fraternity¡¯.

    Why did I record such things?

    Shion Ascal is ipatible with Petra.

    Surely, one day, I will have to abandon one of the two¡­.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±

    She quietly clenched her head.

    There was a severe pain in her temples.

    * * *

    In the residence of the Endex building. Having returned from the university, I am slowly organizing my things.

    ¡°Shion. Are you really going?¡±

    Soliette looked at me with somewhat pitiful eyes.

    ¡°You can go too if you want. Room assignments are automatic.¡±

    The dormitory of the Knight¡¯s Academy is automatic admission without application. The dormitory fee for the Knight¡¯s Academy is free, and there are always extra rooms. There are only about 150 new students a year.

    Soliette shook her head.

    ¡°I will stay here. I¡¯m used to this space now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I thought so.¡±

    I took out a cage I had brought in advance. I had asked Grawl to bring a little guy over.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I opened the cage. A small cat walked out from inside.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±

    Even if it was fully grown, it was only the size of a human palm. An orange-furred cat.

    Soliette¡¯s eyes went nk for a moment.

    The little one waddled over and then meowed, making a cute sound with its mouth shaped like a little triangle.

    ¡°How about it.¡±

    I can¡¯t always be by Soliette¡¯s side. That dependency isn¡¯t good for Soliette either. The insomnia caused by loneliness must be cured.

    Meow-

    The cat meowed and approached her, rubbing its body against her feet.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­ Shion, look at this.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I had asked for the most affectionate one, and indeed it was very affectionate.

    I told Soliette.

    ¡°Live with this one. Keep the old man Belthospany too. It¡¯s good for the old man.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s live a normal life.¡±

    Then Soliette turned to look at me.

    ¡°Someday, even when the revenge is over.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She wore a smile-like expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but a cat¡¯s lifespan is shorter than a human¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about parting from the moment of meeting makes many things tiresome.¡±

    I put my finger on Soliette¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°In the end, the process is important.¡±

    That¡¯s why everything has a lifespan. It¡¯s precious because it disappears, and it¡¯s beautiful because it¡¯s not eternal.

    If the default value of humans was immortality, wouldn¡¯t they eventually go extinct, not having offspring andmitting suicide one by one¡­¡­

    I, a time-limited person, am rationalizing it like that.

    ¡°I know. But, the happier the process, the greater the sorrow of parting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Then just kill it now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Soliette narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°I said, just kill it now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like that either?¡±

    Soliette growled silently and held the cat in her arms. Anyway, she must mean she¡¯ll raise it.

    Ding-

    Just then, a message came on my smartphone.

    [Deployment order]

    [Rmended arrival within 30 minutes]

    [Coordinates]

    I put my phone away and said,

    ¡°Decide on a name by the time Ie back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided. It¡¯s Solmandy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±

    Watching Soliette gently stroking the little one, I smiled a small smile.

    * * *

    Late at night. I arrived at the deployment location. It was a restaurant.

    ¡°Hey. Is it right toeter than your superior?¡±

    Bell Moore was already there. He was cutting a steak and gestured to me.

    ¡°Go down first. I¡¯ll eat, then go.¡±

    ¡°Where is downstairs?¡±

    ¡°Go to the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At the back of the restaurant. There was a person leaning against the entrance to the kitchen.

    As I slowly approached, he opened the door for me.

    I quickly scanned the interior. The kitchen scene was ordinary. Cooking busily, washing dishes, mes rising¡­¡­

    ¡°Are you the rookie?¡±

    Then a ck man looked at me and chuckled.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    He went into the storage room on one side of the kitchen. I followed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time. Don¡¯t be surprised.¡±

    Bang!

    He closed the window door.

    At that moment, the entire warehouse vibrated. It was going down like an elevator, down, down.

    Then I realized.

    It¡¯s the [Intelligence Agency].

    The independent facility where Libra¡¯s ¡®Chaser¡¯ works. Libra¡¯s underworld, reconstructed as a single facility under Edsi.

    Ding©¤©¤!

    Soon the warehouse door opened.

    Beyond it was a gray space. People in suits, without a word,ing and going like dust in a deste atmosphere.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    This ce not only eavesdrops and wiretaps, but also collects all information domestically and internationally in Edsi, and operates ordingly-

    ¡°Wee to Libra¡¯s Shadow.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is the restaurant the entrance?¡±

    This was my first time at the Intelligence Agency as well.

    It was such a massive facility.

    ¡°No. There are multiple entrances. We¡¯ll only tell the rookie one. As you umte years, you¡¯ll learn more. Now, get to work~¡±

    The ck man went back up, and Bell Moore appeared from the opposite side.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you having a meal?¡±

    ¡°I finished eating and came down. Follow me.¡±

    He guided me. I followed Bell Moore through the offices.

    The rustling sound of papers being flipped.

    The scratching sound of a pen writing.

    The footsteps of the employees.

    It was a remarkably nd space.

    ¡°Here, you can¡¯t use electronic devices at all. Even mobile phones don¡¯t work. So, everything is analog. It¡¯s inconvenient, but, well, most of the work is covered by an Artifact.¡±

    At the exit of such a quiet office, when he pushed open the door leading outside, it was a wide tunnel.

    ¡°¡­A tunnel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, an underground tunnel.¡±

    Bell Moore rummaged through his pocket and took out a car key.

    Beep-

    One of the many parked SUVs responded.

    ¡°The Intelligence Agency is very wide. It¡¯s divided into sections. Get in.¡±

    He got in the car first. I also got in the passenger seat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    * * *

    We reached quite a deep ce within the Intelligence Agency. To my eyes, it was a ¡®prison¡¯.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    Libra was operating a prison at the family level. It was mind-boggling.

    ¡°It¡¯s a prison.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s for prisoners who havemitted crimes against Libra. But¡­ today¡¯s work is not here. Follow me.¡±

    Bell Moore led me to some kind of interrogation room.

    Knock, knock-

    He knocked and opened the door.

    ¡°Oh. Everyone¡¯s here.¡±

    There were two other Chasers in there. One was a man, and one was a woman.

    ¡°The rookie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to switch.¡±

    ¡°Be prepared. This bastard won¡¯t open his mouth.¡±

    Beyond the reinforced ss, a man was sitting. His head was deeply bowed.

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Two Chasers patted my shoulder in turn and left. I asked Bell Moore.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Well, we need to make that bastard talk.¡±

    Bell Moore sat down on a chair.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®make him talk¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Do you know a Libra Chaser has been kidnapped?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s been kidnapped. The kidnapped Chaser is a guy named ¡®Welton¡¯, and when Welton was kidnapped, that guy over there had his leg cut off. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t run away.¡±

    I nced down. Indeed, one leg was missing.

    ¡°We¡¯re interrogating him right now¡­ but he¡¯s not talking. Why he kidnapped him. Who he is. Who¡¯s backing him.¡±

    I scanned him from bottom to top.

    His only leg was pitch ck. It was all hair. Almost no gaps, densely packed. His hair was just as thick, and his beard and mustache were deeply connected.

    However, when I saw a part of his bare face not hidden by hair,

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I almostughed without realizing it.

    Indeed, it was someone I recognized.

    A person etched into my memory.

    And in my final memory at that¡­

    ¡°Ah. This bastard is opening his eyes again. Do you know who he is?¡±

    Bell Moore startled and stood up.

    At that moment, I felt the need to control my emotions, but today, I couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. But¡­¡±

    ¡°He kidnapped a person from Libra, so he can¡¯t be forgiven?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, yes.¡±

    I answered, grinding my teeth. But, ironically, I also smiled.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be forgiven. At least not by me.¡±

    The guy on the other side of the reinforced ss is as hairy as a beast.

    He¡¯s actually half a beast.

    A werewolf©¤©¤ a wolf-man.

    The one who killed me before my regression.

 Chapter 201: Encounters (2)

    <strong>Encounters (2)</strong>

    It¡¯s 13 years ago, ording to my perception.

    In actuality, it¡¯s 11 years in the future.

    Now, it¡¯s no longer ¡®actual¡¯.

    13 years ago and 11 yearster.

    The day that was real, and the time that vanished with my regression.

    Facing the paradox that words can¡¯t express, is my murderer.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I stared at him. His face, deeply arched, was covered in fur, only his eyes and nose barely visible.

    I know his name.

    ¡®Webler¡¯.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s his real name. It¡¯s the name Zia will bestow upon himter.

    I gnashed my teeth.

    The resentment is still there. There¡¯s no way I could harbor friendly feelings towards the man who killed me.

    However, the description ¡®the man who killed me¡¯ feels a bit awkward.

    I¡¯m here, breathing and alive, and above all,

    If I me that death solely on him, then this regression is also thanks to him.

    In reality, I don¡¯t despise ¡®Webler¡¯ as much as I do Libra. Because he¡¯s just a werewolf. Because I know the sorrow of the werewolf tribe well.

    ¡­It¡¯splicated.

    In fact, my instinct, deep in my heart, is screaming to cut his throat right now.

    But, reason says otherwise.

    My life before regression was only two months. Even if I hadn¡¯t been killed by him, I wouldn¡¯t have lived long.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot of fur.¡±

    I said to him. He was still silent.

    ¡°Like some kind of werewolf.¡±

    At that moment, there was a very faint reaction. Some of the many hairs stood on end.

    ¡°How old are you?¡±

    Werewolves are a significant force. The strength of the race itself is excellent.

    Without any training, just growing to adulthood gives thembat power on par with a 2nd or 3rd rank knight.

    That strength is the reason they are ostracized by society, and the reason why Zia will ept them in the not too distant future.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you answer?¡±

    However, I didn¡¯t know how Zia came to have a werewolf as a subordinate.

    Could it have been from this point?

    No, Webler had never met Zia. He said so himself.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at Webler. The silent man was disgusting.

    I want to kill him.

    I want to cut his throat without thinking.

    I kept having such thoughts.

    I looked at the clock.

    Only 5 minutes had passed. It felt like I had faced him for 50 minutes.

    I looked beyond the ss. From inside, you can¡¯t see outside, but from outside, Bell Moore would be watching me.

    I said to him.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s stop the recording for a bit.¡±

    * * *

    Meanwhile, Bell Moore was observing the situation from outside the interrogation room.

    ¡°¡­¡­Look at that bastard, so fucking serious.¡±

    The way Shion Ascal faced his opponent was brutal. Especially those eyes, they were the eyes of a psycho, as if he could decapitate the other at any moment.

    ¡°He¡¯s really a madman, a madman¡­¡­¡±

    Such immense loyalty is dangerous.

    Of course, Libra expects loyalty from all its members, but a fiery heart is rather a demerit.

    Because they are ¡®Scale¡¯.

    Always maintaining calm andposure, not mixing emotions with right and wrong, and only doing what is beneficial for Libra.

    That is the ideal talent for Libra.

    For Bell Moore, it¡¯s rather a good thing. It¡¯s proof that he is superior to that rookie.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±

    However, Shion Ascal gradually calmed down. The murderous intent and anger had somehow been reined in.

    ©¤How old are you?

    Shion asked him.

    There was no answer.

    The conversation did not continue.

    ©¤Can¡¯t you answer?

    Perhaps because it¡¯s a mission where he can¡¯t decapitate, the guy is not very cooperative.

    Well, this is the limit of a rookie.

    He has sessfullypleted a few missions by luck, but in the end, it was ¡®luck¡¯, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°You¡¯ve been lucky so far, haven¡¯t you? You psychopath.¡±

    Then Shion looked this way. Precisely where he was sitting.

    ¡°What¡¯s up. Hey, can you hear me?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Let¡¯s stop the recording for a bit.

    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    Fortunately, it seems he can¡¯t hear.

    ©¤Let¡¯s turn off the recording and filming for a bit.

    Bell Moore shook his head. He turned on the microphone connected to the interrogation room and spoke.

    ¡°¡­¡­Come out for a bit.¡±

    Then Shion came out. Bell Moore frowned and said.

    ¡°Hey. You can¡¯t kill this time.¡±

    The request to stop the recording and filming means, at the very least, he¡¯s thinking of beating him up or, worse, killing him.

    Shion nodded his head.

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust that. Do you know who the kidnapped person is?¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°A branch of the Libra family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion¡¯s eyebrows narrowed into a figure eight. Bell Moore chuckled.

    ¡°Branch family, damn it. Branch family. It¡¯s not as important as a direct line.¡±

    There¡¯s a significant difference between the direct and branch families. Simply put, the branch family doesn¡¯t even share the Libra ¡®surname¡¯.

    ¡°But they¡¯re more important than us. You have to save them no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, so let¡¯s stop the recording and filming.¡±

    Bell Moore sighed.

    ¡°Fine. But remember this. If you kill again this time, you¡¯re out.¡±

    Then he turned off the Artifact switch that was recording the inside of the interrogation room.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shion Ascal immediately went inside and closed the door.

    Bang©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s really a Lunatic, a Lunatic.¡±

    How did such a guy end up here?

    Bell Moore shook his head.

    * * *

    Knock©¤ Knock©¤

    I tapped the desk with my finger.

    Checking for resonance.

    If there¡¯s a recording or filming Artifact, the magic seeping into the space alters the way the resonance spreads.

    Knock©¤ Knock©¤

    It¡¯s the same.

    This means Bell Moore has turned off the recording Artifact. Now, even Bell Moore doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening in here.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t really need to interrogate you.¡±

    I told him. He still didn¡¯t respond.

    Perhaps he¡¯s dismissing my words as nonsense.

    ¡°I know who you are.¡±

    Still, he kept his head down, like someone who hears nothing.

    I leaned forward, whispering softly to him, his shaggy hair covering his ears.

    ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Finally, he lifted his head. He looked at me with wide, startled eyes.

    ¡°I also know where your ¡®tribe¡¯ is hiding.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He still looked skeptical.

    Perhaps he thinks there¡¯s a slim chance that I could¡¯ve ¡®guessed¡¯ this much.

    He¡¯s mistaken.

    ¡°It¡¯s to the east.¡±

    His breath hitched for a moment.

    ¡°A dense forest. A cliff cut in the shape of a half-moon.¡±

    As I continued, shock and despair filled hisrge eyes.

    ¡°Where the waterfall flows.¡±

    This information is too obvious in the future. In the future, when the werewolves submit to Zia, their cave itself bes public as they legally gain human rights.

    ¡°There must be your cave.¡±

    I looked at him closely. His breathing had be ragged.

    Just 5 minutes ago, he was dismissing me as if I were a barking dog.

    ¡°Now. With one word from me, Libra¡¯s forces will head there.¡±

    ¡°H, how-¡±

    Finally, he opened his mouth, but it wasn¡¯t a proper response.

    ¡°¡®How¡¯ is not the word you should be saying right now. You have no right to question.¡±

    The gap in information ultimately stems from its ¡®source¡¯.

    When he doesn¡¯t know where the truth I knowes from, he has no choice but to fear me.

    And he should be afraid.

    Because my source is ¡®the future¡¯.

    ¡°Negotiate-¡±

    ¡°No need for negotiations. I¡¯m going to annihte the entire species of werewolves.¡±

    Suddenly, his canine teeth sharpened. A natural smile flowed from my lips.

    ¡°One by one, I¡¯ll rip off their heads with care, cut their waists, and bury them underground.¡±

    He trembled, his hands tied in handcuffs. His bristling fur was already sharp as if struck by lightning.

    ¡°Oh, I can stuff one or two. As evidence that you existed.¡±

    I stood up.

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    Just as I turned around and gripped the doorknob.

    ¡°W, wait!¡±

    He called me. I slowly turned to look at him. He cried out with a desperate face like a rain-soaked dog.

    ¡°My tribe is innocent! It¡¯s my doing, I took the bribe. The¡­ the person I kidnapped isn¡¯t in the cave, but somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°If you promise not to touch my tribe, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    I asked with a smirk.

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    There was a lump in my chest. It was pure white rage, and at the same time, a heart that purely despised someone.

    ¡°¡­In, instead, you can kill me.¡±

    He said that.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Kill me! Kill me!¡±

    His eyes, pleading for his own death instead of his tribe¡¯s, were strangely clear.

    I found it strange.

    Back when he was filled with faith in Libra, there was only the madness of a fanatic.

    Now, he even briefly showed the maturity of a martyr.

    I looked at him, my hand on the hilt of my sword at my waist.

    ¡°What¡­ do you want?¡±

    I¡¯ve been curious about that. Not just today.

    From the time he was religiously loyal to Zia, to today, which has continued from my regression.

    I¡¯m curious about his principles of action.

    ¡°Just¡­.¡±

    He smiled faintly, his face somewhat relieved.

    ¡°I just want a space where ¡®we¡¯ can live.¡±

    I picked up the sword.

    I swung it at his head.

    ¡­¡­

    I came out of the interrogation room. Bell Moore was asleep in his chair.

    Snore©¤©¤©¤

    It was a bit absurd, but rather fortunate.

    ¡°¡­Wake up.¡±

    I shook his chair.

    ¡°Huh, what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve located it.¡±

    ¡°¡­The location?¡±

    Bell Moore, who was yawning, quickly got up. He hurriedly looked into the ss window.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    The interrogation room was bloody. Blood was flowing from the werewolf lying on the table.

    Bell Moore turned to me with a distorted face.

    ¡°Hey, you crazy-¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. Just beat him up a bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t kill him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Only then did Bell Moore take a closer look at him. His breath, flowing from his lips, was sttering blood.

    I decided to only relieve this much of my personal grudge.

    To be a ¡®Bncer¡¯, I have to maintain extreme calmness.

    No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t have the motive or justification to kill him right now.

    ¡°Do we go with the two of us? Or should we call more people?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve found the location.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bell Moore looked into the ss window again.

    ¡°¡­So beating him up was the answer. But the others must have beaten him up a lot too?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to call for support?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Bell Moore shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the two of us. Why share the honor? I¡¯ll show you, my senior qualifications.¡±

    * * *

    Edsi shares borders with three countries, and one of them is the kingdom of ¡®Beros¡¯, a border area.

    The ce Webler confessed to.

    ¡°Here?¡±

    Bell Moore asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded and pointed in the distance with my finger.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cave in that forest.¡±

    The entrance of the cave that can be seen at a nce. Inside, there will probably be a barrier, trapping someone unknown.

    ¡°What the hell did you say to that mute?¡±

    ¡°I threatened him a bit.¡±

    ¡°Threat¡­ Well, we¡¯ll deal with thatter. Let¡¯s go in first.¡±

    We quietly entered the cave.

    ¡­¡­

    At first, we advanced quite tensely. We were on guard even at the sound of the wind, and in anticipation of any possible magic traps, we were on high alert.

    However, the expected attack did note.

    It was rather quiet.

    ¡°Hey. I don¡¯t think this is the ce, no matter how I think about it. It¡¯s a trap.¡±

    Bell Moore folded his arms. He looked at me with a suspicious face.

    ¡°Did you juste here because you were happy with any information that bastard gave you?¡±

    ¡°No. Can¡¯t you see it?¡±

    I can see it.

    SZX-9500, switched to infrared detection. At the end of this cave, the heat of one person is being transmitted.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it real?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Fssst-

    At that moment, there was a sign of someone behind us. It was the detection form that Bell Moore had set up when he entered the cave.

    ©¤Shh. One guy came.

    Bell Moore bent over.

    ©¤¡­¡­You¡¯re sure he¡¯s here.

    I nodded.

    ©¤Then you go and rescue him. I¡¯ll take care of that guy.

    ©¤Okay.

    We split up like that. I moved forward, and Bell Moore hid in the darkness of the cave.

    After following the body heat captured by the SZX-9500 for about 5 minutes.

    I found one person.

    It was a woman with a haggard face.

    Her hair was a slightly murky blue. Probably a southern color. Definitely not the pure color of a barrier. Her mouth was taped shut, and her whole body was bound.

    A familiar face. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know, she¡¯s a key figure in Libra.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, arge explosion urred. It must have been a battle between Bell Moore and the kidnapper.

    The woman opened her eyes amidst themotion.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    She reacted loudly as soon as she saw me. I put a finger to my lips.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Then I raised my sword.

    There is no path behind this. It¡¯s clearly a dead end, but not to me.

    Just like before, all I need to do is cut through space for a moment.

    The side effects will be a bit severe though¡­

    ¡°¡­Huff!¡±

    I deployed the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹. The trajectory of the diagonal line pierced the void. A new space shimmered in the gap of that sword stroke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I hoisted her onto my shoulder.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    But the back is quite intense. Seeing that Bell Moore can¡¯t finish it off easily, he seems to be a pretty strong guy.

    ¡°Warning, you might get woozy.¡±

    I took a step forward.

    In an instant, the darkness of the cave scattered. The space flipped to the outdoors in a sh.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I endured the pain that felt like I was about to vomit blood.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The woman on my shoulder iled violently. I put her down and ripped off the tape.

    ¡°Uweeeek©¤©¤-!¡±

    She immediately vomited.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Uweeeek¡­¡­. Ah, fuck. Are you from Libra?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The woman who had mostly thrown up nced at me and nodded.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­. Ah. Okay. You found me somehow?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please stay here.¡±

    ¡°¡­What. Why. We should run.¡±

    I pointed to the cave.

    ¡°My partner is in there.¡±

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­Is he fighting while making a fuss in the surronding? Those bastards will be back soon.¡±

    She seemed displeased with that.

    ¡°We should return safely if possible.¡±

    I drew my sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Please stay quiet.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even move because of my legs anyway.¡±

    She touched her knee. I looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

    Is she limping?

    She is Zia¡¯s second inmand.

    ¡°Fuck. I¡¯ll kill them when I get back.¡±

    Why this woman was kidnapped, and what her rtionship with the werewolf is, are stuff I¡¯ll have to figure out from now on¡­

 Chapter 202: Encounters (3)

    <strong>Encounters (3)</strong>

    I peered into the cave from the entrance. Bell Moore¡¯s weapon was, as always, eight hatchets.

    Whirrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Bell Moore hurled six of the hatchets into the air. They flew like trained hawks, slicing through the enemy.

    ©¤©¤!

    However, the opponent was no ordinary werewolf.

    The beast deflected all the axes with its ws. Kwajik©¤! Kicking off the ground, it charged at Bell Moore. The sheer force of the wolf sent pebbles flying.

    Chang©¤©¤©¤!

    Bell Moore swung the axes clutched in both hands.

    Chang Chang Chang©¤©¤©¤!

    The shing of ws and axes. The sound of metal splitting. Sparks flying in a beautiful arc.

    They exchanged dozens of blows in an instant, but suddenly, the wolf stretched out its leg and struck Bell Moore¡¯s stomach hard.

    ©¤Kuk!

    As Bell Moore was sent flying, the werewolf pursued him with a simple leap.

    Bell Moore concentrated his magic on his hatchet and fired it. The wolf crossed its ws and cut it down.

    Kwaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The hatchet exploded. Magic particles filled the cave for a moment, and a crimson me ignited. A fog of intense heat scorched the interior and rose.

    Thanks to this, I can¡¯t observe the situation even with the SZX-9500.

    Chang©¤! Chang©¤!

    I could only hear the ongoing battle.

    I rushed towards it.

    I quickly reached the battlefield, but the situation had already ended.

    Bell Moore had passed out.

    The werewolf on the other side was also nearly exhausted.

    If I don¡¯t intervene here, Bell Moore will probably die.

    It¡¯s an opportunity to get rid of a nuisance without lifting a finger¡­

    However, the death of a colleague is a demerit on my career. It¡¯s half a mission failure.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at the fallen Bell Moore.

    This guy still has value.

    ¡­¡­Grrrrrrrr.

    The werewolf let out a low growl.

    ¡°Why did you kidnap her?¡±

    I asked the beast. The werewolf took a step forward without a word. Blood dripped from the ear that had been cut off by the hatchet.

    I spoke again.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your colleague is alive.¡±

    The beast trembled at that moment.

    ¡°Do you want to kill your colleague too?¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    The beast roared and charged at me. I prepared the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹. For the exhausted wolf, the ¡®First Sword¡¯ would be enough.

    However, I didn¡¯t draw the sword. I struck the beast¡¯s body with the sheath.

    Thwack©¤©¤©¤!

    A dull cracking sound echoed. The werewolf, hit by the sheath, was thrown back and buried in the wall.

    I looked at the beast.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there are any reinforcements. Was it just you and your colleague from the start?¡±

    The beast replied with just one word.

    ©¤Kill me.

    ¡°Your colleague is under someone¡¯s ¡®orders,¡¯ I hear.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, your colleague will die.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­It¡¯s just the two of us.

    I nodded my head.

    ¡°Did you kidnap the branch member because she discovered your existence?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Branch member Sonya.

    The woman who wouldter be recognized as Zia¡¯s second-inmand, is currently under the eldest son, Derek.

    ¡°How did you know that branch member discovered your existence?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Then the beast shut its mouth.

    Probably heard it from someone.

    An insider who disapproves of Sonya¡¯s business, or a traitor who pities the werewolves.

    ©¤Kill me.

    The beast closed its eyes, as if it wouldn¡¯t say anything more.

    I pondered.

    Werewolves live in hiding. They know that human society fears them.

    Their time in hiding has been so long that werewolves are now half-considered legends on the continent.

    Werewolves resemble wolves. They are objects of fear to those who don¡¯t know them, but in fact, they are more honest beasts than anyone else.

    It was Libra who forcibly dragged them out, and Libra who forcibly epted them.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s a hideout to the east. Inside the roaring waterfall at the edge of a cliff.¡±

    At that moment, the werewolf¡¯s eyes opened again.

    ©¤¡­¡­You!

    He moved his body almost convulsively.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I had pondered for a moment.

    Was the one who killed me before my regression a werewolf named ¡®Webler¡¯?

    Or was it the ¡®werewolf¡¯ tribe?

    Or was it ¡®Libra¡¯?

    ¡°Only I know so far.¡±

    There¡¯s no right answer.

    But it¡¯s certain that the wolf tribe is not at fault.

    ¡°Do you want to live? With your tribe.¡±

    I asked him.

    He didn¡¯t answer, but I calmly continued.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a way.¡±

    It¡¯s probably an offer he can¡¯t refuse.

    * * *

    The third-ranked Branch of Libra, So Reville.

    Also known as ¡®Sonya¡¯.

    The young woman in herte twenties is the merit who boosted Derek to the position of first sessor.

    She is the mastermind who designed andpleted the ¡®Libra Industrial Complex¡¯, which allows various affiliates to work closely together by reducing the number of subcontractors to escape the inefficiency unique to Libra¡¯s defense industry, gathering production factories in one ce, and cing them nearby. She is also a businesswoman who submitted a n to close the Libra Orphanage and transform it into an economic section.

    Well.

    Having achieved various feats, she is now running away with a broken leg.

    ¡°¡­¡­fucking leg.¡±

    She has already resigned from her position as the youngest board member.

    Although it was disguised as a ¡®new challenge¡¯, in fact, it was due to Derek¡¯s order to ¡®leave the family and look for things that can be used as weapons¡¯.

    There will definitely be a violent sh at the end of the session dispute.

    It¡¯s a damn way to treat a merit.

    ¡°Kuk¡­¡­ Keuk.¡±

    Thanks to that, she is going down the mountain, almost dragging her leg.

    She¡¯s trying to escape on her own, not knowing whether the Chasers will win or lose.

    Then.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    A voice came from behind her in an instant. Sonya¡¯s body trembled as if she had been electrocuted. She staggered and fell forward.

    ¡°¡­¡­Cough!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    She hurriedly looked back. She saw him through her mud-covered eyes.

    A man carrying another man on his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    Sonya let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Just wait a moment.¡±

    Suddenly, he lifted the ground with his magic. He created a tunnel-like structure. He ced Bell Moore inside it.

    Sonya asked nkly.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯ll wake up on his own if we leave him here. His injuries aren¡¯t life-threatening.¡±

    ¡°Is it a ¡¸Spectrum¡¹?¡±

    ¡°First, get on my back.¡±

    He bent one knee and offered his back.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    It was a bit humiliating, but there was no choice given the situation.

    Sonya climbed onto his back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fuck. My leg won¡¯t move. I¡¯m already being teased for being a branch member, and now they¡¯ll mock me for being a crippled branch member.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­It can be healed.¡±

    ¡°No. I know my body. I missed the golden time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­But. More importantly.¡±

    He asked as he descended the mountain.

    ¡°You knew about the werewolves, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I discovered them recently.¡±

    Werewolves are a significant force. If only they could be brought under Derek¡¯s control, they could defeat Johanna with just three years of training, regardless of any bncer.

    ¡°I found them by chance. I¡¯m not sure about their hideout yet¡­¡­ but they¡¯re a race that can be used as weapons. It¡¯s important who gets them. Which side are you on?¡±

    ¡°I serve the youngest, Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The youngest? Zia?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sonya let out a small smile.

    ¡°Are you a guy with no ambition, or a guy with ambition so big it¡¯s unspeakable?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer. His face was not clearly visible as she was riding on his back.

    Thump©¤ Thump©¤

    When they had descended the mountain to some extent, he opened his mouth again.

    ¡°Why did the werewolves-¡±

    ¡°Call me Sonya.¡±

    ¡°Why did they kidnap you, Sonya?¡±

    ¡°What else? The information leaked.¡±

    As soon as Sonya discovered the werewolves, she reported to Derek.

    Coincidentally, the werewolves attacked the very next week.

    It means there was a traitor who leaked the information.

    The most likely candidate is, of course, ¡®Johanna¡¯, the eldest daughter who is wary of the eldest son Derek¡¯s power.

    ¡°Where are you from? What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Shion Ascal. From Edsi National Magic-¡±

    ¡°No. Of course, you¡¯re from a national university. I¡¯m asking about your other background. If you¡¯re a Chaser, you must have some connection with Libra.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from the Libra Orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Orphanage?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Sonya nced at him. She made a slightly strange expression.

    Just then, he spoke.

    ¡°Now we can see the city.¡±

    They had left the border area, and a quiet city came into view.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hey.¡±

    Sonya nodded her head but then suddenly pointed somewhere.

    ¡°Over there. Let¡¯s stop by.¡±

    Where her finger pointed, there was a shop named [Candy Bar].

    * * *

    [Candy Bar]

    As soon as Sonya entered, she began scooping up choctes. I just watched her quietly. Somehow, she seemed like she would get along well with Gerkhen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you eat candy?¡±

    Sonya whipped around to face me.

    ¡°Do you like that kind of stuff?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s all sweet, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s not about the sweetness.¡±

    She fluttered the edge of a chocte wrapper in her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s this that I like.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t have much time. The pursuit team might catch up to us.¡±

    ¡°Right, right.¡±

    Sonya ced the choctes on the counter.

    ¡°We need to find the insider quickly and deal with them.¡±

    I didn¡¯t show much reaction to Sonya¡¯s words.

    The traitor.

    The insider she was thinking of would likely be ¡®Johanna,¡¯ as she suspected. Since Sonya had been instrumental in elevating Derek to the top spot, she would be an obstacle for Johanna.

    However, Derek was surprisingly not proactive in rescuing her.

    ¡°Did only the two of youe?¡±

    Sonya probably knew.

    If he had been proactive, he would have deployed a bncer.

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek dislikes being second best. So, outwardly, he might pretend to care, but inwardly, he¡¯s probably plotting how to dispose of her.

    In other words, he¡¯s a dick.

    Sonya, having been discarded time and time again, ends up joining hands with Zia.

    ¡°That will be 530 ren.¡±

    The counter said.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡±

    Sonya fumbled in her pocket. Naturally, there was no cash, and she sneakily looked back at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money either. Let¡¯s use a promissory note.¡±

    I took out a notebook from my pocket and tore out a page.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Hey. Got a pen?¡±

    Sonya asked the counter.

    ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t do credit¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not credit. It¡¯s Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Sonya snatched the pen hanging from the counter¡¯s chest. She wrote a promissory note in the notebook and signed it.

    Before she could hand it over to the counter, I took it first.

    And¡­¡­

    [I, as the third bloodline of Libra and a resident of the Aerial Garden, guarantee the payment of 530 ren.]

    [So Revil]

    I ¡¸Memorized¡¹ her handwriting and signature.

    I hope she bes an outright enemy of Libra. I hope she gets bounced out of Libra.

    Because you cannot be Zia¡¯s second inmand.

    Because I must be Zia¡¯s second inmand.

    Therefore, starting today, I will begin to plot.

    I passed the check back to the counter.

    ¡°Please take it. You can cash it at the nearby Libra bank.¡±

    The counter looked skeptical but reluctantly epted it.

    Click¡ªclick¡ª

    Suddenly, the lights went out. Fizz¡ªfizz¡ªa strange noise came from the fment, and beyond the window, the silhouette of a wolf appeared on the distant hill.

    ¡°It seems to be a tracker.¡±

    ¡°Ah, shit.¡±

    Sonya frowned while snapping open a chocte bar.

    ¡°Do you have a car?¡±

    I asked the counter. The counter, sweating, replied.

    ¡°There is one, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Sonya, let¡¯s just add the car fare.¡±

    ¡°Ah, fuck. Fine.¡±

    Sonya scribbled another sentence in my notebook.

    ¡°30,000 Ren. Take it. Where¡¯s the car and the keys?¡±

    ¡°In the back parking lot¡­¡±

    The counter staff pointed towards the back door.

    ¡°And the car keys?¡±

    ¡°Here, here¡ª¡±

    I snatched the car keys the staff had pulled out. Sonya called out to me as I was about to leave.

    ¡°You need to take the chocte too!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I slung the bundle of choctes over my shoulder, left the store, and opened the car door. I shoved the bundle into the back seat.

    ¡°Damn it! This piece of shit car isn¡¯t worth 30,000 Ren, not even 10,000!¡±

    Sonya, who had already climbed into the passenger seat, exploded in frustration as she surveyed the car¡¯s interior, which resembled a junkyard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s consider it a special circumstance. And.¡±

    I lifted Sonya in a swift motion and ced her in the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll hold off the pursuer.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t avoid him with the car. That means I¡¯ll buy us some time. Can you drive? If it¡¯s manual¡ª¡±

    ¡°I drive stick, asshole!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I closed the car door.

    Swoosh¡ª I drew my sword from my waist.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really going to be okay?¡±

    Sonya looked at me through the window with a slightly strange expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I only serve Libra.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bastard child, you know.¡±

    ¡°The same goes for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Sonya looked at me with a slightly twisted brow.

    ¡°Even a bastard child, to me, is a Libra with Libra¡¯s blood mixed in.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a dangerous thing to say.¡±

    Sonya had probably faced discrimination as a bastard child. Not only Sonya. The bastard children of Libra are practically treated as ves by the direct descendants, even worse than outsiders.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s see each other when youe back. I¡¯ve memorized your face.¡±

    It was a threat disguised as apliment.

    Vroom¡ª!

    She immediately stepped on the elerator and slid into the darkness.

    Right after that.

    Crash¡ª!

    A werewolf plummeted from the sky.

    ¡ªUgh!

    Sonya¡¯s dying scream drifted faintly from afar.

    Her car swayed and sped away faster, and I thrust my sword at him. He blocked it with his ws.

    ng¡ª!

    The sound of our des shing. A loud resonance.

    We looked at each other, weapons drawn.

    ¡ª¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After about a minute of stillness.

    ¡ª¡­So what do we do now?

    The wolf asked.

    I sheathed my sword and took a step back.

    ¡°Just pretend to fight.¡±

    ¡ªAlright.

    The werewolf epted my proposal.

    Up until now, it had all been a y to build ¡®trust¡¯ with Sonya.

 Chapter 203: Encounters (4)

    <strong>Encounters (4)</strong>

    Nobody shall possess them.

    To prevent a race from being consumed as a murder weapon.

    To help make that possible.

    For that purpose, to rebuild afortable hideout.

    That was the proposal I made to the werewolf.

    A kind of MOU (memorandum of understanding).

    ©¤¡­¡­A hideout construction?!

    In the mountains near the store [Candy Bar], Grawl, whom I met after a long time, eyes sparkled as he looked at me.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The stone monster could easily build a new hideout.

    ©¤Then we¡¯ll need a huge amount of mana cores, mana stones, and raw materials, right?!

    ¡°You¡¯ve been skimming off the top without me knowing anyway.¡±

    ©¤Ah.

    These days, Grawl spends more time holed up in theb, so mana cores are delivered through the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    He had learned the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ magic spell.

    ©¤Okay then¡­¡­

    Grawl lifted his head. At the end of his gaze, high above, there was a werewolf. Grawl looked at him with newfound admiration.

    The wolf furrowed his brow.

    ©¤You want me to trust this little guy?

    ©¤Little? I can grow bigger, but I maintain this size on purpose.

    ¡°If you bring the necessary raw materials, Grawl will help you. It will be possible to avoid detection by magic waves or radar.¡±

    The werewolf¡¯s hideout was destined to be discovered someday due to urban development.

    Digging thend under the guise of real estate, toppling trees, and bulldozing mountains, it was inevitable that it would be exposed.

    ©¤Underground would be good! I know a great spot underground.

    At Grawl¡¯s words, the werewolf nodded for the time being.

    ©¤So I have no choice. You¡¯re saying all I have to do is hide?

    ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t want the gossip that ¡®werewolves are meddling in the session disputes of Libra¡­¡¯ It would tarnish the dignity of Libra.¡±

    The wolf snickered.

    ©¤So in the end, you¡¯re helping us for the sake of Libra.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    Chasers have autonomy, as long as it benefits Libra.

    ¡°The popr image of Libra is one of elegance and dignity. A brand value that transcends mere luxury goods.¡±

    I do not disclose my true intentions about Libra to anyone.

    Even if the werewolves¡¯ mouths are sealed, I must appear to be the most loyal to Libra ¡®to everyone in this world¡¯, more than anyone else.

    ©¤What about my brother?

    ¡°If things go as I think, he shoulde out safely.¡±

    Derek is a character with a strong sense of nobility.

    Of course, he silences the employees who were exposed to the magical waves of the Libra industrialplex and contracted cancer, lobbies the parliament to illegally discharge sewage, turns a small vige into deadnd, and uses war prisoners and homeless people as experimental subjects¡­

    He¡¯s engaged in many acts that hardly seem human, but all of them have been concealed, and above all, they were ¡®part of the business.¡¯

    But werewolves are not business.

    To employ them means, literally, to ¡®keep them by one¡¯s side.¡¯

    Should that happen, neither Derek nor Johanna could withstand the condemnation and repugnant stares of the noble society.

    Therefore, from the beginning, only Zia could embrace the werewolves.

    I¡¯vee to understand, to some extent, Webler¡¯s fanatical faith.

    ©¤¡­You said you met my brother in the interrogation room.

    He asked me.

    ©¤What did he seem like?

    ¡°At first, I wanted to kill him. He dared to kidnap a rtive without knowing his ce.¡±

    ©¤It was the elder¡¯s order. Webler is not at fault.

    ¡°¡­Is that so?

    Werewolf Webler. The sensation of his ws piercing my neck is still vivid.

    But¡­

    ¡°He was not a viin. Rather, he was an innocent wolf.¡±

    I said as I turned around.

    ¡°Someday, I¡¯d like to have a conversation with him. Over a beer.¡±

    ©¤¡­Thank you. It¡¯s good of you to say so.

    ©¤Let¡¯s hurry up and go! We¡¯re out of time! I¡¯ll climb onto your shoulder!

    The werewolf left with Grawl, and I pulled out a piece of paper from within my clothes.

    I picked up a pen. I invoked Sonya¡¯s handwriting that I had just ¡¸Memorized¡¹.

    Now, I will fabricate evidence.

    To ensure that ¡®Sonya¡¯ cannot be of help to Libra.

    To rece her position as Zia¡¯s second-inmand.

    * * *

    Libra Medical Center.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing we can do at this point.¡±

    Sonya, who had returned safely alone, nodded as she listened to the doctor¡¯s words.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m a cripple?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The doctor¡¯s expression was nk.

    Of course, he seemed to have dealt with many people like her. A pitiful expression, a sad expression, and naturally, a happy expression would all be distastefully received by the patient themselves.

    ¡°Well then¡­ I see. Thanks for your efforts. If there¡¯s nothing that can be done, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay here.¡±

    Sonya stood up. Her right knee wouldn¡¯t straighten, so she stood awkwardly.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As soon as she walked out in a daze, a box flew towards her.

    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡±

    An agent in a suit appeared in front of her.

    ¡°This is a ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ sent by Lord Derek.¡±

    ¡°¡­I heard something new came out in Trick City. It seems the lord is using it too.¡±

    Sonya opened the box. Inside was a single letter. She read it on the spot.

    [The werewolf you discovered in the weaponization project will be discarded. It¡¯s clear that it cannot be controlled, and the number of specimens confirmed is too few to be of use.

    Libra is not at a time to be entangled with such abhorrent foreign matter. If you were a human mixed with the blood of the underworld, maybe, but Libra is a noble of purity.

    The report you submitted will be immediately discarded.]

    There was no concern for her well-being. Instead, it was reproachful content.

    She hadn¡¯t expected as much from the beginning.

    As she folded the letter, Sonya asked.

    ¡°What about the two Chasers who rescued me?¡±

    ¡°They are currently in this medical center.¡±

    * * *

    Room 303, Private Room at Libra Medical Center.

    Bell Moore opened his eyes on the hospital bed. I spoke to him.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    He blinked nkly for a moment before turning to look at me.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    He sat up abruptly.

    ¡°¡­Shit. Was I dreaming? Hey, there was a werewolf, wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It escaped.¡±

    ¡°What? It escaped? I remember up until the point where I nearly killed it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It escaped in that condition.¡±

    Bell Moore furrowed his brow.

    ¡°¡­What the hell. Why didn¡¯t you chase it?¡±

    ¡°I had two people to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Fair enough.¡±

    I handed him a report.

    ¡°This is the report I¡¯ve written.¡±

    ¡°A report?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was a report I had written in chronological order about interrogating Webler for information and then rushing out to rescue Sonya.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get disciplined for dispatching just the two of us, will you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, asshole.¡±

    He sighed and took the stack of papers.

    ¡°Ah~ I wanted to collect that wolf¡¯s skull. But, why was that branch member kidnapped?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    Rustle¡ª

    Bell Moore flipped through the pages of the report. I watched him closely.

    ¡°Well, it looks like there¡¯s nothing wrong with the report¡­¡±

    Rustle¡ª

    Bell Moore is like a bat.

    He¡¯s incredibly quick-witted, instinctively knowing where to attach himself and who to cozy up to.

    Therefore¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Bell Moore pointed to a charred piece of paper in the middle of the report.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything; it¡¯s all burned.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. It was found in a corner of a cave.¡±

    It was evidence I had nted.

    It was also a forged document.

    Evidence written in Sonya¡¯s own handwriting, suggesting she harbored disrespectful intentions towards Libra.

    ¡°Tch. It¡¯s all burned up¡­¡±

    Bell Moore frowned as he looked at it.

    I had deliberately burned this document.

    Clean evidence would only invite suspicion, and Libra could easily hire a restoration magic expert.

    ¡°I brought it just in case. Is restoration magic possible?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    By hinting at this, Bell Moore would read my intentions.

    He might even consider it for a moment.

    Should he take this suspicious evidence with me?

    Or keep it to himself?

    ¡°¡­Restoration magic?¡±

    Bell Moore asked back calmly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What, you think this is a movie? That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    But Bell Moore is not a kind man.

    Nor is he a man overflowing with loyalty.

    ¡°If it was just slightly damaged, maybe. But something burned to this extent can¡¯t be restored.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then the evidence should be disposed of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, forget it. I¡¯ll handle it. You rest. I owe you my life, after all.¡±

    Bell Moore shook his head and ced the report on the table beside his hospital bed.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Good work.¡±

    I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the hospital room.

    I barely managed to suppress augh that felt like it was about to burst.

    ¡°You were here.¡±

    Suddenly, a voice that sounded half-breathed called out to me.

    It was Sonya. She approached me, limping on her leg.

    ¡°¡­You managed to survive, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She smirked slightly.

    ¡°Is there anything you want?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Do you think just because I¡¯m a side branch, I have nothing? Do you know how much my sry is?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ then.¡±

    I handed her my business card.

    ¡°This is my business card.¡±

    ¡°Why would you give this to me?¡±

    The burnt piece of paper I had passed to Bell Moore.

    If it were restored, she would now be subject to countless suspicions. Derek would surely abandon her.

    ¡°Please contact me anytime if there¡¯s anything I can help with.¡±

    On the other hand, I would be the only person she could trust.

    ¡°Serving Libra is reward enough for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a bit crazy.¡±

    Sonya chuckled dryly and pointed at my pocket.

    ¡°Check your Libra phone.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Libra phone. A mobile device exclusive to Chasers, all mission-rted content is delivered through this.

    [Mission Completed]

    [300,000 Libra points have been credited.]

    [Libra points can be used at any nearby Libra affiliate.]

    [A Level 1 Chaser has been assigned to you: Shion Ascal]

    The Libra Intelligence Agency is systematic in this regard. They¡¯ve reced nepotism and ipetence with an algorithm, eliminating the possibility of the unqualified rising to positions of authority.

    ¡°I sent the gift through Libra Messenger.¡±

    As soon as Sonya said this, the Libra phone chimed.

    [Level 10 So Revil has gifted you 100,000 Libra points.]

    [Level 10 So Revil has allocated 100 merit points to you.]

    ¡°¡­Even though I¡¯m from a side branch, there¡¯s still Libra blood in me. I can give you this much of a bonus.¡±

    Sonya smirked.

    ¡°Thank you. But¡­ is your leg okay?¡±

    I looked at her right leg.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s crippled. But well, I¡¯ll manage to live. Take care.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sonya limped past me. I watched her retreating figure for a long time.

    * * *

    ¡­An unnamed magic workshop.

    Bell Moore had hurriedly inquired and recruited a restoration specialist mage.

    ¡°The cost will be around 100,000 ren. As you can see, restoration magic requires a considerable amount of mana stone solution.¡±

    The mage pointed to the burnt paper submerged in the mana stone solution.

    ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s fine. Please proceed.¡±

    The cost would be covered anyway.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    The mage drew a ¡®magic circle¡¯ in the air.

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡±

    To Bell Moore, the sight was indeed miraculous. The magic circle he cast quickly dissolved into the solution like a sh of light. The restoration magic, facilitated by the solution, began to adhere to the burnt paper, filling in the missing parts as if cells were regenerating.

    Squirm, squirm, squirm. Just like cellsing back to life.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    The mage lifted the paper out of the solution and handed it to Bell Moore, who immediately cracked a sly smile upon receiving it.

    ¡°¡­Oh ho.¡±

    [I have a message for Aventagher¡­ I am searching for a weapon on Derek¡¯s orders¡­ A werewolf suitable for weaponization¡­]

    Aventagher. Currently one of Libra¡¯s rival families. They may not have the influence they once did, but as the former Chairman¡¯s family, their reach is still significant.

    ¡°It was a letter.¡±

    But why would Sonya, a member of the branch, want to send a letter to Aventagher?

    No, she didn¡¯t send it, but why did she write it?

    ¡°Are there still many parts not fully restored?¡±

    Bell Moore nced at the mage with a hint of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Restoration magic doesn¡¯t happen all at once. It will probably bepletely restored in about a month.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    After all, for a member of Libra¡¯s branch sending a letter to Aventagher is a serious crime in itself. Even if it were just an ordinary inquiry about one¡¯s well-being.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Bell Moore walked out of the workshop with a smile.

    ¡°A big catch.¡±

    Sonya, of the branch family, had tried to send this letter but was coincidentally kidnapped by a werewolf, and she burned it, expecting Libra toe to her rescue. And that Shion Ascal guy just happened to find it.

    Everything fits perfectly.

    ¡°Rather fortunate, I¡¯d say.¡±

    If Shion Ascal had found this, you would have been beheaded right away.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Sonya. She was as good as Derek¡¯s top contributor, thought to be livingrge and in charge, but then suddenly received orders to go underground.

    Naturally, she must have been dissatisfied.

    ¡°Indeed. She must have been pissed.¡±

    Maybe she wanted to secure some independent funds before leaving. After all, a branch is only family in name, practically strangers.

    ¡°Derek would be very pleased to see this. He¡¯d be delighted.¡±

    It feels a bit ufortable, like stealing someone else¡¯s military honors, but well.

    After all, it was me who rolled around fighting with the wolf, wasn¡¯t it?

    Bell Moore rationalized as he carefully tucked the letter into his inner pocket.

 Chapter 204: Start of the Semester (1)

    <strong>Start of the Semester (1)</strong>

    ¡°Are you Shion Ascal?¡±

    The next day.

    I had been summoned to the Libra¡¯s undergroundte at night. It was a call from the team leader of the Intelligence Agency.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I looked at him.

    Sitting cross-legged in his chair with an authoritative air, his name was Benedict.

    He was one of the six team leaders of the Intelligence Agency and a confidant of Derek.

    ¡°I heard it. That you were the one who submitted the extreme mana stone report?¡±

    ¡°Yes. By chance-¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a coincidence, only a real idiot would freeze a mana stone in a cold storage.¡±

    The man slicked back his pomade-glossed hair as he looked at me.

    ¡°Whom do you serve?¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Cut the bullshit about not serving anyone as a Chaser. Speak like a man.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Such a prick. If there¡¯s a characteristic of Derek¡¯s underlings, it¡¯s this one.

    They resemble their master, mostly authoritative. They easily dismiss people, and they care greatly about one¡¯s background and lineage as much as their abilities.

    ¡°I serve the youngest.¡±

    ¡°What? The youngest?¡±

    Benedict frowned and shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°¡­¡­Youck ambition. It¡¯s pathetic.¡±

    He then extended a check towards me.

    The amount was 3,000,000.

    The currency was Libra points.

    The reason for not giving cash, probably because Derek values cost-effectiveness.

    Cash is a resource that¡¯s immediately consumed, but Libra points are a cost that doesn¡¯t exist until I use them all up.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Derek, the head of the family, is showing interest in a rookie like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­in me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll need a good luck totem. You could live a life much more splendid than under the youngest.¡±

    I quietly looked at the check. Benedict, as if frustrated, stamped his foot down hard.

    ¡°Is this something to ponder? You won¡¯t get another chance to switch sides.¡±

    Tap tap- He tapped the check as he urged me, but I pretended to consider it and then shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    A sigh of disbelief escaped from his twisted lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have great ambitions. Protecting just one person is enough for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Benedict licked his lips with his tongue.

    ¡°You really are a fool. Well, having lived as an orphan, you probably need someone to serve as parents. Derek can¡¯t be your mommy and daddy, you know.¡±

    At that moment, I almost lost myposure.

    It was my Achilles¡¯ heel.

    The fantasy of cutting off his head shed before my eyes.

    ¡°There are no more chances. Leave.¡±

    After putting away the check, he waved his hand dismissively as if shooing away a fly.

    I bowed silently and turned around.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Benedict called out to my back.

    ¡°Bell Moore seems to have built up some achievements. Do you know about it?¡±

    Probably, Bell Moore had already restored the manipted evidence and submitted it to the team leader.

    ¡°¡­¡­No. I am not aware.¡±

    ¡°You really are stupid. It might even be a good thing for the head of the family. Now get lost.¡±

    I walked out. As I turned away from the team leader¡¯s office door, I thought quietly.

    I have to kill him.

    * * *

    Monday. The day Raelro announced.

    Soliette and I gathered at Elise¡¯s building and logged into [Bethune].

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re here. Shall we start right away?¡±

    Raelro had already set up his goggles, and we naturally transferred our consciousness into the tank.

    ©¤©¤©¤.

    A momentary sense of space shaking.

    Then, upon opening my eyes.

    ¡°Ah, that detective again.¡±

    I could see the hands and feet of the detective from thest time I logged in. He seemed to be walking somewhere, still dressed in his coat.

    I first rummaged through my pocket.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I found a small notebook.

    Without much thought, I opened the first page.

    [Do you have a nail clipper?]

    [If it¡¯s you, please call me.]

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    My eyes widened. It was a message left by Jared Arkne.

    I quickly pulled out the phone from my pocket and dialed.

    ©¤¡­¡­.

    The call connected quickly, but there was no answer.

    With a tense tone, I asked him.

    ¡°Do you, by any chance, have a nail clipper?¡±

    An unexpected response came.

    ©¤I buried it in the ground. It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡­¡­.

    Jared Arkne¡¯s mansion.

    I was looking at him.

    He was looking at me.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Neither of us said anything, then he smiled faintly.

    ¡°You know. I know too.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°That this world is fake.¡±

    Jared looked at me with a somewhat bitter expression.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to blow up this bottle from the inside. I¡¯m going to free the souls trapped here. To do that, I¡¯ll need your help.¡±

    Jared pulled out some stic explosives and a map from the drawer. I looked at them carefully.

    ¡°All you have to do is stick them at the points I¡¯ve marked. I can control the explosion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Jared¡¯s voice was calm.

    The destruction of this bottle would mean his death.

    ¡°Do you¡­ know about Soliette?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    He quietly nodded. A shadow of sorrow flickered across his face.

    ¡°Yes. I know. But, there¡¯s no need to confuse my sister unnecessarily.¡±

    ¡°Confuse? Soliette thinks you¡¯re©¤¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m Jared Arkne. I¡¯m not originally a dead person in this ce, am I?¡±

    Jared spoke softly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot. Maybe I¡¯m not Jared Arkne, just a manipted soul stuffed into a created skin.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m suppressing it for now, but someday, I too will face existential confusion. When that happens, I¡¯ll go mad.¡±

    Therefore, my existence is not beneficial to Soliette.

    Jared murmured with a hint of self-mockery, his gaze drifting. But soon, he bit his lip tightly, looking at me with a clearer expression.

    ¡°How do you n to handle Knightmare? I¡¯m curious about that.¡±

    Knightmare.

    I thought about ¡®it¡¯.

    It¡¯s a phenomenon.

    Probably, a phenomenon ¡®invented¡¯ by someone.

    Therefore¡­

    ¡°I hope Knightmare lives.¡±

    Soliette is still unconsciously avoiding reality.

    Whether it¡¯s focusing on the game or immersing herself in intemunities, it¡¯s all because shecks a foothold in reality.

    ¡°He¡¯s wearing the skin of Althea. Probably, his memory is also that of Althea.¡±

    Soliette must not kill Knightmare with her own hands.

    Leaving her to kill him, who takes the form of Felix Althea, is a trigger for her suicide.

    Knightmare must live.

    Longer than before the regression, until Soliette bes stronger.

    ¡°Letting him go is the way for Soliette.¡±

    Jared¡¯s expression hardened.

    He let out a small sigh, as if worried about me.

    ¡°¡­You might be hated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always ready to be hated.¡±

    I smiled.

    ¡°Just like you¡¯re prepared for death.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jared closed his mouth quietly.

    ¡°But one thing. May I ask a favor?¡±

    I grabbed Jared¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­What favor?¡±

    ¡°You are Jared Arkne. At least to Soliette, there¡¯s no doubt. So¡­¡±

    She needs memories.

    She needs a better memory than the day dotted with hell.

    ¡°Please meet Soliette at least once.¡±

    The memory of you can heal that terrible past, even a little.

    The figure of the brother she believed in and followed.

    Soliette must meet Jared.

    After a long contemtion, Jared ced his palm on the back of my hand.

    ¡°¡­At the end. It might be possible once at the end.¡±

    ¡­

    On the way out with the stic explosives and the map.

    ¡°Do you have a nail clipper?¡±

    Someone stuck to my side and asked. It was a short-haired woman. I answered her.

    ¡°I buried it in the ground. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°You first.¡±

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    ¡°¡­How did you know?!¡±

    Elise backed away greatly, on guard like a cat.

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m Shion, so take this.¡±

    I handed her half of the explosives. Elise epted it, still questioning with suspicion.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you really Shion?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Tell me the information you¡¯re sharing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to steal Bianca.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Stealing an animal that recognizes its owner. That¡¯s just like you. What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an explosive. Take this map too, and install it at the checked points.¡±

    I tore the map in half.

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The inside agent will take care of it. We¡¯re going to go out and deal with Knightmare. And Soliette?¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I know where she is. I¡¯ll go and tell her to join us. But what were you doing in Presidium?¡±

    I looked at her.

    ¡°I met him.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Jared Arkne.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, Elise lost her words. She blinked her eyes at me, and I put my hand on her head.

    ¡°Divide that explosive with Soliette. Stick it all. Be careful, you might be suspected of being a terrorist.¡±

    * * *

    ©¤©¤Since then, time had been busy.

    Within the Bottle of Souls, we attached y explosives, on the day of going out, we carried out various missions as Libra¡¯s Chaser, and delivered the ¡¸Premium Delivery Box¡¹ form to Kanya in Trick City¡­¡­

    Before I knew it, it was the first day of the national university.

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    There¡¯s no special event for the opening of the semester. It¡¯s just the start of ¡®lectures¡¯ ording to the curriculum.

    ¡°I am ¡®Zed¡¯, a 13-year veteran professor of the Knight Department.¡±

    The professor introduces himself on the podium. The students look up at him from below.

    So far, it¡¯s normal, but the environment is not.

    Snow is falling on the frozen ground everywhere. But that¡¯s not all.

    It¡¯s cold.

    It¡¯s not just a little cold.

    It¡¯s minus 60 degrees.

    The perceived temperature is probably close to -80~90 degrees.

    Anyway, it¡¯s so cold that the heated freshmen are all shivering.

    ¡°What do you want? Sess as a knight? A knightmander? Or a team leader of arge corporation? A director? Or a millionaire frencer?¡±

    It¡¯s the first lesson of the Knight Department, ¡¸Training of Mind and Body¡¹.

    This ce is an artificial magic space embodied with severe cold.

    ¡°Whatever you want, you¡¯ll get it.¡±

    Zed continued his speech.

    ¡°Patience, endurance, and physical strength.¡±

    However, for me, it was easy to endure.

    Of course, it¡¯s cold.

    But the body that was naturally strengthened by being frozen in Perion seems to have quite a strong resistance to extreme cold or heat.

    ©¤¡­¡­Shion. Are you okay?

    Soliette, who is whispering to me from the side, is the same. The Arkne family is hot-blooded.

    ©¤Yes. I¡¯m fine.

    ©¤I¡¯m d.

    ¡°Today, as it¡¯s a special opening day, the first lesson of ¡¸Training of Mind and Body¡¹ will be short and intense. We¡¯ll only go for 30 minutes. You can give up at any time.¡±

    Zed snapped his fingers.

    A cold wind surged. It was a biting wind that seemed to scrape the skin.

    ¡°Ugh-¡±

    One freshman opened his mouth and immediately retired. His lungs had frozen.

    ¡°Medic! Take one away.¡±

    At Zed¡¯s words, the knights rushed over and retrieved him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only been at it for 5 minutes!¡±

    Zed shouted, but the dropouts were numerous. It was due to the knife-like wind that exceeded negative 100 degrees.

    About thirty out of a hundred had already been taken to the medical station.

    I endured, standing still.

    So far, it was bearable.

    ¡°¡­¡­The rest of you seem fine. But, it¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    Snap!

    Zed snapped his fingers. The knife-like wind stopped at that moment. However, the humidity rose.

    As the cold droplets clung to our clothes and bare skin and froze¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Screams filled with pain echoed.

    ¡°I give up!¡±

    Asher, too, couldn¡¯t tolerate his face being ruined and immediately gave up.

    I could endure.

    My eyebrows were frozen white, but it was bearable.

    Above all, I had a reason to endure.

    All lectures at the national university are ¡®pay-to-view¡¯.

    In other words, if someone from Libra paid the appropriate fee, they could watch how I¡¯m attending the lecture, my attitude, and my extreme efforts.

    Zia still hadn¡¯t contacted me directly.

    I had to appeal to her in this way¡­¡­.

    * * *

    In the Aerial Garden of Libra, a bit far from the National University, Zia was watching a lecture from her office.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    However, her camera was focused on just one person.

    Shion Ascal.

    Considering that the observation rights for the National University cost 300,000 Ren per semester, it was quite inefficient, but she was currently grappling with a huge dilemma.

    Should she call him in?

    Could she confront him directly, reveal her ambitions, and ask for his ¡®loyalty¡¯?

    Could she trust him?

    ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t talk¡­ even if tortured¡­¡­¡±

    That much was almost certain. If she were in his ce, she would have given up in just a minute.

    She hated the cold too much.

    Bang©¤!

    Suddenly, the door opened as if it were about to break.

    Zia¡¯s office was always like a neighborhood park.

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    It was Johanna. She had dark circles under her eyes, perhaps from gambling, and pped her hands as she looked at Zia.

    ¡°Congrattions on the sess of the extreme mana stone business.¡±

    She waste to the news.

    She probably heard about itte because she was gambling.

    ¡°I sent you an email¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already figured it all out. I couldn¡¯t even hear the news because there was a big bet. It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Zia nodded her head.

    ¡°Did you win¡­ the stakes¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Johanna raised her middle finger. It was just the middle finger, but Zia responded without showing any reaction.

    ¡°Ten million Ren¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m cheap? I made 100 million Ren.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna approached, chuckling, and looked at Zia¡¯s monitor.

    ¡°Are you watching a university lecture? Are you trying to save someone?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Ascal¡¯s son. He¡¯s one of the potential candidates for the bncer.¡±

    Johanna recognized him at a nce. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°Zia. Are you eyeing this guy?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°He seems like a talent too good for you.¡±

    Johanna put her hand on Zia¡¯s shoulder. Zia shrank like a prawn.

    ¡°This guy, he even rejected Derek¡¯s offer. Of course. Why would he work under a money-grubbing old man who gives Libra points as checks?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia kept her mouth shut.

    She should not say anything about the gossip between the eldest son and the eldest daughter. She could be suspected for no reason.

    ¡°But, Zia. I¡¯m different from Derek. I have 100 million Ren in cash in my bag right now.¡±

    Johanna put her hand on Zia¡¯s head. She ruffled her small head roughly and said,

    ¡°I can give this guy ten million ren in cash. So, who do you think he will choose?¡±

    ¡°If¡­ you¡­ want it, sister¡­¡­¡±

    Zia¡¯s voice shook along with her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Never mind.¡±

    Johanna let go of her head. Zia, whose hair was disheveled, blinked nkly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to steal your man. Not yet, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Since I have some time.¡±

    Johanna stood Zia up. Then she sat in her ce and sat Zia on herp.

    ¡°Let¡¯s watch together. Like the old times, when we used to watch movies.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­ I¡¯d like that¡­¡­¡±

    Zia quietly nodded.

 Chapter 205: Ambition (1)

    <strong>Ambition (1)</strong>

    Tick-tock©¤©¤ Tick-tock©¤©¤

    Time is passing. Droplets of water cling to my body, and the biting wind instantly freezes them.

    A cold so severe that even with a magic body, it¡¯s hard to endure. In reality, not many people are left.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reward for passing today¡¯s lesson, nor is there any loss. After all, cadets at the national university shouldn¡¯t aim for grades. What¡¯s important is the ability and will to progress on one¡¯s own.¡±

    It means it¡¯s really just a simple test of patience.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s so cold I could die.¡±

    It¡¯s bearable enough.

    Besides, there will definitely be a reward. Someday, someone will look at the record of my participation in the ss.

    ¡°20 minutes have passed.¡±

    Professor Zed said. At that moment, the environment changed dramatically.

    Now it was a heatwave.

    The temperature difference is really dramatic.

    ¡°¡­¡­Heugh.¡±

    Suddenly, there was the sound of someone gasping for breath next to me. It was Soliette.

    She melted down like ice cream in just a minute. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up.

    ¡°Just hang in there a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Shion¡­¡­ I¡­¡­ was wrong¡­¡­¡±

    Thud-

    She fainted just like that.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    As expected, the direct descendants of Arkne were weak to the heat, and the medics rushed over and carried Soliette away on a stretcher.

    I was doing better than in the cold. At least it wasn¡¯t painful.

    I maintained a steady breathing rhythm and let time pass.

    Tick-tock©¤©¤. Tick-tock©¤©¤.

    The minute hand of the clock in the middle of the magic space touched ¡®6¡¯.

    Finally, 30 minutes had passed.

    Professor Zed looked around with a pleased expression.

    ¡°This batch seems quite promising.¡±

    I looked around at them too. Besides me, there were about a dozen others left, including Gerkhen, Mel, Brown, and so on.

    ¡°From now on, you maye to my lectures or not. I won¡¯t take attendance. Only those who have the will to progress as knights should attend.¡±

    It¡¯s a radical statement to say attendance is optional, but then again, there aren¡¯t many people left.

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    Snap©¤

    The professor snapped his fingers. Then the environment returned to normal.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±

    The dozen or so who had enduredy down and let out sighs of relief. I too took deep breaths to calm my heated body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    Mel and Brown ran out. Gerkhen did the same.

    I was about to take a step too¡­¡­ but hesitated.

    Tick-tock©¤©¤ Tick-tock©¤©¤

    The clock was still ticking.

    Tick-tock©¤©¤ Tick-tock©¤©¤

    The minute hand was moving forward.

    I looked at my palm. I clenched it and then opened it again.

    The sensation was strange.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I stood there alone. I quietly watched Zed. Zed raised his eyebrows.

    And then, at some moment.

    Ding©¤©¤©¤!

    A loud sound rang from the clock.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haha.¡±

    Zedughed and pped his hands. Then the magic space changed again.

    Everyone had left, but Gerkhen was standing right next to me.

    ¡°Are there four of us who stayed till the end?¡±

    *p, p, p* ¨C Zed apuded.

    ¡°Just now, I deceived your senses and cognition itself.¡±

    It was a method often used in interrogations.

    For example, what if you put someone in a magic space to weaken their mental strength, and then pretend to be an ally to rescue the interrogation subject?

    The subject spills all their information,pletely fooled.

    ¡°This kind of ¡®illusion¡¯ is the most tricky and dangerous enemy for a knight. You get deceived even when you know about it. There are many monsters and strange nts that use illusions in dangerous territories.¡±

    I looked around inside. Not only Gerkhen, but Kain had also managed to endure, and some dried-up man who looked like a repeater was still there.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s really over. Get out.¡±

    Gerkhen went outside. I followed him and said,

    ¡°You held up well, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Gerkhen nced at me with a calm face.

    ¡°¡­You too.¡±

    * * *

    After leaving Zia¡¯s office, Johanna returned to her room and was watching TV.

    [World Series of Poker WSOP: Golden Ticket]

    A poker table appears on screen. It was the world¡¯s top poker tournament hosted by Johanna and various casino figures.

    Of course, all magical elements were excluded. It was a fiercepetition purely based on one¡¯s luck and skill, held in a ¡®no-mana room¡¯ that had been thoroughly secured.

    [The winner of the Golden Ticket 5th round is ¡®Gelly del Tom¡¯!]

    ¡°Damn it. Is it another bastard sponsored by Atkins?!¡±

    Bang!

    Johanna involuntarily mmed the table.

    The ¡®Golden Ticket¡¯ is the top tier in the WSOP, a format that determines the world¡¯s best among renowned poker yers.

    The format consists of ¡®6 rounds¡¯ and a ¡®final¡¯.

    Thousands of poker yers go through the preliminaries to advance to each round, and the winner of the round earns the right topete in the final. Thus, the winners of rounds 1 to 6 gather to y in the ¡®Golden Ticket Final¡¯.

    The prize money for winning a round is 10 million Ren.

    The total prize money for the overall winner is 60 million Ren.

    Johanna, a gambling fanatic, wanted topete as a yer, but unfortunately, as a casino official, she was not allowed to participate.

    So, like other nobles, she was in the midst of ¡®sponsoring¡¯ yers¡ª

    ¡°¡­Worthless bastards.¡±

    The results were somewhat unsatisfactory.

    There were a total of 15 yers sponsored by Johanna.

    11 of them kept getting eliminated in the preliminaries, and the remaining 4 werest in their rounds and got eliminated.

    ¡°They take the money and what¡­ should I cut off their hands?¡±

    Now only thest 6th round remained, but no matter how she thought about it, her yers had no chance of advancing.

    It¡¯s so damn embarrassing.

    That Atkins bastard has already sent two to the final.

    ¡°¡­Looks like I¡¯ll take a loss after a long time.¡±

    This isn¡¯t just about the sponsorship costs.

    Johanna had made a bet with the big shots of the casino.

    The bet was that she could definitely send one of her yers to the Golden Ticket final.

    The stake was 300 million Ren.

    Knock, knock-

    Just then, there was a knock. Johanna opened the door with telekinesis.

    Belingham Kantar. He entered and closed the door behind him.

    ¡°¡­How did it go?¡±

    Belingham asked just that. Johanna replied with evident dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Are you talking about the gambling?¡±

    ¡°No. I mean that person.¡±

    It seemed to be about Shion Ascal.

    Johanna downed arge ss of whiskey.

    ¡°¡­Is that bncer candidate really loyal to that stutterer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet, but he definitely rejected Derek¡¯s offer.¡±

    ¡°Then Derek will surely refuse the bncer appointment. If I refuse as well, he can¡¯t be a bncer. Not even a candidate.¡±

    It was still doubtful whether he even had the potential to be a bncer, and besides, a direct majority agreement is required for the appointment.

    Even if Jade and Zia agree, if Derek and Johanna refuse, it means the bncer appointment is impossible.

    ¡°That Shion or whatever his name is, he¡¯s grabbed the wrong end of the stick.¡±

    Of course, if Sherlock permits it, it would be a different story¡­

    But the head of the family and father now seems to have no interest in worldly affairs. It¡¯s been almost a few years since she¡¯s seen his face.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But even putting that aside, he¡¯s quite a decent fellow. He has the makings of a bncer. He wasn¡¯t fazed by the enchantment at all. His expression too¡­¡±

    That¡¯s when a thought struck Johanna.

    Shion Ascal had maintained hisposure even in that extreme situation. Not a hint of wavering.

    ¡°¡­He had a poker face.¡±

    Suddenly, Johanna¡¯s eyes grew sharp.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    Belingham Kantar asked. Johanna stroked her chin and furrowed her brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking. If he serves only Zia from beginning to end, then it doesn¡¯t matter if he bes a bncer.¡±

    Zia, who had been timid and stuttering from birth, was just a disabled person to Johanna.

    In other words¡ª an imbecile not worth killing.

    As such, he had already been excluded from the session structure.

    Even if by some chance Jade joined forces with her, or rather, if Jade joined, it would be even worse. Jade¡¯s business acumen is hopeless.

    ¡°Whether he serves Zia or not doesn¡¯t matter. After all, what belongs to Zia¡­¡±

    ¡°Is as good as belonging to Libra?¡±

    Belingham finished the sentence for her.

    Johanna twisted her lips.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Whirring¡ª

    Just then, an rm sounded from Belingham¡¯s pocket watch.

    Johanna frowned.

    ¡°Must be something important.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. It seems one of the coteral members has caused a serious incident.¡±

    ¡°The coteral members are always like that. Go on, take care of it.¡±

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively. Belingham quickly turned and left the office, and Johanna called Zia.

    ©¤Hello¡­

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    ©¤¡­Yes?

    Johanna looked at her nails and smiled deeply.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts on gambling?¡±

    ©¤Gambling¡­ you say?

    ¡°Yes. Gambling.¡±

    The yers she had raised were all failures. Her ability to judge people was wed.

    ¡°There¡¯s a game with a stake of 300 million Ren at y, a very big game.¡±

    She¡¯s prepared to cut off their wrists and throw them out onto the streets, so now she¡¯s grasping at straws¡­

    * * *

    At the same time.

    In the most affluent neighborhood of the capital, Edsi, a grand mansion stood imposingly.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve done well.¡±

    In Derek¡¯s residence, where most people wouldn¡¯t dare enter, Bell Moore was directly facing him and receiving praise.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I knew it woulde to this. I always knew it would happen.¡±

    Derek put down the letter as if he had anticipated Sonya¡¯s betrayal.

    ¡°Do you think¡­ cross-verification is unnecessary?¡±

    Bell Moore asked cautiously. Derek¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.

    ¡°Would you tell Aventagher that you¡¯ve identified a coteral member colluding with you and me?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Good. Besides, you were on a mission with a Chaser named Shion Ascal.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. He¡¯s under mymand. Rather than together, he assisted me.¡±

    Bell Moore bowed his head.

    Lately, there¡¯s been a lot of talk about Shion Ascal. Everywhere he went, he only heard that bastard¡¯s name.

    It¡¯s almost irritating.

    ¡°What kind of guy is he?¡±

    Derek asked as if he didn¡¯t know, but in reality, his pride was quite wounded. He had been rejected for Zia, after all.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s a noticeable rookie. Not as much as me, though.¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Shion Ascal didn¡¯t find that evidence.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I like that confidence.¡±

    Derek pulled out a checkbook and started writing numbers.

    Six zeros, one million.

    The unit was Libra Points.

    He handed it to Bell Moore and asked,

    ¡°If I order you to eliminate your subordinate, could you do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore hesitated for a moment, but there was nothing to ponder.

    ¡°Of course. If you order it, I can do it right now.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Should I eliminate him?¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Derek waved his hand.

    ¡°It was to hear your resolve. Why would I care about a mere Chaser? Especially when there¡¯s a man in front of me who is superior to that Chaser.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s lips twitched.

    Indeed, Derek knows how to recognize people.

    ¡°Bring Sonya to me. I have someone waiting outside.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Be a bit kind to her, considering the work she¡¯s done. It¡¯s okay if she¡¯ste. Give her time to settle her affairs.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Even a traitor receives such gentle treatment. Perhaps Derek isn¡¯t as bad as the rumors suggest.

    Bell Moore left the office.

    In front of him was Riley.

    ¡°Were you also involved in this?¡±

    A smile spread across his face as soon as she saw her.

    In contrast, Riley responded stiffly without an answer.

    ¡°Did you really find that evidence all by yourself?¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s nose wrinkled at the question.

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about? Of course, I found it myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Shall we get going?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Bell Moore brushed back his hair.

    ¡°He said to be kind, right? Give her some time. We need to prepare in advance. If we rush in, she might run away.¡±

    Riley looked at Bell Moore without a word, her face still full of suspicion.

    Bell Moore let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°What? Should I call that bastard Shion Ascal? Work in a trio? He¡¯s got a pretty face, tall and handsome. You liked him a lot, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval.

    ¡°Stop talking trash and exin the n. I¡¯m here to help you with your work.¡±

    * * *

    The next morning.

    I woke up.

    ¡°Ha-aaah¡­¡±

    I yawned and woke from sleep, but the ceiling looked a bit unfamiliar.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the residence of the Endex¡¯s old building.

    This ce was a single room in the dormitory. The rent was free, but it was afortable dwelling of no less than 50 square meters,plete with a luxury bed, sofa, TV, and a clean shower room¡­

    I got up.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I was about to head to the shower when suddenly, my thoughts froze.

    I nced around the inside of the dormitory.

    There was someone here.

    At first, I thought I saw something wrong and just stood there nkly tilting my head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a mistake.

    It was a real person.

    Some person was sitting demurely on the sofa in my dormitory.

    To me, the sight was more chilling than a phantom, more sudden than a horror movie.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Blink blink.

    The person was staring at me intently, blinking like a light bulb.

    She was Zia Celsien Libra Rain.

    ¡°¡­This is unexpected.¡±

    It was such an unforeseen situation, but I still maintained myposure.

    ¡°¡­Hello.¡±

    She raised her hand.

    ¡°My name is¡­ Zia.¡±

    She introduced herself too calmly, but her presence was too confusing.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I had no idea how to react.

    Is this perhaps a dream?

    ¡°What brings you here-¡±

    ¡°You said¡­ you would serve me¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I just looked at her silently. For quite a long time.

    Then Zia tilted her head with a slightly perplexed look.

    ¡°Is that not the case¡­? Brother Jade told me¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I wish to be the sword for Miss Zia.¡±

    I was still a bit dazed, but I straightened up as much as I could, like a knight ready to serve.

    It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to be seen in my pajamas, but I can¡¯t just change clothes in front of her.

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Zia asked with a tone of curiosity.

    ¡°What do you¡­ desire?¡±

    What I want from Zia is not important.

    Honestly, I still can¡¯t believe the current situation, but if this is Zia¡¯s way of casting, then it¡¯s understandable.

    If a person who has never shown themselves to the outside worldes to you personally, it would feel like a kind of baptism.

    Therefore, I must maintain the image that ¡®Zia expects of me¡¯.

    Always calm, cool, and stable¡­

    ¡°I wish to serve.¡±

    ¡°To serve¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. No matter what Miss Zia does, I wish to be the knight that guards her side.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia became silent for a moment. She seemed to be pondering something in her head.

    Then, she tentatively asked again.

    ¡°Is it simply¡­ because of the Orphanage¡­?¡±

    There was a faint suspicion in her voice.

    Zia is full of doubts. Not just a little, but a lot. She constantly doubts and questions all her people.

    Therefore, a certain level of assurance is necessary.

    ¡°Miss may not remember, but I have seen you before.¡±

    It¡¯s true.

    I happened to see Zia when I was entering elementary school.

    ¡°It was when I was a child. When I, as the son of a Libra knight, was entering Libra Elementary School¡­ Miss Zia was there.¡±

    Zia had appeared there.

    I don¡¯t know why.

    ¡°At that time, my father who was beside me said this.¡±

    Looking at Zia on the stage, who was ¡®more Libra than anyone else¡¯, my father said,

    ¡®Take a good look.¡¯

    ¡°Take a good look.¡±

    Zia looked into my eyes. I met her gaze as well.

    ¡®¡­That person is the direct line of Libra.¡¯

    ¡°That person¡­ will be the one you serve in the future.¡±

    I changed what my father had said.

    Suddenly, Zia¡¯s eyes wavered.

    ¡°My father fell in battle the following week.¡±

    She seemed to be trying to discern the truth of my words, but my expression would have been utterly sincere.

    ¡°Therefore, my father¡¯s words remained with me like a final will¡­¡±

    Even Zia wouldn¡¯t be able to see through me.

    She can¡¯t prate my inner thoughts.

    ¡°It now feels like a destiny to me.¡±

    After all, that day is unknown to everyone else.

    It¡¯s a story that remains only in my memory.

    To you all, my father such an existence¡­

 Chapter 206: Ambition (2)

    <strong>Ambition (2)</strong>

    ©¤©¤¡­¡­I still don¡¯t know why my father said those words at that time.

    In the Aerial Garden of Libra.

    Having returned home, Zia was lost in thought. Lying on her bed, she stared nkly at the ceiling.

    ©¤©¤But when I encountered Miss Zia in the castle of Trick City, and also when Lord Jade asked me to be Miss Zia¡¯s knight¡­

    The voice of Shion Ascal echoes in her ears. The words he spoke while facing her in his pajamas¡­

    ©¤©¤I felt it was like fate.

    It seemed somewhat persuasive.

    ¡°¡­¡­Fate?¡±

    Zia quietly reminisced about the past.

    There was a day when she definitely attended an elementary school entrance ceremony.

    It wasn¡¯t for any particr reason. Until then, she had spent her entire life in the Aerial Garden. She just wanted to see the people on the ground.

    It was merely that curiosity.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Could such small things have led to this moment?

    Is Shion Ascal a product of such fate?

    If that were truly the case, it would be a mysterious providence, but she does not believe in such irrational things. She is certain that fate does not exist.

    Zia called Johanna.

    Dial tone¡ª

    ©¤Yes.

    Johanna answered the phone quickly.

    ¡­I¡¯m sorry, please, I, I, aaaaah-!

    Screams and the sound of bones being cut flowed through the receiver.

    ©¤Quiet them down. It¡¯s noisy. Oh, and while you¡¯re at it, cut out the tongue too. They took money with that three-inch tongue of theirs.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna is cruel. Especially when ites to money. If someone were to steal from her, she would annihte even their distant rtives.

    ¡°I¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤Have you decided?

    ¡°Um¡­ Yes.¡±

    Zia hesitated before answering. Johanna chuckled.

    ©¤Don¡¯t worry. Even if that guy fails to advance, this won¡¯t happen. These thieves took my money and failed to deliver results, so this is what they get¡­

    ¡­Gurgling sounds.

    The screams from the receiver sttered like liquid.

    It seemed like the tongue was really cut out.

    ¡°The tickets¡­ I¡¯ve delivered them¡­¡±

    ©¤Good. Don¡¯t feel pressured. I¡¯m not even expecting much. But remember my promise, if by any chance you win in the 6th round, I¡¯ll give you 60 million Ren.

    60 million Ren. That¡¯s enough to buy one or two buildings near the capital.

    Since most of the enterprises Zia runs are in other people¡¯s names, the money that ends up in her ount is very crucial funding.

    ©¤I¡¯m hanging up. There are still many I have to deal with.

    Johanna hung up the phone.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±

    Zia let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. Somehow, she had managed to finish the surprise visit without upsetting Johanna¡¯s temper.

    To this day, Zia is still afraid of Johanna.

    When she was about 7 or 8 years old, she nearly broke her leg just for secretly eating one of Johanna¡¯s candies. Johanna had counted the number of candies in the jar herself.

    The Johanna of today is much more dangerous than she was back then.

    ¡®Money¡¯ has made her that way.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s really gold.¡±

    I flipped the golden ticket in my hand and let out a hollowugh.

    Today, Zia asked me if I was good at gambling. I asked her what kind of gambling. She said poker, and I replied that I wasn¡¯t bad at it. Then she handed me this ticket.

    ¡°Gambling¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s a request from Johanna, or so she says. Anyway, it¡¯s a ticket to a gambling event where you can win 10 million Ren if youe out on top in the round.

    Zia gave me this opportunity, but she didn¡¯t reveal her ambitions to the end. She didn¡¯t show even a hint of her desire for the session.

    She still doesn¡¯tpletely trust me.

    ¡°She¡¯s a difficult person.¡±

    I searched for [WSOP] on my smartphone.

    [World Series of Poker: Golden Ticket]

    [Who will be thest 6th round winner?]

    [All yers sponsored by Libra eliminated¡­¡­]

    The World Series of Poker.

    It¡¯s tempting even for me.

    From the round-winning prize of 10 million Ren to the grand prize of 60 million Ren, I need money more than anyone.

    But the problem is ¡®how¡¯ to win.

    I can keep a poker face. Even if a royal straight flushes up, I can maintain a nonchnt expression.

    However, that alone is not enough.

    Poker is yed in a no-mana room. Mana loses its utility and properties in a no-mana zone. Therefore, the various functions of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ are also likely not to work.

    And then¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Gambler.¡±

    Suddenly, [Bethune] came to mind.

    There, my ss is a gambler.

    The description of the gambler ss is simple.

    [Receives a bonus in all gambling-rted activities.]

    ¡°I wonder if that applies.¡±

    I had transnted not just the gambler¡¯s skills from [Bethune], but the gambler ss itself into the reality ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    If it has an effect in reality, even if it¡¯s a very slight boost to my luck©¤©¤

    ©¤©¤Vvvvvvrrring.

    The rm on my smartphone went off.

    ¡°Ah. Right.¡±

    Whether it¡¯s gambling or whatever, I have sses to attend first today.

    * * *

    The grounds of the National Magic University are vast. All the buildings arerge and state-of-the-art.

    Among them, the massive first-floor auditorium of the Balkan Hall is particrly noteworthy.

    I am looking around inside, where people are swarming.

    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±

    A voice came from somewhere. It was a clear, piercing tone.

    Of course, it¡¯s Elise.

    She was, as expected, in the front row.

    ¡°Huh? Hey.¡±

    I looked around her. A pencil case was ced next to her, and next to that, a tumbler seemed to be holding a spot.

    ¡°Are they taken?¡±

    ¡°No. Sit on the next seat. That one is next to La¡¯s.¡±

    Elise said, using telekinesis to bring the tumbler to her.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I immediately sat down in that spot.

    ¡°But do you also attend this ss? I thought you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Professor Theia Esil¡¯s ss. I didn¡¯t know that before. It means I didn¡¯t sign up for this ss because of you.¡±

    Elise shrugged nonchntly and sipped from her tumbler.

    ¡°By the way, where did Soliette go? Wasn¡¯t she taking the same ss?¡±

    I looked at my smartphone. I had contacted her five minutes ago, but there was still no reply from Soliette.

    ¡°She must be sleeping. Seems like she¡¯s cking off since it¡¯s the first ss.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Shion, is that you~?¡±

    Just then, La appeared. She sat down next to Elise, smirking mischievously.

    ¡°Shion, want to switch seats~? To sit with Elly and gossip-¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Elise covered La¡¯s mouth.

    I put my notebook on the desk.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar scent wafted over from the side.

    I nced over and saw Gerkhen.

    Well, he¡¯s the man who will soon be Theia¡¯s disciple.

    Ding©¤

    The clock struck 10 a.m., ringing loudly.

    Creeeak¡­

    The front door of the auditorium opened, and the noisy crowd of 500 inside fell silent as a mouse.

    Theia Esil.

    She stood on the stage, exuding her presence.

    ©¤Today, we will only have a brief orientation for [The Use of Magic Spells].

    Her voice resonated as if it had been amplified.

    ©¤It won¡¯t take more than 30 minutes, so try to concentrate as much as possible.

    The first ss wasn¡¯t long. After all, she dislikes teaching the talentless masses. This ss is just something the university told her to do.

    ©¤First. How much do you know about Magic Space Magic Spells?

    Theia asked. Elise raised her hand.

    ¡°Magic is the phenomenon of manipting reality by assembling magical power into a specific form.¡±

    Theia nodded.

    ©¤Correct. But how is that form shaped?

    She suddenly shifted her gaze.

    It was towards me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Through research, calction, and verification to invent.¡±

    I answered spontaneously.

    I knew that much.

    ©¤That¡¯s right. Researchers refine every aspect, each unit of magic power, each form in theb toplete new forms.

    ¡°Wow~ Shion~¡±

    La yfully raised her eyebrows and poked my shoulder.

    ©¤However, ¡®utilization¡¯ is a bit different.

    Theia spread her right hand open. A me sparked to life above it.

    ©¤This is simple ignition.

    Then she opened her left hand. Within it, a breeze formed.

    ©¤This is a simple breeze. And what happens when you mix the two?

    Theia brought together the wind and fire in her hands.

    Fwooosh¡­

    The mes danced like the wind, the breeze taking on the color and heat of the fire.

    The forms had merged with each other.

    ©¤This is utilization. Without much thought in my head, I extract the form I desire on the spot. By recing the process of calcting forms with intuition, I minimize the time it takes to load the form.

    I watched Theia quietly.

    Not passionately, but just delivering her lecture ording to the script.

    I watched her for a bit too long.

    ©¤I will teach you such techniques¡­

    But then, suddenly.

    A strange feeling washed over me.

    It was something familiar, yet nostalgically elusive, an indescribable emotion that kept welling up.

    What is it?

    What am I forgetting?

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    A sudden, slight pain throbbed at my temple.

    ¡­Were you a woman?

    A voice echoed in my ear.

    But it was something I had never said.

    Words that did not exist in my memory.

    It was impossible.

    My ¡¸Notepad¡¹ should surely remember everything, right?

    ©¤That¡¯s all for now. Any questions?

    Theia Esil asked in the middle of the lecture. Unknowingly, I shot my hand up. My body moved on its own.

    She slightly furrowed her brows.

    ©¤What is it?

    I didn¡¯t even know why I was doing this.

    ¡°Do you, by any chance, have a younger sibling?¡±

    I just feltpelled to ask.

    I knew she didn¡¯t have a sibling. After all, she was my teacher before my regression.

    ¡°Or perhaps a cousin.¡±

    But¡­

    It¡¯s strange.

    Looking at Theia now, I feel as if I¡¯ve lost something ¡®precious¡¯.

    A precious ¡®friend¡¯.

    ©¤¡­Don¡¯t sit in the front starting from the next ss. Next.

    Theia dismissed me with that.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Elise also shot me a look as if to say what are you doing.

    I replied nkly.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    I really don¡¯t.

    I can¡¯t figure out what this feeling is.

    * * *

    ¡°Today¡¯s lesson ends here. We¡¯ll start with the practical applications and assignments next week.¡±

    As soon as Theia finished her lecture, she turned around swiftly. Many students hesitated as they started to approach the podium with questions, but she ignored them all.

    It was an emergency.

    She hurriedly made a phone call.

    ©¤Yes, Professor Theia. It¡¯s Bin.

    Bin, the researcher. The man who was in charge of the unconscious test at Edsi National Universityst time.

    ¡°It may be sudden, but may I ask you one thing?¡±

    ©¤Of course. You could ask anything if you need to.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the unconscious experiment¡­¡±

    It was because of Shion Ascal.

    Today, during the lecture, he had asked her out of the blue if she had a sibling.

    Anyone could find out she was an only child with a simple search on a portal site.

    But, the question he asked was not due to a brain short-circuit.

    Because.

    ©¤The unconscious, you say?

    ¡°Yes. If that unconsciousness¡­ even a little bit of it remained with the student, what would happen?¡±

    During the unconscious test, Shion Ascal had asked ¡®Tae¡¯, who was himself at the time, if he had any connection to Theia Esil.

    ©¤If that¡¯s the case, it would be a big problem, wouldn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a big problem. I¡¯m asking what specifically would happen.¡±

    ©¤Usually, memories from the unconscious test are supposed to vanish when you leave the capsule. But if there¡¯s an error and they don¡¯t disappear¡­ they be very important memories.

    ¡°Very important memories?¡±

    ©¤Yes. Memories that take root through the unconscious are much stronger and more certain than those acquired consciously.

    In the unconsciousness of Shion Ascal, Tae was his only friend. They empathized with each other and shared secrets.

    It was a rare friendship, even in reality.

    ©¤The unconscious is a very deep part of the mind, so if it hasn¡¯t disappeared, the person will be very confused.

    Very confused.

    He actually looked that way.

    ©¤There¡¯s a case file. It¡¯s about a single woman who tested the unconscious capsule. Should I send it to you?

    ¡°Just summarize the contents for me. I have another appointment.¡±

    ©¤Ah, yes. Well, there was a female test subject during the development of the unconscious capsule. She was single, but in her unconscious, she experienced having and living with a child. But, due to a mistake by the researchers, they failed to erase the memory properly.

    ¡°And then? What happened?¡±

    ©¤She became convinced that she had a child, and after searching for this non-existent child, shemitted suicide. It was a tragic incident.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia pressed her temples with two fingers.

    It seemed to be quite a headache.

    ©¤But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve discovered that as long as the ¡®personal flexibility¡¯ is maintained, such incidents don¡¯t ur, and now the safety is 99.995%.

    That was the problem.

    That personal flexibility had been shaken once before.

    ¡°End the call.¡±

    Theia hung up the phone with gritted teeth. She shook her smartphone up and down and muttered to herself.

    ¡°How should I handle this¡­¡±

    * * *

    Meanwhile, I arrived at the [World Series of Poker] qualifier with a somewhat unsettled mind.

    ¡°There sure are a lot of people.¡±

    As expected, the venue for the qualifiers was a no-mana room, and there were thousands of participants. They all had numbers attached to their chests.

    For reference, I was number 333.

    ¡°Number 333, pleasee here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    I followed a staff member to a certain table. There was one dealer and six yers seated.

    The speakers in the ceiling announced.

    ©¤The first round of qualifiers will start immediately. We will narrow down to six people over three rounds of qualifiers, and the fourth round will be held at the broadcast set next week.

    ¡°How many hours does this go on?¡±

    I asked the dealer. As he distributed chips to me, he said,

    ¡°The qualifying game ends when one yer monopolizes more than 60% of the chips. Therefore, it can go on for several hours.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that? You have a golden ticket, right?¡±

    A bald man, number 332, snickered at me. I just plopped down in the chair without saying much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the game.¡±

    The dealer immediately started dealing the cards.

    The game was Texas Hold¡¯em, the first thing thates to mind when you think of poker, essentially a game of matching hands.

    ¡°Call.¡±

    ¡°Call.¡±

    ¡°Call.¡±

    I casually called as well, sizing up the situation.

    ¡°Call.¡±

    ¡°I will distribute the cards.¡±

    The dealer dealt the cards. I tried to sneak a peek with my dynamic vision, but couldn¡¯t catch even a glimpse.

    ¡°You¡¯re really good at dealing the cards.¡±

    The dealer¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    Anyway, my hand¡­ thebination ofmunity cards and the cards hidden in my hand amounted to a four of a kind.

    A crappy hand.

    But I couldn¡¯t let it show.

    Instead, I had to act very naturally.

    The moment the dealer handed me the cards, I ¡®very slightly¡¯ shook the wrinkles at my fingertips. I red my nostrils ¡®faintly¡¯ as if I had gotten a good hand.

    All of this was to be expressed in the ¡®minimal¡¯ possible way, like a very natural bodily reaction.

    It was my ¡¸Deception¡¹ through facial expression¡­

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    One person dropped out.

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    Another one dropped out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±

    All five yersid down their hands.

    Thanks to that, I won some chips, but I didn¡¯t forget to pretend to be disappointed.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The other yers maintained their poker faces as they watched me, but I could see the faint sneer hidden within.

    I memorized their expressions.

    It¡¯s certain.

    I can¡¯t use the no-mana ¡¸Notepad¡¹, but the memory capacity of the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ itself doesn¡¯t disappear.

    I just need to remember the expressions of my opponents as much as possible, and deceive with my own as much as possible.

    Maybe, just maybe, I could easily pass through the qualifiers.

 Chapter 207: Ambition (3)

    <strong>Ambition (3)</strong>

    I¡¯ve said it time and again, my body is far from ordinary. It¡¯s because of the Perion that¡¯s been memorized by my ¡¸Notepad¡¹¡¯ circtes throughout my entire being.

    It¡¯s like being ¡®marinated¡¯ in Perion at all times.

    Of course, I can¡¯t use a magic body, but the five senses that have been permanently developed by the Perion don¡¯t fade away, even in a no-mana zone.

    These senses have been incredibly useful at the gambling table.

    I could detect the faintest poker faces and read the subtlest psychological states that couldn¡¯t be hidden.

    On the other hand, I kept my own expression under strict control, not just my nostrils, fingertips, Adam¡¯s apple, and the crook between my eyebrows, but even the involuntary muscles deep inside my body.

    The ¡®heart¡¯ was a particrly effective trap.

    yers usually have a tell; their heart beats the moment they see a good hand.

    And when they get a bad hand, their heart beats when they bluff.

    Since I used this principle in reverse, even haunting the most perceptive yers.

    It¡¯s a trap that catches them because they¡¯re experts.

    ¡°Contestant number 333, congrattions on advancing to the fourth preliminary round.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    And so, I made it through the preliminaries.

    ¡­

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Johanna signed the documents and responded. Her bncer, ¡®Beckman¡¯, bowed his heavy shoulders.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s advanced to the fourth preliminary round.¡±

    ¡°Hah, is this why they say it¡¯s all about luck?¡±

    Johanna snorted withughter.

    ¡°A twenty-year-old clearing the prelims that even lifelong gamblers barely scrape through?¡±

    She put down her fountain pen.

    ¡°If he made it through the rounds, keep a close eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There are mafiosos among those I¡¯ve bet with.¡±

    Johanna handed the documents back to Beckman as she continued.

    ¡°They¡¯re not the cleanest of yers. Unlike me, they don¡¯t ept defeat gracefully. If some unknown punk iming to be my yer makes it to the round, they¡¯ll probably try to kill him.¡±

    ¡­

    Beckman didn¡¯t reply. Johanna¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°What, not to your liking?¡±

    ¡°No, I will do as you say.¡±

    ¡°No, speak up. It seems my bncer has some grievances?¡±

    Johanna propped her chin on her hand. Beckman spoke softly, slightly averted from her gaze.

    ¡°You could have sent me.¡±

    ¡°You? To a gambling table?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Apparently, this bncer felt some jealousy.

    Johanna chuckled and shook her head.

    ¡°A bncer is a force to be reckoned with. Not something to be wasted on a mere gambling table. Your enemy isn¡¯t the mafia; it¡¯s Derek.¡±

    Dealing with people like this was a bit ufortable and quite bothersome for Johanna. She would have preferred someone who lived and died for money.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re valuable that I¡¯m sparing you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡±

    Beckman stepped back. Johanna sighed and rubbed her forehead.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ they should just do as they¡¯re told without backtalk.¡±

    That¡¯s why she wished Belingham was under hermand.

    He would do exactly what was needed, without a hint of personal desire or undue loyalty.

    ¡°There are many who expect suspicious things¡­¡±

    In that regard, Shion Ascal was quite simr to the old days of Belingham Kantar.

    She didn¡¯t have a hobby of stealing her sister¡¯s things.

    Not yet, at least.

    * * *

    The poker preliminaries had gone on for nearly 24 hours, so the sky was still dark.

    Thank goodness it¡¯s the weekend.

    Or is it? Did I just waste the entire weekend?

    Beep-beep©¤!

    Suddenly, a car horn red. It was a car parked on the edge of the road.

    As I looked in that direction, vroom©¤ the window rolled down.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    It was Bell Moore. He looked at me with a smiling face.

    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Hey, man. Is that how you greet your superior? Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±

    ¡°Did you used to do that in the past, Mr. Bell Moore?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    Bell Moore looked away for a moment and then nodded as if he understood.

    ¡°Fair enough. If it were me, I¡¯d have cursed the hell out of you internally.¡±

    ¡°Enough with that, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much. Just on a mission.¡±

    ¡°A mission from thepany, or a mission for Mr. Bell Moore?¡±

    ¡°Apany mission.¡±

    I picked up my Libra phone. There were no alerts or messages from thepany.

    ¡°Thepany hasn¡¯t said anything about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mission that doesn¡¯t get transmitted through a Libra phone. Spies could be snooping in our Database.¡±

    ¡°¡­Spies?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Get in.¡±

    I got into the passenger seat next to Bell Moore. He immediately handed me a file and said,

    ¡°Have you ever heard of an organization called Vancheon¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Vancheon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Vancheon.¡±

    I knew it all too well.

    It was the organization I had once been a part of.

    I answered calmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the name to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Ha. But it¡¯s not about the scales. Vancheon, meaning against the heavens. In simple terms, it¡¯s a revolutionary group that aims to turn the heavens upside down.¡±

    Edsi is a nation of egalitarianism. There is no aristocracy, no ownership of fiefs, and no very.

    But that¡¯s just a fa?ade.

    Libra has established fiefs in the sky, and the parliament is essentially the exclusive property of the nobles.

    In the history of Edsi, the onlymoner Senator was Gerkhen.

    Vancheon aims to topple that system.

    ¡°Vancheon operates on the premise that Edsi¡¯s system is unfair¡­ They particrly despise Libra, you know?¡±

    It¡¯s an obvious point. Vancheon is ultimately anti-Libra. Libra is deeply embedded in every social structure of Edsi.

    Soon, Edsi will degenerate into a puppet state under Libra¡¯s control.

    That¡¯s how the world was before my regression.

    ¡°But this organization is quite extensive. They have a head, but it¡¯s a cell organization, so it¡¯s hard to find out anything. Moreover, the number ofmoners is overwhelminglyrge in this social structure, right?¡±

    Bell Moore gestured towards the file. It seemed he wanted me to open it.

    ¡°So. There are a lot of cockroaches among themoners who knowingly or unknowingly cooperate with Vancheon. There¡¯ll be many inside Libra, and even more outside.¡±

    I opened the file.

    A list of suspectspiled by the Intelligence Agency from their own investigation.

    It was almost like a Death Note.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to search for it. This is a standing order. If they¡¯re Vancheon, you can kill them; if it¡¯s just an ordinary industrial spy, get a confession and report back.¡±

    Vancheon.

    They never seed.

    Yet, their lineage continues.

    Even after Zia bes Chairman, and before I die, they persist without crumbling, carrying on their beliefs.

    It¡¯s a difficult path.

    Because there are few who truly act for the sake of ¡®belief.¡¯

    Vancheon failed because of traitors.

    Those who are always looking for a chance to betray theirrades, those who joined with the intention to do so from the start, those who couldn¡¯t withstand torture and turned, those who threw theirrades into hell for the sake of their children¡¯s study abroad expenses¡­

    I know quite a few of such faces.

    After all, I¡¯m someone who climbed up to a significant position myself.

    ¡°If I find them, do I go alone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a bit tied up, you see. But there, I¡¯ve checked a few guys, see? I¡¯ve got a rough hold on their tails, so just interrogate one of them today and report back. It¡¯s a gift from your superior.¡±

    Bell Moore grinned. He seemed to be in a very good mood.

    Indeed, his clothes had changedpletely. From head to toe, he was decked out in luxury brands.

    He must have really clung to Derek¡¯s coattails.

    ¡°And take this car too.¡±

    He opened the door.

    ¡°The car?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What kind of superior would I be if I couldn¡¯t do this much? Take care.¡±

    Bang!

    Bell Moore closed the door. I moved to the driver¡¯s seat and gripped the steering wheel, closing my eyes for a moment. I activated my five senses sharply.

    So that I could hear even the faintest sound of the engine like a surge¡­

    It¡¯s certain.

    There¡¯s a bug.

    Probably, the inside of the car is being recorded as well.

    I opened my eyes. There were already a few names checked off by Bell Moore on the list.

    One name caught my eye.

    Thump-

    I closed the file.

    * * *

    Near Libra Station, there are many buildings. Most of them are residential sections where Libra employees live.

    ¡®Cooper¡¯ is one of them. A goose father who has left his daughter and wife in the south.

    As a researcher for Libra¡­ he is leaking information.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I stand inside his house. In the shade of the curtains, in that darkness, I quietly stare at the door.

    Clunk.

    The lock is undone.

    Creeeak¡ª

    The door opens, and a middle-aged man, in the midst of taking off his shoes, halts awkwardly.

    ¡°Wh-who are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good evening.¡±

    I bow my head slightly to him.

    ¡°Pleasee in. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±

    The man, with his hair half-lost, stares nkly at my tie.

    ¡°¡­Did youe from Libra headquarters?¡±

    ¡°Please take a seat.¡±

    I point to the seat in front of me with a faint smile.

    ¡°No¡­ even so, trespassing is¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a matter at hand. Please understand.¡±

    He hesitantly approaches and sits down.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter that¡­¡±

    I hand him a piece of paper. Cooper tilts his head in confusion.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    Still smiling, I ask him back.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡±

    Cooper¡¯s eyes then fill with a strange light. On his paper, the word [Statement] must be written inrge letters.

    ¡°What am I supposed to dere¡­¡±

    ¡°If I say it out loud, it will only make things worse.¡±

    Before my regression, Cooper was discovered not by me but by the Libra Intelligence Agency.

    His future was terribly grim.

    He survived with an arm severed, but received a punishment worse than that.

    His wife and daughter.

    Libra killed them.

    They left him alive in a world turned into hell.

    ¡°What am I supposed to dere if I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it a second time.¡±

    I do not wish for that future. Knowing that he bes a greater avenger than I, blowing himself up in Libra¡¯s Aerial Garden.

    ¡°Write the statement yourself. With your own hands.¡±

    Therefore, I intend to give him a choice.

    The punishment will vary greatly depending on the ¡®quality¡¯ of the information and ¡®where¡¯ it was leaked to.

    ¡°And.¡±

    I ce a sword on his desk.

    The well-honed Nether de can slice through human flesh with a mere touch.

    ¡°Cut off your own arm.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cooper¡¯s breath stops for a moment.

    Then, he gives up on excuses.

    ¡°Cut off¡­ my own arm?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you have a choice.¡±

    I gesture towards his arm.

    ¡°If not your arm.¡±

    I tap the sword lightly with my finger.

    ¡°Then the necks of your wife and daughter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His breathing wavers. Sweat pours down his face. His sses slide down, and the violent pounding of his heart reaches me as well.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    Suddenly, his heart stops.

    The trembling in his entire body had ceased.

    He simply gripped the sword with empty eyes as if he had made up his mind.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Arghhh¡­!¡±

    He pressed down on his own arm.

    Sssshhhk!

    Blood spurted out like a fountain. His left arm was cleanly severed. Bone had been separated from bone. I watched intently as it happened.

    This is a necessary evil.

    By sacrificing one arm, your family can live.

    You can avoid the future where you be a meaningless avenger and meet a dog¡¯s death.

    ¡°¡­Now, please write the statement. And don¡¯t forget to stamp it with your seal.¡±

    With his remaining right hand, he scrawled out the statement. With a face pale as if he might faint at any moment, shaking with breath, he confessed to leaking information to whichpany, and then stamped it with his own blood.

    I epted the document.

    [I have leaked important sr research results from Libra Station to the corporation Astel¡­]

    The leak was not to Vancheon. At least, his own confession said as much.

    Thus, it ends with a confession.

    I stood up and said,

    ¡°Laptop. Notebook. Mobile phone. Burn them all.¡±

    So that no other evidence can be found.

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time. You should go to the hospital. You¡¯re losing a lot of blood.¡±

    I opened the door and stepped outside.

    The middle-aged man¡¯s sobs trickled into my ears as I descended the stairs.

    But it was unavoidable.

    This is the lesser evil.

    * * *

    The following midnight.

    ¡°¡­He cut off his arm, you say. A researcher named Cooper Joel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I reported to the Intelligence Agency team leader along with the statement.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. Killing him wouldn¡¯t recover the information, and such a person is better off alive as an example, I judged.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course, there¡¯s no need to kill. Industrial spies should be severely punished, but there¡¯s no need to be as violent as you. They¡¯re not like us, who use swords or magic. Less educated, perhaps?¡±

    The team leader grimaced at the blood-stamped statement.

    This team leader, under Derek, probably dislikes everything I do.

    Therefore, he will insist that my actions are excessive.

    ¡°Was it too much? Were there no other pieces of evidence?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed the transfer details of the secret ounts. However, the other devices had already been destroyed by him.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why this mess. As always, those who weren¡¯t raised properly stand out.¡±

    The man sneered, fiddling with the cigarette in his mouth.

    ¡°Go back. This isn¡¯t an achievement or anything of the sort. It¡¯s rather something to be punished for, but I¡¯ll end it here on my terms.¡±

    With a dismissive wave of his hand like shooing a fly, I bowed to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    Things had turned out more or less as I had expected.

    Except for the fact that I wanted to kill this team leader more than I had thought.

    ¡­¡­

    Somewhere deep underground in Edsi, there is a ce that no one knows about. A ce that no one should know about.

    It¡¯s the hideout of Vancheon.

    ¡°Urgent news. Mr. Cooper¡¯s arm has been cut off.¡±

    ¡°His arm?¡±

    The sudden report prompted an urgent question from the Vancheon executive.

    ¡°Yes. Fortunately, it seems no evidence of his coboration with us has been found.¡±

    ¡°¡­How could there be? We left no trace. How is Mr. Cooper¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°Not good. He needs to be hospitalized soon, but his life isn¡¯t in danger¡­¡±

    The executive let out a faint sigh, pressing his temples while looking up at the corkboard in the center of the office.

    Under the word [Main Enemy], there were quite a few people listed.

    At the very top was [Sherlock]

    Right below were [Derek] [Johanna] [Jade].

    And below them, the ¡®Bncers¡¯ who were essentially in key positions at Libra.

    ¡°What about the face of the guy who cut off his arm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Codename ¡®Turtle¡¯ handed a photo to the executive, adding,

    ¡°ording to Owl, he¡¯s recently been included in the list of Bncer candidates.¡±

    ¡°Bncer candidates?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His name is Shion Ascal. Owl described him as ¡®a person driven by a very dangerous loyalty.''¡±

    Owl is ¡®Riley,¡¯ who operates within Libra.

    She holds one of the most important and dangerous positions in Vancheon, so very few within Vancheon know her true identity.

    ¡°Tell Owl toy low as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The executive pinned Shion Ascal¡¯s photo just below the Bncers.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? He¡¯s good-looking?¡±

    This was from ¡®Lynx,¡¯ who was idly smoking. Lynx wasn¡¯t sharp-faced for a predator but had a bald head with a mustache.

    ¡°¡­Is now the time for suchments?¡±

    The executive red at him. He waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°No, no~ Just saying he¡¯s good-looking. Can¡¯t even make ament like that?¡±

    ¡°His father is said to be a knight of Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tch.¡±

    The executive clicked his tongue and took note of Turtle¡¯s information.

    [Shion Ascal]

    [Father: Dale Ascal, a low-ranking knight from Libra]

    [Background: Three generations serving Libra, starting with his grandfather]

    [Current: One of the Bncer candidates]

    [Distinctive Point: Wishes to belong to Zia, the youngest of four siblings]

    ¡°Do we need a codename for this guy too? If he¡¯s a Bncer candidate, he must be somewhat significant.¡±

    Lynx asked. The executive pondered for a moment before nodding.

    ¡°For now¡­ let¡¯s call him ¡®Mad Dog¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 208: The Meaning of Villain (1)

    <strong>The Meaning of Viin (1)</strong>

    I quickly processed the list that Bell Moore had handed to me. Over the weekend, I visited seven individuals, and from them, I distilled and reported the presence of an industrial spy.

    There was no sign of ¡¸Vancheon¡¹.

    From the start, they were not a group that could be easily caught. Instead of inserting many at the bottom ranks, Vancheon preferred to elevate a select few elites like Riley to positions of great responsibility.

    Take Cooper, for instance, who was a senior researcher at the Libraboratory.

    In any case.

    Thanks to being criticized by the Intelligence Agency team leader for ¡®overreacting,¡¯ I didn¡¯t have to go to the extreme of cutting off their arms. Instead, I just submitted affidavits and reports.

    Later, I visited the hospital where Cooper was admitted. After disguising myself to look sufficiently ordinary, I found his room.

    ©¤¡­No, I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m fine, so why do you keep crying?

    ©¤Because I¡¯m not okay. How on earth did this happen¡­

    ©¤It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s my fault, so¡­ don¡¯t cry.

    His arm had been cleanly severed, and his wife was by his side. She looked sad, but Cooper tried to smile at her.

    Pretending to pass by their hospital bed, I ced a business card on the shelf.

    [ Selfless Coffin ]

    It¡¯s Akane¡¯s Selfless Coffin. Since her prosthetic arm functions like a real one, if he gets a transnt there, Mr. Cooper should be able to return to his everyday life without much difficulty.

    Of course, I think I should talk to Akane in advance¡­ Well.

    She¡¯ll help out on her own.

    She¡¯s quick-witted, after all.

    I left the hospital. I walked down the alleyway.

    In thete afternoon, the streets where the sun set quickly were filled with various street vendors. The smells of stuffed pancakes, fish-shaped buns, and hot dogs wafted through the air.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    I feel quite gloomy. The shadowed faces of Cooper¡¯s family keep flickering in my mind.

    It¡¯s something I was prepared for, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.

    I picked up my smartphone out of a sense of futility.

    [ What are you doing? ]

    I texted Soliette.

    She replied almost immediately.

    [ Soliette: I¡¯m with Orange. ]

    She attached a picture of a cat. The furniture and wooden floors reflected in the frame looked cozy.

    Still, she¡¯s in the old building of Endex.

    [ But why didn¡¯t youe to the liberal arts ssst week? ]

    [ Soliette: I just wasn¡¯t feeling motivated for liberal arts. So I took a walk with Orange. ]

    That¡¯s a lie.

    She probably logged into Bethune.

    But, I¡¯m actually waiting.

    Waiting for her to meet ¡®Jared¡¯ there.

    To seek him out and share many stories.

    Perhaps¡­ to create longersting memories, more time together.

    [ You shouldn¡¯t take the cat out for walks too often ]

    [ Soliette: lol That¡¯s a misunderstanding. My Orange is very different from other cats. Orange is a descendant of tigers. ]

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    That¡¯s when I spotted a familiar back of a head up ahead.

    Elise was there. She was looking at the paper envelope in her hand with a pleased expression.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I called out to her. In that moment, Elise spun around, her eyes widening as if they might pop out.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She was silent, hiding the paper envelope behind her back while her eyes darted around.

    I asked her.

    ¡°Are you eating a stuffed pancake?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a stuffed pancake, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise reluctantly pulled out the paper bad and said,

    ¡°¡­¡­I was going to throw it away. I just happened to pick it up.¡±

    ¡°Then throw it away.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise bit her lower lip. I chuckled and asked,

    ¡°Hey. Have you eaten?¡±

    She tilted her head with a strange look on her face.

    ¡°Eaten?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    I said nonchntly,

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten, let¡¯s eat together.¡±

    I was feeling down, and it seemed like I needed somepany.

    That¡¯s why I asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­What did you say?¡±

    Elise contorted her face as if she had seen a homeless person wielding a knife.

    * * *

    This is not right. This shouldn¡¯t be happening. I shouldn¡¯t be in this situation.

    ¡­¡­That¡¯s what Elise was thinking.

    She shouldn¡¯t attract attention. Paparazzi could be lurking anywhere, anytime. Just as her father said, she is now an adult. She is the heir to the distinguished Petra family and should feel responsible.

    Despite that¡­¡­

    Elise looked at Shion across from her.

    He seemed sad today, for some reason.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°What could be wrong?¡±

    Elise asked, pressing down her cap firmly.

    ¡°You look sad, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    He sighed as if lost in thought for a moment.

    ¡°I tormented a good person. It was for their own good, but still. I don¡¯t feel entirely great about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked at him. She took a bite of her stuffed pancake.

    In the meantime, the oden soup was served. It was a dish Elise was encountering for the first time in her life.

    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t be mistaken. There are no good people in this world.¡±

    Elise started by digging in with her spoon as she spoke. Shion let out a wryugh.

    ¡°That¡¯s usually what bad people say.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A vein throbbed slightly at Elise¡¯s temple.

    Even when trying to say somethingforting, this is how he reacts.

    ¡°People are mostly grey. Everyone does bad things.¡±

    She took a bite of the oden soup.

    Hmm.

    It¡¯s unexpectedly delicious.

    Elise looked at Shion again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion was staring intently at her.

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you looking at?¡±

    Elise wiped her mouth with a napkin.

    ¡°¡­¡­Just.¡±

    Shion chuckled with a strange smile.

    ¡°Suddenly, I¡¯m thinking how much you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    ¡°Changed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You used to be a monster.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Elise was frowning.

    In the future, she was definitely a monster. She was the embodiment of venom that no one could subdue.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that anymore.¡±

    But that future no longer exists.

    Therefore, Elise is proof that the future is not fixed.

    ¡°People always change.¡±

    She spoke in a subdued tone.

    ¡°Someday¡­ when youe to a crossroads.¡±

    ¡°Crossroads?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elise put an oden skewer in her mouth, chewing nonchntly as she asked.

    ¡°If you reach such a crossroads, are you confident you won¡¯t be a monster?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion seemed to ponder for a moment, looking into the void before shaking his head slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    A bitter smile spread across his lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much confidence.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Elise put down her skewer and raised her eyebrows slightly.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The enemy of her mother.

    The clich¨¦ from movies or dramas was right before her eyes.

    Elise Petra is the enemy of Shion Ascal.

    Therefore, even being this close to him, and the desire in her heart to be with him, must surely be the wrong kind of greed.

    ¡°Do you¡­ drink alcohol?¡±

    Thirty minutes seemed okay.

    To her slightly softer suggestion, Shion replied.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I have a ss at 9 tomorrow. And I have to stop by somewhere for a bit.¡±

    ¡°You really know how to annoy someone. You¡¯re the one who suggested we eat!¡±

    ¡°We are eating right now.¡±

    Elise¡¯s brow furrowed as if she were a wrathful deity.

    * * *

    Trick City. Kanya Wieder can¡¯t get her mind off the booming sales of the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    ¡°Old man! How many tanks can you make today?!¡±

    The production method for the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ is simple. Pre-imnted form scrolls are soaked in a mana stone solution and then processed.

    ¡°Three!¡±

    But the mana stone solution is the problem.

    Even though they priced it conservatively because it can be recycled until the mana stone runs out, they¡¯ve already sold a million units.

    ¡°Only three? We need at least three thousand more high-quality ones today! There¡¯s a bulk order from the Magic Tower!¡±

    ¡°Already? The high-quality scrolls just came in yesterday.¡±

    Kanya had received the ¡¸Premium Delivery Box¡¹ form from Dale Kal yesterday.

    The ¡¸Premium Protection¡¹ was a high-quality product that perfectly meshed with the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the rumors, right! Anyway, move quickly! Expect a bonus!¡±

    After shouting, Kanya returned to her workshop.

    The news was ying on the TV that had been on all day.

    [ In Trick City, there¡¯s a craze for ¡®box decorating¡¯ right now. The ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹, which is more convenient than a drone, has already be a part of the lives of the people of Trick City¡­ ]

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    While Kanya was contentedly watching the news, suddenly:

    [ Breaking news. A murder has urred in C Section. A viin calling himself ¡®Void¡¯ has massacred a family and is on a rampage,mitting indiscriminate killings¡­ ]

    ¡°Why are there so many viins these days?¡±

    Since Raquel Dra, lunatics iming to be viins have been emerging frequently.

    But they don¡¯t understand.

    Raquel is not a mere viin. He is closer to an assassin. An assassin who eradicates the wicked.

    In fact, since Raquel¡¯s appearance, the cartels in D Section have beenying low.

    On the other hand, Valmant Manaology is growing rapidly. Thanks to the sess of ¡¸Death Eater¡¹ and the hit product ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹.

    Kanya isn¡¯t going to hoard all the money she¡¯s made. She will use more than 30% to develop the D Section.

    Because the people of D Section deserve to live. They shouldn¡¯t be despised just because they are from the lower ss.

    Kanya¡¯s ultimate goal is to eliminate the divisions of Sections in Trick City.

    To do that¡­ she needs Raquel Dra.

    * * *

    National University campus. The main building of the Knight¡¯s Faculty, first-floor hall.

    Today¡¯s lecture is a core subject, [ Knightly Virtues ].

    ¡°I ask the freshmen. What do you think constitutes the virtues of a knight?¡±

    About 150 students are seated in an ordinary ssroom, looking at the professor.

    Gerkhen raises his hand high.

    ¡°¡®To protect,¡¯ sir.¡±

    ¡°Correct. To protect. That¡¯s a textbook answer.¡±

    The professor¡¯s name is Zekrun. He¡¯s quite a renowned man. An honorary knight of the Parliamentary Knights and also the dean of the National University¡¯s Knight¡¯s Faculty.

    One of the people Theia Esil trusts but¡­

    Spoiler alert.

    He¡¯s actually a monster.

    A man who has had a monster¡¯s heart transnted to upgrade his magical conversion rate, and unnaturally increased his cardiovascr endurance, lung capacity, and physical strength, leading to a suspiciously sharp increase in his abilities in the middle of his career.

    Thus, there are quite a few monsters on this continent who do not show any signs on the outside.

    ¡°However, the duty of a knight is not limited to protection. Therefore, the virtues of a knight ultimatelye down to doing one¡¯s best in their assigned task¡ª their mission. Hence, I will evaluate your ability to carry out your missions.¡±

    Snap-

    With a flick of his fingers, the beam projector was activated.

    [ Knight Program: Frencer ]

    ¡°A Magic Space. From now on, you will be frencers and enter the job market. So, everyone should write their resumes. Identify your strengths and what you can do well.¡±

    Then, everyone turned on theirptops. I didn¡¯t have one. Fortunately, the person next to me, Soliette, did.

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate too much. There¡¯s a risk of taking on a task that¡¯s beyond your capabilities.¡±

    I nced at Soliette. She extended herptop to me.

    ¡°Shion, you write first. I¡¯ve never written a resume before.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Sure.¡±

    [ Shion Ascal ]

    [ Guide, treasure hunter, driver, bodyguard, etc¡­ I¡¯ve often been told from a young age that I¡¯m versatile. I can perform a variety of taskspetently. ]

    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Then Soliette took theptop back.

    [ Soliette ]

    [ Skilled in swordsmanship. Proficient withputers and talented in various games. Ranked in several FPS and RPG genres- ]

    ¡°Hey. Delete the game stuff.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Soliette looked puzzled.

    ¡°It¡¯s also a qualification.¡±

    ¡°Just delete it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Soliette looked displeased but soon pressed the backspace key rapidly.

    ¡°Submit within three minutes.¡±

    ¡­

    10 minutester.

    I immediately received my mission assignment. A text message of employmentpletion had arrived on my phone.

    But the content was somewhat grim.

    [ Mission Summary: External security at ¡®Silonti Tower¡¯ in Trick City¡¯s C Section ]

    [ Mission Details: External patrol until 6 PM ]

    [ There have been issues with perverts in Trick City recently. A viin named ¡®Void¡¯ is on the loose, so if you do not wish to ept, please send a cancetion text. ]

    ¡°A viin¡­?¡±

    It¡¯s just a normal building security job, but I even have to go directly to Trick City.

    ¡°Wait. Void?¡±

    I checked my smartphone for more information. There was a viin named ¡®Void¡¯.

    This guy is trash. Real trash.

    Originally, he was supposed to appear muchter, in about 3-4 years.

    ¡°Why is he showing up so early?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Suddenly, a response came back. It was Soliette.

    ¡°Oh, nothing. Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on bodyguard duty. What about you, Shion?¡±

    ¡°¡­Trick City.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That sounds interesting.¡±

    Soliette put herptop in her bag and asked.

    ¡°Shion. But, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I have something from Bethune this time¡­¡±

    She hesitated, seemingly having something to say, but eventually swallowed her words and shook her head.

    ¡°¡­Never mind. We¡¯ll talkter. After ss today. I¡¯m going up the mountain, so I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Alright. See youter.¡±

    I waved at her.

    ¡­

    Trick City C-15 Section. In front of the 39th floor of Silonti Tower. I am listening to the exnation from the head of security.

    ¡°The job is simple. Just do the external patrol. There¡¯s an event today, and with the viins acting uptely¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s not just me. Including Kain, there are about seven students from the national university, and around thirteen are from other prestigious universities.

    ¡°Anyway. There shouldn¡¯t be any incidents, but if you spot any suspicious individuals, report it immediately through the mic. We¡¯ll inform you of the patrol routes through your in-ear, so keep your earphones in.¡±

    I plugged in my earphones. Kain, standing beside me, looked at me and snickered.

    ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±

    ¡°Did Elise call you?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Elise and La stepped out of a limousine in front of Silonti Tower. As soon as they set foot on the ground, they spotted me.

    ¡°What the. It¡¯s Shion?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you here¡­¡­?¡±

    Elise frowned slightly upon seeing me.

    ¡°Look at that~ Obviously, Elly must have called him~¡±

    ¡°Shut up, really. Before I kill you. There are cameras here too.¡±

    La joked as usual, but Elise was more serious than ever.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Sorry.¡±

    La became speechless, and I asked them.

    ¡°Why are you guys here¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°We came here for a ss.¡±

    ¡°A ss?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Today¡¯s Department of Magic ss involves observing mana waves.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

    ¡°They say some strong mana waves will be observed here.¡±

    ¡°Right, right.¡±

    La also pointed to her backpack.

    ¡°We brought a lot of equipment with us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±

    Strangely, I had an ominous feeling.

    ¡°Look. Shion, do you know this? It¡¯s called the Buramata telescope. This thing is really expensive¡­¡­.¡±

    Watching La boast about her equipment as a monkey would about bananas, I had this feeling¡­

    A feeling that some viin would appear and cause chaos.

    For now, it¡¯s just a hunch.

    For now.

 Chapter 209: The Meaning of Villain (2)

    <strong>The Meaning of Viin (2)</strong>

    La had set up a telescope on the rooftop of the tower. Elise was checking her watch beside her.

    ¡°Elly. It looks like it¡¯s about to start.¡±

    The empty air viewed through the telescope was fluttering with colorful currents. It¡¯s a precursor to a mana wave.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m watching too.¡±

    Observing mana waves is quite an important event for mages. It¡¯s the collision that urs when the mana from outer space, carried by sr winds, intertwines with the continent¡¯s mana.

    It only happens at specific points on specific days.

    ¡°Let¡¯s measure the mana levels first.¡±

    Elise turned on the mana counter.

    Zzzzzzt©¤©¤©¤!

    The artifact sounded off loudly, almost like it was at a dungeon level.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s more than expected.¡±

    A bit flustered, but it¡¯s something that could happen.

    ¡°Elly. It¡¯s starting!¡±

    At La¡¯s words, Elise also peered into her telescope.

    ¡­¡­

    The silent movement of the mana currents. The mana that flowed in from an unknown extraterrestrial source was colliding with the continental mana in the atmosphere, creating a special wave.

    It¡¯s a mana wave.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±

    La eximed in pure admiration, but Elise¡¯s brow furrowed suddenly. A strange unease had arisen.

    The movement of the mana wave. The intermingling and undting form seemed unusual.

    It was as if it writhed like a living creature, gradually descending towards the ground¡­¡­

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Elise took her eyes off the telescope. She looked up at the sky with the naked eye.

    Pop- Pop-!

    Sparks embroidered the sky like firecrackers, over which a spider web-like mana wave was coalescing.

    ¡°Elly. What?¡±

    La asked nonchntly.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    The sky shed intensely. A strange purple light undted like a liquid.

    Pieces of that light, like tiny droplets, settled into Elise¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    She closed her left eye due to the sting.

    ¡°Elly, what?¡±

    La turned to look at her. Elise rubbed her eye and shook her head.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­ Let¡¯s write the report.¡±

    Unfortunately, there was no time for that.

    Aaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!

    It was because of the screams echoing from inside the tower.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤15 minutes earlier.

    I was patrolling the outside of the tower. Nothing particrly special or suspicious was happening. The sunshine was clear, and the breeze was warm.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    While leisurely patrolling the tower, I ran into Kain.

    He was the first to speak to me.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    Kain scanned me from head to toe.

    ¡°¡­Have you grown a bit?¡±

    ¡°So have you.¡±

    I¡¯ve grown a lot, but Kain has grown a little more too.

    This boar-like guy is probably about 2 to 3 centimeters taller than me now. He¡¯s over 2 meters tall.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. That little rat of a guy¡­¡±

    Kain nced at me, but didn¡¯t say much. He didn¡¯t seem to be picking a fight.

    I asked him.

    ¡°Hey. How¡¯s your family¡¯s business doing?¡±

    ¡°Huh. The rat¡¯s offspring is worried about our family. What a world we live in~¡±

    ¡°Talking a lot for someone who¡¯s lived 20 years. Then again, your face looks 50.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±

    Anyway, Kain is a mana stone tycoon.

    However, the future doesn¡¯t treat him too kindly. Although he can live off the mines he owns for a lifetime, the processing and distribution lines of mana stones are monopolized by Libra.

    He is destined to be subjugated to Libra for life.

    ¡°Hey. Aren¡¯t you interested in the Final Club? You¡¯ve been skipping all the school events.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not interested.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well. Not just anyone can join anyway.¡±

    It was while we were idly chatting.

    Crackle©¤©¤!

    A spark sound urred. Kain and I looked up at the sky. Magical forces were intertwining in the air.

    ¡°Ah. It must be the mana wave.¡±

    Kain muttered nonchntly, but I felt something more. Suddenly, the inside of the tower¡¯s windows turned pitch ck.

    A barrier had been formed.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I turned to enter the tower.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in!¡±

    Someone blocked me.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    There stood a mage in robes¡­

    ¡°A Magic Tower mage. This tower has been infected with a form.¡±

    He said this as he took off his robe. Kain recognized him first.

    ¡°¡­mage Benvele, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A famous mage. Known to Kain, and to me.

    ¡°I came to observe the mana wave and stumbled upon this¡­ Anyway. You absolutely must not enter. You can¡¯t get in because of the barrier, but that also means don¡¯t even touch it.¡±

    ¡°What in the world is happening¡­¡±

    Kain stared nkly at the tower. I examined it closely too.

    Something like tree roots had attached themselves to the previously intact tower entrance. Kain muttered in disgust.

    ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t that thing alive?¡±

    Thump-thump¡ª The pulsing of those things, as if they were living creatures, was quite grotesque. I turned to look at Benvele.

    ¡°¡­So. What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°Just wait. I will study this form and create an anti-viral form.¡±

    ¡°We might all be dead by then.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Do you think Elise and La will die? They¡¯re venomous.¡±

    Kain said that, but his face betrayed his anxiety. Benvele shook his head.

    ¡°¡­Then there¡¯s no helping it. Wait outside for now. It¡¯s better than going in there to die together.¡±

    Bang bang bang bang bang©¤©¤!

    The sound of someone pounding on the entrance door echoed.

    ©¤Please open the door! Inside, there¡¯s a strange monster! People are turning into monsters, ahhhh!

    I have seen a simr disaster before. In my timeline, it¡¯s a thing of the far future.

    ¡®Void¡¯.

    That damned biochemical form terror caused by that bastard.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I quietly hid myself in the back alley.

    I had to get inside.

    Because I knew how to neutralize his terror.

    * * *

    Elise came down from the rooftop. Many people and security guards were gathered in therge hall.

    ¡°Everyone, please calm down!¡±

    A child crying, parents holding their child, security trying to soothe them.

    Active knights looking around with weapons at their waists. And a few college students and mages who hade to observe the magical waves like herself.

    Elise looked out the window.

    It was pitch ck.

    The bizarre magical wave had just blocked off the inside and outside.

    ¡°Kuh.¡±

    Suddenly, she felt a pain in her eye socket. She clutched at it.

    ¡°You¡¯re Elise, right?¡±

    Suddenly, a knight approached her. He looked a bit timid.

    Elise squinted with one eye and looked at him.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Phew. I¡¯m called ¡®Rhine¡¯. I¡¯m an active senior knight. But it¡¯s a relief that there are quite a few mages here. Since this tower is well-equipped, we can research the form inside¡ª¡±

    ©¤©¤I will make an announcement.

    Suddenly, a strange voice echoed inside the tower.

    ©¤©¤I am ¡®Void¡¯.

    ¡°Void?!¡±

    La suddenly ground her teeth. Elise, enduring the pain near her eye, asked back.

    ¡°What. Do you know who that is?¡±

    ¡°That crazy viin! The bastard who murdered his whole family!¡±

    ©¤©¤Yes. I am ¡®Void¡¯.

    ¡°Gasp! He must be listening! You son of a bitch!!!¡±

    La red somewhere at the ceiling and shook her fist.

    ©¤©¤I, ¡®Void¡¯, have invented a biochemical form based on foreign mana, and today, I have achieved it.

    Biochemical form.

    Elise closed her eyes and then opened them again. She couldn¡¯t seem to focus properly.

    ©¤©¤Among you, there are countless humans infected with my miraculous form. This is an achievement that those Magic Tower fools could never aplish.

    Then, the knight who had just introduced himself as Rhine looked at Elise with a strange expression.

    Humans exposed to this magical wave will be reborn as beings from another world. These beings will infect other humans to proliferate their kind.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Rhine¡¯s pupils were bleakly colored. He quietly ced his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

    ©¤©¤The choice is yours. Die as humans, or live on as monsters¡­¡­

    ¡°Screw you, you murderer! Where the hell are you right now!¡±

    La cursed with furrowed brows, but

    Crackle©¤©¤

    The speaker had already been cut off.

    ¡°This crazy bastard! I¡¯ll catch you!!¡±

    ¡°La, that¡¯s not the problem right now.¡±

    Rhine, who had stopped her, gestured with his eyes towards Elise.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem then¡­¡­ Elly, Elly, what¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±

    Elise¡¯s condition was serious. Her eyelids had turned dark red, and the veins from her face to her neck were visibly inmed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    Swoosh©¤!

    Rhine drew his sword. Just as he was about to strike Elise¡¯s neck, La quickly blocked him.

    ng©¤©¤!

    La¡¯s bracelet shed with the knight¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡±

    ¡°He said it would turn us into beings from another world.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just believe that!¡±

    Groan©¤©¤©¤!

    Almost simultaneously, a human transformed into a grotesque creature. It was as if the human¡¯s skin and muscles had been stripped away, turning into something like a zombie.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s real.¡±

    La was flustered, and Rhine quickly raised his sword.

    ¡°We must kill it now!¡±

    ¡°Kill what!¡±

    ¡°This person is already infected! If someone with a lot of magical power turns like that, it¡¯ll be the worst!¡±

    Elise watched the fierce struggle between them. It was a fight to the death.

    Elise couldn¡¯t see well.

    Aaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!

    Her thoughts were intermittently cut off.

    Consciousness flickered in and out.

    Elise numbly let go of her body.

    Elly! Elly!

    She could hear La calling, but she couldn¡¯t focus her vision. Her head felt like it was about to split open. It was as ifrvae were crawling inside her eyelids¡­¡­

    Elise eventually closed her eyes again.

    ¡­¡­

    When Elise opened her eyes, she was lying on a bed in a furniture store in the tower¡¯s shopping mall.

    Elly! You¡¯re awake! Are you okay?!

    La was shouting something at her. Her voice didn¡¯te through clearly, as if her ears were blocked, but her face was urgent.

    Elly! How do you feel! Are you okay?!

    I don¡¯t know.

    Memories are noting back, thoughts are disconnected, and it¡¯s all very strange.

    Above all, I¡¯m tired.

    So very tired.

    I think I need to sleep a bit more.

    Elly! Elly!

    The voice seeped in like a faint echo.

    Elise closed her eyes again.

    ¡­¡­

    Elise opened her eyes. The ce was the same, but there were a few more people. They were sitting at a table with serious faces, seemingly discussing something.

    Elise strained her ears to listen.

    ¡°¡­¡­Rhine. That knight has gone mad. He keeps killing people.¡±

    It was La¡¯s voice. Across from her, a man dressed in security attire nced at Elise.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it right to kill the infected¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°We can wait until they¡¯ve turned into monsters before killing them.¡±

    At that moment, Elise btedly realized something.

    I¡¯ve been infected.

    By what?

    For starters, my head hurts. It feels like a hugerva is burrowing through my skull, eyes, nose, mouth, in between.

    Is this thing infecting me?

    Is it trying to break through my skull and consume me?

    ¡°¡­¡­Elly. I will definitely save you.¡±

    La stood up. Elise wanted to tell her not to go, but her mouth wouldn¡¯t open.

    Thud, thud, thud.

    Just then, a long walkie-talkie rolled under her bed. She nced at it.

    Crackle©¤©¤ Crackle©¤©¤

    It was making noise.

    Crackle©¤©¤ Crackle©¤©¤

    It was a noisy sound.

    Elise just closed her eyes.

    Sleep ising.

    So sleepy.

    Strangely, the pain is a bit fainter.

    It seems like a bad sign¡­¡­

    ©¤Hey. Can you hear me?

    ¡°?¡±

    A voice pierced her ears. It was as if her skull was being tapped with a baseball bat, her head vibrated, and her eyes opened wide.

    ©¤Can you hear me?

    Elise quickly turned to look at the walkie-talkie. She listened to the voiceing from it.

    ©¤Can¡¯t you hear?

    She forced her hand to reach out. She grabbed the antenna of the walkie-talkie, trembling as she lifted it.

    ¡°¡­¡­You. Kweh-ek.¡±

    As she tried to speak, a mouthful of blood spurted out.

    ©¤Oh. You can hear.

    Elise, with a dazed, vacant face, held the walkie-talkie to her ear.

    ¡°You¡­¡­ Shion?¡±

    ©¤Looks like you can hear me. Yeah. It¡¯s Shion.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤A signal from Shion in the future to you.

    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±

    ©¤Haha.

    He chuckled.

    ©¤Just kidding. Just checking if you¡¯re conscious.

    Elise swallowed. Her saliva tasted of blood.

    ¡°You¡­¡­ where.¡±

    ©¤I¡¯m outside. Can¡¯t get in right now because of the barrier. If we enter, we¡¯ll all get infected too.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then, suddenly, she became curious.

    Where did this walkie-talkiee from? How is it possible tomunicate with it?

    ©¤Anyway. Listen carefully. Use your maism.

    ¡°Maism, what are you talking about¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s hard enough to move my fingertips.

    ©¤Use an Artifact or something. Isn¡¯t there something like a ma nearby?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked around vacantly.

    There was a ma.

    ©¤Borrow from an external force. I think, right now, that infection isn¡¯t due to magic. It feels like there¡¯s some kind of worm crawling in your head, right?

    Yes. Right now, a worm is crawling inside my head.

    But how do you know so well?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    No wordse out.

    Elise just held onto the ma.

    ©¤Did you grab the ma?

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary ma. It had a mana core attached to the end.

    What is this?

    ©¤Put that on your head. Then, activate your magic power. Use maism to bind it in one ce, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.

    His voice was full of conviction. As if he hade from the future, as if he had experienced this once before.

    ¡­Wait, the future?

    ¡°Are you¡­ really Shion?¡±

    ©¤Of course, it¡¯s me. Elise. So hurry up and stick the ma to your head.

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    Click-

    Elise ced the ma against her temple. Then she exerted her magic power.

    Whiiiiing©¤©¤ Thump!

    Something felt like it stuck to her skull, a dull sensation.

    ©¤Did it work?

    ¡°¡­Guhhhhh!¡±

    Immense pain washed over her. Elise gasped for air and writhed.

    ¡°Ahh, ahhh¡­¡±

    ©¤Endure it! Keep the magic going. The pain means you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ©¤Don¡¯t close your eyes!

    Her eyelids, which were about to shut, snapped open.

    Elise took a deep breath.

    ©¤Keep going.

    ¡°¡­I got it.¡±

    ©¤Keep at it.

    ¡°I said I got it¡­¡±

    While feeling a crushing pain in her head and enduring it, Elise thought.

    ¡°Keep talking to me.¡±

    Just by his voice alone, she could tell who this person was.

    ¡°Keep going¡­¡±

    Just by his voice alone, it felt as if he was right there beside her.

    ©¤It¡¯s tough to keep going. Try to bear it alone for a bit.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Honestly, it was a bit annoying, but anyway.

    Just his voice was enough to calm her heart. Her body rxed, and she even managed a faint smile.

    With such a headache, his face came to mind.

    More clearly than anyone else.

    More certain than anything else¡­

    ©¤If it gets too hard, radio me. I¡¯ll keep responding.

    That¡¯s when Elise realized.

    She had to admit it to herself.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I understand.¡±

    She¡¯se to like this guy way too much.

    * * *

    ©¤Ugh. Guhhhh. Guhhhhhh.

    On the bed, Elise was letting out painful groans, yet she did not let the ma fall.

    It¡¯s a special ma that I enhanced with ¡¸Perion¡¹ and attached a mana core to. That should buy us enough time.

    ©¤Guhhhhhh¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Not too far away, I was watching through the SZX-9500.

    ¡°Hang in there. Even if it hurts. You¡¯re good at enduring, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ©¤¡­I got it. So be quiet for a bit. It¡¯s annoying when you tell someone who¡¯s already enduring to endure.

    ¡°You were the one who asked me to keep talking earlier. Don¡¯t be a baby.¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s not being a baby¡­ Guhhhhhh.

    I chuckled and slipped the radio back into my pocket.

    Like this, I am also somehow inside the same tower as him. I entered by making a small incision in the corridor¡¯s barrier with the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹.

    However, what I must do now must not be traced back to Shion Ascal.

    It might be a bit gruesome, and it might be excessively righteous.

    The identity for that purpose is already prepared.

    I looked at the full-length mirror in the furniture store.

    The face reflected within is no longer Shion Ascal.

    A viin wearing a hockey mask©¤ ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯.

    ¡°¡®Void¡¯¡­¡±

    Whether in the past or now, a mad lunatic with a penchant for insane acts of terror.

    A cancerous growth without any value or reason to exist on this continent.

    He is under some grand delusion.

    A viin is not a viin simply because they do viinous things. Nor are they a viin because they massacre civilians.

    A viin is a viin because they are powerful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put you down 10 years early.¡±

    Because if you¡¯re not strong, you¡¯ll be devoured before you can even assert your existence¡­

 Chapter 210: The Meaning of Villain (3)

    <strong>The Meaning of Viin (3)</strong>

    ©¤©¤36 hours have passed since the form was deployed. Now, I will announce the number of infected humans and those who are not.

    The 13th floor of the Silonti Tower.

    I am searching the interior where Void¡¯s broadcast is echoing.

    The closer I got to the first floor, which was heavily popted, the more it resembled hell.

    ©¤©¤Once one side reaches zero, the barrier will be lifted.

    Literally all day long, the screams of people and the roars of the infected resound. It¡¯s a situation that is almost unbearable for anyone.

    ©¤©¤Infected: 6,753 entities.

    I am tracking Void¡¯s trail with the SZX-9500 as much as I can.

    Where on earth is he hiding?

    ©¤©¤Humans: 1,357 entities. Quite a few are still alive.

    I¡¯ve searched thoroughly from the first to the twelfth floor, but I haven¡¯t found Void, and there are still 28 floors left. It¡¯s unnecessarilyrge¡ª

    Crash©¤©¤

    Amidst the silence of the 13th floor, a sudden loud crashing noise. I turned to look in that direction.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one.

    The infected that filled the floor also turned their gaze there.

    Grrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    ¡°Ye, Yeri!¡±

    Then a man¡¯s voice echoed.

    ¡°Uh, ughhhhh¡­.¡±

    A child had fallen. The father hurriedly ran to embrace the child, but it was already toote.

    Dozens of infected had already dashed to that spot.

    The father and child would be torn apart.

    And I¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­

    Should I have gone out today?

    Should I have left Yeri at home?

    Jackson held the child in his arms. Gasping for breath in extreme fear, he did not let go of the child¡¯s heartbeat he felt against his chest.

    Grrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!

    As he saw the infected rushing towards him after he had fallen, a flurry of thoughts shed through the father¡¯s mind.

    The kids¡¯ cafe.

    Yeri liked the kids¡¯ cafe, and he had wanted to let her y there.

    To bounce around, eat desserts, that¡¯s all he had wanted to do.

    Jackson held Yeri tightly.

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s okay. Yeri.¡±

    If they were to die like this, at least it wouldn¡¯t be the worst.

    It¡¯s much better than dying separately.

    Jackson had found Yeri, who had been hiding somewhere in the kids¡¯ cafe, and they hade out together to escape.

    In such a hellish situation, he had seen the child who simply smiled as if she had been saved by the world just by meeting her father.

    If he could die instead of Yeri, he would wish to, but if not, being together on this path was the father¡¯s role¡­¡­

    Thump©¤! Thump©¤! Thump©¤!

    ¡°Ughhhhh¡­.¡±

    Whileforting Yeri, who was crying in his arms, Jackson closed his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. It¡¯ll be alright¡­¡­¡±

    And so he waited.

    For death or infection, whatever it may be.

    But no matter how long he waited, it was silent.

    Or had he already died?

    In the midst of the unknown, as Jackson was tilting his head in confusion.

    Crash©¤©¤©¤!

    A sound of something being torn apart echoed. Hot liquid and cold flesh poured all over his body.

    ¡°Kuh-huh.¡±

    Jackson gasped for breath and opened his eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Blood and gore were scattered all around. Jackson took in heavy breaths as he looked at the scene.

    A man stood there.

    Across from him, where he presumably saved Jackson, countless infected still swarmed.

    ©¤Cover the child¡¯s eyes.

    The voice was heavy and deep, as if modted. A hockey mask covered the face.

    Jackson knew who he was.

    No, if one is from Trick City, they couldn¡¯t possibly not know.

    They must not be ignorant.

    The Avenger©¤©¤ Raquel Dra.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    While Jackson stared in disbelief, the man waved his hand in the air.

    It was just once.

    With azy gesture, as if shooing away a fly, he swished his hand.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    A tremendous gale arose. The wind took the form of a de and surged forward.

    Fwshhhhh!

    The bodies of the infected were sliced as if by a blender. Corpses burst like pus. Remnants squelched as they settled down.

    Jackson covered the child¡¯s eyes with both hands.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He stared at Raquel Dra, almost in a trance, as if his mind had drifted and scorched.

    ©¤¡­¡­

    The man looked back at him.

    No, more precisely, he looked at the child in his arms.

    The little one had already fainted.

    But it seemed necessary to inform him.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive, she¡¯s just asleep¡­¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Raquel lifted his head. He said nothing. Instead, he took out a wand from his waist and waved it slightly.

    Swoosh-

    A breeze arose. It was a gentle current. It swept away the corpses clinging to the father and child.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Jackson didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He was the most infamous viin in Trick City. A terrorist who killed respected sages, assassinated entrepreneurs, and terrorized the wealthy, indiscriminately of ss, personality, wealth, gender, or age.

    And he had helped Jackson.

    ©¤7th floor. There are survivors there.

    Leaving those words behind, Jackson watched the man¡¯s retreating figure, walking step by step.

    It was only after he had disappeared that Jackson finally found his voice.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡±

    * * *

    People who are directly infected by the foreign magic power turn into monsters. These monsters bite others, infecting them in the same way.

    That was all La had found out in two days.

    Ideas like researching the form to dismantle it or finding a way to detoxify were far tooplex for La, who was more skilled in technical aspects than theory.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shh.¡±

    Anyway, this was a corner on the 10th floor of the infected tower.

    La turned around and put a finger to her lips. The group following her nodded with tense faces.

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to grab food and get out. Quietly. We can¡¯t get caught.¡±

    The tower had a total of 39 floors. It was sorge that survivors were hiding everywhere, but there was a problematic person.

    It was ¡®Rhine¡¯.

    An active knight, he had taken over the most crucial 10th-floor food center and was ughtering people. If he saw even a hint of infection, he would cut off their heads.

    ¡°Slowly. Pack without making noise. There¡¯s no sign of patrol.¡±

    La and her group packed cans of food and other items into baskets. It was fortunate that the food center was incredibly spacious.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡±

    Dozens of cans of food and water. The variety of the menu wascking, but this was enough tost for a couple of days.

    Stealthily©¤ stealthily©¤

    They returned to the emergency staircase.

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    La wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and sighed with relief.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    The security guard asked. La nced at her group.

    One security guard, one department store cashier, one cleaner, one high school student. These four were relying too heavily on her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s go back to our ce for now.¡±

    The 7th floor. A floor lined with furniture and electronics stores. That was where La¡¯s group had their hideout.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±

    La pondered as she descended the stairs.

    The incident was too big for La to handle. They still didn¡¯t know who the main culprit ¡®Void¡¯ was, and thousands of people were trapped here, killing each other even when cooperation was desperately needed.

    Should she reveal herself as ¡®M¡¯?

    If it was to protect Elly, she could prepare herself for that much.

    But¡­¡­ then she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the promise she made with her father.

    A hero is no longer a hero the moment they reveal their identity.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Arriving on the 7th floor, La¡¯s eyes widened as she saw something.

    ¡°Elly!¡±

    Elly was sitting up.

    ¡°Elly! Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She nodded her head, albeit with a pale face.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°How, how did you? What¡¯s that ma?¡±

    Elise was in a bit of a strange state. She had wrapped a bandage around her head, and attached to that bandage was a ma, as if she had intentionally ced it there.

    ¡°I¡¯ve contained the foreign form with my maism.¡±

    ¡°Contained?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There are bugs crawling around in my head. This foreign form itself has be a living entity.¡±

    Gasp- Gulp- The others in the group let out sounds of rm.

    ¡°Then, what should we do?¡±

    La asked urgently. Elise continued, breathing heavily.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re in the tower. There should be plenty of useful items¡­ First, we need to find the ¡®core¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The core?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need a microscope, a mana stone solution, and various other experimental tools. I¡¯m going to analyze it visually and write a dismantling form.¡±

    ¡°¡­Elly. Can you do it in that condition?¡±

    Elise nodded her head.

    ¡°I can bear it.¡±

    ¡°Then. How do we get the core?¡±

    ¡°¡­The source of the form. It must be somewhere in this tower.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Bodies were strewn about. People whose entire bodies had turned into purple tentacles iling about like zombies, or those who had been killed before they could mutate.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    The group asked her.

    ¡°¡­Protect Elly here in the Magic Space. We don¡¯t know when that knight Rhine wille again. Elly is our only hope.¡±

    They nodded with very stiff faces.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we can protect her, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Contact me immediately if anything happens.¡±

    La tapped a small walkie-talkie. It was something she had brought from the electronics store on the 5th floor.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Do you have water?¡±

    Elise asked the group. The security guard hurriedly opened a bottle and handed it to her.

    ¡°Elly. I¡¯ll be back. I have someone to talk to.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. Be careful.¡±

    * * *

    La went back up to the 10th floor. In the center of the food corner, there was a space barricaded with counters.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    After taking a deep breath, La walked steadily forward. People armed with scythes, knives, and harpoons red at her from the entrance.

    ¡°¡­Stop.¡±

    ¡°I need to speak with the person in charge here.¡±

    ¡°Whether you¡¯re infected or not-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not infected. Can¡¯t you tell?!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. You look infected just by your face.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s alright.¡±

    A voice came from behind. Then, a knight walked out steadily.

    Rhine.

    His eyes were cold and dry, and he had killed hundreds of people in just one day.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Rhine asked. La took a deep breath and said,

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it.¡±

    ¡°Found it?¡±

    La nodded confidently.

    ¡°Yes. Elise figured it out.¡±

    Rhine furrowed his brow.

    ¡°¡­I told you. That person is infected.¡±

    ¡°She overcame it herself. I told you, it¡¯s possible to ovee.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Rhine¡¯s eyes wavered, but he quickly shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°It only looks like she¡¯s ovee it. Elise is a human with exceptional magical abilities, so she might be able to withstand it for a while. But soon, she¡¯ll be a monster. A worse monster than any ordinary person.¡±

    Rhine¡¯s hand rested on the sword at his waist.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you we found a way?!¡±

    La was horrified. What kind of person is this? Completely stubborn.

    ¡°People are turning into monsters because of something like a magical life form? Anyway, something like that is getting into their heads.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve found a method too.¡±

    La was startled. She nced around and asked cautiously.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s simple. We kill all the infected people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, seriously!¡±

    La crossed her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. ¡®Void¡¯ said so. You heard it too, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The one who trapped us here. You trust what that person says?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Who else is going to rescue us from outside? Two days have already passed. This mess happened at the Silonti Tower in the middle of C Section. What is the country doing?¡±

    Rhine¡¯s eyes widened. Blood seemed ready to flow from his bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Shall I tell you? The people outside are afraid of the infection too. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve abandoned us. They¡¯re afraid that if the tower¡¯s doors open, the infection will leak out.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La bit her lip. Rhine growled as he continued.

    ¡°Edsi, Trick City, they won¡¯t help us. Not until we inside solve the problem.¡±

    Then he stepped aside. He gestured with his chin for La to enter the barricade.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Me?¡±

    La was slightly taken aback.

    ¡°Yes. Come inside. You¡¯re not infected, are you?¡±

    Rhine gestured for her toe in. La hesitantly stepped forward.

    ¡°¡­There are a lot of people.¡±

    There were many people. It looked to be about five hundred.

    There were couples, lovers, friends, and children. Each face trembled with unease.

    ¡°La. There are 7,000 infected. If webine our strength, we can certainly kill them. And¡­¡±

    Rhine paused for a moment. Then he gestured to a child.

    ¡°This is¡­ to make matters worse.¡±

    ¡°Why this child?¡±

    La looked at the child. He appeared to be a boy about 12 years old.

    Rhine ced his hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Tell us what you saw.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The child looked up at La.

    ¡°Hello. You¡¯re La Hilton, right? From the National University¡¯s Department of Magic Studies.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? Oh, um¡­ yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The child, who seemed mature for his age, pointed to her ear.

    Did he want to whisper something?

    As La leaned down, the child whispered into her ear.

    ¡­Here, ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ is present.

    La¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°¡­What, what did you say?!¡±

    ¡°Shh. Please be quiet. People are getting anxious.¡±

    The child ced a finger over his lips. La turned to look at Rhine. Her expression was grave, as if to confirm the truth of the child¡¯s words.

    ¡°You. Are you telling the truth? If you¡¯re lying, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±

    ¡°I saw it with my own two eyes.¡±

    La bit her nails without realizing it.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the office.¡±

    The child led La to an office that was separated even within the barricade.

    He opened aptop and plugged in a USB drive.

    ¡°I brought a USB with CCTV footage from the security room¡­¡±

    Click- Enter.

    Then, the CCTV footage began to y on the screen. La¡¯s face turned to one of horror as she watched.

    ¡°This person. It¡¯s Raquel Dra, right?¡±

    A hockey mask. A robust physique. It was definitely Raquel Dra.

    However, what was more shocking to La was the location shown in the CCTV footage.

    ¡°This is¡­ the 7th floor.¡±

    Raquel Dra was standing in the middle of the 7th floor, La¡¯s residence. Moreover, he was intently staring at something.

    Precisely, the ¡®furniture store¡¯.

    That is, the ce where La had been staying.

    ¡°¡­La. Raquel Dra was watching you.¡±

    Rhine murmured softly. La¡¯s body shuddered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason yet, but the most likely hypothesis is¡­¡±

    As La continued to stare at the CCTV screen, Rhine casually confirmed his suspicion.

    ¡°You might be the next target of ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯.¡±

    La clenched her fists tightly.

    ¡°After the entrepreneur from B Section, the only daughter of the Hilton family. It fits well enough.¡±

    She bowed her head as she listened to Rhine¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­So join forces with us-¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    She cut him off.

    It doesn¡¯t matter. Whether Raquel Draes or not.

    No, it would be better if he dide. Then I can smash him myself.

    ¡°Let hime if he dares.¡±

    A snicker- the sound of the child¡¯sughter rose. La looked at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re cool.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve always been a bit like that.¡±

    La shrugged nonchntly in response.

 Chapter 211: The Meaning of Villain (4)

    <strong>The Meaning of Viin (4)</strong>

    La mulled over it.

    She was agonized.

    Tormented.

    If Raquel Dra is indeed targeting her, what should she do in such a situation?

    Although she always wore the M suit beneath her clothes¡­ it was an emergency suit, so its performance wasn¡¯t outstanding.

    She couldn¡¯t guarantee victory.

    ¡°¡­What are you going to do?¡±

    The child asked. La nced at him.

    ¡°What did you say your name was?¡±

    ¡°Divo.¡±

    ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Ten.¡±

    ¡°¡­Impressive.¡±

    Ten years old.

    When she was ten, all she had were memories of sulking because her dad was too busy inventing things rather than ying with her.

    La turned to Rhine.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to Elly first. I can¡¯tpromise on Elly.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for your safety as well.¡±

    La¡¯s gaze sharpened.

    ¡°Elly is the daughter of Petra Senator. If you don¡¯t want to get out of here safely only to die a dog¡¯s deathter, listen to me.¡±

    Her voice was low and heavy. However, Rhine couldn¡¯t really refute her words.

    Rhine sighed.

    ¡°Understood. But remember, if Elise bes infected¡­ we all won¡¯t be able to handle it, and in the end, we¡¯ll have to.¡±

    He paused, then pointed at theptop screen.

    ¡°¡­Join forces with Raquel Dra.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do whatever you want. It¡¯s the same as selling your soul to the devil.¡±

    La retorted sharply and tried to leave, but Rhine blocked her way.

    ¡°What now? Why are you blocking the way?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go out.¡±

    ¡°Then what-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯llmunicate through the walkie-talkie.¡±

    Rhine pointed at La¡¯s waist. There was a walkie-talkie as big as arge rhinoceros beetle.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re making thingsplicated. Fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Divo looked up at La with a smile.

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel safe with you here, La. You¡¯ll protect us.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    La pouted her lips for no reason. She then set her expression firmly and turned back to Rhine.

    ¡°But, as long as I¡¯m here, don¡¯t you dare touch Elly.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I promise.¡±

    Rhine nodded as he sheathed his sword.

    * * *

    The outbreak of Void¡¯s infection.

    This incident was supposed to happen far in the future before I regressed.

    I still don¡¯t understand why things have be so twisted, but anyway.

    I searched through the excessivelyrge tower, one floor after another. Swarms of infected were the obstacles.

    After patrolling and hunting for over a dozen hours, finally.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s something suspicious here.¡±

    I discovered a ce with a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

    The 23rd floor. It was decorated like a theme park. There was a house of phantoms, some sort of railroad track, and caves.

    I activated the SZX-9500.

    Inside the house of phantoms, a strange magical power was detected. It writhed like a living creature. It was the ¡®source.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it.¡±

    I picked up the radio.

    ¡°Elise. Can you hear me?¡±

    ©¤¡­Yes, I can hear you.

    Her voice was still soaked with pain, but it seemed she had regained some of her senses.

    ¡°I¡¯ve investigated the internal magical fluctuations from outside. There¡¯s an unusual wave on the 23rd floor?¡±

    ©¤¡­Really?

    Elise answered with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ©¤Okay then¡­

    Multiple voices came through the radio. They were civilians. They were all asking with an excited tone if support wasing from outside.

    There would probably be a lot of support.

    Mostly from the ¡®military,¡¯ though.

    ©¤¡­I¡¯ll pass it on to La.

    This infection outbreak wasn¡¯t resolved in my past life either.

    The military and the knights were dispatched, and they killed all the infected. People who held out like Elise eventually died too, as the foreign lifeforms burrowed into their brains.

    Of course, Elise is an exceptional case.

    She managed to restrain the foreign lifeform from scrambling her brain with her own power.

    ©¤Shion.

    Suddenly, Elise spoke.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ©¤©¤Uh¡­ just¡­ no, never mind.

    Her voicecked strength. She waspletely different from her usual confident self.

    ¡°Just hang in there.¡±

    I cut off themunication.

    Now, I n to hide here for a while.

    Void will surely return to the scene.

    * * *

    ¡°23rd floor?!¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    As soon as La received the transmission, she jumped up excitedly.

    ¡°Okay! Hey! We¡¯ve got contact from outside!¡±

    She immediately told Divo. Divo looked surprised, and Rhine was skeptical.

    ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be. It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Impossible my ass!¡±

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a hallucination, that could be possible.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Anyway, let¡¯s just go check out the 23rd floor. Elly is a genius, you know? She¡¯ll definitely be able to dismantle the form. Oh, wait a minute. Elly!¡±

    La spoke into the radio.

    ¡°Do we need anything? Tell us everything you need!¡±

    ©¤¡­Microscope. Mana stone solution. Paper. Magic detector. Mana Analyzer.

    ¡°Okay. Got it.¡±

    La wrote down the list of items on Divo¡¯sptop.

    ¡°Get these for us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Rhine silently looked somewhere else for a moment, then quietly nodded.

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll call someone to bring them over.¡±

    ¡°We need to bring Elly too.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Surprisinglypliant. It seems like there might be some ulterior motive.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve said it. If anyone dares to harm Elly¡ª¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. If there¡¯s support from outside, there¡¯s no need for me to do that. If the support is real, that is.¡±

    The words were loaded with meaning, but now they had to trust each other. Fighting and doubting each other wouldn¡¯t solve anything.

    La ryed the message to Elise.

    ¡°Elly. We¡¯reing to you now.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    That¡¯s when Divo raised his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re just a kid. Stay here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle magic, so I can be of help. I can assist Ms. Elise.¡±

    Divo was unusually confident. La looked puzzled and turned to Rhine.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. This child has been quite helpful to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Still feeling a bit uneasy, but well.

    ¡°Alright. But don¡¯t you dare get in the way.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to risk a brave child unnecessarily. Eachbatant is important, after all.

    * * *

    On the 7th floor, La met up with Elise and her group. But there were people she hadn¡¯t seen before on the bed: a man and a child.

    ¡°¡­Who is that person?¡±

    La asked who they were. Elise answered.

    ¡°The man is Mr. Jackson. The girl is Yeri. They copsed from exhaustion as soon as they arrived, so we let them rest.¡±

    ¡°Survivors¡­¡±

    ¡°Are they not infected?¡±

    Rhine furrowed his brow and examined them closely. La pushed him lightly.

    ¡°Ease up, will you!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Rhine silently red at her. La yfully touched Elly¡¯s cheeks with both hands.

    ¡°Elly. Can you make it up to the 23rd floor? Your cheeks are so warm. You have a fever¡­ You¡¯re like a hot bun.¡±

    ¡°¡­Let go.¡±

    ¡°Why are you wearing a hat?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    It was to cover the mas stuck to her head. No matter how bad her condition was, it looked too ridiculous.

    ¡°Elly¡­¡±

    ¡°I said let go.¡±

    Elise swatted La¡¯s hand away and alternated her gaze between Rhine and Divo.

    ¡°¡­Why is the child here?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a smart kid. He knows how to use magic spells. Really clever. He wants to be your assistant.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise looked a bit perplexed but didn¡¯t want to think too much about it. It was that kind of situation.

    ¡°Are you really okay?¡±

    Divo looked at her as if he was amazed. Elise, with a headache, furrowed her brow and said,

    ¡°Okay? What do you mean okay¡­ Let¡¯s just go to the 23rd floor.¡±

    * * *

    Elise, La, Rhine, Divo, and four other escorts, along with a cart full of items for form analysis.

    The eight of them arrived at the 23rd floor together. Of course, they encountered countless infected bodies on the way up. Those who were once human perished by Rhine¡¯s sword, and were knocked unconscious by La¡¯s Magic Spell.

    La couldn¡¯t bring herself to kill them.

    Rhine looked at her with eyes full of frustration, but in truth, no one was more frustrated than La herself.

    Because there might be a way to turn them back into humans¡­

    ¡°It looks like that¡¯s the ce.¡±

    Elise pointed to the house of the phantom. A chilling aura was detected inside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Mr. Rhine? Please lead the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­La, if infectede from behind, please make sure to double-check they¡¯re down.¡±

    They slowly made their way inside, on guard for any potential ambush by infected.

    Slowly, ever so slowly.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    Elise asionally groaned, and Rhine watched with an ominous expression for 10 minutes.

    Finally, they arrived at the ¡®source¡¯.

    ¡°This seems to be it.¡±

    There was a huge magic spell on the floor. It writhed in a blood-red hue, alive like an octopus.

    Elise swallowed hard at the sight of it.

    ¡°Get the items ready. I¡¯ll do some research.¡±

    ¡°Should we deactivate the barrier first?¡±

    Rhine asked. Elise shook her head.

    ¡°¡­No. We need to find a way to stop this infection first. We can¡¯t go outside yet.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, you think the same as I do.¡±

    Rhine let out a sigh of relief and chimed in.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we reverse-engineer the form and emit a wave that kills all the infected?¡±

    ¡°Why would you kill them all!¡±

    La interjected hastily. Rhine¡¯s eyebrows shot up.

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°We have to separate the infected from it! Elly! Can we do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Easier said than done.¡±

    Elise was clenching her teeth due to the increasing pain when suddenly,

    Thud©¤

    Heavy footstepsnded from somewhere.

    ¡°¡­What was that. Who was it just now?¡±

    La tilted her head in confusion. She looked around swiftly. The house of the phantom was quite dark, so only silhouettes were barely visible.

    Instead, La counted the number of silhouettes.

    One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight¡­ nine.

    ¡°¡­Why are there nine?¡±

    The moment La said that,

    Sssshing©¤©¤!

    Rhine drew his sword and aimed in that direction. La also quickly ignited a me.

    Whoosh!

    The zing fire illuminated the darkness. Among La¡¯s group, a figure that seemed to press down the darkness like a shadow stood there.

    The viin with a hockey mask.

    Raquel Dra.

    ¡°You©¤©¤!¡±

    La was about to unleash her magic power when she hesitated. Raquel Dra was standing right behind a small child.

    It was ¡®Divo¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Divo!¡±

    ¡°La, calm down.¡±

    Rhine swallowed hard, his magic body summoned as he kept his sword pointed at Raquel.

    Raquel ced his hands on Divo¡¯s shoulders, as if to take him hostage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡±

    La shouted loudly. Elise, suffering from a headache, looked at Raquel Dra but couldn¡¯t focus properly.

    ¡°Let the child go. Take me as your hostage instead. You came here because of me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    She extended her hand as she spoke.

    The man showed little reaction.

    ¡°¡­You bastard! Let the kid go!!¡±

    Then, Divo looked up at Raquel Dra and whispered very softly, a voice only the two of them could hear.

    ¡­I know.

    Raquel¡¯s gaze shifted slightly downward. He looked straight at Divo.

    ¡­That you won¡¯t kill me.

    Divo wore a smile-like expression.

    From within the hockey mask, a heavy bass voice settled.

    ©¤You¡¯ve seen.

    ¡­Yes. You saved a child. You must have your own convictions, like me.

    Raquel Dra remained silent.

    In the eerily quiet house of the phantom, La¡¯s skin prickled, and her hair stood on end.

    Divo continued slowly.

    ¡­I¡¯ve brought the person you want. We can work together.

    ©¤The person I want?

    Divo nced down at La.

    Raquel Dra would want to kill La. If the only daughter of the Hilton family were taken out, it would cause immense chaos in Trick City.

    At least, that¡¯s what Divo believed.

    As a fellow viin.

    ¡­I also know who you are. I¡¯ve tried anagrams too, haven¡¯t I? Right, ¡®Dale¡¯?

    Divo.

    It is Void (Void).

    ¡­I also know who you are. I¡¯ve tried anagrams too, haven¡¯t I? Right, ¡®Dale¡¯?

    ©¤That¡¯s right.

    Raquel Dra turned Divo around to face him. Divo looked up at him with a smile, and he whispered something very quietly©¤©¤

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    In an instant, Divo¡¯s rxed expression changed. His eyes filled with horror. His skin turned rigid with cold.

    ¡°Oh, no!

    Divo turned around, shouting loudly and reaching out to La.

    ¡°Save me, please save me!! Save me©¤©¤!!!!¡±

    ¡°Divo!¡±

    La tried to rush to him, but

    ©¤©¤!

    Raquel was quicker and detonated a Gale.

    Divo copsed in an instant.

    The small body fell powerlessly backward.

    That image was seared onto La¡¯s retina.

    ¡°Ah¡­ you son of a bitch¡ª!¡±

    Raquel Dra drew his wand. He swung it at La as she charged at him.

    Wham©¤©¤©¤!

    A massive current of air pressed down on her. Rhine extended his sword, but Raquel¡¯s Gale de pierced his heart first.

    ¡°¡­R, Rhine!¡±

    La watched Rhine fall like a leaf, sprawled on the ground.

    ¡°Kuh, kuhhh!!¡±

    She struggled with all her might. But the pressure of dozens of tons pinned her down.

    She couldn¡¯t breathe. Not a single fingertip could move. Even the ¡®Suit¡¯ couldn¡¯t be activated¡­ The fate of the remaining guards was self-evident.

    They didn¡¯t dare to defy him and could only kneel.

    Life is precious, after all.

    Thest one standing, Elise, red at Raquel Dra.

    ¡°¡­You.¡±

    ©¤Disengage the barrier.

    ¡°No. The infection will spread. We need to find a form that can detoxify the infection first¡ª¡±

    ©¤There is no such thing. This isn¡¯t poison. Those who are infected have already be one with the foreign life form and can never return to their former selves.

    Elise¡¯s gaze wavered.

    ©¤But you are not yet. The foreign magic entity in your head is still clinging to you. It hasn¡¯t burrowed into your brain yet.

    Raquel Dra¡¯s diagnosis was very fast.

    Did he understand his condition just by ncing at it?

    ©¤It¡¯s just a matter of time. You don¡¯t have much time left.

    ¡°¡­Then? What¡¯s the way? How can I survive?¡±

    ©¤By drilling into the skull and directly extracting the extraterrestrial life form. Delicate surgery is required. For that, you must open the barrier.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise¡¯s gaze dropped. She looked at La cautiously.

    ¡°Eugh¡­ keugh¡­¡±

    She doesn¡¯t seem to have any leisure. Not even a little bit.

    Elise knew the magical form Raquel Dra used to subdue La. It gathered a current to momentarily disrupt the opponent¡¯s movements.

    A very simple ¡¸Flow Maniption¡¹.

    However, the form, which was merely ¡¸Flow Maniption¡¹, was iprehensibly powerful. Its output and performance were immense, far surpassing that of ordinary magic.

    Simply put©¤©¤

    There was a severe difference in ss.

    Raquel Dra was no ordinary mage.

    Certainly, Elise as she was now could notpete.

    No, even a top-ranked mage active in the field would find it impossible.

    ©¤There is no time to hesitate.

    Elise surveyed her surroundings.

    Divo, copsed. La, sprawled on the ground, growling like an animal. Rhine, bleeding out and dying. The others, kneeling and looking only at her, begging with their eyes for her to do as Raquel Dra said.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    Elise sighed. She faced Raquel Dra, and although she couldn¡¯t see his eyes because of the hockey mask, she spoke.

    ¡°¡­Promise me. If I open the barrier, you will spare the others.¡±

    Raquel Dra nodded as if he had been waiting for her to say that.

    ©¤©¤I promise.

 Chapter 212: Gambling Venue (1)

    <strong>Gambling Venue (1)</strong>

    Before I regressed, Void had evaded capture for quite some time, slipping through the trackingworks. The reason was surprisingly simple.

    Because he appeared as a ¡®child.¡¯

    The least suspected and most protected entity in human society.

    I looked down at the child sprawled on the ground. Void was already dead. I had killed him.

    But I had learned something new.

    That ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ was the reason for the eleration of his activities.

    This being, childlike in thought as well as appearance, had wanted to join forces with me and hade to me willingly.

    For me, it was an easy task.

    All I had to do was kill him.

    Crackle©¤ Fizz©¤©¤!

    Magic sparked like electricity. I looked in that direction. Elise was in the midst of reverse-engineering the form to dismantle the barrier.

    Meanwhile, La had stopped resisting. She had stiffened up like a fish that had been out of water for too long.

    It wasn¡¯t a voluntary stop; she was almost in a state of unconsciousness.

    She had exhausted herself trying to break free from captivity by activating her magic body, struggling, screaming, and thrashing about.

    I nced at the wand in my hand.

    The efficiency of these magic spells, astonishing even to me, was due not only to the power of my own magic but also to this wand that Akane had given me as a reward.

    I had infused the wand with ¡¸Perion¡¹.¡¯

    Its performance had been upgraded.

    Crackle¡ª Fizz¡ª¡ª.

    Just then, the sparking stopped. I looked at Elise. A chunk of mana had formed in the center of the foreign form.

    The reverse-engineering was almostplete.

    I spoke to her.

    ©¤Activate it.

    Elise red at me. Her gaze was somewhat venomous.

    ¡°¡­Void is still alive. We don¡¯t know what will happen if the barrier is dismantled.¡±

    ©¤No. Void is dead.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Elise furrowed her brow. I added another line.

    ©¤I killed him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise looked somewhat perplexed but then looked back at the fallen Void.

    ¡°There was no need to kill even a child.¡±

    Void was human. Not a monster. He was just like a child. No matter what kind of examination was done, autopsy or otherwise, he would be measured as a 10-year-old child.

    His mysterious identity had caused much debate in the academic world.

    Some said it was Void¡¯s ¡¸Spectrum¡¹, while others imed that Void itself was an extraterrestrial life form that had learned from humans.

    I extended a finger towards the corpse of Void.

    ©¤That¡¯s Void.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise still seemed skeptical.

    She simply connected her magic to the reverse-engineering form. Arge chunk of mana coalesced at the center of the form, writhing like a living creature.

    Suddenly, Elise red in my direction.

    Her gaze wasced with murderous intent.

    At that moment, I formed ¡¸Premium Protection¡¹.

    Magic flowed from the tip of my wand, wrapping around my entire body,

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The form exploded.

    Void¡¯s foreign form was engulfed in mes, but there was still one more step remaining. Elise had set up an offensive form artificially. Itshed out sharply like aser.

    Chang©¤©¤!

    It sounded like metals shing against each other.

    My ¡¸Protection¡¹ blocked it cleanly. Elise¡¯s expression was painted with shock.

    Soon, the dark outside the window opened up to a blinding white.

    ©¤©¤Stop! Do not move a step, survivors inside! Stay right where you are!

    Outside, where the barrier had been dismantled, the army was indeed full. I quietly stepped back, blending into the darkness.

    * * *

    Situation concluded.

    The infection form was sessfully dismantled by Elise, and the whereabouts of the terrorist Void remained unknown.

    The army had killed all the infected, and those who were infected but still within the golden time were taken care of by Elise.

    She had postponed her own surgery to thest, helping other infected individuals by using ¡®maism¡¯ to attract and remove the parasiticrvae.

    27 lives were saved that way.

    As Raquel Dra had said, there was no way to save those who hadpletely mutated into infected beings, but those from whom the parasiticrvae were removed survived intact.

    [¡­Furthermore, discussions are still ongoing as to whether ¡®Raquel Dra,¡¯ who was witnessed on the scene, is an aplice or the mastermind.]

    Elise was thest to undergo surgery. When she woke up, a day had already passed.

    [The confusion is growing as ovepping testimonies im that ¡®Raquel Dra¡¯ saved him and his daughter¡­]

    Staring nkly at the TV news, all she did was blink.

    She had no idea how time had passed recently.

    Elise looked at her smartphone.

    ¡ôNotice from the Department of Magic

    This is the student council of the National University¡¯s Department of Magic. We extend our deepest condolences to those involved in the Silonti Tower incident and are relieved to hear of your safety.

    All lectures at the National University are canceled for this week, so please restfortably¡­

    Fortunately, all lectures at the National University had been suspended. Twenty-one students from the university had been trapped in this tower.

    Dding-

    Another message arrived.

    It was a text from her father, asking her toe by.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    Elise got up. She immediately went down to the main hall of the hospital.

    At the same time.

    Pabat©¤©¤ Pabababat©¤©¤!

    An overwhelming number of shes went off. It was almost blinding.

    Elise frowned. There were a considerable number of journalists.

    How on earth did they get into the hospital? They each threw questions in voices close to iprehensible screams.

    ©¤What happened to you-

    ©¤Saving people-

    ©¤The hero who performed reverse calction-

    Elise was about to sigh but stopped herself.

    She stared nkly at something.

    It was a strange sight.

    Despite the countless shes flickering and many reporters encamped here, the face of someone was too vividly visible to Elise.

    It might be because his head was a bitrger than others¡­ but it was much more special than that.

    When their eyes met, he softly smiled at her. His name was Shion Ascal.

    The person who had saved her through the radio.

    The person who had helped her not to die, to stay conscious.

    Elise wanted to approach him.

    She felt the urge to move closer.

    But, the press were everywhere. She couldn¡¯t even take a single step toward him.

    The gap was only ten steps wide, but the psychological barrier between them felt insurmountable.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    Someone called her name. She turned around with a start.

    Her father, Ken Petra, was there.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    Ken ced his hand on Elise¡¯s shoulder with a natural smile. Pabababat©¤©¤! The journalists¡¯ cameras shed.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Elise nodded nkly. This photo would probably make the front page tomorrow.

    ¡°Would you like to share your story with the reporters?¡±

    Ken looked quite proud of her. It was a face Elise hadn¡¯t seen from her father in a very long time.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Ken nudged her back.

    Elise stood before the reporters.

    ©¤Please give us a detailed exnation!

    ©¤What happened inside?!

    ©¤You¡¯ve achieved a remarkable feat right after bing the top student of the magic department!

    ©¤Magic Tower also wants your testimony!

    ¡°¡­I just improvised ording to the situation.¡±

    That was all Elise answered.

    ©¤We heard you saved many lives!

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me. My friend La risked her life to protect me, and Sir Rhine tookmand to prevent more survivors from dying. And¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say his name.

    Was it because of her father standing behind her?

    Or was it because of the crowd of reporters in front of her?

    ©¤You meet the criteria for the Edsi Congressional Medal¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, but I don¡¯t desire a medal. I¡¯m just d that I was able to save people¡­ that¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    Elise cautiously looked back at Shion. He smiled slightly. Elise¡¯s lips quivered into a smile as well.

    ©¤We heard you confronted Raquel Dra directly! Do you think this terror was the work of Raquel Dra?!

    When a reporter asked about Raquel Dra, Shion turned his back. Elise shook her head as she watched his retreating figure.

    ¡°The act of Raquel Dra¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like it.¡±

    ©¤Really?!

    ©¤What¡¯s your basis for that?!

    ¡°Because Raquel Dra also wanted to get out of there-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Ken Petra stepped in. He appeared at the moment the topic was about to shift, and the journalists were pushed back. With that one sentence, the journalists receded like the tide.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked up at Ken. Ken also quietly looked down at Elise.

    Then, suddenly.

    ¡°The offspring of a tiger is a tiger itself. Even when cornered on a cliff, it will always survive. That¡¯s instinct.¡±

    He spoke softly and turned his body away. Elise saw a faint smile on his profile.

    No matter how proud her father seemed of her achievements today.

    ¡°¡­¡­It wasn¡¯t just me.¡±

    Elise caught him. Ken¡¯s steps halted abruptly.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Shion, I would have died. He helped me-¡±

    ¡°Consider it unheard.¡±

    That was the end of it.

    Ken left, and Elise was left alone in the main hall of the hospital. She aimlessly looked around and then quickly grabbed her smartphone.

    ¡°Oh, right. La.¡±

    She called La.

    Duru©¤ Duru©¤

    A few rings.

    ©¤¡­¡­Elly, what?

    La¡¯s voice came through, thoroughly soaked.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­I¡¯m okyaaay.

    Not okay at all.

    She must have been crying until now.

    * * *

    Weekend. As the chaos of the Void terror subsided, I was heading to the World Series of Poker 4th preliminary round.

    I used to take the bus before, but today it was a limousine.

    ¡°¡­¡­The treatment¡¯s a bit nicer.¡±

    And it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary limousine. Inside, there were all sorts of snacks, even files for analyzing opponents.

    ¡°Take a look.¡±

    The problem was, I was with someone rather formidable.

    Beckman.

    A Bncer from Johanna¡¯s Libra.

    ¡°Do I really need to read this?¡±

    ¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Being prepared will help you in the match.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Beckman is someone I also know. A real troublesome Lunatic. He has an infinite loyalty to Johanna, but because of that, his brain melts, and in the end, he betrays Johanna and gets killed.

    A stalker story of sorts, where he aimed to bring down Johanna and monopolize everything for himself.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    I skimmed through the document. The names of the opponents, their habits, their quirks, I put it all into the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    In the 4th preliminary round, a total of 36 people yed six games, and only the top 6 in chips advance to the official round.

    ¡°¡­¡­Have you already finished reading?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Beckman pursed his lips. He was a man who couldn¡¯t keep a poker face. No wonder he was discarded.

    ¡°May I test you?¡±

    ¡°Do as you like.¡±

    He picked up the analysis file.

    ¡°Ben.¡±

    ¡°33 years old. Male. Generally starts with scouting, makes his move in the mid-game, and just maintains his stake in the endgame. His expression doesn¡¯t change. If he has a bad hand, he tends to fold quickly rather than bluff.¡±

    I looked at the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ hanging in the air and spoke.

    I was quite familiar with this kind of cheat sheet.

    ¡°Jaco.¡±

    ¡°25 years old. Female. She lies low in the early and mid-game and then turns the tables in the endgame¡­¡±

    I recited all 35 participants, and Beckman nodded, albeit with a dissatisfied expression.

    ¡°Yes. You pass.¡±

    I don¡¯t know who he is to decide pass or fail, but well.

    He¡¯s a Bncer after all.

    The fact that such a person became a Bncer is evidence that the session structure is tight, but since he¡¯s going to be kicked out someday, I should be understanding.

    * * *

    I arrived at the 4th preliminary round venue.

    Unlike the 1st to 3rd preliminary rounds, this one was more formal. There were spectator seats on the upper balcony, and the interior shone like a real casino. There were no windows, and no clocks.

    The guide spoke first.

    ¡°Please take a seat.¡±

    There were six tables. I sat down at the one with my name tag on it.

    [Shion Ascal]

    ¡°The game will start soon. Don¡¯t be too nervous even if VIPse in. They are just here to watch.¡±

    I looked around my table. There were quite a few experts. Each had added a touch with ties, ribbons, bow ties, and the colors seemed to indicate their family or n.

    I was wearing a blue tie myself.

    ¡°Please get ready. The 4th preliminary round will start soon.¡±

    The dealer appeared at the table. A few people sat in the balcony. I nced up there and then quickly looked down.

    Johanna.

    Even with a mask on, the sheer presence she emitted was different.

    The eldest daughter of Libra, the very incarnation of money who operates thergest casinos, dozens of department stores, and high-end luxury brands, was ¡®personally¡¯ present here¡­

    * * *

    4th preliminary round venue.

    Johanna, sitting in the VIP seat on the balcony, found the mafia guys next to her quite annoying.

    By the way, the mafia and the cartel are a bit different.

    While the cartel lives off crimes like drugs, looting, murder, and contract killing in the underworld, the mafia are those who have climbed out of that darkness and into casinos.

    Ultimately, their origins are the same.

    Therefore, to Johanna, the mafia are both enemies and allies, always coveting each other¡¯s domain and money in a hostile rtionship¡­

    ¡°You brought a greenhorn yer with you, Johanna.¡±

    A mafia consigliere, an executive, opened his mouth. Johanna smirked.

    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing as beginner¡¯s luck.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Isn¡¯t that a saying that doesn¡¯t suit a gambler?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna watched the table in silence.

    Shion Ascal. Out of the 36, he was the only yer from Libra.

    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t make it to the finals, it¡¯s a loss of 300 million Ren, right?¡±

    The chatty Consigliere Eri next to her was quite talkative. Johanna replied expressionlessly.

    ¡°If he makes it to the finals, it¡¯s you guys who will lose 300 million Ren.¡±

    Just then, the fourth preliminary round began.

    Truthfully, Johanna didn¡¯t have much expectation.

    Even if one could get through the first to third rounds by luck, from the fourth round, it was a battle of the real pros.

    Johanna kept her eyes on Shion Ascal¡¯s table number three.

    ¡°Well, that aside. Table number three? He¡¯s really out of luck. Got a bad table from the start.¡±

    The male Consigliere Eri raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Jericho, Tommel, Casano, Derian, Pennsyl. Five elites are gathered there.¡±

    And it was indeed the case.

    It was clear that the mafia¡¯s trickery was at y. Only masters, who wouldn¡¯t be out of ce in the final round, were gathered at Shion Ascal¡¯s table.

    ¡°A death group that even Lady Johanna would struggle to break through¡­¡±

    Johanna wanted to kill this incessantly babbling fool.

    If she wins the 300 million Ren, perhaps she should ask for this guy¡¯s head in ce of 100 million Ren.

    That¡¯s a good idea.

    ¡°Lady Johanna. The game is starting now.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, will you?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Yes, well.¡±

    Johanna watched with a listless gaze.

    She tried not to expect too much, to avoid disappointment.

    ¡°Oh~ He keeps losing. His expression is hard to read, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shion Ascal had lost three times in a row at the start. Consigliere Eri chattered like a madman.

    Perhaps, this man hade betting his life, hoping that I would get so angry that I¡¯d kill him.

    Grinding her teeth and suppressing her murderous intent, at that moment.

    [4: Shion Ascal victory.]

    [1 million chips acquired]

    Shion Ascal won the fourth game. The mafia¡¯s Consigliere Eri forced a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡­Lucky, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Johanna leaned back in her chair.

    At first, she too thought it was just good luck.

    But¡­¡­

    [5: Shion Ascal victory]

    Shion Ascal also won the fifth game.

    [6: Shion Ascal victory]

    The sixth game was the same.

    ¡°¡­¡­What.¡±

    Consigliere Eri was slightly flustered, and Johanna nced at him with a mocking smile.

    ¡°Seems like quite a bit of luck there.¡±

    He folded quickly in the seventh game, but then won the ninth and tenth games in a row.

    He had won five out of the first ten games.

    ¡°Hey, say something.¡±

    That¡¯s when the tide turned. Consigliere Eri mped his mouth shut, and Johanna tapped him while grinning slyly.

    ¡°Hey, asshole. Speak up. Can luck be that good for five games?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The beginning can be like that. You know how it is. If you pop the champagne too early in a gambling game-¡±

    [11: Shion Ascal victory]

    Consigliere Eri hung his head.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Johanna alsoughed heartily and tilted her head to look into the eyes of the arched Consigliere Eri.

    ¡°Say it again. What was that? Huh©¤©¤?¡±

 Chapter 213: Gambling Venue (2)

    <strong>Gambling Venue (2)</strong>

    Johanna watched the gambling table with a slightly tense face.

    The saying about beginner¡¯s luck isn¡¯t nonexistent; rather, it¡¯s almost like a curse.

    Probability dictates that with enough numbers, it will always regress to the mean. No matter how much Texas Hold¡¯em is a game of skill involving psychological warfare and counting, if the cards don¡¯te, you can¡¯t win.

    Moreover, the endgame is much more important than the early game in gambling. yers loosen up, and the bold moves that weren¡¯t there at the beginning start to shape the game.

    That¡¯s why novices, deceived by their own luck, end up losing everything they have.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    However, as time goes on.

    As the gambling continues.

    Johanna bes even more rxed. She leans back in her chair, stretches a bit, loosens her neck, and even observes the mafia beside her.

    [ Shion Ascal victory ]

    Thanks to Shion Ascal¡¯s overwhelming victories. The beginner¡¯s luck issting a little, no, quite a long time.

    The other yers at the table are also seasoned, but when faced with a bluff, they catch on brilliantly and eat them up, and conversely, if they have high cards, they die off like phantoms.

    It¡¯s skill that surpasses luck.

    [ Shion Ascal victory ]

    ¡°This is fun.¡±

    That¡¯s all Johanna said. The mafia executive put his hand to his forehead. It was quite a sight to behold.

    ¡°This is why gambling is interesting.¡±

    Gambling is very honest. The greater the risk, the greater the return, and where there¡¯s a loser, there¡¯s a winner.

    The reason Johanna chose Shion was simply because ¡®his poker face is worth seeing¡¯.

    She discarded all her ns and made herst bet on Shion Ascal, and the result was.

    [ Table 3 concluded ]

    [ Winner: Shion Ascal ]

    [ Round advancement confirmed ]

    It came back as a victory. Johanna looked at the mafia beside her. To the guy who was trying to get up in a hurry, she said,

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The executive was silent. Johanna continued in a low voice.

    ¡°If I win this bet, I will make a proposal to your boss.¡±

    Her eyes inside the mask were filled with murderous intent.

    ¡°I can settle one hundred million ren of the three hundred million ren bet with your neck.¡±

    This was serious. There was not a hint of falsehood. If she won the bet, she would definitely take Consigliere Eri¡¯s skull.

    Looking at the man¡¯s stiff expression, Johanna smiled thinly.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be bad for you to deliver the message to your boss directly. Be happy that I¡¯m valuing you at one hundred million ren. Go on.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve only advanced to the next round so far.¡±

    ¡°When will you ever be worth one hundred million ren? So smile. Be grateful.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s see if you can make it to the finals.¡±

    Consigliere Eri said that, but his lips were trembling. Fear had already nched the tip of his tongue.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see about that.¡±

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively and settled back into her chair.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose, though.¡±

    * * *

    The fourth preliminary round was passed without much difficulty. The psychological warfare was definitely tougher, but the cards were surprisingly good.

    I was bing somewhat confident.

    It seems that the ss of [Bethune], the ¡®Gambler¡¯, applies here as well.

    Of course, it¡¯s only about 2-3 cards out of a hundred that stick well, but at a professional level, even a single leaf is as significant as a building.

    ¡°Congrattions. Here¡¯s your round ticket.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I received the round ticket from the organizers. As soon as I stepped out of the fourth preliminary venue, a limousine approached.

    Whirring¡ª

    A car twice as luxurious as the one I had arrived in, equipped with all sorts of defensive magic spells, opened its doors automatically.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Inside was Johanna. A woman with her blue hair twisted up into a bun and secured with a hairpin, wearing a fluttering silk dress.

    I naturally straighten my posture.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    At Johanna¡¯s invitation, I sat down. Johanna smirked and extended her hand.

    It¡¯s a rookie mistake to take her hand here.

    I handed her the round 6 ticket instead. Johanna asked with satisfaction.

    ¡°How was the preliminary?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult.¡±

    ¡°Ho. Is that so?¡±

    Johanna examined the ticket from all angles. The organizer¡¯s seal. The anti-counterfeiting form. Shion Ascal¡¯s name. After thoroughly checking, she handed it back to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose it.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then she took out a check from her inner pocket.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your bonus.¡±

    I epted it while maintaining decorum. I didn¡¯t even check the amount.

    Johanna may seem like a woman obsessed with gambling, even to the point of looking like a homicidal maniac, but she values manners and etiquette.

    She¡¯s a bit different from Jade. Jade prioritizes respect towards himself over manners, but Johanna is fixated on overall demeanor.

    Yet, because Johanna herself is so down-to-earth, there¡¯s a whole truckload of people who havemitted a faux pas in front of her and dropped dead on the spot.

    ¡°¡­¡­You serve Zia?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Just then, the limousine started moving. I looked at the passenger seat. I could see the back of the head of the bncer ¡®Beckman¡¯.

    ¡°Are you here at this gambling table on Zia¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Have you gambled before?¡±

    Not in this life, but in a past life, quite a lot.

    ¡°I¡¯ve yed a ghost before.¡±

    ¡°Ghost?¡±

    ¡°Yes. During the college board process¡­¡±

    Ghost Hotel.

    Johanna shrugged with a look of not knowing.

    ¡°You seem to have talent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    A bow. Not too deep, not too shallow, just the right amount of formality.

    ¡°If you serve Zia, it doesn¡¯t really matter. After all, Zia herself will belong to the winner.¡±

    Johanna said this and looked at me again.

    ¡°The report on the extreme mana stone was yours, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I was lucky.¡±

    I maintained my humility. Johanna chuckled lightly, extending a finger to point at me.

    ¡°That. That¡¯s my favorite phrase.¡±

    At that moment, Beckman¡¯s shoulder in the passenger seat gave a slight twitch. Johanna couldn¡¯t see it, but I could.

    An ominous feeling.

    ¡°There are many, many humans in this world. The difference in their caliber is actually not that great. There are limits set for beings called human. No one can be infinitely intelligent.¡±

    Beckman is a ticking time bomb. Of course, Johanna probably already knows what he¡¯s thinking. But at a time when each bncer is precious, she¡¯s simply taking a risk.

    ¡°No human can transcend alone.¡±

    At Johanna¡¯s words, one person immediatelyes to mind.

    Jade of Libra.

    ¡°In the end, when viewed from a cosmic perspective, all humans are the same. There¡¯s not even a dust-sized difference. However, ¡®luck¡¯ is different.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Luck, no matter how much I think about it, seems like a cosmic force.¡±

    Suddenly, Johanna was triggered.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time. Some people win a 100 million ren lottery. There are 12 of them a year. If there¡¯s a set total and average for luck, then lottery winners should all be endlessly unhappy. But that¡¯s not the case. You can trust this; I¡¯ve investigated it myself. Of course, some lottery winners do go bankrupt from mismanaging their money. The media promotes these stories extensively to console the public, but in reality, that rate is only about 7%. The rest live exceedingly happy lives for the rest of their days. If the average human luck is 50, then at the moment they win the lottery, it¡¯s already at 300. And this kind of luck can¡¯t be increased with effort. It¡¯s absolutely impossible. Some think intelligence or Spectrum is the same, but that¡¯s incorrect. Gic maniption is entirely possible. But is luck included in gics? It¡¯s not. Therefore, luck is cosmic¡­¡±

    Johanna¡¯s eulogy to luck.

    A story that must be listened to with the utmost interest and politeness, without showing any signs of boredom or dozing off.

    After about 30 minutes of attentive listening, we arrived at the dormitory.

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Johanna stopped right on cue. She pressed the button to open the door and said,

    ¡°Next round. Can I expect something?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Think of it as a bet.¡±

    Johanna twisted her lips slightly.

    ¡°Depending on whether you expect something or not, a lot can change.¡±

    I didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡°Please, expect something.¡±

    Today, I got a rough sense of it.

    It seems likely that I¡¯ll make it to the finals.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Johanna closed the door with a deep smile.

    * * *

    It¡¯s a clear and blue weekend. Bell Moore is in the car. Riley is with him in the passenger seat, and nearby, SUVs filled with Chasers from Libra line the streets.

    It¡¯s the day to apprehend a branch family that has betrayed Libra.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    Bell Moore asked Riley. She nodded and got out of the car.

    [ Libra Rehabilitation Center ]

    The Rehabilitation Center. The person who has now be a cripple is unaware that they have been exposed.

    Bell Moore went there with Riley.

    So Revil. She was in the central garden, gripping her cane and walking with effort.

    Bell Moore stopped in front of her.

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    Sonya looked up at him with a slight frown. Bell Moore fiddled with his gloved hand.

    ¡°Good day to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sonya¡¯s expression hardened rapidly, realizing that something was amiss.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Would you minding with us for a moment?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a branch family member.¡±

    Sonya stared straight into Bell Moore¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why you¡¯re being treated this way.¡±

    ¡°Do you not know who I am?¡±

    ¡°I said I know.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s smug tone irritated Sonya. She quickly took out her smartphone and called Derek.

    ¡°Derek is busy.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer to be dragged away for interrogation, or.¡±

    Bell Moore said, ying with his eyebrow.

    ¡°Would you rathere with us and have a conversation?¡±

    ¡°Exin what¡¯s going on first.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once we get there. Well, it seems like you should have a rough idea already.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. A mere Chaser has no right. Exin first.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh¡±

    Bell Moore let out a sigh.

    ¡°Branch family members never seem to grasp reality.¡±

    Muttering to himself, he gestured with his eyes to Riley. Riley stepped forward and handcuffed Sonya¡¯s hands.

    Sonya red at them as if she wanted to kill them.

    * * *

    At the same time, in Libra¡¯s Aerial Garden.

    Zia had just received news of Sonya¡¯s arrest.

    ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be.¡±

    The charge was treason.

    Collusion with Aventagher.

    ©¤Concrete evidence has been found.

    The head of the personnel department, Jean, said so, but no matter how much Zia thought about it, it was hard to believe.

    Sonya wasn¡¯t that kind of person.

    ©¤She is currently detained at the underground Intelligence Agency.

    Zia had a connection with Sonya. Of course, they weren¡¯t friends. Zia didn¡¯t have friends.

    However, as the ostracized youngest member from both the branch family and the main house of Libra, they shared some inexplicablemon ground. They often talked when they were younger, and Zia had always highly regarded Sonya¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°Thrown away after being used¡­ that¡¯s what this is.¡±

    Therefore, this is Derek¡¯s act of discarding after use.

    Zia had anticipated this from the start. There was certainty that it woulde to this.

    From the moment Sonya swore loyalty to Derek.

    Derek cannot contain someone like Sonya. Derek, who must own all the merit, can never truly possess Sonya.

    ¡°What was the evidence¡­?¡±

    ©¤We do not know yet. It was handled in utmost secrecy by Derek himself.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia wants to save her.

    But if this is a direct order from Derek, Zia must not get involved.

    There aren¡¯t many people who can save her within Zia¡¯s reach.

    ¡­Not many at all.

    There is one person thates to mind, though.

    * * *

    Sonya was caught. She fell into a trap. The news was immediately disseminated through the Libra phones.

    [ An investigation by So Revil and the Libra Disciplinary Committee is scheduled to proceed. ]

    I looked at my Libra phone from the dormitory of the Knight Academy.

    [ The disciplinarymittee will consist of four direct members of Libra. ]

    It went as expected.

    The convening of the Libra Disciplinary Committee meant that, at the very least, her life would be spared.

    It was probably about maintaining appearances.

    I put down the Libra phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    Can I now be Zia¡¯s second-inmand?

    Ding©¤

    The Libra phone rang again.

    I looked at the message.

    [ Chaser Shion Ascal has been selected for the internal investigation team of the disciplinarymittee. ]

    [ You aremanded to investigate the truth and authenticity of So Revil¡¯s case. ]

    ¡°¡­Why me all of a sudden?¡±

    I was dumbfounded.

    ¡­

    The disciplinarymittee in charge of So Revil¡¯s punishment was selected to be the four direct members.

    Even if from a branch family, she still has Libra¡¯s blood in her veins.

    Of course, the direct members were very busy, so they substituted physical meetings with video calls.

    ©¤Sonya will not be allowed to remain in Libra.

    Derek argued for Sonya to be stripped of her title and permanently exiled, but Johanna demanded for a more thorough investigation.

    ©¤To cast out a coteral rtive who has been loyal to you for so long. That¡¯s just like you, Derek. So fucking annoying.

    ©¤Loyalty? Johanna, do you see loyalty in this letter?

    On the other hand, Jade seemed uninterested. Instead, during the meeting, he proudly presented a report on his extreme mana stone and showed off the ounting analysis of this quarter¡¯s profits¡­

    It seemed he was in a good mood because his business was doing well.

    ©¤Use your eyes and see for yourself. This is the letter she exchanged with Aventagher.

    Derek showed Johanna the letter. Johanna retorted sarcastically.

    ©¤What about the possibility of forgery?

    ©¤None. The handwriting can be forged, but the content of that letter contained information only an insider would know.

    ©¤Hmm. So there was a faction within Libra trying to set up this coteral rtive. Was her achievement too great? Are you jealous? Since most of your achievements came from Sonya¡¯s brain.

    ©¤¡­Johanna. Have you lost your mind?

    Johanna was simply picking on Derek because she thought he was a dick, and Derek, knowing this better than anyone, was getting his blood pressure up.

    ©¤Lost my mind? I¡¯m simply asking for a proper investigation. Not some half-assed investigation, but one that goes through a proper verification process. Not some shoddy method like showing off a letter.

    Johanna, who knew better than anyone how to provoke Derek, grinned, showing her teeth.

    ©¤You fucking bitch.

    Derek finally lost his temper.

    ©¤Don¡¯t meddle. It¡¯s my business. Since she was under me, I¡¯ll handle it myself.

    ©¤Dear brother. Even before she was under you, she is our cousin with Libra¡¯s blood.¡±

    Derek and Johanna red at each other through the screen, engaging in a silent battle of wills.

    Zia had been quietly blinking up until that point, her lips sealed.

    Suddenly, Jade spoke.

    ©¤¡­I wonder how many years the trend for high-priced mana stones willst. The price of the extreme mana stone will inte two to three times more than it is now.

    ©¤Jade, just shut up. Write your monologues in your diary.

    ©¤Brother, why don¡¯t you take a look?

    Jade forcibly broadcasted the report written by his subordinate onto the screen, sticking it in front of the camera.

    Derek let out a deep sigh.

    ©¤¡­Fine. Let¡¯s say we go with Johanna¡¯s fucking suggestion and investigate. Then who will do it? I don¡¯t want to trust you, and you can¡¯t trust me, can you?

    Jade interjected.

    ©¤Brother, I don¡¯t have time for investigations. I¡¯m too busy with business trips because of the extreme mana stone these days.

    ©¤¡­I see, I¡¯m envious.

    ©¤Atst, you¡¯re being honest.

    Jade leaned back in his chair with satisfaction.

    ©¤So¡­

    Derek looked at the youngest on the screen. Johanna¡¯s gaze naturally followed.

    ©¤Yeah, Zia.

    Zia trembled slightly, but she had expected it toe to this as soon as Derek and Johanna started their parallel arguments.

    Johanna asked Zia.

    ©¤Zia, do you have someone suitable under yourmand to investigate the truth?

    On the other hand, Derek seemed to doubt not only Zia but also thepetence of her entire team.

    ©¤There¡¯s no way.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Zia quickly responded. Derek frowned, and a mischievous smile appeared on Johanna¡¯s lips.

    ©¤Who is it?

    At Derek¡¯s question, Zia cautiously called out the name.

    ¡°Shion¡­ Ascal.¡±

 Chapter 214: Setup (1)

    <strong>Setup (1)</strong>

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    In the campus cafeteria. Before the lecture started, it was breakfast time.

    Soliette, sitting opposite me, crunched on her cereal and asked.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She called out but then said nothing.

    I tore into my steak.

    Truth be told, the food I make myself tastes better, but cooking first thing in the morning is just too much of a hassle.

    Soliette cautiously began to speak.

    ¡°About Bethune¡­ I¡¯ve found a ce I want to go.¡±

    ¡°A ce you want to go, you mean inside the ss bottle?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I nodded. She must have noticed the existence of Jared living there. She must be contemting it now.

    Especially since she¡¯s got quite the dark circles under her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that really okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Soliette plunged her spoon deep into her cereal. I pointed at her with my fork.

    ¡°I said we¡¯d go through it together to the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    She smiled btedly and nodded.

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s someone I want to show to Shion.¡±

    ¡°Anytime.¡±

    I smiled slightly.

    It felt somewhat gratifying. That we had be close enough to share each other¡¯s concerns¡­

    Then suddenly, over Soliette¡¯s shoulder.

    Three seats back.

    My gaze drifted there.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It caught like a ma. I quickly stood up.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I strode over and called out to ¡®that guy¡¯. The guy eating pasta looked up at me with a start.

    ¡°¡­Me?¡±

    The surprised college student with ck bobbed hair asked back. Androgynous in appearance, but the voice was that of a woman.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    I was suddenly confused.

    Aplete stranger.

    She seemed to resemble ¡®someone¡¯, but on closer inspection, she didn¡¯t. Only the distinctive ck bobbed hair was¡­ somewhat familiar.

    But who does she resemble?

    Who exactly is that ¡®someone¡¯?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I returned and sat down at my ce.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. Is something wrong?¡±

    Soliette crunched on her cereal and asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    I nced over Soliette¡¯s shoulder at the bobbed hair again.

    Definitely, a stranger.

    But¡­

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±

    ¡°Forgotten something?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t quite remember it well.¡±

    There was someone important.

    No matter what lecture it was, always by my side. That person with the bashful smile that was so endearing.

    ¡°¡­¡­Did I have a friend?¡±

    * * *

    The curriculum of the Knight¡¯s Academy is straightforward. It¡¯s mostly practical training. Life-saving, VIP protection, monster hunting, monsterbat, apprehension of criminals, and so on¡­ Everything one would do as a knight is experienced in advance.

    In that regard©¤©¤

    ¡°You all might have heard about ¡®teaming.''¡±

    Today¡¯s curriculum was about [teaming].

    ¡°Knights usually work in pairs with a mage. Of course, in various dramas and movies, the stories mainly revolve around knights and mages.¡±

    The professor continued with a wry smile.

    ¡°In reality, not many knights get to team up with a mage. 70% of you will end up simply pairing up with an ordinary mage.¡±

    Naturally, this is because there are far fewer mages than knights.

    When 100 knights are appointed, less than 20 mages enroll in the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Therefore, I want you to experience thatpetition today. It means to wake up from the illusion of being a knight.¡±

    The professor turned on the beam projector. The names of the first-year students from the Department of Magic were listed on the screen.

    There were quite a few familiar faces. The top student was Elise Petra, after all.

    ¡°The students from the Department of Magic are listed in order of their grades. Choose one student you would like to form a team with.¡±

    However, their number was significantly smallerpared to ours.

    ¡°If the feelings are mutual, that is, if the student you choose also chooses you, then the teaming is sessful. Knights who are not chosen will be grouped into the leftovers.¡±

    At this, the students began to tense up slightly. Their breathing became a bit rougher.

    It¡¯s like some kind of romantic pairing.

    ¡°Those who form a team will wear this ¡®bracelet.''¡±

    The professor held up a bracelet.

    ¡°This braceletes in pairs. The other pair is with the Department of Magic. The two bracelets are connected by a line of magical power. You will learn more details as you go along¡­ Now, choose. Decide who you want to team up with.¡±

    Everyone looked thoughtful, but Asher quickly wrote down someone¡¯s name. It seems he already had a girl from the Department of Magic charmed.

    Kain stroked his chin and then wrote down a name, and Gerkhen was surprisingly deep in thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I wrote down that person¡¯s name.

    There are only two names I know from the Department of Magic.

    * * *

    [Teaming]

    For Elise, the curriculum was nothing but a nuisance, but for some reason, her heart was pounding¡ªprobably because of him.

    ¡°Elise, I¡¯m so envious~ You¡¯ll get a ton of choices, won¡¯t you~?¡±

    Suddenly, a sly voice flowed in.

    Elise disliked the way the students of the Department of Magic spoke more than anything else.

    It was because the proportion of nobles in the Department of Magic was seriously high.

    ¡°Do you n to ept anyone whoes to you~?¡±

    Almost 90% were of noble birth, and they all pretended to be cultured in an exaggerated way, which was incredibly annoying.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Even when Elise replied curtly,

    ¡°Perhaps Mr. Gerkhen~?¡±

    They asked in an old-fashioned way, while their eyes darted around in rivalry.

    Gerkhen was quite popr, after all.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elise shook her head.

    ¡°Is that so~¡±

    ¡°Ho ho ho.¡±

    Ignoring theughing students, Elise pondered with her chin propped up.

    She only had one concern.

    Shion Ascal.

    He would probably choose her.

    They had teamed up before, and their coordination was excellent.

    But if she epted him again, those damn paparazzi would cling to them and be a nuisance.

    ¡°The first selection of the Knight¡¯s Department isplete.¡±

    The professor announced just in time.

    Elise lifted her gaze slightly.

    ¡°Check the results that have been sent to your personal tablet PCs.¡±

    On the desky the tablet PC.

    Elise looked at it with somewhat mixed feelings¡­

    ¡°?¡±

    She tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°The name that should be there is missing.¡±

    She scrolled up and down searching, but no matter how much she looked, it wasn¡¯t there.

    Of course, there were plenty of knights who had chosen her. A whopping 15, to be exact.

    But¡ª

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    Next to her, La¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Elise had no interest in that.

    ¡°Shion chose me?¡±

    At that moment, her eyes flickered. She saw La¡¯s tablet screen.

    [Shion Ascal]

    It was Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise clenched her mouth shut, and La nced at her as if she was wary.

    ¡°Um¡­ Elly. Shion applied to me~?¡±

    No, she was teasing. Holding backughter. Pretending to be considerate.

    ¡°¡­¡­Go ahead.¡±

    Elise waved her hand as if she wasn¡¯t bothered.

    ¡°Why~? I want to reject him~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­He teams up well.¡±

    ¡°Aww~ But Shion, you match better with Elly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Elise extended her finger long. She swiftly shoved it into the giggling La¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Gurk.¡±

    La clutched her throat.

    ¡°Please make your decision within 48 hours. There¡¯s no need to rush it now. Have sufficient conversations with the students from the Knight¡¯s Department who have chosen you, and see how well you sync up with them before making your choice.¡±

    The professor continued with a smile.

    ¡°Remember, in teaming, you are the absolute priority. Now, let¡¯s start today¡¯s lecture on the theory of teaming. There are some things you must know before we dive into practice, so please listen carefully¡­¡±

    Somehow, Elise found the lesson hard to follow.

    * * *

    For the Libra family to punish a coteral member¡ªthat is, someone with Libra blood but not in the direct line¡ªa Disciplinary Committee is essential.

    Of course, not all coteral members are the same, but Sonya has a rather high-ranking career even among them, and above all, the current head of Libra is ¡®Sherlock¡¯.

    Significant decisions require the consensus of the heirs.

    Anyway.

    As soon as the lecture ended, I went to work at the Libra Intelligence Agency. There was a lot to do as an internal investigator.

    ¡°Please stamp your seal here.¡±

    The face offering me a stack of documents, including the [Secret Oath] and [Duty of Content Contract], was Belingham Kantar.

    Surprisingly, it was a pleasant encounter.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you like this.¡±

    Belingham said in my stead.

    ¡°Indeed. It seems I¡¯m climbing the ranks quite quickly. Soon, we¡¯ll be within reach of each other.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Belingham justughed, as if to say not to be mistaken.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. These days, such urrences are frequent. Especially in cases like the Disciplinary Committee where sibling agreement is necessary, Lord Derek¡¯s proposals are always rejected by Lady Johanna.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, whatever I do, it won¡¯t change anything?¡±

    ¡°Usually, that¡¯s the case? The evidence in this case is clear, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much. Even if the oue doesn¡¯t change, Lady Johanna is essentially rejecting for the sake of rejecting. She will understand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well.¡±

    I stamped my seal on the documents.

    ¡°Received. These documents will be maintained for one month, and destroyed after the internal investigation is concluded. Internal Investigator Shion Ascal. Now, please discuss with your superior.¡±

    Belingham gave a broad smile and stepped aside. Then, a woman wearing a veil entered.

    Her shoulders were delicate, and she exuded a light, pure fragrance.

    Zia.

    She spoke first.

    ¡°Brother and sister decided to entrust the investigation to a third party¡­ so it ended up being assigned to me¡­¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Do you have any messages for me?¡±

    There¡¯s no recording or eavesdropping in this space. Zia, being the youngest and outside the session structure, was under remarkablyx surveince.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    She slightly lifted her veil.

    Looking me directly in the eyes, she said,

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was Sonya¡¯s doing¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was somewhat unexpected, but I did not show it.

    Above all, there was no chance that I would be discovered.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Sonya¡¯s doing, then?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been framed¡­ If things stay as they are, Sonya will be permanently exiled¡­ My brother will probably have someone take her life¡­¡±

    I looked at Zia. It seemed clear why she had sought me out, what she was about to ask.

    ¡°Can you¡­ protect Sonya?¡±

    Sonya was Zia¡¯s second inmand. Initially, she managed her proxy corporations, andter on, she was involved in all political aspects.

    She could definitely be mypetitor, but¡­

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zia had asked me for the impossible.

    ¡°I will follow Miss Zia¡¯s wishes.¡±

    If I could aplish the impossible, I would certainly be able to get closer to her than anyone else.

    * * *

    In the interrogation room of the Intelligence Agency.

    I was facing Sonya. She looked utterly worn out. Her hair was brittle like a broom¡¯s bristles, and her eyes flickered with both rage and despair.

    ¡°Here¡¯s a letter.¡±

    I handed her a letter.

    A letter I had forged, imitating Sonya¡¯s handwriting.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fake.¡±

    Sonya said. She looked up at me, her eyes wavering as if she recognized who I was.

    ¡°You were there that time¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the investigator?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Because you¡¯re not aligned with the eldest son or daughter?¡±

    Typical of Sonya, she quickly caught on to the reason.

    I nodded. Sonya let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read the statement.¡±

    I handed her the statement.

    The content pre-investigated by Libra¡¯s Chasers. Sonya¡¯s testimony was nothing more than repeating ¡®The letter is forged, and I have never done such a thing.¡¯

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Nothing. Someone has set me up. Definitely.¡±

    ¡°Then. Do you suspect anyone?¡±

    I asked her that.

    ¡°¡­Suspect?¡±

    Sonya furrowed her brow. I held a fountain pen.

    ¡°Yes. It means someone is trying to trap you by forging your handwriting.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sonya fell silent for a moment. I tapped the table with the tip of the fountain pen and asked again.

    ¡°Is there no one?¡±

    ¡°¡­I worked under Lord Derek. There were countless who were jealous of me.¡±

    As I listened to her without much thought, suddenly.

    The face of a certain bastard shed in my mind.

    One of the team leaders under Derek in the Intelligence Agency.

    That damned mongrel who dared to talk to me about orphans.

    A piece of shit named ¡®Benedict.¡¯

    ¡°Have you sent any other letters?¡±

    I asked Sonya.

    ¡°¡­Other letters?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sonya sighed heavily, almost as if she had given up on life, and muttered with a venomous look on her face.

    ¡°So you suspect me in the end.¡±

    ¡°I do not suspect.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°To forge handwriting, one needs to study. It¡¯s easy to forge a simple signature, but to forge dozens of sentences in a letter this naturally requires study and effort.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ indeed¡­¡±

    Sonya fell into thought, her gaze on the desk, her expression turning base.

    ¡°¡­There is someone.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°But, I had no way to obtain it. I only wrote personal letters to Lord Jade.¡±

    ¡°No. There are plenty of ways.¡±

    I scribbled a word on the report with a fountain pen, showing it to her in a way that the camera couldn¡¯t see.

    [Intelligence Agency]

    This was not a lie. The culprit was certainly in the Intelligence Agency.

    I would make it so.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sonya¡¯s face hardened. She looked up at me with a face that had been struck by shock.

    ¡°Definitely-¡±

    ¡°I will investigate as thoroughly as possible. For now, keep silent.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    I stood up and walked out of the interrogation room.

    * * *

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    Outside the interrogation room, a male Chaser asked me. I shook my head.

    ¡°There¡¯s more to investigate.¡±

    ¡°What? There¡¯s more to investigate?¡±

    The Chaser frowned, probably one of Benedict¡¯s underlings.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I answered briefly, and the Chaser let out a snort ofughter.

    ¡°Hey rookie, just wrap it up quickly. Don¡¯t make everyone tired for nothing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it on my own.¡±

    ¡°On your own? You¡¯re crazy.¡±

    The Chaser¡¯s face creased with anger. I wasn¡¯t scared at all. He pressed his finger hard against my shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a badge. Stop fucking around.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked down at him quietly. He became quite angry.

    ¡°Rookie. You got big eyes. Just be a good boy and fill it out.¡±

    A document stuck to my chest.

    [Internal Investigation Closure Report]

    I had just been appointed as an internal investigator today, and they were telling me to finish it immediately.

    I folded it neatly and put it in my pocket.

    ¡°Please wait just one more week. Even if I don¡¯t want to then, I¡¯ll make sure to hand it over.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you little shit. Do you want to get beaten up by the team leader? Stop talking nonsense and- Ack!¡±

    I pushed him away with my shoulder.

    Crash!

    The guy almost flew away, grabbing onto a cab to steady himself, and I walked down the corridor.

    ©¤Hey, hey you, stop. Rookie! Fucking rookie!

    I ignored the shouts echoing from behind me.

    I conveyed my voice to R-elix.

    ¡®Grawl.¡¯

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    Grawl responded promptly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do some background checks on someone.¡±

    The creature, which had grown day by day, was now fully capable of acting independently.

    ¡°Yes, Master! Who is it?!¡±

    ¡°Benedict.¡±

    As far as I knew, there wasn¡¯t a single team leader in the Intelligence Agency without a shady background. Especially those under Derek were the worst. Given Derek¡¯s penchant for ttery, his subordinates were inevitably filled with sycophants steeped in corruption and malfeasance.

    Certainly, Benedict would be one of them.

    ¡°He¡¯s a team leader at the Libra Intelligence Agency. Dig into his background.¡±

    I can fabricate evidence with ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I could easily create perjury that ¡®Intelligence Agency team leader Benedict manipted Sonya¡¯s letters.¡¯

    However, that alone wouldn¡¯t convince anyone.

    On the contrary, I could be the one to receive a counterattack.

    Therefore, before striking the opponent, I must first diminish their credibility.

    I need to drag them through filthiest piles of shit, to the point where no one would want toy a finger on them.

    Only then would my fabricated evidence wield its power as if it were real.

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±

    I liked Grawl¡¯s enthusiastic response.

    My mood was quite good.

    Because burying a piece of shit like that bastard,

    How could it not be?

 Chapter 215: Setup (2)

    <strong>Setup (2)</strong>

    In the bowels of the Libra Intelligence Agency¡ªthe waste disposal site.

    I pulled out a notebook amidst the heaps of shredded papers. Tearing off a page, I imperfectly imitated someone¡¯s handwriting to make it look like a practice attempt.

    Whoosh!

    I set the paper aze.

    ¡°Grawl, look into the mafia side.¡±

    I issued a specificmand to Grawl at the same time.

    ¡°The mafia?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Libra Intelligence Agency is an organization that gathers all the underground information. Therefore, a team leader-level agent can easily ess even the most crucial information.

    That in itself is a temptation for him.

    It¡¯s practically no different from a mint that handles money. If utilized properly, it can be mized.

    And as far as I know, ¡®Benedict,¡¯ the team leader, is not a man resistant to temptation.

    ¡°There¡¯s bound to be a history of him selling information to the mafia.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    The enemy of my enemy is my ally.

    Since Johanna¡¯s enemy is the mafia, the scum under Derek¡¯smand must be selling information to them.

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    I snuffed out the mes clinging to the paper and pocketed the charred remains.

    Right after that, I left the Intelligence Agency.

    It was already dawn outside.

    Beep beep!

    A car horn sounded from the street. I turned to look.

    It was Bell Moore.

    ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡±

    He spoke as if he were some kind of hero.

    ¡°Is this your car? You¡¯ve changed vehicles.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this? Yeah, something like that. Just get in.¡±

    I climbed into the passenger seat. Bell Moore smirked and asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re an internal investigator, right? Lucky you. Being chummy with the junior has its perks.¡±

    ¡°Perks?¡±

    He must havee to persuade me. To wrap up the internal investigation quickly.

    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s hardly anything to do. Just do a cursory investigation and it¡¯s over. It¡¯s a line on your resume.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I silently looked at Bell Moore.

    Bell Moore is far from loyal. More bat-like than anyone, ready to abandon anyone for his own survival.

    ¡°Bell Moore.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what?¡±

    I opened my mouth with as much significance as I could muster.

    As if I had discovered some dark conspiracy from the unknown.

    ¡°By any chance, that letter¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Letter? Sonya¡¯s letter?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what about it?¡±

    Bell Moore swallowed his saliva secretly, showing signs of tension. I asked him.

    ¡°Did you receive it from within the Intelligence Agency?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The Intelligence Agency?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It¡¯s not for nothing, a fabricated letter.

    Meaning, the evidence that put Sonya in jail right now is Bell Moore¡¯s specialty. Thanks to him leaving my name out of the report.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s amateur to ask about the source of information?¡±

    Bell Moore tried to dodge the issue, but I coolly countered.

    ¡°Ms. Sonya ims the letter was forged.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Do you believe that? A traitor is someone who¡¯d slice off heads at first sight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the search report of the mansion, and there was no evidence other than the letter.¡±

    ¡°Ha. So what. You¡¯re saying you suspect the person who delivered that evidence?¡±

    Bell Moore snickered.

    The person who had directly delivered the evidence was me, after all.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the person who delivered the evidence¡­ I¡¯m talking about the reliability of the evidence itself.¡±

    ¡°The evidence itself?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I pulled out a slightly burnt piece of paper from my pocket. It was a trap I had just set up.

    ¡°Take a look.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re such a nuisance. Hey. You bumped shoulders with Zendri, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Zendri?¡±

    ¡°A scary guy. Since you¡¯ve caught his eye, just do a sloppy job and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just look at it.¡±

    I thrust the paper in front of Bell Moore¡¯s eyes.

    Even the annoyed Bell Moore suddenly widened his eyes and snatched it up.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    Tiny sentences were written on the scrap.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Sonya¡¯s handwriting. But she didn¡¯t write it. Some parts are awkward, right?¡±

    I had just written it.

    ¡°It looks like someone practiced the handwriting.¡±

    ¡°You, you, you. Where did you get this?¡±

    Bell Moore asked urgently.

    ¡°¡­Do you trust me, Mr. Bell Moore?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I trust you. Where did you get this?¡±

    I pretended to ponder and crossed my arms. Bell Moore grabbed my shoulder.

    ¡°Where did you get it!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m telling you because it¡¯s you, Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    Pretending as if there was a nonexistent friendship, trust between us, I acted as if I trusted him.

    I confessed to the heavily breathing Bell Moore.

    ¡°I turned the Intelligence Agency¡¯s garbage dump upside down.¡±

    ¡°The garbage dump? You found this tiny thing there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bell Moore looked at me in disbelief, but he was already caught in the trap.

    ¡°Ha¡­ the garbage dump.¡±

    Eventually, Bell Moore would be suspicious. Exceptional survival skills are synonymous with endless doubt.

    ¡°¡­Well. With your psycho-like tenacity, what can¡¯t you find? Anyways, have you told anyone about this?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. If this is real, it¡¯s a much bigger deal than you think.¡±

    Bell Moore opened the car door.

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    ¡°¡­But this isn¡¯t my house yet.¡±

    ¡°Ah, get out. I have things to do.¡±

    I got out of the car grumpily and with a snort.

    Vroom¡ª

    He drives away, but it doesn¡¯t matter to me.

    Not in the slightest danger.

    Above all, Libra, including Bell Moore, doesn¡¯t know my ¡®enmity¡¯. They¡¯ll mistake anything I do for loyalty.

    ¡®Grawl. I just put a mana core in that guy¡¯s car.¡¯

    When I got out of the car, I took out the mana core from the ¡¸Notepad¡¹ and tucked it under the passenger seat.

    ¡®Can you track and monitor the location?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, of course! I¡¯ll send one of my cat friends right away!¡¯

    I don¡¯t know exactly how it works, but Grawl uses cats. Not even as familiars. They just roam around like stray cats, watching everything.

    It¡¯s a natural surveince system that can¡¯t be detected even if it is tried.

    ¡­

    Bell Moore clenched the steering wheel and cursed under his breath.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    He cursed outwardly as well.

    His head was throbbing. It felt like his brain cells were tangling up with each other.

    ¡°¡­Those bastards couldn¡¯t have.¡±

    Bell Moore thought.

    If Derek¡¯s Chasers had fabricated the evidence themselves and passed it off to us?

    ¡°It¡¯s clear the handwriting was practiced.¡±

    Even this burnt piece of paper was found in the Intelligence Agency¡¯s underground garbage dump. A highly trustworthy source.

    Matters within the Intelligence Agency should stay within the Intelligence Agency. Therefore, employees are searched when they leave work and can be subjected to random mansion inspections without notice.

    However, if one were to conspire within the Intelligence Agency, they could avoid even body searches, not to mention inspections. No one would rummage through the employees¡¯ drawers or cabs.

    ¡°¡­Is it the team leader?¡±

    Suddenly, Benedict, the Intelligence Agency team leader known for his envy and jealousy, popped into Bell Moore¡¯s mind. It was he, under Derek¡¯smand, who had ordered Sonya¡¯s rescue.

    ¡°Shit, this¡­¡±

    Bell Moore rubbed his temples and clenched his jaw.

    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve been properly caught.¡±

    He still doesn¡¯t know.

    If all of this was directly ordered by Derek, it would be the worst-case scenario, but if it¡¯s the unteral action of the Intelligence Agency team leader ¡®Benedict¡¯, there¡¯s still a chance to survive.

    Above all, he has the rookie.

    A rookie who loyally serves Libra like a madman.

    Right now, Benedict is certainly doing something harmful to Libra¡­

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you have to kill.¡±

    Bell Moore pressed the elerator again.

    * * *

    The next day. I went to an ice cream chain called ¡®Benoveno¡¯ on the national university grounds.

    It was because of La¡¯s text.

    [All knights who have chosen me,e to ¡®Benoveno National University branch¡¯!]

    There were quite a few people there. About four or five. They seemed to be in the middle of something akin to an interview.

    ©¤Hmm~ What do you think would be good about being on my team~?

    ©¤Well¡­ I use a sword and shield. I¡¯m skilled with the shield. I can definitely protect you, La¡­

    ©¤Okay! That¡¯s enough! Next!

    I waited while eating my ice cream. Most of them even brought resumes to PR themselves.

    Is this what the life of a knight is like?

    ¡°Next! Thest one!¡±

    La looked at me. I was eating ice cream. La frowned and shouted again.

    ¡°Thest one!!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Me?¡±

    ¡°Thest one©¤!!!¡±

    What is she, a feudal lord?

    I approached and sat down in front of her.

    ¡°So, Shion~ Why did you choose me~? Why did Shion pick me~?¡±

    La made her facial features smug like a proud cat.

    She had cried a lot after the Void incident. But she quickly returned to her usual self.

    Well, this kind of resilience is one of her strengths.

    If she didn¡¯t have this level of mental fortitude, she wouldn¡¯t even dream of being a hero.

    ¡°Just because.¡±

    ¡°Hey~ Just because, what¡¯s that~ Shion. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to make me jealous~?¡±

    At first, I thought of Elise. We had teamed up before and were familiar with each other.

    But then, because of the dating rumors, I felt self-conscious too.

    Even if it¡¯s not about me, the public and the media would want to believe it, or they might want to tarnish Elise¡¯s reputation.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡±

    Elise has changed.

    The Elise I knew before regression no longer exists.

    So, there¡¯s no need to hurt her unnecessarily.

    ¡°You¡¯re dumb. I think I can assist you.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    La narrowed her eyes and banged the table with her fist, then btedly crossed her arms to appear nonchnt.

    ¡°Hehe~ Shion, my friend. You should be trying to impress me~ If you don¡¯t get chosen by me, you¡¯ll end up with the other knight rejects~?¡±

    La still maintained her haughty attitude. I nced at the other knights waiting behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m better than those who came before me, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what people tend to think.¡±

    ¡°Then choose one of them.¡±

    Being on a team with La would definitely lead to some peculiar situations. She¡¯s somewhat foolish andcking in some areas.

    But still, M is the hero I used to admire.

    I remember grace the same way I remember grudges.

    I want to help her improve just a little more.

    ¡°¡­Shion still doesn¡¯t understand reality~¡±

    La made her eyes as wide as a blowfish¡¯s.

    I said,

    ¡°If you don¡¯t choose me, I¡¯ll quit the club.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La narrowed her eyes again. I looked into her eyes.

    La kept her eyes narrowed. They were almost closed, as thin as thread.

    ¡°I¡¯ll quit.¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait!¡±

    * * *

    Click!

    Outside at the park bench by Benoveno, La fastened her bracelet. I did the same with mine.

    ¡°Just touch them together.¡±

    I tagged my bracelet against the one on the wrist she extended. With a beep, a line of magical energy connected us, and the timer started.

    [15:00:00]

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°We have to be together for at least 15 hours a week. The timer only runs when we¡¯re within 5 meters.¡±

    La exined while looking at her smartphone.

    ¡°Fifteen hours¡­¡±

    For me, it¡¯s going to be a somewhat painful time.

    ¡°Shion. Shall we do some training?¡±

    ¡°Instead of training, what¡¯s your specialty?¡±

    I know M well, but La, not so much.

    ¡°My specialty¡­¡±

    La also paused. She had the look of someone who didn¡¯t know her own specialty.

    ¡°You¡¯re aspiring to be a mage, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course.¡±

    Her Spectrum, ¡¸Avatar¡¹, is literally ¡®another self.¡¯

    When she¡¯s hidden inside her suit, not only does her own power increase exponentially, but the fabric of the suit itself bes much stronger.

    Since M herself told me before the regression, it¡¯s probably certain.

    ¡°First off, I¡¯m rich.¡±

    ¡°Great, use that wealth.¡±

    ¡°Anyway! What about you. What¡¯s your specialty?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a swordsman. A swordsman who beat Gerkhen.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La looked at me with eyes full of superiority.

    ¡°Then¡­ Oh? It¡¯s Elly!¡±

    She reached out somewhere. There was Elise, with Gerkhen by her side.

    Elise and Gerkhen are a team.

    A super elitebination.

    ¡°Elly~¡±

    La waved her hand. Elise, noticing us, shuddered.

    Ding-

    That¡¯s when a text message arrived.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    [Notice]

    : Teams that havepleted teaming must spend 15 hours together over the course of a week.

    : The line of magical energy connecting the bracelets must not be broken.

    : If it is broken for any reason, the teaming will be dissolved, and both students will return to the ¡®pool.¡¯

    : You cannot team up with the same student more than once.

    : Teams mustplete various assignments while in a teamed state¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    ¡°Ooh~ Shion. Look at this. It¡¯s fascinating.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey. We might need to run away.¡±

    I nudged La¡¯s shoulder with my elbow.

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°Look over there.¡±

    Elise stood in the distance. Gerkhen seemed uninterested, probably reading the notice on his smartphone, but Elise, having already read it, was ring this way.

    With eyes that were incredibly fierce and incredibly terrifying.

    She clenched her fist. Magical energy began to gather above it.

    ¡°Uh, uh oh! Is she going to attack us?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to run.¡±

    I quickly grabbed La¡¯s wrist. We dashed away, dodging the telekinesis that reached for our backs.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    [Notice]

    Here is the list of assignments to bepleted while in a teamed state:

    1. Share your hobbies.[br][/br] 2. Synchronize training at the training grounds.[br][/br] 3. Hunt monsters in the monster-infested area (20 required).[br][/br] 4. Share a meal.[br][/br] 5. Write a report assessing and evaluating each other.[br][/br] 6. ¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Vroom¡­

    ¡°Shion, you¡¯re good at driving~¡±

    I¡¯m currently driving. La is lounging in the passenger seat like a queen, having reclined it all the way back.

    We ended up in La¡¯s car after fleeing from Elise.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I called out to La, who had her eyes half-closed. I didn¡¯t want to see her sprawled out asleep, no matter what.

    ¡°What happened inside that tower?¡±

    I asked about the Silonti Tower, and Void.

    La¡¯splexion darkened rapidly. She let out a small sigh and said,

    ¡°¡­Something did happen.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m asking what happened. Of course, something happened.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La red at me. I added anotherment.

    ¡°Why are you so dumb?¡±

    ¡°Sand.¡±

    La stretched like she was yawning, cing her hands behind her head.

    ¡°Just¡­ I realized I was too weak there.¡±

    ¡°Weak how?¡±

    ¡°When that viin was about to kill a 10-year-old kid¡­ I was sprawled on the ground. I couldn¡¯t breathe.¡±

    Her voice was quite damp with recollection, but it¡¯s often the viin that fosters a hero¡¯s growth.

    La will surely grow. Into the proper M.

    ¡°So¡­ Oh? We¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it. The field.¡±

    While driving, we arrived at the ¡®monster-infested area.¡¯

    As the name suggests, it¡¯s swarming with monsters.

    This ce, also known as ¡®the field,¡¯ has one of our teaming assignments.

    ¡°Do we just need to hunt the monsters?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    We got out of the car.

    The sky was unnecessarily clear. The surrounding scenery was vividly beautiful in the monster-infested area.

    ¡°Huh? Some other kids are already here?¡±

    La¡¯s eyes widened as she looked around. There were quite a few others like us, wearing bracelets.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Careful of what?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Elise? She¡¯s apetitor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    La quickly took out her smartphone and made a call.

    Ring-ring- ring-ring-

    ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s not ringing. She must not be here.¡±

    She¡¯s surprisingly cunning.

    ¡°How many do we have to catch?¡±

    ¡°Twenty.¡±

    As I was answering and stretching, suddenly.

    ¡®Master! Someone is tailing you!¡¯

    At Grawl¡¯s words, I straightened up.

    ¡®Who is it.¡¯

    ¡®It looks like the mafia!¡¯

    ¡®The mafia?¡¯

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    My brow furrowed.

    There is a reason for the mafia to follow me¡­

    The gambling venue.

    If I win the 6th round of the World of Series Poker, the mafia would suffer a 300 million ren loss. They might try to nip the possibility of my victory in the bud rather than leave anything up to chance.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah.¡¯

    I nced at La.

    ¡°Hut two! Hut two! Hut two! Kyaaaah.¡±

    She was stretching like a pony.

    ¡®I have a hero by my side.¡¯

    Strong enough not to lose to the likes of the mafia, at least.

 Chapter 216: Setup (3)

    <strong>Setup (3)</strong>

    La and I advanced through the monster-infested area. As the signbeled ¡°Beginner¡± suggested, it wasn¡¯t too dangerous.

    It was more like a walking trail, with the chatter of various students who hade out for teaming filling the air.

    ¡°Do you have any experience hunting monsters, Shion?¡±

    La asked. She had a rxed expression on her face, exuding confidence.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought you wouldn¡¯t have- What? You do?¡±

    I had caught quite a few monsters in my past life. Back then, it was all about the gear.

    Living day to day, earning money by hunting monsters, investing 70% of it in equipment and consumables, and the remaining 20% in medicine.

    ¡°Not in dungeons. Real monsters.¡±

    ¡°I said I have.¡±

    I drew the sword from my waist. Ahead of us was a red wolf, growling fiercely with bared teeth.

    A Blood Wolf.

    A beast affected by cross-talk, it¡¯s surprisingly tricky to deal with. Like rabies, if it bites even once, it¡¯s a fatal wound.

    I asked La.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°No, not okay. I mean, what¡¯s the n?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, shouldn¡¯t wee up with a strategy?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, right?¡±

    La pondered for a moment.

    ¡°You go first, Shion. I¡¯ll support from behind.¡±

    She¡¯s used to operating solo as a hero, so teaming might be awkward for her.

    ¡°How will you support? Do you have any forms or magic you can use?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    La narrowed her eyes in thought, then snapped her fingers decisively.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cast a buff on you.¡±

    ¡°A buff?¡±

    It¡¯s highly likely that buffs won¡¯t work on me. My magical immunity is too strong.

    ¡°Yeah. Look!¡±

    La expelled magic.

    Swoosh©¤©¤ It transformed into bumpy particles and clung to my body.

    ¡°¡®Magic Armor¡¯! How¡¯s that©¤?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s good.¡±

    Fortunately, it¡¯s an armor that works on the outside of my body, so it¡¯s useful for me too.

    ¡°Here I go.¡±

    I took a step forward. In an instant, the Blood Wolf leaped with a push from its hind legs, but I deflected it with ¡¸Eight Swords¡¹.

    ng©¤©¤!

    A simr sound rang out from the teeth and the sword. The wolf, repelled, crouched down and tried to sink its teeth into my ankle.

    Crack©¤!

    La¡¯s ¡®Magic Armor¡¯ instead shattered its teeth. I thrust my sword into the gaping mouth of the beast as it staggered back.

    ©¤©¤!

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good.¡±

    I turned to look at La. Laughed out loud, ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are youughing?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Shion, you might not know, but that ¡®Magic Armor¡¯ is still connected to me. I¡¯m supplying the magic. As long as my magicsts, you¡¯re invincible.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Sure thing.¡±

    * * *

    We hunted monsters, and the mafia¡¯s tailing was still persistent.

    However, they wouldn¡¯t dare to attack rashly. Even the mafia would know who La Hilton by my side is.

    ¡°Wow, we¡¯ve already caught nine? Isn¡¯t it time to head back?¡±

    Disposing of the carcasses from monster hunting is simple. Send the GPS location to the cleaners, and they take care of it.

    Yes, that¡¯s what I used to do before my regression.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s head back.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s bet on who can get there first!¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh, no thanks. I¡¯m tired. You¡¯ve just been standing around.¡±

    ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    She dashed off first.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    With no choice, I followed her. At first, we threaded on a ground covered with bushes.

    But at some point, it turned into a dirt path.

    The trees had disappeared, and the surroundings looked like a deste wastnd.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It had suddenly be like this.

    I stood still and looked around.

    It wasn¡¯t an illusion. My body would resist any enchantment.

    So, it must be a trap.

    Ssssshhhh©¤©¤©¤!

    A sword flew out of thin air towards me. I quickly deflected it, but that was just the beginning.

    Whooooosh¡­

    To the right. Like a flock of birds being swept away by the wind, countless polearms were hurtling towards me.

    ©¤©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤! ©¤!

    I swung my sword and knocked them all away. It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult.

    Just like ying the piano.

    ©¤! ©¤©¤! ©¤! ©¤©¤©¤!

    Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone grinding their teeth in my ear. It must be the mafia.

    They had separated La from me and trapped me alone¡­

    The worst choice they could make.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    All I had to do was buy time. Swing my sword, stay alive. There was no need to deal with them directly.

    Because.

    Kwazzzzzzzzzz©¤©¤©¤!

    A rift appeared in the air. Someone from the outside had broken the trap.

    I must have held out for about 30 minutes.

    A bit clich¨¦ and boring, but as expected, a woman dressed in a suit, whom I had anticipated would surely appear, was walking through the rift in the trap.

    ©¤Are you okay?

    She asked me. I pretended to be dazed and answered.

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    ©¤There are criminals here attacking people.

    That¡¯s when I btedly realized.

    She had been aware of the tailing from the start.

    ©¤Then, I¡¯ll patrol here. Be careful.

    In the ce where La had disappeared, it was M who appeared.

    I could be suspicious, but it¡¯s better not to be.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤!

    She kicked off the ground and leaped up. ng©¤©¤! She broke the core of the trap with a headbutt.

    The scenery changed back to an ordinary forest, and the presence of the mafia scattered in an instant.

    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t this stand out a bit?¡±

    A small smile tugged on my lips.

    Just then, I heard the sound of hurried footstepsing from behind.

    ¡°Hey! Shi, Shion!¡±

    She spoke as if she had just remembered toe back to me.

    ¡°Where were you?! I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?! I¡¯ve been searching for you!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I deliberately put on a clueless expression.

    ¡°¡­Shion. Huh? What happened?¡±

    With an innocent face, she asked naively, and I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Uh¡­ M just came and went.¡±

    * * *

    Back in the car on the way home.

    La mumbled as she turned on the radio.

    ¡°¡­Shion. Do you owe someone these days?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I answered calmly. La tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°Why.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing~¡±

    She must have noticed the tailing and deliberately helped me. She knew that if she wasn¡¯t there, the mafia would attack me, so she stepped aside to lure the attack and then drove them off as M.

    ©¤The next news. The convenience store robbers arrested by ¡®M¡¯st night in Trick City¡­

    Just as the radio mentioned M, I nced at La.

    ¡°Hey. You know M, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? I mean, I know of her. But~ I¡¯m not really into her~¡±

    La said nonchntly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you both from Trick City?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know~ What kind of woman she is. Always causing amotion.¡±

    ¡°Oh. M is a woman?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At my words, La¡¯s face suddenly hardened. Her fingertips and toes noticeably stiffened. Even her breathing became inaudible.

    I spoke nonchntly.

    ¡°Her voice did sound feminine.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La mped her mouth shut. She ran her tongue over the inside of her lips and then sneakily nced at me.

    ¡°What do you think of this M person then?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s obviously a good person.¡±

    That was all I replied.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She helped me when you weren¡¯t there, didn¡¯t she? Why wouldn¡¯t I believe that?¡±

    ¡°No, not that. I mean, just her character, you know.¡±

    I pondered what else to say, but I simply conveyed the truth.

    ¡°I can only think of her as a good person. Sacrificing herself to help others, I can¡¯t even imagine doing that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then La turned her face slightly towards the window, trying to hide her expression.

    ©¤With M¡¯s continued heroic actions, the public is now urging for the enactment of rtedws, saying that it¡¯s time for Trick City to change.

    ¡°M could certainly call for the heavily armed viins.

    ¡°¡­Is that what you mean?¡±

    La asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a well-known story. If citizens carry self-defense knives, criminals will carry guns, and if citizens carry guns, criminals wille with submachine guns.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Quite a famous hero¡¯s dilemma.

    La seemed to fall into thought for a moment, too.

    ¡°But somehow.¡±

    I turned to look at La. She met my eyes at an angle.

    ¡°It feels like M could ovee all of that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La¡¯s expression wavered slightly, but she said nothing.

    The more I thought about it, the less this guy seemed like someone who should talk too much.

    ¡°M seems like she could really be a true hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite favorable towards her, huh? Did you actually meet her today or something?¡±

    ¡°She came and went. She helped me out and left.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°¡­bullshit. What did she help you with? Were you being chased by debt collectors or something?¡±

    La made a sardonic face and then pressed her cheek against the car window. Her cheeks were already flushed.

    I smirked and stepped on the elerator.

    * * *

    At the Intelligence Agency of Libra.

    As soon as I parted with La, I met with Sonya again. She looked even more haggard, as if she had lost all hope.

    ¡°Get a grip.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She looked up at me in response to my words.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    A twisted smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°Do you have any suspects?¡±

    ¡°Suspects.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use? No matter whom I suspect, I¡¯ll end up being the criminal.¡±

    ¡°You need to tell me so that I have a reason to investigate him.¡±

    I had already given her the hint about the Intelligence Agency.

    ¡°¡­People from the Intelligence Agency came and went. They said if it ends here, they¡¯ll at least spare my life.¡±

    Sonya bowed her head. I frowned.

    ¡°Are you nning to give up like this?¡±

    ¡°I might.¡±

    ¡°You have the blood of Libra in you.¡±

    At those words, Sonya¡¯s shoulders twitched. She quietly raised her eyes.

    ¡°Are you, a descendant of Libra, nning to give up your life to be torn apart by mere hunting dogs?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sonya clenched her teeth.

    ¡°So.¡±

    She red at me with dry eyes and asked.

    ¡°Do you think someone like you can clear my name? You want me to believe that? You, who are nothing but the youngest¡¯s sole follower.¡±

    I met her gaze.

    ¡°Yes. I am trying. Because I believe in you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t show her the fabricated evidence. There were too many watching eyes.

    I smiled faintly and scribbled a small name with my finger.

    [Benedict]

    ¡°Do as you please now.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I stood up. I had received a firm answer, and now it was time to move.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Sonya called out to me. She looked up at me with eyes that had be moist.

    ¡°Can I also trust you?¡±

    ¡°¡­I always act in the best interest of Libra.¡±

    I simply responded that way.

    Sonya seemed inwardly satisfied, as she quietly smiled.

    ¡­

    The next morning at dawn.

    I received information from Grawl. It was about Benedict¡¯s secret ounts and deposit records.

    They were meticulously hidden, but Grawl¡¯s tracking skills were exceptional. It seemed he spent all his time cooped up in theb studying this stuff.

    ¡°It¡¯s certain! He has connections with the mafia! The moneyundering methods are all mafia-style! And there¡¯s more, there¡¯s evidence that he¡¯s been selling off Libra¡¯s interests for money!¡±

    Thanks to this, I had gathered a whole pile of dirt that could bury Benedict.

    However, I couldn¡¯t be the one to submit this. It¡¯s not an action befitting an internal investigator.

    From the beginning, my mission was only to determine the truth behind ¡®Sonya¡¯s betrayal.¡¯

    Benedict¡¯s corruption was not my concern.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    But¡­

    I had someone who could move on my behalf.

    There was no need to deliver it to him directly.

    Beep-

    I unlocked the car door with my key.

    A mid-size SUV. A filthy car filled with bugs and wiretaps, a gift from Bell Moore.

    I called Grawl on his cell phone.

    ¡°Is that information urate?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    From now on, Grawl would act as if he were my personal informant.

    ©¤Team Leader Benedict of the Intelligence Agency.

    Grawl spoke loudly enough for his voice to leak out of the phone.

    All our conversations now were being leaked to ¡®Bell Moore.¡¯

    ©¤He¡¯s selling Libra¡¯s internal information to the mafia.

    I pretended to be troubled and pressed my temples.

    ©¤Furthermore¡­ There¡¯s evidence that he has sold the business rights of the eldest son, lord Derek¡¯s business. He took kickbacks and allowed entry.

    ¡°It¡¯s a clear overstep of authority. However, I¡¯ll cover it up.¡±

    ©¤What? You¡¯re covering it up?

    I almostughed at Grawl¡¯s acting, but I clenched my teeth and continued.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not rted to the corruption involving So Revil. I am onlymitted to my duty as an internal investigator¡­¡±

    ¡­

    ©¤I am onlymitted to my duty as an internal investigator¡­

    ¡°Holy fuck!¡±

    Bell Moore mmed his fists on the desk. He abruptly stood up and paced around his private office.

    ¡°Why the hell bury it. Ah, fuck.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s blood pressure rose as he listened to Shion¡¯s words.

    This guy is too unnecessarily loyal, stubborn, and principled.

    It¡¯s corruption that shouldn¡¯t be buried.

    ¡°¡­This is definitely a setup by that bastard Benedict.¡±

    Benedict¡¯s setup.

    Bell Moore was already convinced.

    With each passing day, his conviction grew, and now it was 100% certain.

    Team Leader Benedict of the Intelligence Agency, that son of a bitch, had concocted a scheme to screw over Sonya and used him in the process.

    ¡°That piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°¡­So.¡±

    A faint voice returned. Benedict looked in that direction.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    It was Riley.

    He had disclosed the inside story about Benedict to her before anyone else.

    Bell Moore told her.

    ¡°It¡¯s certain that Benedict is acting unterally. Lord Derek doesn¡¯t know about this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then?¡±

    ¡°Then what! We have to strike first.¡±

    Bell Moore spoke while eavesdropping on Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Shion Ascal has a personal informant. Seems like a capable guy¡­ I¡¯ll get the information from him first. You feed it through.¡±

    Riley frowned slightly with a reluctant face.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a bit¡­ I don¡¯t know about getting involved too.¡±

    ¡°You were there with me when we arrested Sonya! You¡¯ve been deceived by that bastard Benedict too. If this goes wrong, we could be aplices. You think that bastard Benedict isn¡¯t going to cut off his tail?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley, too, had no desire to argue. Benedict¡¯s character was that contemptible, and as a member of ¡¸Vancheon¡¹, she wanted to get rid of Benedict more than anyone else.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you this time. But remember, you owe me one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I owe you one. Now keep it down. We need to keep listening.¡±

    Bell Moore focused on the voice of Shion Ascal flowing from the earphones.

 Chapter 217: Setup (4)

    <strong>Setup (4)</strong>

    Still inside the SUV, Bell Moore was eavesdropping.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact youter. ¡­¡¯JAKE¡¯.¡±

    I ended the conversation with Grawl, emphasizing the word ¡®JAKE¡¯ particrly.

    JAKE was the nickname used on a dark web site operated by Grawl himself.

    ©¤Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting.

    For the record, the Libra Intelligence Agency captures all information. It doesn¡¯t matter if a Chaser has personal informants. Each Chaser is essentially an ¡®independent investigator.¡¯

    In fact, the number of reliable informants a Chaser has is often a measure of their intelligence capabilities.

    Vroom-

    I drove to the national university.

    As I was about to arrive, I heard Grawl¡¯s voice through the R-elix.

    ¡°Got a contact already! Bell Moore¡¯s dark web ID is ¡®BILBILBIL¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Try to milk him for all he¡¯s worth and sell it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master~¡±

    I smiled quietly.

    Building thatb was worth it after all.

    Now, what remains is¡­ the smoking gun.

    All I need to do is nt something that could act as decisive evidence on Benedict.

    ¡­¡­

    Bell Moore frowned as he red at the dark web.

    [JAKE: For unverified first-time users, the price is steep.]

    ¡°What do you mean unverified? I¡¯m on a dark web level.¡±

    JAKE. It seems this guy is Shion¡¯s informant, but the price is much higher than expected. Even for himself, who is at level 10, the price is steep.

    ¡°What the hell iis this?¡±

    Bell Moore skimmed through the site.

    [DARK WEB JAKE: GROOOOW]

    Grow or whatever. In any case, the dark web¡¯s own recognition is non-existent. Simply put, it¡¯s a ¡®nobody¡¯.

    [JAKE: No discounts, 3 million points.]

    ¡°This is insane.¡±

    A lunatic nobody asking for a down payment of 3 million points.

    How did Shion recruit such a person? And how did he even find him?

    ¡°¡­¡­Well.¡±

    However, Bell Moore epted it easily.

    That maniac Shion only knows Libra. He would reinvest everything into Libra, be it bonuses, sries, or even his own free time.

    Bell Moore nced at Riley.

    ¡°Hey. Lend me some money.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Riley looked baffled.

    ¡°Just lend me some. You surf the dark web, right? Give me a million points.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you joking? Or is that information really reliable?¡±

    Her face clearly showed she didn¡¯t want to part with her money.

    Bell Moore ruffled his hair in frustration.

    ¡°It¡¯s reliable. Just give it to me.¡±

    ¡°At this rate, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just kill Shion and bury the case?¡±

    Riley¡¯s words drew a hollowugh from Bell Moore.

    ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t thought of that?¡±

    The only Chaser who knows that Benedict is behind this is Shion Ascal. Therefore, if that bastard dies, the case will be covered up, and Sonya will be expelled.

    ¡°But right now, that guy is participating in the Johanna gambling tournament.¡±

    In Johanna¡¯s gambling event with a stake of 300 million ren, snf thest remaining yer is Shion Ascal. Killing him in this situation would surely prompt Johanna to initiate a direct investigation.

    ¡°It¡¯s cheaper this way. Trust me.¡±

    Moreover, from Bell Moore¡¯s perspective, this incident was a ¡®deception.¡¯

    But if Shion Ascal is killed, it bes a case of ¡®knowingly¡¯ covering up.

    It would turn into a perfect tail to cut off.

    ¡°Trust or not¡­ just pay it back. Later.¡±

    ¡°Ah, got it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. If you don¡¯t pay it back with 5% interest within two weeks, I¡¯ll go straight to the higher-ups.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn it. Alright, I¡¯ll pay you back within two weeks. Happy now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Only then did Riley transfer 1 million dark web points.

    [JAKE: Payment confirmed. I will provide the information you requested. Please choose the method of delivery.

    1. Physical Delivery Box shipment.

    2. Dark web mail]

    Bell Moore chose option 1.

    Physical evidence is much more persuasive when convincing someone.

    [JAKE: Please provide your address, and the ¡¸Delivery Box¡¹ will be dispatched.]

    He entered his own address.

    ¡°Is it done?¡±

    Riley asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Now, Bell Moore would leak this information to Johanna. Then, the credibility of a man named Benedict would naturally plummet¡­

    From that point on, it would be Shion Ascal¡¯s responsibility.

    That guy would find evidence by any means necessary.

    He¡¯s someone who only looks for ways to devote himself to Libra 24 hours a day.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, Soliette was ¡®here¡¯.

    A space decorated to look like the real Edsi. But it was not.

    A world that is not real.

    Every night, she enters this ce to rummages through her own heart. It is her end-of-day respite.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    When she looks in the mirror in a world like Edsi, she is not Soliette.

    Just a short high school girl.

    She stared nkly at something. It was the TV inside the furniture store. Inside it, there was a man with red hair.

    Jared Arkne.

    Her family.

    Her brother, connected by blood.

    ¡°What are you doing.¡±

    A voice came from somewhere. Soliette flinched and looked around.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    There was no one there.

    ¡°It¡¯s below.¡±

    ¡°Below?¡±

    Soliette looked down.

    There was a cat. It was a ck cat.

    ¡°Who¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Shion.¡±

    ¡°Nail clippers-¡±

    ¡°I buried them in the ground.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Why have you be a cat, Shion?¡±

    Soliette picked him up for the time being. The cat suddenly blushed.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Why are you hugging me? Just put me down.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Is that so.¡±

    Shion said, setting his feet on the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s because Victor is dead.¡±

    ¡°Victor?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The souls we transfer consciousness to. Victor died, so I moved to this cat.¡±

    ¡°Why did Victor¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? He was murdered. By the defense mechanisms of this ce.¡±

    Shion looked around seriously.

    ¡°Then¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°The explosives have been ced. But to detonate it, we need to go down to the deepest underground of this bottle.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Soliette nodded.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cat.¡±

    Shion flicked his tail.

    ¡°Instead, there¡¯s someone who will help you.¡±

    He looked around the furniture store. With his cute front paw, he pointed at the TV screen.

    ¡°¡­¡­It won¡¯t work.¡±

    Soliette¡¯s expression hardened. She shook her head, trying to hide her fear and longing.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already got a promise of cooperation from Jared.¡±

    ¡°But still-¡±

    ¡°Anyway, Jared doesn¡¯t even know you¡¯re Soliette.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    That statement was somehow both reassuring and sad. Soliette looked again at her reflection in the furniture store¡¯s window.

    A short high school girl. Perhaps even looking like a middle school girl.

    ¡°Go down with Jared.¡±

    Shion told her.

    As if she absolutely must.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    A car stopped near the furniture store. The door opened, and Soliette¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    It was Jared.

    The man with the long red hair was just as she remembered from the distant past¡­

    ¡°This was the meeting ce.¡±

    ¡°Meeting ce?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You were supposed toe with me originally. Who would have thought Victor would die.¡±

    Shion looked at me and gave a wry smile.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry.¡±

    He pushed the back filled with fear, with just the front paws of a mere cat. The gesture was infinitely light, but pushed by such a small weight, Soliette took a step towards Jared Arkne.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±

    He looked at her, with the same face as back then, but with a face that doesn¡¯t recognize her.

    Soliette struggled to calm her constricted heart, feigning as muchposure as possible as she let her voice out.

    ¡°Do you have¡­ nail clippers?¡±

    Jared Arkne.

    To her precious family.

    * * *

    With each passing day, a spark was being lit in Johanna¡¯s heart.

    It was because thest round, the 6th round, with a stake of 300 million ren, was approaching.

    In Johanna¡¯s life, filled with gambling and betting, a gamble worth a total of 600 million ren was notmon, and above all, she was feeling the ¡®thrill of gambling¡¯ for the first time in a long while.

    Uncharacteristically, she was even looking forward to it, like a girl in her youth.

    Her favorite and most beloved moment in gambling was always the ¡®all-in¡¯ bet.

    The unexpected long odds that explode from a 0.01% chance.

    Victory thates when no one expects it, when it seems impossible to win¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the talk. You¡¯re trying to buy my consigliere head for 100 million Ren.¡±

    This is the prime VVIP exclusive casino room. In front of Johanna now is the boss of the Callos family, ¡®Callos¡¯.

    It means he¡¯s a mafia.

    ¡°So he did pass on my message?¡±

    Johanna threw a chip and smirked.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your answer?¡±

    The two are ying a game with cards ced on their foreheads. It¡¯s ¡®Indian Poker¡¯, where they bet by looking at the other person¡¯s card, not their own.

    ¡°I¡¯m not selling.¡±

    ¡°Not selling means?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I could bet it as a stake.¡±

    Callos stroked his mustache. Johanna¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.

    ¡°Stake, huh. If you want to add that, don¡¯t touch the yer, right? I heard there was an attack on the yer this time.¡±

    Shion Ascal. The guy who went to a college ss as usual was attacked by someone.

    ¡°It was a unteral decision by the consigliere. That¡¯s what happens when you are threaten. A cornered human will do anything.¡±

    Callos threw a chip.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call.¡±

    ¡°Call it is.¡±

    Johanna matched the number of chips.

    ¡°Do you think your yer can win the 6th round?¡±

    ¡°Opportunity is open to everyone.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡±

    Callos leaned forward with a sly grin on his face.

    ¡°Shall we ce another bet?¡±

    The corners of Johanna¡¯s mouth twisted slightly.

    ¡°What kind of bet?¡±

    ¡°If your yer wins the 6th round, whether he will or will not win the final round.¡±

    Callos tossed another chip. The number on the card resting on Johanna¡¯s forehead was ¡®7¡¯.

    Johanna also threw a chip as she asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s the stake?¡±

    ¡°3% of the Golden Casino¡¯s shares.¡±

    The Golden Casino.

    The entire premise is a magically powered space. A natural gambling den where all logic is aligned with gambling.

    Owned and operated by the nine mafia families and Johanna of Libra, 3% of the shares of the world¡¯srgest and most prestigious casino would easily be worth 2 billion Ren.

    ¡°Why should I do that?¡±

    However, for a bet to be established, Johanna would also have to stake an equivalent amount, and it didn¡¯t pique her interest. Even in gambling, the books have to bnce.

    ¡°You only need to put up 0.7%. Surely, you¡¯re the underdog, so to make it fair, I¡¯ll add the life of my consigliere to the pot.¡±

    0.7%.

    That seemed doable.

    Johanna crossed her arms and looked at Callos¡¯s forehead. His card number was ¡®6¡¯.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want the consigliere¡¯s head.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°There¡¯s a former yer of mine who clung to you.¡±

    There was a woman who had betrayed Johanna and clung to Callos. A wretch she had picked up from the streets, fed, and nurtured, only to ungratefully defect to the mafia.

    ¡°Bet her life.¡±

    For a moment, Callos¡¯s brow twitched.

    ¡°¡­¡­If you bet a yer¡¯s life in the same way, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ¡°I refuse. He¡¯s not mine.¡±

    She had to use and return it to her sister with care.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll win the shares and buy her with it.¡±

    Johannaid down her card. Callos did the same.

    ¡®7¡¯ and ¡®6¡¯.

    Johanna had won.

    Callos spoke with a hardened face.

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not for sale.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­She? Ha, right. I heard Callos had gone blind over a woman. Turns out it¡¯s true? Well, seducing a wealthy mafia does make life easier.¡±

    Johannaughed as she swept up the chips.

    ¡°Think whatever you want. If you act like you¡¯ve already won, you might end up with your ass kicked. But more importantly, is the bet on?¡±

    ¡°Why would I refuse? You¡¯re offering 3% of the shares.¡±

    The odds were overwhelmingly in this round¡¯s stake. The trump card Johanna herself had thrown in, Shion Ascal, was sure to reach that far.

    ¡°Ha ha. Alright. I always liked how straightforward you are, Johanna.¡±

    Callos smirked, under the delusion of ¡®she¡¯s taken the bait-¡®.

    ¡°Then¡­ that¡¯s enough for today. Let¡¯s call it a day.¡±

    Johanna stepped out of the private VVIP room. Beckman hurriedly positioned himself beside her.

    ¡°Your Grace, Johanna. We¡¯ve received contact from a Chaser of the Intelligence Agency.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Intelligence Agency?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They say someone has leaked your information to the mafia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, Johanna¡¯s face contorted like a goblin¡¯s. She clenched her teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter and tilted her gaze.

    ¡°Which son of a bitch is it this time?¡±

    ¡°They are currently in front of us¡­ Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®am I alright¡¯?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think betting all the way to the finals is reckless.¡±

    ¡°Did you eavesdrop?¡±

    Johanna let out a hollowugh at Beckman¡¯s sudden overstepping.

    ¡°I apologize. However, I only act in ways that benefit you, Your Grace, Johanna. Shion Ascal, that rookie, has already achieved more than enough by advancing to the 6th round. Any further betting would be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    Johanna pushed Beckman¡¯s chest with her fist.

    ¡°I am Johanna of Libra. My thoughts are not for you to control. Your role is to support my choices, not to interfere with them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beckman quietly lowered his eyes.

    ¡°I apologize. The Chaser from the Intelligence Agency is right in front of us.¡±

    Without a word, Johanna brushed past Beckman. A cold gust of wind struck Beckman¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beckman exhaled a trembling breath as he watched her walk away.

    * * *

    Meanwhile, at the national university¡¯s campus cafeteria, I¡¯m eating with La.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so tired¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Her dark circles are deep.

    They¡¯re getting deeper day by day.

    As M¡¯s appearances in Trick City increase, the real La seems to be dying like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay¡­ Shion. What¡¯s our next ss?¡±

    ¡°Mentor and mentee.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s themon ss we both have.¡±

    Mentor and mentee.

    We are the mentors, and one of the seniors is the mentee.

    We¡¯ve been assigned anonymous mentors and mentees via our phones, the mentee anonymously seeks help from the mentor, and the mentor sincerely fulfills that help, thereby proving their growth, or something like that.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that in the auditorium?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry. If we¡¯rete, there won¡¯t be any seats in the front.¡±

    La said, pulling on her bracelet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    I also got up.

    ©¤©¤At that very moment.

    A line of magical force flew in from somewhere.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    La quickly bent over, and I red in that direction.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Elise. She shrugged her shoulders with her brows deeply furrowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise attack. Don¡¯t you know when you see one?¡±

    ¡°So why the hell would youunch a surprise attack?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯repetitors, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Elly, seriously!¡±

    La stood up. Her head was doused in soup. Elise barely held back herughter at the sight.

    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s why. Always be prepared. It¡¯s what I taught you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±

    ¡°When did Iugh, huh?¡±

    ¡°You justughed behind my back!¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Elise turned away. Thud, thud¡ªWe watched her leave the cafeteria with disbelief in our eyes,

    and her partner, Gerkhen, continued to sit at the cafeteria table, devouring cake as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 218: Setup (5)

    <strong>Setup (5)</strong>

    ¡°Mentorship is amon elective that helps with your growth.¡±

    The entire Department of Magic at Edsi National University participates in thismon elective: Mentors and Mentees.

    ¡°As you can see, we only have ¡®mentees¡¯ here, right?¡±

    The vast auditorium was filled with all the new students of the Department of Magic.

    ¡°In another ce, there are as many ¡®mentors¡¯ waiting for you. Everyone, please take out your smartphones.¡±

    The professor said this and activated a device. Mana then emanated from the ceiling and flowed into the smartphones.

    ¡°You¡¯ve just been sent an invitation message on your smartphone.¡±

    [Shion Ascal, you have been invited to the ¡®Mentee Pool¡¯.]

    [Please set your nickname.]

    It¡¯s a mana-app. An application made purely of mana. Therefore, it has much more dramatic effects than other apps.

    ¡°Once you set your nickname, the mentor-mentee matching will begin. Make sure your nickname doesn¡¯t reveal your real name. That way, you can have a smooth consultation, right?¡±

    [Nickname ¡®NothingToDo¡¯ has been set.]

    [Mentee-Mentor matching in progress¡­¡­.]

    [Ding!]

    [The Glistening Snowman has been selected as your mentor.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: Hello?]

    A message came through immediately.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay to reveal your identities to each other. After all, seeing is believing, right?¡±

    I sent a reply.

    [Yes.]

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    I felt a slight consumption of mana. It was puzzling.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one. The other students also looked at the professor with faces that demanded an exnation.

    ¡°Ha-ha. It¡¯s fascinating, isn¡¯t it? Mana is consumed for conversation, that is, for chatting. It¡¯s the minimum requirement to use the mana-app.¡±

    The professor continued.

    ¡°However, by spending mana on conversation, you can get coaching that goes beyond simple text chat. For example, sending a Magic Spell.¡±

    [The Glistening Snowman: What¡¯s your specialty? Swordsmanship or magic?]

    [Swordsmanship.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: Hmm. Really?]

    ¡°Shion, who did you get matched with?¡±

    La, sitting next to me, asked. I showed her The Glistening Snowman on my smartphone.

    ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°I got ¡®The Cold de of Ice¡¯. But why does this person have such a nickname?¡±

    La tilted her head in confusion.

    [The Glistening Snowman: Well. If you have anything you don¡¯t know or are curious about, feel free to ask~ I¡¯m also good for consultation.]

    Consultation.

    I¡¯ve never shared concerns with anyone before. I¡¯ve always thought there was no need for that, both in the past and now.

    ¡°Remember well what kind of mentor you get and what happens~¡±

    Buttely, there¡¯s been something on my mind.

    Someone who still flickers in my thoughts.

    An old friend.

    [I have a consultation. What should I do if I feel like I¡¯ve forgotten someone, but I¡¯ve also forgotten who that someone is? I vaguely remember that they are a university student.]

    I sent the message.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    At that moment, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

    I flinched and turned around.

    It was Elise.

    ¡°Spying, are we?¡±

    ¡°I was just looking at the front.¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders and said.

    ¡°Interesting. You, seeking advice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie. I¡¯m just testing to see if this person is fit to be a mentor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm. Is that so? Then I¡¯ll also¡ªugh!¡±

    Suddenly, Elise was sent flying. It was because of someone¡¯s sudden body m.

    ¡°Ha-ha! How¡¯s that for an ambush!¡±

    It was obviously La.

    She pointed at Elise, who had fallen, andughed heartily.

    ¡°Elly, you should never let your guard down! I taught you that!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, there was a trash can at that spot, and a banana peel happened tond on Elise¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha! Elly, you human banana!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll murder you.¡±

    Just as Elise¡¯s eyes were about to turn red with rage, she grabbed my wrist.

    ¡°Shion! Let¡¯s run! She¡¯s gone crazy!¡±

    * * *

    ¡­After the ss ended.

    I was walking through the campus.

    La had run off to Trick City to do her thing¡ªprobably ying hero¡ª

    [The Glistening Snowman: Are you trying to tell me you have dementia? Because that¡¯s something I can¡¯t help with.]

    ¡°What the hell is this guy.¡±

    I was considering whether to cut off this mentor.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Suddenly, a voice drifted from behind a dark tree in the park.

    I looked over.

    It was Bell Moore.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No one¡¯s tailing me.¡±

    He gestured to me. I raised an eyebrow and approached.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s about what you mentionedst time.¡±

    Bell Moore had been smoking since the beginning of the year. He looked pretty rough, as if he had been up many nights.

    ¡°If what you said happens to be true. Who do you suspect is the culprit?¡±

    ¡°The culprit, you say.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Assuming it¡¯s a setup, who set up Sonya?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I took another step towards him. He offered me a cigarette.

    ¡°I asked Sonya directly if she suspected anyone.¡±

    ¡°¡­And?¡±

    ¡°Sonya mentioned the team leader of the Intelligence Agency.¡±

    Then, Bell Moore was the first to utter his name.

    ¡°Benedict.¡±

    I nodded silently, and Bell Moore exhaled smoke. A faint anger flickered across his crumpled face.

    ¡°But. There¡¯s no evidence that guy did it.¡±

    His reference had changed from Benedict to ¡®that guy.¡¯ I struggled to suppress augh that was threatening to burst out.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to start looking for evidence now.¡±

    Bell Moore frowned in frustration.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to hold onto that evidence, would he?¡±

    ¡°I think he would have it precisely because he¡¯s smart.¡±

    ¡°¡­Smart?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If he¡¯s the real culprit.¡±

    As an internal investigator, I diligently adhered to the principle of the presumption of innocence as I continued.

    ¡°He would have kept it as insurance for cutting ties, if nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Insurance.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯splexion changed at that moment. His entire expression hardened like the crispy skin of fried chicken.

    He must have understood what I meant immediately.

    ¡°Like insurance, to have it in case of a setup?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If suspicion falls on him, he can just leak it to someone else.¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s hand trembled as he held the cigarette. His face had already turned coldly impassive.

    He probably thought that he might be the target of that setup.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be anything at his personal residence. Even if team leader can be searched. But Benedict¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got a vi purchased under a different name.¡±

    Bell Moore picked up where I left off.

    It was information passed on by Grawl.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s in a wealthy neighborhood. Lagrange Beach.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be tough to infiltrate. Better to call an agent¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it alone. I am the internal investigator.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sufficient.¡±

    Bell Moore twisted the burnt-out cigarette in his mouth.

    ¡°Fuck. This is really fucked up. All because of that bastard team leader.¡±

    Crunch. Crunch. He chewed it up before asking me.

    ¡°When will you infiltrate?¡±

    ¡°The 6th round is about to start. It¡¯ll have to wait until that¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Let me know when you start. I¡¯ll do my best to distract them.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Bell Moore was about to leave but then turned back to look at me.

    ¡°Right. Did you hear the rumor?¡±

    ¡°What rumor are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The stakes have been raised. The game you¡¯ve entered, it¡¯s almost worth 2 billion ren now.¡±

    ¡°¡­2 billion ren?¡±

    It was slightly startled.

    2 billion ren is an amount even Libra would find burdensome to spend at once.

    Bell Moore smirked.

    ¡°Yeah. Feeling nervous?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve done it without telling you anything. Is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°Rather, it feels like I¡¯m being trusted.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Lunatic bastard. Bell Moore shook his head in disbelief and muttered.

    ¡°The condition is that you win the whole thing. That card tournament or whatever. If you don¡¯t win, you might get on the bad side of the eldest daughter.¡±

    ¡°Please control the information until it¡¯s over. Team Leader Benedict and his subordinates will surely be suspicious if the case doesn¡¯t close quickly.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Bell Moore waved his hand.

    As he turned to leave, I stopped him.

    ¡°Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    He turned to face me.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A question that sought affirmation of trust.

    ¡®Shion Ascal¡¯ was a character built to be loyal only to Libra, to act only for Libra¡¯s sake.

    ¡°I trust you.¡±

    That much of a firm answer was enough.

    This setup must seed.

    * * *

    [World Series of Poker: Round 6]

    From the round stage onwards, direct spectatorship is allowed. However, to prevent any influence on the oue, the game tables are thoroughly separated by partitions.

    ¡°¡­This should be interesting.¡±

    However, for VIPs like Johanna, there is a balcony inside the gaming hall that allows an unobstructed view of the tables.

    Johanna smiled as she watched the yers enter through the door.

    ©¤A new face. A yer who, like aet, has effortlessly pierced through the preliminaries, Shion Ascal.

    A blond handsome man. His stature is quite impressive, making him stand out far more than the other yers.

    ©¤Card reading,posure, bluffing, game management, he has shown ster skills in every aspect, a true supernova.

    He took his seat at the table.

    ©¤Now, let¡¯s begin Round 6.

    Johanna nced around the balcony. There were many VVIPs. Among them were Senators who loved gambling, conglomerate CEOs, and even Karlos.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±

    Johanna asked Karlos. Karlos scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s the underdog who should be nervous.¡±

    ¡­8 hourster.

    ©¤We have another incredible disturbance! The winner of Round 6 is Shion Ascal!

    Johanna pped her hands as she looked down at the table.

    Round 6 winner Shion Ascal.

    He won with a difference of just 8 chips. There were mistakes here and there, and games where his bluffs didn¡¯t work, but all that could be excused as the nerves of a novice.

    ©¤The new face, Shion Ascal advances to the final round of the World Series of Poker!

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    It was Karlos who spoke. He smirked and extended his hand, and Johanna took it with a smile.

    ¡°Congrattions for what? There¡¯s still one more round to go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Think that way. The other five who¡¯ve made it to the finals will probably be scoffing.¡±

    True to his words, the yers from the final round were among the most notable in poker history.

    They were all winners. Guys who had won the World Series of Poker at least once.

    ¡°It seems to me that those guys might be the ones shaking.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to be delusional. Well then, I¡¯ll be off.¡±

    With that, Karlos left, and Johanna spoke to Beckman behind her.

    ¡°Beckman.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Shion Ascal. Bring that guy to me. Who knows what the mafia might do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beckman remained silent again.

    Johanna felt a surge of murderous intent but suppressed it forcibly and turned to look at him.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No. I will do as you ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make me wait next time.¡±

    She gestured to Beckman as she turned away.

    ¡°You¡¯re my bncer.¡±

    Words without sentiment. But she had no choice because he liked hearing that phrase.

    ¡°Strive for perfection.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    As he bowed, Johanna turned and walked away.

    * * *

    ¡°Don¡¯t be under any illusions.¡±

    On the way home.

    In the limousine, while I was snacking on this and that, Beckman, sitting next to me, suddenly said something strange.

    ¡°Illusions?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Lady Johanna doesn¡¯t favor you. She¡¯s only sponsoring you because it seems you have a talent for gambling.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think so too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beckman silently red at me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sincere. I serve Miss Zia, not Lady Johanna.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beckman still looked doubtful.

    He¡¯s definitely an ufortable guy.

    ¡°What do you n to do with the prize money if you win?¡±

    The prize money is ten million ren.

    A whopping ten million ren.

    After taxes, it¡¯s about seven million ren, and I¡¯m secretly hoping.

    Maybe Johanna will take care of the taxes.

    ¡°Self-improvement. And the rest should be used for Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wasting money.¡±

    Beckman is good at keeping checks. Despite being a bncer who needs to maintainposure.

    It doesn¡¯t matter.

    He¡¯s someone I¡¯ll kill someday.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the ride.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Better thank me instead.¡±

    What an idiotic jealousy, telling me to thank him instead of Johanna.

    Vroom©¤©¤

    As I watched the car drive away, I put my hand to my ear.

    ¡®Grawl. Are you ready?¡¯

    ¡®Yes! I¡¯ll set the navigation to Benedict¡¯s vi for you!¡¯

    * * *

    Benedict¡¯s vi was located on ¡®Lagrange Beach,¡¯ a popr resort destination for the wealthy. As such, security was tight, but I managed to infiltrate sessfully. I wore an Infimian of a millionaire who actually lived there.

    ¡®This is it.¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    The mansion stood almost touching the sea.

    A lot of money was spent indeed.

    I used both the ¡¸Shadow Spot¡¹ and ¡¸Dark Shadow¡¹ forms simultaneously. I infiltrated while being concealed.

    ¡®There are several security forms in sight.¡¯

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    I had already learned the security forms from Elise. I had seen them during lessons too.

    Once I see a form, I canpletely memorize and dismantle it. As far as my magic can reach.

    It was such an ability from the start.

    Crackle©¤.

    I disrupted one of the circuits of the security form with my magic.

    I didn¡¯t cut itpletely; I just sealed it off, like soldering. If I had cut the circuit entirely, it would have triggered an rm.

    I slipped inside with ease. The interior was pitch ck.

    This darkness was a security feature in itself.

    Without a card key, this darkness would obstruct one¡¯s vision.

    I turned on the SZX-9500. The inside lit up again.

    ¡®There are quite a few traps around. Is there a safe or something here?¡¯

    A ce to store evidence.

    ¡®Yes! Please go up to the second floor! Be careful, there¡¯s another security form there!¡¯

    I ascended the stairs. My footsteps made no sound, nor did they leave any track.

    Crackle©¤

    I dismantled the security form in the same way.

    And then¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s a magic-based code!¡¯

    Inside a closet. A keypad for entering a code, like a touchpad.

    ¡®This is serious. I can¡¯t crack this.¡¯

    ¡®No. I¡¯ve cracked one before.¡¯

    Back then, when I decrypted the USB drive of the double spy from the Cartel.

    Long magic pulses were dashes (©¤), short magic pulses were dots (¡¤). Like Morse code, the code was formed bybining these two types.

    It was secure because it existed only in the owner¡¯s mind, safer than biometrics like iris or fingerprint recognition that could be exploited using a corpse.

    Usually.

    But not for me.

    I summoned Benedict¡¯s ¡¸Memory¡¹ left on the touchpad.

    ¨C ¨C ¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¨C ¨C ¡¤ ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C ¡¤ ¨C.

    I entered the code in sequence.

    Click©¤

    The door inside the closet opened. A fairlyrge secret space was revealed.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    Now, all I had to do was nt the evidence here and escape¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was at a loss for words for a moment.

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    Grawl was also speechless.

    It was shocking.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a human being.¡±

    There were all sorts of photos. There were video tapes too. People being abused, tortured, trampled upon¡­

    All twisted films shot by Benedict himself.

    There were also some ledgers, but they didn¡¯t catch my eye amidst the rest.

    ¡®Wow. There really are such people.¡¯

    I shook my head and corrected Grawl¡¯s words.

    ¡®No. That¡¯s not a person.¡¯

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    I nted some evidence rted to ¡®Sonya¡¯ in there.

    Considering the inhumanity of this ce, it seemed almost unnecessary to need that evidence.

    But when I returnter as an internal investigator to stir things up, Benedict will be finished.

 Chapter 219: Setup (6)

    <strong>Setup (6)</strong>

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Libra¡¯s Aerial Garden. Johannaughed, fluttering the [World Series of Poker: Round 6 Winner¡¯s Certificate].

    It was the first spoil she had obtained since she started nurturing and sponsoring gamblers.

    In fact, this certificate was meant for the yer, but Shion had no interest in the spoils and had given it up.

    ¡°That just leaves the spot for the trophy.¡±

    She looked around her trophy room.

    Indeed, it was filled with first-ce awards of all kinds. Horseback riding, fencing, swordsmanship, magic, poker, and even a valedictorian certificate from Edsi National University¡¯s Department of Magic¡­

    Johanna was quite a renowned jack-of-all-trades in her youth. Her magical talent was considered the best among those in Libra.

    However, now focused on the session structure, she had no new trophies to speak of.

    Yet, the undying passion and thirst forpetition were precisely why she was so dedicated to gambling.

    Johanna was, in fact, a woman addicted topetition more than gambling itself.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    On the other hand, Zia looked a bit worried. She had followed Johanna to this room as soon as she returned.

    ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡±

    Zia hesitantly opened her mouth.

    ¡°Sister¡­ the finals can¡¯t be won by luck¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. The finals are swarming with real talents. It¡¯s a bit strange to call them gambling talents, but they¡¯re the kind who can even detect when human flesh reacts.¡±

    Johanna giggled.

    Her expression was mischievous, like the old days when she would break Zia¡¯s arm and smirk.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ worried about you, sister¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about me?¡±

    Johanna turned to look at Zia, who nodded naturally.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Johanna¡¯s eyes curved into a smile of amusement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take what¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re anxious, so you came wearing a suit. Otherwise, could you give him to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia closed her mouth.

    This honest demeanor is something Johanna actually liked. It waspletely different from Jade and Derek, who were always scheming to deceive her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. The session structure willst at most seven years anyway. Zia, you¡¯ll also be the owner of the winner¡¯s spoils. There¡¯s no reason for me to take it.¡±

    The time promised by Sherlock was slowly approaching.

    Johanna raised her eyebrows while looking at Zia.

    ¡°Of course, it does seem like you¡¯re wasting it.¡±

    Then Zia made a strange expression.

    ¡°Wasting¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you have people, you should trust and use them. Share the arcane, big or small, and give them a reason to be under you. Right?¡±

    Johanna sat down in the executive chair. With a swivel, she spun the chair 360 degrees.

    ¡°Sister¡­ more importantly¡­ if you lose in the finals, the shares¡­¡±

    The shares of the Golden Casino.

    Johanna had literally waged a war to obtain them.

    Forcing her way into a world that had been monopolized only by the mafia was an achievement that established her as a sessor.

    ¡°Zia. Do you think I¡¯ve lived on luck alone?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    ¡°In the final round, the dealer changes with every game. There¡¯s a separate way to know that.¡±

    Johannaughed deeply, her fangs sharply exposed.

    ¡°Shion Ascal, that guy won¡¯t know. What decisive moment will bring about what event.¡±

    Manipting luck at the most crucial moment.

    That¡¯s what the game is all about.

    ¡°Of course, I hope Shion Ascal wins before that¡­¡±

    Johanna is not just a simple gambling fanatic. Rather, that¡¯s just an image she¡¯s crafted for the crucial moment.

    There¡¯s no point in cheating in a game with small stakes.

    It only bes meaningful when you cheat in a decisive game.

    ¡°What are the odds?¡±

    Johanna asked Zia. Zia just blinked quietly.

    After all, Johanna would answer herself.

    ¡°Certain victory.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Investing 8 million Ren?¡±

    Springwater Hospital. My attending physician, Professor Yu Hains, looked perplexed as he epted the money bag.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The 10 million ren prize money was quickly deposited.

    It was supposed to be deposited to Johanna, the sponsor, first, but Johanna really took care of the taxes and deposited the full 10 million ren.

    I withdrew 8 million ren from it.

    ¡°Do I need to write a contract?¡±

    Professor Yu Hains asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    No need for a contract. My continued life is thanks enough for the investment.

    ¡°Just make sure toplete that machine properly.¡±

    The desire to live might dull my thirst for revenge, but a cure is realistically impossible. It¡¯s just a machine that managed to treat a single pig when I was on the brink of death.

    But¡­

    A target lifespan of 45 years.

    That seems satisfying enough.

    Let¡¯s live just half the expected remaining years of an average person.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. The treatment is ready for today.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go right away.¡±

    I¡¯ve gotten quite used to this.

    ¡­

    As soon as I was discharged from the hospital, I immediately returned to ¡®the promised ce.¡¯

    A derelict factory with only concrete and steel rebar bones left. There, Bell Moore was waiting.

    ¡°Hey. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I put the Artifact around my neck.

    It¡¯s an Artifact that records images like a camera, but since it stores information in ¡®mana¡¯, it¡¯s impossible to manipte the footage.

    It¡¯s to ensure full preparedness against any possible maniption disputes.

    ¡°Hey. If you do all this and there¡¯s no evidence there, you¡¯re screwed. You know that?¡±

    Bell Moore spoke with a newfound anxiety. I nodded.

    ¡°I know. If there¡¯s no evidence, I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Because there won¡¯t be none.

    I¡¯ve already been there.

    ¡°I, alone, am the internal investigator. Bell Moore is simply following my orders.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh. Orders.¡±

    Bell Moore let out a hollowugh. He scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. Fortunately, it seems that bastard Benedict still has no clue what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Benedict will die without even knowing he¡¯s dying.

    Of course, information obtained illegally without a search warrant cannot be used as evidence. Not legally in Edsi.

    But this is a judgment in Libra¡¯s world.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Not yet. There¡¯s one more person.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who is it?¡±

    Bell Moore pointed somewhere.

    From the darkness of the abandoned factory, another person emerged.

    Purple hair. A woman with an intellectual aura about her, Riley, looking at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite busy, aren¡¯t you, Shion the intern?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Chaser now.¡±

    At my response, she just shrugged her shoulders. Bell Moore turned around with a grin and said,

    ¡°We need someone to unlock the security form. With three people on the team, we should be good to go¡­ Let¡¯s move.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡­

    We arrived at Benedict¡¯s vi. With Riley¡¯s help, we infiltrated stealthily, and I wandered inside just enough.

    Moving too familiarly in a ce I was visiting for the first time might give me away.

    I didn¡¯t want to leave even the slightest excuse to be suspected.

    Anyways.

    We reached Benedict¡¯s secret space.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing every time. How do you break the magical encryption?¡±

    I cracked the code in the same way as before.

    Shhhhk¡ª

    The secret door behind the wardrobe was revealed, and the faces of Bell Moore and Riley hardened for a moment.

    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡±

    A smile spread across Bell Moore¡¯s face. It was a look of satisfaction.

    ¡°¡­What a trashy human being.¡±

    Riley frowned in disgust.

    ¡°Well, looks like we won¡¯t be needing any evidence?¡±

    I surveyed the interior. My eyes scanned here and there until I picked up a notebook.

    ¡°Bell Moore.¡±

    I showed it to him. The two hurried over to look at it.

    It was evidence I had naturally created, showing traces of studying Sonya¡¯s handwriting.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡±

    Bell Mooreughed brightly as he put it into the evidence box. Then he hesitated for a moment, almost pouring all the materials inside into it.

    ¡°Hey. What do we do now?¡±

    He asked me.

    ¡°By protocol, we report to the superior.¡±

    ¡°Superior?¡±

    The Intelligence Agency is affiliated with Libra. Therefore, it doesn¡¯t have an owner per se, and even if it did, it would currently be the head of the house, Sherlock.

    However, my current temporary position as ¡®internal investigator¡¯ definitely has a superior.

    A direct descendant who personally convened the disciplinarymittee.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lord Derek.¡±

    I need to inform Derek of this fact.

    That one of Derek¡¯s subordinates is such a person, Derek himself must know.

    Riley and Bell Moore¡¯s faces stiffened for a moment. They looked at me with vacant eyes.

    ¡°The operation recording ends here.¡±

    At that moment, I turned off the recording Artifact.

    They all seemed to have a lot to say.

    ¡°¡­Crazy. Are you a Lunatic?¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s words were full of disbelief.

    But what Derek obsesses over the most is his own face. He never lets anyone who smears shit on his face live.

    Therefore, if this incident were to be made public, he would only outwardly punish Benedict with a facade of sophistication and mercy.

    But inside, he would harbor a rage beyond imagination, and not only would I be in danger, but also my affiliation with Zia.

    I¡¯m not ready for such chaos yet.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pass it on to the eldest daughter?¡±

    ¡°No. This whole incident was a personal deviation of Benedict. Moreover, he is a personnel of Lord Derek. The execution is Lord Derek¡¯s responsibility.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute¡ª¡±

    I turned to Riley, who seemed about to object.

    ¡°No blemish muste to Lord Derek. No one dares to do that to a direct descendant.¡±

    My loyalty to Libra is shown in this way.

    ¡°¡­The punishment is left to Lord Derek.¡±

    After all, Derek will not let Benedict live. I would bet on it.

    I know the character of this eldest son very well.

    ¡°I simply act ording to the rules.¡±

    * * *

    In the capital Edsi, at Derek¡¯s grand mansion.

    As an internal investigator, I faced Derek. I handed over all the items in the evidence box to him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek scanned them one by one.

    The smoking gun was a notebook practicing Sonya¡¯s handwriting, but there were also photos containing some sadistic hobbies, and records of backdoor deals for business rights in Derek¡¯s ventures.

    ¡°¡­What is the reason you brought these to me?¡±

    Derek asked, tossing them aside.

    ¡°As an internal investigator, I am presenting evidence that Benedict has manipted the case to Lord Derek, who personally convened the So Revil disciplinarymittee.¡±

    Derek rested his chin on his hand. His slender gaze was mixed with humiliation, shame, and anger.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°This is the personal deviation of the Intelligence Agency team leader. Above all, the grave offense is the attempt to tarnish the honor of Lord Derek.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯Attempted¡¯ to tarnish?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Derek seemed to find some clue in my words.

    ¡°Have you not reported to anyone else?¡±

    ¡°No. I am an internal investigator appointed by the disciplinarymittee. Therefore, the superior I must report to is Lord Derek, who first convened themittee. Even that is rted to So Revil, not the punishment of Benedict. That is not my ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek slightly lifted his waist. The back that had been almost buried in the chair straightened up again.

    ¡°Then. As an internal investigator, what are your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°I act ording to the regtions. As an internal investigator, my only thought is that So Revil is innocent.¡±

    ¡°¡­And as a retainer of Libra?¡±

    I lifted my head to look at Derek. His blue eyes narrowed like a snake¡¯s.

    ¡°As a retainer of Libra, I cannot tolerate any employee of the Intelligence Agency tarnishing the reputation of the direct descendant, Lord Derek. No one should do that.¡±

    Only then did Derek smile.

    He asked with a slightly satisfied tone.

    ¡°What punishment do you think is appropriate?¡±

    My answer was clear.

    ¡°¡­Death.¡±

    Derek flicked through the evidence spread out on the desk and raised his eyebrows.

    That was the end of it.

    The mental settlement for a man who had served him for many years was sufficient with just a nce.

    ¡°Can you handle it quietly?¡±

    Benedict will die without even knowing why he died. His mouth will never open.

    He will not be able to utter a single word in defense against the fabricated evidence.

    ¡°It is possible.¡±

    * * *

    Late at night, at the capital residence of the Intelligence Agency team leader Benedict.

    I had arrived at the destination. Standing at the entrance, I looked up at the lit bedroom and tightened my blue tie.

    Knock-knock-

    I knocked on the front door.

    As if waiting, someone inside opened the door for me.

    It was Benedict.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He looked at me with a strange expression.

    ¡°Did Lord Derek send you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My duties as an internal investigator are scheduled to be concluded.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph. Is that so. What¡¯s the conclusion?¡±

    I tried to step inside, but Benedict blocked me.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, you orphan scum. Don¡¯t cross the line and speak from there. The only reason I¡¯m meeting you now is because of Lord Derek¡¯smand.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You must have been chewed out by Lord Derek himself, huh? But it¡¯s toote. Your career is already over.¡±

    Benedict still didn¡¯t realize what wasing. Well, he couldn¡¯t know.

    I smiled thinly.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny, you filthy bastard. If you dragged out the conclusion of the case for a whole week, you should have been prepared for this much.¡±

    Because I prolonged the case a bit, Benedict and his subordinates had a lot ofints against me.

    Though Benedict himself would die today.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I ced my hand on my waist.

    ¡°The case will be concluded.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me the conclusion and get out.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The conclusion of the case ends.¡±

    I gripped the sword.

    Benedict is stronger than he looks. He¡¯s probably a notch above Bell Moore.

    Therefore, a surprise attack is necessary.

    It has to end in one strike. Now, while he¡¯s off guard, with a ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹ that pours out without a hint of murderous intent¡­

    ¡°With your death.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡±

    Benedict¡¯s eyes filled with horror as he realized something.

    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±

    Just before he could hastily raise his Magic Body, my sword surged first. A cutting blue line severed his neck.

    Sshhhrrrk©¤©¤!

    The neck and body were cleanly separated, and from within, red blood gushed out like a fountain.

    Thud©¤©¤.

    Benedict¡¯s body copsed with a wobble, and his head rolled across the ground.

    It was a remarkably clean scene.

    ¡°¡­Case closed.¡±

    I wiped the blood sttered on my face with a handkerchief.

 Chapter 220: Setup (7)

    <strong> Setup (7)</strong>

    When I returned to the Intelligence Agency, it was already morning. As an internal investigator, I sought out So Revil in the interrogation room.

    I spoke to her, her face still dry and peculiar, reminiscent of a squid.

    ¡°Ms. So Revil, you will be released soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    She jerked her head up. I calmly extended the report to her.

    ¡°Evidence was found in a safe at a vi purchased under a false name by Benedict.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    Sonya quickly grasped it. She scanned it up and down, breathing heavily.

    ¡°However, you won¡¯t be able to return under Lord Derek¡¯smand.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    Sonya let out a hollowugh. She understood the meaning of my words immediately.

    ¡°This case will be covered up.¡±

    To save Lord Derek¡¯s face meant not to disclose all of Benedict¡¯s crimes.

    The official charge against Benedict would be reduced to a simple ¡®abuse of power.¡¯

    Of course, the details would spread subtly like a rumor¡­

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Sonya cannot return.

    She must be cast out, stripped of everything.

    ¡°Yes. Ms. Sonya, you will have to ept this.¡±

    ¡°Benedict?¡±

    She asked about Benedict. I replied softly.

    ¡°He will likely never meet anyone ever again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The corners of Sonya¡¯s mouth twisted.

    ¡°I¡¯m better off than that bastard, huh.¡±

    ¡°You can consider it as the punishment for daring to frame a side branch.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Sonya looked at me. Those dry eyes of hers were now moist.

    ¡°Indeed. You believed in me.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    She smirked and picked up a lighter, burning the report with it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a record that will be concealed anyway, and looking at it would only make me angry.¡±

    I nodded at her words.

    ¡°However, most of Ms. Sonya¡¯s assets will be seized.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Sonya¡¯s expression hardened for a moment.

    ¡°30,000 shares of Libra Station, 3% of the Libra Industrial District-¡±

    ¡°Everything I own?¡±

    ¡°Not everything.¡±

    I handed her a bankbook.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Resource Ster.¡¯ An energypany you started with Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. That was a long time ago.¡±

    This was an offer from Zia, extending her hand to her.

    An invitation to join her.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Sonya asked me for my opinion.

    I looked at Sonya.

    ¡°I may have nothing left now.¡±

    Her voice was quiet and thin, as if she was exhausted.

    I had my concerns, but¡­

    ¡°I will follow your will this time too.¡±

    Before the regression, Sonya¡¯s assistance was crucial to Zia. She yed a significant role in Zia securing her power.

    There was no reason to take the risk of excluding Sonya.

    Moreover, the situation has now changed.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one who believed in me.¡±

    Sonya trusted me, and that¡¯s why.

    Because she trusts me as much as, if not more than, Zia.

    ¡°If I ept this ount, it will be because of you, not Zia.¡±

    She can still be the second inmand.

    ¡°Join me, Ms. So Revil.¡±

    As my second inmand, not Zia¡¯s.

    [The Glistening Snowman: Aren¡¯t you curious about anything?]

    The next morning.

    My mana app rang like a morning call.

    My mentor seems eager to teach me a lot, but I¡¯m not particrly keen on seeking lessons.

    [Yes.]

    I checked other chat rooms on the regr messenger.

    ¡°¡­¡­It seems she still hasn¡¯t replied.¡±

    There was no response from Soliette.

    She¡¯s probably descending into the underground of the bottle with Jared Arkne.

    I hope they enjoy their ¡®adventure.¡¯ Even if their bodies and minds are weary, they¡¯ll be building memories with someone precious.

    [The Glistening Snowman: Hmph~ Do as you please. But if you don¡¯t give me a satisfaction score of 100, I¡¯lle and kill you.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s brutal.

    Anyway, there are grades for this cultural ss too.

    [Yes. I¡¯ll do that. But you have to give me 100 points too.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: Why should I?]

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    [Then let¡¯s both give each other 0 points.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: What? Are you crazy?]

    [I won¡¯t reply anymore.]

    I turned off the rm immediately.

    This morning¡¯s lecture is on knight studies¡­ but it¡¯s all theory.

    Before going into actualbat, it¡¯s about learning the patterns to counter different types of magical beasts.

    The theory is easy for me but also annoying at the same time.

    ¡°Shion~~~¡±

    As soon as I stepped outside the dormitory, I heard a long call waiting for me.

    It was La.

    She ran up to me like a retriever and tapped her bracelet against mine.

    ¡°Awesome! Let¡¯s have another great day today!¡±

    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ve only got three hours left, so let¡¯s finish quickly.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude, Shion? It¡¯s so dismissive.¡±

    La narrowed her eyes. -.-

    ¡°What¡¯s today¡¯s lecture about, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Knight studies.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then I should sit in on that too. Shion, you should sit in on mine as well. That way, we¡¯ll fill up the hours for this week, right? Let¡¯s get it done and go eat. You know? Having a meal together is also great for teaming up and boosting morale¡­¡±

    La chattered away with a bright face about today¡¯s schedule.

    Weekend. [World Series of Poker: Final Championship] on Sunday.

    I arrived at the venue, ¡®Bruman Casino Hotel.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people.¡±

    The crowd is huge. However, it¡¯s not as popr as the amount of money at stake would suggest.

    Honestly, I was worried if everyone at the university would recognize me when I won the 6th round?

    But no one did, except for a few seniors interested in gambling.

    ¡°yer Shion Ascal?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    The staff from the organizingmittee approached me.

    ¡°We will guide you to the waiting room.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They first pointed to the red carpet. There were quite a few reporters and people on both sides of the carpet.

    ¡°These are reporters from the Golden Casino.¡±

    The organizers exined.

    For reference, the Golden Casino is almost like a state in itself. An autonomous region formed through gambling.

    There, I might be a bit famous.

    ¡°You may rest.¡±

    The waiting room the staff led me to was extremely luxurious. I sat on the sofa and let out a sigh of relief.

    The taste of the air is a little different. The mana concentration is zero.

    This casino, including its interior, is entirely a no-mana-zone.

    Ding-a-ling©¤©¤ Ding-a-ling©¤©¤

    The telephone in the waiting room rang. I answered the call.

    ©¤Hey.

    It was Johanna¡¯s voice.

    ©¤I heard about the job you did this time. It¡¯s a bit nauseating for me.

    ¡°I thought it was a direction beneficial for Libra.¡±

    ©¤Ha! I guess so. I¡¯m not too concerned. It¡¯s actually better for me. Two of Derek¡¯s people got cut off. But more importantly.

    Johanna chuckled as if she was some sort of mastermind behind the scenes and asked.

    ©¤Are you confident? It starts in an hour.

    ¡°I¡¯m reasonably confident. The prize money is 60 million Ren.¡±

    60 million Ren.

    It¡¯s a tremendous amount of money, but I won¡¯t be using it.

    If I win, I¡¯ll entrust it all to Zia.

    It¡¯s an investment without expecting a return.

    ©¤Right. If you win, it¡¯s all yours. Normally, a sponsor takes half, but I won¡¯t do that. So win it, for your, no, for Zia¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Johanna hung up the phone.

    I looked around the room and then pressed my ear against the right wall.

    My hearing is as sharp as an animal¡¯s, even in a no mana zone.

    ¡­Just do it.

    The voice of another participant came from the right. Nothing special was said.

    This time, I pressed my ear against the left wall.

    ¡­Are you sure?

    A woman¡¯s voice asking for confirmation.

    ¡­Really? Then there¡¯s nothing you can do about that.

    A small man¡¯sughter mixed into the responding voice.

    ¡­Yes. I understand. Let¡¯s devour them.

    It sounded like they were plotting something.

    I leaned back on the sofa without much thought.

    Hold¡¯em is a game where youpete with skill, using the luck you have.

    * * *

    At the entrance to the poker championship arena.

    Outside the six divided entrances, I stood still, waiting for the start.

    ©¤©¤We will now begin the final championship of the World Series of Poker.

    Just in time, the speaker¡¯s majestic sound echoed from beyond the set.

    However, the final table where the actual game would take ce was quiet. No people, no furniture, just one table and chairs for the six yers to sit on.

    The announcer announced the yers¡¯ entrance.

    ©¤©¤Let¡¯s introduce the yers. The winner of round 1, Roho!

    Roho. A man wearing sunsses.

    It¡¯s not against the rules. Other yers can¡¯t read his eyes, but he also can¡¯t bluff with his eyes.

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t wear sunsses.

    I bluff with my eyes.

    ©¤Next, the winner of round 2, Eva!

    Eva. A woman with long hair. Quite a seductive appearance.

    ©¤The winner of round 3, Gagher!

    Gagher looked like a homeless man.

    Long hair and a lot of beard.

    Anyway, the winner of round 4 is Fat Billy, and the winner of round 5 is a girl named Sally, who looks like a middle school student.

    Four out of the five are yers sponsored by the mafia.

    ©¤Lastly, the winner of round 6, Shion!

    Finally, me, Shion Ascal.

    I strode to the table and sat down, facing the six yers with a calm face.

    ©¤Your sponsors, as well as numerous tourists and poker fans, are watching on TV from not too far away.

    The host said.

    ©¤All forms of cheating rted to electronic devices are not permitted at this table. Not only is it impossible to bring them in, but they also don¡¯t work in this no-mana-zone.

    The chips were distributed. Everyone had the same amount.

    The final is a long game, a single round thatsts a day.

    A marathon at the table over 24 hours, where the yer with the most chips at the end wins.

    ©¤Now, let¡¯s begin the final of the World Series of Poker!

    ¡­¡­

    In the sponsor¡¯s waiting room of the Bruman Casino.

    Johanna was watching him. She was somewhat nervous, but the excitement was greater.

    Perhaps because it was a scam gambling after a long time.

    Or maybe because of the excitement that someone might cheat her again.

    The reason Johanna put up scam gambling was nothing else.

    She had a hunch that those guys would cheat too.

    It¡¯s about striking first to win.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    Johanna watched with her own unit in the private waiting room. Beckman was there, of course, and so were her secretary and butler.

    [First game: Shion wins]

    ¡°It¡¯s a good start.¡±

    Johanna clenched her fist.

    However, the final was not as easy as the preliminaries or rounds.

    [Second game: Eva wins]

    [Third game: Roho wins]

    [Fourth game: Shion wins¡­¡­]

    It was a close match.

    Three hours had passed, and ¡®Eva¡¯ had a slight lead in chips.

    Shion was in second ce.

    But three hours is still the early stage.

    It¡¯s not over until it¡¯s over.

    ¡­¡­

    Twelve hours in. At the poker table, I looked at Eva.

    Call, raise, fold.

    Her voice, saying only those words for twelve hours, somehow felt familiar.

    To the right.

    The voice of the participant to the right of my waiting room.

    ¡®¡­¡­Are you sure? Really? Then there¡¯s nothing you can do about that. Yes. I understand. Let¡¯s devour them.¡¯

    The woman who was saying that.

    I wanted to listen to her voice a little more, but should I speak to her?

    ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡±

    I said to her. She slightly furrowed her brows but soon chuckled and shook her head.

    Well, speaking to her seems like bad manners.

    ¡°Check.¡±

    Roho checked.

    With the fivemunity cards and my handbined, I have a full house.

    There¡¯s no reason for me to lose.

    ¡°Raise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fold.¡±

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    The rest are out. I swept the chips towards me and looked back at Eva. I asked in a whisper.

    ¡°What¡¯s a pretty thing like you called? Full name?¡±

    ¡°¡­Could you keep it down?¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s my first time. Is it bad manners to talk?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. You seem quite excited for your first final.¡±

    Eva smiled with her eyes. I smiled back.

    Definitely, the voice from the room next to mine.

    ¡°There¡¯s something in your eyshes. Is that a crumb from a potato chip?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Eva¡¯s expression hardened. She fiddled with her eyshes to remove the speck.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What a joker.¡±

    Johanna watched with satisfaction.

    It¡¯s the kind of humor allowed for a first-time yer at the poker table.

    [1st ce: Shion Ascal]

    The chip leader is Shion Ascal.

    But the difference is very slight. Especially since the difference between 1st and 2nd ce is just one game.

    That¡¯s even better.

    In such a precarious game, a moment of ¡®cheating¡¯ could be decisive.

    Ah, perhaps ¡®manipted luck¡¯ is a better term.

    Johanna smiled as she nced at her watch.

    18 hours in.

    ¡®That time¡¯ is approaching soon.

    ¡­¡­

    I¡¯m the current chip leader at the final table. However, the difference isn¡¯t significant.

    The gap could close at any moment with the second ce.

    That¡¯s why every hand is critical at this moment¡­

    Suddenly.

    [? 4],[? J], [? J].

    The first threemunity cards were dealt like this.

    In contrast, my cards that couldbine with them were©¤©¤

    [? J] [¡ô J]

    It means ¡®Four of a Kind¡¯ with Jacks.

    With twomunity cards yet to be revealed, I already have four of a kind.

    In Hold¡¯em, four of a kind is almost a guaranteed win.

    Especially with Jacks, it¡¯s unbeatable.

    But, let¡¯s not rush to go all-in. Anything can happen.

    I maintained myposure and bet.

    ¡°Call.¡±

    ¡°Call.¡±

    The opponents slowly built up the pot, and as the turn progressed, two moremunity cards were revealed.

    [? 4],[? J], [? J], [? 9], [? 10]

    A nine and ten of hearts were revealed.

    In Texas Hold¡¯em, the winner is the person who can make the highest hand bybining these fivemunity cards with their own two hole cards.

    Mybination is four of a kind with Jacks.

    It¡¯s almost as good as a win, but©¤©¤

    ¡°All-in.¡±

    Suddenly, an opponent went all-in.

    It was her, ¡®Eva¡¯.

    A woman with a seductive, slightly decadent beauty. The yer from the room next to mine who had that meaningful conversation with someone.

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    The rest of the yers folded then and there.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter.

    I have four of a kind.

    Whether you¡¯re a shark or a fish at the poker table, if you¡¯re ying Texas Hold¡¯em and you¡¯ve got a strong hand, you¡¯re supposed to push all your chips in.

    I was about to do just that, but then I stopped.

    Themunity cards were [? J], [? 9], [? 10].

    They were all the same suit.

    All hearts.

    If my opponent held [? 8], [? 7] for instance, making five consecutive cards of the same suit.

    That¡¯s a straight flush.

    A four of a kind loses to a straight flush.

    Of course, the probability of both a four of a kind and a straight flush appearing at the same time is exceedingly low.

    But just now¡­

    The slight tremor that Eva showed a moment ago when she pushed all-in.

    It was anything but ordinary.

    That moment seemed to carry a hint of anticipation, as if she was expecting something, a subtle excitement.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I silently turned to look at Eva, gripping my cards tightly between my fingers, peering intently into her face.

    Eva maintained herposure as if she hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I chuckled deeply and folded my hand.

    ¡°Fold. I¡¯m out.¡±

    I gave up the four of a kind.

 Chapter 221: Setup (8)

    <strong>Setup (8)</strong>

    Fold.

    On the screen, Shion folded his hand.

    ¡°¡­fold with a four of a kind?¡±

    Johanna muttered in disbelief.

    Of course, sponsors can¡¯t see the yers¡¯ cards. This is to prevent any possible maniption of the game.

    But¡­ Johanna knew.

    That hand was setup.

    ¡°That crazy bastard!¡±

    An expletive burst from her lips as every hair on her body stood on end.

    The dealer for this game was Haze.

    She was the one who had rigged the game for the scam.

    ©¤With yer Shion¡¯s fold, yer Eva wins.

    But the game couldn¡¯t be called off.

    Shion Ascal had folded with a four of a kind, and Eva swept the chips piled on the table.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna looked at the leaderboard.

    [Chip Leader: Eva]

    [2nd ce: Shion]

    The chip leader had changed with that game.

    Naturally, from Eva to Shion.

    Johanna remained still for a moment.

    She couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.

    A four of a kind with two Js in the hole.

    A game that couldn¡¯t be lost unless one deliberately threw it away¡­

    ¡°I knew this would happen.¡±

    Beckman stood up abruptly. Almost apoplectic, he raged at Johanna, his whole body flushed red with anger.

    ¡°As expected, he¡¯s not to be trusted.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna turned to look at Beckman.

    ¡°I knew it from the first time we met. That guy is definitely hiding something¡­¡±

    She could barely hear his voice now.

    Johanna brushed Beckman¡¯s face away with the edge of her hand and looked back at the screen. At that moment, Eva¡¯s expression was caught.

    Eva, Karlos¡¯ yer.

    Johanna stared at her.

    ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡±

    Suddenly, her intuition twitched subtly.

    As someone who had once been a yer and still enjoyed gambling with mafia bosses, Johanna could detect the slightest changes in human expression.

    The disturbance in Eva¡¯s face now.

    The unmistakable panic that couldn¡¯t be hidden.

    Johanna found it odd.

    You clearly won, so why?

    ¡°¡­Shall we prepare for interrogation immediately!¡±

    Beckman was still babbling on.

    Johanna gestured to a chair.

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Beckman sat down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak. No one. Not a single breath.¡±

    Johanna thought quietly.

    Think about the hand.

    A four of a kind with Js. The odds of losing with that hand are quite low.

    The chances of winning are extremely high.

    No, since the game was ¡®rigged¡¯, the odds of winning are close to 100.

    It has to be.

    But¡­

    [? 4], [? J], [? J], [? 9], [? 10]

    Among the fivemunity cards, particrly noticeable were,

    [? 9], [? 10], [? J]

    Sequences of hearts.

    Assuming it¡¯s not a rigged game, what are the odds of a four of a kind and a straight flush appearing at the same time?

    Extremely low.

    Therefore, if both hands appear at one table, the four of a kind will inevitably bust.

    Because no one folds holding a four of a kind.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion folded.¡±

    Johanna¡¯s lips smiled. Beckman smiled as if he had mistaken the term ¡®folded¡¯ in the game for actually being ¡®killed¡¯. (The term they use for fold is dead, thus makes no sense in this statement)

    ¡°¡­¡­If.¡±

    The four of a kind was certainly a stroke of luck that she had manipted.

    But if another maniption had been interwoven into that setup.

    ¡°If.¡±

    If they had pulled off a Deception once more.

    If they had recognized the dealer Johanna had recruited in advance and hadid a ¡®strategy¡¯ in return.

    ©¤Timeout.

    Just then, Eva¡¯s side requested a timeout.

    ©¤yer Eva has requested a timeout. The game will resume after a 15-minute break.

    Johanna looked at the screen. The dealer had already disappeared, and Eva¡¯s two hole cards were still lying on the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that woman¡¯s hand.¡±

    It was a truly pure curiosity.

    * * *

    A timeout was called. The dealer was the first to hurry out, and the other yers also left for the waiting room.

    ¡°Yawn.¡±

    In contrast, yer Roho yawned and remained.

    He had given up on winning a long time ago.

    He had given up early on because the cards just weren¡¯ting his way.

    Still, since the prize money is distributed ording to the number of chips, he was now just fighting to hold his ground.

    ¡°¡­¡­What the. Where did the dealer go?¡±

    He got up to grab a snack, but the cards were stillid out on the table. The hands of Shion and Eva, who had just yed heads-up, were there.

    Is the dealer an amateur?

    It was the first time he had seen a dealer run away without collecting the cards.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Well, let¡¯s take a look at these guys¡¯ hands. It¡¯s the dealer¡¯s fault for not cleaning up anyway.

    Roho pretended to drink water and sneakily opened the cards. He started with Shion Ascal.

    [? J] [¡ô J]

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    Water sprayed out. He flipped the cards over and over again. He looked at them with wide eyes.

    It¡¯s a four of a kind.

    ¡°What is this guy doing¡­¡­¡±

    The yer named Shion had folded with a four of a kind.

    Even more, two hole cards, two on the board. Is he mentally deranged? Or did he think he was going to be eaten alive by his own thoughts?

    ¡°Hmm-hmm~¡±

    Roho tiptoed over and this time stood at Eva¡¯s spot.

    ¡°Oops.¡±

    He pretended to stumble and slightly revealed the hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±

    At that moment, Roho¡¯s expression froze. His pupils tightened sharply. His face twitched involuntarily with an unknown spasm.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He brushed his hair back and set down the cup of water.

    With a snicker, a too-natural chuckle escaped.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to win. This guy.¡±

    From the start, it was a game he could never win.

    It¡¯s not about rigged games or maniption; the skill gap is just too wide.

    The difference is as stark as between a straight flush and four of a kind.

    ***

    After a 15-minute break.

    We returned to the table. The final match had already surpassed 24 hours. None of the yers had slept, and our only sustenance was the asional nuts and snacks.

    It¡¯s a battle of skill, mental strength, and physical endurance.

    The conditions are too favorable for me.

    As I¡¯ve said repeatedly, my ¡®body,¡¯ enhanced by the chemical mechanisms of Perion, maintains a certain level even in a No-Mana Zone.

    Reaction speed, physical strength, muscle power, stamina, and endurance are all top-notch.

    Above all, I was once a gambling addict.

    There¡¯s no reason to feel tired in such an exciting game.

    ¡°Call.¡±

    On the other hand, Eva¡¯s mental state started to significantly waver after that crucial hand I folded.

    ¡°Fold.¡±

    Eva seemed to have given up onpeting. Although she was still the chip leader, the gap was slowly closing, like a drizzle soaking through clothes.

    Her momentum had broken. It was only a matter of time.

    Probably, everyone at this table already knew. In ten more games, I would be the winner.

    ¡°¡­Wait. I need to cool my head. Timeout.¡±

    Eva called for another timeout. She had used up both of her timeouts.

    ¡°Ah, just y. No fun.¡±

    I taunted Eva as I stood up, and she quickly retreated to her private room. I trudged down the corridor.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    [Shion Ascal]¡¯s waiting room.

    I paused in front of the door. A small piece of paper was wedged in the door seam.

    I had ced it there before leaving the room.

    But its ¡®position¡¯ had changed.

    It meant someone had broken in. A mere cleaner wouldn¡¯t bother to reinsert the paper.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    I opened the door anyway.

    The atmosphere was foreign.

    The air was noticeably heavier.

    I scanned the ceiling, floor, and walls, but nothing was amiss.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I sat down on the sofa, cracking open some nuts and nced sideways.

    The curtain.

    Something about the curtain was off. It seemed unnaturally bulky.

    As I pondered, suddenly¡ª

    ©¤!

    A small noise came from behind the curtain. A silent spark erupted, and a sharp bullet rushed towards me, striking me directly in the corbone, and I copsed to the floor.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The curtain was drawn back.

    A man in a suit and sunsses stepped out. He aimed a silenced pistol at me and kicked my shoulder, flipping me over.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He looked at me with closed eyes. He saw the blood flowing from my corbone. He put his finger on the trigger for a confirmation kill.

    In an instant, I opened my eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­It hurts, you motherfucker.¡±

    He hastily pulled the trigger, but I twisted my body to dodge and kicked his shin with all my might.

    Crack!

    It wasn¡¯t just a fall; it was the sound of bones breaking entirely.

    His ankle actually bent into a ¡®?¡¯ shape, and without even a scream¡ª

    He died.

    ¡°What the hell.¡±

    Foam bubbled out of his mouth, gushing out like the froth from a freshly opened c. He had bitten into a poison capsule to kill himself.

    ¡°Damn bastard.¡±

    The pain started to hit me too.

    For the record, the bullet was lodged in my corbone. It had prated the skin and muscle, but hadn¡¯t gone through the ¡®bone¡¯.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a gun.¡±

    Well, in a No-Mana Zone, there¡¯s no weapon more deadly than a gun.

    At least it was a silencer pistol, which was less powerful.

    ¡°Ah¡­ it hurts like hell.¡±

    The pain was real, but there was no way to remove the bullet lodged inside me, not right now.

    ©¤The game will resume in 5 minutes.

    There wasn¡¯t much time left. I roughly tore up the hitman¡¯s suit to use as a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    I gritted my teeth and bore the pain.

    There was no need to speak of this assault.

    I could talk about it after the game was over.

    I didn¡¯t want to stir up trouble and sprinkle ashes on a game that was already won.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see after it¡¯s over.¡±

    I covered my blood-soaked corbone with the jacket of the suit.

    * * *

    ¡­10 minutes earlier.

    As soon as Eva returned to the waiting room, she grabbed the phone with trembling hands.

    ©¤Don¡¯t worry.

    Karlos¡¯s caring voice flowed through.

    The ¡®setup¡¯ he had promised would ensure victory in this round.

    A strategy that involved taking the family of the dealer Hayes, who had switched to Johanna¡¯s side, hostage and betting against them.

    It was a straight flush.

    ¡°To not worry is impossible.¡±

    It was a crazy act, ying with a four-of-a-kind and folding.

    ©¤I¡¯ve prepared for this far. I¡¯ve even thought about the worst-case scenario.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ©¤Of course. Johanna¡¯s yer won¡¯t even show up at the table.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eva knew what that meant.

    The hitman, the most critical force of the mafia family, who even considers their own life a tool.

    The mafia raises andmands numerous hitmen. Each one is practically a killing machine.

    The reason firearms have developed on the continent is precisely because of the wars in casinos, which are essentially No-Mana Zones.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a war.¡±

    ©¤That¡¯s a risk we¡¯re willing to take.

    Karlos spoke boldly.

    ©¤After all, Libra¡¯s Johanna was a mongrel that should never have been part of the Golden Casino scene.

    Eva calmed herself with his confident voice.

    ©¤All the mafia are displeased with Johanna. It was bound to happen someday, so it¡¯s not your fault. So, don¡¯t worry.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Despite his words, Eva was still worried.

    Shion Ascal.

    When he had read her, Eva felt ¡®fear¡¯ for the first time while gambling.

    ©¤Eva.

    Carlos¡¯s caring voice called her. Eva responded demurely.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Mr. Karlos.¡±

    ©¤¡­I love you.

    As Eva watched him discuss love, she smiled silently.

    She once considered him merely a tool for use. In fact, most gamblers did.

    They saw their sponsors as mere cash cows, using their money to satisfy their desires and addictions to ¡®the game¡¯.

    Eva, at one time, treated Karlos as a naive moneybag, but Karlos always believed in her until the end.

    Knowing she might betray him, knowing he was treated as nothing more than a financier, he always trusted her, and no matter how she returned, he would wee her back with a bright smile and open arms¡­

    Eva is now slowly realizing.

    ¡°It seems I will be like that soon.¡±

    It was an honest answer.

    Not yet, but soon, she woulde to love him.

    ©¤¡­Ha, haha.

    Karlos smiled shakily. His smile was filled with genuine happiness.

    ¡°So¡­ don¡¯t die. No matter what happens.¡±

    ©¤You¡¯re stating the obvious. Don¡¯t worry about me, take care of yourself. Finish up ande back. The job is already done, Eva. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t win.

    ¡°I will win.¡±

    Eva whispered with a low smile and hung up the phone.

    Her mind was at peace.

    She had regained herposure that was almost shattered.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    Carlos had already considered the worst-case scenario, and the mafia¡¯s bets were ruthless.

    There was no reason for sympathy.

    After all, it was Johanna who had tried to rig the game first.

    So, the death of a yer should have been anticipated.

    Eva left the waiting room. She maintained her breathing as she walked and sat at the gambling table. The other yers were already there.

    Except for one.

    The man with blonde hair who had been trash-talking next to her like scum.

    ¡°The game starts in 5 minutes.¡±

    The dealer had already been reced.

    ¡°Haah~¡±

    Eva let out a relieved sigh.

    Still, it was a pity. He could have been a great gambler if he had matured.

    But that sponsor was a mistake. His overly aggressive table manners were also a problem.

    ¡°3 minutes.¡±

    The dealer announced the remaining time and shuffled the new cards. Eva scanned them with her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

    ¡°1 minute.¡±

    Even then, one seat remained empty.

    Eva trusted the hitman¡¯s work.

    Shion would leave no corpse behind. The man would simply be remembered as someone who ¡®ran away due to the pressure of not being able to win¡¯, and if Johanna couldn¡¯t ept defeat, then war or whatever would ensue.

    However, there is no family on the continent that could win a war against the mafia in a casino¡­

    ©¤We will start shortly.

    The host was about to announce the start of the game, but the staff behind the table seemed a bit busy.

    Eva silently looked at the chips on her table.

    They were piled up like a mountain.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    The moment the dealer dered the game to resume.

    Thump-

    The sound of someone sitting down was heard. Eva instinctively looked over.

    ¡°¡­¡­?!¡±

    Her eyes were filled with surprise. Saliva was involuntarily swallowed, and a tingling current ran through her fingertips.

    It was as if the world hade to a halt.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    The man who should not have appeared at this table. The man who should not havee.

    Shion Ascal.

    He met Eva¡¯s gaze and smiled faintly.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like I¡¯m a ghost?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Eva was speechless. Her throat was tight. She couldn¡¯t even breathe.

    ¡°Ah, that? It¡¯s right here.¡±

    He shrugged and pointed to his corbone. Eva¡¯s gaze nkly followed to the spot. Between the ps of his suit jacket, a very small stain of blood was faintly visible.

    ¡°The game will now begin.¡±

    Just then, the dealer dealt the cards. All the stage lights dimmed except for those over the table.

    However, Eva¡¯s gaze remained fixed on only one man, and he whispered with muted lips.

    ©¤©¤Just wait.

    With a smile in his eyes, he leisurely tapped the table.

    A quiet message.

    ©¤©¤Because tonight, I¡¯m going to kill you.

    In that moment, Eva¡¯sposure shattered.

 Chapter 222: Eat and Run (1)

    <strong>Eat and Run (1)</strong>

    In the mafia¡¯s waiting room, Karlos settled down calmly as he watched the screen. The faces of the family beside him were filled with murderous intent.

    Shion had survived the hitman¡¯s attack, and Eva had already lost. Of course, the game wasn¡¯t over yet, but the oue seemed clear.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. To Eva, it must have seemed like a ghost hade back to life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Boss. What should we do?¡±

    An executive asked. Karlos leaned his head back.

    The worst-case scenario had happened twice.

    Johanna¡¯s yer had figured out the game maniption and had also survived the hitman. But Karlos was prepared for even the worst after that.

    ¡°Are we ready?¡±

    ¡°Everything is in ce. We have the tacit agreement of the other eight mafias for tonight.¡±

    Therefore, there were only two options left.

    Either give up the stake in the Golden Casino and leave,

    Or personally assassinate Johanna on the spot.

    ¡°Get ready.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We will activate the hitmen.¡±

    In a casino that is usually a No-Mana Zone, hitmen are the strongest force. They are human weapons, handling guns as if they were parts of their body and turning all sorts of objects into lethal weapons.

    Karlos had already hidden his hitmen all over the casino.

    ¡°She must not leave alive.¡±

    From the moment Johanna discussed Eva¡¯s life, there was never any room for negotiation.

    * * *

    ©¤©¤It looks like the winner will be decided soon!

    The announcer¡¯s voice boomed through the speakers.

    Johanna sank into the sofa. Thest game remained, but the winner was already decided.

    ©¤©¤It¡¯s thest game!

    Anyway, it felt like dopamine was rushing down her head like a waterfall. Her eyes twitched on their own, and the ecstasy of victory made her fingertips tremble.

    But there was no time to be intoxicated by it.

    She had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

    A stake in [Golden Casino] is not an asset that can be easily obtained. The ce is more like a ¡®nation¡¯ than a corporation.

    Losing 3% of the stake would be a severe blow to the Karlos family. They would not give it up easily.

    This is a matter of concern not only for the Karlos family but for all other mafias as well.

    [Golden Casino] has always been the exclusive property of the mafia.

    Therefore, Johanna had already prepared an escape route.

    It would be madness to engage in a head-on confrontation in the casino, which was as good as their home ground.

    However¡­

    Information about dealer Hayes had already been leaked.

    The question is not limited to ¡®how¡¯.

    What¡¯s most important is ¡®who¡¯.

    In other words, it¡¯s a matter of people.

    Johanna silently surveyed the interior.

    Her own division, six people, sharing the same space.

    Among them, there is a traitor.

    Someone who betrayed her trust and leaked her strategy is breathing the same air.

    ¡°¡­¡­Everyone, step outside for a moment. I need to sort out the stakes.¡±

    All of them left the waiting room.

    Johanna was silently lost in thought.

    [Chip Leader: yer Shion]

    The screen showed Shion Ascal in first ce. With thest game nearing its end, victory was all but assured.

    ¡°Beckman. Come in.¡±

    Johanna called Beckman first. She handed him a note as he came running like a dog.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading there soon, so go ahead and clear the way. I¡¯ll assign the others different tasks, so let them know.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Beckman immediately left the waiting room. Next, Johanna called her casino manager, ¡®Bethon¡¯. She handed him a note after giving him the same instructions.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be on standby.¡±

    ¡°Now, bring in the next one¡­¡±

    Johanna had prepared six different escape routes and handed out one to each member of her division.

    After sending everyone out, she quietly sank into the sofa.

    ¡°¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    Now, it was time to sip wine and enjoy today¡¯s victory.

    If one couldn¡¯t savor such a delightful victory because of mere war or death, there would be no greater inversion of sense.

    ©¤©¤Now, the final hand at the table will be revealed.

    Shion Ascal.

    He threw down hisst chip on the screen.

    * * *

    [Chip Leader: yer Shion]

    Therge name appeared on the scoreboard. I revealed my hand, and Eva revealed hers.

    I had a Q triple.

    Eva had an A two-pair.

    It was the conclusion of thest game.

    ©¤©¤The winner is yer Shion Ascal!

    The announcer¡¯s promation echoed as arge firecracker exploded. The other yers pped with mixed expressions.

    I looked at Eva amidst it all. Eva exhaled deeply as she looked back at me.

    ©¤©¤A rookie who appeared like aet! The exceptional yer, Shion, who won the championship at his debut! Pleasee up to the stage!

    What followed was the award ceremony. I received the championship trophy and medal. I was also presented with a panel that had the 60 million Ren prize money printed on it.

    After that, there were hugs with the tournament organizer and exchanges of pleasantries with the yers I had gamed with¡­

    ¡°How did you survive?¡±

    Eva asked me as she offered a handshake.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit sturdy.¡±

    I took her hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sturdy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Right now, I could break your neck with just one finger.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Eva looked up at me with a stiff face. She tried to withdraw her hand, but I pulled her in.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. I still have a bullet lodged in my corbone.¡±

    Then Eva forced a smile.

    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you kill me now?¡±

    I twisted the corner of my mouth with a smirk.

    This woman pretends to be calm, but you can¡¯t hide a heartbeat. The thumping of Eva¡¯s pulse was noticeable in the hand I held. It fluttered pitifully.

    ¡°Well. I¡¯ll let you off.¡±

    I released her hand, and Eva slightly furrowed her brow.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re letting me go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The hitman was likely the work of Eva¡¯s sponsor¡ªKarlos. Eva must have agreed to it, but killing her over it would just be tiresome for both of us.

    ¡°You said you¡¯d kill me.¡±

    ¡°That was a bluff. It shattered your mentalposure, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    I don¡¯t want to be a criminal in front of everyone. The casino isn¡¯t outside thew, and more importantly, I¡¯m not a murderer.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eva¡¯splexion changed subtly, as if she had hoped I would kill her or at least harm her in some equivalent way.

    Thanks to her expression, I knew there was something more toe.

    ¡°What will you do with the prize money?¡±

    Eva asked quietly.

    The prize money was a whopping 60 million Ren. With a loan, I could probably build a small building on a piece of prime real estate in the capital of Edsi.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    But first, I¡¯ll reinvest 80% of it in Zia. As long as Johanna dominates the [Golden Casino], Zia needs to haveparable resources to maintain bnce.

    The remaining 20%¡­

    ¡°Maybe donate it to an orphanage or a hospital.¡±

    ¡°Orphanage?¡±

    Eva frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done your research, so why y dumb? You know I¡¯m from an orphanage.¡±

    Just as I knew Eva¡¯s personal information, she would know about me. To devise the right strategy, one must understand the opponent¡¯s ystyle and even their life story.

    ¡°That¡¯s true but-¡±

    ¡°Then. It was a good game today. You did well too.¡±

    I let go of her hand and turned away.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Suddenly, Eva grabbed my wrist. She whispered in a very small voice.

    ©¤Don¡¯t go to the waiting room, leave directly through the casino stairs.

    Then she immediately let go of my hand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no deceit in Eva¡¯s voice. Before I could respond, I watched her turn and walk away, and I smiled faintly.

    Sometimes, when you extend kindness instead of malice, you get a good boomerang like this.

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to be a ghost who only kills.

    * * *

    Johanna attended a high-society gathering on the top floor. There, she enjoyed her clean victory.

    She smiled at the superficialpliments from the approaching mafiosos, humbly brushed off her sess as mere luck, and even indulged in a ss of champagne¡­

    Even while certain of an impending attack, Johanna maintained her joy.

    Showing a sharp, cat-like demeanor would only put the others on guard. Showing weakness in the face of death would only make a fool of oneself.

    She asionally fiddled with the revolver in her embrace. A lethal weapon in a No-Mana Zone. A gunpowder weapon powerful enough to prate a tiger¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Well then. I should go.¡±

    Night had fallen. Johanna waved goodbye to the attendees and turned to leave. They each offered her words of admiration. The ttery was almost suffocating.

    As soon as Johanna left the high society event, she sensed someone trailing her.

    It wasn¡¯t her security detail. She had dismissed all her bodyguards, having found them untrustworthy to begin with.

    She chose the stairs from the top floor of the socialite gathering.

    This casino boasted the breadth of a small town. However, not far from here was a building simr to the Libra diplomatic embassy, and that would serve as her escape route.

    Johanna descended the stairs, revolver in hand. There was no sound of pursuit from above. Perhaps they had chosen the Elevator.

    She emerged onto the 43rd-floor corridor.

    It was dimly lit.

    Most of the spaces were vacant, and the sound of her footsteps echoed clearly.

    At that moment.

    ¡°!¡±

    Johanna instinctively rolled to the side. It was an instinctual detection of danger.

    Chang©¤!

    A dagger was thrust vertically from above. A hitman in a suit clung to the ceiling.

    Bang©¤!

    Johanna detonated her revolver. The man dodged like a bat, quickly moving away.

    Tadak!

    At the same time, the entire 43rd floor went dark. Every space was engulfed in ckness.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She walked cautiously, on guard for an ambush. Her location was exposed, but she felt no fear.

    Now, her instincts were colder than ever. Her senses were as sharp as a wild animal¡¯s. Surely she would detect anyone approaching¡­

    As she stepped backward.

    Thump-

    Something touched her back. It felt like a person. Johanna¡¯s hair stood on end. Her breath stopped for a moment.

    But even in such a critical moment, her reason remained on high alert. If it were a hitman, there would be no need for physical contact. A simple approach and kill would suffice.

    Therefore©¤©¤

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    A quiet sound, a signal to be silent.

    A hand reached from behind and snatched Johanna¡¯s revolver, then aimed into the darkness ahead and pulled the trigger.

    Bang©¤©¤!

    Gurk!

    The sound of detonation and a death rattle intermingled. In the darkness, red gunpowder and blood spurted. Johanna saw the man fall like a leaf.

    It was the hitman who had just thrown the dagger from the ceiling.

    ¡°¡­¡­It seems there¡¯s a hitman on each floor waiting in ambush. However, they operate individually, so our location likely hasn¡¯t beenpromised.¡±

    The voice exining the hitman¡¯s operation was quite familiar. It was cold and calm, and rather pleasant to hear.

    Johanna turned to look at him.

    ¡°Why is Miss Johanna alone?¡±

    Indeed, it was Shion Ascal.

    He returned the revolver to her. Johanna gripped it in her hand and replied,

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t trust anyone.¡±

    She handed him a note with the escape route written on it, belonging to her own unit.

    However, with a traitor infiltrated within, the odds were 1 in 6. There was at least a 16% chance of being betrayed and losing her life.

    If a 16% risk meant death, it was a gamble that didn¡¯t pay off.

    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility that the traitor might realize her intentions first.

    Therefore, by reversing the reverse, choosing to forge her own path alone rather than selecting any of the six was her way.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Shion nodded his head.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. First¡­¡±

    He removed the shoes from the hitman.

    ¡°High heels will get you tracked.¡±

    Then, he knelt on one knee and took off Johanna¡¯s high heels himself.

    Despite her seemingly carefree exterior, her aristocratic ego was strong, and she would find it shameful to even take off her shoes herself.

    Shion fitted her small feet into the slightly oversized shoes of the hitman.

    ¡°It might be hard to walk, but at least you won¡¯t be tracked by your footsteps. And¡­¡±

    Shion stood up. Johanna quietly looked up at him as he rose swiftly.

    ¡°I apologize. I willmit a slight rudeness.¡±

    He reached out and adjusted Johanna¡¯s hair. He swept up her long hair and tied it up like an apple, then ced arge beret-like hat on top.

    Johanna had stood still until then.

    ¡°Now, wear this.¡±

    Lastly, Shion took off his own coat. Johanna draped it over her shoulders and saw his corbone.

    There was blood, darkly clotted against his skin.

    ¡°¡­Did you get injured on your way here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion also silently looked at his shoulder. There was still bleeding near the corbone.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. What¡¯s important is this.¡±

    Shion handed her a trophy.

    The World Series of Poker championship trophy. Johanna carefully epted it, pondering.

    ¡°Then, I will lead the way.¡±

    Could Shion Ascal truly be trusted?

    The judgment on that question, mixed with doubt, unfolded instinctively.

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

 Chapter 223: Eat and Run (2)

    <strong>Eat and Run (2) </strong>

    I¡¯m descending the stairs of the casino with Johanna by my side. It¡¯s just the two of us.

    The escape route is¡­ uncertain.

    Getting out of a casino swarming with hitmen is quite dangerous even for me. But I must protect Johanna at all costs.

    If she were to die, the repercussions would be too great. The bnce of Libra would immediately copse.

    If the triangle of Derek, Johanna, and the one-man army Jade crumbles, then the youngest, Zia, would have no chance to exploit any weaknesses.

    Either scenario is problematic for me.

    ¡°Do you have any idea about the size of this casino?¡±

    Emergency stairs, 37th floor.

    I asked Johanna. She answered in a dry tone.

    ¡°The building has 53 floors. It spans 533,748 square feet.¡±

    ¡°The [Golden Casino] must be muchrger than this.¡±

    ¡°Thend itself is precisely 26 times bigger. The Brahms Casino is included in the [Golden Casino] property. Think of it as the right hand.¡±

    A mere casino spanning a ridiculous 13,877,448 square feet. Of course, most of that space will be a No-Mana Zone.

    ¡°Do you have something like a blueprint of Brahms Casino?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s on theptop in my hotel room.¡±

    ¡°So we can assume you don¡¯t have it. Let¡¯s keep going down.¡±

    For now, these emergency stairs are the safest. They¡¯re well-lit, and with the open space above and below, we can detect any approaching enemies.

    Johanna said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a vehicle in the underground parking lot.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°The hitmen are probably already waiting for us there.¡±

    ¡°No. There¡¯s a vehicle I had ced in advance for emergencies like this. It¡¯s an armored SUV.¡±

    She handed me the car keys from within her coat. I epted them and asked.

    ¡°¡­Have you shared the existence of this vehicle with your subordinates?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s my personal vehicle.¡±

    That¡¯s a relief. To prevent any possible inside job-

    ¡°But it seems you¡¯re suspecting an insider as well?¡±

    Johanna stopped in her tracks. I looked up at her, three steps above me, and nodded.

    ¡°Yes. Since the dealer was rigged, it¡¯s only logical to suspect that other things might be as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­You knew about the rigging?¡±

    ¡°I realized itter. It¡¯s notmon for a four-of-a-kind and a straight flush toe up in a game.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have seen Eva¡¯s hand.¡±

    ¡°I knew by the dealer¡¯s and Eva¡¯s expressions.¡±

    I smiled faintly.

    ¡°The dealer couldn¡¯t keep hisposure. He had a ¡®I¡¯m dead¡¯ look on his face.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna frowned slightly in displeasure, but a smile-like expression flickered across her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll set the route to go underground. Which underground parking lot is it?¡±

    This casino has plenty of underground parking.

    ¡°The AOB Section on the third basement level. It¡¯s where the public parks, so there should be plenty of ces to hide. Set the destination for the Libra embassy.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the distance to the embassy?¡±

    ¡°50 kilometers. We¡¯ll get there if we drive for an hour.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked at Johanna without saying a word. Johanna raised one eyebrow impassively.

    ¡°Lady Johanna. What about the opposite?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The opposite?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°If such an tant attack is happening inside the casino, it means that the rest of the mafia has at least implicitly agreed to it. In such a situation, driving on the road to the embassy is too risky.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then Johanna quietly looked into my eyes.

    She was probably trying to gauge something.

    The eldest daughter, Johanna, does not trust people easily. She is theplete opposite of Derek.

    Unlike Derek, who trusts people too much based on his standards and can turn on them for the most trivial reasons, Johanna doesn¡¯t easily trust anyone, but once she does, she doesn¡¯t let go easily.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°We drive the car in the opposite direction, deep into the [Golden Casino]. It¡¯s an unexpected route and with the crowd, the risk of being discovered is actually lower.¡±

    ¡°Hide in the crowd?¡±

    Johanna started moving again, but with a slightly displeased expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s not right. If we don¡¯t show up at the waiting spot, they¡¯ll realize it immediately. We can¡¯t just hide until they arrive.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t n to just hide.¡±

    Once, I had used a method at the College Board.

    ¡°There¡¯s a tower not too far from here.¡±

    If crossing the ground is difficult, then use the sky.

    Johanna frowned.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Verhorn Tower?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We can fly from the rooftop there. To the Libra embassy, or even beyond.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This area is a no mana zone.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a machine called a hang glider.¡±

    It might be unfamiliar to Johanna. Most extreme sports use mana, after all.

    But even in a no mana zone, there are enough ways to fly.

    ¡°We can fly using that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna was silent for a moment. She looked at me without a word. Her gaze soon fell on my blood-stained corbone.

    ¡°¡­¡­Will you be alright without treatment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    The bleeding is still ongoing, of course. But the reason for it is quite different from what Johanna might think.

    The bullet that didn¡¯t prate the bone is currently lodged in my body, and as the muscles heal in real-time, the bullet is being pushed out, causing the skin wound to slightly open up¡ªa part of the healing process.

    ¡°My route is just a suggestion. I will follow Lady Johanna¡¯s decision.¡±

    I just pulled out the weapons of the hitman that attacked Johanna. Five daggers and a pistol.

    Johanna, who was watching, asked,

    ¡°A pistol. Have you used one before?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Before my regression, it was my primary weapon.

    For those who can¡¯t handle magic well, there¡¯s no better weapon.

    This pistol will evolve tremendouslyter on. Surprisingly, Zia is very interested in the arms industry.

    Click©¤

    I opened the magazine. Checked the number of rounds inside. Seventeen. Johanna seemed to like the somewhat professional way I also checked the chamber and the bullet feed.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m betting on your route.¡±

    Johanna entrusted me with the escape.

    * * *

    In the vast casino, an ¡®underground market¡¯ emerges. It¡¯s a market inside the casino that sells items not allowed to be brought in. The items sold are varied, but most are for cheating in gambling.

    I found one of them.

    ¡°Receiver, transmitter set for 300,000 Ren. Only chips are epted.¡±

    In the dingy casino bathroom, some bald pig was showing the goods and said.

    It¡¯s a rip-off at hundreds of times the normal price, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    I handed the bald pig the chips.

    ¡°Do you know how it works?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    I pocketed the item and was about to turn away when suddenly,

    ¡°Do you have a bulletproof vest by any chance?¡±

    ¡°¡­Bulletproof vest?¡±

    ¡°If not, never mind.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence. I do have one.¡±

    The bald pig revealed the bathroom ceiling tile. The items ttered down from above.

    ¡°Two bulletproof vests. And this is¡­ grenades too?¡±

    ¡°Did a soldiere by?¡±

    ¡°Wow, how did you know? I also run a pawn shop. Anyway, this is also 300,000 Ren. Only chips are epted.¡±

    I handed over another 30 chips. The bald pig took them with a smug smile.

    ¡°Thanks for your business~¡±

    As I was about to turn away again,

    I handed him more chips.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°Could you buy me a hamburger?¡±

    ¡­

    33rd floor, emergency staircase.

    I handed Johanna the receiver and transmitter that looked like earphones.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go down first to check and willmunicate with you through the transmitter. You cane down when I signal.¡±

    It¡¯s dangerous to move together. I can survive getting shot, but Johanna can¡¯t.

    ¡°And.¡±

    I briefly took off Johanna¡¯s coat and put a bulletproof vest on her. Johanna asked with a frown.

    ¡°Is this bulletproof?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bulletproof vest.¡±

    ¡°It smells musty.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to tolerate some difort.¡±

    It was from the bathroom ceiling tile, so it might be a bit hard for Johanna to endure.

    ¡°Do you want the hamburger now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Later.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    I went down the stairs. Treading the stairs cautiously, watching for any signs of an enemy. It seems quiet, as if no one is around, but at that moment.

    A very faint sound- the rustle of a cor brushes past my ears.

    The sound that my ears, as sharp as a bird of prey, picked up.

    I stopped on the 30th floor.

    There were people below. I didn¡¯t know how many were waiting.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I quietly raised the gun.

    -¡°Brother, wait a minute.¡±

    A voice arose, mixed with an excited moan. I craned my neck to look in that direction. A man and a woman were entangled.

    Thud.

    I deliberately took a step.

    -¡°Huh?¡±

    The man and woman seemed to notice the presence and looked up. I hid the gun behind my back and bowed my head as if embarrassed.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ Just go down.¡±

    Then, I raised the pistol and pulled the trigger.

    ©¤©¤! ©¤©¤!

    Two shots pierced the heads of the man and woman. Between the brows, they were prated and copsed, their arms full of all sorts of weapons.

    In the man¡¯s hand was a very small pistol, and in the woman¡¯s grip, a throwing knife.

    ¡°Did you guess right?¡±

    It was Johanna. She asked as she came down the stairs.

    ¡°No. The woman¡¯s face was heavily with make-up, but not a trace of it on the man¡¯s clothes.¡±

    It¡¯s the upational disease of hitmen. No matter what, they try not to leave any trace of themselves anywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±

    * * *

    We went down the stairs. Hitmen asionally appeared in the emergency stairs, but they were easily subdued.

    At gunpoint, you get one shot, but not for me.

    For me, it was quite a selfish exchange rate.

    ¡°There seems to be a dispersion of hitmen.¡±

    Moreover, there were fewer hitmen than expected.

    ¡°They must have split into various routes. That¡¯s why I deliberately provided multiple escape routes.¡±

    At that moment, Johanna¡¯splexion turned ice cold. It was probably the anger of betrayal.

    The hidden meaning of ¡®That¡¯s why I¡­¡¯ is not much different from ¡®If it hadn¡¯t been for that¡­¡¯.

    A person who trusts no one, paradoxically, is someone who actually wishes for someone they can trust unconditionally.

    ¡°Thanks to you, we¡¯ve made it.¡±

    To the third basement floor via the emergency stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead. You wait here.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    I emerged on the third basement floor.

    It waste at night, but there were many civilians. There were also numerous vehicles passing by.

    Among them could be hitmen.

    I moved as much like a civilian as possible while looking for the car.

    ¡°¡­¡­53AOM3.¡±

    I found it quickly.

    An SUV with an inconspicuous design. However, the windows and body were definitely bulletproof. The most important ¡®tires¡¯ were also properly prepared.

    I inspected the inside of the car. There were no issues with the front seat, the back seat, or the trunk.

    I unlocked the door with the car key. I climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and started the engine.

    Vroom-

    The rumble of an internalbustion engine. The sound of an engine with not a hint of horsepower mixed in.

    I spoke into the radio.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the door soon. Get out when I give you the signal.¡±

    ©¤Got it.

    As I turned the steering wheel, keeping an eye out for any hitmen that might be lurking, I pulled up in front of the emergency staircase exit.

    Just then, Johanna came out and climbed into the passenger seat.

    ¡°We¡¯ll depart immediately.¡±

    I pressed the elerator. I drove up the parking lot¡¯s ramp, trying to appear as a normal vehicle as much as possible.

    From the third basement level to the second.

    From the second basement level to the first.

    Suddenly, I felt a small thumping from Johanna¡¯s heart.

    She was nervous, being human after all.

    ¡°¡­Just in case, keep your head down.¡±

    Johanna did as I said and lowered her head.

    Then finally, the exit from the first basement level to the ground.

    Only one space left to go, but we were blocked by the parking barrier.

    Knock-knock-

    A parking attendant knocked on the window. I rolled it down.

    ¡°Do you have a parking ticket?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Three days and twelve hours, that¡¯ll be 2,520 ren. Is that alright?¡±

    Johanna took out cash from her wallet.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Alright, all set.¡±

    I closed the window. Then the barrier was lifted.

    As I gripped the steering wheel again, ready to exit the casino,

    ©¤©¤Suddenly.

    It felt as if time slowed down.

    The bushes on both side of the casino road. There, I saw the glinting of gun barrels.

    Men armed with all sorts of submachine guns were hiding, aiming at this car.

    I found myselfughing unwittingly as I stomped on the elerator. With my other hand, I grabbed the back of Johanna¡¯s head and pushed her down to the floor.

    Johanna let out a tiny scream in panic, but it was soon drowned out by a massive noise.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    A barrage of bullets came pouring in. The sound of dozens, hundreds of thunders shook my eardrums.

    Ratatatatata©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    The car shook violently. The sound of steel being pounded burst in session. The bulletproofing offset some of the impact, but it couldn¡¯t withstand beyond its limit.

    ng©¤©¤!

    The side window shattered. Bullets flew in, grazing my shoulder, striking my ribs.

    But I did not let go of Johanna, whom I was protecting, nor did I release the steering wheel.

    I kept pressing the elerator. Forced it down.

    Pain surged through my body as if all my bones were being crushed, but it was bearable.

    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t bearable, but it was survivable.

    ¡­¡­

    Suddenly, the road was quiet.

    The silence after their bullets had been spent.

    Click-ck- the ominous sound of reloading.

    I quickly turned the wheel. Fortunately, the tires were intact, and the sudden gunfire had caused road paralysis and chaos in the area, giving us time to escape.

    I sped down the road and looked at the seat next to me. Johanna had beads of cold sweat on her forehead.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you alright.¡±

    She closed her eyes tightly and then opened them.

    ¡°Good thing I wore the bulletproof vest.¡±

    She smiled faintly, and there was a bullet lodged in the chest of her bulletproof vest.

    I tried to smile back at her with some ease.

    But first.

    A mouthful of blood spilled out.

    ¡°¡­¡­You.¡±

    Johanna¡¯s expression turned grave as she looked at me.

 Chapter 224: Eat and Run (3)

    <strong>Eat and Run (3)</strong>

    I¡¯I have several bullets in my body. I¡¯m not exactly sure how many bullets are lodged in me. But thanks to that, I¡¯ve learned something new.

    Even the worst weapons, bullets, can¡¯tpletely prate this body in the No-Mana Zone.

    It hurts quite a bit though.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Johanna looked at me as if to say otherwise, but I slightly lifted my coat.

    ¡°I have one too.¡±

    A bulletproof vest. Quite a few bullets were embedded in it. Johanna¡¯s lips twitched expressionlessly.

    ¡°You managed not to let go of the steering wheel.¡±

    If I had let go of the wheel or jerked it randomly due to the pain, we¡¯d probably be dead by now.

    ¡°It¡¯s the basics for a driver.¡±

    I replied and looked out the window.

    A dark and quiet night. However, asionally the sound of sirens can be heard. There must be more than a few civilians who got caught in that massive shootout.

    Thanks to that, we managed to escape safely and are now entering the premises of the [Golden Casino].

    ¡°It seems information about this vehicle leaked out in advance.¡±

    At my words, Johanna shook her head.

    ¡°No. If they had known beforehand, there would have been an easier way. They probably spotted us through the windows. Should have gone with a darker tint.¡±

    Well, the minimum requirement for a hitman is sharp hearing and eyesight, after all.

    I gently turned the steering wheel. I stopped the car at the entrance of an alley in the town.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out. The car is too conspicuous.¡±

    Driving around in a car this banged up is almost like asking to be caught.

    ¡°Are we walking?¡±

    Johanna asked as she got out of the car.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I inhaled the night air. The sensation of a space without mana is quite peculiar.

    ¡°How far does the no-mana zone extend?¡±

    ¡°Is it too much to bear?¡±

    I smiled faintly and shook my head.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°In this area, mana does not exist. [Golden Casino] is a natural No-Mana Zone. It¡¯s built on such a ce, which is why it¡¯s the biggest casino.¡±

    In gambling houses, magic equates to deception. The effort to exclude mana, the No-Mana Zone technology, was developed in casinos and exported across the continent, and [Golden Casino] has thergest magic istion area of them all.

    Ironically, that¡¯s why [Golden Casino] is a magical space. The reason [Golden Casino] is a No-Mana Zone is because of the ¡®magic core¡¯ formed on the ley lines, sucking in external mana.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±

    I found a car. A regr SUV. There was no owner, but I managed to open the door skillfully.

    Picking locks was something I did too often before my regression.

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    But there was no answer.

    ¡°?¡±

    I turned around. Johanna was gone. She had been right there.

    A chill went down my spine, but she soon returned from around the corner, clutching a small medicine bag.

    ¡°Take it. It¡¯s painkillers.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was a bottle of painkillers in a yellow container. I poured them all into my mouth at once.

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    I opened the door of the car. Climbing into the driver¡¯s seat, I started the engine.

    Starting an abandoned car was something I had done too often before regression.

    Johanna sat in the passenger seat.

    I drove off again, advancing along a deserted road in the darkness. Johanna took a bite of her hamburger.

    ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna let out a smallugh.

    ¡°I actually like it. This thing.¡±

    A small smile appeared on my lips too.

    To think that I, who even knew the dietary preferences of the Libra lineage, would be somewhat dumbfounded.

    ¡°¡­¡­However.¡±

    Suddenly, I became curious.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of death, Johanna?¡±

    Right now, Johanna was standing on the edge of a cliff where one wrong step could mean certain death, yet she was too calm, as if she was on a trip or a leisurely walk.

    ¡°I am not afraid.¡±

    Her voice was serene.

    ¡°My life, in the grand scheme of things, is a gamble. It¡¯s all about what cards you¡¯re holding and how you¡¯re going to bet.¡±

    I looked at her through the rearview mirror. Wearing a beret, she continued softly.

    ¡°Once you decide to sit at the gambling table, you¡¯re essentially participating in the absolutews of the table. If there¡¯s victory, there¡¯s also defeat. No, it¡¯s because there is defeat that winners exist. I, who have reigned as a winner until now, cannotin about a single crisis as being unfair.¡±

    Johanna had her own beliefs and philosophy.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    I neither deny nor affirm her.

    Libra is a clear scourge of the continent.

    Johanna is no different. Too many people have faced great ruin because of her. After all, she herself has no hesitation in killing. Like butchering cows and pigs, she is the phantom of the casino who kills anyone who crosses her.

    However, as the exterior and interior of a person can differ.

    So can closeness and distance.

    Johanna reflected in the rearview mirror of the driver¡¯s seat is a bold human being. She is a sufficiently beautiful woman.

    Because her sins are not visible.

    ¡°¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡±

    Suddenly, Johanna asked. I replied softly.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Because I¡¯ve always lived near it.

    ¡°I am not afraid at all.¡±

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

    Johanna looked out the window. We were now inside the premises of [Golden Casino]. But there were apartments, parks, shops, restaurants, etc¡­ the typical appearance of a small town.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Golden Casino, but there¡¯s no casino. A casino without a casino.¡±

    ¡°The Golden Casino is underground. It¡¯s wrapped around the magic core. Underneath this town, slot machines must be spinning.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Is that so.¡±

    It was a bit of a joke, but Johanna didn¡¯tugh at all.

    She turned to me and asked,

    ¡°Who do you think looks like a traitor?¡±

    Traitor.

    I don¡¯t know much about Johanna¡¯s division. I pride myself on knowing everything about her direct lineage, but she changes her division almost every year.

    However, there is definitely one person who is not a traitor.

    ¡°At least Beckman is not.¡±

    Beckman would not betray Johanna at times like this. He¡¯s the type to protect her steadfastly.

    ¡°That would be likely.¡±

    Johanna nodded in agreement as if to say she thought the same.

    ¡°But always be careful.¡±

    ¡°Careful?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His loyalty is heavily tinged with emotion. It could be more dangerous than betrayal¡­ Overconfidence.¡±

    Beckmanmits a betrayal that is not a betrayal, driven by his mad desire to monopolize Johanna.

    ¡°Overconfidence, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop for a moment.¡±

    I pulled the car over. There was an [Extreme Shop] nearby.

    ¡°Do you have cash?¡±

    Johanna handed me her wallet.

    ¡°I have 320,000 Ren. The wallet itself must be worth 100,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please wait for me.¡±

    I got out of the car and entered the shop. The owner, wearing a hat, was dozing off at the counter but greeted me.

    ¡°Oh, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a hang glider?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the integrated type? Or the mechanical type?¡±

    ¡°The mechanical type.¡±

    A mechanical hang glider, simply put, is like wings attached to your back. It looks like a backpack with small engines on each side and wings attached. It flies like a rocket, but the downside is that it can only be used at high altitudes.

    ¡°Here~ This one. It¡¯s made of special materials so it won¡¯t break easily, and it¡¯s easy to operate. But it costs 160,000 Ren each?¡±

    ¡°Two units. Make it 300,000 Ren.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. 20,000 Ren is-¡±

    ¡°Cash.¡±

    I took out all the cash from the wallet and handed it over. The owner nced at it and smirked.

    ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    I put the two mechanical hang gliders in the trunk. I took the pamphlet with the instructions and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the hang glider manual. Get familiar with it in advance.¡±

    I stepped on the elerator again. Johanna looked intently at the manual.

    Rustle©¤ Rustle©¤

    The sound of the pages turning was making me sleepy. No, I am very sleepy.

    It means I need to recover. If it goes on like this, I might fall asleep while driving.

    ¡°¡­Lady Johanna.¡±

    I had no choice but to call Johanna. She nced at me briefly.

    ¡°Can you drive? It seems we only need to go for about 30 minutes to reach the Golden Tower.¡±

    Johanna nodded her head.

    ¡°Move over.¡±

    I stopped the car. Johanna sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and I switched to the passenger seat.

    ¡°For a while¡­ I might fall asleep.¡±

    Leaning back in my seat, I spoke. Johanna stepped on the elerator.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Her driving skills were not bad at all. It seemed she might even be better than me¡­ Soon, my eyes began to close first.

    A brief ckout. A faint voice flowed in.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    But I had no energy to respond. I was too sleepy.

    ¡°Restfortably.¡±

    That phrase bothered me a bit.

    It felt as if I was dealing with someone who was dead, no, someone about to die¡­

    * * *

    Even as she drove, Johanna felt odd. The blood clinging to her body was unpleasant.

    It wasn¡¯t her own blood. It was from Shion Ascal, who had been sitting and driving in this seat before her.

    Just how much blood had he lost? Johanna couldn¡¯t begin to estimate.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She silently looked to the side.

    The guy in the passenger seat was now barely breathing.

    He was dying.

    Dying.

    The chances of him surviving¡­ no matter how much she thought about it, there were none.

    Was it like the feeling of breaking a toy belonging to a younger sibling?

    Was it that kind of panic?

    No, it was a bit more severe than that.

    He could have run away on his own. After all, he was a follower of Zia, and he could have just discarded her.

    But he didn¡¯t do that. Instead, he risked his life.

    Johanna didn¡¯t know why.

    A subordinate risking their life to protect her. Such things belonged in the fairy tales of her reading days, and moreover, he wasn¡¯t even her subordinate.

    He was loyal only to Libra¡­

    Johanna looked through the window. The Golden Tower wasing into view.

    All she had to do was climb to the rooftop and take the hang glider. A certain escape route.

    She had already memorized how to use it.

    But.

    ¡°¡­What to do about him.¡±

    Johanna looked at Shion Ascal beside her. His pulse was now just a matter of time.

    His breathing and heartbeat, everything was slowing down as if he were already dead.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking at him, Johanna btedly realized her own feelings.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    It seemed like a type of emotion she was feeling for the first time in her life.

    * * *

    ¡°We can¡¯t track them.¡±

    At the family residence, Karlos bit his cigar in frustration.

    ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t they going to the embassy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seemed so.¡±

    This was a serious problem.

    If time continued to pass without any results, it would be increasingly disadvantageous for Karlos. It was likely that among the remaining mafiosi, someone would betray him.

    Karlos pressed his brow, thinking.

    They¡¯re not going to the embassy.

    He had ced hitmen on all the routes Johanna could have used.

    Suddenly, a certain man came to mind.

    ¡°Where is that gambler?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°That Shion or whatever his name is. The yer Johanna sponsors!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Consigliere was silent. It seemed he had missed it while focusing on Johanna.

    ¡°¡­She went with that guy.¡±

    Karlos let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s nowhere for them to go. Every route¡ª¡±

    ¡°If not outside, then they must have gone within.¡±

    Karlos stood up. The Consigliere still had a puzzled look on his face.

    ¡°If they go within, there are even more ways to get out¡ª¡±

    ¡°The sky.¡±

    Karlos lifted his index finger upwards.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a hang glider or something else. There¡¯s definitely a way. Search that area.¡±

    * * *

    Johanna arrived at the tower. She stopped the car in the parking lot and pressed down her beret firmly.

    Shion was still sitting there.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The car was so quiet that his breathing could no longer be heard, nor his heartbeat.

    Johanna trembled as she took off her suit jacket and covered his silent, closed-eyed face with it.

    She got out of the car. There were two hang gliders in the trunk. She hid one on her back.

    She entered the tower. Despite thete hour, there were quite a few people around.

    It was a tourist spot, after all.

    Johanna got on the elevator.

    The rooftop was on the 110th floor, but you had to buy a ticket for the observation deck from the 30th floor.

    Ding¡ª

    She got off at the 30th floor and approached the counter to ask for the price of an observation deck ticket.

    ¡°100 ren.¡±

    She bought one ticket and got on the observation deck¡¯s dedicated elevator, pressing the button for the 110th floor.

    Just as the doors were about to close.

    ¡°Ah. Wait a moment.¡±

    Someone got on. The elevator started moving again.

    Ding¡ª

    31st floor.

    The elevator stopped immediately, and one more person got on.

    Ding¡ª

    35th floor.

    The elevator stopped again, and another person appeared.

    Three people in total.

    They each stood at the corners of the elevator, and Johanna put her hand inside her coat, gripping the handle of her revolver, maintaining herposure.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    37th floor. 39th floor. 41st floor.

    The elevator ascended rapidly. Johanna scrutinized the three men.

    They were nondescript. But she continued to suspect they might be hitmen.

    ¡ª.

    ¡ª.

    From somewhere, a very faint sound came from the men¡¯s pockets. That¡¯s when Johanna drew her revolver and shot one of them.

    His head burst open, but two were left. Johanna kept pulling the trigger. The remaining men, hit by bullets, still rushed at her. One strangled her neck, and the other tried to break her arm.

    Ding¡ª

    In the midst of this, the elevator stopped. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t know what floor they were on, but the doors slowly opened.

    Through the opening gap¡­

    ¡ª! ¡ª!

    Two gunshots rang out.

    The strength of the two men who had subdued Johanna was released. Their bodies copsed like dust.

    She gasped for air and staggered, leaning on the elevator, looking beyond.

    And then¡­

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Her face turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.

 Chapter 225: Eat and Run (4)

    <strong>Eat and Run (4)</strong>

    When I woke up, there was no one beside me. Only a suit jacket was draped over my face.

    At first, I was a bit dazed.

    Inside the parked car.

    Through the window, I could see the tall tower, and next to it, the full moon floated.

    I was alone. Johanna seemed to have already left.

    Yet, the view was so nice that I just sat there, gazing out.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    I btedly sat up. The pain was quite severe. It brought me back to reality.

    I opened the car door.

    Fortunately, my body had mostly recovered. I dusted myself off on the ground. Several bullets fell naturally from the bulletproof vest.

    ¡°¡­Thought I was dead, huh?¡±

    It seems Johanna was mistaken.

    After all, the sleep for recovery is almost like aa.

    Anyway.

    I hurried into the tower. I immediately got on the Elevator and pressed the button for the 30th floor.

    From the 30th floor, there are two routes.

    Either buy a ticket and take the Elevator, or go up the stairs.

    But the direct Elevator to the observation deck was already ascending.

    I chose the stairs.

    Taking three steps at a time, almost flying up¡­

    [50th Floor]

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    I finally caught up.

    I pressed the Elevator button while drawing my gun. I watched the floor panel, waiting.

    Ding¡ª

    The sound of the Elevator stopping.

    The doors slowly opened, and inside, I saw Johanna entangled with the hitmen.

    I pulled the trigger.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal, who had entered, calmly pressed the close button. After pushing the three bodies aside, he stood next to her.

    Johanna looked at him nkly.

    ¡°¡­Are you a twin by any chance?¡±

    The most usible conjecture amidst the impossible.

    Shion chuckled softly.

    ¡°No. I just have a bit of exceptional regenerative ability.¡±

    Johanna scanned his body up and down. His body was covered in dried blood, but he seemed rtively stable.

    It was an iprehensible state of being. To withstand such gunfire and bleeding, without a mana zone?

    Even for someone naturally resilient, this was beyondmon sense.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Thump¡ª!

    Suddenly, the Elevator stopped. 93rd floor. The lights went out, and the inside shook violently.

    Shion¡¯s response was immediate. He quickly jumped up and opened the ceiling of the Elevator. From above, he reached out his hand to Johanna. It was the kind of quick thinking you¡¯d expect from a veteran who had been on the field for over a decade.

    ¡°Come up.¡±

    Johanna grabbed his hand. Shion lifted her up to the ground of the 93rd floor.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The very next moment, a loud noise erupted from behind. The Elevator had fallen.

    Without even looking back, Shion said,

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the stairs now.¡±

    Seven floors remained.

    Shion led the way, and Johanna followed him up the stairs, looking at his back. Faint footsteps echoed sharply from below.

    They were probably the pursuit team.

    ¡°We¡¯re faster.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Together, they arrived at the [100th floor].

    The two stood on the rooftop observation deck of the tower.

    The cold night wind pierced their lungs. White breath flowed through their teeth. Johanna stood by the railing, looking down.

    It was dizzyingly high.

    ¡°Have you ever used one of these?¡±

    She asked, showing a hang glider strapped on like a backpack. Shion nodded immediately.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He was actually an expert. Not only hang gliders that operated on fuel like this one, but also those that moved with mana stones.

    Thosecking in real skill tend to be obsessed with various gadgets.

    ¡°First, spread your wings.¡±

    After helping Johanna spread her wings, Shion started the engine. Heat from the engine emanated from her back.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s climb onto the railing.¡±

    They stood on the dizzying edge of the railing. Johanna took a deep breath. The chill of the wind seeped into her whole body.

    ¡°Jump off forcefully, and once you¡¯ve gained some eleration, spread your wings.¡±

    Shion spread his wings as well.

    Johanna looked back at him and asked,

    ¡°Like a bird?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Like a bird. I¡¯ll jump first, so follow my lead.¡±

    Shion did not hesitate. He immediately jumped off the railing. He fell like a dive, then opened the wings and soared upward.

    Johanna followed suit.

    She leaped off the railing, feeling the resistance of the oing air, spreading the wings wide¡­!

    Hwiiiiing©¤©¤©¤

    Johanna glided like an eagle. Her breath was taken away, and her sense of direction was momentarily lost, but soon Shion Ascal came up beside her.

    He looked at her as if to say well done.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Johanna followed him. They flew through theke-like night sky. The stars, densely packed, seemed close enough to touch.

    An involuntary smile spread across her lips.

    It was a beautiful view.

    Her body had already adapted. She skillfully twisted the wings, surfing the air.

    But then, suddenly.

    ¡°Lady Johanna. I will fly in the opposite direction.¡±

    Shion said something strange. Johanna furrowed her brow.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Then Shion gave a bitter smile. His face bore an expression of disbelief at his own oversight.

    ¡°Even when you think you¡¯ve prepared well, sometimes you can be so inattentive to the smallest things that it leads to a mishap.¡±

    He gestured to his back.

    ¡°We¡¯re running out of fuel.¡±

    ¡°Fuel?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems the shop owner sold us a pair with used fuel. Fortunately, it looks like there¡¯s no issue with Lady Johanna¡¯s.¡±

    Johanna looked at Shion¡¯s back. Indeed,pared to hers, the engine¡¯s power was weak.

    ¡°But, this might actually be a good thing. There will be hitmen tracking us from the ground. We could be shot at from the air.¡±

    Shion twisted his body slightly. The distance between the two, flying side by side, gradually widened.

    ¡°Lady Johanna, please continue straight ahead. I will turn in the opposite direction to draw their attention.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna looked at him silently.

    She was conflicted.

    Was there a way to salvage this situation?

    ¡°Stay safe, I hope.¡±

    But Shion had already saluted her with the edge of his hand. That was all Johanna could say.

    ¡°Stay alive.¡±

    If the yer is alive, the game can always be revived.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shion flew off in the opposite direction. Deliberately drawing the hitmen¡¯s attention, he traced noisy, erratic paths through the air.

    Johanna watched him disappear into the night sky for a long time.

    ©¤©¤! ©¤©¤!

    Soon, the sound of Detonation adorned the void, chasing after him.

    * * *

    Inded in the forest. It was an emergencynding. The fuel hadn¡¯t run out, but the hitmen¡¯s gunfire had torn holes in my wings.

    They arrived shortly after, and I faced them with a smile.

    ¡°¡­It was you, after all.¡±

    Karlos.

    He looked at me with a cigar in his mouth, a face sensing defeat.

    For me, the situation was ambiguous. I had managed to pledge loyalty, but dying here would make it all for naught.

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s how it turned out.¡±

    Karlos exhaled cigar smoke.

    ¡°Do you think that crazy woman Johanna will appreciate you sacrificing yourself to save her?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    If I know Johanna, the answer is obviously ¡®no¡¯.

    She¡¯s someone who would sell even her own subordinates for money, and above all, she hates being held ountable.

    ¡°I expect nothing from Lady Johanna.¡±

    ¡°You expect nothing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because I am not affiliated with Lady Johanna.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I belong to the youngest, Miss Zia.¡±

    Karlos¡¯s face became baffled. The hitmen aimed their guns at me. The sound of their guns cocking was chilling.

    There seemed to be just over 40 men. Including those preparing to snipe from a distance¡­

    No matter how I thought about it, there seemed to be no way out.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Karlos raised his hand to restrain them. The forest was instantly engulfed in silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about one thing.¡±

    He looked at me and asked.

    ¡°Why did you fold with that hand? Did information leak?¡±

    Four of a kind and a straight flush. Karlos still seemed puzzled by it.

    I smiled faintly and shook my head.

    ¡°To obtain the most important thing, a great sacrifice must precede. That¡¯s all I saw.¡±

    Karlos. I knew his name too, one of the nine mafias of the Golden Casino. He¡¯s quite famous. Especially since he was brutally and cruelly murdered by Johanna.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Karlos¡¯s face became thoughtful for a moment. Then he dropped the cigar he was holding onto the ground.

    ¡°yer. What do you think Johanna will do now?¡±

    He had the look of someone who might have sensed his end.

    There probably wasn¡¯t a way for him to survive this situation.

    After all, he had provoked Johanna to such an extent.

    ¡°Lady Johanna will try to kill you. She¡¯ll seek out the worst possible method.¡±

    Among the mafia, he would meet the most terrible death.

    By an indescribable cruelty, his body would be torn to pieces.

    ¡°Sooner orter. Lady Johanna will not give up on you, as long as you don¡¯t give up first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Karlos looked at me silently.

    Suddenly, someone ced a hand on his shoulder.

    It was Eva.

    She whispered something in Karlos¡¯s ear in a low voice. Then Karlos closed his eyes. He exhaled a small breath and formed something like a smile.

    ¡°Surrender¡­¡±

    He pointed at me again with his finger.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I should also make a bet.¡±

    His voice sounded somewhat relieved.

    * * *

    As the dawn light faded and the morning sun began to rise.

    Outside the [Golden Casino] territory.

    Johanna, who had sessfully escaped, stood in an ¡®ordinary¡¯ ce where mana lingered in the air, looking out at the horizon of the casino.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Silent beside her, the armies of Libra were lined up.

    Most of the forces she could currently muster had gathered here for the war that would unfold at this casino.

    ¡°Lady Johanna. I¡¯ve brought it.¡±

    Just then, Johanna¡¯s Chaser spoke. She turned around.

    There was a shopkeeper.

    The bastard who had sold a used hang glider at the shop, not even half-filled with fuel.

    ¡°Uh, uhg¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s face was soaked with tears. Tied up with ropes all over his body, he looked up at her, begging for mercy. He was like a pig in a ughterhouse.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have known.¡±

    Johanna put a cigar in her mouth. She lit it and murmured softly.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have thought that the price for selling a used item, for a single swindle, would be your life.¡±

    ¡°Please! Ugh!¡±

    The shopkeeper trembled like an animal. The smell wafting from him was quite foul. He must have soiled himself several times already.

    ¡°Consider yourself lucky I¡¯m not killing your mother, father, son, and daughter too.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, ugh©¤©¤©¤!¡±

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    ¡°Get rid of this filthy creature. Bury him alive in a dung heap.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, ughughugh¡­¡­¡±

    The Chasers dragged the shopkeeper away. As they left, heavy footsteps approached in their ce.

    ¡°¡­¡­Lady Johanna.¡±

    Beckman. Johanna looked at him. He had a somewhat heartbroken expression, shadows deepening around the wrinkles on his face.

    ¡°Why did you call?¡±

    Suddenly, Shion Ascal¡¯s words came to mind.

    ¡®Be cautious of Beckman¡¯s overconfidence.¡¯

    An excessive trust. A warning that it could turn into blind faith at any moment.

    Thinking about it, it was a ridiculous thing to say.

    Such an overstepping piece of advice.

    Shion Ascal, that guy, had never served her, but Beckman had been serving her for a good ten years.

    ¡°¡­¡­Do you not trust me?¡±

    Beckman asked. Johanna turned to look at him.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but that I trust myself.¡±

    ¡°If there is a traitor, I will certainly-¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s someone who isn¡¯t here right now anyway.¡±

    Beckman quietly surveyed the surroundings.

    Johanna¡¯s casino manager. The guy she had scouted and raised herself.

    He was missing.

    ¡°¡­¡­I will track him down.¡±

    Magical energy flickered beside Beckman¡¯s body. It was anger burning like a wildfire.

    ¡°Bring him to me in pieces. If he still has a form, my anger might only grow stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He quietly withdrew.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡±

    Johanna exhaled smoke.

    This was enough of an achievement.

    She would definitely seize the 3% stake in the [Golden Casino], even if it meant going to war, and Derek would be seething with rage.

    However¡­¡­

    ¡°Lady Johanna. There¡¯s a call from Karlos.¡±

    A Chaser handed her a mobile phone. Johanna took it and sat down inside the car.

    ©¤Congrattions.

    As soon as she answered the call, Karlos¡¯s first words spilled out.

    ©¤It¡¯s your victory. You¡¯ve swept all the boards.

    Johanna didn¡¯t respond. She leaned back expressionlessly. Her murderous intent had already frozen over her desire.

    She had no intention of leaving Karlos alive now.

    She would kill him using magic. First, she¡¯d cut off his head, then forcibly keep him breathing so he could watch himself, and everyone around him, die-

    ©¤By the way. Your yer, Shion Ascal, is still alive.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna¡¯s thoughts came to a halt.

    She twitched her eyebrows quietly but refrained from saying anything rash.

    Showing one¡¯s hand in negotiations was the mark of an amateur.

    ©¤They say that when whales fight, the shrimp¡¯s back is broken. I don¡¯t wish for such a thing. I¡¯l return the yer back unharmed.

    Yet, it seemed that Karlos was surprisingly willing to release him.

    ©¤However, I do have one condition.

    ¡°¡­Even in such circumstances, you have demands?¡±

    Johanna almost let out a scoff. Karlos continued calmly.

    ©¤It¡¯s nothing too grand. You know what I want.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Indeed, Johanna knew what he wanted.

    But that alone was not enough¡ª

    ©¤I¡¯m washing my hands of this.

    ¡°Washing your hands?¡±

    Johanna¡¯s brow furrowed, like an enraged goblin.

    ©¤Yes. I¡¯ve already got my answer, so I don¡¯t need much. I n to retire, distributing everything to my subordinates. A small manor and a pension to secure my old age will suffice. With that, the other families and my subordinates will likely give their blessing.

    Johanna was momentarily at a loss for words. Her lips fluttered like a goldfish.

    ¡°¡­Is that woman so important to you?¡±

    She managed to utter the sentence with difficulty.

    Johanna had been observing Karlos for a long time.

    13 years. A full 13 years.

    The Karlos she knew was no less a tough breed than herself. A phantom obsessed with gambling.

    But now¡­

    They say the brain rots with age, could that be true?

    ©¤She is that important to me.

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it. She¡¯s already betrayed you once. That woman will surely abandon you again.¡±

    ©¤If you think so, then just watch. If Eva really does that, you won¡¯t have to lift a finger, and it will be like blowing your nose without touching it, right? I¡¯ll bemitting suicide, and Eva will be miserable.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Johanna ced a hand on a snowglobe.

    ¡°3.5% of the Golden Casino¡¯s shares. Add to that the release of the yer, and I¡¯ll overlook today¡¯s incident and Eva¡¯s safety.¡±

    Honestly, it was ludicrous, but gaining an additional 0.5% stake wasn¡¯t apletely bad deal.

    ©¤3.5%. I¡¯ll send the yer with the certificate in hand.

    Karlos was verypliant. So much so that it was almost disconcerting for Johanna.

    Nevertheless, it was a profitable deal for her. There was no longer a need to exhaust her forces in a war.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Yet, she felt strangely ambivalent.

    It was because of the sudden disappearance of her own murderous intent, melting away like snow.

    ©¤But. That yer isn¡¯t your man, is he?

    The yer.

    Shion Ascal.

    Yes, when I heard that the bastard hadn¡¯t died, the urge to kill Karlos subsided.

    Johanna exined the reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s a debt owed to the youngest. I can¡¯t face myself as an older sister if I can¡¯t return him.¡±

    ©¤Since when have you been so fond of the youngest? Anyway, the youngest has acquired a great sword, I see. Kahaha.

    Karlos let out a repulsive smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±

    ©¤¡­It¡¯s curious, Johanna. I¡¯ve negotiated with you for over a decade. But there has never been an easier day than today. Today will be a very special day for both you and I.

    ¡°Do you really need to perform a full-body bow as a retiring old man?¡±

    Johanna exhaled a plume of cigar smoke with a rxed smile.

    ©¤Indeed. So I hope you don¡¯t end up like me. After all, acquiring the heart of a single person is the hardest path, harder than any wealth, cards, or casinos.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Johanna¡¯s hand stopped. She rolled the cigar between two fingers and hardened her expression.

    ©¤Ah. Would you like to speak with your yer? I feel like the negotiation can only beplete once you confirm he¡¯s alive.

    Karlos suggested. It seemed to hold no special meaning.

    Johanna pondered for a moment but then tossed her cigar out the window. She spoke in the most neutral tone possible.

    ¡°Put him on.¡±

    First, she needed to confirm the condition of the goods before she could fully engage in the trade¡­

 Chapter 226: Work Experience (1)

    <strong>Work Experience (1)</strong>

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost again.¡±

    In the mansion¡¯s living room, Eva spoke. Sheid down her cards and sank into the chair, her face etched with frustration.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m definitely quitting gambling.¡±

    Her lips puckered in annoyance. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    ¡°I have no choice but to agree.¡±

    A deep voice flowed in from somewhere.

    It was Karlos. He approached with a benevolent smile and kissed Eva on the cheek.

    Honestly, it was quite an irritating scene to witness.

    Karlos extended the phone towards me.

    ¡°Here. It¡¯s Johanna.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    It seemed like a hostage check. Though calling it hostage was a bit of a stretch given the luxurious treatment.

    ©¤¡­¡­

    She was silent.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    I broke the silence.

    ©¤¡­Are you immortal?

    Johanna¡¯s voice came through, incredulous yet tinged with relief.

    ¡°Yes. I am alive.¡±

    ©¤Karlos will now hand you the share certificate.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Johanna paused for a moment before bluntly stating.

    ©¤Run away with it, and you¡¯re dead.

    Had it been a normal subordinate, they might have taken it as a warning.

    Johanna wasn¡¯t known for her humor. She didn¡¯t quite grasp it either.

    ¡°Haha. Understood.¡±

    But Iughed. This had to be a joke.

    Johanna also let out a pleased sigh.

    ©¤¡­Hmph.

    It was augh that her humor hadnded.

    However, I quickly returned to a more serious tone.

    ¡°By the way, Lady Johanna.¡±

    ©¤Yes?

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to be excluded from this operation.¡±

    ©¤Not included?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    If Beckman hears about it, there could be trouble. Driven by jealousy, who knows what he might do. Not just Beckman, but all the men under Johanna would be watching me.

    Derek would be displeased with me too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say Lady Johanna escaped on her own. It sounds more impressive that way.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Johanna was silent. But she would have certainly understood the implication of my words.

    ©¤Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ©¤We¡¯ll see each other soon.

    Johanna hung up immediately. I handed the phone back to Karlos and asked.

    ¡°Are you leaving now?¡±

    Karlos nodded.

    ¡°Did the family agree?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s still 6% of the shares left. It¡¯s a parting gift for them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Indeed, Karlos seemed genuinely intent on leaving. At first, I thought it was just another gamble, a bluff.

    ¡°Where will you go?¡±

    ¡°To a warm ind nation. I¡¯ve already bought a mansion there.¡±

    Karlos handed me a certificate adorned with gold leaf.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the certificate.¡±

    I took it from him.

    [Golden Casino Share Certificate]

    ¡°Did you get a promise?¡±

    Whether Johanna will spare him or if it¡¯s just sweet talk to deceive him, I still don¡¯t know, but she at least does not break a ¡®promise¡¯ she has made herself.

    Faith.

    Because she believes in the weight of words.

    ¡°¡­¡­Haha.¡±

    Karlosughed softly as he sat down in the chair.

    ¡°You seem to know Johanna better than I do, even though I¡¯ve been fighting for over a decade. I did receive a promise.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief~¡±

    Eva grinned and leaned on his shoulder.

    Suddenly, I became curious about something regarding them.

    ¡°What do you n to do with your lives?¡±

    Life after retirement.

    To me, that is an unknown.

    Perhaps, it may not even exist.

    Because my retirement would mean death.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do.¡±

    Eva answered instead. She smiled faintly, as if already envisioning those days.

    ¡°Sunbathing on the beach, eating delicious food, fishing from a boat, surfing¡­ I¡¯d like to try working too. Maybe woodworking.¡±

    I imagined her words.

    Cozy days in a warm ind nation all year round.

    It seemed like it could be an interesting life.

    As long as one does not fall terminally ill.

    * * *

    I returned in Karlos¡¯s limousine. At the meeting ce outside the [Golden Casino] jurisdiction, there was only Johanna.

    ¡°You¡¯ve returned.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Johanna extended her hand to me. I handed her the certificate. She looked at it quietly and then nodded.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°The guy who sold the used hang glider has been caught.¡±

    At Johanna¡¯s words, I hesitated for a moment.

    She tilted her head and asked.

    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Thanks to him, the oue turned favoriable.¡±

    Thanks to the guy who sold the used item, Johanna was able to gain an additional 0.5% of the shares without significant loss, and Karlos was able to escape his desperate fate.

    ¡°Everything is retrospective.¡±

    So there was no real need to punish him.

    No, even if there was punishment, it didn¡¯t have to be severe.

    In fact, ¡®murderer¡¯ doesn¡¯t have a special meaning.

    Someone whomits murder easily.

    In that sense, I might be a murderer too, but I don¡¯t particrly want to kill an unrted civilian.

    He must be someone¡¯s family too.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve scared him, that should be enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Of course, Johanna is silent.

    I don¡¯t expect her to follow my suggestion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    I bowed my head.

    ¡°¡­¡­Over there.¡±

    Suddenly, Johanna pointed somewhere. Compared to hers, a somewhat shabby sedan was parked.

    ¡°Zia is waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so.¡±

    For that person toe looking for me personally was quite unexpected. It was surprising.

    I approached the sedan. The driver¡¯s side window whirred down. Zia was sitting in front of the steering wheel.

    Zia driving. It was a sight I had never seen before.

    ¡°¡­I came to pick you up.¡±

    She said. I nodded nonchntly in response.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll drive from now on.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia lifted herself from the driver¡¯s seat and moved to the passenger seat. I took the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Congrattions on the win.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Zia said. I pressed the elerator and passed by Johanna, heading onto the highway. Even as we drove, Zia kept ncing at me.

    ¡°Do you have something you want to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia was silent. I waited quietly.

    Zia is a heavy person. As time goes by, she bes heavier. Although she may be light in physical weight, she doesn¡¯t open her mouth easily, nor does she move her body readily.

    So she must have something urgent to say today, havinge to find me in person¡­

    The traffic light turned red.

    ¡°¡­I.¡±

    As if she had been waiting, Zia turned to look at me. Not through the rearview mirror, but directly into my eyes. I looked back at her.

    ¡°I want to be the sessor of Libra.¡±

    Zia confessed her ambition frankly, as the youngest.

    It was such a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her grand aspiration, allowed to only a few, was now being conveyed to me as well.

    Has she finallye to trust me?

    Is it the person that I am that she hase to trust, or is it the abilities I have shown?

    ¡°What do you think¡­?¡±

    Zia asked cautiously. Just then, the light turned green.

    ¡°Whatever it is©¤©¤¡±

    I pressed the elerator and smiled.

    ¡°©¤©¤if Miss wishes it, I am simply here to fulfill that purpose by Miss Zia¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia quietly sank back into her seat. I fixed my gaze on the windshield and spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s the prize money from the win. 60 million Ren.¡±

    In that moment, Zia¡¯s eyes slightly sparkled.

    Always in need of cash as she operates various businesses under different names.

    ¡°I will entrust 50 million Ren to Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    Zia nodded shyly. Her face was brighter than ever before.

    Zia chuckled bashfully at the joke I tossed out like humor.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make it grow even bigger.¡±

    That statement was surely going to be true.

    * * *

    I returned to the capital of Edsi. The smell of the university campus that I hadn¡¯t breathed in for three days. I had missed a few sses, but there was no real harm done.

    ¡°Ah, seriously! Shion, where have you been?¡±

    On the other hand, La was angry.

    ¡°We¡¯vepleted the 15 hours anyway.¡±

    ¡°Still. Shion, it seems like you don¡¯t understand the meaning of teaming! We have to start our group project soon!¡±

    Ranting and raving. Ranting and raving. Ranting and raving.

    She was so annoying that I flicked her on the nose.

    ¡°Stop it- Ouch! Oww!¡±

    La iled, clutching her nose.

    ¡°Ouch! Shion, you hit me!¡±

    ¡°Quiet. What¡¯s this about a group project?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    La quieted down, touching her nose and looking around.

    ¡°We have to do job shadowing.¡±

    ¡°Job shadowing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s like role-ying.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, right. What about Soliette?¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s not about Soliette¡­ Oh, right. Soliette hasn¡¯t beening to sstely either. Maybe something¡¯s up? No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    La narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Anyway! Look at this.¡±

    She then handed me a bundle of papers.

    ¡°We¡¯re detectives!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve got to be kidding.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡±

    La cleared her throat and exined to me.

    ¡°Look. Case file. A murder happened three weeks ago from today.¡±

    It was a case file. I skimmed through it and frowned.

    ¡°¡­¡­What the hell. This is a real curse murder case?¡±

    A case where someone was murdered through a curse.

    There were even actual news links included.

    ¡°Yeah. Since it¡¯s job shadowing! We¡¯re magic detectives from today.¡±

    It seems we¡¯re doing various things as part of teaming.

    After all, there are various career paths at the Magic University. Knight, mage are the most straightforward, but there are also detectives, doctors, professional fighters, mercenaries, coders, and so on.

    ¡°So you chose detective as our teaming job?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You weren¡¯t there that day, Shion, so you don¡¯t get a choice.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°What about the others?¡±

    ¡°The others?¡±

    ¡°Like Elise or whoever.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ Elly is also a detective! It¡¯s so ridiculous, I think Elly originally wanted to be a doctor? But when I chose detective, she followed suit and chose detective too!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so.¡±

    I tucked the case file into my coat.

    ¡°So. Should we head to the police station first?¡±

    La smirked and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Obviously. I¡¯ve already made acquaintances with the detectives. Just trust me and follow.¡±

    I was about to follow her when I suddenly stopped.

    Because of a familiar face that appeared from behind the trees of the campus.

    ¡°Wait. You go ahead.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    La¡¯s brow furrowed. I waved my hand dismissively.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do. I¡¯ll bring something tasty when Ie.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What are you going to bring?¡±

    ¡°Berry cream bread.¡±

    ¡°Wow! No way! That¡¯s firste-first-served!¡±

    Berry cream bread is the biggest hit product of Bnce Bakery. It¡¯s a bakery near the university, so popr that it sells out within three minutes of opening¡ªit¡¯s a daily urrence¡­

    Just like its name ¡®Bnce¡¯, it¡¯s actually a subsidiary of Libra.

    As a Chaser for Libra, I couldmand them to produce the bread even if they were out of stock.

    ¡°There¡¯s always a way. I have my connections.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just trying back without it.¡±

    ¡°Go on ahead, I¡¯ve got it covered.¡±

    La looked skeptical but moved on, and I headed behind the trees.

    There, with a familiar face¡ªBell Moore was present.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    He asked, smoking a cigarette.

    ¡°Benedict. You¡¯re sure you took care of it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no Lunatic quite like you. Anyway, the body has been taken care of. It¡¯s been officially ruled as an unexined death, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±

    Bell Moore gestured at me with his chin.

    ¡°Stay away from the Intelligence Agency for a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It¡¯s an unavoidable situation.

    As a Chaser, I had to cut off the head of the team at the Intelligence Agency. Benedict¡¯s underlings would harbor ill feelings towards me.

    ¡°It might be dangerous for you.¡±

    It¡¯s the fate of a whistleblower. Some factions will genuinely try to kill me, and there will be absolutely no sharing of information.

    Of course, it doesn¡¯t concern me.

    I can handle it alone.

    ¡°Also, we need to start preparing our performance reports soon, you¡¯re getting ready, right?¡±

    A Chaser is a frencer concept affiliated with Libra. Each season, individuals prepare their own reports and submit them to the higher-ups.

    Therefore, a Chaser without achievements can be easily dismissed.

    ¡°By the way, you can¡¯t include internal investigation work.¡±

    But when I think about it, the tasks I¡¯ve done as a Chaser have been too easy so far.

    The only things worth recording are cutting off the arm of a researcher who leaked Libra¡¯s information and rescuing Sonya?

    Extreme mana stone, internal investigator, gambling are not part of my Chaser duties, and rescuing Johanna should not be reported to the higher-ups.

    ¡°Do you have any other achievements?¡±

    I¡¯mcking in the ¡®quantity¡¯ of achievements due to bncing university.

    Of course, the higher-ups will take that into ount, but to be a Bncer, you need to be perfect from the start.

    If ¡®quantity¡¯ iscking, I¡¯ll have to make up for it with ¡®quality.¡¯

    ¡°Achievements. I have them.¡±

    ¡°¡­You do? Then save some forter. If you use them all up in the first half, you¡¯ll have nothing left for the second half¡ª¡±

    ¡°Vancheon.¡±

    Vancheon.

    Bell Moore¡¯s expression hardened when I mentioned the group that was raising a rebellion against the system of Libra and, of course, this Edsi regime.

    ¡°I am tracking one of their executives.¡±

    The word ¡®executive¡¯ painted his entire expression with desire.

    ¡°¡­Executive.¡±

    Within Vancheon, there is a traitor selling information.

    I know one of those bastards.

    Before regression, there was one I really wanted to kill. A baldy as detestable as Libra itself.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    Bell Moore asked with a serious expression. I nodded.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case, man, you need to form a team. A team.¡±

    Bell Moore subtly pushed his own agenda.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea for me either.

    Bell Moore still had his uses, and the baldy in question, being an executive of ¡¸Vancheon¡¹, was at least twice as strong as I am now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact youter.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m off then.¡±

    Ding-

    A text message arrived on my smartphone.

    [La: Don¡¯t forget to buy it!!! Berry cream bread!!]

    ¡°Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    I called out to Bell Moore as he was turning to leave. Bell Moore turned around with a spin.

    ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Could you please buy some Berry cream bread? It seems I¡¯m not ranked high enough yet, they won¡¯t make it for me since it¡¯s sold out.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A bread shuttle. I had wanted to try ordering someone around at least once.

    Bell Moore looked in disbelief, but he nodded eventually.

    ¡°Fine. But in return, include me in the team.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then wait here. I¡¯ll be back after I go there.¡±

    Bell Moore changed his route toward the bakery.

    Vrrring©¤

    Just then, my phone vibrated.

    ¡°Why is she so impatient?¡±

    I naturally thought it was La and answered the phone, but©¤©¤

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ©¤Yes.

    My shoulders flinched at the sound of that voice.

    A husky female tone.

    I looked at the smartphone screen again.

    [Unknown Caller]

    I swallowed and quickly adjusted my voice to be more business-like.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ©¤The prize money should have been deposited by now.

    It was Johanna.

    I didn¡¯t expect her to call me like this.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ©¤As you said, I kept that guy alive. In the end, I didn¡¯t suffer any loss.

    She was probably talking about the guy who sold second-hand goods.

    ¡°Yes. But may I ask why you are calling me-¡±

    ©¤I have an internal investigation I¡¯d like to request from you.

    ¡°¡­An internal investigation?¡±

    ©¤Yes. I don¡¯t want to overlook a betrayal like thest time.

    Rustle- I could hear the sound of papers being turned over the receiver.

    ©¤I will give you a list of my subordinates. Judge in detail who might be harboring what intentions and report back to me. It¡¯s your duty as a Chaser.

    She was asking me to monitor her own people.

    ©¤Will you do it?

    In other words, a legal opportunity to surveil important figures within Libra.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I will take on the task.¡±

    There was no reason for me not to.

 Chapter 227: Work Experience (2)

    <strong>Work Experience (2)</strong>

    Libra¡¯s Intelligence Agency.

    Bell Moore chuckled as he looked at the office that the Intelligence Agency team leader ¡®used to¡¯ upy.

    ¡°Sly son of a bitch.¡±

    Serves him right. How dare he try to pin a crime on me.

    At this moment, he could only curse inwardly, but it was also chilling.

    If the team leader¡¯s n had gone through.

    No, if Shion Ascal had been fooled by the team leader.

    The false charges against Sonya would have been entirely on him.

    ¡°He¡¯s totally screwed~¡±

    Bell Moore knocked on the office door a few times for good measure and turned to leave©¤

    ¡°Mr. Bell Moore.¡±

    Several employees of the Intelligence Agency approached him.

    ¡°Oh, yes?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that rookie Chaser up to?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    Rookie Chaser. Of course, they were talking about Shion Ascal.

    That lunatic killed the team leader. He went to the mansion and, finding Benedict defenseless, sliced his neck with a single stroke.

    A rookie assassinating a senior, it was a stab in the back that would make any Chaser shake their head, no matter the circumstances.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably at the university right now?¡±

    As such, the expressions on the faces of the Intelligence Agency employees were not too pleased.

    ¡°If you want to pick a fight, go find him yourself.¡±

    Bell Moore smirked slyly.

    ¡°But be careful. That guy¡¯s a real lunatic.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Intelligence Agency employees were silent.

    These guys still don¡¯t know how much of a lunatic Shion Ascal is, or how much focus he¡¯s drawing from Libra.

    ¡°Well then. I¡¯m off.¡±

    Bell Moore waved his hand and walked down the corridor. A person appeared from the corner of the lobby.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Riley. She crossed her arms as she looked at Bell Moore.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean what. You called me.¡±

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    Bell Moore raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. Want to work on something with me?¡±

    ¡°A job?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think I need a team.¡±

    ¡°Again? Don¡¯t you know anyone else but me? Don¡¯t you have any Chaser friends?¡±

    Of course, there are many Chasers.

    But the only one he can trust is Riley.

    ¡°We had funst time we did it together.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be under a misconception. I¡¯m not a Chaser to-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about [Vancheon].¡±

    Bell Moore said.

    Riley¡¯s expression hardened instantly.

    ¡°About¡­ Vancheon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s from Shion again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley looked at Bell Moore without saying a word. Bell Moore smiled deeply.

    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about the details yet, but it¡¯s an opportunity to climb the ranks.¡±

    * * *

    I drove to the scene of the incident. It was an ordinary forest.

    ¡°Wow! Shion, you have a car too?!¡±

    La¡¯s eyes sparkled as she saw the SUV.

    It was an SUV gifted by Bell Moore, and it was proving quite useful.

    ¡°Yeah. Here.¡±

    I handed her a bread. It was the cream bun bought by Bell Moore.

    By the way, Bell Moore himself is probably forming a team right now. Vancheon is a traitorous organization with a hefty bounty on its head, not just from Libra but also from the council.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    La¡¯s expression became animated.

    ¡°Shion, how did you buy this?!¡±

    She was dazzled by the sight of the cream bun.

    I asked her a question.

    ¡°I have my connections. Where¡¯s the crime scene?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, let¡¯s go!¡±

    A sorcery murder case.

    Simply put, it¡¯s a case where people are killed through sorcery.

    But it¡¯s different from ordinary murders. Sorcery murder is ¡®long-distance murder¡¯ because the sorcery is activated in one space and flies to another.

    The character for ¡®kill¡¯ (š¢) is a typical example.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a scene.¡±

    Near theke. A chilling talisman and threads were clinging to a tree, and nearby, a dark red liquid oozed like pus.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sorcery murder.¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar, somewhat wee voice.

    I turned to look.

    It was Elise.

    There were other university student pairs besides us here. They all must have chosen ¡®detective¡¯ for their teaming job experience.

    Elise slightly lifted her chin.

    ¡°This is your first time with something like this, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you also a first-timer?¡±

    For the record, it¡¯s not my first time. Living in the underworld, you get to experience all sorts of things.

    ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s not.¡±

    Elise approached me.

    Or rather, she tried to, but La pushed her away.

    ¡°Elly. Can you not tail my team?¡±

    ¡°¡­Tail?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°©¤©¤Hold on.¡±

    Suddenly, Gerkhen interjected with a rather serious expression. We all turned to look at him.

    Had he already figured something out?

    Gerkhen, with a face so serious that even his breathing seemed inaudible, pointed his finger.

    ¡°¡­That.¡±

    He pointed at La. La flinched in surprise.

    ¡°What, what?! Is there something on my back?!¡±

    ¡°Is that a Berry-o cream bun?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    La¡¯s eyes widened. She looked at Gerkhen baffled, and Gerkhen continued to stare seriously at the Berry-o cream bun.

    ¡°Berry-o cream buns from Bnce Bakery. There¡¯s a limit of two per person.¡±

    His curiosity, criticism, and greed were all implied in his question of why she had a bunch of them.

    ¡°Just give him one. It¡¯ll be a hassleter if you don¡¯t.¡±

    I told La.

    It¡¯s no lie. Gerkhen, if nothing else, will remember such trivial food-rted details.

    La threw a cream bun from the bag.

    ¡°¡­Here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen silently epted it. Crinkle, crinkle¡ªhe fiddled with the wrapper before carefully tucking it into his pocket.

    ¡°Everyone! Have you all gathered?!¡±

    p, p©¤©¤!

    The central detective pped his hands.

    ¡°Yes, participants of the Edsi National University teaming program, wee. I¡¯m Detective Beor, and I¡¯ve been assigned to this sorcery murder case. For your information, I¡¯m also a graduate of the national university. Ha ha.¡±

    Detective Beor said with augh.

    ¡°Sorcery murders are definitely harder to deduce than other murder cases. They¡¯remitted from a distance, and they¡¯re closer to curses than magic, making it difficult to identify the victims and prove causality. However, there will certainly be ¡®traces¡¯ left behind.¡±

    Sorcery and curses are optimized for remote killings.

    That¡¯s why most mages secretly take on the role of hitmen.

    ¡°Find those traces in the Magic Space and report them to me. Please be careful not to disturb the crime scene too much.¡±

    The detective handed out gloves. I put them on.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go do some election campaigning, Elly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to help to win a third term easily. Besides, can a fool like you even deduce anything?¡±

    ¡°What, what?! Fool?!¡±

    Elise and La were still in the midst of their power struggle.

    I looked at the tree. I ced my hand on it.

    Using ¡¸Notepad¡¹, I summoned the ¡¸Memory¡¹ that remained here.

    ¡­¡­Ching, ching, ching.

    The sound of bells seeped into my ears. I saw a scythe moving on its own. There was a mage performing sorcery, hopping around the pavement.

    I gazed intently at the vision before opening my eyes.

    I asked the detective.

    ¡°¡­Do you have a list of suspects?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    The detective smiled and handed over a list of names. It was a list of people called ¡®mages¡¯ in the vicinity.

    ¡°This man.¡±

    I pointed to one person. A man with squinted eyes and spiky hair.

    His name was [Reko].

    ¡°This man seems to be the culprit.¡±

    ¡°¡­What the heck, Shion! We¡¯re supposed to do this together!¡±

    That¡¯s when La turned around abruptly.

    ¡°Do what together? You¡¯re not any help anyway.¡±

    Elise sneered and picked a fight.

    ¡°Shut up, Elly!¡±

    La ran to my side, and the detective tilted his head.

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±

    ¡°I heard bells.¡±

    ¡°Bells?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can still hear them, kinda like a sixth sense. There are still traces left.¡±

    A sixth sense. Simply put, it¡¯s a kind of talent. Not that there¡¯s such a thing, but reading Memory is much more urate than that.

    ¡°The only mage who uses bells is that person.¡±

    Just like magic requires a medium, the only mage who uses bells for sorcery is the mage [Reko].

    The detective spoke.

    ¡°Is there no evidence?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no direct evidence in sorcery murders. However, you can simply bring the suspect in and have them demonstrate the sorcery. You¡¯ll hear the sound of bells from the leaves.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The detective tilted his head but nheless noted down my words in the report.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Have you figured out where this ¡®sorcery¡¯ flew off to?¡±

    This time it was Elise. The detective¡¯s eyes widened.

    Elise continued, arms crossed.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. They used vectors. First, measure the amount of magical power generated by the sorcery here, then measure it again at a distance of 30 meters. Since sorcery flies straight, there has to be residual magic in that direction.¡±

    The implication was that by measuring the residual magic along the path the sorcery took, one could determine its direction.

    ¡°Furthermore, measure how much the magic power attenuates at intervals of 100 meters, 300 meters, 500 meters. Gerkhen helped me with these measurements.¡±

    For instance, if 100 units of sorcery lower to 99 units at the 30-meter mark and to 97 units at the 100-meter mark, one can calcte the direction and distance the sorcery traveled based on the rate of attenuation.

    Elise looked at La with a victorious smile, as if to say, this is the difference between you and me.

    La shuddered, as if she hadn¡¯t even considered this.

    ¡°The sorcery went upwards.¡±

    ¡°Upwards, you say?¡±

    Elise shrugged her shoulders and said,

    ¡°Yes. The coordinates I¡¯ve calcted are¡­¡­¡±

    Her expression stiffened slightly. She nced at me, but then spoke nonchntly.

    ¡°It went to Libra¡¯s Aerial Garden.¡±

    * * *

    At the same time.

    Soliette was underground. In the underground Bottle of Souls. She was exploring it with Jared Arkne.

    Click-ck¡ª

    With a burning campfire in the middle, she kept ncing at Jared, gauging his reactions.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go?¡±

    Suddenly, Jared asked. Soliette tilted her head.

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been here too long. You¡¯re not from around here.¡±

    His voice had be familiar to her over time.

    At first, every time she heard it, she would tear up, but now she could bear it.

    It felt like she was just on a trip.

    A trip she never had with her lost older brother, now btedly together.

    Was this Shion¡¯s consideration?

    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s fine. More importantly, do you know what¡¯s beneath us?¡±

    Soliette asked Jared.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know. However, the explosives we need to attach at the very bottom are still here.¡±

    Jared smiled faintly, pulling out the explosives from his bosom.

    ¡°Attach this underground and detonate it, and that¡¯s the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette found Jared¡¯s words bitter.

    She still didn¡¯t know if he was really Jared. Whether he was just a Jared created by programming, or if he was a reconstructed being with the real Jared¡¯s soul.

    But, whatever it was.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of what will happen if this Bottle copses?¡±

    He would disappear along with this Bottle.

    Therefore, this journey is one to kill Jared.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Jared smiled faintly.

    ¡°After all, this world is fake. Whether we seed in liberating the Bottle or fail and get exploited by an individual, both oues lead to death.¡±

    Soliette listened quietly to his words.

    ¡°I want my death to be on my own terms.¡±

    He bowed his head.

    For a moment, she almost cried.

    Jared added more wood to the campfire.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some sleep?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Soliette looked around. The underground was dark in all directions.

    This ce was a route that prated the fake Edsi¡¯s bottom, aiming to reach the bottom of the bottle.

    In game terms, it was the path that led to the ending.

    She watched Jared as he sat with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Do you have¡­ a family?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    At her words, Jared opened his eyes slightly. He looked at her with a puzzled expression, and she mirrored him.

    They were simr.

    In their actions, expressions, and the way they spoke.

    ¡°Are you talking about family?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­I had one.¡±

    Jared said with a casual smile.

    ¡°I would have had one when I was alive. There was a strict father, a kind mother who passed away too early¡­¡±

    Crackle- Crackle-

    Jared watched the sound of the campfire.

    ¡°And a very cute little sister who resembled that mother.¡±

    Soliette wiped the corner of her eyes, pretending to get a spark in them, pretending her eyes were irritated.

    ¡°I always wanted to treat her well. She was so small and precious. I don¡¯t know if I did a good job.¡±

    She bit her lip hard, not wanting her crumpled face to be seen, so shey back.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Jared said nothing to her.

    He just kept a faint smile on his face as he scribbled small letters in the dirt.

    [Soliette]

    * * *

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Libra¡¯s Jade was in the extreme mana stone storage. He looked around at the ces filled with extreme mana stones and smiled.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    The leisurelyugh of a noble. The elegance and dignity of it earned apuse from everyone around.

    ¡°Hmm. What¡¯s all this fuss about.¡±

    Jade waved his hand in response.

    The business had seeded.

    The efficiency of the extreme mana stones researched by Libra would soon be on the news. It would bring tens of times the profit to Jade himself.

    With this profit, he would start another business, and then another¡­

    Tadadadak©¤©¤

    At that moment, a multitude of footsteps echoed. Jade looked outside the storage. It was the bastards from Libra¡¯s Intelligence Agency.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    They lined up in front of Jade.

    ¡°Lord Jade. We have obtained information that the main mage has fired a ¡®cut¡¯ at one of Libra¡¯s direct lines.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade blinked for a moment. In contrast, the faces of the Intelligence Agency agents were extremely serious.

    They probably thought that obtaining this information was a great achievement.

    ¡°Yeah. Now get lost.¡±

    Jade just waved his hand.

    ¡°Lord Jade could be the target-¡±

    ¡°I said I got it, now get lost. Business is more important right now.¡±

    Cut.

    Whatever it was, Jade didn¡¯t care.

    What was important to him now was the next business.

    ¡°¡­¡­Besides. Davis. How is that matter progressing?¡±

    Jade asked his newly appointed secretary.

    ¡°The negotiations are currently underway. The results of the soil research are exactly as they said.¡±

    His next target was ginseng.

    A region where ginseng grew, an elixir-like herb that increased the mana of those who consumed it. If he acquired thatnd and farmed it properly-

    ¡°It¡¯s a scam.¡±

    Suddenly, someone interrupted. Jade frowned deeply and turned to look in that direction.

    How dare an Intelligence Agency agent meddle in my business¡­

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t just any agent.

    Jade twisted the corner of his mouth with a smirk as he looked at him.

    ¡°A scam, you say.¡±

    Among the Intelligence Agency agents, one stood out with his tall stature and blonde hair.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    The man confidently spoke as he approached.

    ¡°That ginseng region is a scam, Lord Jade.¡±

 Chapter 228: Work (1)

    <strong>Work (1)</strong>

    In the annex of the Edsi capital, a ce purchased for a business trip, Jade poured whiskey into a ss.

    ¡°Got something on your mind?¡±

    He asked me, holding up the ss where ice and spirits swirled together.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Even if he offers, if I actually epted to dine with him, Jade would inwardly dislike it.

    He nodded and took a sip by himself.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying my ginseng business is a scam?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Have you read the business n?¡±

    As a Chaser, I had ess to Jade¡¯s business ns.

    In fact, it¡¯s a story I already knew.

    The list of businesses Jade had botched was quite famous even before my regression.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve read it.¡±

    Jade has been swindled many times, but there¡¯s always a reason. If someone has the audacity and meticulousness to scam Jade, it¡¯s likely the work of a ¡®team¡¯ with exceptional nerve.

    ¡°Recite it. In what way is it a scam?¡±

    The outline is simple.

    ¡®Jade ns to invest tens of millions of Ren to acquire ginseng farnd.¡¯

    That¡¯s it.

    ¡°Of course, the farnd is fertile. Ginseng would grow well. But it¡¯s ordinary ginseng.¡±

    ¡°Ordinary ginseng?¡±

    Jade frowned.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ginseng isn¡¯t just a folk remedy. It¡¯s a crop that actually absorbs the magic from the soil, so it can be processed into a meaningful magic supplement and sold.

    ¡°The farnd that Lord Jade intends to purchase will grow ordinary ginseng well because thend¡¯s soil is rich in vitality. However, the concentration of mana in the soil iscking.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Jadeughed, as if amused, taking a swig of his whiskey.

    ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t know that much? I¡¯ve already collected and tested the soil. The right concentration of mana¡ª¡±

    ¡°Which part of the soil did you test?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    For a moment, Jade¡¯s expression froze. He silently looked at me, then abruptly¡ª

    Set down the ss.

    ¡°What if, on the ¡®surface¡¯ of the soil, they¡¯ve only spread dirt with a high concentration of magic?¡±

    It¡¯s dedication to the scam. If they¡¯veid magic soil on the surface of such arge farnd, most people would be convinced.

    Ginsengnd is something no one wants to give up easily, so in their haste not to miss out, they get fooled.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade ran his tongue over his lips. He seemed inwardly furious, but still maintained a nobleman¡¯s smile.

    ¡°That could be the case. I¡¯ll have to talk to Davis about it.¡±

    ¡°But, Lord Jade. Who was the first person to introduce you to this business item?¡±

    ¡°That would be Davis¡­¡­¡±

    Jade¡¯s hand stopped abruptly.

    I asked him once more.

    ¡°When did you hire Davis as a butler?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade closed his mouth again. He gripped the ss so tightly that it crunched. Crisp¡ª the ss shattered like a biscuit.

    ¡°The taste of the drink has gone bad.¡±

    Even to his voice, thick with killing intent, I maintained myposure.

    ¡°I thought you should know.¡±

    The reason I¡¯m going out of my way to help Jade now is that businessman Jade is not a threat.

    He is actually safest when conducting business as a noble.

    The most dangerous being in this world is Jade, who has squandered everything and fallen into destion.

    At the brink, having abandoned his nobility, he would be a strategic weapon formidable even for a nation to contend with.

    Therefore, at least until Zia has fully matured, Jade must remain a dignified noble and businessman.

    ¡°But what about this ¡®curse¡¯?¡±

    Jade inquired about the cursed assassination.

    ¡°The curse¡¯s target has been calcted to be one of the direct family members in the Aerial Garden. Of course, the direct family can resist¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Any direct family member who can¡¯t resist such a curse deserves to die.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s no big deal, that¡¯s a relief. But as a Chaser, it¡¯s my duty to hunt down and kill that bastard.¡±

    Jade¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He then looked out the window for a moment.

    He seemed to be setting the mood.

    ¡°Business ideas aren¡¯ting together well these days.¡±

    Clearly, he¡¯s fishing for a hint.

    I asked back.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the extreme mana stone business doing well for you?¡±

    ¡°It has been profitable, but there¡¯s a limit to extreme mana stones. Once a mana stone is sold, it¡¯s gone. I need a business that can provide a long-term source of ie¡­¡±

    Jade nced at me again.

    ¡°Business ideas aren¡¯ting together well these days.¡±

    He seemed to be openly asking for a business idea¡­

    Suddenly, an idea came to me.

    ¡°Lord Jade. I¡¯ve heard that ¡®Bnce Bakery¡¯ belongs to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I own ny percent of the shares, and Zia has ten percent.¡±

    Then this is a wee topic.

    ¡°Instead of looking for a new business, how about expanding an existing one?¡±

    ¡°The bakery?¡±

    Jade¡¯s wrinkles slightly contorted. He red at me with a predatory look for a moment.

    I¡¯m in his good graces, so he tolerates this much, but if it were someone he disliked, they¡¯d be dead by now.

    ¡°Yes. Transform the bakery into a cafe.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade leaned back in his chair.

    He¡¯s not interested¡ªthat¡¯s what it means.

    After all, selling coffee and bread doesn¡¯t quite fit the image of a noble businessman.

    ¡°A sophisticated, upscale cafe, I mean.¡±

    However, when I added ¡®noble¡¯ and ¡®upscale¡¯ to the mix, his expression softened somewhat.

    ¡°Lord Jade has an exceptional sense for detecting and creating beauty, does he not?¡±

    The corners of his mouth twitched.

    He seems to agree with that statement very much.

    ¡°Introduce a high-end cafe unlike any on the continent, with you personally overseeing the interior design and presentation to the public.¡±

    Jade does indeed have an excellent eye. His artistic sense is undeniable, and his style of dress alone is worth emting.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. But do you consider that a business? Merely selling bread and water?¡±

    ¡°Lord Jade. Do you know how many cups of coffee a university student consumes in a day? Office workers, knights, even mages enjoy coffee.¡±

    In reality, the cafe industry has been on a consistent upward trend for the past decade. It¡¯s not a domain to be taken lightly.

    ¡°And, there are many hit items at Bnce Bakery that sell out as soon as they¡¯re stocked.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    Jade had by now leaned forward in his chair, his ears perked up with interest.

    ¡°If it were me, I would start by buyingnd in the capital for marketing purposes and build a veryrge cafe.¡±

    ¡°Arge cafe?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A cafe like a department store that operates 24 hours a day.¡±

    ¡°24 hours doesn¡¯t seem very upscale.¡±

    ¡°No. The purpose of this cafe is to provide the dignity and artistic beauty that Lord Jade pursues to the ¡®masses.¡¯ How much would nobles spend in a cafe? In the end, you need to attract the general public.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    By this point, Jade¡¯s face hadpletely warmed up to the idea.

    ¡°However, we would set the prices a bit higher. 6 to 7 Ren for a cup of coffee should be about right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too cheap.¡±

    ¡°No. The average price at existing cafes is 2 Ren per cup.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade let out a slight chuckle.

    That¡¯s the kind of incredulous expression one might have at the thought of people drinking such trash and calling it coffee.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m merely offering advice, but it¡¯s certain not to fail.¡±

    ¡°Not a huge sess, but not a failure either¡­ Is that what you mean?¡±

    ¡°Personally, I believe that with Lord Jade¡¯s artistic discernment, a huge sess is also possible.¡±

    A deep smile appeared on Jade¡¯s lips.

    ¡°My sense has never been wrong.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    I nodded in agreement.

    ¡°If this business does well, perhaps Miss Zia could be entrusted with the coffee bean supply.¡±

    ¡°Always thinking of Zia, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    As if he had finally found something to do, Jade continued with a noticeably relieved tone.

    ¡°Very well. Shion Ascal. Submit a business n under your name. You¡¯re a Chaser, but you¡¯re nning to join the staff anyway, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If all goes well, by next year, or the year after at thetest¡ª¡±

    ¡°The results will be retroactively applied. Whether the business does well or not, it will be reflected in your evaluation.¡±

    Jade stood up from his seat.

    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I¡¯ll have the appropriatend purchased in advance. We¡¯re currently overflowing with cash.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I bowed and retreated.

    * * *

    Back in the dormitory, I¡¯m staring at myptop. Lately, I¡¯ve been recognized for mypetence, so there¡¯s a lot to do.

    There¡¯s hardly any time to rest.

    [Personnel List]

    Three days ago, Johanna handed me this personnel list.

    The exact number is 33.

    All of them are executive-level.

    Among them are those loyal to Johanna, Derek¡¯s cronies, and those who bore a grudge against me before my regression.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    I¡¯m in the middle ofpiling a background check file on them.

    ©¤Master! Have you received all the information?!

    Grawl has been a huge help.

    A Chaser usually has several personal information sources, but Grawl makes that unnecessary.

    Thanks to his feline connections. He employs dozens, hundreds of unsuspecting cats to gather information.

    ¡°Yeah. Got it.¡±

    All 33 people Johanna personally requested have been thoroughly investigated.

    Out of them, there are about seven who are suspicious or at least worth keeping an eye on.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s done.¡±

    Iplete the file with the shell bank ounts, call records, and footage from CCTV that Grawl found through hacking.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Grawl.¡±

    ©¤No problem~ Haha!

    Click-

    I press enter.

    The report is sent to her email.

    ¡­

    Tick-tock©¤ Tick-tock©¤

    The sound of the clock¡¯s second hand echoes emptily inside.

    Johanna is sitting in her office, her chin propped on her hand.

    The flicker of theptop screen is reflected in her empty eyes.

    Click-

    Johanna scrolls through the [Report] from Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s quite capable.¡±

    He had perfectly investigated the executive-level personnel she had requested. He found some of their shell bank ounts and captured suspicious circumstances.

    Scroll- Scroll-

    Johanna reads the report. With eyes that have lost interest, a bit empty.

    Then suddenly,

    Thest paragraph.

    A sentence left by Shion Ascal himself.

    [I have done my best to be of assistance to Lord Johanna. While my best may not be perfect, I hope to prevent a repeat of the previous unfortunate incident.

    Always wishing you peace.

    From someone who once yed your game, with respect, Shion Ascal.]

    It¡¯s like a short letter.

    Johanna looks at it. She reads from top to bottom, and bottom to top.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Suddenly, it feels as if an invisible wind is wrapping around her. As if lonely leaves are tumbling through the vast office.

    Johanna sits in her chair, looking up at the trophy disy.

    In the spot where the best sunlight falls, the [World Series of Poker: Final Champion Trophy] has finally been ced. Next to it, her hang glider.

    A bitter smile appears on her lips.

    The memory of that day suddenly shes before her eyes.

    ¡°¡­It was fun.¡±

    Unforgettably so.

    That¡¯s why she¡¯s thinking of flying again this week.

    ¡°It was fun¡­¡±

    Johanna smirks, lighting a cigar. Smoke rises in the windowless space.

    * * *

    Weekend.

    I arrived in Valrod City, on the outskirts of the Edsi capital. It was an umon summons from Zia.

    ¡°¡­Did Ie to the wrong ce?¡±

    The destination was a building as dpidated as an abandoned factory. I took out my smartphone and made a call to someone.

    Ring-ring-

    Then, a ringtone flowed from inside. Soon after, the door creaked open, and Zia, d in a baggy hoodie, emerged.

    I asked in surprise.

    ¡°Were you here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Come in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I followed her inside.

    First thing I noticed was the shattered windows. The production lines that once manufactured something were artificially destroyed, and the floor bore heavy traces of fire damage.

    ¡°This is a factory I run.¡±

    ¡°¡­You call this a factory?¡±

    It¡¯s nothing but a ruin. Ziaughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a factory for making weapons¡­¡±

    Weapons. My eyes widened at the moment.

    This ce was a business Zia operated under a pseudonym.

    A venture that must never be discovered by her direct rtives, nor by the council.

    She had invited me here.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit shabby¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head, smiling faintly as I looked around. I dragged over a chair that was still in one piece.

    ¡°But the state of the factory isn¡¯t very good. Have you been attacked?¡±

    Zia naturally took a seat.

    ¡°Yeah. In the weapons industry¡­ there are manypetitors¡­¡±

    True to her words, the weapons industry is rife withpetition. It feels a bit different from defense and military supply industries.

    The structure and powers of the weapons industry, epassing both Edsi and Trick City, are quite chaotic. Illegal modifications, looting, and giarism aremon.

    Of course, Zia wouldter dominate even the weapons industry, but not without enduring all sorts of hardships.

    ¡°I created and distributed a weapons catalog¡­ and then they came attacking¡­¡±

    Zia pouted her lips with a slightly aggrieved tone.

    ¡°I worked hard on the designs myself¡­ but it all got destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Whichpany is it?¡±

    At that moment, I had an intuition.

    Zia was now trying to use me as her sword.

    This was a golden opportunity for me to gain her trust.

    ¡°¡­Apany called Lockhard. A small to medium-sized enterprise, but they im this section as their own.¡±

    This industry is quite violent. Evenrge corporations don¡¯t hesitate tomit murder, and all sorts of bribery and trickery are frequent.

    However, one must not simply abandon it because it¡¯s dirty.

    The weapons industry of the near future bes even more massive and important than most big techpanies. Especially in that future where monsters prevail, and the number of beasts increases.

    ¡°Yes. I understand. For now, you should rebuild the factory. I¡¯ll take care of Lockhard. But.¡±

    I turned to look at Zia.

    ¡°Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    Zia looked up at me from her seat, her eyes wide and innocent like a deer¡¯s.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to reveal yourself to me in person next time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia blinked silently.

    ¡°Please contact me remotely whenever you need to. Treat me as just an informant or a Chaser, in that manner.¡±

    She dislikesing out. She avoids it to an extreme. Because doing so itself is a risk.

    If someone were to tail her, Zia¡¯s ambitions coulde to an end.

    Yet, she waited here for me in person, perhaps to give a certain degree of trust.

    To show that she, too, was with me in this.

    ¡°¡­Is that really okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It doesn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. I won¡¯t feel bothered at the least.¡±

    Zia quietly observed me.

    I told her,

    ¡°It is my wish that you continue to protect your well-being as cautiously as you are now, Miss.¡±

    Zia must not fall because of me.

    If that were to happen, all my efforts up until now would dissolve into nothingness.

 Chapter 229: Work (2)

    <strong>Work (2)</strong>

    Zia¡¯s factory. I had just finished cleaning the ce up. The once chaotic space was now spotless.

    ¡°Did you clean up already?¡±

    Just then, a voice tinged withughter called out to me from the entrance of the factory.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    I looked at her and smiled in wee. I had expected her toe, after all.

    It was Sonya.

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    She approached with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I came to think about this weapons industry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so-¡±

    ¡°Ah. Let¡¯s talkfortably now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sonya waved her hand. I silently watched her. Sonya smirked.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say. How dare you speak casually to Sonya, who has Libra blood in her veins~ Even if it¡¯s a distant connection~¡±

    She shook her head bitterly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve been abandoned by Libra, and I¡¯ve decided to join you.¡±

    Indeed, she seemed to have made up her mind.

    I gave a small smile.

    ¡°¡­Still, I¡¯m morefortable speaking this way. Let¡¯s just be at ease in our actions.¡±

    ¡°Well, as you wish.¡±

    Sonya nced around the interior for a moment.

    ¡°Hmm. The production line itself looks promising. With a bit of fine-tuning, we could start right away. The location is good, but, as expected, the problem is thepetingpany.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle Lockhard.¡±

    ¡°Can you manage? They¡¯re not just any riffraff. It might be too much for a college student to handle.¡±

    Ding-

    An rm went off on my smartphone. It was a message from Grawl.

    [Grawl: Corporate information on Lockhard. I¡¯ll send it to you now~]

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°A personal informant.¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Building up a Chaser¡¯swork, are we?¡±

    Chasers usually have several informants. I find one to be enough.

    ¡°Can you trust this informant?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [Grawl: The CEO of Lockhard. Started by modifying lighters into illegal weapons in back alleys. Lockhard is a small to medium-sized enterprise, but not to be underestimated. There¡¯s a financial backer behind them.]

    ¡°There¡¯s a backer, huh?¡±

    ¡°A backer. Of course, they couldn¡¯t have started such a mess from the beginning without one.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    If there¡¯s a backer, then even if we take down the head of Lockhard, another will take its ce. To prevent proliferation, to make recovery impossible, we must strike at that backer first.

    [Grawl: And, I found him. The location of the bald guy.]

    My eyes flickered slightly.

    [Grawl: He¡¯s active as a dealer trading drugs illegally. His name is Ss. I¡¯m setting things up quietly, so we should be able to arrange a meeting soon.]

    ¡°Something else hase up that needs to be done first.¡±

    The bald man from Vancheon. The actual bald man needs to be killed as soon as possible, before he can be recruited as an ally by Libra.

    As soon as he defected, he would blow the cover of all of Vancheon¡¯s allies that had infiltrated Libra.

    I called Bell Moore.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ©¤Yeah. What is it?

    ¡°The mission I mentionedst time. It looks like we can start soon. Please bring the cash bag this Friday¡­¡­.¡±

    * * *

    The campus of the national university. I was walking along with La.

    ¡°Shion. You know, we have that ¡®curse¡¯ thing. The primary mage.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°When I went to check, they were already dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that give you the creeps?¡±

    La rubbed her shoulders for no reason.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not just one primary mage that¡¯s dead. All the primary mages that were on the suspect list are dead.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that give you the creeps?!¡±

    I don¡¯t know the details of the ¡®curse¡¯ incident that urred this time. It¡¯s not in my Memory.

    However, there was one significant incident rted to the ¡®curse¡¯.

    A simultaneous outbreak of multiple ¡®curses¡¯.

    Tens of thousands of sorcerous murders plunged the entire continent into chaos.

    Many people died then, suffered irreparable disabilities, and lost their families.

    ¡°So we¡¯re going to do that with our club.¡±

    ¡°Club? I thought you weren¡¯t doing that anymore?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about! Our club is about catching viins.¡±

    La frowned.

    ¡°You broke off with Elise.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that Elly keeps picking fights with me, so I¡¯m fighting back. By the way, Shion. How¡¯s Soliette?¡±

    Soliette.

    I smiled faintly and shook my head.

    ¡°Soliette is traveling right now.¡±

    ¡°Traveling? Isn¡¯t she skipping sses too often?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s important for Soliette right now isn¡¯t that.¡±

    I must not interfere with that journey.

    ¡°She¡¯lle when she¡¯s needed.¡±

    Ding-

    My smartphone rang.

    [The Glistening Snowman: Hey. Don¡¯t you have anything you¡¯re curious about with me?]

    It was a text from my mentor. Like La and Kain, they were exchanging this and that with the mentor, but I had nothing to do.

    [Nothing besides what I mentionedst time.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: What. Dementia?]

    My brow furrowed.

    [No. It¡¯s like there¡¯s someone who seems to have forgotten something.]

    I was about to put my phone away when I hesitated.

    [The Glistening Snowman: There is a way.]

    [The Glistening Snowman: Subconscious exploration. You know about it?]

    ¡°Shion, are you preparing well for the midterms?¡±

    La asked out of the blue.

    ¡°Ah, right. Midterms.¡±

    I had forgotten about them. There was just too much going on.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief I¡¯m not the only one.¡±

    ¡°For your information, I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll do well.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, Shion! Look at this.¡±

    Suddenly, she snickered and showed me her smartphone screen. There was Elise.

    ¡°Why is this¡­ Ah.¡±

    Elise, with an election sash across her chest, smiling faintly.

    ¡°Kek kek kek. Look at this. Elly said she wouldn¡¯t campaign, but there she goes. I took a photo as soon as I saw her.¡±

    La flicked through the photos with a swish of her finger.

    At first, Elise was just smiling and campaigning in front of the subway, but upon spotting La¡¯s paparazzi act, her expression suddenly twisted, and thest photo captured the moment she started running towards La.

    ¡°Kek kek. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤Why are youughing like that?¡±

    Just then, Elise appeared in front of the schoolyard. As usual, she held her textbooks close, flipping her hair back like a dignified noble as she looked at us.

    La showed her the smartphone.

    ¡°Hehe~ I showed this to Shion~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    For a moment, Elise¡¯s expression turned icy cold. Even the magic around her began to rise like particles.

    Sensing something seriously wrong, La realized her mistake and timidly stepped back behind me.

    To Elise, I said,

    ¡°What? It¡¯s a cute photo.¡±

    I blurted out without thinking.

    It wasn¡¯t that it wasn¡¯t true; her face was red like a steamed bun as she chased after her, which was quite childlike.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Elise shuddered. The blizzard-like magic around her dissipated instantly.

    ¡°What, what, what are you talking about? Have you finally lost your mind? I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about, making such an outrageous statement. Do you think election campaigning is a joke? It¡¯s harder than eating a meal, you know.¡±

    Elise rambled on with strange noises and suddenly pointed a finger at La.

    ¡°La. You said you deleted that!¡±

    She was shouting, but she didn¡¯t look as angry as before.

    La seemed to realize this and pouted her lips.

    ¡°What~ Everyone says it¡¯s cute~¡±

    ¡°You moron¡­¡­¡±

    Elise used telekinesis to pull La¡¯s hair, and I noticed a slight smile forming on Elise¡¯s lips.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I realized something in that smile.

    It was a tiny conviction.

    ¡°Delete the photo, you idiot, before I kill you¡­¡±

    After all, I¡¯m not so oblivious.

    ¡­

    At the same time.

    Theia Esil, a chair professor at the national university, put down her smartphone.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She silently stared at theptop screen.

    The eldest son, Derek. He demolished the orphanage to build an economic district that hit the jackpot, raking in money with a rake.

    The eldest daughter, Johanna. She acquired 3.5% of the Golden Casino¡¯s shares through gambling and is showing enthusiasm for the construction of a new casino.

    The second son, Jade. He seeded in business with an extreme mana stone. It was his first sess after eleven consecutive losses.

    The youngest, Zia. She dabbled slightly in Jade¡¯s extreme mana stone.

    ¡°¡­¡­Trash.¡±

    ring at them, Theia clenched her teeth. She harbored grand animosity towards ¡®Libra.¡¯ Toppling Libra was her life¡¯s goal, and therefore.

    She was still collecting their sins.

    The corruption, bribery, embezzlement, industrial idents, environmental pollution, and cover-up of death incidentsmitted by Derek.

    The countless murders, intimidation, and lobbying perpetrated by Johanna.

    The various attendants who suffered from Jade¡¯s venting after his business failures, leading to their suicides or entanglement in unfortunate incidents resulting in death.

    All of it was stored in Theia¡¯s vault.

    But for now, these pieces of evidence were meaningless.

    Libra was growing stronger by the day, with the power to bury all these criminal acts.

    Theia always felt suffocated.

    The feeling of indigestion that had been worseningtely.

    ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡±

    Ding-

    A text message arrived just in time.

    It was from her ¡®mentee,¡¯ saying they would try using the subconscious exploration device.

    * * *

    Late at night.

    I stood on the street, waiting for the party that would soon arrive.

    Vroooom©¤©¤

    Right on cue, a car approached. It was a van.

    Thud-

    The door opened right in front of me. Inside were two people.

    Bell Moore and Riley.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    I nodded and took my ce. Bell Moore nced outside cautiously before quickly closing the door.

    ¡°Alright. Exin the n. Who are we catching in Vancheon?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a dealer in Edsi who sells illegal drugs. His name is ¡®Ss.''¡±

    ¡°Illegal drugs? You mean narcotics?¡±

    ¡°No. Unauthorized synthetic drugs, smuggled substances that are sold in other countries but not purchasable in Edsi.¡±

    I pulled out a file and showed it to them. The bald figure was clearly captured in the photograph.

    Riley remainedposed.

    ¡°He deals once a month, in the sewers.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to infiltrate, posing as distributors.¡±

    ¡°Are we going right now? These types don¡¯t deal with faces they haven¡¯t seen before.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve alreadyid the groundwork, and we have an appointment set for today.¡±

    In truth, it was Grawl who had arranged it.

    ¡°Oh~ As expected.¡±

    Bell Moore pped his hands in approval.

    ¡°There will probably be other distributors there. We¡¯ll get as close as possible and then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Take him down? But how did you know this guy is from Vancheon?¡±

    ¡°Intelligence.¡±

    ¡°¡­I get that, but we need evidence to make it count.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fill you inter. For now, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡­

    Riley maintained the utmostposure. Inside, she felt like she was burning up, but she didn¡¯t let it show on the outside.

    As a member of Vancheon, she had a duty to report this situation.

    However, doing so would cast suspicion on herself.

    Only three people knew about this mission: Shion, Bell Moore, and herself. Therefore, it was impossible to warn of the danger in advance.

    Instead, she could perhaps leave a secret note for Ss, advising him to escape.

    Moreover¡­

    ¡®Informant. Who could it be?¡¯

    She was suspicious of Shion¡¯s source of information.

    Not without reason, Ss was from Vancheon. An executive, no less. His existence was such that ordinarily, one couldn¡¯t even catch a whiff of him¡ª

    ¡°Ms. Riley.¡±

    Suddenly, a steady tone of voice called out to Riley. She turned to look.

    Shion Ascal.

    He tilted his head with a dry expression.

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course not.¡±

    She smiled faintly. Shion nodded. There was no further conversation.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    In silence, they reached the entrance to the sewer.

    ¡°Put your hoods on.¡±

    Following Shion¡¯s instruction, they pulled their hoods down tightly. They got out of the car and entered the sewer.

    Thud. Thud.

    Their footsteps echoed deeply.

    Each of the three carried a suitcase full of cash.

    ©¤©¤Ah. Here theye.

    A voice flowed from the other end of the sewer. Soon a me was lit¡ªtak¡ªand about a dozen figures appeared.

    Ss stood in the middle.

    ©¤©¤Ah~ stay right there. I don¡¯t trust people easily, you know. It¡¯s cash up front, got it? Put the money down.¡±

    Shion nodded at Bell Moore and Riley. The three of them simultaneously ced their suitcases on the ground.

    Riley seized the moment.

    She slipped a very small note into a crevice of the case.

    Whiiiiing©¤©¤©¤!

    In an instant, Ss retrieved the suitcase with telekinesis. Riley¡¯s heart pounded furiously, but she forced herself to calm down. She wrapped a faint magical barrier around herself to ensure the sound of her agitation didn¡¯t leak out.

    Ss checked the contents of the first suitcase. Bundles of cash. All real.

    ©¤©¤¡­Okay. One¡¯s legit. Next¡ª

    Suddenly, his expression hardened. It seemed he had seen Riley¡¯s note.

    ©¤©¤¡­

    He was silent for a long time, as if deep in thought.

    To Riley, it seemed unnecessary. He could just run away.

    Just in case, she signaled to Bell Moore.

    ¡®Did you put in fake money?¡¯

    ¡®No. Are you crazy? Why is he acting like that?¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    Bell Moore bit his lip, and Shion remained silent.

    ©¤©¤Haa¡­

    A heavy sigh filled the air. Then Ss stood up from his crouched position.

    ©¤©¤Guys. Step outside for a moment.

    It was an odd request.

    He had sent his own entourage of about a dozen bodyguards out of the sewer.

    And then, thud, thud.

    He approached them.

    Riley red at him. She had no idea what crazy thing he might do next.

    Was he nning to attack Shion and Bell Moore?

    ¡°I knew this would happen. I always knew a day like this woulde.¡±

    Ss spoke with a tone mixed with self-mockery, yet clearly excited.

    ¡°But, I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Libra folks.¡±

    Ss¡¯s gaze swept over them.

    At that moment, a wave of anxiety washed over Riley.

    ¡°¡­How. How did you know we¡¯re Libra?¡±

    Bell Moore furrowed his brow, stepping back a few paces and gripping his hand axe.

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t be too wary. I¡­ I want to be your ally.¡±

    What in the world was this man talking about?

    Riley was confused.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? How I knew who you are.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ss muttered something strange and cryptic.

    But suddenly, it all made sense to Riley, and she realized she had been ¡®yed¡¯.

    ¡°Yes. I am from Vancheon.¡±

    He was trying to sell them out.

    From the beginning, he had been looking for an opportunity to defect to Libra.

    They hade to him just as he had mentally defective.

    ¡°I¡¯m just tired. So tired. Living a life hiding in these damn sewers¡­¡±

    The cursed bald man looked up into the void, feigning sentimentality. Riley clenched her teeth in frustration.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Out of her sight, Shion nced at her from the corner of his eye.

    ¡°I want a normal life now. Anything that¡¯s more normal than this sewer. In exchange, I¡¯ll tell you. About the spies in Libra. About the vermin scurrying under your feet.¡±

    There was resolve in his words.

    Despair bloomed deep within Riley¡¯s heart.

    And then©¤©¤

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Shion nodded and drew his sword.

    Ssshhh©¤©¤

    A streak of lightning surged. A pale light brightly illuminated the sewer and then faded away.

    It was the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹.

    Without any hint of murderous intent, the Detonated de embedded itself in the bald man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why©¤©¤.¡±

    Ss red at Shion with wide eyes. Unfortunately, a clean cut was impossible, but this was within the expected range.

    Shion deployed the second Severing Sword.

    The crossing of the ¡¸Severing Sword¡¹ that simultaneously stabbed and sliced, a physically impossible maneuver.

    Cough©¤!

    A diagonal line was etched into Ss¡¯s body. The shockwave sent him flying, crashing into the sewer wall.

    Cough, cough, coughing¡­

    The bald man gasped, his body covered in blood, and then slumped down.

    He had lost his breath.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Afterward, only the sound of rotten water rippling in the sewer.

    The silence filled the space.

    Riley and Bell Moore stared nkly at the murdered Ss.

    Riley¡¯s brain seemed to freeze for a moment, and Bell Moore¡­

    ¡°Damn it©¤©¤©¤fuck! What the hell is this©¤©¤©¤! This crazy lunatic shit©¤©¤¡±

    He threw a fit at Shion, gesticting wildly.

 Chapter 230: Worldâ€™s Demise (1)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (1)</strong>

    I looked down at the toppled bald man.

    His body was limp, his breathing had ceased. His face, with dried blood bubbles and bloodshot eyes, he was frozen in death.

    This was enough.

    It would have been quite difficult in a head-on fight, but it was thanks to Riley.

    Her mere presence was enough to let his guard down.

    ¡°You¡¯re insane©¤©¤!¡±

    Meanwhile, Bell Moore was still in a frenzy.

    I picked up the money bag sprawled on the ground.

    ¡°We do not negotiate with [Vancheon]. Just as we do not negotiate with terrorists.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem! This guy knew we were from Libra!¡±

    Bell Moore bellowed out loud.

    ¡°Our information has been leaked! There¡¯s a traitor inside us-¡±

    ¡°I leaked it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±

    Bell Moore¡¯s expression turned odd. I slipped a note onto my finger.

    [We are Libra. We wish to speak with you.]

    ¡°I wanted to make him a bit careless. If I said I came to kill you from the start, it would have been unnecessarily tiresome, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Bell Moore took the note and read it. He chuckled wryly and shook his head.

    ¡°This bald man was quite skilled. It¡¯s better not to exert oneself if possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, yeah, do as you like. Anyway, we caught him, so there¡¯s that.¡±

    Up to this point, Riley hadn¡¯t said a word.

    I was slightly curious about what she was thinking on her own.

    Perhaps she was concerned about thest third suitcase that the bald man had died without opening.

    Inside it would be a note written not by me, but by Riley herself.

    I picked it up and threw it to her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take the money and take care of our bodies. Can you handle the body, Miss Riley?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Riley shrugged her shoulders and pulled out a small bundle. She stuffed the bald man¡¯s entire body into it, which was only as big as a handbag.

    * * *

    In the underground autopsy room of the Intelligence Agency.

    Having returned, Bell Moore and Riley were looking at the tattered corpse on the autopsy table.

    ¡°It¡¯s confirmed. This guy is indeed a [Vancheon] executive.¡±

    Libra coroner Geppetto said. Bell Moore¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and Riley nodded calmly.

    ¡°He has several names. Bng, dr, Serge¡­ He¡¯s the same guy who bombed the Libra train before. We¡¯ve caught a big fish, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    A big fish. It should have been a thrilling achievement for a Chaser, but Bell Moore frowned in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s something that bothers me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°This guy said he¡¯d tell Libra everything he knew before he died. That probably means [Vancheon] has quite a few spies in Libra. But¡­¡±

    Geppetto continued as if he already understood the rest.

    ¡°Did Ascal kill him without listening? Well, that¡¯s his personality.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then Bell Moore looked at Geppetto with a peculiar gaze.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ you talk like you know him well. Shion Ascal, you¡¯ve never seen him before, right?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    The coroner chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Ascal has be much more famous than you think. The Intelligence Agency has alreadypiled a file on him, and the personnel department and the family elders are keeping an eye on him too. He¡¯s almost treated like a specialist.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Although it was somewhat grating to him, Bell Moore had to agree to some extent. From Libra¡¯s perspective, Shion Ascal was the perfect trinity of personality, loyalty, and ability.

    ¡°More importantly, Ascal¡¯s intelligence is surprising. To think he could find a [Vancheon] executive? Intelligence is usually the product of umtion and experience. But that guy is young.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a guy on the dark web, demands a high ransom. A guy who asks for hundreds of thousands of Ren for even a small piece of information¡­¡±

    Was his name JAKE?

    He was too much for Bell Moore to handle. He only epted full payment upfront, in dark web points, which were as good as cash.

    ¡°Does Ascal use him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He reinvests everything, his sry, his bonuses, everything. It¡¯s insane. Anyway.¡±

    Bell Moore smiled contentedly.

    ¡°This guy is our achievement, right? A [Vancheon] executive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Congrattions.¡±

    Bell Moore nced to his side. Riley was still quiet.

    ¡°Well then, Mr. Geppetto. We¡¯ll be going. The rest is up to you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? Just make sure to submit a good report.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing~¡±

    The two left the autopsy room. Bell Moore casually ced his hand on Riley¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯d feed you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Hey, shouldn¡¯t we at least grab a meal?¡±

    ¡°Later.¡±

    Riley pushed him away and walked down the corridor.

    She climbed into the SUV on the ground level of the Intelligence Agency.

    Now that she was heading home, she nned to transmit an encrypted report to Vancheon.

    [The turtle is dead. Shion Ascal is dangerous. There could be enemies within Vancheon too.]

    The content would be about this much. She wouldn¡¯t bother adding that the turtle had turned traitor. It could cause unnecessary internal turmoil¡ª

    Knock knock.

    Someone knocked on the window. Riley looked outside. She was startled for a moment.

    ¡°!¡±

    Standing there, staring intently at her through the window, was Shion Ascal.

    Rileyposed herself and rolled down the window first.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    He asked in a dry voice.

    ¡°Could you give me a ride?¡±

    Riley tilted her head slightly.

    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the dormitory?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I came without my car.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley hesitated for a moment but then gestured to the passenger seat. She had a few questions of her own for him.

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Shion promptly sat in the adjacent seat.

    As Riley set the navigation for the university, she spoke.

    ¡°You tracked him down well. [Vancheon] isn¡¯t usually an easy target.¡±

    ¡°The guy left traces first. As if he was advertising his presence here.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Riley pressed the elerator.

    ¡°Yes. Thanks to that, from the first encounter with the executive, I suspected he was a turncoat.¡±

    Driving down the dark road, she nced at him in the rearview mirror.

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you negotiate?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s exhausting.¡±

    Shion answered expressionlessly.

    Thinking about it, from their first meeting until now.

    He had shown no emotion.

    ¡°Sorting through the truth of the information he offered, ying nice to get more information, or letting him live a luxurious life with Libra¡¯s money.¡±

    He turned to look at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s exhausting.¡±

    His tone was cold. His eyes were already frozen over.

    ¡°Besides, if there is an insider in Libra, sooner orter, I will be able to root them out. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±

    Riley licked her dry lips with her tongue.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite confident.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Spies don¡¯t just sit still. They always show movement. To leak information. Or to protect a colleague.¡±

    Riley felt a twinge of guilt, but she did not let any agitation show on the surface¡ª

    ¡°They think their movements are quiet, but that¡¯s a mistake. I can see that writhing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It¡¯s a bit, suspicious.

    Is this a warning he¡¯s giving? That she too is on his radar.

    No, he doesn¡¯t know of her existence yet.

    There¡¯s no need to stir things up by jumping to conclusions prematurely.

    Just then, the light turned red.

    Riley hit the brakes, and Shion looked at her.

    ¡°Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley did not meet his eyes. She just pretended to focus on driving, looking ahead at the pedestrian crossing.

    Shion spoke.

    ¡°I might ask for your help soon.¡±

    ¡°Anytime.¡±

    The light turned green.

    Riley¡¯s car moved forward, and soon they arrived at the entrance to the university.

    ¡°You can stop here.¡±

    Riley nodded.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be off now.¡±

    He got out of the car.

    Left alone in the driver¡¯s seat, Riley leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.

    She took a deep breath, watching Shion¡¯s retreating back, and wiped the sweat that had slightly seeped into her hair.

    ¡°What can a mere twenty-year-old do¡­¡±

    It was quite an absurd sense of pressure.

    * * *

    [Lockhard]. A mid-sized arms enterprise situated at the gateway that spreads from the outskirts of Edsi to the slums.

    There were various rumors about those bastards. The most prominent was that they were backed by ¡®Jesco.¡¯

    Jesco is a dealer who manufactures and sells illegal synthetic mana stones. His nickname is ¡®Quantum Mechanic¡¯ or something like that.

    Anyway, the illegal synthetic mana stone industry is as huge as the drug trade, so you could say he¡¯s a guy with a pretty sessful backer.

    Therefore, using violent methods like assassination to eliminate them is amateurish.

    The best method is to sow discord.

    Lockhard periodically pays tribute to Jesco with weapons and cash. Illegal mana stone dealers fighting withpetitors in the underworld especially need a lot of weapons.

    In return, Jesco hands over the illegal synthetic mana stones they produce. Some are used for making weapons, and some are sold for profit.

    Here, I¡¯m going to use a very simple ¡®trick.¡¯

    ¡°Hey! Load it carefully!¡±

    Dawn. The Lockhard bastards are loading stuff onto a truck.

    I¡¯m waiting for one of them to ck off ande my way.

    For a smoke or a piss or anything.

    ¡°Ah~ I¡¯m so fucking tired. The collections have been too frequenttely. It¡¯s pissing me off.¡±

    Just then, onees trudging along, unbuckling his belt as he makes his way to my back alley. I grab the bastard by the neck and snap it.

    ¡°!¡±

    He¡¯s dead on the spot. I ce my hand on his face and after I ¡¸Memorize¡¹ it, I paste it onto mine.

    Luckily, I¡¯m a bit taller, but not by much. Guys in the arms industry are all pretty well-built.

    I walk to Lockhard¡¯s workce, suitably disguised.

    ¡°Jen! Stop cking off and load this up!¡±

    Silently, while loading the weapons onto the truck, I drop an illegal synthetic mana stone in an inconspicuous corner.

    Ching-

    A clear sound.

    It¡¯s a mana stone personally crafted by Grawl.

    For reference, artificially synthesized illegal mana stones have certain patterns depending on the maker or the recipe.

    Meaning, Jesco will immediately suspect ¡®this is not my mana stone¡¯ upon finding it.

    From Jesco¡¯s perspective, an illegal mana stone that isn¡¯t his is on a subsidiary¡¯s truck?

    That¡¯s serious.

    Those involved in illegal industries are very suspicious.

    So, inevitably, he¡¯ll suspect. That Lockhard is in cahoots with another dealer.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s a truth I¡¯ve learned while scraping by at the bottom.

    Those blinded by money betray easily and trust with difficulty. They¡¯re swine with no more loyalty than fleas.

    So, they¡¯ll definitely move as I expect them to.

    I killed some time and then slipped out of the establishment.

    A round synthetic mana stone ced in the corner of the truck.

    It sparkled as if reflecting the moonlight¡­

    The next day, it ends up in someone else¡¯s hands. It rolls between their fingers before being tightly clenched in their palm.

    ¡°It was found on a Lockhard truck.¡±

    In the office inside the Quantum mana stone factory.

    Quantum Mechanic Jesco chuckled at his subordinate¡¯s report.

    ¡°Did you show any reaction?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve hidden it for now.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°¡­What should we do?¡±

    ¡°What else? It¡¯s a well-crafted mana stone. Someone with decent skills made it. Maybe it¡¯s from the Bermang side? Those fuckers must¡¯ve recruited a new engineer, hahaha, seriously¡­¡±

    Jesco ran his fingers through his hair and shook his fist.

    ¡°Search Lockhard discreetly. Investigate. There¡¯s no way this stone ended up on their truck by ident. They might have already struck a deal, or maybe they just received a sample.¡±

    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s uneptable.¡±

    Jesco nodded at his subordinate¡¯s words.

    Lockhard was apany he had nurtured from the start.

    If those bastards harbored even the slightest different thought¡­

    ¡°Smash their fucking heads in.¡±

    * * *

    [Breaking news. The number of patients suffering from unidentified symptoms such as stomach pain, chills, and high fever is rapidly increasing.]

    On the first floor of the university¡¯s liberal arts building, I watched the news bulletin on TV.

    [At first nce, the symptoms seem simple, but their severity has most of the patients now grappling with death¡­]

    ¡°Does it bother you?¡±

    A voice mixed with the TV. I flinched and looked back.

    ¡°You startled me.¡±

    It was Akane.

    ¡°Long time no see?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    I scanned her from top to bottom. She tried to hide her identity with a bucket hat, but Akane¡¯s unique aura was unmistakable.

    ¡°You came as the ¡®real¡¯ one.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Was I the real one? That¡¯s a nice thing to say.¡±

    Akane smirked. She looked up at the TV with a pleased expression.

    [With 337 patients now affected, the possibility of an epidemic has raised an rm, and the Edsi council is currently on high alert.]

    ¡°Do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m aware.¡±

    ¡°You know?¡±

    I turned to look at her.

    I was also aware of the incident itself. It was called the ¡®Nameless Cmity.¡¯ More specifically, an indiscriminate, all-epassing ughter.

    The continent had trembled in fear for quite some time, but there was no proper solution, and even less so a suspect, ultimately resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

    Akane spoke of the incident.

    ¡°It¡¯s the work of an old adversary of mine.¡±

    ¡°¡­An old adversary?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Akane, you had friends too?¡±

    At that, a vein on her temple throbbed visibly.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a demeaning thing to say, but I¡¯ll hold back.¡±

    ¡°No, I was just curious¡ª¡±

    ¡°I had them. Now he¡¯s known as the ¡®World¡¯s Demise.''¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Another patient! Same symptoms!¡±

    In the Petra emergency room, Elise was looking at the influx of patients with a somewhat dazed expression.

    Two hundred.

    Already two hundred people.

    A staggering two hundred people had been admitted to the emergency room with the same symptoms.

    Chills, abdominal pain, high fever. Most were admitted with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, deliriously muttering nonsense before passing out¡­

    And for the severe cases, the fever soared to 45 degrees, causing their internal organs to literally melt away.

    ¡°¡­Miss Elise. This might be contagious, so perhaps you should step back¡ª¡±

    ¡°What kind of contagion does this?¡±

    Elise looked at the patients. She ced her hand on the forehead of a child. At the same time, she manifested her magic.

    Fizz.

    Sparks flew from the hot forehead.

    A sh of magical forces.

    This meant that the high fever itself was caused by an intense concentration of magic.

    ¡°Ah, Miss! If you touch them¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not contagious, I told you.¡±

    Elise red at the doctors.

    Doctors who had spent over a decade learning their craft logically and wlessly became irrational when faced with a situation they couldn¡¯t understand.

    That¡¯s why most of them were already wearing protective gear.

    ¡°Can you perform a Diagnosis?¡±

    The doctor asked her. Elise nodded and then¡ª

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Murder.¡±

    Someone interrupted with their own diagnosis.

    Elise, suddenly irritated, turned to look in that direction.

    There were two of them.

    One was Shion Ascal, and¡­

    ¡°Elly! I came too!¡±

    La Hilton.

    The words ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ almost escaped her lips, but she held them back.

 Chapter 231: Worlds Demise (2)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (2)</strong>

    I checked the condition of the patients with Elise.

    All were symptoms of a death curse.

    ¡°There must be someone who cast this spell.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely to be just one person.¡±

    In the emergency room¡¯s break area, Elise responded to La¡¯sment. I looked up at the TV news.

    [Breaking news. The identity of the symptoms urring indiscriminately in Edsi is presumed to be a death curse. Authorities are conducting aprehensive examination of the local mages in Edsi¡­]

    Already thousands were entangled.

    The damage was much more severe than before my regression, but fortunately, I knew some ways to cope.

    ¡°Elise. Analyze the wave pattern.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wave pattern?¡±

    Elise looked puzzled.

    ¡°Death curses linger in a corpse for a while. If we dissect the bodies and analyze the magical wave patterns emanating from the organs, and then construct a reverse-engineered barrier over the entire emergency room, we can at least dy death by two to three days.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise blinked. My words, tinged with knowledge, seemed to surprise her.

    Anyway, it¡¯s not for nothing that I came to Petra Hospital. Not only do we have the proper facilities and resources, but we also have Elise, a sharp leader who won¡¯t dismiss my words as nonsense.

    We could save quite a lot of people.

    ¡°Reverse-engineering¡­¡±

    ¡°Elly, can you do it?¡±

    Elise¡¯s expression turned serious, and La asked with a gulp.

    ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°Then you do the analysis! I¡¯ll help with the barrier!¡±

    As the two teamed up, I got up. Elise nced at me.

    ¡°Shion. What about you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hold on. A phone call.¡±

    Pointing to the phone, I stepped out of the emergency room.

    Leaning against the wall, I made a call to a certain agency.

    Drrrring¡­

    ©¤Hello.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A familiar voice came through.

    It was the teacher from the old Orphanage.

    ¡°Are the children okay?¡±

    ©¤¡­

    There was no reply.

    In truth, I had already heard the news from Grawl.

    Several of his cats lived there.

    ©¤Berry is quite sick. And about five others have high fevers.

    I clenched my teeth slightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not contagious. In fact, the younger they are, the better they can withstand it.¡±

    A death curse is a spell that reacts to one¡¯s life experience, so a child with a shorter lifeline canst longer than an adult.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll contact youter.¡±

    I hung up the phone and turned around. At the same time, my shoulder twitched slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise was standing opposite me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders. She walked up to me and looked up into my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to bring them here. By helicopter, it should take about three hours.¡±

    She was talking about helping the children from the Orphanage.

    I hesitated quietly for a moment, then ced my hand on her head.

    I wouldn¡¯t want to burden her with gratitude.

    ¡°Instead, you find the main mage who¡¯s behind this madness.¡±

    ¡°I already found him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Elise¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know where he is, and even if I did, he¡¯s someone we can¡¯t kill.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡ª¡±

    Ding!

    Just then, a message arrived on my smartphone. It was a group chat.

    [Is anyone attending Professor Theia¡¯s Magic Spell Application lecture? Today¡¯s ss is postponed because of the death curse? Isn¡¯t sheing?]

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    It was a trivial message. Elise must have received a simr text because she turned on her smartphone and then turned it off again.

    ¡°It looks like Professor Theia Esil has joined the disaster responsemittee.¡±

    Elise said that, but suddenly a thought flickered in my mind.

    ©¤©¤Next news. Professor Theia Esil of the National University was found copsed but has regained stability with the help of a student.

    Before regression.

    Theia Esil was also entangled in this incident.

    Not as a solver, but as a victim.

    It was just a brief news segment that I almost forgot.

    The person who found and aided her when she copsed was¡­

    Gerkhen.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    I looked at Elise.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Gerkhen now?¡±

    ¡°Gerkhen?¡±

    Elise seemed to wonder why I was asking and took out her smartphone again.

    ¡°¡­¡­He says he¡¯s on his way here.¡±

    ¡°Have you gotten close?¡±

    ¡°What? Hmm¡­ It¡¯s nothing special~¡±

    Elise lifted her lips slightly. It was a smile of amusement.

    ¡°We¡¯re just teaming up. And you and La seem pretty close too¡ª Ah, hey! Where are you going!¡±

    I dashed out in a hurry.

    ¡­¡­

    Theia Esil was affected by the ¡®death curse.¡¯

    At first nce, it doesn¡¯t make sense. Theia Esil¡¯s magical resistance is exceptionally strong.

    Of course, Theia Esil¡¯s magical resistance is outstanding. However, the problem is that she is already a ¡®patient.¡¯

    In the past, she was permanently disabled by Libra, one of which was analgesia.

    Theia Esil cannot feel pain.

    Because she is unaware that she¡¯s in pain, even when symptoms reach their peak, she mistakes them for psychological or emotional reasons.

    That was why she fell victim to the ¡®death curse.¡¯

    If she had performed the mana cirction and healing, she would have recovered easily.

    But for someone who doesn¡¯t realize they¡¯re sick, the ¡®death curse,¡¯ which is undetectable by any medical device, is quite fatal.

    I ran through the corridors of the university¡¯s magic building. The elevator was too crowded, so I took the stairs.

    Finally, reaching almost the top floor, Theia Esil¡¯s office.

    Bang©¤!

    I opened the door with a body m.

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡±

    There she was.

    Copsed with teaching materials clutched in her hand. Her face was flushed red, and her fingertips trembled faintly.

    I don¡¯t know how long she had been left here.

    I hoisted her onto my back. I immediately descended the stairs and hailed the first taxi I saw.

    ¡°To Petra University Hospital.¡±

    Iid her down in the back seat and was about to join her when suddenly¡­

    ¡­she is an enemy of Libra.

    That fact came to mind.

    I shouldn¡¯t be with her.

    It would be awkward for both her and me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting in?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please handle the admission process as quickly as possible.¡±

    I took out my wallet. I handed the taxi driver twenty 100-ren bills.

    ¡°Oh, wow¡­ Yes, I understand.¡±

    The taxi driver nodded as he epted the bills.

    Vrooom©¤©¤!

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I watched the taxi¡¯s license te recede into the distance before turning away.

    * * *

    ¡­There is a monster that calls itself ¡®World¡¯s Demise.¡¯

    An existence from stone¡ªlike Grawl, born from nature.

    A man who believes himself to be a being conceived by a concept, and who has developed a blind faith from that belief.

    His name is,

    ¡°Jude Velot. The World¡¯s Demise.¡±

    Akane¡¯s [Selfless Coffin].

    I sipped my tea as I listened to her.

    However, I also knew of his existence. A monster passed down through legend.

    ¡°He¡¯s also the head of the monster association.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re saying he¡¯s doing all this to promote the association?¡±

    ¡°No. He literally is the World¡¯s Demise. He considers himself as such. It¡¯s important that it¡¯s ¡®considers,¡¯ not ¡®thinks.¡¯ He actually has the ability to attract the world¡¯s evil.¡±

    ¡°So this ¡®death curse¡¯ is-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the indiscriminate release of the malice from the humans he¡¯s devoured so far.¡±

    I ran my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just find the guy and kill him? The ¡®death curse¡¯ ends when the mage dies, right?¡±

    ¡°If it were possible, I would have done it.¡±

    Akane shook her head. Her face turned somber.

    ¡°We can¡¯t kill him.¡±

    ¡°Professor Theia is also affected by the ¡®death curse.''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Her expression hardened slightly. However, she did not show much more than that.

    Akane and Theia are sworn enemies.

    They once served the same master, but at some point, they became worse than strangers to each other.

    Their rtionship was likely irreparable now.

    ¡°If she¡¯s about to die from the ¡®death curse,¡¯ it seems she¡¯s shown her true colors.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say much either.

    Exining that Theia was actually an analgesic would be overstepping. As a fellow patient, I refuse to be the onecking the sense to leak another patient¡¯s privacy.

    ¡°¡­¡­The best approach is negotiation. We find Jude Velot and talk to him.¡±

    No.

    He won¡¯t agree to negotiations.

    He didn¡¯t before my regression, and he probably won¡¯t now.

    I clenched my teeth.

    ¡°We don¡¯t negotiate with terrorists.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not someone you can deal with using that logic. To confront World¡ª¡±

    ¡°Call him Jude Velot.¡±

    I corrected Akane. She paused mid-sip of her tea.

    ¡°Don¡¯t empower his name. You¡¯ll only be ying into his hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane let out a heated sigh and looked at me as she set down her teacup.

    ¡°So, do you have a n?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find one. It¡¯s better than calling a mere terrorist ¡®demise¡¯ and being afraid of him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­This bastard¡¯s getting cocky. You think I haven¡¯t thought of that? He¡¯s an undying creature. He¡¯s lived for hundreds of years, and has already be a ¡®phenomenon¡¯!¡±

    Veins throbbed on Akane¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know, would you? A mere 20-year-old college student.¡±

    She leaned forward aggressively, and I asked her.

    ¡°Can you arrange a meeting?¡±

    ¡°A meeting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A private audience.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re insane. You¡¯d be dead with just a flick of his finger.¡±

    ¡°That may be true for me.¡±

    I nodded.

    As a mere cancer patient who has rolled and tumbled through the underworld, I¡¯ve learned the art of survival through deceit and strategy.

    Since I¡¯m clearly outmatched in terms of brute strength, I n to draw in a different kind of power.

    ¡°Can you arrange it or not? That¡¯s all I need to know. Even a foe can be a friend, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane sighed with a strange look in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. He¡¯ll want to broadcast his intentions to the world.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Akane, you can invoke the ¡®death curse,¡¯ can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane didn¡¯t respond, but of course, she could. For a puppeteer, casting a curse like ¡®death curse¡¯ would be basic.

    ¡°Please send the ¡®death curse¡¯ to the person I request.¡±

    I wrote a name on a piece of white paper.

    [Eceline von Murciel Kellin]

    Akane frowned as she looked at it.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who this person is. They¡¯re merely a means to utilize someone else¡¯s power.¡±

    I don¡¯t care how vile the process is. I won¡¯t discriminate between means and methods.

    As long as the oue is just.

    ¡°¡­¡­A means to utilize power?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jude Velot has lived for hundreds of years. He may have be a ¡®phenomenon¡¯ as Akane said, having watched over the life and death of the continent for generations.

    ¡°I will use someone else¡¯s power. All you need to do is secure a time and ce for a private audience with Jude Velot.¡±

    But he doesn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±

    Somewhere on this continent, there exists a being that surpasses demise, the strongest under the heavens, capable of killing and erasing even phenomena¡­

    ¡­disguised in the form of the most venerable nobility.

    * * *

    In the downtown area of the capital Edsi, Jade, the second son of Libra, watched withposure as a sign was hung on a building of about 2975.22 square meters.

    ¡°Indeed. Removing the caf¨¦ and bakery makes it look more antique.¡±

    These were the words of the newly hired butler, Diogu.

    Jade nodded with dignity.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for excessive ttery. Bnce will soon be synonymous with a high-end caf¨¦.¡±

    Even now, at the grand opening, a considerable crowd had gathered. More than half of them seemed to be there to admire Jade¡¯s wless appearance, but well.

    It¡¯s not bad.

    Jade quietly surveyed the interior of the caf¨¦.

    ¡°There have been some disturbing rumorstely. About a gue?¡±

    Suddenly,

    He asked the butler about a piece of news that had been slightly bothersome.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not a gue, but rather an indiscriminate ¡®death curse¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    A gue would have been problematic. It would reduce the number of customers in a ce where people gather.

    ¡°However, the ¡®death curse¡¯ is said to be quite powerful, so even Lord Jade should be cautious¡­¡±

    He¡¯s not interested. Whether tens or thousands ofmoners die, the world keeps turning. And it turns out very well.

    In fact, Jade found it hard to understand why people were making such a fuss over a mere ¡®death curse¡¯ that would subside over time, given his noble status.

    Perhaps they should have trained a bit harder in normal times.

    ¡°Also, here is a report independently investigated by the Libra Station business team.¡±

    Jade received the report. It was a file that predicted the potential sess of Caf¨¦ Bnce and its future profitability.

    ¡°¡­¡­These desk jockeys don¡¯t seem to have a bad view of it either.¡±

    The conclusion was that while a huge sess seemed difficult, the possibility of failure appeared to be significantly low.

    Of course, the profitability projected by Shion Ascal was on a different scale. Shion Ascal overestimated the caf¨¦ industry, while the Libra business team gave a more general assessment.

    This is actually better. It will show the difference in ability and insight between them.

    ©¤©¤It was at that moment.

    Jade saw several agents from the Intelligence Agency running frantically through the crowd. They stood before Jade with sweat on their brows.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Jade¡¯s brow furrowed at their rather undignified appearance. The agents approached with urgent faces and handed Jade a small note.

    ¡°Lord Jade. Please read this immediately.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡­¡±

    Jade¡¯s expression turned cold as he looked at the note.

    It wasn¡¯t just ack of expression. It was a silent rage, shaking more violently than any storm.

    His eyes dried out ring at it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade rose his head from the note.

    ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    The agents bowed deeply, their tone filled with tension.

    ¡°This Miss Eceline¡­¡±

    Her name was Eceline.

    A painter Jade once loved.

    No, he still loved her, which is why he had secretly assigned agents to her, and now,

    ¡°She has been hospitalized due to the ¡®death curse''¡±

    It was the tragic news that she had been infected with a ¡®death curse.¡¯

 Chapter 232: Worldâ€™s Demise (3)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (3)</strong>

    Eceline was a promising painter, a woman who captivated the hearts of the Libra Art School with her talent hailed as the genius of her generation.

    Jade was a direct descendant of his family, the second son raised in Libra, a symbol of power and prestige.

    Amon clich¨¦.

    The nobleman loved the painter.

    The painter was intimidated by the nobleman.

    Jade was clumsy in love, and Eceline found his feelings burdensome.

    A nobleman whocked nothing and had never been denied anything sometimes forgets a very obvious fact.

    That people cannot be owned.

    That they cannot even be the subject of ownership.

    Jade was unaware of this fact.

    ©¤Ah, really.

    In Jade¡¯s memory, there were variousndscapes.

    Most were monochrome, but asionally there were brilliant canvases like watercolors.

    Precious frames.

    ©¤You need to stay still.

    Eceline, with her brush in hand, puffed her cheeks.

    Jade faced her, struggling to contain a smile that seemed about to escape.

    ©¤I am staying still. How much longer must I do this?

    ©¤At least six hours.

    ©¤Ha. You want to take six hours of my busy day?

    Inside, he wanted to extend this time as long as possible, but he wanted to convey that he was investing in her.

    ©¤I¡¯ll try to finish it within four hours!

    Jade sat in the same spot, watching Eceline. Even her smallest expressions were vivid to him, like buds about to bloom.

    ©¤All done.

    Soon, Eceline turned the easel around to show him his portrait. However, Jade did not recognize the likeness in the painting.

    Eceline, smiling at him, was a more beautiful canvas than anything else¡­

    ©¤It¡¯s Eceline. A renowned painter from the Libra Art School.

    Jade remembered the day he took her to the social gathering. He had dressed her in the most beautiful gown and hadn¡¯t even told her where they were going.

    ©¤¡­It¡¯s Eceline.

    Introducing herself at that ce, to dere her as mine.

    To boast of the most beautiful flower.

    It was a wrong choice.

    ©¤There¡¯s a lot of talk in the council these days. About the election issue too.

    ©¤Which family will produce the next chairman¡­ indeed.

    After the long and tedious social gathering, where nobles exchanged formal conversations and worried about the future of the country.

    ©¤Lord Jade¡­

    On the way back, Eceline called him in a distant voice.

    A hint delivered in a tiny voice.

    ©¤I am not an object.

    That¡¯s when Jade got angry.

    I have never treated you as an object. I gave you the seat next to me. You should be grateful instead. The privilege to be with me is yours alone.

    That¡¯s how he responded.

    From that day on, Eceline quietly drifted away. She lost her vitality whenever he approached, always showing difort.

    Like a flower wilting away.

    ©¤What exactly is the problem!

    Jade couldn¡¯t contain it. He couldn¡¯t suppress the rising anger.

    The existence of a woman who wouldn¡¯t bend to his will, to his desires,

    To refuse to acknowledge that he, of all people in this world, actually loved such a pitiful woman,

    He didn¡¯t want to ept it.

    ©¤¡­I¡¯m leaving. Please let me go.

    Eceline said she would leave.

    Not just from Jade, but also from the Libra Art School, which was as much a part of her career as anything else. She was ready to put down everything she had received from Libra.

    ©¤No. You can¡¯t leave.

    Jade tried to hold her back. He forcibly grabbed her hand as she turned to leave.

    And then¡­

    Her arm was torn off.

    Blood sttered over Jade¡¯s entire body, and the shattered bone fragments and torn muscles and blood vessels were violently scattered.

    The screams of the woman he loved filled his ears.

    Jade still remembers that day.

    He could never forget it.

    The day he realized that his love, his feelings, his entire heart, had be a wound to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade quietly opened his eyes. From inside the car, far from the entrance of the emergency room, he looked at the farthest point of the hospital.

    The name ¡®Eceline¡¯ appeared on his superhuman retina.

    She had been admitted to Petra.

    Her right arm was still missing.

    Jade had once secretly sent someone to offer her a prosthetic arm, but she refused.

    This arm is proof of your folly©¤ the evidence that you¡¯ve forgotten ¡®the most important thing,¡¯ she had said.

    Therefore, he cannot approach her.

    He must not approach her.

    The person who lost everything because of him.

    Yet still, Jade cannot let go of the emotion called love.

    He still doesn¡¯t understand.

    If my love for you was foolishness,

    Then you must first realize that you are different from anyone else.

    That you are worth hundreds of times more than any homeless person dying on the streets, anymoner living day to day, any of the tens of thousands of rotten nobles who only expect to be treated with disdain¡­

    You must know your worth.

    ©¤©¤Knock knock.

    Someone knocked on the car window. Jade looked over.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Without a word, he rolled down the window.

    Shion spoke.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive.¡±

    Jade quietly nodded.

    ¡°¡­¡­How is she doingpared to the other patients?¡±

    ¡°Is she also caught up in this indiscriminate death curse?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s almost certain.¡±

    At Shion¡¯s words, Jade silently tilted his head. A murderous intent crept into his silent eyes.

    ¡°Where is the sorcerer?¡±

    ¡°We are currently tracking them.¡±

    ¡°Tracking.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Tracking is not enough.¡±

    Jade red at Shion, his gaze burning with intensity. There was a magical power woven into the mere act of looking.

    Shion met his eyes with difficulty and nodded.

    ¡°I will find them. Just give me a little time.¡±

    The word ¡®wait¡¯ was burdensome to Jade. Even holding back was difficult.

    He wanted to find and kill them right now.

    ¡°¡­Can you stake your life on it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will definitely find them and report back to Lord Jade.¡±

    Shion answered with certainty.

    Jade closed his eyes for a moment.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    Barely holding onto his rationality, the thought circled in his mind.

    If there was someone to trust, it was Shion Ascal.

    * * *

    The indiscriminate death curse spread across the continent. The Edsi Council dered a temporary national disaster, and the situation was simr in other countries.

    It was a frenzy.

    Despite no evidence of an epidemic, those swept up in fear were killing patients suffering from the death curse first, forcibly confining them with their families, or burning them alive¡­

    A chaos that transcended national boundaries ensued.

    ¡°From now on, regr broadcasts will be suspended, and only news rted to the indiscriminate death curse will be urgently dispatched. We ask for viewers¡¯ understanding.¡±

    In the director¡¯s office of Petra Hospital, where the TV news was ying, Elise stood facing Ken Petra.

    ¡°¡­You dissected the victims on your own ord? What kind of madness is that?¡±

    Ken Petra furrowed his brow. Elise fidgeted with her fingers and said,

    ¡°I got consent from the families.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a bad situation worse. The election is not far off.¡±

    ¡°¡­But-¡±

    ¡°Just stay put. If you fail by acting rashly, you¡¯ll bear all the responsibility.¡±

    Ken Petra closed the document. He pulled out a checkbook from his pocket and started writing numbers. Elise watched his actions in a daze.

    ¡°Tell the families to keep it a secret. This should be enough for constion.¡±

    At that moment, something in Elise¡¯s mind slightly shook.

    Confidentiality.

    Constion money.

    She clenched her fist without realizing it. She red at Ken Petra, her father, with his resolute eyes.

    ¡°The families didn¡¯t hand over their loved ones¡¯ bodies to me in exchange for money.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ken Petra raised an eyebrow. It was the expression he showed when he was truly angry.

    Elise didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°They entrusted their loved ones¡¯ bodies to me because they believe that I might have a way to slow down this death curse, even if just a little.¡±

    ¡°So what are you going to do? You¡¯re just a kid.¡±

    Ken leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he peered intently at Elise.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve already researched the wave patterns. So I¡¯m going to create a Barrier.¡±

    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t fail.¡±

    ¡°Think of the worst-case scenario. If it doesn¡¯t work? First off, you didn¡¯t get permission for the dissection, so it¡¯s illegal. However, illegal dissection itself is a mere drop in the bucket.¡±

    Ken discussed the reality of the situation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you create a narrier in the hospital. The environment of the Barrier could negatively affect all the patients in the hospital. What if other patients, who have nothing to do with the death curse, die because of it? Even if the Barrier isn¡¯t the direct cause, what if you¡¯re sued for it?¡±

    Dozens of reasons why sitting still is better than standing up and making a scene.

    ¡°Can you handle that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth and let out a quiet sigh.

    Ken¡¯s words were rational.

    Thanks to that, she understood.

    Why Ken Petra had fallen to such a state.

    How the bravest knight had be a puppet of the council.

    The world had made it so.

    The logic of being ¡®realistic¡¯ had turned her own father into a coward.

    Elise spoke up.

    ¡°You be the one to endure, Father. Try enduring for once. Stop running away like a coward all the time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, a crease formed between Ken¡¯s brows.

    ¡°I¡¯ll create a legacy for you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still-¡±

    ¡°Enough with the ¡®still¡¯!¡±

    Bang!

    Elise mmed her hands down on her father¡¯s desk. Ken leaned back in his chair, his eyes drooping as he looked up at Elise and asked,

    ¡°¡­A legacy, you said?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t fail. My barrier will meaningfully extend the lives of those afflicted by the death curse, and you will gain their support.¡±

    Elise looked at her father, scanning hisrge frame from top to bottom.

    ¡°Since when did you start backing down at the thought of failure?¡±

    A hint of moisture glistened in her eyes.

    ¡°You obtained your position by stepping over dead bodies.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ken frowned.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Elise took a deep breath and steeled herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to save some lives this time.¡±

    * * *

    An empty, ancient house.

    The ce, filled with darkness, is an artificially created magical space. Therefore, although they can be in the same ce, once the magical space is dispelled, they will return to their original locations.

    ¡°¡­It would be nice if there were some furniture.¡±

    Akane looked across at ¡®Jude Velot.¡¯

    A tea table and two chairs were all there was. It was too in.

    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far?¡±

    ©¤Too far?

    Jude Velot asked back.

    He takes on a human form, ¡®on the outside.¡¯

    No, even the outside is quite unique. A giant of 2 meters 50 centimeters.

    But what¡¯s inside is even more chilling.

    For starters, there are no organs. No heart, no viscera; because there are no bodily organs at all, no one knows what he uses for energy to live.

    ¡°Yeah, you went too far. There are hundreds of thousands suffering from the death curse now.¡±

    ©¤Akane. Do you know where the ¡®death curse¡¯es from?

    There is no change in Jude Velot¡¯s expression. His voice is the same. Just lifelessly monotonous.

    ¡°From curses, from human malice. Isn¡¯t that too basic?¡±

    ©¤Who do you think listens to that malice?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Akane¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    ©¤Do you think this world grants those wishes?

    It was then that Akane¡¯s face took on aplex expression. Jude Velot continued rigidly.

    ©¤It was ¡®I¡¯ who granted them.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you are the curse?¡±

    Jude Velot nodded.

    ©¤I oversee the curses of malice. It has been so for hundreds of years. But it has reached a tipping point. There is no end to human malice, as I had anticipated.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane let out a hollowugh.

    The idea that Jude Velot was in charge of the ¡®concept¡¯ of curses was more astounding than she had thought.

    ¡°So, you spread the malice that exceeded the threshold?¡±

    ©¤The malice of humans that seeped into my body returned to them. It¡¯s their karma.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not called ¡®Demise¡¯ for nothing.¡±

    For a moment, a faint tremor crossed Jude Velot¡¯s face.

    ©¤¡¯Pretense¡¯.

    Even Akane felt a twinge of fear at this point.

    ¡®Assuming a title beyond one¡¯s status as one¡¯s own name.¡¯

    There¡¯s no way this creature didn¡¯t understand the dictionary meaning of ¡®pretense.¡¯

    ¡°Right.¡±

    But, as Shion Ascal said.

    Putting power into a name only increases fear.

    ©¤¡­Akane. I am Demise. Chaos will spread, and malice will grow. The malice that gathers in my flesh will soon annihte the continent.

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why there are humans who want to negotiate with you.¡±

    Akane deliberately crossed her legs. She also crossed her arms.

    ©¤There can be no negotiation with a phenomenon. Akane, if you be a ¡®phenomenon¡¯ ande to me, then I might consider it. You are the only one who can stand against me.

    ¡°Do I have to? I¡¯m telling you there are humans who want to negotiate with you.¡±

    ©¤That is human arrogance.

    Jude Velot continued bleakly.

    ©¤No human can demand negotiation with a phenomenon. A phenomenon simply exists. It merely arrives. Just as I havee to this ce.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In other words, he¡¯s a stubborn one.

    Akane sighed.

    ¡°But you¡¯ll still make the meeting happen, right? There¡¯s a human who desperately wants to meet the phenomenon.¡±

    ©¤¡­

    Jude Velot was silent. On that chilling visage, strange wrinkles spread like cracks in drought-strickennd.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know their purpose. They might want to witness the phenomenon firsthand and bow down to it.¡±

    No movement.

    Apparently, he seemed indifferent to the act of bowing.

    In that case.

    ¡°Or it could be someone who wants to destroy the phenomenon entirely.¡±

    ©¤¡­Pitiful.

    Jude Velot reacted. He looked at Akane and said,

    ©¤Humans are still foolish. Akane, you too should quickly free yourself from humanity.

    ¡°If you meet with a human first, then I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ©¤¡­

    ¡°You need to show me what kind of creature you are, so I can decide whose side to join.¡±

    Again, no response.

    Akane was frustrated, but she soon picked up a pen and scrawled on a piece of paper.

    ¡°Here. Let¡¯s meet in this old house underground.¡±

    She tossed it to him.

    Jude Velot stared quietly at the note that hadnded on his thigh. Then, he faintly nodded and released the magic space.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    The space transformed.

    Inside Jude Velot¡¯s dark castle, they were back in [Selfless Coffin].

    [Breaking news. Petra Hospital is constructing a barrier to slow down the progress of the curse¡­]

    TV news. The continent was still in chaos due to indiscriminate killing.

 Chapter 233: Worldâ€™s Demise (4)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (4)</strong>

    Late at night.

    I visited Lockhard Corporation disguised as apletely different person.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Without a word, I looked at the rough man sitting opposite me.

    Chewing, chewing¡ª

    He was chewing gum as he spoke.

    ¡°So, a meeting, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s a sample.¡±

    I ced a suitcase full of illegal synthetic mana stones on the table. Click-ck¡ªI opened the case.

    The CEO of Lockhard let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s quite a lot for a sample, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Take it. Use it all, and we can negotiate afterwards if you like.¡±

    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re not interested.¡±

    The CEO leaned back on the sofa, but his subordinates swallowed their saliva with greedy faces.

    ¡°You can just take it.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯d be cursed for this. The whole world¡¯s in an uproar over murders and whatnot, and you want to do business with illegal mana stones?¡±

    This negotiation was a trap.

    Whether he took the mana stones or not, Grawl was taking photos of this scene with a canon camera.

    ¡°We are loyal to Quantum Mechanic. Do you know who Quantum Mechanic is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­You from another country? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re a Rhine or what. But, get lost. Unless you want your head smashed in on your way home at night.¡±

    The guy was surprisingly loyal.

    But Quantum Mechanic wouldn¡¯t trust that loyalty.

    Those types are all the same.

    Once they harbor distrust, they never believe you until death.

    ¡°Yes. I will leave the mana stones.¡±

    I stood up from my seat.

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Take it with you. I don¡¯t need your trashy mana stones.¡±

    He waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I picked up the suitcase again. I turned around and walked towards the factory exit.

    ¡°Hey. If you show your face here again for something like this, consider it your funeral!¡±

    His voice echoed robustly, followed by the snickeringughter of his colleagues.

    I quietly smiled as I left the factory.

    ¡®Master! What should we do with the photos?¡¯

    Just then, Grawl asked.

    ¡®Report it to the local police. Say it¡¯s an illegal mana stone trading scene.¡¯

    ¡®To the local police?¡¯

    ¡®Yes. There¡¯s probably collusion. If the police are notified, they¡¯ll immediately report it to Quantum.¡¯

    Such business can¡¯t be conducted without the help of localw enforcement.

    Plus, information conveyed by the police is highly credible, whether it¡¯s from corrupt cops or genuine ones.

    ¡®Got it!¡¯

    Once Quantum Mechanic receives the information from the police, they will definitely deal with Lockhard.

    I¡¯d bet on it.

    * * *

    The very next day.

    I received a report from Grawl that Lockhard had been turned into a wastnd.

    I was surprised by the speed of the events, but I went back to the site.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s real.¡±

    The small to medium-sized enterprise known as Lockhard was left with only traces of its existence.

    Was this really the ce fromst night? The entire factory was almost erased, as if it had been baked whole in an oven.

    ¡°Quantum Mechanic, was it?¡±

    Their actions are swift and their methods cruel.

    Seems like a sharp character. I know the underworld, but I¡¯m unfamiliar with the shady figures of the surface world.

    ©¤Master!

    A clear voice called from below. It was Grawl, in his original form after a long time.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ©¤Just as you instructed, Master, I had friends scatter traces of mana stones all over the factory.

    Grawl had created synthetic mana stones. I had ordered him to sprinkle the fragments throughout the factory, and the cats did so faithfully.

    ©¤I also leaked the photos of the mana stone transaction to the local police. Just like you said, there was collusion with the police! It went straight to Quantum Mechanic!

    It¡¯s worth noting that, continentally, almost all synthetic mana stones are treated as illegal.

    Not only is the production environment dangerous, but the process for synthesis is inhumane, and the quality of the mana stones is unsafe.

    To put it simply, if natural mana stones are humans, then synthetic mana stones are monsters.

    ©¤It all happened within 6 hours~ Quantum Mechanic¡¯s people swarmed in and wrecked everything~

    ¡°¡­Quantum, no. What about that Jesco guy?¡±

    ©¤Jesco. A.K.A Quantum Mechanic. A synthetic mana stone artisan, he owns quite a few factories. The scale is huge! His annual turnover is enormous! He has so many connections in the back alleys that he doesn¡¯t seem to care about a small to medium-sized enterprise. I¡¯ll send you the report by email now!

    Ding©¤

    I opened my smartphone.

    ¡°More of a big shot than I thought¡­¡±

    Indeed, the numbers he¡¯s pulling in are quite significant.

    I thought they were just kidspared to the underworld.

    If a non-entity like Jesco is doing this well, then certainly, Zia must be struggling in this industry too.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    I took a few photos with my phone. They were for the report I would send to Zia.

    ¡°The mission is aplished for now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    A sudden voice.

    It was Akane. Grawl flinched and hid behind my ankle, and she handed me a piece of paper.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°One weekter. The meeting ce.¡±

    I took it.

    I could just pass it on to Jade, but the week¡¯s wait was irritating.

    ¡°A lot of people could die in a week.¡±

    ¡°It was the best I could do.¡±

    Akane crossed her arms. She stared intently at my face and said,

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing who will go there. Are you confident?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    How could I not be confident?

    Anyone who has ever witnessed a man named Jade, at any moment before my regression, would understand.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to go see for myself.¡±

    Akane chuckled lightly. I looked into her eyes. I knew she was a ¡®doll.¡¯

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t watch. It could be dangerous for you, Akane, if you get involved.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot? I can just send a doll.¡±

    Akane smirked nonchntly, but I shook my head.

    ¡°That doll is also a part of you, Akane.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her nose twitched slightly.

    Dolls are not infinite. After all, a doll is an extension of her consciousness.

    Therefore, the death of a doll signifies the depletion of her spirit.

    ¡°The cost of curiosity is too high.¡±

    If one treats death too lightly, one risks losing oneself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t walk into the darkness.¡±

    Humans fundamentally cherish themselves the most. They must. It¡¯s a natural survival instinct.

    ¡°Resist the darkness.¡±

    Akane might be fated to be a mere phenomenon. A superhuman born with talents too vast for any human to contain.

    ¡°By screaming. By raging.¡±

    But if she does not give up on being human, if she does not lose what¡¯s most important, if she struggles like that¡­

    Then Akane can surely remain human.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve called out Jude Velot. Let¡¯s see what happens. I hope there¡¯s a basis for your confidence.¡±

    I watched her retreating figure for a long time, along with Grawl.

    ©¤Wow¡­ She¡¯s so cool.

    Grawl spoke with a tone of admiration.

    Perhaps some memories from his past life linger. I grabbed the scruff of his neck and hoisted him onto my shoulder.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ©¤Yes!

    * * *

    Libra Aerial Garden.

    Zia read the report from Shion Ascal.

    [Lockhard Corporation Report]

    She had already heard the news. Lockhard had vanished overnight like a mirage. The leadership was assassinated, and the factories were devastated.

    But she hadn¡¯t known the details, so Zia was understandably anxious.

    Such extreme destruction was bound to have repercussions.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Today, Shion¡¯s report had dispelled her worries.

    Lockhard had essentially self-destructed. They had lost their backing. No, their backers had actively destroyed Lockhard.

    The report detailed the ¡®nder¡¯ that had been used.

    Pretending to be another dealer, they had leaked illegal synthetic mana stones to Lockhard, taken photos pretending to make a deal with them, and reported it to the police to naturally let the information seep into Jesco¡¯s ears.

    The cruel, no-questions-asked tactics typical of the underworld.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia revised her assessment once again.

    Shion Ascal is a much sharper de than anyone had anticipated. Someone who can change themselves as needed, when needed¡­

    ©¤Above all, the intelligence and execution capabilities are beyond expectation.

    Someone said during a video conference on theptop. It was ¡®Jean¡¯, one of Zia¡¯s confidants.

    ©¤Exposing Jesco, who backed Lockhard, acquiring their mana stones, and devising a perfect n. He¡¯s doing the work of a team all by himself.

    ¡°Yes. We can start now.¡±

    The domain left vacant by Lockhard would now be swallowed up by Zia¡¯s Lithium Corporation.

    ©¤Yes, then I will prepare the troops.

    Jean, the personnel manager of Libra Station, had the task of finding suitable troops, that is,bat personnel. After all, apany needs people to protect it.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Just then, the office door opened. Zia quickly ended the video conference.

    ¡°Who¡­ Ah.¡±

    She feigned surprise, her eyes widening.

    Zia¡¯s older brother and the eldest son of Libra, Derek.

    He walked steadily and sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°Brother¡­ you¡¯vee up to the garden¡­¡±

    ¡°Zia. I heard you took in Sonya.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia¡¯s mouth went dry for a moment. Could he havee to criticize her for hiring Sonya? It didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Derek, with a furrowed brow, asked again.

    ¡°Is that not the case?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ but she¡¯s a friend¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you¡¯ve taken her in, it can¡¯t be bad. She¡¯ll at least lead a life befitting a noble. Just make sure she doesn¡¯t cause me any trouble.¡±

    Derek, of course, knew that Sonya was meless. He wasn¡¯t the type to torment a subordinate he had dismissed over a misunderstanding.

    ¡°More importantly, you¡¯ve got a pretty decent guy.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You mean Shion¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is he going to be your bncer?¡±

    ¡°To be a bncer¡­ would require the permission of my brothers¡­¡±

    Derek chuckled lightly, his expression saying there was no reason not to grant permission.

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no reason not to allow it.¡±

    Indeed, that was the case.

    Shion had received favorable evaluations from all direct family members.

    ¡°But the question is, is he truly yours?¡±

    Derek¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply once again.

    Could my brother also be coveting him?

    In the past, she might have hesitated, but now her mind was made up.

    She had to be greedy.

    ¡°¡­Yes. He¡¯s my man.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek fell silent for a moment, then looked at her and chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Be careful not to lose him. Hold on to him until I am confirmed as the sessor.¡±

    After all, what¡¯s yours will eventually be part of the sessor¡¯s assets.

    With those words, Derek left the room.

    * * *

    Elise hadpleted the draft of the barrier with La.

    ¡°¡­Elly. Will this work?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    They had no help from other mages. There were several practical reasons, as Ken Petra had mentioned, but above all, this barrier could not be constructed by anyone other than Elise.

    ¡°Are you going to pull in the iplete parts like a ma?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was a barrier that utilized her Spectrum, ¡¸Maism¡¹. By drastically extending the waves, it strongly slowed down the progression of death curse operating within the barrier.

    ¡°¡­We can¡¯t fail. It has to work on the first try. We¡¯re in a hurry.¡±

    The problem, however, was time. If the barrier was constructed incorrectly, tens of thousands of patients hospitalized at Petra Hospital would die.

    ¡°If only we had someone to help review the blueprints¡­¡±

    Elise bit her lip.

    ¡°Elly.¡±

    Suddenly, La ced her hand on Elise¡¯s shoulder with a grave tone.

    ¡°Hey. Maybe we should ask him?¡±

    Him.

    Who is he?

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    La quickly grabbed her smartphone and fumbled to show a contact.

    [At Your Service]

    ¡°¡­This person.¡±

    At Your Service.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elise looked at her incredulously, but then blinked and thought it over.

    At Your Service.

    A grateful person who had been a great help during the college board exams and had also provided psychological therapy.

    She didn¡¯t know how much expertise he had in magic, but¡­

    It was better than not trying at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask for his help, Elly.¡±

    La¡¯s voice was more serious than ever.

    Elise nodded in agreement.

    * * *

    I found my way to Jade¡¯s capital mansion. The malevolent energy that flowed out like an aura was fierce, but I could bear it well enough.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯vee to see Lord Jade.¡±

    There were three seemingly pointless guards at the entrance. They made a call somewhere.

    ¡°¡­Yes, understood.¡±

    No, on second thought, they weren¡¯t pointless at all.

    If an acquaintance who knew nothing of the current situation came looking for Jade, they wouldn¡¯t likely leave with their life.

    They were guards tasked with preserving the lives of guests.

    ¡°You may enter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I stepped inside. With each step up the stairs, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier.

    The presence of the world¡¯s foremost power was this overwhelming¡­

    I reached Jade¡¯s office and knocked on the door, which was decorated in an antique style.

    Knock-knock-

    ©¤Come in.

    His voice wasced with murderous intent. I opened the door. Jade stood in the center of his office. His expression was calm, but his clothes were slightly disheveled.

    Surprisingly, it looked like he had been practicing or training forbat.

    ¡°Have you located it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve found it.¡±

    Jade took a step forward. In that moment, the distance between us closed.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Even his light footsteps whipped up a Gale that shattered the windows like des. A small cut appeared on the tip of my nose.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The pressure was immense, almost unbearable.

    Jade looked at me, frowning slightly.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain. However¡­ there¡¯s a ¡®time¡¯ set for the meeting.¡±

    ¡°A promised time?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I handed over the note I had received from Akane.

    ¡°Jude Velot. The ce and time suggested by the one who calls himself World¡¯s Demise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Jade scanned the note with drooping eyes.

    One weekter. The old house underground.

    ¡°One week. By then-¡±

    ¡°Ms. Eceline will be fine. They are working on a barrier at Petra Hospital to slow down the progression of the death curse.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Jade¡¯s expression hardened, but then he cracked a faint smile.

    ¡°¡­I might just go ahead and wait there.¡±

    ©¤©¤Right after.

    It felt as if the mansion itself exploded.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤!

    A sound beyond the speed of sound caused a deafening roar that seemed to crush my eardrums, and the shockwave generated inside brought down the ceiling and the floor. The upper part of the mansion disintegrated into debris and copsed.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Caught in that simple charge, my body ached.

    ¡°It hurts like hell.¡±

 Chapter 234: Worldâ€™s Demise (5)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (5)</strong>

    Emerging from the nearly demolished Jade¡¯s mansion, I was covered in debris and dust.

    Ding-

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    It had been quite a while since I received a message on my smartphone.

    It was for [At Your Service].

    I had stopped that petty business since I didn¡¯t need to earn that small change anymore, but the phrase was too familiar.

    [Are you there @@@@ At Your Service?@@@@]

    I could tell it was La just from the way she typed.

    ¡°¡­Why all of a sudden?¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t she be busy with the barrier?

    I replied casually.

    [I¡¯m no longer in business.]

    [Oh no!!! You can¡¯t!!!!]

    She immediately followed up with another message.

    [Can¡¯t you just help out this onest time?! This is extremely important!!!]

    She sent a ratherrge photo along with it. A panoramic shot of a vast cliff. At first nce, it looked like an alien geometry, but it was a barrier blueprint.

    [Please just let me know if this barrier form is implemented correctly. I beg you¡­ I¡¯ll pay whatever it takes!]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Indeed, a Barrier is a form made up of numerous reviews. It¡¯s massive andplex. The biggest problem is that even if the barrier doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s hard to tell which part is wrong.

    They seem to want me to review it for them.

    ¡°¡­I suppose I could do it.¡±

    The blueprint itself was alreadyplete, so all I had to do was check if the magic flowed correctly through the circuit and if there were any mistakes in the configuration.

    That¡¯s easy enough.

    As I¡¯ve said time and again, my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is akin to aputer. Performing one-dimensional calctions on an already created form is something I can do mechanically, as long as I have enough magic.

    [Since this will be thest request, I will not charge a fee.]

    Having replied that, I scrutinized the barrier.

    The form of the barrier on the smartphone screen. A blue current began at its starting point. It was the flow of magic being calcted by the ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    I analyzed them, searching for any ws in the design, and found where the magic had be entangled.

    I corrected the circuits that needed fixing and adjusted inefficient routes to be more efficient.

    It was a simple verification.

    * * *

    Petra Hospital¡¯s researchb.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡±

    La¡¯s eyes widened in excitement. She beamed a radiant smile, as if she had gained the world, upon receiving the reply from [At Your Service]. In contrast, Elise furrowed her brow.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Elly! It¡¯s here! Look at this!¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s only been 30 minutes.¡±

    Elise was skeptical, and she had every reason to be.

    Even for an expert, reviewing a Barrier form would require at least 3 to 4 hours. It was that extensive.

    ¡°Just take a look for yourself, Elly!¡±

    La disyed the message from [At Your Service]. Elise scanned the reply with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    An exmation escaped her lips.

    She stared intently at the barrier configuration provided by [At Your Service],paring it with the original blueprint.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The part that had bothered her the most.

    The section she had worried might be incorrect was clearly pointed out.

    But that wasn¡¯t all. Several inefficient circuits had also been neatly revised. It was much morefortable and effective.

    ¡°This¡­ this will work.¡±

    ¡°See!¡±

    La, too, was grinning from ear to ear as she scanned the blueprint from top to bottom.

    ¡°Look. I told you it would work. This person is a real expert.¡±

    Indeed, it was [At Your Service]. The all-rounder expert who seemed to be capable of anything¡­

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Suddenly, La¡¯s expression turned serious.

    She was looking at a certain part of the barrier form. A specific section that [At Your Service] had personally modified.

    The circuit of the form he had corrected had a certain concept.

    First, he cut out the redundantly ovepped circuits and reced them with a single circuit to pursue efficiency. If there were tangled circuits, he would remove them entirely and graft in simpler ones.

    The result was very neat, allowing for high output with minimal magical power.

    And all of this waspleted in just 30 minutes.

    As if this method was very familiar to him. As if he had been using magic in this way for a long time.

    ©¤©¤However.

    La had seen a ¡®pattern¡¯ simr to this before.

    No, it was the pattern of the form she had studied and researched countless times.

    An extremely efficient configuration.

    The ¡®chimeric¡¯patibility that could freelybine any form.

    A mage always leaves their own trace when using magic. It cannot be hidden, no matter how hard one tries. Individual habits seep into magic itself.

    La had studied those habits. She had spent countless hours researching, analyzing, and deconstructing his Magic Spells.

    All to track down a certain viin.

    ¡°¡­Could it be?¡±

    M¡¯s arch-enemy.

    The viin who arrived in Trick City like a dark cloud.

    His name©¤©¤ Raquel Dra.

    ¡°La!¡±

    Elise called out to her. La lifted her head nkly. Elise had a bright smile on her face, as if she had found an answer, and La felt a simr sense of resolution.

    ¡°Follow me!¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    La followed her with a slightly creaking heart.

    ¡­

    Patients flooded into Petra Hospital. Ken Petra only admitted patients, turning away their families due to the shortage of beds, and temporary tents were set up in the park. However, the most crucial barrier was still not ready.

    ¡°¡­Are you sure this will be okay?¡±

    It was the secretary speaking. Ken Petra in his office looked at him.

    ¡°Miss Elise is currently working on the barrier, but¡­¡±

    A barrier to slow down the spread of death. That information had already been leaked.

    If the barrier wasn¡¯tpleted in this situation, or if a faulty one was created, Ken Petra would suffer a severe political blow.

    ¡°If it doesn¡¯te to fruition, then that¡¯s the measure of the idea.¡±

    Ken decided to trust Elise.

    The offspring of a lion is still a lion. There¡¯s no need to overprotect a cub that¡¯s prepared to be driven to the cliff.

    ¡°Find the bastard who leaked the information. Take this opportunity to catch all those who sell out our secrets.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    The secretary bowed and left.

    ¡­

    Elise was in the middle of constructing the barrier in Petra Park based on the blueprint. She finely crushed mana stone powder to draw a ¡®circle¡¯, then firmly anchored it with her own magical power [maism].

    It covered the entire Petra emergency room and the park where the temporary tents were set up.

    ¡°La! Don¡¯t just stand there, move!¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah, okay.¡±

    But La was sluggish.

    Suddenly lost in thought, she acted as if she wasn¡¯t present.

    ¡°The curves are all crooked!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Got it. Just a moment.¡±

    It was when La was clumsily hindering the work.

    ¡°Is there a part I can help with?¡±

    Someone approached. Elise looked over and flinched, her shoulders trembling.

    It was Theia Esil, a professor from the National University.

    She had somewhat regained her senses.

    The pain was still lingering in her body, but it was irrelevant since she couldn¡¯t feel it anyway.

    ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s the professor. Are you okay?¡±

    La also noticed her btedly. Theia shrugged her shoulders and replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get better by helping you guys.¡±

    ¡°¡­Over here.¡±

    Elise handed her a part of the blueprint.

    ¡°Just draw the circle that will contain the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    Theia nodded as she received the blueprint.

    ¡°¡­But.¡±

    Then, turning to Elise, Theia asked,

    ¡°Who brought me here?¡±

    ¡°It was a taxi driver.¡±

    ¡°¡­A taxi driver?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was indeed a real taxi driver.

    A middle-aged man who had personally brought Theia in and even admitted her to the hospital.

    ¡°No, now¡¯s not the time for idle chatter.¡±

    Elise quickly waved her hand. Theia, with a twitch of her eyebrows, moved to the other side along with the mana stone powder.

    They first drew arge ¡®circle¡¯. It was to define the space that would contain the barrier.

    The admitted patients watched with a mix of worry and concern, and when the circle wasplete, Elise stood at the starting point of the barrier form.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    ¡°Go Elly!¡±

    La cheered with a raised fist, and Theia, with her arms crossed, watched Elise.

    Elise first levitated the ¡®mana core¡¯ that had been urgently airlifted at the cost of millions of ren.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    She took a deep breath.

    Recalling the blueprint saved in her mind, she ced her hand on the mana core. She intended to use it as a medium tomence the construction of the barrier¡­

    ¡°We have a problem. We might be a bit short on magical power.¡±

    She knew it by intuition.

    The mana core and her own magical power were not enough.

    Although the mana core amplifies magical power, a barrier of this magnitude required an unimaginable amount of it.

    Then Theia snapped her fingers.

    Snap!

    With that gesture, Theia¡¯s own magical power shot out like lightning and infused into the mana core. The mana core swelled with a bright light, shaking intensely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve injected magical power into the mana core. That should be enough now.¡±

    In an instant, a sufficient amount was charged. Elise was greatly surprised.

    Even though it seemed like no big deal, what just happened was an incredible technique.

    Concentrating magical power like a sh of lightning and firing it, and then ensuring that the power doesn¡¯t dissipate into the atmosphere but instead precisely permeates the mana core, was a very advanced skill.

    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡±

    But Theia was a patient with the ¡®death curse¡¯. If a person afflicted with the death curse used magical power, the bacsh of pain could be a thousandfold.

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay. But, that barrier is more important.¡±

    Theia looked at Elise. Elise, nodding, ced her hand back on the mana core.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤.

    Magical power surged from the mana core. The circuits of the barrier that Elise had envisioned extended into the air.

    They flickered imperfectly for a moment, but Elise activated her ¡¸Maism¡¹. She continued to unfold the structure, firmly holding the malleable parts together with her maism.

    Tzzzzzzt©¤

    The barrier that began in the circle slowly extended outward, forming the shape of a sphere as it rose.

    Theia and La watched the spectacle.

    No, everyone around Petra Hospital watched.

    Elise, despite sweating profusely and gasping for breath, did not give up.

    Goooooo¡­

    The trembling that arose from the ground, the turbulence of the air trapped within the circle, the phenomenon of the barrier form reacting and resonating with the ley lines.

    The streams of magical power following the design of the barrier soon reached arge point on the ceiling and coalesced.

    Boom©¤©¤!

    Eventually, it settled down like a dome epassing the entire Petra Hospital.

    The wave barrier wasplete.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡±

    Elise knelt on one knee. There was no time to smile. She had nearly exhausted her magical power. La supported her as she almost copsed.

    ¡°Elise.¡±

    Suddenly, it was Theia¡¯s voice. She nodded her head, looking alternately above and below at the blue-formed Barrier membrane.

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    ©¤ With those words, she copsed.

    ¡°Damn! Professor Theia! Ah! Elly!¡±

    La, not knowing what to do, picked up the two who looked nearly dead.

    * * *

    A space buried in darkness. In some vast underground unknown to anyone, an old house exists. Nothing can be seen, just an emptiness.

    But ¡®he¡¯ is walking towards that ce, like a ck hole.

    Thud. Thud.

    The hollow sound of footsteps.

    His long legs stride with dignity.

    He walked through the darkness. There was not a speck of fear or terror.

    He fixed his eyes only on whaty before him. At the end, there was a tea table.

    One desk.

    Two chairs.

    He sat down on a chair.

    Leaning back, he was lost in thought for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­World¡¯s Demise.¡±

    His lips frowned as he murmured, a sneer distorting his brow.

    He had met countless people in his life. Some deluded themselves into thinking they were stronger than him, but in reality, there were none.

    He had long since realized the ¡®infinity¡¯ contained within his own flesh. He was aware of its irreversible power.

    However, he did not unt it.

    He did not reveal it.

    He did not expose it.

    Because to boast of his own violence and destructiveness in words and deeds is not noble. It is an act of exceedingly poor taste.

    That¡¯s why he finds the lunatic who calls himself demiseughable.

    Feeling pride in something that should not be a source of pride, a mere crumb of an ego, he finds them merely pitiful.

    ¡°¡­¡­The darkness is thick.¡±

    He used the darkness as a nket to lean on himself.

    There was still plenty of time left, but there was no need to look at a clock.

    He was just waiting.

    To bring down the hammer on the ignoramuses who do not know the demise of this world.

    To teach the clear logic of violence to the street thugs who overestimate themselves and engage in sheer folly.

    Jade closed his eyes as a nobleman.

    ¡­¡­And so a week passed.

 Chapter 235: Worldâ€™s Demise (6)

    <strong>World¡¯s Demise (6)</strong>

    Elise¡¯s Barrier was a sess.

    She analyzed the waves of the death curse swirling within the body, reversed the calction, and then, using an advanced application of Spectrum, she slowed the progression of the curse by grasping the waves themselves with ¡¸Maism¡¹.

    The maism Barrier enveloped the grounds of Petra Hospital and showed significant effects.

    As a result, Petra Hospital amodated ten thousand patients from Edsi suffering from the deadly affliction.

    The media and opposing Senators, who had attacked Petra with usations of exploiting patients¡¯ hopes for profit, were now silenced.

    Thanks to this, Elise also managed to get her achievements broadcasted in the media.

    Elise Petra, a first-year student at Edsi National University¡¯s Department of Magic.

    Her name was now flowing continuously in the news.

    However, since the progression of the deadly affliction was only slowed and notpletely cured, Elise, while making her rounds in the hospital wards, suddenly discovered someone.

    A familiar figure from behind.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal.

    He was watching over another patient from behind a wall.

    The child from the orphanage named ¡®Berry¡¯ had a smartphone tied around his chest like a ne, hanging from an old string.

    Shion let out a faint sigh and turned around.

    ¡°!¡±

    He flinched when he saw her.

    ¡°You scared me.¡±

    His reaction was endearing to Elise.

    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±

    Strange. It¡¯s said to be a big deal when a man starts to look cute.

    Elise shrugged her shoulders as she looked at him.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and talk to him?¡±

    ¡°What for.¡±

    ¡°You might give him more strength just by being there.¡±

    The child named Berry. Although he was asleep now, it might be possible to wake him up for a moment to exchange greetings.

    ¡°Forget it.¡±

    Shion shook his head.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    He smiled faintly.

    ¡°¡­¡­I might soil him.¡±

    A self-deprecating joke.

    Elise frowned for no reason.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Never mind that. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making my rounds. This barrier only slows down the affliction. For now, all we can do is buy as much time as possible and wait for the Magic Tower or some corporation to find a way.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s going to end soon.¡±

    It was a statement close to certainty. Shion said to Elise.

    ¡°It was critical tost a week. Thanks to you, we managed. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Elise looked at him and then smiled faintly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. How¡¯s your work with Libra going?¡±

    She knew that Shion was receiving some kind of training from Libra. She also knew that he was someone loyal to Libra.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Shion answered softly. Quietly, he lifted his eyes to look out the hospital window.

    Looking into the abyss, he was lost in thought.

    About the growing me in his heart as he got closer to Libra, as he stepped deeper into the core of Libra¡¯s domain.

    I havee to stand by Zia¡¯s side.

    Now, I will remain a loyal subject until she stands at the pinnacle. I will be by her side until we grasp control of the Parliament.

    What lies at the end¡­ I will confront it with my own eyes.

    Not only Derek, Johanna, and Jade, but also the most decisive being who has remained unseen by anyone yet, the one who has elevated Libra to its current status.

    The secretive specter.

    ¡®Sherlock¡¯ Vels Libra Baphomet.

    I will kill him too, and bring down the Aerial Garden to the ground. I will set Libra aze¡­

    Thud.

    Elise¡¯s hand touched Shion¡¯s shoulder. He quietly looked down at her.

    ¡°Think of yourself first.¡±

    Suddenly, a small smile spread across Shion¡¯s lips. He wrapped his hand around hers on his shoulder.

    Her pale cheeks twitched.

    ¡°You too. Think of yourself first.¡±

    ¡°¡­I, I will.¡±

    Elise released her hand and for no reason swept up her hair like a curtain.

    Thump, thump.

    Her heart suddenly races from just holding hands. Elise didn¡¯t like how fragile she had be.

    * * *

    A void.

    An old house filled with nothing but darkness.

    The man who had been waiting for a ¡®phenomenon¡¯ that had yet to arrive heard footsteps seeping into his ears.

    Thud©¤©¤

    Thud©¤©¤

    Jade slowly opened his eyes and lit a candle on the table.

    Whoosh!

    The rising me illuminated a part of the darkness and soon revealed the ¡®destruction¡¯ that settled before him.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Neither of them spoke.

    A silent assessment, each gauging the other with their eyes.

    The being captured in Jade¡¯s gaze was certainly not something that could be considered human. Ignoring the abnormal size, there was no pulse where organs should be beating.

    The exterior was human, but the interior was not.

    The creature had long since transcended the category of ¡®human.¡¯

    ¡°Are you that demise?¡±

    ©¤¡­You are merely human.

    Demise responded.

    At that moment, Jade smiled faintly. There was a certain mncholy in that smile, a tinge of sorrow.

    This bizarre being, called demise, was undoubtedly strong. One could not even fathom whaty beneath the skin that resembled that of a human.

    However, the creature itself could not look inward. It could not measure the grandeur thaty within its body.

    From this, Jade was certain.

    It was beneath him.

    It¡­ was not his equal.

    ©¤Human, what are you thinking?

    Jade felt a bit bitter about that fact.

    The idea that no one could reach him meant, conversely, that he could not reach anyone either.

    ¡°¡­I am thinking that the whole world is unreachable to me.¡±

    The notion that I exist alone, unable to be understood.

    ©¤what?

    ¡°When I heard about you, I might have had some expectations.¡±

    Jade¡¯s eyes sharpened. He swallowed a sigh and gazed upon demise.

    ¡°I hoped you would be an entity simr to myself.¡±

    He had felt anger at the indiscriminate attack on Eceline, but at the same time, he harbored a faint sense of kinship.

    ¡°You possess an umon dignity. An existence closer to the heavens than to humanity. But that¡¯s all it is.¡±

    Jade rose to his feet, peeling off his stiff leather gloves.

    Bare knuckles.

    ¡°Even so¡­ you are worthy of this much respect.¡±

    Demiselooked at Jade. Its eyes, which did not reflect light, remained bleak.

    ©¤Humans are indeed foolish.

    ¡°Your reasoning?¡±

    ©¤They do not know their own cause, nor do they understand their own effect.

    ¡°Do you have a cause and effect?¡±

    ©¤I am a phenomenon created to bring about the demise of the world. My effect is demise, and my cause is the world. The world that desires the extinction of humanity has summoned me.

    Demise recited as if it were a rehearsed line.

    Jade nodded slightly.

    ¡°I agree. Humans are foolish.¡±

    With that, he looked at his own bare hands.

    ©¤What is your reasoning?

    Demise asked.

    ¡°Because they always desire what cannot be achieved.¡±

    Jade sought understanding from the world for himself.

    An unattainable wish.

    Themoners desire equality. Natural rights. They spout nonsense that all humans are ultimately the same.

    Jade could notprehend such nonsense.

    Because humans are ultimately different. Nobility and lowliness are original sins determined at birth.

    ¡°¡­But do not be mistaken.¡±

    Jade himself was the proof.

    He was born different. It was inevitable, irresistible. He simply walked and found himself at the end of the world.

    Therefore, he became an existence that could never be understood in his lifetime.

    ¡°You cannot be ¡®something that cannot be achieved.''¡±

    ©¤©¤In that moment, the air underwent a violent change.

    Jade summoned his Magic Body with all his might. ¡®Demise¡¯s¡¯ eyes widened. The shock that originated in its retina surged through its body.

    Time stretched to one ten-thousandth of a second.

    Jude Velot rose abruptly. It was an ¡®instinctive¡¯ reaction.

    Almost human-like¡­

    But there was no time for confusion.

    A fist struck down in a straight line. The impact hit right between the eyes. Jude Velot¡¯s body flew through the air. No sound was heard.

    The strike had surpassed the speed of sound.

    In the silence, Jude saw Jade flying towards him after the rebound.

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    The sonic boom followed btedly. Jude manifested a spell before Jade could reach him. He Detonated the umted damage on his own body back at Jade.

    Jade shattered it with his fist. Jude tried to distance himself, but Jade¡¯s speed had already crossed the threshold.

    Jude merely adjusted the causality of space. He inverted all concepts, not just speed.

    Fast to slow, slow to fast¡­

    ©¤©¤Click.

    Jade¡¯s feet halted.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade stared silently at Jude. Unknowingly, Jude stepped back, his jaw twisted out of ce.

    ¡°¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡­?¡±

    Jade tried to speak, but only a bizarre noise escaped.

    It seemed as if the entire concept of this space had been flipped.

    It was only for a moment.

    ¡°¡­I acknowledge it.¡±

    He quickly adapted to the concept, twisting his mouth as he red at Jude.

    ¡°You were not all talk.¡±

    Jude looked at him.

    If he could only understand how his Magic Body worked, how it manifested, he could reverse the providence and defeat him.

    After all, he was just a human in the end.

    Jude stretched his own time.

    ©¤¡­Ha.

    But the more he focused on the counter, the more his reason wavered.

    The toughness of this human did not stem merely from magical power. It was a strength that operated purely from within his bones.

    Something that seemed utterly impossible for a human¡­

    ©¤©¤©¤!

    Jade shattered the space. His punch had smashed Jude¡¯s causality.

    Jude quickly expanded the space. Jade became instantly distant, but in the next moment.

    Space folded.

    As if leaping through time, transcending space.

    His fist reached out first and struck his own face.

    To Jude, it appeared simply as a tiny sh of light.

    That was all it was.

    ©¤¡­¡­

    Jude saw his own body breaking apart.

    He saw Jade charging with dignity.

    His fist made contact.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    Space shattered.

    Darkness crumbled.

    Debris settled like dust.

    The old house, now transformed into nothingness, the world¡¯s cracks etched chaotically.

    ¡°Now, do you understand why I am foolish?¡±

    In the midst of that mystery, Jade stood tall, looking down on Demise.¡¯

    ¡®Demise¡¯ gazed up at him nkly.

    ©¤¡­Demise.

    A hoarse voice flowed from a throat without vocal cords.

    Jude had once known that the world awaited its demise. He thought it was himself.

    Clearly, I, Jude Velot, am the World¡¯s Demise.

    The will of the world to condemn the evil of humanity and obliterate the continent had been born as ¡®me.¡¯

    It was not so.

    ©¤¡­¡­

    He let out a quiet, hollowugh.

    Now he understood.

    If the world wished for its own end, if there was a living, breathing entity to destroy it, it was not him but¡­

    ©¤It was you.

    Jade.

    He will remember the name.

    * * *

    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±

    In the VIP hospital room, I found Eceline. I hade to deliver the news that Jude Velot¡¯s magical presence had been extinguished, as Akane had informed me.

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    Eceline¡¯splexion had improved thanks to that.

    However, the symptoms lingered like a cold, so she would need to be hospitalized for a few more days.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now.¡±

    Eceline¡¯s face was slightly swollen, but she smiled modestly, indicating she was alright. I looked at her chart.

    Eceline was the first to speak.

    ¡°You¡¯re from Libra, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded slightly.

    ¡°He¡¯s still watching over me, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond to herughter-tingedment.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I haven¡¯t been involved in any romance, right?¡±

    She was probably joking, but it was nice to see her cheerful.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Jade doesn¡¯t care about such things¡­ though I can¡¯t say he doesn¡¯t care at all.

    ¡°However, Miss Eceline. The technology for prosthetic limbs has improved tremendously these days.¡±

    I was about to pull out a premium product from Selfless Coffin.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But there¡¯s something more important than that.¡±

    I put the business card back.

    ¡°Something more important, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Eceline smiled faintly.

    ¡°He will be pained to see my arm like this, won¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Very much so.¡±

    As if to say exactly that, Eceline raised one finger.

    ¡°But, it¡¯s the same for someone else¡¯s arm.¡±

    At that moment, my eyes widened slightly.

    ¡°If he can cherish me, he can cherish others too. Even though each person is different, we¡¯re all human in the end, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    She looked at me and raised her eyebrows.

    She was a clear-sighted person. A cheerful person.

    ¡°I hope he realizes that fact.¡±

    Certainly, she was the kind of person Jade could love, but he would probably never realize it.

    Eceline, your wish will note true.

    His sense of being chosen is skewed somewhere.

    Because he carries a ¡®heritage¡¯ that makes it so.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Love is discrimination. Just like hatred is discrimination.¡±

    Eceline¡¯s lips tightened slightly. She looked at me with a slightly saddened face.

    ¡°Lord Jade is a noble with a heart as firm as his body. Therefore¡­ he will not change.¡±

    Jade cannot change.

    Because that¡¯s how he was born.

    ¡°Really, all you Libra people are so cold¡­ But still, I believe that one day he will understand.¡±

    I gave a bitter smile.

    Jade, indeed, will not understand.

    Because that¡¯s how he was born.

 Chapter 236: Expansion (1)

    <strong>Expansion (1)</strong>

    Jade gazed upon Jude Velot. Dark blood-like fluid seeped from his cracked skin, and his hair disintegrated like ash. Soon, his body crumbled into mere fragments.

    It was the death of a phenomenon.

    Jade confirmed his demise. Brushing back his hair, he lifted his head.

    Shattered space. Through the twisted gaps and fissures, there was the sky.

    He closed his eyes, bathed in a handful of sunlight. A halo of light drenched his entire body.

    ¡°¡­Insignificant.¡±

    Thus, the end of battle is always empty. Nothing remains, and no sentiment arises.

    Because destruction is, after all, an act of creating nothingness.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade looked down at his hands. Therey the remnants of Jude Velot¡¯s annihtion. The fragments of darkness he had personally clenched.

    He took another step back.

    He had emerged from the basement of the mansion and crossed the continent.

    With a speed that easily surpassed the speed of sound, he arrived at a certain ce.

    [Petra Hospital]

    Petra Hospital, where Eceline was admitted.

    However, unable to approach closely, he stood at a distance, peering through a window.

    There she was.

    Holding a pencil in her left hand, drawing pictures for children with a clear smile, a truly beautiful woman.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade silently watched her. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. A somewhat strange feeling spread through his heart.

    He realized the identity of that emotion a little btedly.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t meaningless.¡±

    I killed a phenomenon.

    Perhaps, I killed the man who came closest to me.

    It wasn¡¯t merely an act of destruction.

    ¡°¡­It was to protect you.¡±

    If because of me, you remain in this world.

    That would be a satisfactory oue.

    Jade turned with the grace of a noble.

    Every stride he took was imbued with refined dignity.

    * * *

    [Breaking news. ording to an announcement from Magic Tower, as of this moment, the indiscriminate death curse has been extinguished¡­]

    An emergency broadcast echoed throughout Edsi.

    The message was clear: the death curse had vanished.

    As expected, the monster that had been masquerading as World¡¯s Demise was in by Jade, and the future had changed.

    I leaned against the railing on the rooftop of Petra Hospital.

    One by one, patients who had been afflicted were being discharged. Among them, Berry caught my eye.

    His face quickly brightened. He was adorable, bouncing around the flower-filled garden.

    I turned and leaned back against the railing.

    ¡°¡­Why the hell do you look like that?¡±

    Rotten-faced La was there. She fiddled with her teaming bracelet and nced at me.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    It was clearly not ¡®nothing¡¯ by the look on her face.

    ¡°Is it because your name didn¡¯te up in the news?¡±

    ¡°What are you on about! I don¡¯t care about that!¡±

    La snapped.

    ¡°Besides, my name dide up. Assistant to Elly, La. Elly said she¡¯d mention it during her interview.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem then?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    La sneakily peeked at me. She hesitated, then finally spoke up.

    ¡°Shion, you know about Raquel Dra, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I know.¡±

    She spoke with a surprisingly serious tone.

    ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ve got a lead on him.

    A lead.

    It was slightly disconcerting, but it probably wasn¡¯t a significant clue. Even if I were to grasp the lead, Raquel Dra would ultimately be ¡®Dale Kal¡¯, so it had nothing to do with me anyway.

    ¡°What lead?¡±

    ¡°There is one.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet. It¡¯s not certain¡­¡±

    La shook her head vigorously. I was baffled.

    ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡±

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    Beeeep©¤©¤

    A high-frequency rm sounded from within my pocket.

    A Libra-exclusive phone.

    It was an order from Zia.

    ¡°Hey. I gotta go.¡±

    I quickly stepped onto the railing. La reached out startled.

    ¡°Whoa!! Shion¡¯s gonnamit suicide!!! He¡¯s off to end his life!!!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? Even if you fell from here, you wouldn¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, right. I forgot-¡±

    There are other things to forget.

    I jumped from the hospital rooftop to the ground below.

    * * *

    Lithium Corporation. At the cornerstone of the arms industry, work was in full swing.

    ¡°The main product we¡¯ll be selling is handguns. For now, they¡¯re not much different from off-the-shelf models, but R&D is actively underway.¡±

    Sonya gestured towards the production line and the workers as she spoke.

    ¡°Even these facilities are on a different levelpared to those small and medium enterprises. The volume of output we¡¯re talking about is on a whole other scale.¡±

    It was possible because Zia had quite a number ofpanies under various aliases. From parts factories to mana stone mines, transportationpanies, researchbs, and so on¡­

    ¡°However, it seems we¡¯ll eventually have to deal with that Quantum Mechanic bastard.¡±

    I nodded at Sonya¡¯s words.

    ¡°What happened now?¡±

    ¡°The bastard has sent a request to use their mana stones. It¡¯s called a request, but it¡¯s practically coercion.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If we use synthetic mana stones, we¡¯ll end up in bed with them.¡±

    Synthetic mana stones are illegal. They¡¯re a cheap and convenient illegality. But epting them means being manipted.

    ¡°Right. But we have no intention of using their synthetic mana stones. That¡¯s why I was thinking¡­ you might know more about this area.¡±

    Sonya turned to look at me.

    I said, ¡°I have a n in mind.¡±

    ¡°A n?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I had already drawn aggro with Grawl¡¯s synthetic mana stones. Just need to throw the needle slightly, and they¡¯ll bite, thinking it¡¯s a good deal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set it up, give it a try.¡±

    I spoke as I looked at the smartphone Sonya was holding.

    ¡°Is that okay?¡±

    ©¤¡­Yes.

    Zia¡¯s voice flowed through.

    Sonya disyed the screen. It was a video call, but Zia¡¯s face flickered like a ck mosaic.

    ©¤Do it¡­

    The direct descendants of Libra don¡¯t get captured on camera. They wear artifacts that prevent it at all times.

    ©¤I trust you¡­ Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Yes. I will proceed as such.¡±

    ¡­

    For two days, I studied Jesco. With Grawl¡¯s help, I figured out their organizational structure, confirmed their scale, and dug up all sorts of personal information.

    ©¤The top dog is obviously Jesco! The second inmand is Face, and the third is Crow, but there¡¯s a bit of a feud between the two! They have factions!

    Factions. The easiest structure to exploit, but also the one that requires the most caution.

    If mishandled, sowing discord can actually solidify their bonds.

    ©¤And Jesco has a backer too! A big shot in the underworld called ¡®Blocker¡¯.

    Blocker.

    I¡¯m familiar with him. Drugs, illegal synthetic mana stones, body modifications, you name it¡ªa king of the underworld dealing in all sorts of shady stuff.

    ©¤Of course, rather than a backer, Jesco is more like a finger on Blocker¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Tell me more about the second and third inmand.¡±

    ©¤Yes! The second inmand, Face, has been serving Jesco from the start! He was famous for his fistfights in the back alleys, and he even taught himself Magic Body! On the other hand, the third inmand, Crow, is an elite. A university graduate. I hear he¡¯s the one with connections to the local police!

    Their faces said it all.

    Face was a thug covered in scars, Crow was a bespectacled intellectual.

    ©¤Shall we start today then?

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ©¤Great! I¡¯ll send out the message right away!

    I nodded and first put on the Infimian. The concept was a dealer who had tried to sell illegal synthetic mana stones to Lockhard. The face was roughly modeled after a homeless man from a desert country.

    ¡­

    As a dealer, I visited the weapons factory. It was under Jesco¡¯s umbre, a ce called [Mountain].

    ¡°¡­So, you want to sell these synthetic mana stones?¡±

    The CEO this time looked like a weasel. I nodded at him.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is this your first transaction?¡±

    ¡°No. I had a client before, but they suddenly disappeared.¡±

    ¡°¡­I bet they did.¡±

    He smirked. Then he skimmed over the synthetic mana stones I hadid out in the open suitcase.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll buy them. Just wait a moment. I¡¯ll send for the cash.¡±

    The CEO sent a message somewhere.

    It couldn¡¯t be an order to bring cash; he was probably reporting to Jesco.

    ¡°Ah. They¡¯re almost here. Care for a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    I carefully shook my head, pretending to be cautious. He leaned back with a sneer.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±

    Tick-tock©¤ tick-tock©¤ tick-tock©¤

    Quietly, the sound of time passing. The numerous workers in the factory nced over and snickered, and I deliberately made an anxious face.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s getting toote. I should go for today¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah. They¡¯re nearly here. Stay seated.¡±

    The CEO waved his hand. I sat back down, halting my attempt to stand.

    Right after.

    ¡°Ugh©¤©¤!¡±

    Someone from behind put a mask over my face.

    ¡°They¡¯re here now. Have a good trip.¡±

    With a mocking tone, I quietly smiled.

    ¡­

    I was put into a truck with the mask still on.

    Rattle-rattle- rattle-rattle-

    It seemed like we were traveling on a mountain road without any actual roads.

    ¡®We¡¯re just going around in circles. It¡¯s super close.¡¯

    ording to Grawl, who was tracking us, it was just a bluff.

    Anyway, I was intentionally kidnapped.

    ¡®We¡¯re going underground. Jesco¡¯s underground, that¡¯s where!¡¯

    Soon the path smoothed out, and the truck parked.

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    A gruff voice hoisted me to my feet. I staggered, led by them.

    ¡°Stand up straight, you fucker.¡±

    The walk seemed endless.

    No, how vast is this ce? Did they build a separate bomb shelter or something?

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    They shoved me into a chair.

    I shivered©¤ my shoulders, head, legs, hands, all of it. It was an act of utmost effort.

    ¡°©¤©¤You seem quite the scaredy-cat.¡±

    Then, a voice mixed with grease and arrogance flowed from in front.

    ¡°A mana stone seller with balls this small. Take off his mask.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Whoosh!

    The mask was ripped off. I slowly opened my eyes.

    Jesco was right in front of me. d only in a dirty gown over his bare body. He looked at me and smirked.

    ¡°Where are you from, huh? No ID, and I don¡¯t recognize your face.¡±

    ¡°¡­From abroad, I came from abroad.¡±

    ¡°Abroad? Your Edsi is too fluent for that.¡±

    ¡°Areal befura kasan arahal.¡±

    I spoke in a foreignnguage.

    I had learned it all, just in case, using ¡¸Notepad¡¹.

    Jesco¡¯s expression shifted slightly.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re from Arahall?¡±

    Arahall, the desert nation where Elise had once been kidnapped during her travels.

    There was no particr reason for choosing that as my cover.

    Simply because Jesco himself hailed from Arahall.

    ¡°Crus-¡±

    ¡°Alright, enough. Speak in themon tongue. It¡¯s giving me a headache.¡±

    Jesco waved his hand dismissively.

    He looked at me, furrowing his brow, but his demeanor was much more benign than before.

    That¡¯s why they say it¡¯s all about connections by blood, friendship, or school.

    Personally, I rank them as blood > friendship > school.

    For some reason, those who operate in the shadows seem to value friendship even more.

    ¡°¡­Which part of the desert?¡±

    ¡°From a region in the south called Krobs.¡±

    Jesco¡¯s eyes narrowed. He idly scratched his temple with the handgun he held.

    Of course, because Jesco was also from Krobs.

    It¡¯s notmon to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign country. Even less so, a fellow townsman in the same shady line of work.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors about ¡®Quantum Mechanic¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just here to sell mana stones¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­The quality of the mana stones is decent. Not as good as mine, but still.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a different category.¡±

    ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    I quietly nced at him from the corner of my eye.

    Of course, I could kill him right now if I wanted to. I had a short dagger hidden within my clothes.

    But that would only change the head of the snake.

    ¡°Where do you synthesize the mana stones?¡±

    ¡°I have a small factory set up.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jesco let out a snort ofughter.

    ¡°Alone¡­ you don¡¯t have a team?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have some talent. But you can¡¯t sell here.¡±

    He pointed the gun at me.

    ¡°This entire supply radius is mine. Illegal mana stones can¡¯t move without going through me.¡±

    I put on a crestfallen expression. Jesco chewed his teeth and let out a small sigh.

    ¡°What happened in the desert¡­ never mind.¡±

    He was clearly curious about my background.

    Again, it¡¯s really notmon to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign country.

    I was inwardly disappointed. I had prepared to answer any questions he might ask.

    ¡°Maybe¡­ you. Interested in bing a technician?¡±

    He proposed to me. I widened my eyes in surprise.

    ¡°A technician¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you sell under me. I¡¯ll give you 3% of the profits.¡±

    At that moment, some of the guys behind me stirred.

    3% of the profits. It seemed to be a rather generous offer.

    ¡°As long as I can sell my goods¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, Face. Show him the factory first.¡±

    Jesco gestured to someone behind me.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He roughly pulled me to my feet. That¡¯s when I finally saw his face. Face, the second-inmand, his features marred with deep scars.

    He pulled me close and whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Consider yourself lucky. I¡¯m sparing you from getting your head blown off.¡±

    Luck.

    He was right.

    I had manipted my luck to get in here, after all.

    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±

    But Face had other grievances.

    Of course, the 3% of profits.

    It was about the money.

    These gangster types shout about loyalty, and on the surface, they seem more loyal than anyone, but in reality, they¡¯re the ones who betray the easiest.

    ¡°Write down the location of the factory.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I feigned subservience and scribbled down a makeshift factory location on the paper. Face nced at it before pulling the mask back over my face.

    When I opened my eyes again, I was in front of a setup factory that Grawl had prepared in advance.

    ¡°This is it?¡±

    Face asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He let out a forcedugh, seemingly a bit perplexed.

    ¡°It¡¯s damn small.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    I had made it small on purpose.

    It was a ce to showcase my talent.

    Of course, Grawl would take care of the actual work, but how important a talented technician is in this business, how much money they can generate, and how serious the wars fought over them can be¡­

    I had experienced it all too bitterly before my regression.

    ¡°This is where the mana stones are made?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll show you. The process of my work.¡±

    Once they witnessed my talent, they will be speechless.

 Chapter 237: Expansion (2)

    <strong>Expansion (2)</strong>

    The process of synthesizing mana stones is as follows.

    First, prepare the shell of a spent stone, which is a mana stone that has been depleted of its magical power.

    Next, melt down the materials that will serve as the source of magical power. These materials, known as Artifacts, are typically the corpses of monsters or beasts, but living creatures can also be used.

    Finally, crystallize the melted materials using the technician¡¯s unique ¡®synthesis form¡¯ and insert it into the spent stone toplete the process.

    ¡°Go ahead and make one.¡±

    Face gestured with his hand.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I nned to synthesize the mana stone using Grawl¡¯s method.

    The process itself is not different from that of other technicians.

    ¡°I will operate the melting furnace.¡±

    ¡°©¤©¤Hold on a second.¡±

    Just then, another set of footsteps rushed in. Face turned around with a frown on his face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Crow.¡±

    The third inmand under Jesco, Crow.

    He pushed his sses up and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. We¡¯ll be observing as well. That¡¯s alright with you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    While I was fine with it, Face¡¯s face had already turned dark and stormy. Crow paid him no mind and stepped forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin. We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re truly a technician.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I looked at the melting furnace. Inside were the corpses of monsters that Grawl had prepared in advance.

    Click- As I flipped the switch, the solvent rose. Leather, bones, internal organs¡ªall of it bubbled and melted away.

    Now the ¡®synthesis form¡¯ is crucial.

    What distinguishes a technician is precisely this synthesis form¡ªthe task of ¡®recrystallizing¡¯ the solvent with a form that matches one¡¯s own magical power, nature, and characteristics.

    ¡°I will now synthesize.¡±

    In that regard, Grawl is a master of the stone.

    His ability to synthesize mana stones is naturally superior to any other technician, but for now, let¡¯s keep it moderately controlled. If the quality is too good, that would also raise suspicion.

    ¡°After manifesting the synthesis form I designed, I will circte magical power at a certain ratio¡­¡±

    The form manifested inside the melting furnace. It was the form Grawl had devised, and the magical power from my R-elix flowed into it.

    Whooooosh¡­

    The contents inside the furnace swirled and clung together as if caught in the wind. The once full liquid separated into two categories.

    Some were dregs, some were synthesis crystals.

    Now, inserting these crystals into the spent stone wouldplete the synthesized mana stone, and the dregs would be ssified as first-ss environmentally hazardous Artifact waste, which they would probably just bury in the ground or dump into the sea.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    I imnted the synthesis crystal into the spent stone and then presented it to them.

    Face simply nodded, while Crow showed a smile close to admiration.

    ¡°¡­¡­You are indeed a technician.¡±

    Immediately, a mask was ced over my face.

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t worry. The boss is calling for you. Take him nicely.¡±

    It was Crow¡¯s words.

    In reality, I was almost lifted and ced onto the truck.

    ¡­¡­

    I faced Jesco once again. Still in his robe over his bare body, he peered into my eyes and gave a somewhat strange smile.

    ¡°Crow seems to think well of you. Was it Belkman, your name?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡±

    He chewed the inside of his mouth silently, notpletely dispelling his suspicion as he slowly leaned in.

    ¡°You said you¡¯re from Krobs, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that school still there? I wonder if Trak, that old geezer, is still doing well.¡±

    It was a probing question.

    To see if I truly was someone who lived in Arahall¡¯s Krobs.

    This guy is indeed sharp.

    But now, my ¡¸Notepad¡¹ is filled with information about the vige of Krobs. Even the most trivial details, like which child in the vige is raising which scorpion.

    ¡°Trak¡­ Are you referring to Sir Karakshil, the instructor at the school?¡±

    Jesco¡¯s expression shifted slightly.

    ¡°Yeah. That old Karakshil geezer.¡±

    ¡°To us, he¡¯s Mr. Old Man.¡±

    ¡°He must be getting on in years.¡±

    Jesco idly touched his own wrinkles. It seemed odd to him that he had already passed his forties.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been quite some time since I left Krobs¡­ but he was in good health back then. He even taught us the Edsimonnguage.¡±

    ¡°Themonnguage? In that close-minded fart?¡±

    Jesco¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°In our time, yes. He said if we couldn¡¯t go against the flow of the times, we might as well embrace it, so he had someone fetchmonnguage textbooks for us.¡±

    ¡°It must have been tough crossing the sandstorms.¡±

    Krobs is located in a very remote corner of Arahall. A tiny city of just over five thousand people. The sandstorms are so severe that the road out of the vige is open only 3 to 4 days a month.

    ¡°Still, things are changing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they have to change. That hot backwater, if it doesn¡¯t change, everyone will burn up.¡±

    Jesco chuckled.

    ¡°Brings back memories. In my time, we used to y games like tombstone tipping.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a popr game. The kids bet on tombstone tipping.¡±

    ¡°Has time stopped there?¡±

    ¡°In a way, yes. But jeepse and go quite frequently now. The caravans, you know.¡±

    ¡°Jeeps? In my time, it was camels.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Belcon also switched from camels to jeeps. Ironically, Krobs breed of camels has be more expensive than jeeps. They¡¯re a tourist attraction now.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Belcon? You mean that balding Belcon?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯spletely bald now.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha. Is that so?¡±

    Jesco beamed with a bright smile. For a moment, he seemed to revert back to his younger days.

    His chatter went on for a long time.

    He called me Belkman and regaled me with quite a few tales of valor, and inquired about all sorts of people who were still in his hometown.

    I responded with earnest enthusiasm.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve talked too much.¡±

    Suddenly, Jesco spoke as if with sadness.

    Now that he could no longer return to that desert.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end the chatter here.¡±

    He nced at his watch and gestured with his hand.

    ¡°Step outside. I¡¯ll let you know the rest after we discuss.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I got up and walked out of his quarters. A few of his subordinates waiting in the corridor outside offered me a mask, but¡­

    ¡°Just let him go. No need to put that crap on him.¡±

    At Jesco¡¯s words, they immediately stepped back.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Quantum Mechanic, ¡®Jesco,¡¯ was momentarily lost in thought. Scenes of his homnd and the desert vividly flickered in his mind. The conversation about the desert had been quite enjoyable.

    ¡°Boss?¡±

    At his subordinate¡¯s call, he looked again at the synthetic mana stone in his hand. He tapped it lightly with his fingernail.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    The quality wasn¡¯t poor.

    No, it was actually quite good. It might rank in the top 5%pared to those from his own factory. Simr in performance to a premium product that appears one in every twenty, this mana stone even had a consistent quality.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jesco rested his chin in his hand.

    Top-grade synthetic mana stones pose a significantly lower risk to the human body, making them viable for use as drugs. Therefore, if he could continue to produce goods of this caliber, it meant he was dealing with an elite technician. An incredible gem.

    And even more trustworthy as a fellow desert native.

    ¡°Boss. 3% of the profits seems too high.¡±

    Face said. Crow then slightly furrowed his brow.

    ¡°A technician of this caliber normally receives that much, Mr. Face.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Face? Since when did you start calling me ¡®Mr.¡¯? Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Boss. He¡¯s a promising technician. 3% will be a bargain.¡±

    3% of the profits might seem insignificant at first nce,

    But Jesco pays 51% of his profits as tribute to ¡®Blocker.¡¯ It¡¯s essentially the cost for recognizing his rights over the distributionwork.

    So, 3% out of the remaining 49% means he¡¯s earning 2 to 3 times more than Face, who is second inmand.

    ¡°Is it because he¡¯s from the desert? We haven¡¯t even confirmed if he¡¯s really from the desert.¡±

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t make that distinction?¡±

    Jesco¡¯s face contorted in annoyance.

    He had lived in Krobs for 23 years. He could naturally distinguish the native pronunciation and the unique ent of his homnd.

    Above all, there were countless memories shared between himself and Belkman.

    ¡°The voice of someone from home reminds you of the sandstorm. It¡¯s abrasive and hot, like high-temperature wind.¡±

    He¡¯s definitely a fellow townsman. The only reason I didn¡¯t shoot him dead on sight was just that.

    Townspeople trust townspeople. I trust the sense of kinship with someone born in the inferior desert of Arahall, who came to Edsi with vague passion and hope.

    If a townsman can¡¯t trust another townsman, then who the hell can you trust?

    ¡°Expand that guy¡¯s factory equipment. Keep the profits at 3%. If he can increase the volume, I¡¯m willing to increase the percentage,¡± Jesco instructed.

    In that moment, Face secretly gritted his teeth, while Crow smiled, approving of the good decision.

    * * *

    Late at night.

    I returned to Lithium. Sonya was sitting in the empty factory office with a whiskey.

    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sat down in front of her. She turned the tablet PC so that the camera could see both of us.

    ©¤¡­How did it go?

    Zia asked.

    ¡°It looks like it will be a sess.¡±

    The n moving forward is simple.

    I will supply Jesco with synthetic mana stones. Gradually increasing the quality and quantity.

    At the same time, I will build a rapport with Jesco.

    People from the desert have a strong attachment to their natives. Having experienced it a few times before regression, it almost feels like it¡¯s a gically ingrained trait.

    So, I will pretend to be a fellow townsman who respects, admires, and likes Jesco. I will curry his favor, live under his patronage, and act as if I would give him my liver and galldder¡­

    Then, at some point, I will suddenly disappear.

    Without taking anything.

    Without wanting anything.

    Without deceiving anything.

    The existence known as Belkman will crumble away like dust.

    If I nt seeds of doubt along the way, like ¡®Face seems to dislike me,¡¯ Jesco will naturally start to suspect his own ranks.

    It¡¯s the prelude to division and downfall.

    ©¤¡­That¡¯s a relief. But, Derek is going to call Shion.

    Sonya bit her lip slightly at the mention of Derek, and I tilted my head.

    ¡°Are you referring to me?¡±

    ©¤Yes¡­ There¡¯s a mission¡­ It could be very dangerous¡­

    A dangerous mission.

    Zia mentioned it.

    ©¤It¡¯s about Theia Esil¡­

    * * *

    The next day.

    As Zia said, I received a summons from the direct line of Libra.

    Not Zia, not Jade, not even Johanna, but the eldest son, Derek.

    He called me through a monitor.

    Really, through a monitor.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m concerned whether it¡¯s appropriate for me to meet Derek in such a manner.¡±

    I was sitting at the desk in my dormitory, and Derek was on theptop screen.

    Facing the direct line through a mere monitor.

    If it had been Jade, he would have probably detested it immensely.

    ©¤Technology is made to be utilized. I also don¡¯t need to bother moving my body to meet with underlings, so it¡¯s quite convenient.

    On the other hand, Derek, although his entire body was mosaic-ed ck due to the influence of an artifact, was clearly a person without prejudice in this regard.

    ©¤But I heard you rmended the cafe business to Jade.

    A snicker, something akin to a scoff, mocking Jade.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ©¤Right, it¡¯s a business that suits Jade well. Better to invest the money you have in something you care about. It was a good rmendation.

    Derek¡¯s voice carried a hint ofughter as he began, but it soon turned rigid.

    ©¤You¡¯ve probably heard the gist from Zia.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ©¤As you know, the Intelligence Agency has shares owned by the direct line, but I hold the ownership. Therefore, I¡¯ve preemptively obtained information about what kind of scheme a mere professor named ¡®Theia Esil¡¯ is plotting against Libra.

    Derek tilted his head slightly.

    ©¤The operation is simple. Theia Esil. We will bring that woman to ruin.

    I nodded calmly.

    ©¤Of course, you¡¯re not the one in charge. It¡¯s not something you can be responsible for. The main actors will be my bncers. They will convey the details to you but¡­

    Derek paused for a moment, looking into my face as he asked.

    ©¤Will you participate? I¡¯ve intentionally borrowed you for Zia, but your own intentions are also important.

    Theia Esil.

    She was my former teacher, an enemy of Libra, and ultimately a tragic person who would be defeated and killed by Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡­I.¡±

    However, not in this operation.

    The death of Theia Esil is an event at least five years away.

    It means this operation will fail.

    ¡°I am not qualified to participate in such a grand operation. Especially if it¡¯s the work of the bncers.¡±

    ©¤¡­¡­Hmm.

    Derek had a peculiar expression, but it was better than excessive confidence.

    ©¤You mean to refuse?

    ¡°I would like to help. I am in a position where I can observe Professor Theia Esil closely. Because I am a student attending her lectures. So.¡±

    This mission is doomed to fail anyway.

    I don¡¯t want to get involved and be med for the failure, nor do I particrly want to ensure its sess.

    ¡°Perhaps I could simply carry out the orders provided by the bncers or offer very minor advice¡­¡±

    Just that, nothing more.

    Not getting my feet wet, norpletely stepping out, but a vague position.

    ©¤¡­¡­Fine. You have perfect self-objectivity. I¡¯ll pass it on to the bncer soon. The bncer wille to you.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    Click©¤.

    Themunication was cut off.

    I looked out the window with a small smile on my face.

    ¡°¡­¡­You must have heard.¡±

    Now, this information has been leaked to Theia Esil.

    Derek doesn¡¯t know, but there¡¯s an inside line to Theia Esil.

    Among the direct line, there¡¯s a spy specifically monitoring Derek, nted by her.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    What I need to do now is simple.

    To watch as Derek faces defeat at the hands of Theia Esil.

 Chapter 238: Expansion (3)

    <strong>Expansion (3)</strong>

    Edsi National University, Theia Esil¡¯s office.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She had received some information through her spy. It was about Derek from Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡­Moving as expected.¡±

    This month, Theia had been invited to the ¡®Parliament House.¡¯

    Derek would be there too. After all, the ultimate goal of those with significant power is the parliament.

    The reason was a hearing. An event to summon and question influential business people, Senators, before the assembly. Nobles aspiring to be Senators like Derek must pass through this gateway. Theia, as a professor at the national university, would be a witness and consultant at that hearing.

    Derek probably got his hands on his preparatory materials in advance.

    Derek¡¯s anti-human rights employment history. The reality of workce environmental pollution, the never-acknowledged industrial ident treatments, and the countless workersid off under the guise of cost-cutting.

    These were the evidence that Derek should not set foot in the parliament.

    Beep-

    Just then, the blood pressure monitor beeped.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Fortunately, it¡¯s normal. Ever since she got sick, she¡¯s been diligent about self-diagnosis, but it¡¯s still a hassle.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    With her arms crossed, she pondered what Derek might be up to. Since bribery and persuasion wouldn¡¯t work on her, as he would have realized long ago, he would probably attack her, the ¡®messenger.¡¯

    However, Theia had never done anything socially reprehensible.

    Would he then resort to framing her with fabricated evidence, or in the worst-case scenario, attempt to kill her in an attack? Such unorthodox tactics were possible.

    It was still hard to tell, but Theia¡¯s defenses were solid.

    Derek would be disgraced at this hearing.

    * * *

    I¡¯m sitting on a bench at the national university, synthesizing vitamin D in the sunlight, indulging inziness for the first time in a while.

    ¡°Ughhh¡­¡±

    As sleepiness poured over me, my mouth opened, and my eyes began to close.

    Rustle-

    Someone took a seat next to me.

    I immediately opened my eyes, trying to look as alert as possible.

    ¡°Take this.¡±

    I nced sideways. There was a man in casual clothes. Definitely a bncer, but he looked like a college student.

    I know his name.

    A very familiar face.

    Bncer Smith.

    ¡°¡­¡­Take it.¡±

    He spoke again. I looked at the paper envelope ced on the bench between us.

    I picked it up.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Inside the envelope, there¡¯s a recorder and a phone. Install the recorder in Theia Esil¡¯s car and report back.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Of course, I¡¯ll do as I¡¯m told, but in the end, they will lose, and Theia Esil will win.

    From Derek¡¯s perspective, it was a defeat that exposed his ws; from Theia¡¯s, a victory that came with many wounds.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your invitation.¡±

    Smith handed me a small card.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I took it without a word.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the Parliament House.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m to enter the Parliament House?¡±

    The Parliament House. Literally, a ce where those who pull the strings of society gather.

    However, the Parliament House is not the ¡®Parliament.¡¯ It¡¯s a hall somewhat removed from the Parliament itself.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be under the guise of a university student journalist. Don¡¯t be disappointed, but the Parliament House isn¡¯t as sacred as one might think. It¡¯s more of a hotbed for politics.¡±

    He was right.

    I just pretended to be surprised.

    ¡°Lord Jade will be attending the hearing. Theia Esil has prepared a disrespectful inquiry.¡±

    Their n, most likely, is to prevent Theia Esil from attending at all.

    Before my regression, they even went to the extreme of nting a bomb in Theia¡¯s car.

    ¡°Is installing this recorder all I need to do? Is there anything else you need?¡±

    I asked. Bncer Smith¡¯s expression twitched slightly.

    ¡°¡­Just do what you¡¯re told. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    The bncer stood up, indicating he didn¡¯t want to hear any more. Watching him leave, I shrugged my shoulders.

    If they say do it, I do it.

    ¡­

    National University parking lot.

    I stood there. Installing the recorder wasn¡¯t difficult.

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t even lock it.¡±

    The car door was wide open.

    It¡¯s not that Theia Esil is particrly careless in this regard, rather.

    She¡¯s leading me on.

    To know in advance what¡¯s being done to her and to deal with it.

    I reached into the envelope. Inside were a recorder and a phone for contact.

    First, I hid the recorder deep inside the car. Then I made a call to someone.

    ¡°The task isplete.¡±

    ©¤¡­

    No response.

    ¡°However, I find it suspicious. The car door was open. It doesn¡¯t seem like mere carelessness, rather like we¡¯re being lured in¡ª¡±

    ©¤I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion. Just do what you¡¯re told.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Of course, that¡¯s what you would say.

    ¡°Yes. My apologies.¡±

    ©¤I¡¯ll contact youter.

    Click-

    The call ended. I pocketed the phone and turned around.

    Just then, Theia Esil appeared in the distance.

    She seemed to have just left her office and nced at me as she walked to her car. I nodded naturally and passed by.

    * * *

    Soliette still resides deep within the Bottle of Souls, perhaps akin to the abyssal depths of the sea.

    A ce devoid of light, where for dozens of days one must rely solely on the flickering of mana to forge a path.

    It¡¯s the worst environment for a human, but Soliette¡¯s heart is fuller than ever before. It feels truly alive.

    By her side, moving in tandem with her, is Jared Arkne.

    It¡¯s thanks to her brother, with whom she shares a purpose.

    ¡°It will be tough, but let¡¯s push a bit further today.¡±

    Jared Arkne said.

    He still seemed unaware of his true identity, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Soliette once had a dream. To embark on such adventures with her brother. Like heroes protecting the world, together they would defeat monsters and save people¡­

    It was a simple childhood wish.

    ¡°Enemies! Death Knights!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    In the darkness, with the appearance of the Death Knights, they quickly assumed battle stances.

    Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤!

    The Death Knight swung its greatsword. The rough sword wind swirled like a whirlwind, but they dodged it with practiced ease. Jared charged in a straight line, piercing the Death Knight¡¯s neck, while Soliette severed its lower half.

    ¡°¡­Phew. Are you alright, Jared?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Death Knights are no longer a big deal.

    Soliette looked at Jared. Jared looked back at her. He smiled faintly, and Soliette puffed her cheeks unnecessarily.

    ¡°But really, when does this end? There seems to be no end in sight.¡±

    A question about the end, while hoping there isn¡¯t one.

    Jared scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Thepass says we¡¯re not far off now.¡±

    He took out thepass.

    As if indicating they were nearing the bottom of the bottle, the N and S poles no longer moved.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    At Soliette¡¯s words, Jared chuckled. He then floated a sphere of mana again. Gradually, the dark space brightened.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The two of them trudged on, step by step.

    The end was not far off.

    Soliette felt a twinge of regret at the thought, but for a good ending, it was necessary. After all, therees a time to wake up even the best of dreams.

    She watched Jared¡¯s back and smiled softly.

    * * *

    For a week, Jesco had been busy setting up a new factory. He provided Belkman with state-of-the-art synthetic mana stone equipment, sourced the best raw materials possible, and ced mercenary-level security guards.

    The cost was roughly 50 million Ren.

    It was a significant expenditure for a first investment, but Jesco was quite satisfied.

    The humming of the fully operational factory only added to his satisfaction.

    ¡°Looks like things are going well, Belke?¡±

    Jesco called out to Belkman, who was engrossed in his work in the middle of the factory.

    For your information, ¡®Belke¡¯ is a nickname, amon way of shortening names in the desert. For men, it ends with ¡®-e¡¯, and for women, ¡®-i¡¯.

    Belkman turned to look at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Brother Jesco.¡±

    Jesco raised his eyebrows and sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°Take a seat.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Belkman sat down in the seat in front of him. Jesco leaned towards him.

    ¡°Belke, when you first went to see Lockhard.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you just swallow everything they said?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. They talked about opening a new world¡­ I didn¡¯t even understand what that meant.¡±

    Shion¡ªBelkman lied naturally.

    After all, no matter how he twisted the story, there was no risk of being caught. The dead tell no tales.

    Jesco smirked.

    ¡°Idiot bastards. Because those fucks died, there¡¯s now a gap in the Section. These Lithium guys are bing a nuisance.¡±

    Lithium Corporation. Jesco¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.

    Belkman cautiously interjected.

    ¡°In my opinion, I don¡¯t think we need to worry about them.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Anypany using natural mana stones can¡¯tpete with those supplied with synthetic mana stones.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    It¡¯s a different level of pricepetitiveness.

    ¡°So right now, it seems important to expand our mana stone supply routes. With more mana stones to be produced in the future, we can¡¯t waste time on a small enterprise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right. You have a point there.¡±

    Jesco nodded in agreement.

    Belkman asked another question.

    ¡°But, Brother Jesco. Is it okay if the pattern of the synthetic mana stones suddenly changes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just shrug it off by saying the form has changed. After some time, they might suspect that a new technician hase on board, but it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t show your face too much.¡±

    Technicians are always a target.

    At Jesco¡¯s words, tinged with a hint of concern, Shion put on a deliberately worried expression.

    Shion disyed a look of worry, like a plea of help.

    Jesco noticed it.

    ¡°Something on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, no, it¡¯s not that there¡¯s a problem, but¡­ I¡¯m just a little concerned that Mr. Face might not be too happy with me.¡±

    ¡°Face?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard some talk, and they say that a 3% profit is too much¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. A technician like you deserves that 3%. Even if Face looks vicious on the outside, he¡¯s fair when ites to business.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but¡­¡±

    That was enough. Rtionships between people change gradually, like grains of sand umting.

    ¡°By the way, brother. This is some homemade liquor.¡±

    Belkman brought out a bottle of scorpion-infused liquor he had prepared earlier.

    ¡°Homemade liquor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I saw some Sonof scorpions being sold on the roadside. It reminded me of the old days, so I decided to infuse some. It should taste great in about 2 to 3 months.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll enjoy it, but don¡¯t wander around outside carelessly.¡±

    As Jesco spoke, he ran his fingers over the surface of the bottle of homemade liquor.

    ¡°Deciding to work in this business means you¡¯re making enemies on the surface.¡±

    Belkman nodded as if taking the advice to heart.

    ¡°You can live just asvishly underground, maybe even more so than on the surface. So try not to go around alone if you can help it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jesco looked at Belkman in silence for a moment.

    A guy from the desert is trustworthy. There¡¯s a sense of kinship that only desert people can feel.

    Probably, this guy felt something simr to what he did.

    ¡°Ah, and also, brother. This.¡±

    Belkman reached into his pocket again. Jesco flinched. If it had been someone else, he might have shot them with a gun on the spot.

    Reaching into a pocket in front of him meant the same as pulling out a weapon.

    ¡°Will you ept this?¡±

    Instead of a weapon, it was a small orange stone fragment.

    Jesco¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°A tombstone?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I brought it with me when I left the desert. Ites in a pair.¡±

    It was a desert stone that had once been whole but was now split in two.

    When you run your fingers over it, sand sticks to them like salt.

    ¡°Why go to the trouble for something like this?¡±

    ¡°To not forget my homnd. To remember where our roots are, where and how we came from.¡±

    Jesco made a nonchnt face, but Belkman continued with a slight smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying, isn¡¯t there? Even if one day you failpletely©¤¡±

    ¡°©¤the desert will be waiting for you.¡±

    A faint smile spread across Jesco¡¯s lips again.

    He fiddled with the piece of desert stone before slipping it into his pocket.

    Nostalgia, it seems, can be more addictive than opium.

    Back when he was trapped in the sandstorms of his youth, he despised everything about his homnd.

    ¡°Well, go rest now. You can start with the mana stone delivery right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Jesco rose from his seat and walked out. Belkman gave a desert-style silent salute to his retreating figure.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Whirring©¤©¤

    With Quantum Mechanic gone, the machinery of the factory began to operate with a rough noise. asionally, cigarette smoke from the guards outside wafted through the windows that never saw sunlight.

    The space seemed empty.

    Left alone in that ce, Belkman chuckled softly to himself and muttered.

    ¡°It should only take a month or two, at most.¡±

 Chapter 239: Unharmed (1)

    <strong>Unharmed (1)</strong>

    Edsi National University, [Application of Magical Forms] ssroom

    ¡°¡­¡­when youpute this form, it breaks down like this.¡±

    Tenured Professor Theia Esil wrote on the chalkboard. The ssroom full of students copied down her notes.

    ¡°Furthermore, when manifesting a magical form, environmental factors are also important¡­¡­¡±

    She continued speaking while her gazended on someone in the room.

    Shion Ascal.

    Brazenly taking notes, he was a Chaser of Libra.

    Theia had been aware of his activities since long ago. Gathering this level of intelligence was easy for her.

    ¡°©¤©¤That will be all for today.¡±

    The three-hour ss came to an end. While most students closed their notebooks, the usual exemry ones approached the lectern.

    ¡°Professor.¡±

    Elise was the first. Theia nodded at her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Are you feeling better now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Then, about this part¡ª¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t know who it was?¡±

    Theia cut off Elise¡¯s words.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡±

    Theia had certainly been knocked out due to the death curse, but when she opened her eyes, she was in a hospital. Without that unexpected help, her life would have truly been in danger.

    ¡°Not yet. If I start searching in earnest, I¡¯ll find them soon. Right now, I¡¯m just too busy with patient paperwork.¡±

    Yet, that ¡®someone¡¯ was still unknown. Theia, who disliked owing debts, was even prepared to pay a reward of 100,000 Ren.

    ¡°But more importantly¡­ about this part.¡±

    Elise stubbornly pointed to her own notes.

    ¡°In this section, when the circuit is cut, the magic disperses, right? I understood it as utilizing the dispersion that urs from an artificial break, is that correct?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the correct understanding. There are various ways to utilize circuits. Normally, you connect magical circuits, but sometimes you intentionally break them to create¡­¡±

    While this was happening, Shion Ascal had already disappeared from his seat.

    * * *

    My college life was fairly smooth.

    As a student of the Knight Academy, I trained hard, attended lectures diligently, and neglected my social life.

    I also managed to maintain fairly high grades. Hovering just below the top line of Gerken, Kain, and Asher? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t seem to break into that upper tier.

    For the record, Soliette is on the verge of academic probation.

    Actually, it¡¯s almost certain.

    She¡¯s still adventuring in the bottle of souls, and she might never graduate.

    Because of that, the seat next to me feels a bit empty.

    But for her, that ce is probably the most important right now.

    Because those are the days she spends with Jared.

    Anyway.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    [The Parliament House is a government office built in the mountain ranges of eastern Edsi.]

    In my dorm¡¯s private room.

    I¡¯m staring at theptop screen, pondering.

    [Due to security concerns, the entrance to the Parliament House, which hosts the hearing, will only be open for 3 hours from 11 AM to 2 PM on the day of the hearing, and will not be opened again until the hearing concludes.]

    Given the importance of the individuals gathering, the entrance times are restricted. Once inside the Parliament House during the designated times, it¡¯s absolutely safe.

    That¡¯s why Derek¡¯s subordinate doesn¡¯t want to let Theia Esil in.

    [¡­This hearing will be attended by prominent figures, including Libra¡¯s eldest son Derek, the heir of Bern, Salio, and others.]

    ¡°A victory that¡¯s only skin deep.¡±

    I know this story.

    Theia wins at this hearing. She manages to attend and exposes Derek¡¯s true face.

    But it¡¯s a victory that¡¯s only skin deep.

    For Theia, it really is.

    She seeds in stirring up the ho¡¯s nest that is Derek, but the bacsh is too immense.

    Her research facility is bombed, her family secrets she wanted to keep buried are exposed in the media, and worst of all, as a form of retribution, several of her students are murdered.

    And Derek?

    He faces a ss-actionwsuit but squirms out of it with all sorts of tricks, maniptes public opinion through the media, and aside from his ¡®pride,¡¯ money, and time, he doesn¡¯t suffer much damage.

    From Theia¡¯s perspective, it was an attack with the worst cost-effectiveness.

    ¡°¡­But then again.¡±

    I looked at my Libra phone.

    ¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to ask me to do?¡±

    There¡¯s no contact from the Bncer. As if they expect me to fail anyway.

    ¡°Should I stop it?¡±

    I was in a dilemma.

    Should I just watch Derek¡¯s disgrace?

    Or should I stop Theia from poking the ho¡¯s nest, saving Derek¡¯s face in the process?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I thought hard.

    One path is a future I know all too well, and the other is uncertain¡ªbut

    Theia.

    I like you.

    ¡°I should stop it.¡±

    Because I like you, I¡¯ll side with Derek.

    If possible, I¡¯ll change your pathetic downfall.

    Because I don¡¯t wish for a future where you die either.

    * * *

    ¡°So, does Jescopletely trust you now?¡±

    Late at night at Lithium Corporation.

    Sonya asked while organizing the ledger in the office.

    ¡°Yes. It seems so. To be certain, I¡¯ll put in more effort for another month or two. It should end without any variables.¡±

    I fiddled with the ne. Sonya¡¯s eyes caught it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a university press pass. It allows me to enter the Parliament House.¡±

    ¡°The Parliament House? You mean the hearing for the eldest son?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sonya slightly clenched her teeth.

    Thus, her resentment towards Derek had deepened considerably.

    ¡°It starts at 11 today¡­ Somehow, I ended up deciding to attend as well.¡±

    ¡°And your mission?¡±

    ¡°¡­To write an article as favorable to Sir Derek as possible and contribute it to the university newspaper.¡±

    It was a direct order from Smith. They call it shaping public opinion or something like that.

    Basically, they¡¯re telling me to stay out of it.

    Sonya let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it? So, are you nning to just sit this one out?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders nonchntly.

    ¡°I n to act when the timees. More importantly, how is R&D progressing?¡±

    Jesco will fall soon. Not just because of the desert¡¯s heat. He¡¯s going to expand his business trusting ¡®Belkman¡¯, but if Belkman suddenly disappears, he won¡¯t be able to handle the scale of it.

    With Quantum Mechanic gone, a void will appear in the Edsi mid-western arms industry, and Lithium will have to seize control by releasing an enormous quantity of high-quality stock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just keep a proper eye on Jesco.¡±

    Ding¡ª

    Right then, a text message arrived.

    It was from Jesco.

    ¡°¡­Looks like there¡¯s no need to keep an eye on him. He keeps sending texts.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? What¡¯s he saying?¡±

    Sonya asked, seemingly curious.

    ¡°It¡¯s trivial stuff. He¡¯s suggesting I try donating to some inte stream or something like that when I¡¯m bored. Says I could get treated like a king.¡±

    ¡°Huh, really?¡±

    ©¤¡­Heh.

    A faint chuckle intermingled from somewhere. Sonya and I turned simultaneously towards the source.

    It was a turned-off monitor.

    ¡°¡­Were you there?¡±

    ©¤¡­

    In response to my question, click¡ª

    The monitor turned on.

    Zia spoke with a slightly embarrassed tone.

    ©¤Yeah¡­ I was here, with you guys¡­

    ¡°You should have said something earlier.¡±

    ©¤If I¡¯m around¡­ you guys don¡¯t have fun conversations¡­

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Sonyaughed as if she found her cute, but I was a bit on edge.

    This is why even my innermost thoughts must be censored. This is why I must self-censor my own thoughts.

    ©¤I wanted to join in the conversation too¡­ but I was afraid you¡¯d find it boring¡­

    You never know when, where, or how Zia might be watching us.

    * * *

    The day of the parliamentary hearing arrived.

    Theia, a tenured professor, was meticulously packing the documents she had prepared into her backpack.

    ¡°Oh, are you leaving now?¡±

    As soon as she stepped out, her graduate students asked her. They were mostly disheveled due to the recent increase in research work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm~ But I¡¯m a bit worried.¡±

    Her subordinate, Dr. Jeremy, spoke with a concerned tone.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just stirring up a ho¡¯s nest? Those nobles turn into real lunatics when you mess with them¡­¡±

    ¡°They might. But the continent needs to know. They need to know about Derek¡¯s atrocities.¡±

    Theia descended to the first floor. As usual, she stopped by the caf¨¦ to buy a cup of coffee. She took a slight sniff of it.

    There was a strange bitter scent mixed in.

    Perhaps a sleeping drug.

    The Chasers of Libra, they really do target such trivial everyday moments.

    ¡­Thump.

    Theia deliberately bumped into someone, causing her coffee to spill all over the floor.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    The other person apologized, but Theia, pretending it was her own fault, quickly left the caf¨¦.

    And then.

    She got into her car in the parking lot.

    She was already aware of the bug installed in it.

    What kind of game will unfold? Let¡¯s see.

    ¡­

    Libra¡¯s Bncers enjoy various benefits and privileges. They have unlimited expense ounts, private offices, and if they wish, they can have several Chasers under theirmand.

    Thus, a Bncer is essentially a department in its own right.

    ¡°Theia¡¯s location has been confirmed. She¡¯s inside her vehicle. She just left.¡±

    Smith nodded at his subordinate¡¯s report.

    ¡°Any notable recordings?¡±

    ¡°No. Nothing significant, but it¡¯s definitely Theia herself.¡±

    In this way, the listening device serves simply to distinguish that it¡¯s Theia herself. If the wrong person got into the car, it would be problematic.

    ¡°It seems that the college student has managed not to get caught.¡±

    ¡®That college student¡¯ is Shion Ascal. He was brought into the operation simply because Derek wanted to test his abilities as a potential Bncer.

    ¡°She might have caught him but is pretending not.¡±

    It¡¯s more likely that he doesn¡¯t know what we¡¯re up to and is trying to find out.

    However, no matter what they predict, Theia Esil will never be able to attend the hearing.

    ¡°Get ready.¡±

    Bncer Smith ns to blow up Theia¡¯s entire car. It¡¯s a remote magical explosion performed through ¡¸Spectrum¡¹.

    He has already clumped magic onto Theia¡¯s vehicle like y.

    ¡°What will we do if she dies?¡±

    ¡°It would be best if she dies. But she¡¯s not the kind of person to be killed by such tricks.¡±

    Smith closed his eyes. Quietly, he activated his magic and began the countdown in his mind.

    5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­

    Explosion.

    ¡­

    The scenery of the parliamentary building is quite grim. It¡¯s located between the mountains in the eastern part of Edsi, as far away from the underworld as possible.

    The entrance to the parliamentary building is set up like a cave in the deep mountains.

    Derek, who entered leisurely on time, received the report.

    ©¤Theia¡¯s vehicle has exploded. Theia herself has fallen into the riverbank with the car.

    At Smith¡¯s transmission, Derek let out a smirk.

    ¡°¡­It was nothing serious then.¡±

    After all, the very idea that a mere professor could challenge him is absurd.

    ¡°Ah. Derek. You were here.¡±

    Someone called out to Derek. He looked over. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he forced a genial expression.

    It¡¯s a guy named ¡®Vern¡¯.

    The heir of the Voltark family, who has long been on bad terms with Libra, asked:

    ¡°How are the preparations for the hearing?¡±

    ¡°What preparations need to be made?¡±

    Both men smiled at each other, but it was a smile with hidden knives. They treated each other like cockroaches and rat bastards.

    ¡°Ah, of course, Derek. There must be something to prepare. From what I know, that professor¡ªTheia, is it? She¡¯s been sharpening her knives for you.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Derek snorted and raised an eyebrow.

    She¡¯s already been dealt with.

    ¡°A mere professor thinks she can take me on¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should have taken it easy. Derek, you¡¯re too blinded by immediate gains. There¡¯s a reason why Voltark remains number one in the business world, even if you stretch your tentacles far and wide.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a statistical fact, leaving him without a proper retort.

    While Librapetes for the top spot in terms of overall family size, in the realm of single enterprises, Voltark¡¯s big techpany ¡®Everett¡¯ holds the number one position.

    Derek¡¯s lips frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite talkative today, Vern.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s leave it at that. After all, there¡¯s a spectacle to watch today. Haha.¡±

    Even as Vern turned to leave, he continued to taunt incessantly.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, ording to my sources, the person in that overturned car wasn¡¯t Theia Esil.¡±

    Suddenly, Derek¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s a scary look. Nice to see. Reminds me of the old days.¡±

    Vern waved his hand and walked away, and just then, Derek¡¯s Libra phone received a call.

    ©¤Lord Derek.

    It was Smith.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ©¤I apologize. Upon examining the overturned car, we found that it wasn¡¯t Theia inside, but a doll¡­ We¡¯re trying our best to track down her whereabouts, but¡ª.

    Derek immediately hung up the call. He clenched his teeth. His entire face twitched as if bitten by insects.

    The fact that Theia had slipped away and that Vern, that piece of trash, had obtained the information first¡­

    A surge of anger reddened Derek¡¯s face in an instant.

    He stood there motionless for nearly 30 minutes.

    Whirring©¤©¤

    Suddenly, the vibration rang out again.

    ¡°These goddamn bastards.¡±

    Who the hell is this fucking moron calling him?

    ¡°What the-¡±

    ©¤Lord Derek. We have located Theia Esil.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Derek¡¯splexion contorted.

    Frowning, he listened closely to the voice. It wasn¡¯t Smith¡¯s tone.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ©¤It¡¯s Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­Shion Ascal?¡±

    Derek unwittingly switched the phone to his right hand.

    ©¤Yes. Would it be alright if I conduct a solo operation for a moment?

    * * *

    Clunk-clunk©¤ clunk-clunk©¤

    The sound of rattling on the rails.

    Theia Esil was sitting inside a train.

    By now, Derek and his cronies must be quite flustered.

    The whole story is simple yetplicated. It¡¯s a technique that humans are bound to fall for.

    It¡¯s the Doll Magic.

    A spell so difficult that it¡¯s practically obsolete in modern times.

    However, Theia had learned it over the shoulder of an old friend and current nemesis, a bitch named Akane who was a genius at Doll Magic.

    Of course, she couldn¡¯t handle it as ¡®perfectly human¡¯ as that bitch, but it was possible to pretend to be herself and drive a car.

    Clunk-clunk©¤ clunk-clunk©¤

    Anyway, the fake Theia had driven the car and flipped it, while the real one had boarded the train the previous evening.

    Of course, she hadn¡¯t bought a train ticket.

    Why would she stupidly allow herself to be tracked?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Theia sat calmly in her seat, plugging in her earphones.

    Listening to cozy ssical music, she waited to arrive at her destination, when suddenly.

    A tall man ced his bag on the overhead shelf and sat down in the seat in front of her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia inadvertently looked his way.

    Neatlybed blond hair. A tidy suit. Broad shoulders. A ne reading [Parliament House College Journalist] resting on his chest.

    Her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    The man also looked surprised, his eyes widening.

    ¡°Professor?¡±

    Libra¡¯s Chaser, Shion Ascal.

    There he was, right in front of her.

 Chapter 240: Unharmed (2)

    <strong>Unharmed (2)</strong>

    The train ttered along the tracks.

    Inside the swaying carriage, Theia¡¯s eyes fell on Shion Ascal across from her. He was in the middle of eating a neatly buttered toast.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    In stark contrast to Shion, who was dressed casually in a reporter¡¯s outfit with a name tag ne that read [College Journalist: Shion Ascal], Theia had her face more than half-covered with a bread hat and sunsses.

    Nevertheless, he recognized her instantly.

    ¡°Would you like some?¡±

    Shion gestured towards his toast. Theia shook her head. He took a bite from the corner of the bread and pulled out hisptop.

    Click-ck- click-

    The sound of typing was soon apanied by the noise of a TV broadcast.

    ©¤The entrance to the hearing will close in three hours. The current attendees include¡­¡­

    Could he have been sent by Derek on some mission? Or was it simply a coincidence?

    At this point, it seemed more likely to be a coincidence.

    Even Derek wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to assign a mere twenty-year-old to her.

    ¡°Are you attending the hearing?¡±

    Theia asked with a subtle tone. Shion nced up briefly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I¡¯m going as a journalist. To write an article.¡±

    ¡°An article?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Parliament House invites people from all walks of life to the ¡®scene¡¯.

    ©¤Boltak¡¯s head of the house and CEO of Everett, Vern, and the head of the house of Livri, Derek¡­¡­

    The sound flowed from hisptop. Use some earphones, for goodness¡¯ sake.

    ¡°Your career path was Libra, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Theia asked Shion. It was a question befitting a professor.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    There was a slight amusement in his voice, as if something was bothering him. It wasn¡¯t surprising, given that Libra was considered quite ¡®promising¡¯.

    After all, it had be one of the most influential noble houses in Edsi, especially since it had risen to prominence with the current head, Sherlock, and was even considered a potential candidate for the next Chairman.

    ¡°You might be disappointed today.¡±

    Theia deliberately threw out the bait, trying to gauge his reaction, but Shion remained silent.

    Click-ck- click-ck-

    He just kept typing on his keyboard, seemingly pre-writing an article.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia looked out the window.

    The train moved without incident. Thendscape, filled with the reflection of the river, passed by, and the sound of typing blended into the background like ambient noise.

    Just then, the snack cart came by.

    Theia bought some squid and banana milk.

    Chew-chew-

    She chewed on a squid leg like gum and nced at Shion Ascal.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    He was on her mind.

    Not just because he was a potential threat due to his loyalty to Libra©¤©¤

    But because he was living on borrowed time.

    Shion Ascal¡¯s subconscious had confessed to her that he was living with a terminal condition.

    It¡¯s impossible not to be concerned. Regardless of severity, they were both patients.

    Ssssssst¡­

    Suddenly, the train began to slow down. Theia looked around, puzzled. The other passengers had simr expressions on their faces.

    ©¤©¤Attention, passengers.

    The captain¡¯s voice echoed from the ceiling speakers, sounding somber, with a breathless, trembling tone.

    The passengers seemed unconcerned.

    ©¤Please remain calm and listen carefully to what I am about to say, as it is all true.

    Theia¡¯s lips, which had been chewing on squid, paused slightly.

    She only rolled her eyes to look at Shion.

    Tap-tap- Although he was still typing something¡­

    ©¤I must inform you that a bomb has been nted on our train.

    Theia¡¯s head jerked in surprise. Shion Ascal¡¯s eyes widened as well.

    ©¤The terrorist has threatened to detonate the bomb if there is anymotion-

    Almost simultaneously, chaos erupted. Some passengers screamed, others quickly stood up, and children began to cry.

    Boom©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    As if on cue, an explosion urred. The origin was unclear, but a massive vibration shook the entire train.

    Thanks to that, the train¡¯s interior was quickly subdued.

    ©¤Please, stay calm. We are currently negotiating. I amplying with the terrorist¡¯s demands, and they have stated they have no reason to harm us.

    Theia silently tilted her head, looking across from her.

    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal looked around in confusion.

    ©¤Additionally, we have established a connection with the base station, and the train will be making a temporary stop¡­

    She found him suspicious.

    * * *

    Derek nced at his watch dozens of times per minute. He loitered near the grand entrance of the Parliament House, pretending to be uninterested.

    He knew it was beneath his dignity, but in truth, he was not overly fixated on such formalities. What mattered most to him was his pride, and that pride was synonymous with his business.

    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡±

    A gratingugh seemed to drift in from somewhere.

    It was Vern.

    He nced over here while conversing with the Senators. Just a look was enough to feel humiliated, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He could only wait.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Derek looked at his Libra phone.

    The documents for the hearing prepared by Theia Esil must never be made public.

    It would cause significant disruption to his business.

    From Derek¡¯s perspective, those who criticize issues likebor conditions, wages, welfare, and the environment are all trash. Those ignorant fools don¡¯t understand that society will decline if you worry about the treatment of mere wage workers.

    The paramount task of a corporation is to invest costs as efficiently as possible, develop technology, pursue profit, and ultimately promote the overall development of society.

    Is there any country more difficult to do business in than Edsi?

    For Derek, the eldest son of a leading family and a true member of the social elite, it was frustrating andmentable.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek turned on his Libra phone again.

    Smith and Shion Ascal.

    He had instructed them to contact him only if the mission was sessful.

    Which one of them would bring good news first?

    Or would both fail?

    Derek clenched his fist.

    * * *

    Theia red at Shion Ascal in silence.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Shion Ascal muttered with a confused face, his feet tapping restlessly in a seemingly natural manner.

    ¡°Cut the crap.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Theia snapped, but Shion tilted his head innocently.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She had suspicions but no evidence.

    Thinking about it, it seemed unlikely that a mere 20-year-old would orchestrate a bombing.

    It was a confusing case, indeed.

    ©¤Are you saying we just sit here and do nothing?!

    ©¤Crew! Is the Knight Order being dispatched?!

    ©¤And is there any guarantee that the bomb won¡¯t go off just because we follow their words?

    The interior was once again filled with the rising voices of passengers. Chaoses suddenly like this.

    If they leave it disorderly and a real bomb goes off, it would be a disaster.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±

    Theia let out a faint sigh, pressing her temples as she was lost in thought.

    ¡°©¤©¤There¡¯s one hour left until the Parliament House is closed.¡±

    Suddenly, Shion Ascal¡¯s words cut through coldly.

    ¡°Professor.¡±

    He showed her his wristwatch.

    ¡°For someone like you, Professor, it¡¯s a distance you could cover even by running.¡±

    Theia looked into his eyes, which held a hint of gold.

    ¡°However, you are also needed on this train.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia¡¯s eyes flickered. She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m here too.¡±

    Shion still seemed confused.

    From his eyes, nose, and mouth to the slightest tremble of his skin, his reactions did not seem like lies. If it was acting, it was award-worthy.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    There was no time to suspect him now. If it was a real terror attack, the lives of the passengers were at stake.

    Theia finally stood up.

    Passengers still arguing with the crew, children who wouldn¡¯t stop crying, men rolling up their sleeves, trying to open the doors.

    In the midst of all that, she shouted.

    ¡°Silence©¤©¤!¡±

    Her voice, imbued with magic, resonated and amplified throughout the train, as if whipping the ceiling.

    ¡°I am Theia Esil, Distinguished Professor at Edsi National University. Recognizing the emergency situation, I hereby invoke my authority as a Knight of the Holy Order. I ask everyone to cooperate ordingly.¡±

    * * *

    ¡­5 minutes.

    That was the time left until theplete closure of the Parliament House.

    Theia Esil had not yet arrived, and there was no sign that she would. However, Derek couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down. He had not received any report yet.

    ¡°Derek, sir. The hearing is about to begin. Please proceed to the waiting room.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At the aide¡¯s call, Derek reluctantly nodded.

    He couldn¡¯t wait here forever.

    ¡°Derek, sir, this way.¡±

    Guided by the aide, Derek took his seat in the designated area for the hearing. Entrepreneurs lined up beside him, and across the hearing room sat the ever-so-courteous Vern.

    Vern smirked and raised his eyebrows. Derek subtly avoided his gaze.

    But then.

    Suddenly, an aide approached Vern¡¯s side.

    The aide whispered something, covering his mouth, and Vern¡¯splexion turned as rotten as a spoiled apple.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    That¡¯s when Derek had a hunch.

    The operation was a sess.

    The very next moment, Derek¡¯s own aide approached and whispered something to him.

    ©¤Sir Derek. Currently, Theia Esil has not entered the Parliament House¡­

    Intelligence was being cross-verified.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Derek smiled with confidence. He chuckled audibly, shaking his head deliberately.

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡±

    He stared straight across at Vern, whose face had bepletely soured. He observed closely, watching the pig¡¯s twitch lips.

    ¡°One must wish that professor good luck, I suppose.¡±

    Ding-

    Just then, his Libra phone vibrated.

    [We inform you of the sessful operation. The target has not attended the hearing. The target is currently tied up on a train.]

    The message summarized the sess of the operation, the target¡¯s current location, and status in just three lines.

    The ¡®simplest yet perfect¡¯ report that Derek always demanded from his subordinates.

    Upon confirming this, Derek felt an emotion close to ecstasy.

    * * *

    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Shion Ascal kept following her around, offering to be her assistant, but Theia ignored him.

    ¡°What is the structure of the bomb?¡±

    The conductor asked.

    ¡°There are dozens of chunks of mana attached all over the train, and they seem to be connected to a core. The detonation will, of course, be managed by the core. We are currently searching for the core.¡±

    Theia Esil looked at her smartphone. The hijacking of the train was usually something that would be covered by breaking news, but the live news broadcasts were all about the [Parliament House Hearing].

    It was a relief that the media wasn¡¯t tangled up in this.

    ¡°Core, you say? Like the core in a nuclear weapon?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m talking about the core of mana.¡±

    Of course, Theia could dispel it with a mere gesture. But dispelling and disarming are different.

    In a situation where the power of the bomb is unknown, to dispel is to gamble with the lives of the citizens.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia followed the trail of the mana chunks inside the train that were connected to the core. Behind her followed the crew, the conductor, and Shion Ascal.

    ¡°What did the terrorists want?¡±

    Theia asked the pilot.

    ¡°They just said to stop the train and convey their message¡­¡±

    Then, perhaps more than half of it was aimed at her.

    Theia reached the bathroom. It was the ce indicated by the chunks of mana.

    ¡°Everyone, step back.¡±

    Fortunately, the burdens behind her listened well.

    Theia opened the door with her bare hands. The mana bomb was sensitive to mana, so she couldn¡¯t turn on her Magic Body.

    Creeeak¡ª

    Slowly, the inside was revealed,

    ¡°¡­Gasp.¡±

    The conductor gasped.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia was also momentarily taken aback.

    Inside the toilet bowl was a huge chunk of mana. The medium was probably a mana stone, but it looked like the grotesque heart of a whale.

    Thump- Thump-

    The chunk disgustingly writhed.

    ¡°There are a lot of Magic Spells entangled here.¡±

    Theia looked closely at it.

    The circuit connections, the paths of mana, the structure of the core.

    It was veryplex and difficult, but not to the extent that it couldn¡¯t be solved.

    ¡°Be, be careful-¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Shion quieted the onlookers. Theia reached out her hand towards the mana chunk, and Shion stood quietly by her side.

    Crunch¡­ Crunch¡­

    It sounded like touching flesh, but Theia felt nothing.

    Her analgesia had taken even the simplest touch from her.

    ¡°¡­Hand.¡±

    Theia said. It was the moment she had disassembled part of the mana chunk.

    Shion hurriedly reached out his hand. A chunk weighing at least 1kg was ced on Shion¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia continued to dismantle the bomb without a word, and the pilot and crew turned their backs entirely.

    Crunch¡­ Crunch¡­

    How many minutes did that bizarre sound persist?

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    A small sigh from Theia. The size of the mana chunk had reduced to a mere 300 grams, indicating a sessful dismantlement, apanied by a small smile.

    As she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, suddenly©¤©¤©¤!

    The core of the bomb emitted a bright light. Theia¡¯s eyes widened. Bursts of light flickered on her retina.

    Images shed before her eyes.

    ¡°Kyaa, kyaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Uwaaaah!¡±

    The screams of the officials rang out, short like a burst of gunfire.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±

    After that, there was no sound.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia stared nkly at the spot.

    The dismantled bomb had vanished, scattering a burst of light and leaving behind only a message.

    [Got you!]

    And to add insult to injury, an emoticon sticking out its tongue.

    With a vein popping on her forehead, Theia punched through the message, scattering it.

 Chapter 241: Unharmed (3)

    <h4>Chapter 241: Unharmed (3)</h4>

    <strong>Unharmed (3)</strong>

    The mana bomb installed on the train was a device developed by Grawl, using mana stones as a medium to add various magical circuits. Of course, it wasnt a real bomb, more like a jack-in-the-box.

    Anyway, thanks to that, the train came to a halt.

    The police arrived btedly, but there wasnt much for them to do.

    Theias credentials as a Holy Knight far surpassed any authority the police had.

    In the event of such a magical terrorism incident, she had the authority to investigate and control the scene independently.

    Its a relief, I guess.

    After the situation was resolved and we returned to our seats on the train, Theia quickly turned to look at me. In her hand, she held the mana stone core of the jack-in-the-box. She was probably nning to send it for analysis.

    Well, I missed attending the parliamentary session. I should have been writing my article.

    I said nonchntly. Theia looked pensive, but soon pointed her finger at myptop.

    Laptop.

    Huh?

    Turn it on.

    Ah.

    I immediately understood what she wanted.

    As soon as I opened myptop, I searched for [Parliamentary Hearing].

    Now, the Libra Economic Zone, Billiant, Kelroa, Pharalos

    All of them werepanies managed by Derek with an ambiguous ownership structure.

    The hearing for Derek Libra, who owns numerouspanies, will take ce.

    Derek appeared on part of the screen. He wasnt wearing his mosaic artifact today, so his face was fully visible.

    A look that could dominate the assembly.

    This must also be a strategy.

    Even if theymit the same misdeeds, the ugly ones get stoned, while the beautiful ones gain fandoms.

    Thats just how the world works.

    * * *

    At the parliamentary hearing.

    Its almost Dereks turn.

    An aide handed Derek some documents. Derek smirked and declined.

    Its fine.

    There was no need to busily prepare anything. All the information was in his head.

    Memorizing data and figures was for the lower ranks, and the stupidmoners wouldnt understand it anyway.

    The hearing for Derek Libra, who owns the Libra Economic Zone, Billiant, Kelroa, Pharalos, and many otherpanies, will take ce.

    Derek stood up briskly and took his designated seat. A camera in the corner captured him. It was slightly annoying, but a tolerable inconvenience.

    In this ce, mostly filled with old men, fat pigs, or bald roosters, the noble dignity that Derek himself possessed would provide a stark contrast.

    Sir Derek. As a businessman, you manage manypanies, dont you?

    The Senator asked, pushing up his sses.

    Derek nodded.

    Thats correct.

    However, there are concerns in the public about your method of expanding into almost every field in a octopus-style management I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

    There is absolutely no need for concern, Derek said, cutting through the air with a decisive gesture of his hand.

    Rather, as a businessman, its about creating a better environment in the market

    Based on the pretext of a market economy, he continued his speech.

    The expansion into various fields benefits thepetitiveness of the market itself. Consumers will see benefits, and market participants will be challenged to develop and advance themselves

    No one interrupts him.

    Not the Senator, nor the various witnesses attending the hearing, nor the citizens from all walks of life. They all just listened.

    Yes, Ive heard you well, the Senator said with a small smile and a nod. Derek also smiled silently.

    Is there any citizen here who would like to take the stand as a witness and ask questions?

    A mere formality of a Q&A.

    Theia Esil wasnt here anyway. So no one would be able to challenge him

    Hm?

    The Senator tilted his head slightly.

    Yes, you there. Pleasee forward.

    Dereks brow twitched slightly. In the meantime, a man walked up to the witness stand and sat down.

    Who might you be? Please introduce yourself.

    My name is Derk. I used to run an ITpany.

    This man named Derk.

    Derek didnt know him.

    Some unheard-of guy was now stacking documents neatly on the witness stand.

    Then an aide hurried over.

    Hes the former CEO of the startup ITpany that Derek had acquired through a merger.

    It was then that Derek finally remembered. The man who had lost hispany to a hostile M&A orchestrated by him.

    Why was that bastard invited

    Suddenly, a thought struck him. He quickly turned to look at Vern. Vern avoided his gaze with a stern expression, but a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.

    That damned pig-

    I am here to denounce the corporate ethics of Derek Libra.

    * * *

    This is the corrtion between mana waves and the incidence of cancer. Its a medically proven fact. Next, this document shows the cancer incidence rates among employees of Pharalos, the pharmaceuticalpany run by Derek. The rates are significantly high. Its an impossible figure by anymon sense.

    I watched the hearing unfold on myptop.

    Despite the near certainty that the cancer was caused by mana waves, Pharalos has refused to acknowledge it and is still engaged in litigation.

    Honestly, at first, I wondered what was going on. I thought that if only Theia werent here, none of this would have happened.

    I was mistaken.

    About fifty former employees who are cancer patients, half have died, and the other half are struggling to carry on thewsuit without any attention from the media

    This is neither my victory nor Theias. Its Verns victory.

    And thats not all. All the enterprises operated by Derek are polluting the local environment.

    While the Libra family couldpete for the top spot in Edsi based on its size alone, the current situation is that its divided into fourSherlock, Derek, Johanna, Jadeallowing other families to keep them in check.

    Therefore, Vern has stabbed his most directpetitor, Derek, with a knife.

    Huh.

    Suddenly, Theia smiled. It was an honest emotion, uncharacteristic of her.

    What a pity.

    I looked at her.

    You must have tried hard to prevent this from happening at the Libra level.

    She shrugged her shoulders as if to tease.

    Thats right.

    I struggled to suppress a smile as I closed myptop.

    Inside, a conviction that my choice had been correct was bubbling up.

    Dereks target for retaliation would shift from Theia to Vern, and from now on, they would fight each other fiercely.

    It really is a pity.

    Certainly, Theia could look forward to a better future.

    Crackling

    Just then, the train stopped. This time, it was the correct terminal. I gathered my belongings and stood up.

    It was alreadyte for the parliamentary building, but I nned to wait nearby.

    Arent you getting off?

    I asked Theia. She gazed at me for a moment before getting up.

    Of course Im getting off.

    We stepped onto the tform.

    I checked the time. There was about an hour or two left until the end of the hearing

    Maybe grab some food and rest a bit.

    Shion Ascal.

    Thats when Theia called my name. She, with a backpack slung over her shoulder, held a ticket in one hand and said.

    Oh, did you already get a return ticket?

    You dont seem surprised.

    It was an odd thing to say, but I understood immediately.

    I was quite surprised myself.

    She was probably referring to the moment when the bomb went off inside the train.

    [Gotcha!]

    Thats what she meant.

    I almost had my life sh before my eyes.

    Theia took off her sunsses and tucked them into her pocket. I faced her with a faint smile.

    Everyone there probably felt their hearts drop just the same.

    The cool tone flowing between her teeth. The sharpness in her eyes.

    Not you, though.

    Of course, I could have acted that much.

    But I didnt see the need.

    I wanted to nt at least the suspicion in her that I was the culprit.

    I have a heart of steel. I can handle horror movies just fine.

    Bullshit.

    Theia twisted her mouth.

    Without evidence, mere suspicion isnt enough to put you behind bars.

    Of course, theres no evidence. Because I didnt do it.

    Its true.

    It wasnt me; it was Grawls doing.

    Go.

    Theia turned around. As she started to trudge toward the opposite track, I called out to her this time.

    Professor.

    Theia stopped in her tracks, showing only her profile to me.

    There are things in this world that cannot be conquered.

    The unconquerable.

    For her, that was Libra.

    She, who had pursued Libra more persistently than anyone, had been defeated in a single moment.

    By Sherlock.

    Go ahead and read it. See for yourself who youre really serving.

    Instead of answering, Theia threw a bundle of documents at me. They floated over limply with Telekinesisit was the Derek file.

    A criminal file thatpiled everything Derek had done in the name of cost-cutting.

    There was no need for me to read it.

    It was all already memorized in my head.

    I know very well who I serve.

    Whoosh-!

    I set Theias documents aze with magic.

    * * *

    Quantum Mechanic, Jesco, received a report from the third party, Crow, at his residence.

    Can we open a new route?

    Yes. Here are the rted documents.

    Crowid out the papers on the desk. Jesco, puffing on a cigar, casually skimmed through them.

    Get to the point.

    Yes. This includes the amount of synthetic mana stone needed to increase our territory by 5%, and the calctions for the power required. Thanks to Belkman joining us, we can now meet the demand for synthetic mana stone, but

    Crow paused for a moment. Jescos eyebrows twitched.

    But what?

    Currently, the market rates Belkmans mana stones as a higher grade. Therefore, to expand our territory, concentrated investment in that area is necessary.

    In other words, Belkman was receiving better treatment than Jesco.

    It meant that Belkman was considered a better technician than Jesco.

    This crazy son of a bitch!

    Second inmand, Face, finally understanding, grabbed Crow by the cor. Crow clutched at his thick arm.

    Let go of me!

    Thinking youre all that just because youre educated, spouting nonsense to the boss-

    Hey, hey. Let him go.

    What are you doing? Let go.

    Face released his grip. Crow straightened his disheveled tie.

    Huff

    Jesco exhaled cigar smoke and gestured with his chin.

    Continue. Its okay, go on.

    Yes. Of course, the top-quality synthetic mana stones are naturally superior in quality when theye from the boss. However-

    Belkmans are consistent, arent they?

    Yes. They are consistently high quality.

    Jesco chuckled dryly.

    That guys personality is like that. Always calm about everything. Doesnt go out much either. Doesnt let anyone in when hes cooking. He blocks out external stimuli. Thats different from me; I cant work without music.

    Face and Crow exchanged nces for a moment.

    There was something oddly familiar and intimate about the way he spoke, as if he was talking about a younger brother he was close to.

    Was this the same Jesco, who until now had seemed devoid of blood and tears?

    Yes. Well, anyway. The stock sold out in 7 days. Theres a demand for stable supply contracts from all over. To meet that, we need to expand the factory

    Just do it.

    Jesco shrugged as if to ask why he was even being asked.

    The technicians willingness is the issue. Its not just about Belkmans ability, but whether Belkman wants to do it, and how long Belkman will stay with us-

    Belkmans with us for life. No, that guy is already one of us.

    Jesco stated decisively. The brows of Crow and Face twitched simultaneously.

    What are you looking at me like that for? Desert folks are known for their strong loyalty.

    Ah yes but the workload will increase significantly.

    Ill talk to him. He likes to work, so its fine. But lets give him a 3.5% share.

    3.5?

    Face mumbled quietly to himself and took a step forward, his throat tightening.

    Still, boss. Arent you trusting him too much?

    What do you mean?

    Jescos eyebrows furrowed.

    I mean, even if hes from the same desert. Weve been serving you for over 15 years Giving 3.5% to someone whos only been with us a month, it would be much safer to give just 0.5% to our own people.

    Really? What can you do with the technicians cut?

    Well, the technician makes the stones, but we risk our lives to deliver them. Fights break out frequently. With 0.5%, we could upgrade our equipment

    So its about the money, then.

    Crackle-!

    Jesco snuffed out his cigar in the ashtray. A vein throbbed prominently on his forehead.

    Face mped his mouth shut.

    Face. Youre living well with what youre getting now. Can you spend it all in your lifetime?

    Its not just for me. As you know, I have a family to support-

    Ah, fuck. The kid talks too much. Hey, if anyone needs life insurance, its the technician. If his identity gets exposed, theres a whole truckload of people trying to snatch him up. Dont you know this business?

    Bang!

    Jesco mmed his fist on the desk. Face fidgeted with his lips and then bowed his head deeply.

    Im sorry.

    Youre right, boss. We should always treat the technician well.

    Fucking bastard.

    Face turned his eyes to re at Crow. Crow, pretending not to notice, cleared his throat and pulled out some documents from his coat.

    Here are the financial documents needed for the facility expansion.

    Yeah. Put them down and both of you get out. Ill ask Belkman myself right now.

    Yes.

    Yes.

    After the noisy pair had left, Jesco sank back into his chair.

    Shit. Talking to those guys is like talking to a wall.

    Crows documents. He doesnt even read them.

    Too many numbers and letters, they dont even register to his eyes.

    And Face, well, as soon as he opens his mouth its money this, money that, and in the entertainment district, he throws cash around like hes some kind of VIP.

    Sigh.

    Jesco let out a sigh and dialed someones number.

    Tru-ru-ru- Tru-ru-ru-

    The guy picked up before the second ring could even finish. A smile Jesco himself didnt expect appeared at the corner of his mouth.

    Hey~ What are you up to right now?

    Yes, brother. I was just getting ready to start working.

    His fellow countryman from the same desert homnd, with the endearingly desert-style name Belkman.

    Alright then, wait for me. Ive got something to talk about, so Ille by in a bit.

    Jesco gathered a few gifts he nned to give to the guy and got up.

 Chapter 242: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (1)

    <h4>Chapter 242: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (1)</h4>

    <strong>Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (1)</strong>

    I weed Jesco at the synthetic mana stone factory. He ced the documents on a modest table.

    This is Crows business expansion n.

    Business expansion.

    One of the steps Jesco would soon take on the path of division.

    I skimmed through the documents.

    How about it. Think you can handle it? Do you understand what its about?

    It seems to suggest that we need five times the current supply for the new route.

    Five times?

    Jescos eyebrows arched.

    Five times might be tough, right?

    No. Its possible if the equipment is set up, but that means we need to increase not just the quantity but also the quality.

    I searched for something on the auction site on myptop.

    Take a look at this.

    I subtly turned the screen towards him.

    A new filter and melter have been invented.

    Hmm.

    Jesco narrowed his eyes.

    Five million ren each So if we install this equipment throughout, itll cover our needs?

    Yes.

    Its a machine invented by Ziaspany. Superior in performance, but certainly expensive.

    The investment cost would be at least over a hundred million ren.

    Itll cost about a hundred million ren.

    Jesco was surprisingly quick in his mental calction.

    Well recoup the investment in three to four months.

    I think so too.

    Suddenly, its clear why hes not just any Quantum Mechanic.

    Theres a reason hes tenaciously survived in this ruthless industry and has a grip on the central-western distributionwork.

    Its doable.

    Jesco chuckled. Then he rummaged in his coat and pulled out a perfectly spherical mana stone.

    Belkman. Do you know what this is?

    A top-grade mana stone.

    I deliberately put on an impressed expression.

    Right. Top-grade. A work of Quantum Mechanic. You produce uniformly high quality, but I deal with more fluctuations. Thats why even top products like thise out.

    Jesco boasted with a satisfied look.

    Such pridees from someone who has something to boast about, so I have to y along. If I appear superior in every way, hed only be wary and jealous.

    Its an exquisite piece.

    Ha! No need to go that far. Anyway, it means you and I can fill in what the othercks.

    Jesco ced the top-tier mana stone on the desk.

    But, Belkman. You know what? Not many use synthetic mana stones of high grade or above as stones themselves. Synthetic mana stones have different properties from natural mana stones.

    Are you talking about drugs?

    Thats right. Youre quick on the uptake.

    Crush! He crushed the mana stone in his palm. The pearl-like lustrous mana stone turned to dust in an instant.

    When you grind it up like this, it immediately bes a drug. Among synthetic mana stones, this is a top-quality product, so no additional processing is needed. Even a small inhtion will give you a killer high.

    A thick smile hung on Jescos lips.

    The upper-grade mana stones you make are certainly not top-quality. But when mixed with chemicals, they can be drugs like crack or speed. Thats why they sell so much.

    He gathered the powder and put it into a small stic bag.

    Of course, technicians shouldnt do drugs. You know that, right? Dont even think about it.

    Yes. I wont. But how are drugs usually distributed?

    The harm of drugs is painfully obvious. Especially in the underworld, its safe to say nearly half are addicts.

    Well, the low-quality stuff will be consumed by the lower sses. The pure top-quality will be discreetly consumed by the high society. We dont care about that crap; we just need to make money, right?

    Jesco smirked, shaking the stic bag filled with the blue mana stone powder.

    In the end, its this powder thats more profitable than the stones. But until now, weve only yed the role of raw material suppliers. Even when there was a gold mine right in front of our eyes, we could only watch.

    He paused, then pointed at me.

    But with you here

    We can process the drugs themselves and sell them?

    Exactly! You catch on quick. Must be because youre from the desert.

    He grinned and sank back into the sofa.

    So lets work hard, fellow countrymen. If things go well, Ill even raise your cut to 4%.

    4%? Brother, isnt that too much?

    A good technician deserves good treatment.

    Thump! A bankbook came out of Jescos pocket. He ced it on the desk with a triumphant smile.

    Look. Everything youve earned so far is here. Its beenundered cleanly, so you can spend it anywhere without getting caught.

    I opened the bankbook. There were quite a few digits.

    Its substantial.

    Substantial my ass. Thats just for two months. What are you going to spend it on?

    Um there are some things I need to spend it on.

    Any money earned under the identity Belkman cant be freely used by me. That would just create a link to my real identity.

    So, the money Ive swindled in the desert, I n to return it all to the desert.

    I wont spend it on anything pointless.

    Its dirty money. No one cares if you spend it on something pointless.

    Jesco stood up.

    As for the equipment, Ill send Crow over, so talk to him about it Oh.

    Then, narrowing his eyes sharply, he asked.

    Has Face said anything?

    No. These days, hes been focusing on security.

    Good. Thats how it should be. Im off.

    Jesco quickly left.

    I could hear him talking to the guards outside.

    I pulled out a small diary from the office drawer.

    This diary is a potential ace in the hole.

    Day by day, I would only write content that could evoke good feelings and a sense of camaraderie with the desert about Jesco, while for his second-inmand, I wouldy out sentences filled with concern and ominous feelings.

    If Belkman disappears, this diary would be left solely for Jesco to read.

    * * *

    [Golden Ornamental Tube]

    [Ancient Mana-Infused Amber Gem]

    [Branch of the Sun Tree]

    [Evergreen]

    Rustle- Rustle-

    In the Aerial Garden of Libra, the eldest daughters office.

    Johanna was scrolling through the auction catalog on her monitor, her face bored to death, chin propped on her hand.

    Hmm.

    Thanks to acquiring a stake in the Golden Casino, she had more money than she knew what to do with, but nothing really worth buying.

    Boredom.

    Whats worse, today was the most pleasant day shed had in recent memory.

    Why?

    Because Derek had been publicly humiliated at the hearing.

    Im getting tired of this.

    Just as she was growing weary of reying the hearing video.

    Knock-knock-

    Right on cue, a knock on the door.

    Come in.

    At Johannasmand, the door opened.

    It was the Bncer, Beckman.

    Lady Johanna. The intelligence you orderedst time.

    He handed Johanna a file. She broke the seal. A flood of photographs spilled out.

    The now-retired mafia, Karlos.

    His fiance, Eva.

    Pictures of the two of them.

    They had left for the neutral country of Bergsen.

    What a fucking mess

    The couple staying in the ind nation with a poption of just over two million appeared blissfully happy in every photo taken, almost sickeningly so.

    I can eliminate them right now if you just give the order.

    Beckman was revving up, his tone still filled with unyielding anger and murderous intent.

    Leave them be.

    But-

    I said leave them.

    Johanna red at him.

    It hasnt been that long. How long do you think this gambling-addicted woman will fancy an old man?

    She tossed the photos aside.

    At most, a year.

    Eva will leave Karlos within a year. A human addicted to gambling,petition, and money can never be sincere in love. From the start, that emotion can never be a goal.

    Its just an illusion to forcibly fill ones own imperfectionsa weakness.

    Just make sure the auction preparations are thorough.

    She was going to participate in this auction.

    If you earn a lot, you should spend a lot.

    Yes, understood.

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively. However, Beckman remained standing.

    A vein throbbed at Johannas temple.

    Is this insubordination?

    Shall we deploy the Chaser?

    At that, Johanna paused for a moment.

    It seems prudent to take the utmost precautions, considering what happenedst time.

    Chaser. Since the auction was a matter of some importance, it would be legal to mobilize dozens of Chasers.

    Do that. Do you have the list?

    Yes.

    Moreover, Chasers are fundamentally a resource avable to all direct family members. Regardless of faction or whom they serve, once the mobilization order is issued, they must respond.

    Here it is.

    As soon as Johanna received the list of Chasers, she pretended not to care as she searched for a particr name.

    It wasnt far off.

    A caterpir-like smile wriggled across her lips.

    [Shion Ascal]

    * * *

    [BALANCE]

    There are a lot of people.

    Not just a lot. It was crowded. Its like a human whirlwind swirlingyer uponyer around a building.

    Thats how one would describe the exterior scene of the caf [Bnce], established by Derek.

    Wow. Its really crowded.

    Totally. We cant get in today. Such a shame.

    La pouted her lips.

    Well, I expected this. I knew it would be like this from the moment La mentioned it. Too bad.

    Elise snorted with a mix of disappointment and reprimand toward La.

    What? Elly, you said you wanted toe too!

    Its just rumors~ I didnt really need toe. Thanks to you, I wasted my lunchtime.

    Elise teased La with a smile, while Gerkhen stood by like a statue, checking his wristwatch.

    That guy would just stand and wait, lunchtime or not.

    Elly, youre ridiculous. Oh? Theres Asher and Kain too. Theyre ahead of us. Should we swap ces with them?

    Are you a thug?

    Kain and Asher were also visible not too far away, each with a girl on their arm.

    Seems like theyre having their own kind of fun.

    Ah It looks like well never get in. Where did all these people hear about it from?

    Besides those two guys, there are a ton of college students. Its only a 15-minute distance from the national university.

    For reference, it was my rmendation for the location. As you can see, college students are the best at spreading word of mouth.

    Ah, right. Shion! You said Libra is your dream job, right? Cant you push through and get us in?

    Suddenly, La spoke up. Elise and Gerkhen looked at me with expectant eyes.

    Lets see.

    I cleared my throat and walked towards the entrance. There were a few guards standing there.

    Excuse me-

    Oh.

    Before I could say anything, they nodded.

    They recognized my face.

    Are you Sir Ascal?

    It seems Im somewhat famous as a Chaser.

    Its also because I have a physique thats easy to remember.

    Yes, Ascal. Is it possible to enter the caf? There are four of us.

    Of course. There is a separate VIP gate for you.

    I gestured to the three behind me. Gerkhen, Elise, La. They came running over, their faces bright with excitement.

    Are youpanions of Sir Shion Ascal? Please follow me this way.

    Wow~ Shion, whats this~

    We entered through the VIP gate.

    The interior of the caf gradually revealed itself.

    Wow

    La was the first to marvel. Elises eyes widened in amazement. Even the usually stoic Gerkhen showed a different expression.

    It was worth it.

    It really is different.

    Jades artistic sense is definitely exceptional.

    Thebination of colors, the arrangement of furniture, and the art-like wallpapers drawn considering the angle of human sight are beautifully understated, and the impressionist paintings on the ceiling hold the light of magic, softly shimmering.

    A perfectly upscale caf.

    Would you like to go to the Noble Floor?

    The guard asked.

    The Noble Floor?

    Yes. Theres a separate space for VVIPs. Orders are backed up right now, so it would be morefortable for you there.

    What do you mean? When I inquired earlier, they said there was no such thing as a VVIP Floor.

    Elise furrowed her brow.

    La seized the moment.

    What~? Elly, you inquired in advance~?

    !

    Elises body shook. She looked as if she regretted her slip.

    La continued to tease her with a sly smile.

    If you dont want to go, why did you even make a call in advance~?

    Yes, yes, because you wanted to go, I, I just quickly checked it out. Idiot.

    Youre lying~ Elly, I didnt see you making any calls today~

    Shall we go up? Master Jade is also there at the moment.

    At the guards words, I tilted my head.

    Master Jade is here?

    Yes.

    Then well. Lets go?

    I turned to look at the three behind me. La, with anguid grin, chattered like a monkey.

    You wanted to go, hehe, you had to~ Elly wanted it enough to call ahead~

    Be quiet.

    We ascended the stairs side by side.

    Even the staircase leading upwards was quite impressive.

    Not just the simple interior design, but also soap bubbles, butterflies made of magic, streams of water forming patterns as they flowed, all creating a truly fantastical scene that delighted the eyes and ears.

    We arrived at the VVIP floor amidst our distracted gazing.

    There by the window was Jade. As soon as I saw him, I straightened my clothes, but there was already a guest with him.

    A face I recognized.

    More than me, the person behind me was even more surprised.

    Senator Ken Petra.

    Ken sipped his coffee, ncing back and forth between Elise and me.

    Elises breathing grew louder, as she hid behind me.

    Well then. I shall take my leave. Youve built a fine caf.

    Thank you, Senator Petra.

    Ken stood up from his seat. Jade also rose and gestured a farewell.

    Goodbye then.

    Ken naturally headed towards the exit, which was in our direction.

    Thud Thud.

    His footsteps resonated unusually heavily.

    His body still bore the traces of a battle.

    As he walked towards us, he looked intently into my eyes.

    I did not avoid his gaze.

    Soon, standing right in front of me, he sized me up.

    We were eye to eye with each other.

    Our heights were almost identical.

    Shion Ascal was it?

    He inquired.

    I met his crimson pupils and nodded.

    Yes. I am Shion Ascal.

    Youve got some spirit.

    He gave my shoulder a firm pat. Then he cast a sharp nce over my shoulder at Elise. Without a word, Elise swallowed her saliva.

    Well then, Ill be off.

    Ken Petra descended the stairs.

    It was a somewhat impressive encounter

    What are you standing there for?

    Jade pointed in our direction with a smile. It was an umonly bright smile from Jade, his lips curving like a crescent moon.

    Uh, uh, uh, uh. Shion! Why is he looking at me like that?

    La seemed to misunderstand, thinking the flirting was directed at her.

    Its not you.

    I dont like men who are too much older than me

    I said its not you.

    Jade stated.

    Come and sit down.

    Yes.

    Before I knew it, La had scurried over and sat down in front of Jade.

    And who might you be?

    I am La, your grace

    Why do you speak like that? Are you ill?

    It is simply the way thisdy speaks

    Jade looked at La with a face that screamed he found the situation absurd.

    Lets go sit down as well.

    I said to the other two. Gerkhen nodded, but Elise still looked pale.

    I dragged her along.

    Lets go.

    Huh? Oh, yeah lets go.

    A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

    I felt like I understood what was going through his mind, but I chose not to show it.

 Chapter 243: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (2)

    <h4>Chapter 243: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (2)</h4>

    <strong>Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (2)</strong>

    Jades caf was doing better than expected. The coffee was three times more expensive than an average caf, and the desserts were more than five times pricier. Yet, the 1st to 5th floors, which were open to everyone, had no seats left, and even the Noble Floor, exclusive to VVIPs, saw plenty of traffic.

    Were already getting inquiries about opening branches.

    Jade said with a solemn expression as he sipped his coffee.

    Thats fortunate.

    It is most impressive.

    Las archaic way of speaking had been grating on my nerves for a while now. What period drama did she watch to end up like this?

    Is that the kind of old-fashioned education the Hilton family receives?

    That it is.

    Right.

    Jade looked away, turning his attention to someone else.

    First, it was Gerkhen.

    My name is Gerkhen. I am a first-year student at the National Universitys Knight Academy.

    Gerkhen introduced himself briskly. Jade then looked beside him.

    Next would be Petras daughter, I presume.

    Ah, yes. Thats right.

    Elise had been sitting quietly ever since we arrived, not touching the desserts or coffee she had ordered.

    Well then. Enjoy yourselves. I have a business trip scheduled, so I must be going.

    Jade stood up from his seat. I also started to rise, but Jade gestured for me to stay seated as he left first.

    Wow. He really is handsome, that man.

    While La expressed her admiration, Elise remained unresponsive. The desserts she had ordered, the pudding and cream buns, were untouched.

    Im going to head out first.

    In the end, she left the caf.

    Before we could even try to stop her, she had hastily grabbed her bag and was gone.

    What the! She didnt go after Mr. Jade, did she?!

    La puffed up her cheeks, while Gerkhen quietly slid Elises desserts towards himself.

    * * *

    At the Petra family mansion, Elise was summoned to Kens study. Standing there stiffly, she was met with Kens questioning gaze.

    Ive heard youve been hanging out together quite oftentely.

    It was probably about Shion Ascal.

    His name was Shion, wasnt it?

    Hes a friend.

    Friend is a generous term for someone of his caliber.

    Elise furrowed her brow slightly.

    Suddenly, Kens dry voice settled like grains of sand.

    So you can make that kind of face now.

    Do you have any proof that hes of poor quality?

    At that, Ken let out a hollowugh. He tossed a document onto the table and said,

    The guy is from Libra. A Chaser.

    Chaser

    Yes. You know what a Chaser is.

    Petra had its own breed of Chasers.

    Known as the Strategy Room, they handled Petras dirty work, not shying away from any criminal activities.

    Hes not just a threat to the election, but to your life as well.

    A threat.

    Elise still felt her insides twisting.

    She wanted to ask her father about that day right now. About the day Shions mother died, and she was born in her ce

    Father, is that all you remember about the Ascal family?

    Ken lifted his gaze, his brow slightly furrowed.

    Theyre not a family worth remembering.

    Elise felt a sudden surge of revulsion. The talk of mere family lineage was unbearable to her.

    She turned around hastily, fleeing from the family home. She vomited the bile that filled her mouth onto the ground.

    Haah.

    She sighed, lost in thought.

    Where did it all go wrong? Or what exactly is wrong? How am I supposed to navigate through these thorny vines?

    Hey.

    Suddenly, a voice invaded her ears.

    Elise startled and looked in that direction.

    There was someone standing by the roadside.

    What do you want, you?

    It was Shion.

    Here.

    He extended a box to her.

    Whats this-

    Dessert. You didnt eat it. Its really good.

    Elise took a slight whiff of it. A harmonious sweet scent teased her nostrils.

    But, did you throw up?

    Shion asked nonchntly. Elise shook her head.

    No.

    No? Its all spilled out here.

    He pointed to the ground. A whole mess was neatlyid out there.

    Elises face turned red around the nose.

    Its not mine. Do you have proof? You dont.

    Whatever. Enjoy the dessert. And dont stress out too much.

    What stress are you talking about?

    Elise pouted her lips in a petnt manner for no particr reason.

    Whatever. If youre too annoyed, live however you want for a week. Binge eat, bezy, even swear a bit. It might make you feel better.

    Start with this.

    Shion shook the dessert box. Elise quietly embraced it in her arms.

    Rest while you eat. Im off.

    Yeah.

    Shion Ascal walked away with a faint smile. Elise quietly watched his retreating figure.

    Live however you want

    She murmured his echoing voice.

    Live however you want.

    * * *

    The next day, I was summoned to the Intelligence Agency.

    The atmosphere was quite tense. Everyone passing through the corridors was almost like a scene from a deste battlefield, minus the swords.

    Youre here.

    Bell Moore called me over.

    Whats the matter?

    You dont know? Lord Derek is pissed.

    Ah.

    Of course, it would be because of Vern.

    Vern had humiliated Derek in a simr fashion to Theia. His intention was probably to keep his rival Derek in check.

    But he had stirred up a hos nest.

    Thanks to that, the target of the total offensive that Theia had faced before the regression had shifted to Vern.

    So, everyones been told to bring an item each.

    Vern wont be easy to deal with.

    Thats the point.

    Verns power was immensepared to Theias. Even for Derek, it would be difficult to confront him alone. Unless his siblings helped, which was unlikely.

    Of course, the capabilities of the Intelligence Agency were superior on Libras side.

    Do you have any thoughts?

    I pondered for a moment.

    If you ask whether Vern is a good person, the answer is no. In this field, there isnt a single clean tycoon who has seeded on the back of their familys power.

    Vern, the owner of the top-ranked corporate enterprise, is particrly excessive even among them.

    The election ising up soon.

    At my words, Bell Moore tilted his head.

    Isnt it about three months away?

    Vern has quite a connection with the Senators.

    Huh.

    He quickly grasped the meaning.

    nning to knock down some birds?

    He chuckled dryly.

    Birds here meant Senators.

    No. Now theyve also entered thepetitive arena, havent they?

    During the election period, Senators are not invincible. They are, in fact, more vulnerable than anyone else.

    Bell Moore made a curious expression.

    So, whos the target?

    Well, I guess Ill have to start researching now.

    This could be an opportunity to build up my achievements while pretending to be helping Derek, and it could also benefit Zia.

    Hmm. Alright, if youre in, Im in too.

    Yeah. Lets do that.

    How exactly targeting a Senator could benefit Zia would be clear in time.

    Senator Syrimus.

    Hes one of Verns people. A two-term Senator of his district, hes aiming for a third. Hes from the Sanrama district, rich in minerals, and he has a history of selling mana stone mining rights to Vern at a bargain price, which are essential for semiconductor production.

    I ordered Grawl to do some background checks rted to him. It shouldnt be too difficult, given that he had plenty of shady dealings even before the regression.

    But simply bringing down a bird isnt enough.

    Well nt our own person in the vacant spot, I said to the screen.

    Zia and Sonya were there.

    You mean to make Syrimus lose the election and rece him with our person?

    Sonya asked.

    Yes.

    Do you have someone in mind to put in his ce?

    Well have to create one now.

    I brought up another file on the video call.

    This is a former Senator named Ludeniel. Hes a man in histe thirties from the Louis family, who served as the Senator for the Sanrama district eight years ago. He ran in the election four years ago but lost. The Louis family is currently in a dire state, but their local foundation is still solid.

    The election wont be easy to win even getting him to run is uncertain

    Zias words made me nod.

    We can make it possible.

    How?

    Well create an incident.

    Well create an incident that brings Ludeniel into the spotlight, and through that, well propel him as a strong Senatorial candidate.

    Before that, we need to make sure hes firmly on our side. If you approve the n, Ill go and recruit him.

    I looked at Zia.

    Zia seemed to ponder for a moment but then nodded her head.

    Okay. Im counting on you.

    In the Sanrama district, far from the capital, a city of stone where the majority of the region is mountainous and the local products are minerals like coal and mana stone, I visited a fallen politician.

    Are you Mr. Ludeniel?

    Of course, my face was suitably disguised.

    I was starting to feel that my face was bing too well-known.

    Who are you?

    He was a man in his mid-thirties.

    Ah. This is who I am.

    I handed him a suitable business card.

    [Jean Consulting]

    Consulting?

    Yes.

    I dont have anything to consult about. You might havee to the wrong ce.

    Every time Ludeniel opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol wafted out.

    It seemed true that he had been living a reclusive life since his defeat in the election.

    No, Ivee to see Mr. Ludeniel.

    What for

    He scratched his beard.

    Have you considered running in the election one more time?

    His expression suddenly hardened. He red at me with sharp eyes.

    Are you insane?

    No, Im perfectly sane.

    Theres only three months left until the election. Talking about running now is crazy talk.

    The deadline to dere candidacy is still a ways off.

    Anyone could run for district Senator as long as they met the qualifications. The million Ren registration fee was the real issue.

    Nonsense. Get lost.

    As Ludeniel tried to close the door, I spoke up.

    Dont you feel wronged by thest election?

    His movements halted for a moment.

    Ludeniel looked at me with a face filled with anger.

    You were taken down by baseless negative campaigning. Crushed and trampled by lies

    Who are you?

    I told you. Jean Consulting.

    I offered him the business card again.

    If you want revenge, contact us. We dont ask for much.

    Ludeniel finally looked at the business card.

    [ Jean Consulting ]

    A piece of paper with nothing but a phone number written on it.

    Opportunitiese along as you live your life. And for you, that opportunity is now.

    I smiled faintly and turned to leave.

    That should be enough for him to get in touch on his own.

    Ding-

    Id like to bait him a bit more, but unfortunately, I dont have the time.

    [ Auction Patrol: Chaser Recruitment Notification ]

    Theres just too much to do these days.

    * * *

    An auction, simply put, is a bidding sale. But as you can tell from the participation of the Libra lineage, this is no ordinary auction.

    Rare items that the average person might never see in their lifetimee up for bid, and all of this takes ce within one massive underground floor.

    Ah, but its not the underworld.

    Unlike the underworld, this is an aristocratic establishment created by various tycoons to avoid the public gaze.

    This ce is the auction, [Terra].

    Participation list. Chaser Veral. Chaser Mitsuko. Chaser Shion Ascal

    I was on duty as a bodyguard for the lineage.

    My job was straightforward.

    Visit the waiting room where the immediate family would stay, thoroughly inspect it, check the entire Terra for any other threats, and arrange proper security equipment

    What is this?

    In the middle of my work, Beckman suddenly asked me.

    I replied, Its a wiretap detection device.

    Beckman frowned. Clearly, he hade to pick a fight.

    Crack-!

    He smashed my device.

    Youre not allowed to use equipment from otherpanies. Dont you know?

    That seemed to be his quibble.

    I had customized my spy gear myself.

    Its not that the products made by Libra were subpar; its just that they often performed poorly due to Dereks obsession with cost-cutting.

    Ive already refined everything cleanly through hacking.

    Thats what you think. A Libra Chaser using products from anotherpany? Thats grounds for discipline.

    Beckman red at me as he set down his own device.

    I nodded without much protest.

    Ill do so from now on.

    Do you think youll have a next time to guard Johanna? Theres no next time for you.

    The more I think about it, this guys condition seems a bit dangerous.

    Normally, hed be the type to explode in a year or two.

    Could it be that hes been provoked by me?

    I apologize.

    Go crawl on the floor tiles or the ceiling. Like a rat.

    Beckman left with the other Chasers. I took a closer look at the various devices installed in the room.

    Anti-eavesdropping machines, mana wave setters, wave calctors, and so on, they all seemed to be focused on security

    But they all had eavesdropping capabilities built in.

    In other words, Beckman was pretending to protect Johanna while stalking her like a voyeur.

    Bang-

    Suddenly, the door opened again.

    I turned to look.

    There stood a woman in a beret.

    A person who shouldnt be here, or at least, someone who was supposed to arrive two dayster.

    She pointed to her beret and gave a wry smile.

    How is it? Its the one fromst time.

    Ah.

    The beret I had given her to wear during our escape from the casino. She trudged over and sat down on the sofa.

    Its been a while, Shion Ascal.

    Her voice, thick andnguid, seemed somehow pleased to see me.

    Yes.

    A dangerous conversation to have in a space where Beckmans eavesdropping could be happening.

    I should go now. Ill take my leave.

    I immediately headed out.

    What are-

    Bang.

    I closed the door without listening to what she had to say.

 Chapter 244: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (3)

    <h4>Chapter 244: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (3)</h4>

    <strong>Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (3)</strong>

    I waited in front of Johannas waiting room, counting my fingersone, two, three, four

    Bang!

    At five, the door burst open as if shattered. It was Johannas kick.

    Such a fucking bastard?

    She stepped out and, upon seeing me still standing there, furrowed her brows.

    Shion Ascal. What is this insolence?

    Just a moment.

    I leaned close to Johannas ear. To her furious face, I whispered softly.

    The eldest daughters expression hardened. I took a step back and bowed my head.

    Is it true?

    Yes. It seems best not to show any reaction.

    Eavesdropping. And not just that, but internal recording as well.

    Beckmans desire to keep a record of Johannas everyday life.

    She clenched her eyes shut and pressed her fingers against her temples.

    Should I change his duties?

    No. That would only make things worse.

    Bncers typically have duties assigned to them. Therefore, there is only one bncer who assists the lord most closely.

    For Johanna, that is Beckman.

    Pretend you dont know.

    Beckman is clearly losing sight of his duty, but I cannot be the one to suggest cutting him off. After all, Beckman has been a loyal servant to Johanna for decades.

    Considering the importance of each bncer, it would be overstepping for someone like me to suggest dismissing him.

    Ill handle it myself. Take this.

    Johanna extended something to me.

    It was a pamphlet for the Terra auction.

    Why are you giving this to me?

    Choose something you want. Ill win the bid for you.

    It was an unexpected offer. I just blinked in silence.

    Johanna gave a wry smile.

    My life is worth at least that much.

    No, thats alright. Ive already received the prize money from the win-

    You gave all that to Zia.

    She sounded somewhat displeased.

    You should have something for yourself.

    She pressed the catalog into my hand again.

    Yes. Thank you.

    I epted it for now. I skimmed through the list of items up and down.

    Master!!!

    Suddenly, Grawls echo boomed loudly in my head.

    That startled me.

    Are you trying to get killed? Whos yelling without any manners?

    That! That! The R-elix!

    I looked at a certain part of the catalog.

    There was an R-elix listed.

    [A-grade R-elix]

    Assured by the R-elix appraiser Veromo, this is an A-grade R-elix containing vibrant magical energy. A top-quality product thats hard toe by even once a year, the minimum A-grade R-elix is now seeking its owner.

    Do you understand what this is?

    No! But it seems like if its analyzed, it would show an incredible amount of magical energy!

    It was a request to graft it onto his root. R-elixes can connect with each other, enabling an Embodiment.

    Hmm.

    Please!!!!

    I nced over the other items.

    Nothing else really caught my interest.

    I already had weapons, didnt need clothes, and had no desire for jewels or valuables.

    Master!!!!

    Alright, alright.

    I pointed out the R-elix to Johanna.

    This R-elix if its possible.

    Johanna also looked at it. A smile crept across her lips.

    Youve got a good eye. Wait for it.

    She snatched back the catalog and went back into her room.

    I love you!!!

    Keep it down.

    The sound of Grawlughing like a happy puppy filled my ears.

    * * *

    Whats the n?

    After setting up the [Terra Auction] lightly, I returned to the Intelligence Agency and was discussing Operation Knock the Bird Down.

    The crew was down to Bell Moore and Riley.

    Senator Syrimus has a lot of scandals.

    Riley pushed up her sses at myment.

    Those are easy to bury. Not enough to make him fall.

    Right. Hes got Vern backing him. To knock him down with a scandal, wed need something on the level of, you know, that dead team leader bastard? Benedict. We need a scandal as big as that fuckers.

    Bell Moore chimed in too.

    I flipped through several files and then curled my lip slightly.

    Vern backing him makes it a bit troublesome.

    Yeah. In terms of single industries, Everett is bigger than Libra. Ranked number one in the corporate world. You thought it would be easy?

    Officially, of course, Libra is number one in the financial world. The family controls so manypanies.

    But if youre only looking at single industries, Verns Everett is at the top.

    Well, theres no helping it.

    I sighed.

    Even for me, or rather, because its me, theres one method Im a bit reluctant to use.

    Id rather not use it if I can help it, but Im not in a position to be picky about my methods.

    Are we giving up?

    No. Senator Syrimus has a child.

    What?

    Huh?

    Bell Moore and Riley were both taken aback. They quickly rifled through the files again.

    Syrimus is unmarried, isnt he?

    Thats whats been announced. Hes hidden the child in another country.

    A fact that would nevere to light under normal circumstances.

    However, as a regressor, I know everything.

    Therefore, in matters like elections and battles of public opinion and information, I have a several hundred-fold advantage.

    If I had the proper resources, I could even take down Senators of the Round Table. Thats who I am.

    His son is in a distant foreignnd called Elhener. The kids name is Luke. Hes probably killed a few people too, so if we start poking there, other scandals will gain momentum.

    Create a crack in the wall with the most lethal scandal, then shoot the other gossips through like arrows.

    Thats the basics of a negative campaign.

    Well then, about the business trip. Should Riley and I go together?

    Bell Moore looked at Riley with a sly nce.

    Go by yourself. If Chaser Shions information is correct, I need to prepare for the follow-up attack.

    Riley dismissed the idea coldly.

    In the za of Edsi Sanrama district, where trucks and people had gathered, Syrimus was in the midst of his election campaign, his voice booming through the speakers.

    I am Syrimus, number one on the ballot!

    With every word he spoke, cheers and shouts erupted, and firecrackers burst.

    A Senator for you, and the only one for Sanrama=!

    Though his election was all but assured, he did not cken in his campaigning. Watching him

    Ludeniel felt as if his insides were rotting away.

    It was supposed to be his seat. But then came the absurd bribery charge.

    Framed with evidence for a bribe he never took, his wifemitted suicide, and he lost everything.

    Sanramas Syrimus! Syrimuss Sanrama!

    Ludeniel turned slowly away. Staggering silently across the za, he slumped down onto an empty bench.

    .

    He pulled out a single business card from his pocket.

    [Jean Consulting]

    He dialed the phone number on a phone with a shattered screen.

    Click.

    The call connected.

    This is Ludeniel.

    The other party didnt respond, but Ludeniel spoke first.

    What should I do?

    Just then, Syrimuss promation echoed. I will be your mine! His campaign rants filled the air.

    Jean Consulting said.

    Lets start with a contract.

    .

    I visited Ludeniel again. He still had a look of distrust as he took the contract.

    Are you still having doubts?

    At my question, he shook his head. He promptly picked up a pen and signed the contract, stamping it with his seal with a thud.

    Is it done?

    Yes. Mr. Ludeniel, you will now receive our consulting and sponsorship.

    So what happens now?

    What happens? You will be a Senator, Mr. Ludeniel. Once you do, youll just need to do us a few favors that we ask for.

    Ludenielsplexion stiffened noticeably.

    Does he think hes selling his soul to some devil?

    I shook my head with a smile.

    We wont ask for anything too excessive. After all, you have nothing left to lose at this point, do you? Worry about it after you be a Senator.

    Now, there was only one thing left for me to do for him.

    I pulled a cue card from inside my coat.

    Here. Memorize it and then burn it.

    Ludeniel took the cue card somewhat bewilderedly. His eyes quickly scanned the text.

    [Saturday at midnight.

    You are taking a walk at night when you hear a faint sound. The source of the sound is the Belmion Mine. You hear the rumble of a tunnel copsing during work. To make matters worse, a fire breaks out.

    A small mine aze. The faint cries for help echoing.

    With little time, you decide. You will enter the mine yourself and rescue the miners.]

    Its a scenario.

    At my words, Ludeniel suddenly looked up.

    But even if this is true, how can I rescue the miners alone?

    Why do you ask, having graduated from the Magic Academy? Just activate your Magic Body appropriately. Everything is prepared, so you wont get hurt at all.

    The earth monster Grawl will assist him.

    Read a little more.

    I gestured towards the cue card. Ludeniel looked down again.

    [After rescuing about a dozen miners, suddenly. You catch a current of energy beneath the flickering mes.

    In an empty space where there should be nothing, you feel the stir of magical energy.]

    There are still many undiscovered mana stones in the Belmion Mine. You, Mr. Ludeniel, will discover them.

    Its a spot detected by Grawls radar.

    Lets dig a new tunnel there under your leadership. The Belmion Mine is amunity mine owned by the residents. So, the profits from there will go straight back to the people.

    Ludeniel looked at me with a nk expression on his face.

    This incident will be your foundation.

    I smiled thinly. Ludeniel licked his parched lips and asked back.

    And after that? What happens next?

    Senator Syrimus will fall from grace. Theres still some time before the election. Naturally, themunity will nominate you. After all, you are a former Senator, arent you?

    For a moment, Ludeniels beard bristled.

    He breathed heavily, over and over. His eyes were already bloodshot, and his body shook as if he was having a seizure.

    Mr. Ludeniel. I need your answer.

    Ludeniel, clutching the cue card tightly, said,

    Ill give it a try.

    * * *

    Two dayster.

    The equipment Jesco had arranged for waspleted. The factory had doubled in size and was fully upgraded to thetest technology.

    Work is brisk.

    How is it?

    Theborer who transported the equipment, second-inmand Face, approached me.

    Its good.

    Good? I strongly requested this from the boss. To do it this way.

    Face boasted and casually asked me,

    Have you thought about what I told youst time?

    He had left a message that wasnt quite a threat, asking me to give him a 0.5% cut.

    Im sorry.

    You son of a bitch. You dont have any other way to use the money, you fucking brat.

    I have other expenses. I could lend you some if you ask.

    Then lend me all of it.

    I dont have it.

    This motherfucker. Youve gone blind with all the pampering because youre a technician.

    Faces eyes red like a beasts.

    I pretended to be scared and stepped back as I spoke.

    But, if I work hard, the overall sales increase. Then naturally, the share that Mr. Face takes will also grow.

    Then Faces expression turned as if he was doing some calctions.

    If the profit of ten million turns into twenty million, even with the same percentage, the sry would double.

    This guy seems like hes never thought of that before.

    Well, thats true. Give me 0.25% then.

    Im sorry.

    Ah, you fucking bastard

    Just then, the door opened. Face hastily stepped back, and Jesco and his men appeared.

    Oh~ Its going well~.

    Jesco first looked around the equipment here and there.

    Third-inmand Crow approached me with a smile.

    How is it?

    Ah, its good. Everything is state-of-the-art It looks like we could handle five, no, six times the volume.

    Oh. Thats very good to hear.

    By the way, Crow has been skimming some of Jescos money.

    Ive got all the details sorted out and written in the Diary.

    How fortunate we are to have a techniciane in at just the right time. Haha.

    p!

    Jesco pped his hands.

    Hey, Belkman. Shall we test run it now?

    Yes, that would be great.

    At my words, Jesco pondered for a moment and then shook his head.

    No, lets just take a break today.

    Excuse me?

    I blinked in surprise.

    Unfortunately, we have a meeting scheduled. We might not see each other for a few weeks. You cante with us.

    Is that so?

    I deliberately made my voice sound disappointed.

    Dont feel too bad about it. Youre a technician, so we need to keep you hidden as much as possible. You know that, right?

    Yes, thats fine.

    Jesco grinned.

    Alright then you guys go ahead and leave first.

    Yes!

    The gangsters characteristic booming affirmation.

    Crow and Face, along with the other subordinates, all bustled out, and Jesco lingered for a moment.

    Well then. Is the equipment alright?

    Yes, its exactly what I wanted.

    Thats good to hear Start operating from tomorrow. Take it easy today. We have plenty of time to meet the demand anyway.

    Yes, brother.

    Alright. Im off then.

    As Jesco was about to wave his hand and leave, I called out to him.

    Brother.

    He turned to look at me.

    I just looked at him without saying a word.

    What?

    Eventually, he asked back.

    I hesitated for no reason and then bowed deeply.

    Thank you.

    ?

    Jesco wore a puzzled expression at the sudden gratitude.

    For taking in someone with just this little talent.

    But now, the end was near.

    Today might very well be ourst meeting.

    Leaving the desert was tough, and I missed it, but after meeting you, brother, this ce feels like home.

    Hmm well-

    Turns out, it wasnt home I was missing, but someone.

    Jescos nose slowly turned red. It was noticeable even against his naturally ruddyplexion.

    Lunatic? Did you eat something wrong?

    Even as he said this, he pretended to yawn, trying to hide his emotion.

    Stop talking nonsense. Your talent would have shone even without me.

    Jesco turned his head sharply away, speaking without showing his face.

    You would have had a much better and more ordinary life if youd gone to college.

    No, I wouldnt have.

    Whatever. Just take a rest. Im leaving.

    Jesco hurried out.

    I watched the door m shut and let out a sigh when all signs of life had faded.

    Phew. Finally, its over.

    This tedious job would soon be goodbye.

    Run the factory equipment four or five times, then disappear. After that, they can scramble and fry without me.

    Drring-

    A call came in on my Libra phone. It was Bell Moore.

    Yes.

    Hey, Shion! I found the guy you were talking about! Hes spilling his guts over drinks. This bastard is definitely the son of Senator Syrimus!

    I replied dryly.

    Yes. Keep him detained until the story breaks.

    Will do! Ah, but I like this bastard. Loves women and booze like crazy! Stay there. You shoulde byter too. Woohoo!

    The sound of womenughing, sses clinking, and the loud club music was dizzying.

    Stop having fun and focus on the job.

    Youre killing my buzz with that talk. Ive been a Chaser longer than you, mate! Im hanging up!

    Click-

    Bell Moore hung up the phone.

    Complete moron.

    I cursed under my breath andughed.

 Chapter 245: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (4)

    <h4>Chapter 245: Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (4)</h4>

    <strong>Opportunity Cost, Sunk Cost (4)</strong>

    The scenery reflected in my eyes is serene.

    Somehow, it feels gentle and cozy.

    Soliette suddenly had that thought.

    This must be underground, in the middle of nowhere.

    Its just supposed to be a descent to detonate the Bottle of Souls and find the Knightmare.

    Yet, the underground space gradually blooms with color, spreading like paint.

    Natural features begin to appear, and the climate changes vividly.

    It really is never-ending.

    That was Jaredsment. Soliette wiped the sweat and sand from her forehead.

    The scene, now whipped by a hot wind, has be aplete desert.

    Thats true. But it seems were not far off. It must be the Bottles defense mechanism.

    Soliette spoke out such thoughts.

    They were all her own spections.

    It seems to weave thesendscapes to protect from the explosion.

    .

    It was then, as Jared was forming a faint smile.

    Kwa-gwa-gwa!

    A massive form surged from the desert floor. Sand rushed in like a tsunami.

    It was a house-sized scorpiona giant scorpion.

    !

    Soliette and Jared quickly took up battle stances. The scorpion struck first with its tail.

    !

    The stinger, like a pir of stone, thrust forward. Soliette blocked with her sword, but her body was pushed back. The weight of the tail carried on the de was heavy.

    Whirl!

    At that moment, magical roots sprouted from thin air, entwining the scorpions tail. Sharp arrows followed, rushing into the gaps in its exoskeleton.

    It was simultaneous support.

    Soliette looked at the support with a puzzled face.

    Soon, peoplended.

    There were four of them.

    What are you looking at, friend?

    They all had different faces from before, but she recognized them instantly by their manner of speaking.

    Soliettes initial party.

    Each one, [Kal], [Hans], [Jenny], [Chris].

    .

    Soliette smiled silently.

    Indeed, a party is needed for an adventure.

    Mr. Jared. These are mypanions.

    Soliette introduced her party to Jared.

    I see.

    Jared nodded.

    Lets save the chit-chat forter!

    [Kal] moved first. The scorpion swung its pincers, but [Kal]s sword blocked them. [Chris] detonated his arrows. [Jenny]s magic supported them.

    With skilled cooperation, they easily hunted the scorpion.

    Phew.

    Situation over.

    After dismantling the scorpions body, the party used its carapace to build a small shelter.

    Gurgle-

    A rumble came from Soliettes stomach.

    Just wait a bit. Scorpion meat is surprisingly tasty, you know?

    Catching the sound, [Kal] spoke up. Soliette scratched the back of her neck and looked at Jared. Jareds face was lost in thought.

    .

    Suddenly, Soliette was struck by a strange question.

    Eating in Bethune doesnt affect reality. No matter how much food she consumes here, it doesnt trante to nutritional intake in the real world.

    Yet, she has been in this ce for quite some time.

    Clearly, shes been filling her sense of fullness with meals from here.

    Is it because souls are gathering in Bethune? Or has Bethune already be a part of reality?

    Its an unsatisfactory exnation, but

    It could be possible.

    Just like Jared is breathing and living right before her eyes.

    * * *

    Edsi Sanrama district.

    Ten minutes before midnight on Saturday, as specified on the cue card.

    Ludeniel set out for a walk with mixed feelings. He walked a dark path not far from the mines.

    .

    Tension gripped his entire body, but he walked nheless.

    ording to that consultant, he had nothing to lose.

    After all, there was nothing left to lose

    Exactly at midnight.

    Thump.

    A small tremor echoed through the mountains.

    Aaaaah!

    A thin scream drifted in.

    Ludeniel flinched in surprise but immediately ran towards the source.

    It was indeed themunity mine.

    How could this be.

    A suddenndslide had blocked the tunnel. A fire had also broken out outside.

    It was the scenario from the cue card.

    Ludeniel looked around the area. A small crack was visible at the end of the tunnel.

    Thats the spot.

    Gulp.

    Swallowing his saliva, he activated his Magic Body. It had been so long since hest used it that pain surged through his veins, but he pushed his body into the crack first.

    Swoosh- Swoosh-

    Just like the consultant said, it was smooth, like swimming.

    Ludeniel crawled for almost an hour to get inside the tunnel.

    There!

    When he emerged from the crack, about a dozen miners were huddled together. They looked exhausted and turned their gaze to Ludeniel.

    Ludeniel?

    Someone calling his name, someone he knew.

    Balta. Is that you?

    His old schoolmate, Balta.

    .

    He was too pale to continue speaking properly.

    Is this all the survivors?

    Inside, there are two more

    Two more. Ludeniel dashed to where they pointed. Following the breaths of thegging miners, he hoisted one over his right shoulder, the other over his left.

    Then he returned and set them down.

    Tie yourselves to me!

    Just in time, there was a sturdy rope on the ground.

    Was this also a prepared item?

    Ludeniel took the lead, tying the miners bodies in a line like sausages.

    Well exit through this fissure. Ill break the way open. You just need to crawl and follow. Stay alert!

    p!

    He pped the cheeks of those whose eyes were closing from theck of oxygen.

    Follow me, everyone! Unless you want to die like dogs!

    Ludeniel led them, inserting his body into the fissure that led outside. The miners followed his example.

    Like worms wriggling, they squirmed through the walls.

    Squirm. Squirm.

    They crawled through the gaps of the copsed tunnel. Ludeniel constantly encouraged the miners behind him.

    Move! If you want to see your families, keep moving! Look out for the person behind you!

    How many hours had they advanced like this?

    Finally, fresh air flowed in.

    Ludeniel reached out towards it. He nted his hands on the ground and pulled himself out.

    Crunch!

    Breaking through the soil, he escaped from the tunnel.

    Outside, people had already gathered. Ambnces and fire trucks, residents, and the families of the miners.

    They ran towards them, calling for their fathers, brothers, friends, husbands. The miners, with tired faces, embraced them.

    Among them, Ludeniel stood alone.

    He had no family.

    Ludeniel.

    But then, one by one, footsteps approached him.

    Miners smeared with soot, blood, and tears.

    Their families.

    An old schoolmate who had betrayed him in the past now hugged him tightly. He apologized through tears.

    Its alright.

    Ludeniel looked over the shoulder of his ssmate to see someone.

    It was the consultant from [Jean Consulting].

    He was smiling at him.

    * * *

    Beep Beep

    The rm clock woke me up.

    I looked around the Quantum Mechanic factory.

    Yawn.

    Synthetic mana stones were everywhere. It was the result of Grawl and me running the equipment quite diligently for three days.

    Maybe its time for a break.

    I stepped outside the factory.

    Are you leaving?

    Of course, there was a security guard.

    Im going to take a little break now.

    Yes. Youve worked hard for three days. We will escort you.

    They offered to escort me to the vehicle with great care, but I smiled and shook my head.

    No, its okay. I just need to go home.

    There was an order from the boss.

    What Alright then.

    I might as well disappear anyway.

    I got into the car.

    The security guards took me to a vi that Jesco had used before.

    The vi wasnt bad, but Jescos portrait in the middle of it all was unsettling.

    Narcissist.

    Jesco is the epitome of a desert dweller. Long red hair, a sturdy and muscr tanned body. But he had glorified it so excessively that showing it to Jade would be a death sentence.

    Drrring-

    Just then, a call came in.

    Master!

    Dont call me master when you phone.

    Yes, sir.

    Grawl cleared his throat with a cough.

    Mr. Shion. Its Jake.

    Yeah.

    The proceeds from the mana stone sale have been sent to the desert, to the hometown, under the name of Belkman.

    I nodded.

    After all, Belkman was the name of a real person who lived in that desert.

    He actually came up from the desert, lived as a homeless man, and then died.

    Operation over.

    Now Belkman would disappear without a trace, and Quantum Mechanic would fall into internal strife and suspicion, leading to its demise.

    * * *

    Hey! Breaks over!

    While Quantum Mechanic was distracted by its expansion, Lithium Corporation had grown rapidly. They had secured a robust mercenary connection in preparation for battle and introduced extreme mana stones, which were at least twice as efficient as synthetic mana stones.

    Theres a dinner party tonight, so lets wrap up quickly and go!

    R&D was also a sess.

    Thanks to that, Lithiums catalog now included not just simple handguns but also magic knives, magic bullets, and various other portable weapons

    Like the future before my regression, no, were advancing even faster than that.

    [Managers Office]

    I knocked on the door of the managers office.

    Knock knock-

    The door opened immediately.

    Ah, youre here. Chaser Shion.

    Sonya smiled. I sat down in a chair.

    Yes. Quantum Mechanic is about to be divided.

    Is that so? Im looking forward to it. Weve also finished everything. With the stock weve prepared, we can swallow up the Midwest.

    I nodded and looked at the TV in the corner. The 9 oclock news on Edsi was broadcasting.

    Ah, hows the election strategy going?

    Just a moment. It shoulde up even if its just a brief segment.

    I pointed at the TV screen.

    That bitch, shes definitely cozying up to Frank.

    But seriously, no matter how much there is to gain, would she really want to fuck that old man?

    Erent silently corrected the manuscript, and suddenly her eyes caught thepanys name shining in LED lights in the middle of the hallway.

    [Edsi Post]

    Seeing those letters brought on a sense of disillusionment.

    She didnt study her ass off in college for this. How long does she have to rot here, just polishing manuscripts for seniors who are in bed with the bald boss?

    Thats when it happened.

    Courier delivery.

    Ah!

    Startled by the sudden voice, Erent shuddered. It was a person wearing an Otto bike helmet.

    He ced a thick envelope on her desk.

    Who are you?

    Courier delivery.

    The courier quickly left, and Erent blinked at the envelope.

    ?

    There were no markings on it.

    No recipient, no sender, just a in red envelope.

    Erent cautiously opened the p and shook out the contents. A small cell phone and a stack of documents fell out.

    She picked up the documents first.

    [Syrimus Report]

    Syrimus Report?

    As far as she knew, Syrimus was a regional Senator from the Sanrama district. A man who was gaining prominence in politics these days with the backing of the Voltac family. Someone whose election was already 90% certain

    !

    Her eyes glued on a particr part of the document. Her hair stood on end with shock.

    Who the hell could have

    No, theres no need to get this worked up.

    Erent quickly calmed herself down.

    The most important virtue for a journalist is fact-checking. If you get blinded by non-facts, your career in journalism evaporates into a puff of smoke.

    The content is just too unbelievable. This kind of trash belongs in a brokerage firm, not here.

    Ahem.

    She nced around cautiously.

    Fortunately, no one seemed interested in her. They were all busy moving around due to the election season, or on the phone, editing articles.

    Drring-

    Suddenly, the cell phone rang.

    Erent looked at it.

    Drring-

    The ringtone came from the small,dybug-like phone.

    With trembling hands, she answered the call.

    Have you received the information?

    A calm voice soaked into her ear.

    Erent quietly asked back.

    Who is this?

    The information delivered to you is all factual. Ms. Erent.

    Her breath hitched slightly at the mention of her name.

    She couldnt even utter questions about why this was being sent to her, who the person was, or who the source was nothing came out.

    Click-

    She hung up the phone without realizing it. She stuffed the envelope into her bag and hurried onto the Elevator.

    As she was about to close the doors of the Elevator on the 57th floor.

    Ah. Hold on a moment.

    A man stepped inside.

    He was tall.

    A man in a suit that matched well with his blond hair and blue tie.

    Erent, without realizing it, nced at him and pressed the button to close the doors to the first floor.

    Whirring

    On the descending Elevator, the man suddenly said something odd.

    Its an umon opportunity.

    What.

    Erents face hardened. She turned to look at him with wavering eyes.

    The man continued, his gaze focused only on the doors of the Elevator, that is, straight ahead.

    Dont you want to rise, to go up?

    Ding

    In the meantime, the Elevator reached the first floor.

    The value of that information depends on you.

    The man walked straight out.

    Erent couldnt say anything to him, and he blended into the crowd in the buildings first-floor lobby and disappeared.

 Chapter 246: Scheme (1)

    <h4>Chapter 246: Scheme (1)</h4>

    <strong>Scheme (1)</strong>

    Erent wrestled with her thoughts in the office.

    Should she use it or not, cast the dice or not?

    She hadnt even started the revisions her senior had assigned, just circling the same thoughts in her head.

    Then, abruptly, she stood up.

    She looked towards the editors office, the desk. Inside the partitioned ss, Editor-in-Chief Frank and a few reporters were present.

    Gritting her teeth, she walked over.

    She pushed open the door.

    What the what do you want?

    Bald Frank furrowed his brow upon seeing her. The senior reporters beside him just rolled their eyes in bewilderment.

    Erent spoke up.

    I have an exclusive source.

    Ugh. Get out.

    Frank waved her away. Erent didnt budge. She watched them puffing away at their cigarettes, thenbang!

    She pounded the desk with her fist.

    Shit, you scared me. Are you out of your mind

    Senator Syrimus has a hidden son.

    The expressions of Frank and the others stiffened slightly.

    But soon enough, they looked unimpressed, as if to say, so what?

    The mere fact of a hidden son was hardly a blemish for a politician backed by Vern.

    Erent added more.

    Hes a criminal.

    Alright, get out for now

    And more!

    Having a few criminal records wasnt enough to bring down a Senator.

    A childs scandal might be juicy material for the media to tear apart, but in the grand scheme, its not the Senators own wrongdoing. Everyone knows raising kids can be tough.

    However, the corruption Erent had uncovered about Syrimus went beyond that.

    Hes received a monster graft, a chimera procedure.

    Thats when everyone froze.

    Youre spouting some crazy bullshit.

    Franks face contorted with disdain, but she presented part of her source.

    His name is Luke. Hes been suffering from a rare disease since birth. The monster procedure was because of that.

    Btedly, Franksplexion turned pale. He scanned Erents source with his own eyes.

    Did you tell the bureau chief about this?

    Not yet. Im about to.

    Its not fact-checked.

    Erent, feeling her heart pounding more than ever, said,

    Isnt that what Im going to do?

    * * *

    Before his regression, Hannah Erent was an editor-in-chief.

    Once, she soared as a star journalist, thriving on the crumbs from the political and business elite. But at the most critical moment, she maintained her integrity, and the price she paid was death.

    The people I choose, and will choose, are mostly like that.

    They have at least a minimum sense of justice.

    Therefore, they can stand upright independently, not just as cogs in Libras wheel.

    What are you thinking about?

    Suddenly, Zias voice came through the Libra phone.

    Im thinking about what to have for lunch.

    I sat on a bench, sipping my takeout coffee.

    Hmm you see, my sister wants to give you a gift in person.

    That so.

    Zias sister is, of course, Johanna.

    It means Im about to receive an A-grade R-elix.

    The bidding was quite high

    The Johanna I know values life highly.

    Shes firm with rewards and punishments, but shes also too immersed in materialism.

    Where are you now?

    I sent my coordinates. A park bench in the capital, Edsi.

    Okay. Ive passed it on.

    Thank you.

    Zia ended the call.

    I waited quietly.

    After about 30 minutes, someone sat down next to me on the bench.

    At first, I thought it was one of Johannas attendants.

    What are you staring at?

    But it was Johanna herself.

    She slid her sunsses down slightly and handed me a magic box.

    Take it. Its the R-elix.

    Thank you.

    However, before you take it.

    She paused, looking at me with something to say.

    I nodded, facing her.

    Would you consider it?

    She handed me a piece of paper.

    It was no ordinary paper.

    The Libra family crest was watermarked on it, and Johannas personal seal and signature were scrawled in her own handwriting, a document entrusting a top-secret mission to a Chaser in her direct lineage.

    Beckman is no different from my vassal. Hes a founding contributor. Its been nearly 15 years now. Hes made quite a bit of money for me.

    Johanna exined this with a somewhat bitter tone.

    So I cant dismiss him myself. For my own dignity, for the trust and rtionship with the remaining bncers. After all, he hasnt done anything wrong yet, has he?

    She looked up at the sky.

    But if theres a hint of something off about him, or if he eventually goes mad and tries to do something.

    Her blue gaze slid sideways, meeting mine.

    You take him out.

    I silently looked at her paper.

    A top-secret mission document rted to Beckman.

    I let a voice drift through my mind.

    Grawl. Check this out.

    Yes.

    Grawl responded immediately and skimmed through the document using my eyes.

    This is a curious document. Its spatially mediated.

    Without showing any reaction, I asked back.

    Spatially mediated?

    Yes. The specific area where this document is ced gets recorded. If you ce this document in your home, it could allow someone to spy on the space where you are.

    This document itself is an artifact, a mix of eavesdropping and recording, no, something much more sophisticated.

    Its so cunning that I barely caught it.

    Was Johanna doubting both Beckman and me at the same time?

    I know its a difficult request. It involves touching a Bncer, and you are Zias knight.

    Johanna seemed to mistake my silence for contemtion.

    However, its because you are Zias knight that I can make such a request.

    I turned to look at Johanna. A leaf had settled on her sunsses. I carefully reached out and brushed the leaf away.

    .

    For me, there were things I needed to confirm.

    Why she had personally sought me out. Why she was making this request of me, and why she wanted to monitor me.

    Alright. Think it over. Ill wait for about 5 minutes.

    If it had been her before the regression, she would never have done this.

    She considered even time as money.

    She wouldnt bother toe to see a mere college student.

    Thats why I wanted to confirm one thing.

    Ill do it.

    Good.

    Johanna stood up from her seat.

    However.

    I stopped her. Looking up at her while still seated.

    If everything is wrapped up in some way or another.

    Johanna detests the act of demanding rewards or conditions. She believes that she will take care of it anyway once its over, but also because it confirms the aspect of loyalty to her in exchange for money or honor.

    Johanna wants someone she can trust.

    While Johanna herself judges people solely by money, she desires pure and unblemished loyalty from those under her.

    To such Johanna, I dared to propose a condition.

    I would expect a reward.

    Could you go paragliding with me?

    Paragliding.

    To continue the flight that I couldnt enjoyst time because of an intruder.

    I watched Johannas expression.

    .

    She didnt speak, but her eyes wavered.

    Her heartbeat remained the same, but this faint reaction was enough to give me some assurance.

    The Johanna I know is a gold supremacist.

    A cruel murderer who is obsessed with money, treating it like a religion, and has killed countless people. A woman who is congenitallycking a significant part of emotion.

    The very epitome of what ismonly known as a psychopath.

    But now, she exhibited a very slight disturbance.

    If this was a manifestation of some emotion.

    Paragliding.

    I could make full use of her.

    Is that all you want?

    Johanna retorted.

    I smiled thinly.

    Yes.

    How modest.

    Johanna nodded. She walked away, her steps pressing into the grass.

    I watched her back for a long time.

    The n that was forming in my mind was low in sess probability and carried significant risk, but.

    If there was even the slightest chance, to move the emotions of one of the direct line towards me

    It might be a gamble worth taking.

    * * *

    Late at night. On the way home after finishing a university assignment.

    Elise sensed someone approaching her.

    A man who didnt seem to bother hiding himself, walking towards her openly.

    Who are you?

    Elise turned to look at him. He grinned at her.

    A familiar face.

    Good evening. Its been a while~

    A journalist.

    His name was Irving, or was it Earl?

    Anyway, the damned paparazzi who spread rumors about her and Shions love affair.

    Sigh.

    Elise shook her head in disapproval and was about to continue on her way when-

    Ah. I have some information to deliver to you.

    The journalist smirked, extending an envelope.

    Elises expression turned icy. She pondered what to do with this overstepping paparazzi but.

    Its about the person youre rumored to be in a rtionship with.

    She first silently looked at the contents.

    It was data from a hospital.

    A testimony from a nurse.

    Records of the day someone died, and a child was born.

    The day Shion Ascals mother died.

    At that moment, Elisesposure shattered. Unknowingly, she drew upon her magic power. The journalist stepped back, startled.

    Do you not value your life?

    No. I value my life. Thats why I came to sell it.

    Sell it?

    Her voice sharpened like a thug.

    Yes. But seeing your reaction, you already knew? Have you been staying close not because you liked it but out of pity?

    The journalist smirked. Elise followed suit. She smiled with a thick murderous intent.

    Do you want to die?

    Ah, Im actually under a real threat of death.

    And then he pointed to his chest.

    Myptop is connected to my heartbeat. Ive written a separate will too. So, if I die, all rted materials will be delivered to Libra. To Libra, and to Chaser Shion.

    Elise red at him silently.

    Just buy it without any fuss. What I want is simple. Just about 20 million Ren? Installments are possible too. A lump sum of 20 million Ren, or 3 million Ren in installments over 10 years. Just in case, Ive already sent the documents to your father, Ken Petra. Hes probably reading them right now.

    You insane bastard!

    Elise stepped forward with a burst of magical power. Irving hastily stepped back.

    Anyway! Its a fact that would havee to light even without me. You know that, right?

    Besides, I can help bury this story forever, just for some money. Im serious.

    A headache began to throb at Elises temples. She couldnt tell if it was anger, exasperation, or sorrowemotions swirled chaotically in her mind.

    So make your choice wisely. Do you want Libras promising Chaser to find out how his mother died?

    He spat out his final words.

    There will be a war if he does.

    Then he turned and hurriedly ran off.

    In the dark night.

    Left alone, Elise steadied her ragged breathing and trembled.

    * * *

    I arrived at the dormitory. I ced the document Johanna had given me on the desk.

    Everything that happens within a 10-meter radius of this document, from the living room to the bedroom, is transmitted to Johanna.

    Its a rather annoying artifact.

    Iy down on the bed.

    Thump- thump- I tapped the dormitory wall with my fingers, waiting for the prearranged call.

    Drrring

    My smartphone rang just in time.

    I got up from the bed to answer the call.

    Its Jake.

    Its Grawl.

    Im about to perform a certain act with this guy.

    Yes. This is Shion.

    Johanna assigned me a mission, intending to monitor me.

    She suspects me and probably wants to find out what kind of person I am.

    Also, to find out what I think of Johanna herself.

    I n to consistently satisfy her needs moving forward.

    Ive received the details about the mission, but monitoring a Bncer is a dangerous task.

    Is that so.

    You would know better, Mr. Shion. A Bncer is not an ordinary opponent. If youre discovered, youll be counterattacked.

    I made him say it as if this mission itself is a huge burden to him.

    Of course, considering Beckmans character, it is indeed a dangerous mission.

    Even so, please proceed.

    I answer firmly, almost stubbornly.

    Haa may I ask why?

    This guys acting skills are improving day by day.

    Indeed, Ill soon be receiving an A-grade R-elix, so naturally, I have to work hard.

    The reason

    Yes. Lady Johanna is not your lord, Mr. Shion.

    At that, I let out a low chuckle.

    Pretending to think of the person named Johanna.

    Its because shes lonely.

    Lonely?

    Yes. There are too many people around her.

    Johannas power is not inferior even whenpared to Dereks. Especially now that shes almost gotten the Golden Casino shares for free.

    However, she trusts none of them.

    She trusts no one. Thats why shes obsessed with money, and why she cant easily cut off Beckman.

    Lady Johanna stands alone in that ce. In that lonely void, alone, in solitude

    Johanna would certainly be listening to this conversation.

    Youre alike.

    It was an unexpected ad-lib from Grawl.

    Not in the script.

    Yes.

    I almost frowned but continued with an ad-lib of my own.

    Perhaps. I dont trust people either.

    We fell silent for a moment.

    This matter could lead to our downfall.

    But this bastard keeps ad-libbing.

    If he overdoes it here, it might actually arouse suspicion.

    Its okay. Im prepared. Thats all for now.

    Yes. See youter.

    Jake, Grawl hung up the call.

    I turned off the light andy down on the bed.

    Im not sure what Johanna will think about this conversation today

    If she has any feelings, I should be able to draw them out sufficiently.

    The n is to proceed step by step.

 Chapter 247: Scheme (2)

    <h4>Chapter 247: Scheme (2)</h4>

    <strong>Scheme (2)</strong>

    Johanna terminated the spatial sharing.

    The 43 square meters dorm room of Shion Ascal expanded into a vast bedroom.

    Silently, she scratched the area around her eyebrows and sank into the sofa.

    This sofa costs three million ren. A masterpiece embroidered stitch by stitch by a craftsman, with inherent cleanliness magic.

    Moreover, the velvet gown she was wearing was worth five million ren. It would never get soiled without ever needing to touch water, or being washed. Probably cleaner than most sterile rooms.

    Thus, everything in this residence starts at a million ren.

    Clothes, watches, bags, brooches, rings, jewels, nes Things thatmoners may never touch in their lifetime were as plentiful as stones here, yet there were no windows.

    The sky permitted for everyone to see was not visible.

    It was because of her obsessivepulsive nature.

    Its because shes lonely.

    Johanna frowned.

    It was a presumptuous remark from Shion Ascal.

    A condescendingment sympathizing with her, a direct descendant.

    Hmm

    Thats why now, she was in doubt.

    It was both a concern and a simple deduction.

    If if Shion Ascal was framing Beckman?

    Although Beckmans loyalty remained unchanged, if that bastard Shion was engaging in collusion?

    No matter if Chaser had risked his life to save her in the casino, Johanna did not trust a greenhorn who hadnt even been around for a year.

    Instead, she breathed distrust as easily as air.

    My lord, its Vitro.

    A voice came from the handset in the corner of the bedroom.

    Speak.

    Vitro was another one of her bncers.

    Yes. The informant Jake who spoke with Ascal does exist.

    Who exactly is he?

    This too was part of Johannas suspicions.

    Could it be that Shion Ascal had noticed the spatial mediation in advance and was trying to y a farce with some random guy?

    His identity has not been determined, but he has quite a reputation on the dark web. Theres talk that he could be a ck Scale level informer after a long time.

    That guy is Shion Ascals personal informant?

    Yes. I received confirmation from Bell Moore that Ascals informant is certain.

    And who the hell is Bell Moore?

    Johanna furrowed her brow.

    Ascals current marksman.

    Which side is he on? Derek?

    He seems to be wavering at the moment.

    Hmmmm

    Johanna exhaled a breath for a moment.

    The artifact known as spatial mediation meant that once Shion left the vicinity of the documents, his whereabouts could no longer be tracked.

    Surveince for work purposes was impossible.

    Is he trustworthy?

    Hes my junior by five years. He listens to me well.

    Then lets assign him a task.

    You mean surveince?

    Yes.

    Having a marksman watch over his own spotter.

    Its aplete mess, but its bound to be efficient.

    I will proceed.

    Go.

    Johanna ended themunication with a gesture.

    Then, suddenly, she remembered something Ascal had said just before.

    Perhaps. I dont trust people either.

    The words about not trusting people.

    Indeed, there are no trustworthy people by his side.

    Johanna is simr.

    She doesnt fully trust even Vitro. She always doubts her own bncers.

    They might pretend to be loyal to her while actually serving Derek, Jade, Sherlock, and though the likelihood is significantly low, even Zia could be a spy.

    Thats why she is just as lonely.

    Its not funny

    Johanna sank into the sofa.

    A trophy on the table caught her eye.

    [FINAL WINNER]

    The ultimate trophy from the World Series of Poker.

    She stared at it.

    Somehow, stress was spreading.

    Every time she looked at it, every time she remembered that day, an inexplicable stress surged within her.

    She still didnt understand why.

    Thanks to that, she had gained a stake in the Golden Casino and had won the coveted trophy.

    In the past, when she was younger, she relieved such stress by killing people. She frolicked on the battlefield herself.

    Now, she cant indulge so recklessly.

    Just

    Johanna quietly closed her eyes.

    And fell into a death-like sleep.

    * * *

    Swoosh swoosh.

    An empty clearing wrapped in bushes.

    Summer rain falls from the dark sky.

    Soaked by the rain, Elise is lost in thought.

    Theres no contact from her father.

    Her father, who prides himself on being a strong warrior, might dismiss this as a mere trifle, a non-event that will pass.

    But Elise is scared.

    Of what?

    Of drifting apart.

    From whom?

    From Shion Ascal.

    Right.

    Thats all Elises fear amounts to.

    The selfish desire not to drift away from him is far greater than the feeling of regret, than the duty to atone as a member of the family.

    She doesnt want to be his enemy.

    How foolish.

    Elise let out a hollowugh.

    Her father would never allow for negotiations. Neither would Elise herself.

    Negotiations are just a drug that makes things easier for the moment.

    They will eventually be a weakness, a shameful secret.

    But without negotiation, Shion wille to hate her. He will despise the entire Petra family.

    Its the tax Elise has been putting off for a year.

    A disaster that she has been foolishly postponing without any n, that now threatens to sweep in all at once.

    The mere thought tears at her heart.

    Imagining Shion looking at her with contempt, his sword pointed at her, bing someone she could never be with again

    Elise sped her face in her hands.

    Her tears mixed with the rain.

    She cried quietly, and eventually picked up her phone. A name caught her eye in the contacts.

    [At Your Service]

    Should she ask for advice?

    No.

    She no longer wants to receive vague consultations.

    She wants to speak honestly about whats on her mind.

    Elise called someone else.

    Dial tone

    The person picked up quickly.

    Hello?

    Hey! Elly, why the call?!

    La.

    This person has no gloom about her.

    She might seem down for a moment, but soon shes back to her usual self, La.

    Elise envied that.

    Want to grab some food? I have something to talk about.

    Sounds great~ Elly, where are you?

    The person responded with an even brighter tone, probably having noticed the darkness in my voice.

    Well, Im here in some weird forest. I dont know where exactly.

    Just a ce she ended up at after walking aimlessly.

    Then share your GPS with me.

    Yeah, sure.

    Technology these days is amazing~ When we were young, we didnt have stuff like this.

    Elise shared her GPS location.

    Wait for me, Elly~ Ill bring some food ande right over~ Lets make a hideout like old times~ Hehehe.

    Thanks to that cheerful voice, Elise managed a weak smile.

    * * *

    Libra Intelligence Agency. Bell Moores private office.

    How do you like it? Pretty spacious, huh?

    Bell Moore swirled the whiskey in his ss as he spoke. I looked around the interior.

    Its definitely spacious.

    This guy seems to grow every time I see him, his office getting bigger by the day.

    Its not a bad thing.

    Bell Moore himself seems to think hes using me, but in reality, its the other way around.

    This guy is going to be a bridge for leaking information from the upper echelons of the Intelligence Agency to me.

    So, Shion. You should also try to live your Chaser Life, man. Dont just focus on work. Schmooze with the seniors a bit.

    What about the business trip?

    Shit. Here.

    Bell Moore handed over some documents.

    Weve identified the new recruit Luke, and Ive even found his surgery records in the underworld you mentioned.

    I checked them out.

    Sure enough, hes handled the tasks I gave him efficiently.

    Syrimus is out of the game now.

    Thats right. But, do you have a separate informant?

    Bell Moore nced at me slyly.

    I can understand knowing about Syrimuss hidden son. That the bastard received Chimera Surgery in the underworld? I can even understand knowing that. But how did you find out which clinic performed it?

    I have a personal informant.

    Who is it?

    This guy knows Jake but pretends not to.

    Hes acting suspicious today.

    If its a monster, then its game over.

    Right on cue, Riley changed the subject. She sipped her coffee while reading the documents.

    Since hes a murderer who killed people in a Chimera Rage.

    Its a side effect of the Chimera procedure. Addiction, or an uncontroble rage that erupts when drunk or high, leaving the person unable to control themselves.

    Where will the information be delivered?

    To the Edsi Post. I have a reporter prepared.

    Good, good~

    p, p, p

    Bell Moore apuded. Then he slung an arm around Rileys shoulder, grinning.

    Another sess for our item?

    Its not ours, it was Shion Ascals item, wasnt it?

    Riley shrugged off his hand.

    Yeah, I know, I know. But if we only put it under Shions name, the team leaders will cut it. You know they fucking hate him for killing Benedict.

    Im aware.

    There are six team leaders in the Intelligence Agency. Excluding the already dead Benedict, that leaves five.

    So theres still one spot vacant and its clear that Bell Moore is eyeing it.

    Please report back.

    Okay.

    I dont really care either way.

    If Bell Moore gets promoted, itll actually be much more convenient for me.

    So man.

    Bell Moore looked at me.

    How about a drink to celebrate the operations sess?

    A drink.

    A phrase Id never expect to be offered in my lifetime.

    At that moment, I suspected Bell Moore.

    Drink?

    Bell Moore mimicked the shape of a ss with his hand and tilted it back as if taking a shot.

    Of course, I declined the offer.

    It would be strange for someone who never goes to suddenly start attending.

    Im not even sure whose bidding hes doing yet.

    Hey.

    Bell Moore followed me down the Intelligence Agency hallway.

    That personal informant of yours, howd youe across them?

    You seem very interested. Intelligence is the lifeblood of a Chaser.

    Its fucking impressive, thats why.

    I happened toe across them.

    What do you mean happened to? Im not asking who it is, just tell me how you happened toe across them. Im curious.

    Hes prying too much.

    Clearly, hes been approached by someone.

    Someone from the direct line?

    We met on the line of death.

    Line of death? Like a life-or-death situation?

    Yes.

    Its actually true.

    When Grawl was a stone monster, during the fierce battle with Akane, I absorbed part of Grawl into my R-elix.

    Hmm.

    Bell Moore scratched his chin.

    We reached the parking lot.

    Oh right, I didnt bring my car today, can you give me a lift? It used to be mine anyway.

    Bell Moore grinned slyly in front of the SUV.

    Where to?

    Just drop me off at Edsi Station.

    Get in.

    I climbed into the drivers seat. Bell Moore got into the passenger seat.

    Still, I feel good as the person who gifted this car to you since you use it often.

    I started the car without a word.

    We exited the Intelligence Agency through the tunnel.

    Still. Im envious of you.

    Bell Moore was particrly motor-mouthed today.

    Is there something to envy?

    Youve got money. Won that gambling tournament, too. 60 million Ren.

    Why dont you retire? Did Johanna take all the credit?

    No.

    Bell Moore nced at the rearview mirror. He was gauging my reaction.

    Heard you got a gift from Johanna too.

    Yes.

    Did she take a liking to you?

    Thats when I had the intuition.

    Its Johannas bidding.

    Bell Moore was clearly sounding me out.

    No.

    What do you mean no? Why would she give a gift if she didnt like you?

    I cannot presume to measure the thoughts of Johanna.

    Youre no fun But anyway. Be careful, will you? If you get too close to the direct line for no reason, youll be checked.

    I pondered what kind of conversation Johanna would favor, what sentences she would deeply consider.

    I reflected on her personality and inclinations.

    It doesnt matter.

    How can it not matter, man? Do you know what could happen? Youre basically one of the juniors people.

    But Johanna is, once again, simple in her desires.

    Ultimately, she seeks loyalty that expects nothing in return.

    You might not realize it, but the dynamics of power arent that simple, man. You could end up butting heads with a Bncer.

    In any situation, in any danger, she wants someone who can be unconditionally trusted.

    Theres a widespread rumor that Beckman is gunning for you. So just step back a bit. If Johannas crew calls you, just lie and say youre busy.

    No.

    Just then, the SUV stopped at a traffic signal.

    There were many people crossing the crosswalk.

    Its my responsibility to handle.

    I watched them as I conveyed my words to Johanna.

    Sometimes, even someone like me might be necessary to her.

    Bell Moore made a strange expression. He seemed to mumble something like What makes you think youre so special? and then leaned back in his seat.

    After that, there was no more conversation.

    Bell Moore waited quietly and got off at Edsi Station.

    * * *

    [Exclusive! Sanrama District Senator, Syrimuss Son Caught in Scandal]

    Ha ha.

    Derek smiled. A scandal had erupted for a district Senator, someone who was no more significant than Verns finger.

    Taking down a bird quite the bold move. Ascal again?

    It was led by Ascal himself, along with Bell Moore and Riley as a team, answered Bncer Smith.

    Derek folded the newspaper with satisfaction.

    Now Vern must have an inkling of who hes messed with.

    But this was just the beginning. He wouldnt stop until Vern was on his knees before him, licking his boots.

    But how about the other teams results? Aside from Shion, there seems to be no results.

    It seems they are unfolding their ns. We will report the oues soon.

    Derek turned his chair around, looking out the high window as he spoke.

    In a way, its fortunate that bastard is Zias.

    Starting with Benedict, then Theia Esil, and now Syrimus, Ascal proved to be aspetent as any other Bncer.

    There are rumorstely that Johanna has been in contact with Ascal.

    Johanna. That woman?

    Yes. She personally offered a high-priced gift.

    Dereks brow furrowed slightly, but he soon sneered.

    No need to worry. That crazy woman doesnt trust what belongs to others.

    If there was even one instance of loyalty to someone else in their past, Johanna would never trust them. She doesnt give the slightest emotion to anything that isnt money.

    She was born that way from the start.

    Then, we shall prepare for Verns counterattack.

    Dismissed.

    Yes.

    Smith backed out of Dereks office.

    Alone, Derek smiled contentedly and gazed casually at the clouds in the sky.

 Chapter 248: Scheme (3)

    <h4>Chapter 248: Scheme (3)</h4>

    <strong>Scheme (3)</strong>

    In the Bncers meeting room, Bell Moore ran his tongue over his teeth, feeling a tension he hadnt experienced in a while.

    Ahem.

    He had had private meetings with Derek and encounters with Jade, but Johanna was a different breed altogether.

    First and foremost, she was cold and cruel.

    She didnt shy away from anything.

    While Derek and Jade had a certain level of decorum that made them averse to getting their hands dirty, Johanna seemed to almost relish it.

    In fact, the consensus was that she would fail a psychopath test.

    However, her knack for following money was unparalleled by any businessman on the continent, and her daring in taking risks had allowed her to amass a vast fortune through casinos and hedge funds, making her one of the wealthiest in Edsi.

    The sry structure under Johanna was among the highest across all families and corporations on the continent.

    Setupplete.

    Bncer Vitro nced around at the cameras.

    With a snap of his fingers like he was flipping a te, he said, Chaser Bell Moore. Everything you say from now on will be recorded and reported to Lady Johanna.

    Yes.

    What is the message you wish to convey?

    This is it.

    Bell Moore handed over the transcript to Vitro. It was a record of his conversation with Shion, including a separate file with the audio recording.

    Yes, I will verify it.

    Vitros eyes widened as magic swirled in his retina.

    He was visually verifying the magical signals to check for any tampering.

    Its clean.

    But senior, why are you monitoring that guy?

    Without a word, Vitro pushed up his rimless sses.

    The rimless sses and slicked-back hair were Vitros trademarks, giving him the look of a weary office worker.

    You dont need to know that. Rather, Id like to hear your opinion on Chaser Ascals reputation.

    Bell Moore nodded.

    Well, how should I put it, he does have a bit of a psychopathic streak. No, a huge one.

    Psycho. Madman. Lunatic. These were the nicknames other Chasers used for Ascal.

    So, Bell Moore was sweating bullets trying to defend him.

    After all, it was thanks to that guy bringing in the results that he himself was on the road to sess.

    However, he is truly devoted to Libra. He will not tolerate any harming to it.

    Which, in turn, made him seem even more like a lunatic.

    Is his service to Miss Zia certain?

    Yes. Youre aware of the internal rumors, senior.

    Vitro lifted his sses with his middle finger.

    State it verbally.

    Shion Ascal is already being treated as the primary sword of the youngest, Zia, within the Intelligence Agency. All files are recorded with his affiliation to Zia.

    Yes. I have confirmed it. I will now conclude the recording of the meeting with Chaser Bell Moore.

    Snap!

    Vitro flicked his fingers again.

    But what exactly is going on, senior?

    Bell Moore asked him.

    Its an internal secret. Keep it from Ascal.

    Yes.

    You may leave. The task of monitoring Shion Ascal remains valid until further notice. A 1,000% incentive will be paid upfront, and the remaining 1,000% will be paid on the day the mission is terminated.

    Bell Moore suppressed theughter that threatened to escape.

    A 2,000% incentive just to monitor an assistant shooter. That was the generosity of Johanna.

    Ill take my leave.

    Bell Moore exited the meeting room.

    Johanna received Vitros report.

    She opened her ears as she red at theptop containing the recording.

    I will handle it.

    The content that was being looped for who knows how many times.

    The voice of Shion Ascal.

    Sometimes, someone like me is necessary for her.

    I dont know who you are.

    But one thing I do know for sure.

    To sever Beckman, a limb that has served for 15 years, requires very deep suspicion and contemtion.

    Even if he has be a cancer to me

    Someone like you.

    Suddenly, Johanna recalled a certain day.

    The memory of when she, who had never truly trusted anyone, had fully trusted someone for the first time.

    Although the situation had forced it, it was a first for Johanna.

    Sometimes, someone like me is necessary for her.

    Someone trustworthy.

    Someone who can be trusted.

    Johanna quietly closed theptop.

    Ascal is not my man.

    He belongs to Zia.

    And because of that

    Knock knock.

    There was a knock on the office door.

    Its Beckman.

    Speak from there.

    Beckman was silent for a moment.

    Is it dissatisfaction that prevents him from entering?

    The move into Impelt is likely to proceed as nned.

    Impelt is a special space. Its also the site where the most expensive equipment is to be installed.

    However, the move into that ce is a bit special, and quite dangerous events could unfold.

    Tell them we will participate.

    The person in charge is-

    Youll do it.

    Johanna deliberately showed a gap to Beckman.

    If Ascals words are correct, if Beckmans crazed heart truly stirs trouble, that will be the moment.

    Yes. I will prepare.

    Beckman withdrew. Johanna filled her wine ss to the brim with whiskey.

    She took a big gulp, pouring it down.

    Gurgling-

    She swished it around in her mouth like mouthwash before swallowing it whole.

    * * *

    Drip Drip

    In the still rain-soaked forest, Elise had made a small cave.

    A hideout. A space she often made when she was young.

    Back then, it was quite a struggle, but now it had be very easy. Her magical skills had improved tremendously.

    Hoo. Hoo. Slurp-

    The cozy interior flickered with the light of antern.

    In front of her, La was eating ramen.

    Elise smiled as she watched her.

    Ah, this is delicious~ Elly. Doesnt this remind you of the past?

    It does.

    Its been a while since I had ramen

    La reached for a pickled radish but then stealthily nced at Elise.

    She had already confessed everything to La. About Petra and Ascals rtionship, about what she was struggling with, she had beenpletely candid.

    Elise let out a wry smile.

    Did I tell you toote?

    No.

    La shook her head sternly.

    I wouldnt have been able to say anything either if I had been through that.

    Then a small sigh escaped through Elises teeth.

    La asked in a subtle tone.

    So what does Elly want to do now?

    I dont know.

    She shrugged her shoulders.

    I dont know. Why am I even worrying about this?

    She muttered to herself, truly not understanding.

    Why does it keep feeling like my whole body is being hammered, and it hurts.

    La just stared nkly at Elise.

    Elly. Are you really asking because you dont know?

    Huh?

    Blinking her eyes, Elise was met with Las emphatic deration, as if hammering down a verdict.

    Elly, youre like this because you like Shion.

    She was taken aback.

    Honestly, Elise had thought La hadnt noticed. She had assumed it was all just teasing.

    After all, La was usually so oblivious.

    La chuckled and waved her fingers dismissively.

    They say it hurts the greater you like someone~

    Elise silently cast her eyes down to the ground.

    Then

    She forced a frail smile.

    How much do I like him, to feel this way?

    Tears welled up as she buried her face in her knees.

    Drip Drip

    The sound of rain seeped through the cave above. Elise cried softly, like the flow of a stream.

    I dont know that.

    La patted her back with both hands.

    Rumble

    Just then, the mood shifted with the sound of a car engine roaring to life.

    Las face lit up.

    Ah! Looks like the guys are here.

    Guys?

    Elise lifted her head, her swollen eyes and nose glistening with moisture.

    Yeah. Kain and Asher are here too.

    What?

    Creak-! Elise blew her nose into a handkerchief first. La grinned.

    Were going to y like we used to.

    No, but

    Before Elise could say anything more, Asher and Kain appeared.

    Oh. Its been a while since weve been in a ce like this.

    The two guys, who had grown massively in sizepared to ten years ago, squeezed into the cramped cave and settled in.

    Wow. They said Elise was feeling down, but its true?

    Asher smiled as he brushed back his long hair.

    Did you cry?

    Kain also had long hair.

    Elise frowned for no reason.

    Cry? Why are you guys carrying brooms on your heads?

    Brooms? Dont you know long hair is the trend these days? Youve been studying too much and cant keep up with the fashion trends.

    Asher clicked his tongue and set down some food.

    Lets eat. Its raining and the atmosphere is nice.

    Elise felt warmth from them.

    Sometimes, her father would say this:

    Friendship is an illusion.

    Friendship is like childhood innocence; it bes pathetic once you grow up to a certain point.

    Therefore, to be an adult, you must break away from friends.

    Hey La. Boil another five packs of ramen.

    You guys boil it. Arent there any pancakes?

    I brought some rice wine.

    Hey! We came here to reminisce, whos going to drink rice wine!!!

    I dont think I can do that.

    I might have to give up on Shion, whom I like.

    In the end, Ill probably have to.

    Because in the end, its being with others that makes us human.

    Elly. Should we order some pancakes? I think they will deliver here.

    Elise smiled subtly.

    Yeah. Lets eat.

    Thanks to these guys, I think I can finally sort out my feelings.

    In one way or another.

    * * *

    At the desk of [Edsi Post], Hannah Erent faced Editor-in-Chief Frank.

    So, where is this source?

    Do I really need to tell you?

    What?

    Erent looked at Frank with steely eyes.

    Wherever the source is, its my ability that scraped it together.

    Though it wasnt so much scraped together as it was something that fell out of the sky.

    Frank squinted one eye.

    Of course, I need to know. Do you have any idea what this is about?

    He then pointed a finger at the Syrimus Senator file.

    Youre making an enemy out of Vern Senators Erzebet. You know, thepany with thergest market cap?

    Thats not so bad.

    What?

    Frank let out a hollowugh.

    Erent found it strange.

    This person, wasnt he a Libra informant? Why is he speaking as if hes defending Vern?

    The article has already been published. Why are you so interested in the source?

    Hey. The article was released by the post. So naturally, there will be a lot of fact-checking requests from that Senator, among other things.

    Probably to sell out the source.

    Erents eyes darted around.

    Whirring

    Just then, her pocket vibrated.

    It was the phone of the man who had handed over the Syrimus file.

    I have to go. Im busy right now. Excuse me.

    She stood up.

    What? Hey, where are you going! Hey-

    She opened the door and left. Walking down the corridor, she immediately answered the phone.

    Hello.

    There is a follow-up article. Please check your office desk.

    .

    Erent looked at her desk. There was a scarlet envelope, just like before.

    This time, its the bribery file for former Senator Ludeniel.

    Ludeniel?

    Yes. The bribery case itself was a trap, and heres evidence that it was orchestrated by Syrimus.

    Ah, hold on a second. You.

    Yes.

    He replied calmly. Erent, clutching her phone, asked quietly.

    What do you want? Cant we meet and talk?

    Lets see.

    See what?

    Whether youre worth meeting.

    Click-

    The call ended abruptly.

    Erent looked back and forth between the phone and the scarlet envelope with a strange expression.

    .

    She reached out and opened the envelope.

    Just as the man had said, inside was a perfectly organized file on Ludeniels bribery case.

    * * *

    Its all ording to Chaser Shions design.

    The HR manager Jean said.

    Zia looked at her on one side of the screen, and on the other, she viewed the news article.

    Ludeniel has surged as a leading candidate. The bribery suspicions have been cleared, and the incident where he personally saved the miners was critical.

    For Zia, it was a significant event.

    Thanks to this, she could nt a Senator in the assembly.

    Of course, the power of a local district Senator isnt that formidable. Theres a strict difference between an assembly Senator and a local district Senator.

    But for Zia, who treasures each individual, its special.

    He truly was a gem. Shion Ascal is.

    At Jeans words, she nodded.

    Yeah. Seems like it

    Shion Ascal is the sword entrusted to her. Zia is always endlessly skeptical, but unlike Johanna, she doesnt cross the line.

    Ambition, after all, is a wish that can only be fulfilled by trusting someone when its grand enough.

    Shion is passing the tests one by one.

    Knock-knock-

    Right on cue, there was a knock.

    Come in.

    The door opened. There he was, Shion, dressed in a suit as expected.

    She had called him to ensure rewards and punishments were clear.

    The expansion of the lithium arms industry and Ludeniel were all his achievements.

    Yes, Miss.

    Here.

    Zia handed him a document.

    Its a share certificate for lithium.

    A share certificate for Lithium Corporation, which will expand from its base in central Edsi.

    She ns to bestow a whopping 25% of thatpanys shares to Shion Ascal.

 Chapter 249: Scheme (4).

    <h4>Chapter 249: Scheme (4)</h4>

    <strong>Scheme (4)</strong>

    In the residence of Libra Aerial Garden Section 1.

    I looked at the magic share certificate Zia had handed me. I refused to ept it, but she was stubborn as ever.

    In five years, this 25% stake in lithium will skyrocket to the value of a top 100 corporation.

    Congrattions~

    Grawl said. The creature was, for the first time in a while, in its original form of a ck cat.

    Are you analyzing the R-elix?

    The R-elix given by Johanna is currently in Grawlsboratory.

    Yes~ Its a really good R-elix. It will allow me to grow a lot!

    Thats good to hear.

    Im d Grawl is here.

    I never thought Id have such a thought, but somehow, I began to understand a little of what Johanna might feel.

    Master~ You seem to be having some embarrassing thoughts~

    Grawl purred with a sly smile.

    Shut up.

    Its not that I cant trust anyone.

    I shouldnt trust anyone.

    Because Im in the heart of the enemy, in the jaws of a crocodile.

    Its fortunate that this creature is unconditionally on my side.

    But Beckmans movements are suspicious.

    I told you. Hes going to go after Johanna.

    Sooner orter, he will definitely kidnap Johanna, dreaming of a romantic escape with her.

    Keep an eye on him.

    Yes~ Oh, and there have been a lot of inquiries to Jaketely, what should we do?

    Grawls dual identity, the dark web informer [JAKE].

    Informers are usually distinguished by scale, and currently, he is a third-grade Red Scale. His reputation is high enough to be called the next ck Scalefirst grade.

    Increase the price, and only ept tasks from verified individuals.

    Identity is now important. As Jake bes more famous, both my enemies and allies will start to use him.

    Yes!

    How are the others doing?

    Theyre great~ Theres no better welfare environment than this~

    Grawls feline connection is more reliable and trustworthy than any informant. They dont arouse the suspicion of the targets they track, and the possibility of betrayal is 0%.

    By the way, there are already inside informantscatsthat have been selected by mafia and cartel executives.

    Just got news. Jesco is about to return.

    Really? Then its about to start.

    I looked out the window.

    The sky reflected from Libras Aerial Garden is unusually vast. The moon, wrapped in a dusky veil, and the stars that twinkle between them.

    Master. There. Johanna is there.

    I looked over there. A group was walking through the garden of Section 1. Johanna and her entourage.

    They seemed to be discussing some business as they walked somewhere Suddenly.

    She looked up in this direction.

    Our eyes met for a moment.

    I quickly straightened my posture and gave a nod.

    She didnt react, but Beckman at her side was already ring at me with bloodshot eyes.

    Wow. That guys jealousy is scary.

    Tell me about it.

    I closed the window.

    * * *

    Jesco, the Quantum Mechanic, had returned to his base.

    The meeting itself was sessful. He had pitched Beckmans uniform mana stones and equipment to expand his territory, and he had secured favorable negotiation terms.

    Thanks to that, he was in high spirits, nning to proceed with the executive meeting.

    Trouble!

    Suddenly, the security team guys came looking for the Chairman.

    What is it? Why are you here?

    Jesco asked coldly, and the head of the security team immediately knelt down.

    Engineer Beckman seems to have escaped.

    Jesco was silent for a moment.

    After a long while, he red at the head of the security team.

    What the hell are you talking about?!

    Face was the first to grab the guy by the scruff of his neck.

    We hadnt seen him for a few days, so we thought he was just resting, but-

    There was no one at his mansion. They had searched the area thoroughly, but there was no trace of a person named Beckman

    The head of the security team was pale as he made his excuses.

    Hmm.

    Jesco scratched his temple.

    Prrrrr- He loosened his lips in a scowl.

    Im sorry, Im so sorry!

    The head of the security team banged his forehead on the ground.

    Ha.

    Jesco let out a small sigh and reached into his pocket. He grasped a heavy piece of metal.

    Pulling it out,

    Bang!

    He detonated it in the middle of the security team leaders forehead.

    The man died on the spot, still kneeling. Jesco kicked the head of the falling corpse.

    Crunch!

    Fucking bastard.

    Jesco looked around at the remaining security team. They had their eyes tightly shut.

    Boss! I told you. Something about that guy couldnt be trusted!

    Face yelled out loud. Jesco just stared at Face quietly.

    .

    Face also quietly shut his mouth, lowering his head and holding his breath.

    Damn it all!

    This time it was Crow, the third inmand.

    Crow seemed to have received a message from someone, his veins bulging as he stared at the phone screen.

    Boss! The funds you gave to Beckman have been funneled into a dummy ount.

    It meant that three months worth of Beckmans sry had vanished.

    As if he had been waiting for this moment, Face lifted his head again.

    Boss, I await your orders.

    Jesco looked away, his eyes narrowed with a dryck of emotion.

    Then, as if with a hollowugh, he spoke.

    Search for him. Release all the hounds, scour the entirety of Edsi if you must, but find him.

    Yes!

    Wherever he is, bring him before me.

    With those words, Jesco raised his gun and pulled the trigger like a madman.

    ! ! !

    A series of gunshots.

    Jesco sprayed bullets from his pistol, killing all the remaining members of the security team.

    Covered in the blood that spurted from them, he thought to himself.

    The desert does not forgive betrayal.

    You should have known that.

    Why?

    Faceunched a massive search operation. He mobilized all the members of his organization tob through the night streets and back alleys of Edsi.

    They roamed day and night for two days, but to no avail.

    Beckman had vanished, just like a mirage.

    Boss.

    Trudging back to the hideout.

    One of Faces subordinates broached a topic with a grave tone.

    What.

    Its just a thought, but

    He nced around cautiously as he continued.

    Could it be Crows doing?

    Crow?

    Yes.

    Face furrowed his brow.

    If it had been anyone else, he would have told them to shut the fuck up with such a stupid idea, but this was one of his sharpest guys, someone who could be called a strategist, currently preparing for college.

    Crow knows how to design the equipment himself. He knows exactly what to do. So, what does that mean? If he has the technicians, he could build his own independent force.

    Face and his men came to a sudden halt.

    Indeed, it was a usible story.

    Especially if it was Crow, that cunning bastard.

    And boss, doesnt it strike you as odd?

    What else is odd now.

    The guys went to the factory, and its swarming with mana stones.

    mana stones?

    Yes. The ones Beckman made. But logically, if youre going to run away, youd take those with you, right? Theyre all jewels. Leaving those behind and just taking three months sry? Does that make any sense?

    At that moment, Crows face was utterly convinced.

    It made perfect sense.

    Mana stones, far more valuable than any sry, piled up like a mountain. There was no way he would have run off and left those behind.

    Clearly, he must have been kidnapped.

    Youre right. Your words make perfect sense.

    Face ced his hand on the head of his clever subordinate.

    That bespectacled bastard Crow, that fucking son of a bitch

    Lets catch him and break his legs.

    Shh. Prepare quietly. That idiot wont know were this smart, so we have to be careful and take him down in one fell swoop. Call the boys first.

    Meanwhile, Crow had mobilized all his connections and intelligence to check the records of the identity Beckman. Border crossing records, public transport usage, even credit card transactions.

    But there was nothing.

    Beckman had vanished as if he had never existed.

    Its suspicious.

    As a result, Crow and even his subordinates naturally came to harbor some rational suspicions.

    Do you think the same?

    At Crows question, his subordinate nodded.

    Yes. Theres no other exnation. The mana stones Beckman manufactured are still in the factory, and the equipment, raw materials, and supplies are all still there. So it doesnt add up that he ran away after pulling a scam

    He did his job too honestly. He didnt take anything with him.

    Yes. And about the three months sry. Weve traced the flow of funds, and the destination is the desert.

    The desert?

    Crow furrowed his brow.

    Yes. It seems he made a donation to the desert.

    A donation.

    Why would someone from the desert, donate to the desert and then run away?

    Especially when he could expect a hefty sum of money in the future and had the protection of the boss, who was also a fellow desert native?

    Furthermore theres testimony that there was a conflict with Face over the distribution ratio.

    Ah.

    Thump! Crow ced his hand on his forehead.

    Face, I knew it woulde to this.

    That filthy bastard.

    Crow clenched his teeth.

    He was not good at controlling his anger.

    Even knowing how important a technician was, in a moment of blinding rage, he was beast enough tomit a spontaneous murder.

    Its certain. Hes caused this mess.

    If by mess, you mean-

    He probably killed him.

    Shit!

    A curse burst from Crows lips.

    If the technician was dead, or rather, if Face had killed him, all the business ventures set up by Quantum Mechanic would end in severe losses.

    Even Jesco would suffer a significant financial blow, and if financial problems arose

    The routes through which Crow had been embezzling money via bookkeeping maniptions would also be exposed.

    No choice. Get ready.

    Yes.

    To survive, I must make the first move.

    The factory, once filled with state-of-the-art equipment, now stood empty.

    Jesco surveyed the interior from the center of the space.

    Nothing was missing.

    The equipment, the mana stones, everything was still in ce.

    Only Beckman had disappeared.

    Thud Thud

    Jesco wandered through the factory and suddenly nced at the office.

    [Technician Beckmans Office]

    He opened the door.

    It was a space set up like a dormitory.

    There was a bed, a TV, a desk, and drawers.

    He had insisted on creating this ce, saying it was a waste of time tomute, that it was better to sleep and work in the factory.

    But the man himself was gone.

    Jesco fiddled with various things before opening a desk drawer.

    Inside was a notebook that looked like a diary.

    It was indeed a diary.

    Picking it up, Jesco sat down on a chair and flipped through the pages with his dirt-stained hands.

    [I am about to start a new job. Its much better than being alone. All thanks to a chance encounter with a man from the desert. A brother named Jesco. Even from the same hometown, I wonder if we might have crossed paths when I was a child.]

    It was a real diary. He had expected some sort of code.

    Jesco scanned the sentences with his eyes.

    [The equipment isplete. All thanks to Brother Jescos trust. How fortunate I am to meet someone like him in this vast continent, in the cold-hearted Edsi. The word gratitude doesnt even begin to cover my luck.]

    Rustle, rustle.

    He quietly turned the pages.

    Some sentences made him chuckle, some left him incredulous, and some

    The fluttering paper came to a halt.

    [Face is demanding a share. But I cannot divide or distribute the ratio that Brother Jesco has set for me. So I must deal with Face myself. Its best not to bother Brother Jesco with this, as it might cause him concern. After all, Face has served him for a long time, hes someone Brother Jesco trusts]

    A story about Face. Despite Faces aggressive demands for a share, the diary stated that it was the writers responsibility to handle him because Jesco trusted Face.

    Jesco turned to the next page.

    [The numbers in the ledger are strange. The flow of funds through thepanies is also suspicious. These are managed by Mr. Crow It seems like something I should discuss with Brother Jesco when he returns.]

    Page by page.

    Jescos fingers trembled as they continued to turn the pages.

    [It seems there are many insincere people by Brothers side. Is it because Brother shines too brightly that it cant be helped? At least I must remain a sincere person by Brothers side]

    Thest words on thest page.

    Jesco quietly closed the diary.

    Drrring-

    Just then, a call came through on his phone.

    Boss. Weve sessfully traced Beckmans ount movements.

    Speak.

    The desert.

    The desert?

    Jescos face twitched.

    Yes. It seems the purpose was charity.

    Ha.

    Jesco sighed silently and leaned back in his chair.

    He gazed up at the ceiling light.

    Suddenly, the guys voice came to mind.

    To not forget my homnd.

    Beckman.

    That guy hadnt forgotten his homnd after all.

    He was better than me.

    Jesco absentmindedly fumbled in his pocket. He pulled out a gravestone mixed with desert sand.

    I brought it with me when I left the desert. Ites in a pair.

    He toyed with it, sand crumbling from it, and then nced toward a corner of the office.

    Something caught his eye there.

    Jesco quickly stood up and picked it up.

    It was a gravestone.

    A desert gravestone with a streak of blood on it, the pair he had mentioned.

    Brother.

    Again, the guys voice echoed in his mind.

    Thank you. For taking in someone with just this little talent.

    Thest day he saw that guy.

    Leaving the desert was tough, and I missed it, but after meeting you, brother, this ce feels like home.

    The words he spoke as he was about to leave.

    Turns out, it wasnt home I was missing, but someone.

    Did the guy sense his own ending then?

    Was he feeling some sort of ominous premonition?

    Clench.

    Jesco gritted his teeth. His whole body trembled with a raw ache.

    Rage, sorrow, self-reproach Some damn emotions that were indescribable in words,

    were swirling inside him like a sandstorm.

    Jesco bowed his head.

    Only now had he finally met someone like a brother, who lived in the same world, harbored the same ideals, and shared the same memories.

    Drip

    Drip

    Droplets formed on the floor. Sad stains spread on the cold concrete.

    They were tears.

    Jesco picked up his phone again.

    Are you listening?

    Yes, Boss.

    Prepare for war.

    War, you say?

    Ive found evidence. The one who made Belke

    He paused to catch his breath before continuing.

    disappear from inside.

    He couldnt bring himself to say dead.

    He wanted to cling to even the slightest possibility.

    Find that bastard and tear him limb from limb.

    Jesco, clutching Beckmans bloodstained gravestone tightly, cherished it.

 Chapter 250: Scheme (5)

    <h4>Chapter 250: Scheme (5)</h4>

    Plip-Plop Plip-Plop

    At midnight at the cafe. By the tranquil window where rainwater settled, Elise faced someone.

    "Have you arrived-?

    He greeted Elise with a sly smile, and she held out a small envelope towards him.

    Check it out.

    The journalist snatched the envelope and peeked inside.

    ...3 million. You''ve chosen installment payments."

    A smile spread across his lips. Elise raised an eyebrow.

    It will be paid out annually. Whether you leave a nominee ount or continue to receive it in cash like this, its up to you.

    She had made her decision.

    It would surely be difficult, terribly painful, but it was a choice she would never regret

    "You won''t regret this- dear customer.

    The journalist chuckled as he stuffed the envelope into his coat.

    Elise, with her arms crossed, inquired.

    "What did father say?

    "What could he say? He seemed to already know."

    ...What do you mean?"

    Elise''s brow furrowed. The journalist sipped his coffee.

    "Why is themunication between father and daughter so poor? Look, would there have been a journalist like me? Its election season, there should have been at least 2 or 3.

    Elise silently looked at him.

    "But those dumbasses went to Ken Petra first and ended their lives, while I went to you, Elise, and survived. Haha."

    Father doesn''t let journalists who dare to negotiate go unpunished. Yet, this man is unharmed.

    Perhaps, it means that Ken is waiting for her own decision.

    The source?

    "Here.

    The journalist handed over a USB.

    "This is a recording ofthe witness''s direct testimony. Of course, it''s a copy, and I have the original.

    "No. Not this.

    Elise shook her head.

    I mean the person.

    At her question, the journalist wore an ambiguous expression.

    He asked back with a noticeably stiff tone.

    ...You want them dead?

    Right now, the journalist must be thinking.

    After all, the evidence is in his hands. So whether the witness lives or dies, it doesn''t matter anymore. In fact, if the witness dies, it only makes the Petra family''s weakness greater-

    Elise smiled faintly.

    Im sure you know that.

    Okay. Ill let you know.

    The journalist responded with a pleased smile.

    The next morning, Elise arrived at the coordinates provided by the journalist.

    [Internal Medicine Clinic]

    A small internal medicine clinic in the area of Getto, west of Edsi.

    Elise opened the door to the clinic. The first thing that spread was the faint smell of disinfectant. Small children sat with their mothers.

    "Hello."

    Elise approached the counter. A nurse looked at her, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

    It was probably because of Elise''s attire. A ck dress and sunsses were umon in this countryside.

    "Excuse me, are you Eri?

    Elise asked her.

    "Yes? Oh, yes..."

    Eri answered. Eri Fonte. She was indeed the person from the USB the journalist had handed over.

    Elise quietly lowered her sunsses.

    "You know who I am, right?"

    Eris face turned pale. Her pupils dted, and her fingertips trembled.

    Quite a wild reaction.

    Elise put a finger to her lips and smiled reassuringly.

    "Shh. There''s no need to worry.

    She showed her palm to the nurse. On the bare skin, there was a small message written.

    Im here for a little abduction. Please follow me quietly.

    ...Haah, haah.

    Eri gasped as if she was about to lose her breath.

    "Thedy has arrived at the location.

    Ken nodded at his secretary''s words.

    "The documents?"

    Theyve been verified."

    Journalists have always been prone to delusions, both in the past and now. They mistakenly think that the Senator is vulnerable during election season. Thats why these pests cling to us only during elections, but the strength ofthe Senatores from the family name.

    Whether its election season or not, if the family name is strong enough, it wont be shaken by a few pesky flies.

    "Elise is."

    "She''s gone somewhere with the nurse.

    Elise will make a decision one way or another.

    "The situation?

    It seems she intends to... handle it.

    The secretary ryed Elises situation.

    She had quietly abducted the nurse, and now they were heading to an abandoned factory.

    "If Elise stirs up trouble, deal with the journalist.

    "Yes. Recovery is alreadyplete."

    They had already figured out all the safety measures of that bug-like journalist.

    Severalptops connected to his heartbeat, documents stored in a bank safety deposit box, even the will, everything.

    Whirring-

    An rm went off on the secretarys wristwatch. He looked at it and conveyed the message.

    "Senator. Senator Syrimus is resigning."

    Syrimus. A district Senator likely to be re-elected has fallen disgracefully.

    It was because of a scandal involving his child.

    To Ken, it felt strangely familiar.

    Because of an entity named Yael.

    A disgrace to the Petra family and Kens only blemish.

    Of course, that bastard wasn''t a monster like Syrimuss son, but a simr kind of madmana lunatic.

    Is that so.

    Now he had to cut off the rotting finger himself.

    Before the necrosis, still at the fingertips, spread throughout the body.

    "Well need to prepare to handle it.

    "Yes.

    They couldnt keep him locked up in a mental hospital forever.

    Like this incident, information would inevitably leak out.

    [The Syrimus Senator has announced his resignation. The Edsi Round Table will closely examine the matter...]

    Operation Knock the Bird Down was a sess.

    Syrimus had fallen, and Ludeniel was rapidly rising to take his ce, thanks to Hannah Erent raising suspicions of a bribery scandal against him.

    "The poll results are in. Ludeniel is definitely in a favorable position.

    Intelligence Agency, my private office.

    Im on the phone with Zia in a room norger than 284 square feet.

    Yeah, I''m looking at it. It''s a relief.

    Ludeniels campaign is being supported by [Jean Consulting].

    Its not too difficult. The story of him heroically saving the miners has really caught on.

    The situation with Jesco looks serious. The forces spread across the Midwest are all converging in one ce.

    "Yes. They will probably start the carnage soon.

    Yeah. Its happening faster than imagined.

    Confidence is gradually building in Zias voice. Shes someone who seems to be in a good mood.

    "Miss, any thoughts on the Intelligence Agency?

    Zia has no connections with the Intelligence Agency. Its an organization that values seniority, so most are affiliated with Derek, Johanna, and Sherlock.

    The Intelligence Agency will have a tough time. It belongs to Brother Derek...

    Isnt it time to elect a new team leader?"

    However, I had some thoughts of my own.

    Yeah. But we dont have our own candidate.

    "No."

    Someones name came to mind.

    A wildcard, so to speak.

    "We have Bell Moore.

    ...Bell Moore?

    Zias voice rose with surprise. Shes probably tilting her head in curiosity.

    "Hes one ofthe candidates for team leader.

    He''s not one of ours, is he...?

    "Yes. Bell Moore probably thinks the same."

    Of course, hes not Zias man. In fact, Zia probably doesn''t even register him on her radar.

    Thats precisely why hes the best choice.

    A top-notch pawn is one who doesn''t know theyre a pawn.

    "What do you think about promoting Bell Moore to team leader... no, to director?

    ...Director?

    "Yes."

    Bell Moore, surprisingly, is a character who desires contentment.

    Just living well enough.

    Even before the regression, despite his notoriety, he never sought a position that was too conspicuous.

    But thats not helpful to me.

    I think we can promote Bell Moore to director. Just give it the right amount of time."

    But.. Bell Moore isnt that kind of person.

    Of course, Zia seems to have already analyzed Bell Moore as well.

    "Yes. Bell Moore certainly only wants a suitable position. But conversely, hes easily swept up by the situation.

    The current director ofthe Intelligence Agency is Gedley. Before the regression, he was the one who held the director position until I died.

    He proims that he ''does not belong to anyones power, but hes consumed by a lust for power and honor, always apanied by envy, jealousy, and checks and bnces.

    At the same time, hesmitted all sorts of vile crimes, a despicable crime, and must be eliminated

    Ill manipte the situation.

    Bell Moore willingly cooperated in killing Team Leader Benedict.

    The reason was simply because he suspected that ''Benedict was going to use him as cannon fodder.

    "So that Bell Moore has no choice but to aim for the director position.

    First, Ill promote Bell Moore to team leader, then instill suspicion in the directorthat Bell Moore is challenging his position.

    To Bell Moore, Ill nt the threat that the director is trying to kill him.

    Its the blueprint ofthe design.

    Zia fell silent for a moment

    Be careful-

    Then, she told me to be careful.

    No matter who the director is, Shion is more important to me.

    Her voice was soft and sincere.

    I found it a bit odd, but then again.

    Shes always been this kind of person. In the future, shell gain a following that is almost religious in nature, devotion.

    Perhaps if I had known nothing, I would have been moved by just such words and remained loyal for a lifetime.

    "Yes.

    Knock-knock-

    just then, there was a knock at the office door. It was probably Bell Moore.

    "Coming."

    I ended the call and opened the door.

    "Hey. Good morning.

    As expected, it was Bell Moore. Riley was there too.

    "Did you see the news?

    Bell Moore immediately showed me his smartphone. It was about Senator Syrimus'' resignation being approved by the assembly.

    "We cut off Verns fingers, we did it. So the directors calling for us?

    Heughed with a kheuheuheu, showing his teeth.

    "Come out. We''re going to report"

    I stepped outside.

    Bell Moore took the lead, with Riley and I following behind him.

    [Director''s Office]

    After a long walk down the corridor, we reached the heart ofthe Intelligence Agencythe director''s office.

    "Hmph. Hey. Watch your attitude. You know Director Gedley, right? My role model.

    "How is he your role model?

    "He''s my college senior.

    The reasons people have are indeed varied.

    Knock-knock.

    Bell Moore knocked on the director''s office door.

    Come in.

    A deep voice granted permission.

    "Yes!

    Bell Moore briskly responded and opened the door.

    The first thing visible was therge executive desk with the director seated behind it.

    Gedley was a well-built middle-aged man. Despite his age, he was in good shape, had a thick head of hair, and wore sses that gave him a rather intellectual appearance.

    Perhaps a face even more difficult to confront than a direct descendant like Derek.

    He spoke in a markedly businesslike tone.

    "The item nning was a sess; everyone is quite pleased with Derek''s contribution. Whats the weight ofthe work?

    Weight.

    In other words, he was asking about merit.

    Riley and Bell Moore turned to look at me.

    Was it up to me to decide?

    "All three of us are equal.

    The other two looked surprised at my response.

    Equal.

    I was the one who fetched the item, and I held all the information, but I deliberately said so.

    If its equal, then who was the leader? Bell Moore, you wrote in the report that you led the operation."

    Bell Moore twitched nervously. He chewed his lip, ncing at me to gauge my reaction.

    In that case.

    "Yes. Thats correct

    As he wished.

    Bell Moore suddenly inhaled, and Riley slightly furrowed her brow.

    Gedley asked again.

    "What?"

    "Bell Moore was the one who actively traveled between foreign countries and the underworld to gather information. Also, I have a separate report that I''ve prepared.

    I pulled out the report from within my coat. Gedley gestured for me to bring it over. I ced it on his executive desk.

    Well have the debriefingter. For now, you may leave.

    "Yes."

    Bell Moore was the first to bow his head. Riley and I followed suit.

    As soon as we left the directors office.

    "Hey."

    Bell Moore pped his hand onto my shoulder.

    "What is it?''

    I feigned ignorance in response.

    "What do you mean?

    It''s all Shions work, isn''t it?

    It was Riley speaking. She shrugged her shoulders, giving Bell Moore a sidelong nce.

    "Shouldnt someone who acts like they did everything themselves be punished?"

    . I didnt write that I did everything, okay? I just reported what I did.

    I looked at Bell Moore. He awkwardly avoided my gaze.

    It seems even this guy has a conscience.

    I said to him.

    "You wanted to be team leader, didnt you?

    .What?

    Bell Moores eyes widened in surprise.

    Is that so?

    He suddenly stroked his chin, his lips twitching.

    "Well, I mean... being team leader would be great. But why are you bringing this up

    "Bell Moore, you are my senior, aren''t you?

    Bell Moores mouth snapped shut

    I gave him a very brief reason.

    "As your junior, I trust and support my senior. That''s all.

    You need to be the team leader, no, the director for my sake.

    Because for the strategy of killing with a borrowed knife, there''s no better pawn than you.

    . What the hell? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? You weren''t this kind of character before, were you?

    Bell Moore, clueless, waved his hands in a flustered manner, his face the very picture of bewilderment.

 Chapter 251: Rainstorm (1)

    <h4>Chapter 251: Rainstorm (1)</h4>

    Drip, drip. The rain still fell on the abandoned factory.

    Elise looked at nurse Eri, who was asleep on the bed in the corner, and then silently spread out her palm.

    [We are being watched, so please follow me quietly. I will protect you.]

    She intended to protect Eri. From that damned reporter, from her father, from her own family and the media.

    Elections.

    Now, only a month remains until the elections.

    Would the Shion Ascal incident, if it broke out, affect Petra''s re-election?

    Probably not

    Shion''s family affairs would be butchered, Petra would seed in being re-elected, and her father would attempt to join the Round Table.

    Continuously, he would be an even greater monster than he is now.

    Elise took out the rabbit dollCookiefrom her waistband and ced it on the ground.

    . Youre watching, aren''t you?

    She asked, looking at the doll.

    Cookie didnt respond, but Elise pressed on.

    "Youre watching. Answer me.

    Then Cookie tilted its head up slightly.

    When did you know?

    A mans voice flowed from the voice.

    Its Yael.

    Her own calling him a brother would be a stretch, blood rtive.

    Im a mage. A much more exceptional mage than you think.

    To be honest, she had found out rtively recently, about a month ago.

    She hadnt removed him because she was curious about what this person intended to do.

    But Yael hadnt done anything in the meantime.

    "You couldnt have failed to notice, right?

    Im proud of you.

    Yael let out a snicker. Elise red at him.

    "Proud? What do you think?

    This person probably knows what I want to do. And what I''m nning to do.

    You probably know better than I do?

    Hah."

    Elise let out a faint sigh.

    . Will theye to hate me?"

    Whos going to hate you?

    "Everyone.

    Shion Ascal and Ken Petra.

    No, the entire Petra family.

    Father will hate you. Thats the kind of person he is.

    .What about Shion?"

    Elise asked about Shion.

    Well, youll have to ask him yourself.

    She picked up a small envelope. Inside, she ced a USB detailing how Ascals mother died. She also enclosed the only witness Eris business card.

    Then she created a [Delivery Box] .

    What are you going to do?

    Im going to send it to Shion.

    Not to the media?

    I cant let the media hurt him.

    Elise smiled resolutely.

    Shion''s mother, and her birth, if the press gets wind of that story, it''s bound to turn into aplete mess.

    Whether it''s a political public opinion war to shake up the election, or just simple gossip to increase page views, theyll recklessly tear open Shions scars for their own purpose.

    "The choice will be left to Shion.

    So, the choice is Shions.

    "And then.

    ...And then?

    Elise ced the envelope into the [Delivery Box] .

    "Our family deserves to be punished.

    The Petra family is not a good one.

    Her father may have raised the family with the passion of a warrior, but in the process, hemitted far too many sins.

    He harmed too many people.

    In the end, Ken Petra became not a warrior but a monster.

    Deserves... punishment?

    The day Shions mother died, the day I was born.

    Maybe that was the beginning.

    "Yes.

    Elise continued softly.

    "Shion wille to hate me, and us."

    She must be punished as much as he hates.

    For him, who was orphaned by Petra, a punishment that she can ept, definitely.

    Snap-!

    Elise flicked her finger. The [Delivery Box] flew through the window of the abandoned factory and into the sky.

    If thats the case.

    Then, Yael spoke with a confident tone. Elise turned to look at him.

    I have something prepared.

    ...Prepared?"

    Yeah. It was originally meant for me, but I''ll give it to you.

    Yael had a dagger. A weapon to defeat thepletely monstrous father, when all else fails.

    Lets set things right Ill send it to you.

    Yaely on the bed in the psychiatric ward, a happy smile on his face.

    In fact, he had always been happytely.

    Because he could see Elise changing through the eyes of the doll.

    Moving away from the monster, away from the family, bing a warmer person, he could watch her.

    It was all thanks to that guy.

    Shion Ascal.

    So sometimes, he felt resentful. And sad.

    If only they had been an ordinary family.

    If his father, mother, Elise, and him had not been a family entangled with nobility, but one content with what they had.

    Could they have not lived with more excitement, more joyful?

    Could they not have rejoiced in small achievements, shared more honest emotions, and leaned on each other as time passed?

    Will it go well?

    Elise, reflected in Cookies eyes, asked.

    "Of course. You can do it.

    Yael encouraged her.

    "Youre not a mental patient like me, nor a monster like father.

    Yael had information. These were the old records he had materialized through his [Spectrum] .

    It was the reason why his father hadnt been able to kill him until now.

    He had been hiding all the corruption of the Petra family within his magic.

    Of course, if this information gets to Elise and the press blows it up, Ken will move swiftly.

    He will surely find out that the source is himself and will definitely try to kill him.

    It doesnt matter now.

    The most important thing is that Elise will bepletely freed from them.

    "Youll do well."

    Yael upgraded his magic connected to Cookie. His veins turned blue with heat, and blood wept from his eyes, but he managed to transmit the magic.

    "My sister."

    Magic codes flowed from Cookie''s eyes. Elise read them nkly.

    The magic itself was digitized and flickering, the [Spectrum] of a family member she was seeing for the first time.

    "Ah, theptop."

    This wasnt the time.

    Elise hurriedly opened herptop. Then Yael''s magic codes flowed into it Countless pieces of information were saved onto the disk.

    "This.

    Within it were many sins.

    The sins of the family.

    The sins of the father.

    And his sins as well.

    Is all this real?

    Elise looked at Cookie. But there was no answer in return. The magic connection had been severed.

    ''Ah...''

    She closed theptop. She instantly understood the meaning of Yaels words to set things right.

    She also came to understand why Yael had been locked up there all this time.

    Silently, she gazed at the rainy sky, lost in thought for a moment.

    Many thoughts spread through her mind, but soon a corner of her heart felt empty, and then seemed to fill up again.

    She quietly smiled.

    Drip, drip.

    The rain streaks clinging to the window were beautiful.

    The deep darkness of dawn.

    Quantum MechanicJesco red at Face''s underling, groveling on the ground.

    ...Its a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, Boss!

    He cried out desperately, iming it wasn''t their doing, that it was all Crows work, with tears of blood smeared across his face.

    "If its a misunderstanding, then why hasnt your so-called brother shown up?

    Jesco pointed the gun barrel at the mans forehead.

    This was Faces hideout A building with three underground floors and four above, which he had procured for Face after much whining and nagging.

    But Face himself was absent

    He had fled.

    "Please, please... Right now, brother is with Crow...

    "Your brother was supposed to be me. Not that bastard Face.

    Jesco detonated the gun barrel at the mans forehead. The head exploded like a watermelon. It was Jescos [Spectrum J , a bullet charged with magic.

    "Boss. Maybe you should calm down a bit...

    His subordinates cautiously approached him.

    "Calm down?

    Jesco turned to look at them and snickered.

    I am calm. Calmer than ever before.

    When rage reaches its peak, it settles into a cold calm. Right now, he suspects everyone here. Whether it was Crow''s doing, Face''s doing, or if the two were in cahoots.

    "Track down Crow.

    Jesco closed his eyes for a moment

    A sandstorm rose in the darkness. Within it, he saw himself and Belkman.

    The guy was still smiling at him, but soon he turned his back and left Away from him, to some unseen ce...

    Jesco opened his eyes again. He fiddled with a desert tombstone, pondering quietly.

    "Now, its time to recover the money theyve siphoned off."

    The desert does not forgive betrayal.

    You do not understand that.

    Face, along with nearly all of his underlings, had located Crows residence. Crow, too, had brought all his forces to confront him.

    "Hey. Four-eyes."

    Face''s greeting was rude from the start. Crow raised an eyebrow.

    Typical of an uneducated brute.

    ...Face. Do you realize what kind of mess your madness has caused?

    "Spouting nonsense.

    Face took a step forward. Instantly, their respective underlings drew their weapons.

    "Four-eyes. I know what you''re trying to do. So I want in.

    "Stop spouting your delusional bullshit"

    Fuck! The boss has lost it. If we leave him be, hes going to kill us both."

    Crow clenched his teeth.

    Indeed, Jesco was on a rampage. Not only Face and Crow, but even his most loyal followers were being ughtered mercilessly.

    "Shit. Because of some desert-born technician, hes gone mad and is killing everyone, thats what!

    Face bellowed out loud.

    ...Where have you hidden the technician?

    Yet Crow remained expressionless.

    Naturally, because Crow himself suspected Face.

    "Could it be.

    Unaware of this, Face''s face turned grave for a moment as he cursed under his breath.

    "You. Have you already killed him?

    Crow let out a hollowugh.

    "Youre the one who killed him."

    "Ah, fuck!

    Face smacked his forehead in frustration, shaking his head as if to say it''s all gone to hell.

    "So you killed him. Makes sense. That Belkman or whatever his name is wouldnt listen to you.

    A guy who wouldn''t even give up a measly 0.5% of the profits wouldnt work with someone like Crow. Crow must have tried to persuade him, or perhaps identally killed him during torture-

    Face''s logic solidified in his mind.

    "Enough with the act, just stop it. Face, you killed him and-"

    Suddenly, an explosion urred.

    BOOM!

    One side of the wall in the vicinity crumbled cleanly, and a cloud of dust rose. Crow and Face, protected by their subordinates, turned to look at the source.

    ...You were here."

    It was Jesco.

    He walked in, massaging his neck with a pistol, looking around at everyone.

    "Come here. Both of you.

    Dragging his feet, he stood in the center. But no one approached him. Only the loud sound of swallowing could be heard.

    Crow spoke.

    ...Boss. Please, calm down.

    "Calm down?

    Jesco closed his eyes without realizing it

    "Calm down calm down calm down. I dont even know how many times I''ve heard that damn phrase.

    "Brother! Theres been a misunderstanding between us. This, its all Crows doing! This bastard hid the technician, and when he wouldn''t cooperate, he tortured him to death!

    Face pointed usingly at Crow. Jesco asked in a cold tone.

    "Torture?

    "Bullshit, thats crazy talk! Boss! It was Face who killed him! You know how obsessed Face is with the percentages!

    "Fuck that! The more money we bring in, the better for me even if the percentage stays the same!

    Face and Crow argued back and forth. usations flew about who killed the technician, their voices escting like barking dogs.

    Jesco watched the two of them and then nodded quietly.

    ...There''s no need for any more discussion."

    A deep sigh escaped through Jescos teeth. He swung his pistol from side to side, alternately pointing at Face and Crow.

    "Both of you. Ive never liked you from the start. You know that? You''re fucking morons.

    ...Excuse me?

    "No, no, big brother. We''ve served you for years

    "Youre parasites, worthless without me."

    Jesco clenched his teeth. His expression twisted as he continued.

    "One of you is never grateful, alwaysining, always fucking wanting more, and the other pretends to be smart, pretends to be loyal, while creating backdoors to siphon off money?

    Face and Crow fell silent.

    "Compared to him...

    Jescos words trailed off. A small moisture formed at the corner of his eyes. He was reminded of someone suddenly.

    "Belke."

    Born in the same desert, in the same homnd, they met again in a far-offnd.

    That guy had been genuine from the start.

    There was no deceit, and he was ready to share his fate with Jesco.

    That''s why he was...

    "Far more valuable than all you rotten pieces of trash put together.

    Jesco spat out his words like venom as he raised his pistol.

    The roar of magic power resounded.

    The bullet detonated.

    It was the beginning of carnage.

 Chapter 252: Rainstorm (2)

    <h4>Chapter 252: Rainstorm (2)</h4>

    KnockKnock

    I was awakened by the sound of knocking on the dormitory window.

    ...What the hell?

    I looked over. A [Delivery BoxJ was pressing itself against the ss window.

    Screech

    I opened the window. The [Delivery BoxJ slid inside smoothly.

    "Hmm."

    I didnt know who sent it, but I checked the contents anyway. It was just a USB drive and a business card.

    The name on the card was Nurse Eri.

    At that moment, I had a hunch.

    It was ''her'' name, after all.

    I could guess what information might be contained within.

    My mothers death, probably.

    I sat down at my desk. Opened myptop. Connected the USB. There was one video and several documents in the folder.

    Before I hit the enter button, there was one thing to be mindful of.

    My current dormitory was exposed to Johanna through a spatial mediation form. Everything I heard and saw was shared with her.

    However, there are many ways to evoke human emotions.

    Sympathy andpassion are certainly among them.

    Click-

    I yed the video on the USB.

    The scene was a household table.

    A reporter was only shown from the back, while Nurse Eri was fully visible, as if the video was taken secretly.

    "[...So then. You''re saying that 20 years ago, due to the oppressive demands of the Petra family, Shion Ascals mother was driven to death. Is that correct?]

    [I... think so.]

    Eri was a conscientiousmoner.

    She lived a life tormented by the trauma of that day and eventually came to me to confess the truth, but when the time came for her testimony, she fled.

    I dont hold a grudge.

    Fear and terror are difficult for anyone to bear.

    You, me, in fact, everyone in the world is two-faced.

    [Yes. Thank you for your report. That will be all.]

    Before my regression, Elise herself had bribed Eri.

    Maybe even threatened her.

    She wont do that now.

    She is not that monster of the future.

    Rather...

    "It''s you.

    This Delivery Box had her scent and magical energy on it.

    Had she obtained the information from the reporter before me and sent it my way?

    I stared at the screen. Leaned back in my chair. Deliberately made aplex expression.

    My feelings were indeed mixed.

    If possible, I wanted to hide it.

    Because Elise has changed.

    Even though the Petra family might still be the same, someday when Elise bes the head, she will change everything.

    My mothers death is not her fault.

    I hoped she wouldnt be hurt by it.

    Ding-

    A breaking news alert popped up in the corner of myptop.

    [Breaking News. Armed conflict between organizations erupts in the suburban areas of central Edsi. Multiple gunshots and magical explosions reported...]

    Early in the morning, I made my way to the battlefield. There were quite a few onlookers outside Crows building.

    They all loitered outside the Police line, but I strode in confidently.

    "Uh, excuse me. Civilians are

    "Here.

    I shed my ID.

    It was a roughly made detective badge using [ Deception J . My face was covered with an Infimian mask.

    The patrol officer quickly saluted.

    "Yes! Be careful inside! It''s quite gruesome!''

    I entered the building.

    First, I saw the pale-faced police officers.

    ...Hey, hey. Just take pictures for now, andugh, fuck. rgh

    "Bleeeaaargh ."

    I passed the vomiting officers and reached the hall on the first floor.

    It was a massacre.

    Bodies were strewn all over the ce.

    Some had died fighting, some while trying to escape, and others were caught in explosions.

    I checked the faces of the corpses. The second-inmand, Face, was easily found. He had died with a bullet lodged between his eyes.

    The third-inmand, Crow, was on the staircase to the third floor. His upper and lower halves were separated, a truly horrific sight.

    There were countless other bodies.

    Most of Quantum Mechanic''s forces had been expended here.

    Those who remained would not be safe either. Zias cleanup operation had started long ago.

    I continued to survey the interior.

    I went up the stairs to the rooftop, but the most important Quantum MechanicJesco was nowhere to be found.

    Had he survived and fled?

    Drrring-drrring-

    Justthen, I received a call.

    It was Zia.

    "Yes.

    .The central western forces are 99% cleared out.

    Zias voice was ted. She seemed thrilled by the sess of the operation.

    "Is that so.

    Now, weve seized control of the central west.

    The scale of the arms industry will grow significantly day by day, and with just this, Zia now has the power to challenge for session.

    Yeah. We couldnt find Quantum Mechanic though.

    I think I know where he might have gone.

    If hes still alive, its clear where he would have fled to.

    "Should I pursue?

    .Yes. Do that.

    Zia doesnt leave loose ends. When dealing with enemies, she is more ruthless than anyone.

    "Yes.

    I ended the call. At the same time, I booked a flight.

    The destination was Arahall.

    Jesco would probably return to the desert.

    A scorching wind whipped across the crimson earth. Jesco wandered through the desert where the high-temperature winds seemed to clutch at his limbs, and the sand grains, sharp as shards of ss, seemed to slice through his skin.

    With a pistol clutched in hand, he staggered forward, each step a struggle.

    Crunch. Crunch.

    The sand stuck to his flowing blood, and his burnt skin was already in the throes of necrosis.

    Yet, he did not stop moving his legs.

    Even if one day you failpletely, the desert will be waiting for you.

    Whether the foolish man that he was would be embraced or rejected by the desert, he did not know. But for Jesco, who had lost everything, the only mirage left was there

    Thud.

    His foot caught on something.

    Jescos body tilted. He nted his face into the hot sand.

    A heat akin to mes spread, and a momentary hallucination surfaced.

    You would have had a much better and more ordinary life if youd gone to college.

    It was something Jesco himself had once said to Belkman.

    Strangely, every moment spent with that guy was crystal clear.

    It was just three months out of a life lived for 37 years.

    It wasnt home I was missing, but someone.''

    Just like you said, did I also long for someonesomeone to do things with, to trust and rely on? Having been born without parents and fled from my homnd, did I too yearn for that?

    It seems so.

    "Yeah.

    Jesco smiled faintly. He reached out and grasped a handful of the scorching sand.

    He felt regret.

    For what had he lived like this?

    For what had he killed people?

    For what had hemitted crimes?

    I should have just gone to college That would have been better.

    If I had met you a little earlier.

    Or if you had really been born as my brother.

    Or if I hadnt been Jesco of Quantum Mechanic, but an entrepreneur engaged in a legitimate business.

    Then you might still be alive.

    I killed you with my own greed.

    Jesco quietly shed tears.

    As a child, he hated the life born of the desert.

    He always yearned for the outside world, obsessed with their brilliant lights and gold.

    Money.

    He had coveted it far too much.

    Insisting that there could be no value more important than money, denying its existence, he deceived his hollow self.

    That was wrong.

    It was a mistaken belief.

    Because there certainly are things more important than money.

    "Ha.

    Jesco let out a hollowugh and closed his eyes. Sand settled over his body.

    A sandstorm can swallow a person in an instant

    No one knows how many bodies are buried beneath these dunes, these sand hills.

    Even if one day you failpletely, the desert will be waiting for you.

    The words were ambiguous.

    Desert folks are strange.

    They spend their lives loathing the desert, but when death approaches, they always return to the sands, wishing to be buried beneath them.

    .You would have done the same.

    The merciful desert would ept a bastard like me.

    Beneath the endless sands, it would offer a cozy bed.

    But Belkman, somewhere cold in Edsi.

    Jescos thoughts did not continue beyond that.

    His consciousness was cut off in an instant.

    Like scorpions gathering on a corpse, the swirling sand grains clung to him.

    They engulfed Jesco like a tomb.

    .Tsk.

    Suddenly, the sound of someone clicking their tongue floated from somewhere.

    Sleek a sword was drawn.

    He watched Jesco being buried silently. Clutching his sword, he pondered for a moment in the spreading heat of the desert.

    Then, he sheathed his sword again.

    He reached out and lifted Jesco. He hoisted his entire body onto his shoulder.

    When Jesco opened his eyes, he was under a white tent.

    He looked around nkly.

    He was lying in a bed, and there were several patients in the beds next to him.

    What on earth had happened?

    "You finally woke up?

    Someone approached the dazed, blinking man.

    Jesco bolted upright as soon as he saw him. His limbs iled as if he had seen a ghost

    "Whoa, whoa. Calm down, calm down."

    .senior, Belkon?

    "Ah- You still remember? Hasnt it been almost 17 years?

    Am I already dead? Did I die ande to the desert?

    Jesco muttered like a man who had lost his soul.

    "Dead? What are you talking about, you fool.

    .Then. Is this home?"

    "Yeah.

    Belkon pulled back the tent''s p. Jesco looked beyond it.

    Is it different from the home you knew?

    He nodded silently without a word.

    Indeed, it was different.

    There was a school not far away, there were roads, shops, cars, and even inside the hospital tent, there was aputer.

    "It''s changed a lot...

    "Yeah. An anonymous donation came in. Technicians came and built it all up.

    Jesco found himself smiling vaguely without realizing it.

    Probably, it was Belkmans three months'' sry.

    Compared to all the money hes spent eating, drinking, killing, indulging, and living in luxury, it was an infinitely small amount, just a mere three months'' sry.

    Even with just that, his hometown has changed so much.

    Im not sure who sent it, but... it seems you''ve been through some rough stuff outside, huh?

    Jesco turned to look at Belkon, scratching his temple and asking faintly.

    ...Senior. Do you happen to know Belkman?"

    "Belkman?

    "Yeah. I know of him, but not much.

    Belkon nodded.

    "He left a while ago. Left at twenty, just like you.

    ...Family?

    "None. Hes an orphan too.

    Jescos words were halted. Something was rising in his throat, an emotion trying to surface, but he forcibly suppressed it, contorting his face.

    ...I see.

    "Why? Did you meet that guy?

    "Yeah. I met him."

    Jesco answered with a trembling voice.

    "But, Belkon senior.

    Its been a while since anyones called me senior. These days, the kids call me old man."

    "I killed too many people in Edsi."

    Belkons expression hardened instantly.

    Jesco continued basely.

    "Can I... live here?

    "Hmm...

    Belkon let out a deep sigh. Then, with a twitch of his eyebrows, he delivered some sort of diagnosis.

    "You. You''ve got cancer.

    ...Cancer?

    "Yeah. We tested with a blood kit, so it might not be urate... but it looks like youve neglected your healthpletely."

    Jescos face went nk for a moment, but then he actually smiled.

    ...Really? I have cancer?

    "Let''s talk about the heavy stuffter.

    Belkon sat down on the edge of the hospital bed.

    "Anyway, the desert has embraced you now.

    "Embraced?

    "Yeah. You know about the sandstorms. Walking through one like that and not dying, it can only mean the desert has taken you in.

    With that, he handed something to Jesco.

    It was a tombstone.

    A pair of matching tombstones.

    "They were in your pocket.

    Jesco looked at them expressionlessly for a moment, then carefully epted them.

    Belkon asked.

    "What exactly did you do in Edsi?

    Edsi.

    In that ce, Jesco had deluded himself into thinking he had gained everything.

    Now, having lost all that he thought he had gained, he finally acquired everything.

    ...I learned about life."

    Jescoughed, ruffling his long hair roughly.

    "Besides, senior.

    If this is a new life Ive been given, if its thest gift from you who left before me.

    Then for your sake, Ill live a life of atonement for as long as I can.

    "How many years do I have left to live?

    ...For the remainder of my days, as far as they can reach.

 Chapter 253: Rainstorm (3)

    <h4>Chapter 253: Rainstorm (3)</h4>

    Libras Aerial Garden, the empty office.

    Johanna terminated the spatial channel attached to Shion Ascal.

    This one has quite the story too."

    How his mother died, how his father diedJohanna had no real interest in the details.

    She was only interested in the fact that he was an orphan.

    ...Mother.

    Johanna murmured, stroking her chin. Her own mother had died when she was young.

    Now, she couldn''t even recall her mother''s face. Not even amon portrait to remember her by.

    Knock-knock

    Just then, a knock sounded.

    "Come in.

    The door opened, and the person who entered was Belingham Kantar.

    Johanna''s eyebrows twitched.

    "It''s been a while. What brings you here?

    "Ah. Ivee to exin the candidates for the head of the Intelligence Agency team and to seek a vote.

    Belingham Kantar smiled briefly as heid down the documents.

    "Team leader candidates.

    "Yes. Currently, we have Dezherby, Pellington, Cynthia, and Bell Moorefour in total.

    Johanna had already made up her mind. One of the conditions she had proposed to Bell Moore when assigning him to monitor Shion Ascal was to support his bid for the team leader position.

    "Bell Moore. Lets go with this one.

    Johanna lightly checked it off with her fountain pen.

    Belingham Kantar collected the document, nodding in thanks.

    "Thank you.

    Then, instead of leaving, he continued to stand there.

    Johanna looked at him with a peculiar expression.

    "What? What is it? Is there anything else?

    ...No. Its just that you dont hold me back anymore.

    Belingham spoke as if he felt somewhat neglected. Johanna frowned.

    "Even if I held you back, you wouldnte to me, would you, Belingham?

    "That''s not what I mean.

    A somewhat joyful smile spread across Belinghams lips.

    "Lately, it seems someone has caught your interest."

    ...Interest?

    "Yes. Theres a rumor going around inside Libra. You always look contemtive, and you''re always plugged into something.

    Belingham pointed to the earphones connected to herptop.

    ...Its nothing.

    Every night, its the surveince and wiretapping reports delivered by Bell Moore.

    She dissects every single word Shion Ascal says, contemting them.

    "Are you in love or something?

    Stop talking nonsense."

    Johanna''s face contorted with disdain.

    If you have nothing else to say, then leave?

    "Yes. But it''s a relief. That Lady Johanna is showing interest in something else."

    It''s not interest."

    "Then what is it?

    Suspicion.

    Johanna did not add more to her words.

    "Then Ill take my leave. Ive heard theres an important tenant moving in soon, good luck with that."

    With a swish of his hand, Belingham waved goodbye. He left with a sly smile, walking backwards out of the room, and Johanna felt a nagging irritation.

    Interest?"

    Interest. Johanna looked at herptop.

    In this file, there were photos of the bastard, recordings of his words, and not just his bank statements, but every single detail of his life, including his call logs.

    ...Is my suspicion excessive?"

    There was nothing suspicious about him.

    He was cleaner than any other Chaser of Libra.

    Even Johanna''s Bncer Vitro had given him a positive assessment

    He only did things beneficial for Libra, and although it might be excessive, there was no doubt about his loyalty.

    [Chaser Ascal is trusted by Derek, and even by Jade.]

    If he had gained the trust of those two lunatics, Derek and Jade, it must be proof that hes truly trustworthy.

    ...Teh.

    Johanna closed herptop. She swiveled her chair around and looked up at the ceiling.

    Perhaps it was because she had been looking at Shion Ascals photos and listening to his voice for too long.

    In the empty space, his face faintly emerged like a painting.

    The reason I didn''t kill Quantum Mechanic isn''t grandiose.

    Simply, could a viin like Jesco change? In his not-so-long remaining life, could he truly live in atonement?

    I just want to umte data on that issue.

    ''Great work!

    Grawls voice flowed into my head.

    But, theres an inquiry from Zed!''

    ''An inquiry?

    Yes!

    [Zed] is [Jake]''s alternate ount. It means Grawl is operating two informants, [Zed] and [Jake], at the same time.

    Because of the rumor spreading in the Libra Intelligence Agency that Jake is a close informant to Shion Ascal, he created another informant who has no connection to Shion at all.

    ''The target is Derek!

    ...Derek?

    Yes!

    I nodded my head.

    ''It must be rted to Vern.

    Vern and Derek are ufortable with each other, but their pride is too strong. So, they''re likely to engage in a stubborn fight without backing down.

    ''Report the details to me.

    Before regression, Derek lost to Zia. He had all his corporate shares snatched away.

    People he tried to control efficiently betrayed him, leaking information to Zia, and gaps appeared in the power structure he tried to maintain efficiently, bing weaknesses. Derek''s pursuit ofefficiency ended up being his own downfall.

    ''The rest can wait.''

    ''Yes!''

    But right now, thats not the issue.

    I made a call to someone. To the guy who must be having the most serious trouble right now, to dissuade him from his choice.

    Elise stared intently at herptop screen. Files of all sorts dyed her retinas blue.

    Everything was ready.

    Of course, she had no intention of sending such information to just any news agency.

    Naturally, her father would block it. It would be stopped at the desk level.

    Thats why her father pays an enormous amount of money to the press every year.

    Its an antiquated form of insurance.

    Times have changed.

    Her father might not know, might not even want to acknowledge, but the world has changed a lot in the meantime.

    Now, in Edsi, there is a power of the masses that cannot be stopped with the money, honor, or power of the nobility.

    There is a tform far more lethal than the old-fashioned paper newspapers.

    Elise nned to upload these files to thergestmunity site, popr socialworks, and messengers.

    Once she pressed this enter button, Petra''s corruption would spread across the world.

    Thats when.

    Elises eyes snapped open sharply. She had detected someones magic.

    .Tsk.

    There was someone within a not too distant radius. It wasn''t a familiar or intimate sensation.

    Had her father already sent an agent?

    Elise hurriedly ced her hand on the enter button.

    Her fingertips trembled.

    It was difficult to press down. As if some massive barrier had been ced between the button and herself...

    Whirring

    "Huh!

    Elise flinched in surprise. She quickly looked at her phone.

    Her heart sank for a moment

    It was Shion.

    Whirring Whirring Whirring

    She stared at the vibrating device, like adybugand then slowly reached out After taking a deep breath, she answered the call.

    "Hello-

    What are you doing.

    Shion Ascals voice came through first.

    . What am I doing.

    Elise found herself responding curtly without realizing it.

    Had he not yet received that file?

    Or was he seeing it and testing me?

    Dont do it

    It was quite abrupt, a strange sentence without a subject or object.

    Elise blinked her eyes.

    "What-

    What youre about to do right now.

    Elise btedly looked at herptop. She saw her finger poised above the enter key.

    Shion spoke as if he was in the same space as her.

    You dont have to go through with it.

    Thanks to that, Elise had an intuition.

    .Youve seen it all.

    "Don''t be mistaken. I am.

    She paused for a moment, choosing her words while staring into the void.

    She couldn''t figure out how tobine the words into a sentence.

    I am

    What should she say next, how should she deal with him, is it okay for me to continue this conversation, she wondered in the moment

    His words dropped heavily.

    I knew.

    Elise froze in ce.

    Her mind went nk for a moment.

    How my mother died.

    Slowly, her eyes widened.

    Her cheeks trembled with the sudden surge of emotion.

    Why I never once saw her face in person.

    Elises breathing quickened. Her breath flowed like mist.

    Shion Ascal said.

    Still, its not your fault

    Its not your fault.

    Those words seemed to shake her soul.

    Elise.

    When he called my name, my vision blurred.

    My heartfelt painfully constricted.

    Youre not Petra, youre Elise.

    Elise lowered her head. She bit her finger for no reason.

    Shhhhh...

    The sound of rain on the window. The rough wind wrapping around the abandoned factory.

    The storm.

    She said nothing for a while, then quietly asked.

    Since when?

    Just one sentence, asking how long he had known.

    Shion was silent for a while, but then he chuckled.

    From the beginning.

    Hisughter-filled voice echoed in her ears.

    It shattered something inside Elise.

    A spray of emotions welled up.

    I see."

    She chuckled too.

    Thanks to this guy, she gained certainty.

    "Thank you."

    Father always said the family was the most important thing in the world.

    It was a lie.

    There are values far more important than that in the world.

    In fact, there are infinitely many.

    Therefore, no one has the duty or right to prosper their family by killing people.

    Thus, Petra must now be reborn anew.

    Its thanks to you.

    Elise pressed enter.

    An unnamed seashore. Yael was delivered to the dock, bloodied.

    Ken Petra had be aware of his betrayal.

    . Well, this is something.

    Yael looked in the direction of the voice with half-dulled eyes. A man was looking at him, wearing an awkward smile.

    "Young master.

    The man who called himself the young master.

    "Do you perhaps remember me?

    Yael smiled silently. It was someone he actually knew.

    I know. The son of the elder I killed."

    His face hardened. Yael just raised an eyebrow.

    I remember.

    Before being trapped here, Yael had killed countless people. Not only his own grandfather but also many of Petras shadowy elders, all those he had murdered.

    To prevent them from harming Elise.

    "Youre aware, I see.

    The man frowned his lips and with a thud, dropped a corpse beside him.

    It was a journalist who had dared to demand money from Petra.

    ...Yeah. Of course, I remember. I keep a memory of everyone Ive killed."

    "Ha.

    He let out a disbelieving chuckle. His face flushed red as he lifted one leg.

    Crunch!

    He pressed down on Yaels head.

    "At least you''re lucky. You''ll die here, you filthy murdering bastard.

    Thud, thud, thud.

    As he methodically stomped down, Yael was suddenly struck by a thought.

    "Arent youmitting murder right now as well?

    Im exterminating vermin. You killed an innocent father."

    Innocent.

    They always say this.

    If theres no visible crime, if they havent been to prison, if they havent been judged by thew, then theyre innocent

    Thats why Yael never regretted his killings.

    Shouldnt you be thanking me, then? Your father''s death put you in his ce.

    The man mped his mouth shut. His anger must have reached its limit.

    Sssshing

    A sword was drawn from his waist. Yael looked at it and smirked.

    Well, this kind of death isn''t so bad.

    Its actually a good death.

    There was a time when he had nightmares of being killed by Elise.

    "Die, you vermin"

    A sh of lightning split the air. A sharp sonic boom tore through the space. The split air bled in all directions.

    But Yael was unharmed. His eyes were drawn somewhere.

    Right beside him, on the ground.

    The head of a man, rolling aroundthe son of an elder he had killed.

    ...What are you doing?"

    A voice came from above. Yael looked up.

    There was a man.

    Someone he never imagined woulde to this ce, as unlikely as a bald man growing hair.

    "Get up.

    Shion Ascal.

    He smiled at Yael.

    "You need to go to your sister. There''s big trouble.

    He then showed a smartphone.

    Even with unfocused eyes, Yael read the messages.

    [Community, SNS simultaneously exploding with Petra familys corruption...]

    All sorts of Petras dirtyundry were bursting like firecrackers.

    However, among all the revtions, the one that garnered the most attention was:

    [Shock! The son of Senator Ken Petra, dered dead over a decade ago, is actually alive...]

    It was Yael himself.

    Fascinating, isnt it?"

    Shion extended his hand to him and said.

    For a politician, a scandal involving their child is far more lethal than a few murders.

    ...You can say that again.

    Yael grasped his hand. He struggled to steady his wavering body and stand up.

    The two men stood side by side, looking at each other and smiling.

 Chapter 254: After the Rain (1)

    <h4>Chapter 254: After the Rain (1)</h4>

    Elise went to Edsi National University as if nothing had happened. She noticed the gazes of the students on her. Among them wereplex feelings of hostility, pity, and ridicule.

    She didnt care.

    In fact, she had expected this.

    She was prepared for the consequences when shemitted the act.

    By now, Ken Petra must be tracing the leak of information, and soon he would find out that she was the culprit.

    Yael... he was probably murdered by now.

    For Elise, it was a decision to throw away everything she had.

    Of course, she wasn''t without a n for whates next

    [Admission Permit to the Tower of Magic]

    Having already received an invitation from the Tower, she nned to study abroad there.

    She had enough funds. She had sold all her luxury items.

    The Tower of Magic was known to be a money pit so she might have to live a bit frugally, but that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

    .Sigh."

    The rooftop of the magic department building was filled with fresh air.

    Elise leaned against the railing, fixing her fluttering hair, looking out over the wide green park under the blue sky.

    The contrast of colors was sharp.

    She hadnt expected to leave the university so soon.

    She had thought maybe in a year, but to not even finish her final exams

    Tap Tap

    The sound of steps arose faintly.

    Elise quietly turned around.

    There he was.

    ...Ah.

    The very person who had driven her to make this decision.

    More than anyone else Ken Petra had harmed, this paradoxical person tormented my heart

    The one who made it clear to me more than anyone else that I was selfish.

    Shion Ascal.

    I looked at Elise. Elise looked at me. Our entangled gazes were awkward.

    ...Hello."

    I was the first to raise my hand.

    Elise slightly furrowed her brow. Her lips pouted.

    ...What''s that?

    What do you mean.

    I took a step closer to her.

    It seems like we have things to say to each other, so I came looking for you.

    We were somehow entangled.

    I couldnt unravel everything, but just.

    If I let her go without saying anything, it felt like I wouldnt see her for a longtime.

    Elise let out a thin sigh.

    ...Why. Didnt you say anything?

    It was a light question at first.

    I smiled slightly, shrugging as if it was obvious.

    "The guilt by associationw has been abolished.

    The sins of the family do not pass down to the children.

    It seems somewhat unfair. All the positive assets umted are inherited by the descendants, but they are free from the sins.

    But well., if you start to argue, there''s no end to it

    You need the wisdom to know when to cut things off.

    "The re-election might not be a failure. The chances of winning are still high.

    Elise continued with a subdued voice.

    "That''s how politics works. Theres nothing to be done about it.

    ...I guess so."

    Politics has always been like that

    Its not about truth or falsehood, but a mechanism formed by some power dynamics.

    Still, he wont be able to set foot at the Round Table. Not in your fathers generation, at least"

    "Then its over? I have no intention of bing a member of parliament.

    Now, Petras ambition will end with Kens generation.

    The family that Ken built before my regression will change, and the monster he raised will disappear.

    Yeah.

    Elise looked at me and exhaled a faint breath.

    Ive paid it back.

    The words paid it back.

    I didnte here just to hear that.

    ...Dont you have anything else to say to me?

    I asked, scratching the back of my neck.

    Huh?

    Elise looked at me for a moment, blinking as if asking what more I wanted.

    I wanted to ask about her feelings.

    Why, specifically for me, she had exposed Petras crimes.

    ...Ah.

    Suddenly, her brows furrowed. She bit her lip slightly as if a fever hade on, ring at me with her eyebrows deeply furrowed.

    It was about the new drug."

    ...What?

    An unexpected statement popped out.

    "That time. It means it wasn''t a kickback.

    Kickback.

    I was taken back to the past for a moment.

    To the distant past, when I was a patient with demonic leukemia at Petra University Hospital.

    It was legitimately developed by a foreign biotechpany, and the clinical trial results were perfect I found it myself while studying.

    I listened quietly to her words.

    A strange, hollowugh spread across my lips.

    I strongly rmended it to the professor. The professor, who had thought highly of me, epted it with good intentions.

    Elise rattled off her words like a machine gun.

    Butthen the article came out as a kickback? Right during the election season. So..."

    She trembled as she pulled out her smartphone. Tap tap tap her fingers drummed on the screen.

    ...Take a look for yourself.

    She threw the smartphone at me.

    I looked at the content.

    The anticancer drug that Petra had once tried to prescribe to me, though now under a different name, was being used as the most popr treatment for acute leukemia outside of Edsi, ording to the paper.

    A slight tingling sensation hit the back of my head.

    Elises voice pierced sharply.

    When I was young, I resented you for it. You probably resented me too.

    I was dumbfounded.

    This girl, she really wanted to heal patients for a better prognosis.

    Meanwhile, Yael and I were used by adults and discarded.

    Because of those misunderstandings.

    But stilb.."

    She let out a sigh filled with heat.

    ''So...''

    Her lips quivered as if she was pressing down on something.

    Now, its just jealousy."

    Those were the words Elise barely managed to say, simply jealousy.

    My eyes slowly tilted.

    Hmm...

    Jealousy.

    Then, had Elise been harboring some kind of negative feelings all this time? What had she been contemting?

    I took a bold step toward her. As she flinched in surprise, I ced my hand on her shoulder.

    I met her eyes and smiled.

    Then, you''re right Plus minus zero.

    The corners of Elises mouth wavered.

    She tried not to smile, but it leaked out like steam from a rice cooker.

    We''re just back to the starting point now.

    Elise pursed her lips deliberately. Then, she changed her expression back to a serious one and pushed me away.

    Move.

    I added one more thing as she was about to leave immediately.

    ...I heard youre going to the Tower of Magic.

    The Tower of Magic.

    In fact, before the regression, Elise hadnt stayed long at the Tower of Magic. She only trained for a mere year to manage her family.

    It was a waste of her magical talent

    Therefore, no one really knows the full potential of Elise as a magician.

    She might be an even more overwhelming Archmage than the monster she had be under Petra, and she might raise Petra again.

    An Archmage family would be much more prestigious than a family of parliament members.

    However...

    I felt a bit regretful.

    I guess I wont see you much now."

    Elises shoulders twitched. She looked back at me with aplex expression.

    Youre busy, arent you? With all the things you''re trying to do."

    She must know what Im involved in.

    A Libra Chaser lives a lifemitting crimes far worse than anyone else.

    Sure. Its better not to be close, to avoid getting blood on you.

    It was meant to be a dark joke, but Elise shook her head too seriously.

    It doesn''t matter. I dont mind getting that on me.

    Her saying that made me a bit afraid.

    It seemed like something might remain inside me, which has lived only with resentment and hatred.

    ...Oh right.

    I looked at Elise. She tilted her head in confusion.

    There was something I had almost forgotten to say.

    Yael is dead.

    Suddenly, Elise''s expression turned bitterly somber.

    Its okay. I expected-"

    Officially."

    Officially?

    I handed her the phone. It was a satellite phone connected to Yael.

    It was absolutely untraceable.

    How...?

    Elise looked up at me and asked. Her expression was as innocent as a deer, which was endearing.

    Dont ask how. Im a Chaser, remember?

    I received a bit of help from Akane. Her dolls are almost indistinguishable from real humans.

    She took the phone without a word.

    Dont contact too often. Resolve any lingering feelings first From my perspective, you''re both good people.

    Both good people.

    Perhaps Elise didnt like the sound ofboth. Maybe she wanted to be considered the better person.

    Well., thanks. Ill be going.

    She turned around briskly, trying to sound nonchnt.

    Take care. Keep in touch.

    I called out to her back. Elise trudged down the stairs.

    ...Hoo

    Leaning against the railing, I looked down.

    Tap, tap, tapElise was walking out.

    Thanks?"

    Suddenly, a voice expressing gratitude to me.

    This time it was Yael.

    He came up to the rooftop, taking turns with Elise. However, his face waspletely different from before.

    An Infimian. Just by having a magic core on me, I can impose an Infimian disguise on someone else.

    If you''re grateful, then live a normal life.

    I told him.

    Far away from here."

    The person who died to save me before the regression.

    My very first friend.

    My oldest friend.

    Try to live happily, please. It''s a favor I''m asking."

    Yael leaned against the railing next to me, looking up at the blue sky with a deep smile.

    Ill give it a shot.

    ...Soliettes adventure continues.

    She crossed deserts, navigated jungles, and conquered uninhabited inds, all with her party members, including [Kal] and Denny].

    Together they cried,ughed, fought, got annoyed, reconciled, and enjoyed.

    So, you know what I said back then?

    What did you say? Stop with the nonsense.

    Its not nonsense, really!

    Late at night, the sound of chatter echoed around the campfire.

    Soliette wore a serene smile.

    She liked this atmosphere.

    Being together with everyone, sharing stories, and most of all, being with her brother...

    Hmm...

    She cautiously nced at Jared. He was asionally smiling at something [Kal] was saying.

    Dinners ready.

    Just then, [Hans] spoke up. He set down a pot full of meat soup.

    [Jenny], who grabbed thedle first, served everyone evenly.

    Let''s eat.

    Alright"

    Soliette took a sip. Her eyes widened.

    Its delicious, Mr. Hans."

    Of course, it is. It''s me, after all.

    [Hans] rolled up his sleeves andughed heartily.

    Even the always stoic [Hans] now had a natural expression.

    It meant they had all be closer.

    How is it, Mr. Jared?

    Soliette asked Jared. Jared smiled faintly and nodded.

    Its delicious. But,"

    He looked at [Hans].

    Have you been in charge of the meals from the beginning?

    Of course. Ever since we formed the party, Ive been handling it all. These guys cant cook anything to save their lives."

    What do you mean we can''t cook?

    [Kal] furrowed his brow.

    I would try to make something, but youd criticize it, so I got annoyed and let you handle it. Youre quite the cooking enthusiast... which is good, though."

    Chuckling, [Kal] gulped down a bowl of soup.

    Soliette watched them with contentment, then took a big sip of her soup...

    Suddenly.

    A strange suspicion crossed her mind.

    A chilling sensation ran down her spine.

    She silently mulled over [Hans]s words.

    Of course. Ever since we formed the party, Ive been handling it all. These guys can''t cook anything to save their lives.

    Ever since the party was formed.

    From the very beginning of [Bethune].

    Soliette btedly recalled the early days of her own [Bethune] experience.

    She rewound to the day she first encountered [Kal]s party.

    She quietly looked around.

    Crackle, cracklethe burning campfire.

    Still, the partyughed and chatted, oblivious as they ate.

    But Soliettes thoughts continued coldly.

    Upon reflection, they had never eaten anything from the beginning.

    Since [Bethune]s food provided no actual nutritional value, and they had to eat after logging out no matter how much they ate in [Bethune] from that time on.

    This party had subsisted solely on the food within [Bethune] from the very start

    Moreover, Soliette had never once seen any of them log out.

    The party members said ''even logging out time was too precious to waste, and Soliette thought they would manage their logout times sensibly, but...

    It was a premise impossible for humans from the start.

    There was only one possible premise.

    Thump

    Soliette set her soup on the ground.

    Hiding her trembling heart as best as she could, she looked around at [Kal], [Hans], [Jenny], [Chris].

    The four party members she had been with in [Bethune].

    Alone, yet together, the space suddenly felt empty.

    Still beside the burning embers of the campfire,

    Soliette sat like a soulless person, questioning herself.

    ...What if, these people aren''t human?

    What if theyre NPCs, not human?

 Chapter 255: After the Rain (2)

    <h4>Chapter 255: After the Rain (2)</h4>

    Soliette sank into quiet contemtion, her gaze shifting from the starry night sky to somewhere else.

    "...Are you still awake?

    She asked Jared, who was lying next to her.

    "No, not yet.

    He replied.

    Soliettes expression turned peculiar.

    It feels like it might rain tomorrow.

    This was a statement meant for verification.

    Is that so?

    "Yes.

    She was trying to confirm what she was doing in this bottle of souls, why this journey seemed to be endlessly ongoing.

    ...See you tomorrow, Mr. Jared."

    "Yes. Sleep well.

    Soliette quietly closed her eyes.

    ...Drip-

    Drip-

    Droplets of water settled on her cheek. Soliette slowly opened her eyes.

    "Ah, it''s raining.

    Before she knew it, the party members were bustling about, folding up their sleeping bags.

    Drip-

    Drip-

    Soliette watched the droplets falling on her face.

    Once again, she closed her eyes quietly.

    A hollowugh spread across her lips.

    Now she understood.

    Everything she unconsciously wished for came true in this ce.

    The journey didnt end because she didn''t want it to end, andpanions appeared because she wished for them.

    In fact

    It had been like that from the beginning.

    She thought she had stumbled upon this game by chance.

    She found Bethune while searching for Knightmare on the inte, thinking she had caught a lead on Knightmare.

    What if that was a misconception?

    What if it wasnt by mere chance that she entered this ce, but Knightmare had guided her here?

    "Soliette. Time to get up. The rain is getting heavier.

    Soliette opened her eyes. Herpanions were calling her with smiles.

    "You said it looked like it would rain. And now it really is.

    She looked at Jared, who spoke those words.

    ...Yes.

    Soliette replied quietly.

    It seems this journey will soone to an end."

    She felt she was beginning to understand.

    Whaty at the bottom of this bottle.

    Who was waiting for her.

    I returned to the Intelligence Agency. It was because of a debriefing on the Senator''s Syrimus operation.

    ...Lets conclude the cross-verification regarding Senator Syrimus'' matter.

    The meeting, whichsted a grueling three hours, came to an end.

    "Lastly, lets confirm. The three of you operated as a team, correct?"

    Director Gedley asked.

    "Yes.

    Bell Moore answered energetically.

    For identifying the whereabouts of Syrimuss son Luke, and for investigating the monster clinic and making the discovery... Therefore, the person with the most significant role is team leader Bell Moore. Is that correct? I''d like to hear the opinions of the team members.

    "Yes. Thats correct

    This time, I was the one who answered. Riley nodded as well.

    Its confirmed. The Syrimus matter will be treated as top-secret and sealed within the Intelligence Agency Database. I expect you all to forget about the operation now. You may go.

    "Yes, sir!"

    Bell Moore stood up.

    We all left together.

    "Phew- Thats a relief."

    Bell Moore stretched, and Riley nced at him with evident dissatisfaction.

    "What are you looking at- What now?"

    "Happy about snatching the credit from your team members?

    Riley shot back coldly.

    "Hey, hes the one who gave it to me. Something about it being the duty of a junior.

    Bell Moore pointed in my direction.

    I nodded.

    "Congrattions on your team leader candidacy."

    ...Ah, that?

    Bell Moore had been nominated as a team leader candidate.

    It''s just a candidacy. Bing a team leader is my life goal.

    Of course, Bell Moore was still a couple of years short in terms of experience, and frankly, his career wasnt quite there yet, but he was likely to be elected without much trouble.

    Thanks to his track record of solving significant cases.

    "You think you''re something."

    Riley crossed her arms.

    "Oh- Come on. Oh right, hey Shion. You know about Johanna''s thing, what was it... Anyway, you know where she''s moving into, right?

    "Yes.

    "Do you want to take on her security?

    "Sure.

    ...What? Why dont you ever say no?

    Bell Moore raised his eyebrows with a curious look.

    "Arent you Zias?

    I am also a direct Chaser."

    "Uh. Well... then, from today, youll be working at the Aerial Garden. They say the security team needs to sync up.

    "Yes.

    As a Chaser, I would be building up the security teams strength and undergoing separate training.

    This meant that the move-in was quite a big event.

    Aerial Garden Section 2.

    I reported to the training ground for the security team. There were about a hundred Chasers.

    Standing in front of them was the bncer, as expected, Beckman.

    I lined up at the training ground, and he red at my face.

    Was I the only one he could see out of a hundred Chasers?

    Hes quite the honest guy.

    "This move-in is important

    A move-in, literally, is just that - moving in. However, its not into a house, but into newly opened or reimednd.

    Its a right over a ''magic space that is within Edsi but not part of Edsi.

    What crops can be grown there and what items can be brought in are still unknown.

    However, its practicallywless territory, akin to a newly discovered gold mine, and inevitably, there will be conflict.

    "Security will be divided into three teams. The first team, as Chasers of Libra, will directly protect the direct lineage. The second team will patrol the lineages Section, detecting hostility and independently eliminating enemies. And finally...

    Beckman looked at me again.

    "The third team will scout for enemies outside the lineages Section.

    He then took a step towards me.

    "Guys like you. Rookies barely into their first year will be in charge of scouting."

    Soft snickers from the other Chasers echoed around.

    This attitude of Beckmans seemed to give them some sort of satisfaction. After all, my poprity within the Intelligence Agency was already quite negative.

    Because I''m the guy who killed a team leader.

    "Yes.

    "Now, I will assign the team members. The first team will receive a message on their Libra phones now."

    There was a beeping sound.

    It was clear that Beckmans underlings, those who dangled at his every word, would be in the most important first team.

    "Now for the second team.

    Next, more than half were assigned to the second team.

    "The third team.

    Beepbeepbeepbeep.

    It rang out exactly four times.

    One of them was obviously me, and the other three were faces I didnt recognize.

    "The training schedule will be announcedter. The first team, follow me. The second team, take a short break."

    There was no mention of the third team.

    Or perhaps they don''t realize how vital scouting is.

    Beep-

    Just then, an rm went off on my Libra phone.

    It was a call from Zia.

    ...What should we do now?

    One of the remaining three looked around with uncertainance and asked.

    "Lets exchange numbers first, and Ill contact youter. I have something to attend to right now."

    We nodded and exchanged numbers for the time being.

    Aerial Garden.

    I entered Zia''s office. She was sitting in an office chair that wasrger than her own body.

    "You dont have to."

    Her first words made me tilt my head in confusion.

    "Rather than being treated like that...

    Ah.

    She was worried about the disdain shown to the security team.

    But whether this was an act or genuine, I couldnt tell.

    "Its fine.

    Zia showed a slight sign of dissatisfaction.

    I asked her.

    "Miss. Is your ambition still valid?

    ...Yes.

    Zia nodded.

    Her eyes, which were always droopy, filled with certainty when she spoke of her ambition.

    I was curious.

    What kind of personality, what kind of nature in her heart, had instilled such ambition in her? Born as the youngest of Libra, she could have lived a life of leisure and luxury.

    "Yes. If thats the case, then I intend to assist you, Miss."

    "Assist...?

    "Theres a n.

    In order for Zia to ascend the hierarchy, she must topple her siblings.

    But there are many ways to go about this.

    I will make Johanna give up her im to session.

    Before my regression, Johanna was defeated by Zia. She fellpletely and ended up imprisoned.

    Its not a good method.

    Because of the sword dance she performed just before her defeat, tens of thousands died.

    ...Give up? Will she do it herself?

    "Yes.

    Moreover, Johanna is currently wavering, swayed by some emotion she herself doesnt understand.

    If she weren''t wavering, there would be no reason to keep Karlos alive. No reason to watch him day in and day out.

    ...Its impossible. Shes not someone who gives up whats hers.

    Its possible. I will design it myself. I will weaken Johanna.

    A n to draw out Johannas emotions, to make her believe that there''s something more important than session.

    A way to turn Johanna from a murderous psychopath into an ordinary human being.

    I will lead her to step down from her position on her own.

    "No matter how many years it takes, I can do it step by step. For that, I need your help, Miss."

    ...My help?

    "Yes. What does Johanna like?

    What Johanna likes.

    ...What my sister likes?

    "Yes. We need the nostalgia of the past

    However, what ''the current Johanna'' likes wont work.

    She has probably already forgotten what she likes.

    Therefore, we need memories from her childhood.

    Unfortunately, even I, who am well-versed in Libra, dont know much about Johanna from that time.

    ''...Ah.''

    Zia suddenly furrowed her brows as if a thought had struck her.

    In the past... there was someone my sister admired."

    "Really?"

    I asked reflexively, surprised by the unexpected revtion.

    "Yes. It was when my sister was in high school. I was still very young...

    ...Bang!

    The door to Zias room was flung open violently. Johanna, her face twisted like a goblins, strode in.

    "Hey. Did you use my fountain pen again?

    This time, the fountain pen was the subject of her ire.

    Zia replied quietly.

    ...No.

    "No is bullshit, you looking to die? Hey. Show me your palm.

    ...I didn''t use it.

    "Show it!"

    ...Yes.

    The daily routine of high school Johanna was tormenting Zia.

    Every day after school, she would take out her anger out on Zia, and Zia, knowing she would be tormented regardless, sometimes deliberately used and stole Johanna''s belongings.

    "Sister... it hurts.

    I hit you so it would hurt, you little shit. If you get caught again, I''ll break it next time, understand?

    After a few hard ps to the palm, Johanna would leave, satisfied, and not bother her for a while.

    Those were the days.

    But then...

    It must have been an ordinary day.

    Was it a Monday? A Tuesday?

    Anyway, Zia wrote a letter with Johanna''s cherished fountain pen and braced herself for the confrontation.

    When she really did steal and use it, she would get beaten quite badly.

    But Johanna didnte.

    She didnte at the usual time she always did.

    Johanna was surprisingly obsessive about her routines, so Zia wondered if something had happened.

    But a day passed, then two, and no matter how long Zia waited, Johanna never came to her.

    While it was a relief not to be hit, after about a week, young Zia grew curious.

    She cautiously followed Johanna as she left school.

    ...What could it be?"

    Upon reaching the Aerial Garden, Johanna headed straight for the greenhouse.

    Deep within the greenhouse, which their great-grandfather had personally renovated, was a small sand training ground with three scarecrows.

    There stood a knight

    He must have been in his mid-twenties.

    Johanna watched him strike the scarecrows quietly before turning away.

    That''s when Zia realized.

    Even her sister could have someone she liked.

    The first encounter was in the garden...

    I had definitely received a hint from Zia.

    To draw out someone''s emotions, simple one-dimensional methods are insufficient.

    Using old memories is more effective.

    People unknowingly idealize their past and long for it

    The magnitude of the romance held by the mirage called ''first love is evident.

    Sister still asionally walks there these days.

    I initially trained with the security team. Even being assigned to the lowest the third team, gave me a reason to go to the Aerial Garden every day.

    Maybe because thats where she met the knight.

    After security training, I headed to the ce Zia had mentioned.

    "This is the ce.

    Beyond the beautifully blooming flowers and trees of the greenhouse, there was a strange area consisting solely of sand.

    ...Scarecrows."

    The three scarecrows were swaying in the wind, bearing deep scars and marks of time.

    Nothing special happened between them. Sister just watched the knight for three months, and for the next three, she learned swordsmanship from him.

    I drew a wooden sword.

    Thwack- Thwack-

    I executed the Ascal Style swordsmanship, tapping the scarecrows lightly.

    Only until she went to college.

    I trained in swordsmanship for about three hours.

    Without the thought of being watched, just with the mindset of honing myself.

    After she entered college, that knight died.

    Eventually, it gotte at night.

    I left the garden.

    After all, it wasnt something that could be done in a single day.

    Johanna is a busy person, so the days she strolls through this garden must be limited.

    I returned to the garden the next day.

    There was no gain, but I came back the day after that as well.

    And the day after that

    For a week, every day at the same time, I just hit the scarecrows, training my swordsmanship.

    .Ssh.

    I felt a very faint sign of someone''s presence.

    I thought I knew who it was, but I didn''t show it. They didnt approach me first either.

    Thud! Thud!

    As I swung the wooden sword at the scarecrow, I was certain.

    The ce evokes emotions, and memories will slowly ovep.

    Gradually, her heart will change.

 Chapter 256: After the Rain (3)

    <h4>Chapter 256: After the Rain (3)</h4>

    Click-ck

    Elise set foot on the floor of the airport. She looked around with herrge suitcase by her side.

    Most of them were mages in robes.

    Naturally, since it was the Magic Towers exclusive airport

    For Elise, it was a novel feeling.

    Starting today, I would be integrated into this society, learn countless practical skills at the Magic Tower, and transform into someone else.

    I have no regrets.

    Rather, I feel relieved.

    Theres no longer a family holding me back.

    Just like Shion said, plus minus zero.

    After such a long time, Ive finally returned to the starting point

    Ding-a-lini

    Her smartphone rang. Elises expression stiffened slightly.

    Ken Petra. It was her father.

    Her heart fluttered for a moment, but she had decided not to run away anymore.

    Elise answered the call.

    Hello?"

    Ken was silent Elise waited quietly.

    He let out a small sigh.

    It was you.

    An usation.

    Elise responded softly.

    "Yes. It was me.

    -Why?

    Ken asked for the reason.

    Elise walked through the airport, pulling her suitcase. Suddenly, a light robe for sale in the duty-free shop caught her eye.

    "Because youre bing a monster.

    .Monster.

    "Yes.

    She spoke to the clerk with only the movement of her lips.

    Ill take this one, please.''

    You were raised in my family.

    Kens voice was now tinged with anger.

    You lived in luxury because of the familys wealth-

    I know. That couldn''t be helped. But its not like I wanted to be raised in the family, right? I didnt take anything from the family with a guilty conscience.

    She had left the money earned from selling luxury goods right there. After much deliberation, she simply took out a credit loan.

    Just the Magic Tower admission certificate was enough to borrow a significant amount

    "Father. From now on, Petra may not be able to go to the councils round table.

    She donned the blue robe.

    "I promise you.

    She saw herself in the mirror.

    At a nce, no, she truly looked like a mage.

    Ill try to be a mage greater than the family.

    You are an enemy of Petra-

    She hung up the phone immediately.

    The training grounds of the Aerial Garden were divided into two sections.

    In section one, Team 1 was stationed, while Team 2 upied section two, each conducting their own training exercises.

    From what I heard, Team 1 was engaging in agent protection training, where they hired other Chasers to attack them, and Team 2 was constructing an artificial magic space for some kind of urban warfare training or something.

    It seemed quite interesting.

    ...Do we just wander around?

    On the other hand, Team 3 was neglected.

    Completely neglected.

    We just sat in an open field, spending time aimlessly without any specific guidance or direction.

    I, I don''t know. What are we supposed to do?"

    The short man with sses stuttered as he scratched the back of his head.

    His name was Ben, a second-year Chaser.

    ...They say that moving in is the most dangerous mission. What do we do?

    This short-haired woman, Sia, looked worried as she inadvertently dampened the morale.

    The woman who stared at me pleadingly for help was Chloe.

    .Sigh.

    Truth be told, there are Chasers who are just sry thieves. Those who suddenly got assigned to Chasers after joining Libra Station.

    Of course, they could give up voluntarily, but the Chasers allowance is substantial enough to turn anyones head.

    "Well then.

    With no other choice, I spoke to them.

    "Would it be alright if I became the team leader?

    "Th-that would be great!

    "Of course!

    "Yes!

    The three Chasers eyes sparkled.

    I gave a wry smile.

    Well, I need a squad too. Its hard to maintain my position as Zias second-inmand all alone.

    For now, she pretends to care for me, but as soon as I be useless or someone more useful appears, Ill be discarded immediately.

    "Then everyone, please tell me about your Spectrum and specialties.

    "Me!

    Ben raised his hand eagerly.

    "I, I can do transcription!

    Transcription. Simply put, its like a text version of telepathy.

    "Oh. Thats quite rare."

    Theres a reason he was assigned to Chasers.

    "Whats the medium?

    "This!

    Ben pointed to his sses.

    If you wear these lenses imbued with my magic, you can exchange thoughts in the form of sentences!"

    "Understood. Please distribute the lenses to all of us.

    "Y-yes!

    "Next, what about you, Sia?

    Sia pouted a little.

    "People dont usually disclose their Spectrum so easily.

    I know. But we need to share it among teammates. Moving in is a dangerous mission, and a mistake could be fatal.

    You could die. Sia seemed frightened by those words, her eyes arching.

    I can spread my mana into the air. It allows me to detect movements of people, animals, anything really, through the particles."

    Thats not a bad Spectrum at all. Perfect for tracking.

    "How far can you spread it?

    It depends on the grade of the mana stone I use to disperse the magic. With a high-grade stone, I can maintain it over a long distance for a long time, but with a low-grade stone, it''s only effective up to about 500 meters.

    "Thats sufficient. Ill provide the mana stones.

    Grawl is a mine of stones. I can get as many top-grade mana stones as needed.

    "Andstly, what about you, Chloe?

    ...Paths.

    Chloe answered briefly.

    "Paths?

    "My mana flies like a path.

    "Ah.

    Railroad. A [Spectrum] that is extremely useful for transporting objects.

    Ive seen a simr Spectrum before my regression.

    "Thats good. Its perfect for moving in.

    "But, what about your Spectrum?

    Sia asked, furrowing her brow.

    "Before I reveal my Spectrum, let me first exin that I see the moving in mission as simple. We move through enemy territory, gather information, and ry it back to the main force.

    I knelt on one knee, cing my hand on the ground.

    "However, as moving in agents, we are the enemys top priority targets, so safetyes first.

    I then manifested Grawls power.

    Crack

    The ground rippled and transformed into a specific shape.

    "I will create trenches."

    A tunnel leading underground. The three Chasers eyes widened.

    "Let''s go down and see.

    We descended one by one.

    ...Woah, it''s, its spacious.

    Ben stuttered in amazement.

    It was wide enough to amodate at least three or four people.

    "Yes. I''ll go ahead as the vanguard and prepare these trenches. Ill create a map of their locations and distribute it to you, but you must never leak it. If we''re discovered, were dead.

    Gulp The three swallowed nervously.

    They must have little realbat experience.

    "Also. For information gathering, well be using various recording Artifacts.

    "Recording... Artifacts?"

    Sia repeated, puzzled.

    "Yes. Its too risky to collect information in person.

    Bugs, miniature cameras, magic detectors, radars, and so on... I n to ce orders with variouspanies.

    Strangely, those who can use magic don''t often utilize such devices.

    But having lived almost my entire life as an underdog, I''m familiar and thorough with these gadgets.

    "YouU just need to move between magic space outposts and strategically use these devices."

    Johanna was looking out the window, twirling her long, slender fingers around her eyebrows.

    Lately, my nerves have been quite sharp.

    Is it because the move-in is approaching?

    Or perhaps...

    Is it because of that bastard?

    Johanna still asionally strolls through the garden. The Behale Garden, created by a grandfather she had seen maybe four times in her life.

    Theres no particr reason.

    It just seems to calm her mind to walk there.

    She doesnt have any special feelings for her grandfather.

    Just

    Thump- Thump-

    The sound thates to her ears, the sound of a wooden sword hitting a straw dummy.

    Shion Ascal, honing himself with a sword in hand.

    There used to be another guy like that.

    He was also a knight, and he repeated his training in the same spot every time.

    Johanna didnt know why.

    She liked the rhythmic beat of the dummy being struck, the sight of swordsmanship worth watching...

    "Lady Johanna?

    Someone roused her from her thoughts.

    Johanna looked straightahead.

    ...Yes.

    Beckman was standing there.

    "Speak."

    "The preparations for the move in areplete. We can soon enter through the passage we won at the auction.

    The move in is essentially a ''magic spacend grab.''

    Its awless ce, so there''s only one rule.

    720 hours are given, and by the end of that time, the Domain you upy bes your property.

    There were a total of nine passages to the magic space up for auction this time.

    Johanna had won one of those passages, so now she would bepeting with the families, corporations, or organizations that purchased the remaining eight.

    "Let''s move.

    Johanna stood up.

    "Yes. The vanguard will-"

    "Ill depart with the second wave.

    For the move-in, the vanguard usually enters first to explore all elements inside. Theyre cannon fodder, to put it bluntly, but the second wave following them is just as dangerous.

    "...Are you sure?

    But shes not one to back down. Even if its a stretch schedule-wise, she wants to join the battle in the second wave.

    Above all.

    "Im fine.

    Beckman.

    I need to tear apart this bastard''s intentions.

    Its been a while since Ive loosened up.

    "Yes. I''ll make the preparations."

    Beckman immediately turned and left

    Johanna suddenly had her doubts.

    He didnt try to stop her. If it had been like before, he would have raised a fuss about the danger and tried to dissuade her.

    Johanna looked out the window again.

    She doesnt like windows, and in other offices or residences that arent the Aerial Garden, there are no windows at all.

    Anyway, from here, she can see the entire Behale Garden.'' The sandy area where the straw dummies are set up.

    ...You''re at it again.

    Shion Ascal.

    Even today, he was striking the dummy.

    One weekter.

    Libras Chasers lined up in front of the passage. There were about two hundred Chasers, and if you included Johannas direct subordinates, the number easily reached five or six hundred.

    "Ha, ha, ha. Mr. Ascal. I, Im nervous.

    Among them, my team, including myself, consisted of only four members.

    Thats how the report had been filed.

    [Team 3| Reconnaissance Unit|Team Leader Shion Ascal]

    Just do as we trained, right?"

    "Yes.

    ...Ben. Calm down a bit. Youre making me anxious too.

    Sia tapped Ben on the shoulder. Ben wobbled like a squid.

    I looked at the passage.

    Arge oval portal, like the entrance to a dome stadium.

    Since Johanna won the bid for this portal, it would probably move to the best location.

    "The vanguard will now enter!

    Beckman shouted.

    I also spoke to my team members.

    "Ill go ahead.

    "Yes, sir!"

    "Take care."

    Each team had about 20% of its members in the vanguard.

    I stood in front of the portal as part of the vanguard.

    Beckman spoke to us.

    "Each team leader will call out

    Then the vanguard from team 1 raised their hand first.

    "Vanguard leader of team 1, Gorgon.

    "Vanguard leader of team 2, Getten."

    "Vanguard leader of team 3, Shion.

    Although I wasnt really a leader of anyone, but well, I yed the part.

    "Proceed to enter.

    Beckman stepped aside.

    Gorgon was the first to enter the passage with his seven subordinates, followed by Getten and his twenty, and finally, I entered alone.

    The first scene that greeted me was a forest of buildings.

    ...There are a lot of ruined buildings."

    Gorgon, right next to me, spoke to his subordinates.

    First, secure a stronghold for the direct lineage.

    They busily moved and began cleaning the buildings.

    As expected, team 1 was entirely made up of elites; they quickly dismantled and reassembled the buildings to create a stronghold in no time.

    Team 2 took on the role of guarding against enemies from the outside while they were setting up the stronghold.

    Team 3?

    I, the leader of team 3, will act independently.

    I spoke to them, who were quite busy working.

    They didnt respond.

    ...Whatever.

    I started running.

    I had quite a few tasks assigned to me.

    First, I had to calcte the size of this magic space, systematically establish trenches, determine what valuable crops, minerals, or treasures grew inside, install Artifacts for scouting the opposition, and write a report exining all of it

    For three days, I dug a total of 33 trenches.

    I installed hundreds of cameras and listening devices amidst all sorts of natural features, and I identified the true nature of this magic space.

    "Mana stones and magical crops... This ce is a gold mine.

    The magic space that Johanna had moved into was a perfect treasure trove.

    There were fields where magical crops grew, scattered among the forest of buildings that looked like a cityscape. Mana mushrooms, luminescent moss, bellflower roots, and so on...

    "This is a jackpot."

    Johanna had hit the jackpot again.

    As always, her sense for picking the right business ventures was exceptional.

    I slipped the report into my inner pocket.

    Now, all I had to do was take this report and return.

    "But., theres a problem.

    I touched my ear.

    Someones voice wasing through the listening device.

    Have you located Team 3 leader Shion Ascal?

    Beckman had somehow entered the magic space.

    He was clearly moving with the intent to find me.

    Report as soon as you find the team leader.

    His objective was all too clear.

    Of course, he was nning to find and kill me.

    In truth, if I were to face him head-on in this magic space, I wouldnt stand a chance. No matter how twisted his personality might be, the title of Bncer wasnt just for show.

    He was a formidable opponent capable of subduing Johanna and kidnapping her on his own.

    ...I figured as much."

    I smirked and pulled a long object from the expansion pocket I brought from [Selfless Coffin].

    It was a mannequin.

    A mannequin that looked just like me.

    Akane had put her heart and soul into making this doll.

    "Grawl. You can get inside this and control it, right?"

    Of course-

    A current of air formed from Grawls R-elix. The creature moved from my body into the doll.

    "Its ready!

    It smiled with the same face as mine.

    "Good."

    "Yes. So! I just need to get caught on purpose while escaping, right?

    It asked, iling its arms and legs about.

    It was rather unsightly.

    "Yeah. Get caught by Beckman. But dont make it too obvious. Act naturally.

    "Leave the acting to me!

    "And try to fix the way you talk.

    ...Right."

    It made its face expressionless.

    I couldnt help but feel amazed.

    "...Alright then.

    Anyway, my strategy was simple.

    "You handle it."

    "Roger!"

    In this magic space, I would be captured by Beckman and y dead.

 Chapter 257: After the Rain (4)

    <h4>Chapter 257: After the Rain (4)</h4>

    The interior of the trench was cozy.

    I had installed lights on the earthen walls that smelled of soil, and I hadid out a cushy sleeping bag in advance.

    There was plenty of food, and it felt like camping.

    [Ben: Yes. Weve just entered as well]

    I received reports from the members of Team 3 from within the trench. Ben''s sses were definitely practical.

    Just by wearing them, I couldmunicate with my team members at all times.

    [Yes. Then I will send you the map of the trenches Ive dug.]

    Through the lens of the sses, I sent a map marked with the trenches.

    [Also, this is my current location.]

    ''...Ah, Im tired.

    I stretched and wriggled my body into the sleeping bag.

    Now, it was time for a break.

    Its been a while since I''ve had a good sleep.

    The ce is nice, but its a shame that there''s no SNS or OTT service.

    "Haah.

    I closed my eyes quietly and surrendered my body to the creeping sleep.

    ...How much time had passed?

    Rustle.

    Footsteps sounded. A distinct magical energy touched my skin.

    I opened my eyes.

    Click-

    The light turned on.

    The face of a threatening man gleamed in the light.

    "So you were here."

    His heavy baritone voice spread thickly. I saw his face.

    It was Beckman.

    He looked around the inside of the trench and nodded.

    "A nice burrow. Perfect for a rat to hide.

    ...Hmm.

    I gave a faint smile.

    In fact, I had expected this.

    Team 3 was a team personally organized by Beckman.

    Naturally, one of the three had to be a spy.

    "Thats right But, what brings you here?"

    "What brings me here?

    Beckman raised his Magic Body. A murderous smile formed on his lips.

    "You dare to take on the task of surveilling me"

    Sure enough, he seemed to have caught on to the mission Johanna had given me.

    ...Its a mission I received in strictest confidence. Surely you haven''t been snooping around Lady Johannas quarters?"

    I got up.

    It''s to protect our lord. From leeches like you.

    Beckman was confident.

    Perhaps because he was sure that this conversation wouldnt leak outside.

    "Mr. Beckman. Snooping or intercepting the private affairs of the direct line is a grave offense that can be summarily executed."

    "Shut up. You wont be able to get out of here alive anyway."

    I thought to myself.

    It wont hurt.

    "Lady Johanna would prefer me over someone like you.

    After all, this doll doesnt have a sense of pain. I just need to transfer my consciousness back before it breaks apart.

    The rest will be taken care of by my master.

    "Youve fallen.

    ...Fallen.

    He snickered. Staring at me with a hard frown, he extended his finger.

    "Then let me ask. Why do you follow Lady Johanna?

    It was slightly intriguing.

    Suddenly, Beckman threw a question at me that was almost identical to the script the master had written.

    I answered ording to the script as well.

    It is because Lady Johanna is a direct descendant of Libra.

    "No. The direct line includes Derek, Jade, and Zia, whom you im to serve. Yet you insist on standing by Lady Johanna''s side.

    Crackle- Electricity sparked from Beckman''s body. He was extremely angry at this point.

    Is that reason simply because Lady Johanna is a direct descendant?

    I kept my mouth shut.

    This too was all part of the script

    "Dont spout such dogshit."

    Beckman gave a trembling smile.

    "You, a mere piece of trash, dare to harbor filthy feelings for Lady Johanna.

    The reason he had been unreasonably restraining, suspecting, and hating Shion Ascal was simple.

    Hatred of the same kind.

    He hated madly because he mistakenly thought that Shion Ascal loved Johanna as he did.

    I looked at Beckman intently.

    After staring nkly for about 10 seconds, I nodded as the script dictated.

    . Yes. I may not understand my emotions well, but your argument is persuasive.

    A confession of feelings by another.

    "Perhaps youre right, as you say."

    A passive conveyance ofperhaps youre right.

    "Ha. What a moron. Are you a robot?

    Beckman scoffed. He ran his fingers through his hair and concentrated magic power in his fist

    "However, Mr. Beckman, I do not prioritize personal emotions as you do. I simply carry out the tasksmanded by our lord. Therefore, I am different from you."

    "bber all you want You''re going to die soon anyway.

    He pulled his hand back.

    A swirling vortex of magic power sucked in the space around us.

    "Beckman. You should not be by Lady Johannas side.

    This was thest line for this body of the doll.

    "For her sake, if nothing else...

    Kwaah!

    Beckmans fist struck directly at the sr plexus.

    The doll was destroyed, and the burrow was half-demolished.

    ...except for the recorder cunningly hidden beneath the ground.

    Inside the magic space. Johannas fortress.

    She jerked her head up and opened her eyes suddenly.

    She had dozed off while sitting in the chair.

    "Sigh.

    She pressed her fingertips to her eyes.

    Lately, she was quite tired.

    It was because she had been engaging in battle almost every day for nearly a week to expand her Domain.

    Knock knock

    Someone knocked. She waved her hand. The door opened with [telekinesis] .

    It was Beckman.

    "What is it this time?

    It''s a report transmitted remotely by the leader of Team 3.

    Beckman extended a thick dossier to Johanna. Johanna read through it

    All the information was organized.

    What kind of crops were growing inside this magic space, where the farnds were, and what kind of monsters lurked.

    Also.

    [The farnd at the coordinates upied by Yurkon Corporation grows Syrot, a high-grade magical crop. It would be wise to strike and take control of it.]

    It was a false report from Beckman, but Johanna, unaware of this, asked with evident excitement

    "Syrot? When was this report sent?

    "Last night."

    Beckman acted with the utmost skill.

    It had been nearly a week since he killed Shion, but he was fabricating an alibi.

    "Beckman. What do you think?

    Johanna asked him first.

    In my opinion, it''s risky. Theres no evidence that Syrot is growing there, its merely the team leaders conjecture.

    Johanna looked at Beckman without a word.

    Although Beckman was tackling Shion''s suggestions as usual, for some reason, she found the entire situation suspicious.

    However...

    Ive never liked those Yurkon bastards from the start. If Syrot is indeed growing there, we must seize it with all our might.

    Syrot was that precious of a crop. After all, its nickname was Trace of Elixir, and its market price was as high as 50,000 Ren per root.

    "Yes. Understood.

    Beckman feigned a look of dissatisfaction. Johanna pressed her temples, weighed down by fatigue.

    "Whats the problem now?

    "You always trust the team leader too much, my lord.

    "Because it''s Syrot

    . Yes. If it truly is a Syrot farm, I agree we should take it. However, the team leader is not trustworthy. What will you do if this report is incorrect?"

    Johanna closed her mouth. Seeing her expression contorted seriously, Beckman quickly changed the subject.

    It''s about the external matter you mentioned before.

    He presented a different report this time.

    It was about the youngest, Zia, as Johanna had once instructed.

    "It''s as you said, my lord.

    The investigation revealed that Zia was conducting various businesses behind the siblings backs.

    Of course, the scale was still modest. It could be the youngests effort to find their own way, but if they consistently aim higher, it could be a risk for Johanna.

    If Zia sides with Derek.

    Or, if they covet the position of sessor.

    Shion Ascal would ultimately choose Zia over Johanna.

    "Beckman. How many members are in team 3?"

    "Excluding the team leader, three."

    "That''s quite a small team.

    "Deploying arge number of people in a move in is a waste...

    Johanna closed the report.

    First, call in one of the remaining team members. I want to ask them directly.

    "Yes, understood."

    Beckman stepped back. Johanna stared at his face until the end.

    Thud

    The door closed. She leaned back in her chair.

    Meanwhile, Shion Ascal had no intention of returning from outside Johannas Section.

    Was he simply engrossed in his mission?

    If he had discovered a crop as significant as Syrot, he should have returned by now.

    Knock-knock-

    Johanna opened the door again.

    There stood a bespectacled man. With bright eyes, he looked at her and said,

    "Im Ben, a Chaser from team 3.

    "Right Did you receive a briefing about Syrot from the team leader?"

    "Yes.

    "How was the briefing conducted?

    Ben pointed to his sses.

    I can exchange Transcriptions, or texts, with my team members through these lenses. I received the report about Syrot from team leader Shion Ascal through them.

    A pretty useful Spectrum.

    Johanna rested her chin on her hand.

    Good. Then, where the hell is this team leader who wrote the report and wont show his face?

    It had been nearly a week, no, since Shion entered the magic space through the passage, Johanna hadnt met him.

    For such an important report, one would expect to at least see his face.

    "Our team 3 has a trench.

    "A trench?

    "Yes. We collect information by moving through the trench, so theres no need to return to the main force, and it seems theres no time forthat."

    . Tch. Alright, you can go.

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    "Yes!

    Ben bowed at a 90-degree angle and stepped backward.

    Outside the fortress.

    Beckman called out to Ben as he came out Ben stood in front of Beckman with a stoic expression.

    Ive conveyed everything exactly as you instructed, Mr. Beckman.

    "Good. What about Shion Ascals trench?"

    Ben answered promptly.

    Ive taken care of everything.

    He was a strategist personally procured by Beckman. Among the Chasers, he was quite exceptional, and Beckman had kept him hidden as his own personal information agent.

    "What kind oftaken care of?

    "Under Miss Zias orders, I volunteered for a mission to sabotage Lady Johanna''s residence... Ive hidden secret coded documents to that effect You''re wee to check them yourself."

    Of course, Ben would have perfectly manipted the den.

    Beckman nodded in satisfaction.

    "And Syrot?

    Ive already aligned our story with Yurkon Corporation.

    Ben shed a sly smile, one that exuded reliability.

    Beckman took a deep breath.

    "Once Lady Johanna sets out there, instead of finding Syrot, shell stumble upon a barrennd."

    They had deliberately crafted a false report for Johanna, with the intent of luring her out.

    "Yurkon Corporation will seize the opportunity to attack one of our most valuablends...

    This was the first part of the n.

    Johanna would be betrayed by Shion Ascal, the man she trusted.

    "A trap will be sprung in that barrennd. A magic bomb."

    The second n involved a magic bomb set to explode, targeting Johanna specifically.

    It was clear evidence that Shion Ascal harbored murderous intent towards Johanna.

    "The magic bomb has enough power to kill Lady Johanna. So please be careful, but also look for the right opportunity!1

    Ben raised a finger.

    Beckman also swallowed hard, focusing intently.

    Just protect Lady Johanna. Like a prince on a white horse.

    Prince on a white horse.

    At that outdated phrase, Beckman''s face softened, as if envisioning a future with Johanna, their son, daughter, and grandchildren.

    "Afterwards, Sir Beckman, you will present the already in Shion Ascal. iming youve killed the traitor.

    Ben''s n was clear from beginning to end.

    "Good. Very good.

    ...However.

    Ben cautiously looked up at Beckman.

    "Sir Beckman. This operation"

    "Dont worry. Ill take full responsibility for everything. Your future career and wealth as well.

    "Ah, thank you!

    Ben''s face flushed with color. Beckman suddenly looked down at him.

    Im curious. How did the bastard fall for it with you?

    It was easy. I pretended to stutter, to be a fool, to be a low-level Chaser, and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

    ...Haha."

    Thus, a Chaser must never let their guard down. A foolish face, expression, orplexion could all be part of a crafted performance.

    "Proceed as nned.

    "Yes!

    Beckman smiled.

    Now, Shion Ascal, that bastard, would be buried in the filth of beingbeled a traitor, even in death. His body would be torn to shreds, leaving nothing behind...

    Filthy swine.

    A surge of excitement and satisfaction welled up within him. It was an intense euphoria that seemed to overflow to his extremities, as if it would burst forth at any moment.

    He trembled all over, spreading his clenched hands.

    Now, everything was going ording to n. It was all in his hands.

    Johanna.

    Johanna.

    Johanna.

    The attention, affection, and trust of the lord he admired would all return to him.

    Shion Ascal, that filthy swine, would die a maggot, a parasitic insect, while his own future would be with Johanna.

    All of Johanna''s future would also be with him.

    ...Ha, hahahaha."

    Beckman let out a roboticugh.

    The mere thought brought an unbearable excitement and pleasure welling up inside him, and he bent over, intoxicated with dopamine and hedonism.

 Chapter 258: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (1)

    <h4>Chapter 258: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (1)</h4>

    ..I''m currently lying low, observing the situation.

    Ive roughly figured out what Beckman is up to.

    Since theres not much I can do until things really kick off, and to solidify Beckmans guilt, Im enjoying a vacation in the trenches I''ve secretly dug.

    Its not boring.

    Ive downloaded quite a lot of movies and dramas onto my tablet PC.

    "Hey, you werent hurt, were you?

    Swish-swish - swish-swish -

    I asked Grawl, who was wagging its tail while ring intently at the movie on the screen.

    The creature was too busy watching the movie.

    "Hey."

    Yeah, yeah.

    It seemed to say ''dont bother me as it covered its ears with both hands.

    "Thats good.

    I put in my earphones. A voice from inside the fortress came through.

    Prepare to march. Gather the elite and strike at Yurkon Corporation''s farnd.

    Beckmans n is progressing smoothly.

    Johanna will probably march, and I will be something akin to a traitor.

    For me, its still too early.

    Beckman has filled most of the Chasers with his own people.

    If I go back now, I might be immediately discovered and the worst-case scenario could unfold. Therefore, I must remain hidden as if dead, helping Johanna to find the evidence herself.

    Johanna is probably suspecting both Beckman and me, almost equally.

    I have to fight Beckman and at the same time, fight against Johannas suspicions.

    To win, I must remain as calm as possible.

    Hyaha.

    Grawlughed. It was engrossed in the movie. I yawned while stroking its soft back.

    Maybe I''ll sleep a bit more.

    "A legitimate vacation, its nice.

    Johanna arrived at the coordinates reported by Shion Ascal. There was only a dpidated abandoned building. There wasn''t even a mouse, let alone Yurkon Corporation''s guards.

    However, one must not judge the features of a magic space by its appearance. The entire building could be a goldmine made of mana stones.

    She surveyed the entrance.

    Shion Ascal was not there.

    She had thought he would appear as if he had been waiting for her arrival.

    "My lord, it seems empty.

    Beckman said.

    "Let''s go in, anyway.

    Johanna stepped forward herself. Along with the Chasers, she entered the heart of the abandoned building.

    The inside was just as empty.

    Not even a Syrot, let alone a mushroom or moss in sight. A barren wastnd with a concrete floor that was hard to call a floor.

    Johanna stood in the middle of the room, gesturing to the Chasers behind her.

    "Analyze theposition.

    "Yes, sir!"

    They moved quickly, but there was really nothing to analyze.

    Concrete where not even nts, let alone crops, would grow. The grey walls were cracked, with only stone debris trickling down.

    "My lord, there are no crops to speak of. It''s aplete wastnd.

    The second team leader confirmed with a kill check. Johanna pressed her brows together without a word, and Beckman secretly turned his face to smile, when suddenly

    "Ambush!

    A rough voice echoed from behind. Johanna and all the Chasers turned in that direction.

    "Ambush!

    A knight under Johanna was there, soaked in blood.

    "The Yurkon bastards have invaded our Grade A farnd!

    The Grade A farnd where magical crops grew. Johanna hade out to campaign, leaving only the minimum force there for the Syrot

    "Hey.

    Johanna saw someone. It was the sses-wearing snitch from the third team.

    "Yes, yes.

    The man flinched and bowed his head. Johanna snatched his sses away.

    "Your third team leader sent you information through these sses, is that what you''re saying?

    "Yes. Thats correct I dont understand whats happening either...

    "Tell me where that bastard is.

    "My lord!

    Suddenly, Beckman shouted urgently. Johanna, too, btedly sensed the resonance of magicing from somewhere.

    Creaking

    An ominous moan as if steel was being crushed.

    It was right beneath the ground she was standing on.

    Beckman rushed in first. He embraced Johanna tightly with his whole body.

    Boom!

    Immediately after, a massive explosion urred. A wave-like sh engulfed the entire abandoned building. The view was flipped, and the entire building was destroyed.

    Amidst the settling debris, Johanna lost consciousness.

    Johanna quietly opened her eyes. She was in a bed in the fortress.

    The headache was severe, but her body itself was fine.

    "My lord. Are you alright?

    Someone asked.

    It was Beckman. Half of his body was wrapped in bandages, but he stood upright, looking at her.

    "Exin.

    "The Grade A farnd has been taken over by Yurkon Corporation. It seems to be the third team leader''s mistake.

    "Mistake."

    Johanna''s eyebrows twisted.

    "Yes. Initially, it was reported as Syrot farnd. He is now making excuses that he was deceived

    "Shion Ascal, is that bastard saying things like that now?"

    "Yes.

    Beckman let out a faint sigh.

    "Transcriptions continue toe from the third team.

    Precisely, he was pretending to receive reports.

    Because the man is already dead.

    "Hes not showing up in person?"

    "No. That''s why Im...

    Beckman clenched his teeth, bowing his head as if to me himself.

    I believe the third team leader has betrayed us."

    Johanna silently rose to her feet Beckman quickly asked,

    "My lord. Perhaps its still too soon for you to be-"

    "...Are you alright?

    She asked Beckman.

    Beckman too had been caught directly in the explosion.

    It was powerful enough to make a joke of killing even Johanna, but Beckman had prepared his Magic Body in advance, and thanks to that, he survived.

    I am fine. For my lord, this life is a small price to pay...

    "Cut the crap. Just dont die on me.

    Johanna sat back down in her office chair, pressing her temples as if crushed by shards of ss.

    "More importantly, do we have any evidence? Proof that he betrayed us.

    ...Weve found the third team leaders trench.

    "Trench?

    "Yes.

    Beckman spoke in a base tone.

    "However, we havent entered it Knowing that you trusted the third team leader, we wanted to preserve everything."

    Johanna looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

    Her insides were burning.

    Her throat felt scratchy.

    She didnt know why, but her anger was intense. She had always lived her life suspecting others, so she was ustomed to betrayal.

    If this was betrayal, she would normally just deal with it ordingly.

    But now, just the suspicion that Shion had stabbed her in the back...

    Her reason was shaking. Her insides felt as if they were aze, and herposure was shattered like a windowpane.

    "Let''s go there.

    Johanna stood up.

    "My lord.

    Beckman called out to her.

    He met her gaze squarely and asked,

    "If it turns out that the third team leader truly betrayed you, what will you do?

    Johanna looked at Beckman as if the question was unexpected.

    Ill find him and tear him limb from limb until hes dead."

    Beckmans lips faintly trembled.

    "If theres someone behind the betrayal, egging it on, that asshole will die the same way.

    Having finished speaking, Johanna turned away.

    Beckman quietly followed behind her.

    Libras first team arrived at the external trench. The trench beneath the ground where Shion Ascal had stayed.

    Sure enough, his scent lingered there.

    Johanna surveyed the ce, rummaging through various objects.

    There were many documents and letters exchanged with someone, but all were encrypted.

    Johanna handed a letter to Beckman and asked,

    "Can we decrypt this?

    Ill bring in an expert

    Beckman brought in a Chaser. The man quickly skimmed through Shion Ascals letters.

    "The encryption method is used, but the decryption should be easy."

    The Chaser released magic into his grip, which coalesced in the air like a brain, crackling with some electrical signal and performing calctions.

    Before long, he had decrypted one of the letters.

    ...Here it is. The letter.

    Johanna received the letter from the Chaser.

    [To Miss Zia]

    The letter began with such a phrase, addressed to Miss Zia.

    Johanna read the contents slowly.

    [I am currently dispatched to Johanna''s security team

    The letter was lengthy. The emotions within the sentences were intense, and there were many flowery expressions, but the summary was singr.

    For Miss Zia. If you wish it, I will ruin Johannas work

    "Should I decrypt the other documents as well?

    The Chaser asked. Johanna turned to him and nodded.

    "Do it.

    "Yes.

    The Chaser decrypted all the remaining documents and letters. It took less than 30 minutes.

    There were a total of thirty pages.

    Quite a lot.

    Its as if they were exchanging love letters.

    "You all stay out. I''ll check them alone.

    "Yes.

    Beckman and the Chasers went up.

    Johanna sat in the trench, quietly reading Shions letters.

    Zia.

    The recipient of all the letters was Zia.

    That he would do anything for Zia, that he could even kill Johanna if shemanded it, that since Johanna trusted him, he could do anything...

    Johanna clenched her fist silently.

    Her teeth ground together with a crack

    This is why I dont trust others.

    Even those who once seemed trustworthy, once I actually start to trust them, theypletely transform into someone else.

    They try to pull off some outrageous stunt using my trust.

    "Ha.

    She let out a snort ofughter.

    Of course, your everything was for Zia, not me.

    Even risking your life to save me, in the end, was for Zia.

    When I think about it, it was obvious.

    If you had valued me more than Zia, you would have been working by my side, not hers.

    Suddenly, a distracting footstep.

    Johanna''s eyes narrowed like a bird of prey, and her sharp magic mingled with the air, as if to slice through flesh.

    "Whos there?

    "Oops."

    It was some clumsy Chaser. The man looked at her with a surprised expression.

    "I told everyone to stay out.

    "Ah, my apologies!''

    He immediately bowed at a 90-degree angle.

    What an idiot.

    Should I kill him?

    Im sorry, but the internal search isnt quite finished yet.. Ive brought an Artifact. I''ll be on my way immediately!''

    "Artifact?"

    ...Yes.

    He held the Artifact, which looked like a glow stick.

    Johanna''s curiosity was piqued.

    "What kind of Artifact is that?

    It''s one for detecting things underground... I brought it hastily in case Team Leader 3 might have hidden more information

    "Then try it."

    She briefly folded the documents.

    Stepping aside, she gave him space.

    ...Excuse me?

    "Try it Before I kill you.

    "Ah, yes! My apologies.

    The Chaser, with a face tense as a drawn bowstring, held the glow stick. He swept it back and forth over the trench, examining it like a doctor would a patient.

    The ceiling of the trench, the walls, there was no reaction anywhere.

    ...Now get the hell out."

    "Yes, yes. Im sorry."

    As Johanna frowned and the Chaser was about to leave, a sudden sound came from the glow stick.

    Whirwhirwhir

    It wasing from beneath the trench.

    "What?!

    The Chasers eyes widened. He quickly knelt down and dug into the ground like a dog.

    Arge piece of coal emerged.

    ...No, an Artifact that looked like coal.

    "This is-

    "Get out.

    "Excuse me?

    Johanna grabbed the man''s shoulder and shoved him back.

    "Dont touch it, just get out."

    "Ah... Yes.

    The Chaser quickly got up and climbed out of the trench.

    Left alone, Johanna knelt down on one knee. She stared intently at the pitch-ck Artifact that resembled an ordinary piece of coal.

    She focused her mana into her eyes.

    Her retinas tinged blue, and the flow of magic within the coal became visible. This was a magical item, structured with the regrity of gears... precisely, a ''recorder''.

    Johanna lifted the coal into her grasp, looking around for a button.

    "How do you turn this on?"

    Truth be told, she was not good with machines.

    She pouted her lips, looking here and there, flipping it upside down, gently touching it like a tortoise

    Was it voice-activated?

    "Turn on."

    ...It wasnt

    "What the hell.

    Johanna scowled and set the coal down.

    Click-

    Suddenly, a switch was triggered.

    ...Day 1, Team 3.

    A voice resonated quietly within the trench.

    Shion Ascals voice.

    This is a record of my mission.

    Johanna slowly tilted her head, picking up the coal from which the recording flowed.

    Currently, I am under threat

    The words under threat captured Johanna''s attention.

 Chapter 259: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (2)

    <h4>Chapter 259: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (2)</h4>

    I spread a cloth on the floor of the trench andid out various magical crops on it.

    These were things I had stolen little by little while moving around.

    "Hmm... Is this enough?

    I asked Grawl. Grawl nced over the ingredients and nodded.

    Yep. I think we can make a top-grade magic poison. There are a lot of good ingredients growing around here-

    To face Beckman, twofold deception is necessary.

    The reason he could be promoted to a Bncer despite such a twisted nature is simply because of his exceptional brute force.

    Hes probably among the top ranks of the Bncers.

    "Right But hey, did you imnt the R-elix?"

    Yep.

    The R-elix that Johanna had given as a gift. Suddenly, Grawl flipped his stomach open.

    See this tattoo-like thing? With this, I can recharge my magic. Thanks to it, I''ve be incredibly free.

    "Free?"

    Yep. I can now absorb magic from the air. I dont need the masters magic supply or mana stones anymore.

    "I see."

    Grawlughed heartily, kehehe.

    Oh, by the way. How far do you think shes listened to the recording by now?

    "Im not sure.

    I went down to the trench pretending to be an agent of Libra and found the recorder for Johanna.

    It would be a disaster if Beckman found it first.

    "Dont know? Theres a lot of content, so itll probably take some time.

    To avoid even the slightest suspicion from Johanna, I recorded everything I did, all the incidents, materials to report, crops I scouted, threats, and so on.

    Im looking forward to it.

    ...Looking forward.

    I smirked bitterly.

    Now its up to Johanna.

    How she will react to this, and how she will change.

    "Yeah. It''s exciting.

    Its Johannas crossroads.

    If she can''t change, then as Zias confidant and as an avenger of Libra, I will have to kill her.

    -But

    Grawl looked up at me with a slightly worried expression.

    What if, she just goes crazier?

    "Never. Shes not the type to go mad just because I died. She probably doesn''t even know what her own feelings are.

    Johanna is cold and cruel. She has a sociopathic nature with shallow emotions.

    No, not that. Because of this incident, what if Johanna suddenly!

    Grawls eyes widened.

    Goes crazy for you. Shes an obsessive person. What if she tries to kill Zia to have you?

    That possibility isnt entirely out of the question.

    "Its okay.

    However, its not all bad.

    "That in itself would be proof that Johanna has changed.

    Are you sure its okay?

    "Yes. I''ve already thought of how to deal with it

    Of course, as Grawl said, there''s a chance that Johannas emotions could veer off in an unexpected direction.

    Just a word is enough.

    After all, I am someone who cannot be possessed by anyone.

    Not even I can possess myself.

    Inside the quiet trench.

    Johanna was listening to the voiceing from the recorder.

    ...Team 3, Day 2. Weve constructed several trenches. Now, I n to move between trenches to monitor the enemy and understand the characteristics of the magic space, and then report to Team 1.

    Shion Ascal seems to be focused on his mission.

    For now, at least.

    This ce is where magical crops grow. Not just Beltrod and Cainek, but also the most popr mountain ginseng in abundance.

    Shion rambled on about various things rted to the magic space. It was the usual voice recording used by Chasers.

    Johanna sat in a chair in the trench.

    Sessful settlement. Well be able to reap astronomical benefits.

    So, is it because the astronomical benefits are too burdensome that you nned sabotage?

    Johanna frowned.

    Team 3, Day 4. From now on, I will explore the space to identify and organize threats to Johannas honor.

    Johanna''s nose twitched.

    If he were a traitor, he wouldnt necessarily need to leave such records.

    ...The Debray family only wants to guard the Domain near the passage theyve settled in. All thend they own is uniform but not exceptional, so there seems to be no need to take the offensive.

    Johanna quietly listened to his words.

    The Belmos organization is aggressive. However, since were not facing their Domain directly, if we maintain a stance of restraint and spread discord, we could use them as a breakwater instead...

    Always the business-like tone.

    Always maintainingposure, calm and collected voice.

    To Johanna, the mostfortable decibel to listen to.

    Team 3, Day 6. Ivepleted a preliminary survey of the magic space. I''ve made a map, and now its time to submit it to Team 1.

    The bastardpleted the geography of the magic space in just a week.

    Where each crop grows, what treasures are buried in whichnd, which Domains the enemies own, everything.

    Its an impossible result unless one splits time over and over again and grinds oneself down without moving personally.

    Team 3, Day 7. Its suspicious. The Yurkon corporation seems to be aware of my movements.

    Yurkon.

    The corporation that dared to attack Johanna''s farnd.

    Is there someone inside passing on my information? If so...

    He seems to anticipate something, but he doesnt voice it out loud.

    Sssht-

    Suddenly, Johanna sensed someone approaching from above. She pocketed the coal.

    "Milord, its time to move. Phantoms roam at night

    It was Beckman. Johanna nodded in acknowledgment.

    Leaving the trench, they moved together towards the fortress.

    During this time, Johanna didnt say a word. Beckman followed quietly behind her.

    Even to her private quarters.

    ...Is there another matter?

    Johanna asked as she sat down in a chair.

    "Yes, a report.

    Beckman presented a thick stack of papers with a confident expression.

    Ive personallypiled and organized the parts I''ve explored."

    Johanna took it from him.

    The content, from the first line.

    She knew immediately.

    She asked Beckman, feigning ignorance.

    "Did you do all this?

    "Yes!

    He answered loudly.

    Always with a voice as if he had steamed as fuel for the trains furnace.

    Always a voice that seemed to want something.

    To Johanna, a decibelthat became more ufortable as days passed.

    Theplete opposite of Shion Ascal.

    "The content is vast You did this all by yourself?"

    "Of course! Its possible if you divide the time. Besides, I couldnt trust the leader of Team 3, so I have been doing this alone for some time...

    He did it all by himself.

    Beckman certainly said so.

    Johanna nodded calmly.

    "Well done.

    Then she skimmed the report again. A remarkable smile crossed her face.

    Because it was identical to that of Shion Ascal.

    However, she still couldnt fully trust either side.

    Was this man stealing that mans achievements?

    Or was that man framing this one?

    The next part of the recording would tell.

    "Leave now."

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    Beckman still stood there.

    "Milord, I request that you first deal with Shion Ascal.

    ...What are you asking?

    Anger crept into Johannas voice without her realizing it. Beckman mistook it for rage directed at Shion Ascal.

    "Bring him to me.

    "Yes! I will make sure to bring the leader of Team 3.

    Finally, Beckman left.

    The space fell silent.

    Johanna closed her eyes. She turned on the coal switch. She transferred the recorded voice to her ears, listening quietly as if through earphones.

    ...The exploration is more or lessplete.

    The voice recording of Shion Ascal continued.

    Ah, I''m tired.

    A somewhat everyday remark about being tired.

    Huuuaaahhh...

    A yawn, a rather rxed demeanor that made her chuckle to herself.

    Suddenly.

    So you were here.

    The heavy voice of an outsider echoed.

    A nice burrow. Perfect for a rat to hide.

    Above the darkness where Johannas eyes were closed, the scene reconstructed itself.

    Beckman, who hade to the trench, and Shion Ascal, who faced him.

    Thats right.

    Shion responded to him.

    But, what brings you here?

    What brings me here? You dare to take on the task of surveilling me?

    Johanna''s brow furrowed.

    She clenched her teeth tightly.

    ...It''s a mission I received in strictest confidence. Surely you havent been snooping around Lady Johannas quarters?

    Beckman sneered.

    Its to protect our lord. From leeches like you.

    "Mr. Beckman. Snooping or intercepting the private affairs of the direct line is a grave offense that can be summarily executed."

    Shut up. You wont be able to get out of here alive anyway.

    Wont be able to get out alive.

    At those words, Johanna was certain. Her closed eyelids shook violently.

    Lady Johanna would prefer me over someone like you.

    He, presumptuously, cuts to his own conclusion of her own will.

    You''ve fallen.

    ...Fallen.

    Johanna listened to their conversation.

    Then let me ask. Why do you follow Lady Johanna?

    It is because Lady Johanna is a direct descendant of Libra.

    No. The direct line includes Derek, Jade, and Zia, whom you im to serve. Yet you insist on standing by Lady Johannas side.

    Suddenly, in Johannas heart.

    A simr question to Beckmans spread.

    Hes right.

    There are four in the direct line of Libra, yet he never refuses her own tasks.

    The reason is...

    Is the reason simply because Lady Johanna is a direct descendant?

    Johanna opened her eyes.

    Strangely, her cheeks were hot. Her heart felt strange.

    Dont spout such dogshit

    Somehow, she anticipated Beckmans next words.

    You, a mere piece of trash, dare to harbor filthy feelings for Lady Johanna.

    Johanna looked at the mirror opposite her. She saw herself reflected in that transparent ss surface.

    Shion Ascal was silent for a while.

    Sweat formed in Johannas hands.

    Why was she anticipating his response?

    .Yes.

    A single word caused strange ripples.

    I may not understand my emotions well, but your argument is persuasive.

    A confession of feelings by another.

    Perhaps you''re right, as you say.

    A passive conveyance ofperhaps you''re right.''

    Without realizing it, Johanna tilted her head in confusion. A hollow sigh escaped her lips.

    Ha. What a moron. Are you a robot?

    Beckman burst out in scornfulughter.

    Shion retorted in a steady tone.

    However, Mr. Beckman, I do not prioritize personal emotions as you do. I simply carry out the tasksmanded by our lord. Therefore, I am different from you.

    bber all you want. You''re going to die soon anyway.

    Crrrrrrrrk!

    The sound of surging magical power interfered like noise.

    Beckman. You should not be by Lady Johanna''s side. For her sake, if nothing else...

    Shion Ascalsst words were just that.

    Kwaaaaaah!

    A tremendous bursting sound shook her eardrums.

    The recording ended, and Johanna clenched her fist

    Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over her.

    The world seemed to drift away from her, the space fleeing from her presence... an inexplicable sense of nausea.

    She didnt understand this feeling.

    Confused, she desperatelypared and contrasted it with her past experiences.

    "When...

    When she lost at gambling?

    When she saw Derek, who was ahead of her?

    When a subordinate or friend struck her from behind?

    No.

    This feeling was unlike any of those.

    Johanna felt herself being swept away by something. Her hands on the desk trembled. The breaths she exhaled were hot.

    This shouldn''t be happening.

    Theres no need for this.

    After all, she had only used Shion Ascal. To understand Beckmans intentions.

    Now that she had uncovered Beckman''s potential betrayal, Shion''s usefulness was exhausted.

    So...

    Theres no need to be so disturbed.

    No need to be agitated.

    It was just the disposal of one Chaser.

    Johanna looked at herself in the mirror again.

    Her face was contorted. All sorts of emotions were tangled up.

    Was it anger?

    Sadness?

    Lamentation?

    She didnt know.

    Only Shion Ascals voice kept echoing in her ears.

    "Perhaps youre right, as you say."

    The possibility that he might have feelings for her.

    Beckman. You should not be by Lady Johanna''s side. For her sake, if nothing else-

    Telling Beckman that he shouldnt be by her side...

    Thats when Johanna stopped.

    All trembling ceased.

    In her cooled head, the identity of the overwhelming confusion emerged.

    This emotion.

 Chapter 260: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (3)

    <h4>Chapter 260: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (3)</h4>

    In the empty space, alone in the fortress.

    Johanna analyzed her own heart, weighing the value of emotions.

    But it wasn''t going well.

    She just sat there numbly, reying that bastards recording over and over.

    ...Perhaps youre right, as you say.

    Its strange indeed.

    The time that bastard had to know her was short.

    Incredibly short.

    It probably didnt even amount to 3% of her life.

    Beckman. You should not be by Lady Johanna''s side.

    Yet, he risked his life to save her.

    He epted the mission to monitor Beckman, knowing the dangers involved.

    For her sake, if nothing else...

    For her sake, he exposed Beckman''s fall from grace.

    Johanna quietly looked up at the ceiling.

    Was he dead?

    Probably, that would be the case.

    But she couldnt believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.

    After all, he hade back to life that time.

    It wasnt the first time he had saved her life.

    ...Was I foolish?

    She muttered as if to scoff at herself.

    Yes, it wasnt the first time.

    Despite that, she doubted him.

    Her doubt has made things this way.

    Her doubt...

    It killed him.

    She infused her fingertips with mana.

    Tap- Tap- She tapped the air.

    Sending a signal to the forces of Libra.

    "An assembly order."

    Beckman saw him from a trench he had prepared separately.

    The nearly bisected, pathetic corpse. He wanted to destroy itpletely if possible, but he nned to present it as it was, maintaining as gentle a demeanor as he could.

    This bastard would soon be covered by dirt anyway.

    "Act like you just fought, if you can. Turn on the Magic Body now."

    Ben, the bespectacled one, said.

    "Will do."

    "And Im tracking the third team leader on Beckmans orders to locate him?

    "Of course.

    "Phew!

    Ben pushed up his sses with satisfaction.

    Beckman opened arge duffel bag. As he swept the bastard''s body inside, he asked.

    "How about the other third team members?

    "Theyre just doing their missions in their own way. After all, all the information is transmitted through my sses."

    "Make sure to track their locations. Ill have to send someone to kill themter.

    "Yes, sir!"

    The position of managing information holds tremendous power when ites to manipting and controlling it.

    Those who are controlled be blind and deaf.

    It was Shion Ascal, a meticulous rookieBeckman hated to admit it, but indeed, a bncer with potential, who was sent to his grave in an instant so fatally.

    "You can look forward to your reward.

    Ben wore a pleased smile.

    It''s an honor to serve. I hope the rest goes well too."

    "The rest... It will go well. Definitely.

    Hahahahaha.

    Beckmanughed heartily.

    Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.

    Ben added his own chuckling in the mix.

    Hahahachuckle, chuckle, chuckle-

    Like frogs exchanging croaks on a rainy day, the trench was filled with the sound of theirughter.

    "The identity of the third team leader has been confirmed.

    Beckman arrived with those words. He was tinged with a strange magical residue, and a duffel bag hung over his shoulder.

    The moment she saw it, a peculiar tremor stirred within Johanna. It was like the flickering of ash in incense.

    "Put it down.

    "Yes.

    Beckman ced the duffel bag on the conference table.

    Zip, he tore open the zipper.

    Johanna saw the one contained within.

    Shion Ascal.

    "The third team leader. The audacious Shion Ascal who dared betray our lord.

    Beckman dered.

    Johanna nodded quietly.

    For a long while, she just stared at him.

    She reached out and ced her hand on his cheek.

    It was cold. The chill seeped into her fingertips.

    "Its cold."

    Now, she found her own heart to be strange.

    She had seen too many human corpses before. She had felt that touch countless times.

    Rather, she was someone who enjoyed the process of humans bing corpses.

    Cutting off arms, legs, severing waists, slicing necks... She used to enjoy watching the warmth-filled skin turn blue.

    "This time... youvee back dead.

    Its different.

    Too different.

    This guys death is too different from the others.

    So much so that she didnt even want to ept the fact that it was a corpse...

    Johanna looked at her own trembling hand with pity. Unknowingly, she found herself caressing him.

    "...My lord.

    Suddenly, Beckman called out to her.

    She detested the title of lord.

    "My lord.

    He called out to her again.

    "My lord...

    Johanna turned to look at him. She red at that damned, hideous face.

    "Was this man. More precious to you than I?

    ...Precious?

    Her brow furrowed sharply. She retorted as if taken aback.

    "No. There is nothing precious to me.

    There wasn''t.

    She didnt know the meaning of such things.

    The only standard for her was ''value''.

    Either of great value or of little value.

    "Things of great value receive everyones respect without needing to be treated as precious, and those of little value dont even need to be considered precious."

    "Youre the same. You just asked if he was more precious than you, but dont be mistaken. Ive never considered you precious.

    At that moment, Beckman froze.

    As if all life functions had ceased, he didnt breathe, blink, or make any sound, just stood there as if petrified

    "You didnt know that. To me, no one is special.

    Johanna bit her lip hard.

    "This guy knew that

    He asked for nothing while serving her, guarded her side without preaching his own worth, and never sought to be considered precious.

    Simply because he felt a kinship with her, he became someone she needed...

    Shion Ascal.

    Ironically, because he knew Johanna couldnt treat anyone as special, he became special.

    "This man risked his life to expose your sins.

    She pulled out a piece of coal from her pocket. She ced it next to the duffel bag, the switch still on.

    Mr. Beckman. Snooping or intercepting the private affairs of the direct line is a grave offense that can be summarily executed.

    Shut up. You wont be able to get out of here alive anyway.

    A twisted smile appeared on Beckmans lips.

    "Youve shown me your downfall, that your value has plummeted.

    Johanna looked down at Shion again.

    This man had saved her life twice.

    ...His words were right."

    She gestured lightly, and the door opened.

    Beckman turned to look.

    "Beckman. You''re vermin that shouldnt be by my side.

    Vitro, Sekunta, Zellia... The bncers Johanna had summoned entered.

    Facing them, Beckmans face was now soaked in sorrow.

    ...Take him and kill him.

    Johannamanded the bncers. They immediately activated their Magic Bodies, but in an instant

    Beckmans body zed brilliantly.

    "My lord!

    Kwaaaa !

    He exploded first. A blue light dyed everyones retinas.

    A torrent of magical power surged like a tsunami, engulfing both Beckman and Johanna.

    Johanna abruptly opened her eyes.

    "Oh, youre awake?"

    Her body jolted with a start.

    "Are you alright?

    It was a familiar voice.

    A voice that shouldnt be heard, one that Johanna thought belonged to a man already dead.

    She turned to look in that direction.

    .What."

    Beside the bed was Shion Ascal. He was looking at her with a small smile.

    It''s good to see you. Its been a while."

    Johanna was momentarily dazed.

    Why the hell is this guy here, alive?

    "Ah, Beckman is dead. It seems he tried to pull off a suicide bombing or something-"

    No."

    A ringing

    Tinnitus struck her ears. She quickly pressed her temples with her fingers.

    "Are you okay?"

    Despite the headache, Johanna looked at Shion again.

    "Youre really alive?

    "Yes. I was hiding. I was under threat from Beckman.

    "The body?

    "I made it It was quite exquisite, wasn''t it?"

    He smiled. Johannas brow furrowed slightly.

    .Son of a bitch.

    Suddenly, she felt embarrassed.

    Angry too.

    If he was alive, he should have said so, if it was a n, he should have told her beforehand-

    "More importantly, how are you feeling? That''s what matters.

    He suddenly reached out and ced his hand on her forehead.

    Johanna''s functions momentarily halted.

    "No fever.

    As if caressing, he brushed over once and then shrugged nonchntly, while Johanna asked in a rather stiff tone.

    "Where is this.

    "The Libra mansion. You were brought out of the magic space for treatment.

    .And you?

    "As I said. I was just hiding. Haha.

    He chuckled.

    Johanna was still a bit slow to grasp the situation, but anyway, this guy was alive.

    The only person she could truly trust was alive and moving.

    Not a bad oue.

    So, as I was saying.

    Suddenly, he became serious.

    "What is it now?

    "This.

    He rustled something from within his clothes. It was a document stamped with the seal of Libra.

    "Miss Zia has granted her permission.

    Johanna looked at it.

    A certificate reassigning Shion Ascal as a knight under Johanna, with Zias approval and Shion Ascals own handwritten acknowledgment.

    "This document allows me to serve under you.

    . Why do you have this?

    "Because I realized something from this incident. That I need to be by your side."

    Johanna was momentarily flustered, but not displeased.

    After all, she had not been without the thought of saying something simr to Zia once this was all over.

    "Ahem. For now, go back.

    "Yes. Please restfortably."

    Just get out. Quickly.

    Shion left the room.

    Johanna blinked for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation.

    Shion Ascal had faked his death to confirm Beckmans downfall and, havingpleted his mission, he had returned to the living.

    That seemed to be the gist of it.

    She ced her hand on her forehead.

    Its hot."

    Her forehead was hot.

    This was a strange feeling.

    Facing a living, breathing man, something felt odd. There was a difort around her heart that she couldnt get used to.

    Was it an aftereffect of the explosion, or perhaps-

    reeeak.

    A strange noise came from the window. It was a grating vibration, like nails on a chalkboard. Johanna furrowed her brow and turned to look in that direction.

    There were letters there.

    [Lady, Johanna.]

    Creeeak.

    As if these characters were trying to speak to her, they were etched there.

    [Think carefully.]

    Sentences forming on the window. As Johanna watched this inexplicable phenomenon, her eyes suddenly widened.

    [Shion Ascal does not call you his lord.]

    She recalled the words Shion had just said to her.

    This document allows me to serve under my lord.

    Because I realized it. That I need to be by my lord''s side.

    My lord.

    The man was not yet under hermand.

    Therefore, given the character of a man like Shion Ascal, it was unlikely he would call her his lord.

    He was that meticulous and exceptional.

    But then.

    If thats the case.

    "Who the hell is.

    Six hours ago.

    I tapped my forehead as I watched the CCTV installed in the trenchconnected to Johanna''s conference room.

    "Ah. Didnt see this oneing.

    Beckman. That damned bastard made a bomb. A Barrier bomb that could only be made in a magic space.

    "Was it a kidnapping like this?"

    Exactly!

    This ce, the magic space, is a world made up entirely of mana. Therefore, interference with magic is much easier here than on the continent.

    Using this property, by digitizing mana and then detonating it like a bomb, one can instantly create a Barrier. Beckman used this technique.

    Ive never seen this kind of implementation before! Its amazing! This Beckman guy seems to be quite capable!

    "Afterall, hes a Bncer.

    I knew that Beckman would kidnap Johanna in the future, but I had no idea he would use a barrier to do it

    ...More importantly. Is interference possible?

    Im trying to make it possible right now!

    Grawl tapped away at hisptop and responded.

    First, Beckman kidnapped Johanna with a barrier.

    But its difficult to know exactly which vector shes in. Its even harder to prate that particr barrier.

    So Grawl was looking for a way to simply interfere with that barrier...

    -Ah! Got it!

    "Got what?

    Yes! Look at this!

    Grawl showed me hisptop. A foreign wavelength had been caught on one of the many CCTVs I had installed.

    It''s the barriers wavelength! If we hold onto this, monitoring might be possible!

    "Can we get inside?

    No. But... we might be able to touch something like a window.

    "...A window?

    -Yes!

    "A window, huh... Can we write something like letters on it?

    Maybe? But we can''t deliver information thats too obvious! If there''s an error, Beckman will notice first! For now, Beckman is the master of that barrier world!

    Nodding, I looked at Grawlsptop screen. The footage from inside the barrier where Johanna was trapped was being broadcast

    Inside, Beckman was...

    "What the hell is this mess?

    I know, right! This Beckman guy, he seems like aplete pervert!

    He looked exactly like me.

 Chapter 261: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (4)

    <h4>Chapter 261: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (4)</h4>

    Grawl had grasped the wavelength of the [ Barrier] , and I managed to send a message to Johanna somehow.

    But this alone was not enough.

    The f Barrier] created inside the magic space was essentially the same as Timbo.

    Because the ce we had moved into was also a magic space, and the [Barrier] itself was a magic space too.

    Therefore, a FBarrier] within a magic space bes a magic space within a magic space.

    In simple terms.

    Beckman had done the insane act of establishing an even deeper magic space within the magic space we had moved into.

    Schrs call this phenomenon the [Abyss] .

    Humans who fall into the [Abyss] slowly lose their sense of self. They be assimted with magical power and turn into mere information.

    Johanna was kidnapped into that ce.

    First, try to find any and all wavelengths you can.

    Im on it, but we wont be able to find an entrance from the outside!

    ...I know."

    The entrance to the [Abyss] is very small.

    Think of the passage we used when we moved in here.

    Within a passage barely 5 meters in size, there exists such an immense domain, but the [Abyss] is even deeper and more efficient.

    It means that even something the size of a speck of dust can construct a whole world.

    I found another strand of wavelength!

    "Let me see.

    I looked at theptop. A faint magical wavelength was floating in the air.

    It seems like a character.

    Elements within the [Abyss] continuously flow out in the form of wavelengths. This is because the [Abyss] is ultimately parasitizing this magic space.

    "A character?

    Yes. But it''s probably going to be hard to interfere with a character.

    I examined it closely.

    ...No.

    With the [SZX-9500] turned on, I memorized every aspect of the wavelength, the pattern of magical power, and its web-like structure.

    I can manifest

    If I manifest the same through [Notepad] , I could be a character for a moment and infiltrate inside the [Barrier] .

    Knock, knock

    The sound of knocking echoed. Johanna, who had been lost in thought for a while, opened her eyes.

    She turned to look at the door.

    "Who is it?

    It''s the doctor.

    ...Doctor?"

    Yes. May Ie in?

    Without a word, Johanna opened the door using [telekinesis] .

    An old man with a wrinkledplexion walked in with heavy steps.

    Ive heard the overall story from Lord Ascal. Have you experienced any other symptoms?"

    The doctor smiled kindly.

    Johanna raised her eyebrows slightly.

    ...No symptoms to speak of. Just a strange feeling."

    "A strange feeling?

    It feels like this ce isn''t real.

    "Hmm. Yes. Thats understandable. It must be quite confusing. Youve been through a significant shock...

    The old man took Johannas chart out of his medical bag. His slow movements were frustrating.

    "The examination results show that youve sustained considerable damage to your head. Auditory and visual hallucinations are to be expected. So"

    He suddenly stopped speaking.

    His mouth slightly open, he froze.

    Johanna furrowed her brow and tilted her head in confusion.

    ...Hey. Are you dead?

    Then the old man jerked again, his facepletely changed as he nodded.

    "I will write up your medical chart.

    ...Chart?"

    The old man picked up a pen. He swiftly scribbled some characters on the chart

    He was slow as a turtle just a moment ago. Why the sudden change?

    "Take a look.

    Johanna took it from him.

    [Johanna, your thoughts are correct. This ce is a fake world, and you are being watched.]

    Johanna''splexion hardened. She looked back at the old man.

    "Who are you?

    I cannot tell you just yet, but I will visit asionally. Always call for me when youre in pain...

    He stopped talking again. Something seemed to well up inside him, and with a suppressed grunt, he spat something out of his mouth.

    It was blood.

    He coughed up blood and copsed.

    Johanna kicked him over with her foot

    "What the...

    He was already dead.

    I opened my eyes. Suddenly, a wave of nausea surged through me.

    "Ugh.

    Whats wrong?

    Grawl asked.

    ...Hes dead."

    -What?

    It seems that if someone behaves anomalously, they get eliminated.

    I had managed to manifest my wavelength and infiltrate sessfully, but I was immediately expelled.

    Any slight deviation in behavior or speech seemed to result in instant death.

    Beckman is obsessively monitoring and watching, even within that barrier.

    "Keep looking. Find other characters.

    -Yes! But!

    Grawl tapped on theptop and asked.

    What do you think Beckman''s goal is? It seems like Johanna might have realized that shes dealing with Beckman!

    ...No. She hasn''t caught on."

    I shook my head.

    "Even if she did realize, she would quickly forget. Thats the nature of that space."

    Its not called the [Abyss] for nothing.

    Humans trapped there gradually lose themselves. Rational thoughts scatter, and they are inevitably drawn to the master of the abyss.

    "Beckman is probably trying to go even deeper.

    Deeper?

    Grawls eyes widened in surprise.

    He seemed intrigued by the current situation.

    Well, it would be his first time dealing with such a practical scenario.

    "The Spiral Abyss. Constructing a deeper [Abyss] within the Abyss and luring Johanna into it

    Gosh... What happens then?

    "They would live on,pletely isted from reality, just the two of them.

    That''s terrible. If Johanna dies, Derek will absorb everything.

    "Right Thats why we need to keep her alive."

    No matter what, Johanna must not die at this point in time.

    Oh! I just found another character!

    "Lead the way.

    I was ready immediately. Of course, my body was in quite a bit of pain. Even if it was within the barrier, I had really died.

    Are you sure youre okay?

    "Yeah. Im fine.

    It was bearable, after all.

    .After that, I possessed a total of six characters, trying to make Johanna aware of reality, but all attempts failed.

    In other words, I experienced a total of six deaths.

    On a clear weekend, Johanna held a knighthood ceremony in the Aerial Garden of Libra. She had taken Shion Ascal as her official knight

    Zia was also present, apuding the asion.

    "Now, my lord, it is time for you to rest.

    Clip-clop, clip-clopriding on horseback through the floral paths of the Aerial Garden, Shion Ascal asked,

    "How about taking a trip, my lord?

    "A trip, you say?

    "Yes.

    He smiled subtly.

    Johanna gazed at his handsome face, pondering for a moment.

    Is he a fake, or is he real?

    "...A trip might be nice.

    However, she decided to stop doubting.

    Shion Ascal was alive and moving in this ce, a loyal retainer who had risked his life for her.

    She would not make the mistake of doubting him again.

    "Do you have a ce prepared?

    "Yes. Its an uninhabited ind with beautiful scenery.

    "An uninhabited ind?

    Shion took out two pieces of paper from his bosom. They were airship tickets for a direct journey to an ind called AMOC.

    "There, I have something I need to tell you.

    "Something to tell me?

    Johanna looked at Shion, her brow furrowed with a hint of suspicion.

    Then he, somewhat unnecessarily, blushed on both cheeks.

    ...Yes. There''s something I need to tell you.

    His shy, embarrassed demeanor was strange.

    Johanna silently took one of the tickets.

    "Oh. Right."

    Suddenly, she remembered a certain promise.

    "Shion. Didnt we make a promise to do something after all our work was done?"

    "...A promise, you say?

    Shion asked back.

    "Yes. I must have given you a very... dangerous mission.

    Johanna had entrusted Shion with a perilous task, and in return for resolving it, Shion had asked for a promise from Johanna.

    A very simple promise.

    "Uh... Yes, thats right. Thats what this is.

    Shion said, pointing to his ticket.

    It was then.

    WhoooshThe wind blew, and the fallen leaves rustled. A piece of leaf touched Johannas corbone.

    She saw it.

    Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

    [Do not go.]

    "Fast, this bastard."

    The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

    The airne tickets to the uninhabited ind are part of that scheme, and even the name of the ind is irritating.

    AMOC.

    Reverse it, and you get COMA.

    There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

    Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was toote.

    Theres a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

    ''An entrance and an exit must always exist.

    A barrier with only one of the two doesn''t exist. Even if it did, it would copse quickly due to theck of magical cirction.

    However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. Its too small.

    But not the exit.

    Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficientlyrge.

    Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

    But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We''re short on time...

    It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

    A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

    . As expected, you were alive.

    I looked up at the man who spoke.

    It wasn''t our first encounter.

    She saw it.

    Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

    [Do not go.]

    "Fast, this bastard."

    The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

    The airne tickets to the uninhabited ind are part of that scheme, and even the name of the ind is irritating.

    AMOC.

    Reverse it, and you get COMA.

    There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

    Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was toote.

    Theres a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

    ''An entrance and an exit must always exist.

    A barrier with only one of the two doesn''t exist. Even if it did, it would copse quickly due to theck of magical cirction.

    However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. Its too small.

    But not the exit.

    Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficientlyrge.

    Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

    But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We''re short on time...

    It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

    A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

    . As expected, you were alive.

    I looked up at the man who spoke.

    It wasn''t our first encounter.

    She saw it.

    Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

    [Do not go.]

    "Fast, this bastard."

    The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

    The airne tickets to the uninhabited ind are part of that scheme, and even the name of the ind is irritating.

    AMOC.

    Reverse it, and you get COMA.

    There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

    Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was toote.

    Theres a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

    ''An entrance and an exit must always exist.

    A barrier with only one of the two doesn''t exist. Even if it did, it would copse quickly due to theck of magical cirction.

    However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. Its too small.

    But not the exit.

    Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficientlyrge.

    Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

    But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We''re short on time...

    It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

    A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

    . As expected, you were alive.

    I looked up at the man who spoke.

    It wasn''t our first encounter.

    She saw it.

    Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

    [Do not go.]

    "Fast, this bastard."

    The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the

    The airne tickets to the uninhabited ind are part of that scheme, and even the name of the ind is irritating.

    AMOC.

    She saw it.

    Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

    [Do not go.]

    "Fast, this bastard."

    The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the

    [Abyss] .

    [Abyss] .

    The airne tickets to the uninhabited ind are part of that scheme, and even the name of the ind is irritating.

    AMOC.

    Reverse it, and you get COMA.

    There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

    Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was toote.

    Theres a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

    ''An entrance and an exit must always exist.

    A barrier with only one of the two doesn''t exist. Even if it did, it would copse quickly due to theck of magical cirction.

    However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. Its too small.

    But not the exit.

    Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficientlyrge.

    Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

    But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We''re short on time...

    It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

    A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

    . As expected, you were alive.

    I looked up at the man who spoke.

    It wasn''t our first encounter.

 Chapter 262: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (5)

    <h4>Chapter 262: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (5)</h4>

    Kee-ruk kee-ruk kee-ruk

    Seagulls cried out from the sky. The coastline shimmered with light. The sunlight danced like patterns on shells.

    In this picturesque scene, Johanna looked at him.

    He had a face she didn''t recognize, yet he recited words she knew all too well.

    "You made a promise, didn''t you? Are you pretending to have forgotten?

    "You

    Suddenly, the veil that had been fogging Johannas mind lifted, and he jokingly grasped her wrist.

    "We dont have much time.

    Is it really you?

    "Yes. I''ve been wandering around, by Lady Johannas side. Dont you remember?

    .Ah.

    Then it all came back to her.

    The sentence etched on the windowpane, dering that Shion Ascal of this world was a fake.

    The doctor who suddenly died while examining her.

    The gardener who was about to say something to her but was killed by a garden shear to the throat

    The coachman who suffered a heart attack from a horse''s kick while spouting nonsense like Doesnt this world seem fake to you?

    And countless other traces and messages, as if someone was trying tomunicate with her...

    "Yes.

    He smiled.

    "It was all me.

    Johanna''s heart stirred.

    "It was all to protect Lady Johanna.

    .You!

    She reached out first, pping his cheek with enough force to make a sound.

    "Ouch.

    It must have hurt, as a dumbfounded noise escaped him.

    She asked urgently.

    "If its really you, how are you still alive? You were supposed to be dead.

    Ill exinter. We don''t have time right now.

    With that, he handed her another ne ticket. Johanna looked at it.

    The destination was Beckman[BECKMAN].

    "Take this flight. Its the way out."

    Beckman?

    "Yes. You must go to Beckman."

    Johanna took the ticket, but she was doubtful.

    Could she trust him now?

    Once again, another suspicion began to rise from the bottom of her heart...

    "Its your choice in what you choose to belief.

    With that single sentence, Johanna brushed it off.

    "Yes.

    She nodded as if to agree.

    "Believing is a matter of freedom. Being swayed by doubt is not."

    Johanna smirked and tucked the ticket into her pocket.

    "Then. Ill see youter."

    The driver got into the car, and not far away, Shion returned.

    The man with Shion''s face.

    "Lets go, my lord. Everything has been taken care of.

    He confidently escorted her.

    Lets.

    Johanna walked alongside him.

    They arrived at a modest airport. There werent many people, and there were only two gates. The coast visible through the airports ss windows was beautiful.

    "Here we are.

    Beckman pointed to one of the gates.

    The destination wasAmoc[AMOC], a resort area.

    Johanna paused for a moment She spoke to the back of Shion, who was about to enter first

    It brings back old memories.

    He turned around to look at her.

    "Was it 15 years ago?

    Johanna briefly counted the years.

    It felt like she had been running wild like a mustang, and now her old memories were fading.

    I think that was the first time I saw you."

    "Yes?

    He blinked in surprise, as if to ask what she was talking about.

    My lord. I havent been by your side for that long-

    "You were just a Chaser. You didnt know what you had to do, nor did you know what your purpose was. You were a raw gem overflowing with talent."

    Johanna smiled as she remembered those times.

    I was the same. I didnt know what to do, nor did I know what my purpose was. We were both young. Clumsy.

    Suddenly, his expression hardened.

    Being quick-witted, he must have caught the meaning of her words.

    "You were the first to let me feel what its like to have subordinates.

    Johanna took a step closer to him.

    "Since Ive watched you the longest, I already knew that you were changing.

    Shion Ascal looked at her.

    "At some point... I knew you were changing."

    But to Johanna, he still had Beckmans face.

    "Yet, I wanted to trust you.

    She was sincere.

    She wanted to trust him.

    In the end, she didn''t want to discard the time she had spent with Beckman.

    "You have been my subordinate for the longest time. Theres no doubt about that loyalty.

    He said nothing.

    Johanna quietly narrowed her eyes.

    I think I may have been too harsh on you.

    Those fluffy days of youth came flooding back.

    "There were times when we discussed strategies together, pondered ways to screw over Derek, and did some pretty silly things. Hey, do you remember nning a bungee jump without a cord just to torment Zia?"

    A very small smile touched the corners of Beckman''s lips.

    Surely he must have recalled it fondly as well.

    "Let me correct that."

    She pulled out the ticket from within her coat.

    "To me, your worth was significant."

    It was the ''exif ticket she had just received from some guy.

    "So.

    The destination, Beckman[BECKMAN].

    I might not dislike the name written on this ticket."

    The implication that she did not dislike his name.

    That it couldnt be possible.

    Beckman stood there, looking at her in a daze.

    "Ill go ahead.

    She walked on, brushing past Beckman, towards the opposite gate.

    Beckman watched her retreating figure, his gaze distant

    This time, he didnt hold her back. He didnt wish for anything.

    But

    Johanna, my lord.

    He called out the name of his lord.

    Johanna turned to look at him as she stood in front of the gate.

    He ced his hand on his face.

    Click - he removed the mask.

    He had returned from Shion to Beckman once again.

    With that, he said everything without words.

    Beckman.

    Johanna nodded.

    She turned back around and walked towards [Beckman].

    One step, another step.

    Into the gate.

    Johanna boarded the ne. It was so small and quaint that one might wonder if it could really take flight There was no one else inside.

    She took a seat by the window.

    Resting her chin on her hand, she looked out the window.

    She felt regret.

    Perhaps, my indifference led you to your downfall.

    All you wanted was a bit of attention, a single warm word.

    If only I had treasured you a little more.

    Rustle.

    There was a stir in the seat next to her. Johanna turned to look and was startled.

    It was Shion Ascal.

    "Lets go together.

    But, is this guy really Shion Ascal?

    Could it be Beckman again this time?

    She was dizzy with such doubts and held back a sneer.

    "Hmm.

    She watched him attentively as he buckled his safety belt.

    Im canceling the hang glider.

    He tilted his head in confusion.

    "Think of it as me not keeping a promise.

    Johanna crossed her arms. She looked out the window at the vast blue sea.

    "However, it doesnt seem right to enjoy a vacation after losing a long-timerade."

    "AhHaha.

    He smiled instead.

    "Yes. I understand. Lets start with the safety belt

    Johanna raised her eyebrows and fastened her safety belt.

    Im sorry for being so inadequate.

    "What?"

    She asked back, surprised by his sudden remark.

    He faced Johanna and replied.

    "Beckman asked me to tell you. He''s sorry for being inadequate, for being so insufficient."

    Johanna let out a hollowugh. Her mouth felt bitter. It was a strange taste, so she spoke it out loud.

    "Like him. I was also inadequate.

    And with that, she closed her eyes.

    Just then, the ne took off.

    As it rose with a hum, Johanna leaned against the seat next to her.

    Quietly, she fell asleep.

    ...An hour ago.

    I saw Beckman. After sending Johanna off, he sat in the airport lounge, staring nkly into space.

    Like a businessman who had suffered a tremendous failure, like a man who had lost his beloved, he sat motionless.

    I approached and took the seat next to him.

    "Why didn''t you go after her?

    It was a question.

    Beckman could have easily forced her to stay if he wanted to.

    Honestly, it was quite an unexpected scenario.

    Beckman turned to look at me without a word, his eyes now devoid of the will to kill.

    I thought you were dead."

    The words that came out were rather murderous.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    "Even death should be doubted if youre a Bncer.

    ...If you hadnt been there.

    Beckman muttered a threatening phrase, a cliche line fit for a viin.

    "If only you hadnt been there...

    However, there was no malice in his voice, only resignation and surrender.

    Perhaps, it was envy.

    I shook my head.

    "Mr. Beckman, may I speak frankly?

    Beckman red at me silently.

    It meant to go ahead.

    "Even if I hadnt been there, Mr. Beckman, you would have done the same thing."

    The future is what it is.

    The cause of Beckman''s rampage was ultimately not me, but Johanna'', who failed to give him human emotions.

    "And..."

    Additionally, I didnt know how this kidnapping was going to y out.

    Before my regression, I had only seen the phrase [Johanna was kidnapped by Beckman], with no specific information anywhere.

    Because.

    In a world without me, Johanna would have killed you.

    In a world without me, Johanna would have escaped on her own.

    In a world without me, Johanna was not as weak as she is now.

    As a more vicious, meticulous, and cruel sociopath, Johanna would not have been swayed by the mere illusion of a barrier and would have certainly killed Beckman.

    ...You speak as if you''re from the future."

    Beckman seemed incredulous at my certainty.

    I extended my hand to him.

    "Let''s go. Let''s go and pay for our sins.

    The Johanna of now might forgive him a little.

    So-

    "No. Ill stay here.

    ...what?

    It was slightly surprising to me, but Beckman''s eyes were resolute. It seemed his heart had already taken root

    "This is the world where I was with my lord.

    He exined his reasons in his own way.

    I held her hand."

    The attention he had never received in the many years of his service.

    "We looked into each others eyes."

    A gaze that was not cold.

    I also saw a beautiful smile."

    Or, perhaps, tender emotions.

    Beckman had felt it all.

    Even if the feelings were not directed at him, even if they were only superficial...

    ...I want to stay here.

    He turned it all into memories.

    Memories that he didnt want to send away, memories that he didnt want to leave, memories of happiness.

    I looked at him.

    Sometimes, people who are too sincere be too deviated.

    Therefore, there is no need to pity him.

    No one in this world has the right to sympathize with him.

    He is someone whomitted sins on his own and is trying to pay for them by himself.

    "Yes.

    I stood up from my seat

    "Hey.

    Beckman called out to me with a relieved tone.

    "Can you make her happy?

    Happiness.

    That word feels a bit foreign to me.

    I turned to look at him.

    He faced me with a faint smile.

    "Mr. Beckman.

    The abstract notion of happiness, I cannot give that to Johanna.

    However...

    "I am a regressor.

    Suddenly, Beckmans expression softened. It was as if he was looking at a madman for the first time in a long while.

    I continued resolutely.

    "Before I regressed, Lady Johanna had lost in the session battle and was imprisoned for the crime of killing tens of thousands of people. She had to live out her life in the most brutal Recordark.

    Before the regression, Johanna''s future was bleak. At the very least, it was far from happiness. After all, she had been betrayed by everyone she had evermanded.

    "Now, that wont happen."

    That future would disappear.

    Having be aware of her emotions, she would start to question all her actions.

    She would feel the pain in everything she had done as naturally as breathing.

    Eventually, she would give up the session.

    ...Thats preposterous.

    I left my own version of the truth as a final gift, but he looked utterly unconvinced.

    I suppose that''s to be expected.

    If I were him and someone said Im a regressor too,'' Id think they were insane.

    "Go. Im sorry for everything.

    Beckman waved his hand.

    "Dont send her off alone.

    I bowed silently. I stepped towards the gate that Johanna had passed through.

    ...Im shameless to ask.

    Beckmans voice followed from behind.

    "Could you pass on a message... that Im sorry for being so inadequate?

    I didnt turn back.

    The sky reflected in the airport windows was a clear blue. It was too serene a scene for a barrier that would soon close.

    And so, I boarded the ne.

    Inside the empty cabin, there was just one person sitting.

    She was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought, but I sat down next to her.

    She flinched and turned to look at me.

    Johanna, somehow, had a richer expression on her face.

    I said to her.

    "Let''s go together.

 Chapter 263: Desire and Ambition (1)

    <h4>Chapter 263: Desire and Ambition (1)</h4>

    Desire and Ambition (1)

    Johanna safely returned with Shion AscaL When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere within the magic space she had entered.

    Meanwhile, the [Abyss] designed by Beckman had closed from the inside, and Beckman himself was trapped there forever.

    ...This bastard was the mastermind."

    After the situation had concluded, in Johannas office at the Libra fortress.

    Johanna pointed at Ben, who was tied up on the floor with his sses askew. Shion Ascal also looked at him. The trembling wretch looked like a baby cockroach.

    "What do you wish for?"

    I wish for nothing. The execution is the right of Lady Johanna.

    He had left Ben''s punishment up to her.

    Indeed, it was the right thing to do. The scum had dared toy hands on the direct lineage.

    Shion Ascal spoke.

    "More importantly, I am relieved that you are unharmed."

    Johanna quietly observed him.

    Thus, this man never crosses the line. He clearly distinguishes between what he can do and what he must not do.

    I shall take my leave now."

    Shion bowed his head.

    Johanna stopped him as he was about to leave.

    "What about the third teams move-in mission?

    "You must have received the report by now. I have investigated and submitted it without any deficiencies, so the move-in mission has concluded."

    As he said, there was no longer a need for him. Thanks to the countless recorders and cameras he had installed in this magic space, and the perfect report, Johannas camp would have superior intelligence.

    Johanna only felt regret

    Right now, at this very moment, she wanted to make him an offer.

    ''How about bing my knight?

    However, if she were to do so, she knew all too well what Shions answer would be.

    Because now she understood his character.

    "Shion Ascal.

    Instead, she savored his name on her tongue. The coiled pronunciation was pleasing to hear.

    "Yes.

    He responded.

    She was curious.

    Why did this man, who ''seemed to like her'' and felt a proper sense of kinship with, want to be by Zia''s side?

    "What is your reason for serving Zia?

    He looked at her. His face was as calm as ever, but this time he uttered something a bit unexpected.

    It was my father''s wish."

    "Your father?"

    "Yes."

    It was slightly perplexing, but Johanna actually knew about Shions father. A low-ranking knight of Libra who had died in action more than a decade ago.

    "Did your father serve Zia?

    "He wished to, but he did not have the capacity to do so.

    "What... really?"

    The notion of carrying on his fathers legacy seemed like a pretext, and to Johanna, a father was an enigmatic figure.

    Sherlock of Libra.

    He was too cold and barren to be called a father, prioritizing the family over his children or even himself.

    A man who seemed not human, but rather the embodiment of the Libra family itself.

    She had probably faced him no more than thirty times in her life.

    He was even more of a stranger to her than her mother, who had passed away early.

    ...Itsplicated."

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    "Go on, then.

    Holding onto him for too long would only arouse unnecessary suspicion from Zia.

    "Yes."

    Shion left the room.

    As if on a shift change, a Bncer entered just as he departed.

    "Will you let him go just like that?

    It was Bncer Vitro. Since Beckmans barrier bomb had been specifically targeted at Johanna, all the Bncers who had been dispatched were unharmed.

    "Why? Did you take a liking to him?

    Johanna asked Vitro. He adjusted his sses and nodded.

    "Hes a rare talent Having him under you would be of great assistance.

    I know.

    Even the discerning eyes of Belingham, and now Vitro, had given him favorable evaluations.

    Johanna was more convinced than ever today.

    Shion Ascal is a knight too good for Zia.

    Just give the order on how to proceed.

    Vitro gestured towards Ben, who was bound in magical restraints, unable to speak, see, or hear.

    Snap

    Johanna flicked her finger, loosening part of the restraints.

    Now he would be able to hear.

    "Proceed...?

    In the past, perhaps.

    First, I would have torn out his fingernails and toenails, cut off his fingers and toes, sliced his skin, ripped out his bones, extracted his organs...

    Bens back was soaked with cold sweat Johanna watched him for a moment, then clicked her tongue in annoyance.

    "Thats enough. Such things are tiresome now. Just throw him in jail.

    "Yes, I will do so.

    Even the task of torturing people was bing wearisome. Perhaps it was time for her to retire.

    After handing Ben over to Vitro, she sat down in her chair.

    For a moment, she quietly contemted Shion.

    It was a fleeting thought.

    She wanted to possess him.

    Even if it meant bing an enemy of Zia.

    Inside [Bethune], Soliette thought They would soon reach their destination.

    The journey unfolded as she had anticipated. After passing through a dark and damp path, they arrived at what seemed to be the final stopa castle that loomed ahead.

    ...Finally, a ce where Knightmare might be.

    The party member [Karl] spoke.

    Soliette looked up at the ce and nodded.

    "Thats right

    Until now, she had been pondering about Knightmare. Thinking about it.

    About the reason she hade to this ce, about the tiny hint she had found on the inte

    And also...

    About Jared Arkne, who now stood by her side.

    "Shall we go in right away?

    [Karl] asked.

    "No.

    Soliette shook her head.

    I have a friend to meet."

    She would now join him.

    Together with him, she would find her answers.

    It might be painful, sad, or infuriating.

    But one thing was certain: they would encounter Knightmare.

    However...

    "Oh- a friend, you mean that gambler fellow from before?

    "Yes.

    Knightmare.

    He might not be the kind of being she had vaguely imagined.

    He might not be a demon.

    I will log off for a moment

    Soliette smiled faintly and turned to Jared.

    "Mr. Jared. Could I ask you to wait until I return?

    Jared also showed a smile.

    "Yes.

    Just like the old days, the same as when they had lived together for many years.

    Soliette held back a surge of tears as she logged off.

    Meanwhile, at the Libra Intelligence Agency.

    "That bastard mongrel piece of shit.

    The eldest son, Derek, was on edge. The atmosphere in the Intelligence Agency was as if a fuse was burning down.

    The uing election was near, and the conflict with Vern had almost reached its peak.

    ...Weve collected all the shit Vern spread on the inte.

    Therefore, Intelligence Agency Chief Gedler had to face Derek directly.

    "Vern is preparing awsuit by recruiting victims and bereaved families from the Zergen case.

    ...Zergen? Wasnt that case already buried?

    Derek pressed his temples.

    Zergen was a pharmaceuticalpany he ran. There had been an incident in the past where a clinical trial on humans went awry, resulting in half of the 300 participants bing disabled or dying.

    It seems they have secured the cooperation of the families who didnt agree to a settlement."

    ...Ha.

    Derek clenched his fist tightly, grinding his teeth.

    "Snarling like a lowly, low-ss mongrel.

    Right now, Vern was charging in with vengeance, as if ready to see things through to the bitter end.

    It was as if the severing of a fingerthat had been one of his own senatorshad set the whole body aze.

    "Additionally, I know this might not be the right time, but here''s the proposal for the team leader election."

    Director Gedler handed over the proposal for the election of the sixth team leader of the Intelligence Agency.

    ine, Patrovich, Kiyom, Bell Moorethere are four candidates. Our man is ine.

    Gedler hoped for his own confidant, ine, to be elected.

    He expected that Derek would heed his request, as the appointment of the team leader was somewhat a foregone conclusion

    Lets go with Bell Moore.

    However, Derek suddenly mentioned a different name.

    Gedler asked tactfully, without showing his surprise.

    "Bell Moore''s career is too short.

    I know. But if I put my own man in ce, Johanna will surely tackle us again. We dont need to widen the front lines right now.

    Bell Moore might as well be serving me anyway.

    With that, Derek signed the document with his own hand.

    Thump!

    Before Gedler could say anything, Derek stamped it with a magical seal.

    ...Understood.

    Gedler turned around.

    "Go on. Right now, discussing how to counter Vern is our top priority.

    ...Yes.

    With a dismissive wave of his hand, as if shooing away a mosquito, Derek watched as Gedler bowed and left.

    [Intelligence Agency Team Leader Bell Moore]

    Hehe~

    In the Intelligence Agency team leader''s office, Bell Moore was polishing his namete with a handkerchief, smirking to himself.

    I stood in the center, scanning the interior of the office.

    Firstly, its spacious. It looked like you could line up about ten filing cabs along the wall, and there was a secretarys office attached; youd need the secretarys permission to enter.

    "Bell Moore, sir."

    "Hey, hey. Whats with the ''sir1? You should change how you address me now.

    Bell Moore looked at me with a feigned stern expression.

    "Team Leader Bell Moore."

    "Thats right What is it?

    "Congrattions. Are you aiming for the directors position next?"

    I asked subtly about the prospect of bing the director.

    The term of the Intelligence Agencys director wasn''t formally established, which meant they could be pulled down at anytime.

    In that regard, Gedler had been in his position for too long.

    A full 15 years.

    Before I returned, even at the time of my death, he remained the director, a vile creature who repeated all sorts of horrific deeds.

    Ah. I''m not interested in bing the director. Im satisfied here.

    "Youre the youngest team leader, arent you?

    "Yeah. Thats exactly why Im satisfied. If I try to climb any higher, I might just trip up."

    Bell Moore settled into the team leaders chair, lifting the exclusive fountain pen from the desk with a chuckle of admiration.

    "What happens if you trip? You fall?

    Isnt it worth the challenge?

    "Dont mess with me. Do you think Director Gedler is someone to take lightly? Tomorrow, Ill be at dinner, licking his boots."

    Is that so?"

    I raised my eyebrows slightly.

    Bell Moore drew a line under his own throat with the side of his hand.

    "Right now, if were talking about climbing a mountain, Im about 80% of the way up. Sure, I could go higher. But if I trip down to the base of the mountain, I wouldn''t end up with just a bruise, right? If I trip here, Im dead.

    Bell Moore is, of course, this kind of person.

    Surprisingly content with his lot, aiming to live well and unnoticed in the best position he can enjoy.

    And indeed, hes someone who actually achieves that goal

    From what I see, you dont seem satisfied.

    Youre not satisfied right now.

    Instead, with greedy eyes brimming with desire, youre looking at the directors namete.

    Soon enough, everyone in the Intelligence Agency will probably think the same as I do.

    "...Are you insane? What are you saying? Im telling you I''m satisfied. Eat this.

    Bell Moore flipped me the middle finger.

    Not very team leader-like, crude.

    "Yes."

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    "Then, I''ll take my leave.

    "Yeah. Hey, next time youe, contact the secretary first Theres a procedure, you know? Ill probably let you in anyway"

    I left without listening to the rest of his words.

    I strolled quietly down the corridor of the Intelligence Agency.

    Just walking aimlessly like this.

    "Hey. Congrattions?

    Someone will always strike up a conversation.

    Especially today, since Bell Moore became the team leader.

    "Your direct superior is a team leader now. You''ve chosen your side well, havent you?

    "Thank you.

    I nodded briefly. The Chaser before me looked quite surprised.

    "Oh- You know how to say such things now?

    I gave the guy a friendly smile.

    I know this bastards face. He''s a Chaser named David from Team 3.

    Moreover, Team Leader David is not in Director Gedlers faction.

    So, I''m being friendly to a guy whos not in the director''s faction.

    "If you need any help with work, feel free to contact me anytime. I''ll be on my way."

    "Huh? Oh, yeah... sure, go ahead."

    I walked past him and down the corridor. I didn''t so much as twitch my chin at those from Gedlers faction that I passed by.

    In this way, the method of distinguishing factions is surprisingly simple. After all, society is made up of the attitudes between people.

    ...Did that rookie get a cor around his neck or something?"

    That rookie reallycks manners. Doesn''t Bell Moore teach him anything?

    "Hes be a team leader now-"

    Before long, the Intelligence Agency will be divided into two forces.

    One side will be Director Gedler, the other Bell Moore.

    Even if Bell Moore himself doesn''t want it, I n to make it so.

    Perhaps in about three months, Bell Moore will find himself the unwitting head of the anti-director faction.''

    ...Hmm.

    I looked back over my shoulder. At the end of the corridor hung the sign [Intelligence Agency Team 6 Leader''s Office].

    I smirked, gazing at it.

    It won''t be bad. Some people want to be the director but can''t

    Johanna returned to the Aerial Garden.

    The move into the magic space was cleanly cleared.

    Shion Ascals contributions were significant. Thanks to the cameras, recording devices, and informationwork he installed, all battles were easily won.

    As a result, Libra''s Johanna secured thergest area and the most valuablend.

    "Zia. Is she here?

    As soon as she arrived at the mansion in Section 0, she asked her attendants. They shook their heads.

    "Where did she go?

    "She said she had some business... and would be away from home for a few days."

    "Tell her I have something to talk about when she returns.

    "Yes.

    Johanna immediately went into her room. She threw off the clothes and heavy weapons she had used in the magic space.

    ...Its hot.

    She headed straight for the shower. She calmed herself as she washed her body with hot water.

    Her heart was hot.

    It throbbed as if it would burst, and some heat rose from beneath her chest

    Soon, she would have to speak to Zia.

    Perhaps even force her.

    "Shion Ascal.

    The best treasure that the youngest, Zia, had in her grasp.

    Ill set its value at the highest in the world."

    She twisted up her wet hair and took a deep breath.

 Chapter 264: Desire and Ambition (2)

    <h4>Chapter 264: Desire and Ambition (2)</h4>

    Libras Intelligence Agency carries out various operations. Among them, a special elite group known as the Chasers are deployed on dangerous missions such as bomb terrorism, agent assassination, smuggling, and infiltration.

    As such, they are often regarded as ''one-man teams, but it is exceedingly rare for them to act alone.

    Instead, they form a more activemunity and engage in lively exchanges.

    In extremely urgent situations, the only ones who can help them are, after all, fellow Chasers.

    The Chasers of Libra are like a society that is both awork of points spread across the entire continent and intricately connected like a spider''s web.

    [Code Red: Request for Support]

    [psed Time 103.

    Kwaaaa !

    A barrage of magical firepower rains down in the treacherous terrain.

    Two Chasers, one with eight years of experience and the other with six, are rolling on the ground, injured.

    "Kuk!

    They had tumbled down from the ridge of the mountain to the bottom. Fragments of mana were embedded all over their bodies.

    Their mission was to acquire a magical crystal called ''Pentiram'' from awless mine.

    Although they seeded in the mission, they were now being pursued by mages from the Magic Tower with the same objective.

    Kwaddddd !

    A tornado erupted in the sky, shaving off the trees of the mountain range entirely. It was a spectacr sight and the reason why Chasers do not make mages their enemies.

    "Theres no support. Lets abandon the mission.

    The six-year veteran asked the eight-year veteran.

    A Code Red grade support request is the highest level of support that a veteran of eight years can request. Its a plea for backup on dangerous missions, and thus the distribution of merits is also favorable to the supporter.

    . Theyre high-ranking mages anyway. Those bastards dont negotiate.

    The ones pursuing them were high-ranking mages from the Magic Tower.

    The Magic Tower folks are usually steeped in a sense of chosen superiority. They are the cold-hearted ones who have lost their sociability after being locked up in the Magic Tower for decades, thinking of themselves as ''greatly superior souls.

    So even if they were to concede the magical crystal..

    Kwaaaa !

    Suddenly, the tornado had reached right in front of them. The path of the magic was all torn up like a ravaged field.

    Just as the Chasers were about to jump down from the ridge, at that moment

    Whoooo !

    A hang glider descended from the sky.

    Tadak.

    A masked figure calmly stepped down on two feet.

    The two Chasers stared nkly at him, blinking and forgetting the situation at hand.

    He approached and spoke.

    [Code Red]. Ive received your request for support

    He then lifted his mask. The first things to catch their eyes were his blond hair and golden eyes.

    Im Chaser Shion Ascal.

    He was sharply handsome and had an exceptional physique.

    Ive never heard that name before...

    The eight-year veteran Chaser checked themunicator first

    There was only one Chaser who had epted the [Code Red] level support request

    [1st Year: Shion Ascal.]

    He asked, "How many are we up against?

    "Two... No.

    The eight-year veteran hastily shook his head.

    "You, what are you doing... This isn''t something a first-year can handle. They''re high-ranking mages.

    In the world of Chasers, years of experience are directly linked to skill and capability.

    Those who are subpar either die or are expelled along the way.

    I know. Thats precisely why I came, because they are mages."

    Yet, this first-year confidently loosened the muscles in his neck, unfazed by the fact that they were up against high-ranking mages.

    "From here on, I''ll take over. You twoplete the mission by running.

    Kwagwagwagwa!

    There was no time to hesitate or worry. A tornado, as solid as steel, was bearing down on them.

    The two veteran Chasers hurriedly descended the mountain terrain.

    Shion, on the other hand, thrust himself into the tornado, the opposite direction.

    His clothes were torn, and something felt like it was piercing his skin, but it wasnt particrly painful.

    His body had a natural resistance to magic and mana.

    He would feel the same impact from ''physical force enacted by magic, but damage from pure mana like this tornado was reduced by about 90%, he estimated.

    He looked ahead through the SZX-9500.

    There were two mages.

    Judging by the color of their robes and the brand, they were high-ranking mages from the Magic Tower.

    Is there a bug standing inside?

    Whats he doing? Is he already dead?

    Just in case, let''s ramp up the output a bit more.

    A somewhat well-known fact: Most high-ranking mages from the Magic Tower are murderers.

    Their magic can kill people more trivially than sword energy, and since it''s not done by their own hands, they feel less guilt.

    The fact that they dont stop their magic even while looking at him inside the tornado is proof enough.

    Any ordinary person would have been torn to shreds and killed by now.

    Huh.

    Shion took a deep breath.

    Immediately after, he kicked off the ground and charged.

    Kwa!

    Using the wind of the tornado as propulsion, he burst through in an instant and closed in on the mages.

    They quickly raised their hands to cast [Spatial Anchoring] .

    It was an advanced spell that radiated mana to suppress the entire body, but it was futile against him.

    Shion shattered the [Spatial Anchoring] and grabbed one mage by the shoulder.

    Crack!

    He snapped one of the bastards joints.

    "Aaaargh!

    As one screamed, Shion struck the others shin with a fierce kick.

    "Kyaaack!

    A different kind of scream. What are they, goblins?

    Anyway, the guy copsed, clutching his leg, and Shion casually touched his face.

    Fortunately, the mask was intact.

    He should avoid showing his face as much as possible. These were Magic Tower mages, and there might be a connection to Elise.

    Swoosh!

    He pressed the de of his knife to the underside of their throats.

    "Gasp!"

    Even those high and mighty mages make bird-like noises when steel touches their necks.

    ...You two. Consider yourselves dead once."

    They nodded hastily, as if their heads were on motors.

    "There wont be a second time if you track me.

    He didnt n on actually killing them. Murdering high-ranking mages over something like this would cause too much trouble.

    "Answer.

    "Y-yes, understood. Please."

    Well, well return. Well go back right away!''

    Extracting such high respect from high-ranking mages whove spent half their lives looking down on others was a sufficient harvest.

    Shion turned away nonchntly.

    Intelligence Agency, Chaser private office.

    As soon as I returned from the field, I sat down at myputer.

    [Code Green: Support Request]

    There are many support requests in the Chasermunity. It''s basically a system of mutual aid. You help me, and Ill help youter.

    Among these, [Code ck] and [Code Red] signify extremely dangerous, life-threatening missions, [Code Blue] simplebat missions, and [Code Green] information-rted missions.

    Ive been actively responding to these supports to build my career.

    However, only for David Team Leaders Chaser.

    Im steadily raising my favorability by diligently helping out

    Knock-knock-

    Suddenly, someone knocked on my office door.

    There shouldnt be any visitors at this time.

    I got up and opened the door.

    ...Hmm?

    "Ah- youre here.

    Sia. Chloe.

    They were people from my previous team.

    To be precise, Beckmans move-in team.

    I heard about it Ben, that sses bastard, he betrayed you, right?

    "Yes. Thats what happened.

    ...We were working hard without knowing any of that. Couldnt you have told us?

    Sia frowned.

    "The information could have affected team morale, so it couldnt be helped.

    "Morale or whatever. It feels like weve been conned."

    I looked at Sia and Chloe, the two of them.

    They probably dont have a faction.

    A faction. He doesnt have the temperament for it, and frankly, hes a bit of a scumbag. Plus, he doesn''t want to create something like a faction.

    "Team Leader Bell Moore needs people.

    It doesnt matter.

    I can create it for him.

    "You two are trustworthy in my eyes. Team Leader Bell Moore will feel the same.

    ...Wait Just a moment.

    "Hold on.

    The two of them took a step back.

    "Can we think about it? You''re offering this to both of us, right?

    "Yes. You can take as much time as you need to consider.

    I added a subtle nuance to my words.

    "An opportunity like this wonte around twice.

    "Uh... umm."

    With that, Sia and Chloe exchanged nces and scurried off, saying they would let me know within three days or something like that.

    I sat back down in my chair.

    Then, my personal phone rang.

    It was Soliette.

    "Hello.

    Shion.

    Soliettes voice was heavy.

    "Whats up.

    Ive found Knightmare.

    The words Ive found Knightmare'' made me sigh, and I felt as if the room darkened with the weight of the news.

    "Where are you?

    At home.

    Home.

    She didnt specify which home, but I had a feeling I knew where.

    "Im on my way."

    I grabbed my coat.

    "Director. Bell Moore''s reputation is bing quite notable."

    In the Intelligence Agency''s directors office.

    Gedley received a report from one of his subordinates.

    "Reputation, huh? Since when did Bell Moore have anything resembling a reputation?

    "Shion Ascal is supporting the Chasers under Team Leader David.

    David is an external team leader for the Intelligence Agency. In simple terms, hes a field team leader who organizes the Chasers who roam outside the Intelligence Agency.

    Since he controls the Chasers who take on the most dangerous missions, David has many grievances with the current director, Gedley.

    They''re unhappy about not getting proper recognition andpensation for their work and contributions.

    Gedley bit down on his cigar.

    "Shion Ascal. He must be Bell Moores backbone."

    "Yes. In truth, all of Bell Moore''s intentions can be seen as originating from Shion Ascal. Bell Moore is surprisingly reticent."

    Is that so?

    "Since the beginning of the Chasers, Bell Moore has been involved in almost every mission, and he has defended Shion Ascal even when his reputation was underfire. You could say hes the perfect right-hand man.

    The transmission was slightly skewed from reality, but Gedley understood it as his subordinate had exined.

    "Keep an eye on Bell Moore.

    "Yes.

    "Shion Ascal as well."

    If his subordinates words were correct, then Bell Moore is currently seducing David.

    Theres only one reason for that.

    To aim for a position higher than team leader.

    Of course, its not yet certain, so we''ll have to watch a little longer...

    "Ungrateful bastard."

    Gedley bit down on his cigar so fiercely that his face contorted.

    Johanna had spent a long time in the Aerial Garden for the first time in ages.

    She quite disliked the Aerial Garden where she was born and raised, so until now, she only visited once or twice a week at most. However, while waiting for Zia, she strolled through the gardens of the Aerial Garden like she did during her student days.

    She even engaged in idle conversations with the servants. She toured the library and attended to various tasks from her old room.

    ...Hmm.

    asionally, she read Shion Ascalsfile.

    "Hes passionate about his Chaser duties."

    Hes been taking on various missionstely.

    Most are in response to support requests. Two [Code Red] missions, three [Code Blue] missions. It seems like hes been responding to the Chasers support signals...

    ...No.

    Johanna''s eyes sharpened suddenly.

    Factionalism, perhaps."

    She understood in a moment.

    The Chasers that Shion Ascal backed were mostly affiliated with one side.

    David.

    Johanna knew the name. A veteran who had been pulling in field Chasers for a solid 30 years.

    Interesting.

    Shion, that guy, wouldn''t be interested in factions by nature. So probably, its someone above Shion.

    Bell Moore, it must be.

    "Hes got ambition, that one."

    Johanna smirked and put down the file.

    ying the fool all this time, and now he dreams of bing a director or something.

    But more importantly.

    ...Was it his father?

    Now, she was concerned about Shion Ascals father.

    He had gone on a certain operation in the past and was killed in action. The details remained confidential, but there was no information Johanna couldnt ess.

    Johanna sat in her office chair.

    Click-ck, clickety-ck

    She typed directly, speaking with the Intelligence Agency''s Chaser and a few of the Libra elders, trying to gather information about Shion Ascals father...

    "This is a first.

    The remaining information was faint.

    No, it was almost nonexistent.

    And the reason was infuriating.

    His father, Dale Ascal, was ''too insignificant a person for Libra.

    "Ah, damn it

    Johanna looked out the window. Night had fallen while she was searching for information.

    Its already been four days.

    ...When will this bitch show up.

    Zia hasnt returned. She said she would be back in three days, no, two, but she hasnt even shown her face, let alone respond to her messages.

    Johanna picked up her smartphone. She called Zia.

    Beep Beep Beep

    The call didnt even connect

    She had been blocked.

    Veins throbbed at Johannas temples.

    "This bitch... must be wanting to reminisce about the old days.

    Crack-!

    The smartphone she was clutching snapped in half.

 Chapter 265: Desire and Ambition (3)

    <h4>Chapter 265: Desire and Ambition (3)</h4>

    Desire and Ambition (3)

    Elise had set up a hospital within the Magic Tower. Although she was still a freshman, there was no particr bacsh. On the contrary, she was weed.

    It wasn''t for no reason; mages with a medical license like Elise were extremely rare in the Magic Tower.

    "What happened?

    She had hired nurses in the name of the Magic Tower and brought in various expensive medical devices under the condition that she would run the hospital for at least the next ten years.

    "They were ambushed during a mission...

    Elise nodded at the nurses words.

    I get that, but how were they ambushed?"

    Elise looked at the two high-ranking mages lying in the hospital beds.

    Their names were S and Troy, both sedated andfortably asleep.

    They were professor-level mages.

    In fact, Elise was currently attending Troys lectures on destruction magic. He was a professor who handled wind with ir, equivalent to a one-man army.

    "They were attacked... by an agent

    "An agent?

    "Yes. The identity of the agent hasnt been revealed yet."

    Elise let out a hollowugh.

    "Theyve got guts, targeting a professor of the Magic Tower.

    It seemed they had some sense of decency since they didnt kill them.

    "Anyway.

    She turned around and started writing on the chart.

    "Please continue mana therapy on the wounded areas. They''ll need to stay in the hospital for at least two weeks.

    The cost of treatment. Consultation fees. Hospitalization fees.

    In total... 30,000 Ren.

    Elise decided to bill that amount

    After all, high-ranking mages are overflowing with money to the point of rotting. If she charged too little, they might suspect its cheap quality, right?

    "Give them the receipt when they wake up.

    "Yes.

    Mages have a strange sense of superiority and tend not to frequent hospitals.

    This was why Elise, despite being a freshman, received such special treatment. The medical skills of a Magic Tower mage are considered far more reliable than those of any inferior doctor on the continent.

    She opened the door to the hospital.

    Right in front of her stood the Inquisitors of the Magic Tower, cloaked in dark robes.

    "Theyre in good condition. They''ll wake up soon, will you wait?

    The Inquisitors nodded.

    They are tasked with tracking down and eliminating those who harm the Magic Tower.

    Elise had no particr thoughts on the matter. She was just there to study medicine and magic...

    "Well, if you need anything for the investigation, just ask. I''ll cooperate.

    I returned to my old quarters in Endex. It was a ce I had stayed for quite some time. And there, as expected, was Soliette.

    ...Shion.

    She smiled, her sses perched on the bridge of her nose bobbing slightly.

    "Yeah. It''s been a while. What''s with the sses?

    It had been a few months, but it felt like I had seen her just yesterday.

    I sat down beside her.

    It''s an artifact It can rewind everything I''ve seen in a day.

    "Hm. So, what''s up?

    I cut straight to the chase.

    Soliettes expression sharpened a bit.

    "You already know, dont you?

    "What?"

    "...About Bethune.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Isnt that why you sent me off alone? Because you knew?

    More than knowing.

    Honestly, I had a hunch.

    What Knightmare''s intentions were.

    "Who knows.

    Hes calling out to Soliette.

    He deliberately materialized Jareds soul and guided Soliette with NPCs, including [Hans] and [Karl].

    "How did you know the party members were NPCs?

    It was a suspicion. I need to log out and eat to live, butthen I realized Ive never seen them log out

    Soliette took off her sses. She red at herptop and said,

    Im scared."

    On the screen was an old photo.

    Jared, Felix, Soliette. A childhood photo of the three of them together.

    "Why?

    ...If I meet Knightmare, can I win?

    She quietly bowed her head. Just then, the photo on theptop screen changed. It was in a natural slide mode.

    It was a photo taken with me. I couldn''t remember when. Perhaps it was when we were collecting evidence against Knightmare.

    I scratched the back of my neck, and there was Soliette, chomping on gum in the photo. It wasnt taken by us, but by a passing photographer who decided to snap it on a whim.

    I closed theptop.

    I looked at Soliette, her face buried between her knees.

    This girl had be weaker.

    Soliette would no longer be like her future self.

    The immortal swordsman who would forever remain in the history of Edsi,parable to Jade, the worlds First Sword, had vanished from this world.

    It didn''t matter.

    Better, even.

    "Lets go together.

    I took Soliettes hand. She trembled, looking up at me startled.

    ...We promised to see it through to the end.

    It was a promise already made.

    In a past life, and in this one too.

    I will be with you.

    Zia expanded Lithium Corporation. The weapons developed by Lithium''s R&D quickly became the talk of the town and seized control of the centralwestern region of Edsi. Additionally, she restructured the entire distributionwork that Jesco had been in charge of, making it her own.

    The revenue now is beyond imagination.

    Well, for the average mind, that is.

    Still, these numbers are woefully inadequate for Zias ambitions.

    That''s why Zia is considering another venture.

    ''Synthetic mana stones.

    But not the criminal type of synthetic mana stones like Jesco dealt with.

    She aimed to drastically increase the yield of synthetic mana stones topletely rece the existing ones.

    Of course, its a crime. But its not a crime because it endangers the citizens, but because its entangled with vested interests.

    The crime most despised by the mining families is the creation of synthetic mana stones.

    Zia had already run hundreds of mental simtions and devised a method to create synthetic mana stones that were chemically, magically, and structurally near perfection.

    It might start as a crime, but in the end, she was going to win.

    To do that, she had to face Blocker.

    The master of the underworld throughout Edsi, dealing in weapons, drugs, artifacts, and synthetic narcotics

    ...Every country wants [BALANCE].

    A voice brimming with pride flowed in.

    Zia looked ahead. Jade was sitting there, holding a coffee cup.

    This ce was [BALANCE].

    A high-end cafe run by Derek, located only in the bustling areas of the continent.

    "The council called for me. They even said I could be used for diplomacy."

    Jade smiled as he savored the aroma of his coffee.

    Zia had deliberately sought out Jade.

    The best way to avoid Johanna was to be with Jade, after all.

    In truth, Zia also felt ufortable being with Jade, but she had no choice. Johanna, for some reason, was taking a significant interest in Shion Ascal.

    ...Congrattions, brother.

    Zia pped her hands with a pop-pop sound, her face forming an exaggerated expression of admiration as she pursed her lips into an O shape.

    "Hmph.

    Jade was pleased.

    Its not just that. The sales have far exceeded the expectations of those ink-suckers at Libra Station.

    His self-praise had been non-stop.

    ...Take this.

    Suddenly, Jade extended some sort of certificate.

    "What is this...?

    Zia blinked in surprise.

    "Read it aloud for yourself.

    "Cafe BALANCE exclusive bean supply rights...?

    Zia looked up at Jade. He wore a thin smile.

    "That guy said it.

    ''That guy must be Shion Ascal.

    "While rmending this cafe venture, he said if the cafe does better than expected."

    He tapped the table with his finger.

    "Could he entrust the bean supply to you?

    Zia was momentarily taken aback. This was an unexpected gift she hadnt even considered.

    "Shion?

    "Yes.

    Bean supply.

    Not bad at all.

    Its a tremendous vested interest, not just in terms of the revenue from selling beans, but in using Jades name to establish a supply and distributionwork.

    ...Ill gratefully ept it, brother.

    "The thanks should go to him, not me. It was tough for me to peel this off for you. Thepany has grown quite a bit, you see.

    Jade was about to start bragging about hispany again.

    ...Excuse me."

    Zia had something she needed to say.

    "Could I possibly stay at your mansion for about a month?

    From now on, she nned to hide her presence for as long as possible. She needed to avoid Johannas eyes more than anyone elses.

    Because she was coveting her gem.

    The next day, at the Intelligence Agency.

    Before departing for [Bethune] with Soliette, I briefly stopped by the office.

    "Well do it."

    I had received a message to join up with Sia and Chloe.

    ...Here. This is our Chaser code.

    "Here.

    The two who came to the vending machine in the Intelligence Agency''s break room handed over their code numbers.

    Self-identification numbers, simr to social security numbers. Even among Chasers, these aren''t shared lightly, but once shared...

    "We will establish a hotline."

    This allows for the creation of a hotline, an extended application of Libra.

    "Yes, the line has been established.

    A hotline, literally a Tine, is, to be more specific, a rtionship for quickly giving and receiving help.

    ...Phew. This is my first time with a line. I never nned on doing something like this.

    Lines are usually determined by educational background.

    Even among Chasers, educational background is the most important factor at first meeting. Even Bell Moore, contrary to his image, is a graduate of a prestigious university.

    On the other hand, ''David'', the external team leader of the Intelligence Agency, is a high school graduate turned mercenary. That''s why he receives the scorn of Ged ley.

    "Youre from a national university too, right? Team leader Bell Moore is from Althea University. We''re from smaller colleges...

    "Academic background doesnt matter. For now, our hotline within the Intelligence Agency will be confidential. The mere existence of a hotline can be a target for checks.

    "Got it, oh, should I say yes now? We have more years of service, though.

    In the team leader''s hierarchy, I am the senior.

    ...Well. Yes. Salute."

    Sia yfully saluted, and Chloe also nodded her head in agreement

    "Then. The hotline is always open. Use it to pass on information and request help."

    "Yes.

    The two left their seats.

    Thus, I gained two more.

    Sia and Chloe could be elite agents in their own right.

    But now, Im thinking of recruiting even more certain forces.

    "Lets see...

    There are quite a few agents in the Intelligence Agency who are neglected despite their abilities. Director Gedley, of course, and several other team leaders also value connections and regional ties as much as ability.

    I know of some Chasers who operate quite covertly despite their disdain.

    However, excluding lunatics who enjoy killing, if I just filter out those who know ''moderation''

    I can think of three.

    There are exactly three solid names.

    I n to recruit them under Bell Mooresmand and as my subordinates.

    At the same time.

    Bell Moore was in the cafeteria, making do with dinner.

    "Ah, this is so damn annoying. What do they take a team leader''s words for?"

    His ns for the day had all been canceled.

    He had asked Director Gedley to arrange a dinner party, but it was turned down by his secretary, and although he texted Riley to book a restaurant, there was no reply.

    To think that he, now a team leader, was in the Intelligence Agencys cafeteria cutting up a pork cutlet.

    "Maybe I should just get back to work.

    Perhaps it would be better to work with that guy Shion on the front lines, engaging in various operations.

    It seems like it would be more fun...

    "No, thats not right.

    Shion Ascal is a lunatic. Hed sh the neck of an internal spy in one stroke, a team leader''s neck, and even the bald head of Vancheon.

    Working on an operation with someone like that, you never know when your own neck might get chopped off.

    Knock-knock-

    Thats when it happened.

    Suddenly, two women appeared in front of him, tapping on the table and cing down drinks.

    "Team leader, we thought you might be thirsty.

    ...Who are you?

    Bell Moore didn''t recognize the Chasers.

    The two women looked puzzled at Bell Moores bewildered expression, then suddenly smiled as if they understood.

    "Ah, youre very meticulous. I get it

    What the hell are they talking about?

    Bell Moore slightly furrowed his brow. Then they whispered.

    ...Sorry. We were insensitive. Anyway, I''m Sia, and this is Chloe. Congrattions on your promotion, team leader.

    Its not that Im insensitive, it''s that I dont know who you are.

    Bell Moore was about to say that when he nced over their faces.

    Both were not bad-looking.

    "...Ahem.

    Not as much as Riley, but they''re pretty enough.

    Do women start flocking to you once you be a team leader?

    "Well, I''ll understand. But next time, be more careful.

    Sure, I understand the desire to flirt, but its problematic if you just start talking to me out of the blue like this.

    Upon hearing Bell Moore''s words, they straightened their posture.

    "Yes. Understood.

    "We look forward to working with you.

    Then they turned and quickly walked away, and Bell Moore watched them leave with a sense of satisfaction before picking up his phone.

    He switched it to selfie mode and scanned his face.

    "Hmm. Hmmm...

    The deep-set profile of his eyes.

    The very pronounced and three-dimensional view of his facial features from the front.

    The manly jaw that seemed particrly prominent today.

    "Khhhh...

    Bell Moore brushed back his long hair and let out a snicker.

    I do look pretty good today.

    With looks like this, and the youngest team leader?

    No wonder women are suddenly flocking to me.

    But what can I do? Im not exactly looking to get involved with a Chaser.

    Just look, dont touch, just look-

    Now that hes a team leader, he doesn''t want to be suspected of creating factions by taking care of unnecessary Chasers.

    His goal is simply to live afortable and wealthy life by milking his sry and incentives at the Intelligence Agency.

    "Ah, should I stop going to the dermatologist?

    Bell Moore kept muttering to himself until he finally stopped slicing his pork cutlet

    I should save my appetite for the club.

 Chapter 266: Real, Fake (1)

    <h4>Chapter 266: Real, Fake (1)</h4>

    The party had arrived at the final stage, Knightmares castle, entrenched within the bottle of souls.

    However, Shion was not entirely pleased.

    ...annoying.

    Because his body was that of a cat.

    "Theres nothing we can do. The only avable vessel for consciousness transfer here is a wild cat," Soliette exined. Shion swiftly climbed onto her shoulder.

    Party member [Karl] asked, So, were just going to walk in through the front?

    "Yes.

    Soliette nodded and pushed the door. The passage, which seemed like a massive wall, creaked open with a loud creak.

    Dimly lit torches flickered on opposite sides of the dark tunnel-like path, whose end was not visible.

    They entered together.

    Thud.Thud.

    Shion, with his cat eyes, looked at Jared next to Soliette. Draped over his shoulder was the explosive that would shatter the bottle of souls.

    Thud.Thud.

    Footsteps echoed. Soliettes heart pounded in unison.

    Thud.Thud.

    Before long, everyones pace slowed down.

    It was because of the door that was gradually bing visible in the darkness.

    Probably the path leading to Knightmare.

    Soliette reached the door. Her trembling hand touched the doorknob. Shion, too, ced his cat paw on Soliettes shoulder.

    ...Thank you.

    Maybe it''s because hes a cat, but he seems much cuter than usual.

    Soliette smiled faintly and opened the door.

    With a great resonance, the scene beyond weed them.

    There was a throne.

    In the empty cavity, there was only onelonely seat.

    Seated there, an entity wrapped in pitch-ck armor.

    Knightmare.

    Soliettes heart raced as she gazed at him.

    "Look at that son of a bitch.

    "We finally meet.

    The party members each uttered a line, but Knightmare simply extended his hand.

    "You wont be leaving alive today

    Suddenly, their movements froze.

    Not just the NPCs. Jared Arkne stopped as well.

    Everyone, as if put on pause.

    I see youve received my gift.

    Knightmare inquired. Soliette silently stared at him. Shion gentlynded beside her.

    Knightmare rested his chin on his hand.

    Still havent grasped reality?

    Soliette shook her head.

    "I know. I know you lured me here.

    This game had already reached its conclusion.

    Knightmare knew that Soliette was pursuing him and willingly agreed to meet her.

    Good. Now, I will give you a choice.

    Choice.

    Soliette quietly looked around.

    [Karl], [Hans], [Crow], [Jenny],

    An adventure with like-mindedpanions she had dreamed of since her youth.

    If you wish, you can join me in oblivion. We can make this world a reality through oblivion.

    And there was Jared Arkne, standing by her side.

    Her brother, whom she loved so dearly, pitifully so.

    You can make them real with your own hands. You can forget much and live peacefully with them.

    Soliette fell into a quiet contemtion, but soon shook her head.

    Perhaps if it had been before... If Shion hadnt been by her side.

    She might have considered it more seriously.

    Back then, reality itself was meaningless to her.

    "Its alright."

    Now, things are different.

    Of course, she had experienced things she had never dreamed of.

    Adventures with her brother, with trustworthy people, wonderful adventures.

    Days like a dream.

    Knightmare might wish for her to never wake from this dream, but Soliette already knows.

    A dream is most beautiful when it remains a dream.

    Foolish. Like father, like daughter, I suppose.

    Knightmare taunted. Soliette drew the sword from her waist.

    "You killed my most precious friend and my brother."

    Indeed.

    Knightmare responded.

    However, he is clearly not a being but a phenomenon.

    A nightmare-like creature, wearing the skin of others, pretending to be human.

    "So I must kill you here."

    Soliette thrust her sword forward. Knightmare also lifted the greatsword from his back. At that moment, the pause was lifted.

    "-You''re dead!"

    The party members voices followed btedly.

    Soliette spoke to Shion.

    "Shion. Please help Mr. Jared with setting up the explosives. They need to be ced at the heart of this castle.

    .Are you sure? You think you wont lose?

    "Yes. I am certain. Look at my level.

    Soliette suddenly disyed her information window.

    [ Lv.78 Solize ]

    A staggering level 78. An achievement raised through near-addictive dedication. Theres no max level in [Bethune], but shes likely the top ranker.

    Shion chuckled and climbed onto Jareds shoulder.

    "Mr. Jared, let''s go. To the deepest part.

    "Yes.

    Two days ago, when she logged out

    Soliette had confirmed it then.

    She acquired artifact sses to aid her investigation, spent all her saved money to request a hack into the police server, and while dredging up old memoriesshe checked the facts.

    Thinking back, the memory of that day was faint for Soliette.

    The day Jared and Felix had died.

    She couldn''t bear to look at their faces. She lost her ability to think. Her mental state had shattered.

    But now, looking back after time has passed.

    She saw things she hadnt seen before.

    Heard things she hadnt heard before.

    ording to the police reports, Jareds body was recovered, but only parts of Felix''s body were found.

    They used the term dismembered, but the dismembered parts were never discovered.

    Not to this day.

    "Phew...

    Soliette took a deep breath and red at Knightmare. A smile slowly spread across her lips.

    There have been times like this in the past.

    When she sparred with ''that person,'' she always felt this tense.

    "Hey! Maintain the front line!

    "Keep the line!

    The stage was already set.

    The final boss alwaysmands minions. Shed leave them to her party members and face the final boss herself.

    "Are you ready?

    Soliette asked.

    Perhaps he had noticed to some extent

    ...How pitiful. Such a foolish child.

    He spoke like a true viin, but Soliette caught the smile in his voice.

    "Ha!

    She kicked off the ground and charged at Knightmare. She parried his greatsword with her thin rapier.

    Chaeaaang-

    A sonic boom shook the fortress.

    She knew who the Knightmare she had to face was.

    More precisely, whose skin Knightmare was wearing.

    How the soul inside that skin and the phenomenon called Knightmare were shing.

    Chaeaaang-

    Their swords shed a second time. Soliette saw Knightmare beyond the de. Knightmare saw her too.

    In their gazes, there was joy, and there was longing.

    For that day they could never return to.

    For someone she once cherished.

    Knightmare... ''the soul within before it lost itself.

    Now Soliette must fight with all her might to ovee him.

    That was roughly how things unfolded.

    Knightmare hadtched onto Felix as a phenomenon, and for a while, Felix had his body hijacked by it, until at some point, he regained a part of his reason and shed against Knightmare for control.

    Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but it was a battle he could never win.

    After all, Felix was as good as dead already.

    If he expelled Knightmare, which was keeping him alive, that in itself would be death.

    He wandered in agony until he realized that Soliette was pursuing Knightmare. He knew that Soliette was suffering to the point of death.

    Therefore, this [Bethune] was a process of healing.

    Felix had stumbled upon an abandoned game by chance and reprogrammed its mechanisms for his purpose.

    Then he led Soliette to be a yer. He deliberately attached NPCs acting like a yer party members.

    Since Soliette unexpectedly enjoyed the game itself, it somewhat met the objective of healing.

    After she went through all the storylines.

    He intended to appear as the final boss himself, as Knightmare.

    Knightmare had always wanted Soliette to kill him.

    So that Soliette could heal Knightmares pain, and he could end this nightmarish prolongation of life.

    .The explosives have been set up.

    Deep beneath the fortress.

    Jared Arkne had installed the explosives.

    And as he was, this Jared is a fake.

    A counterfeit created by Felix based on Jared''s personality, actions, and memory. Ifpared to aputer, an assembly of binary code.

    "All that''s left is to detonate it. Meow."

    At my words, Jared shed a brief smile.

    "Thats right

    He sighed and leaned against the wall. I watched him quietly.

    "Are you okay?"

    Jared nced over here briefly.

    "Yes. I''m fine.

    He nodded with a somewhat sorrowful tone. I flicked my tail back and forth and said,

    "Think about it carefully. This choice is yours to make.

    Jareds eyes widened slightly.

    He asked, puzzled,

    My choice?

    "Yes. This y bomb is connected to you. If you wish, you dont necessarily have to blow up this bottle."

    "Nobody wants to die, right?

    If the bottle is destroyed, Jared dies. This very existence will be erased.

    Who could easily ept such a simple death?

    Ill leave the choice up to you, Jared.

    Even if Knightmare dies, the bottle of souls can be maintained.

    Jared can live and breathe here.

    From this point on, its entirely up to Jared.

    I can''t stop him with this cat body, and to some extent, I hope he chooses life.

    For Soliettes sake, too.

    "Well, I am a bit intrigued."

    Jared stroked his eyebrow and shook his head.

    Its okay. It seems like it would be a disservice to my sister.

    At his words, I narrowed my eyes. An involuntary meow slipped from my lips.

    "Nyah. So you knew after all. That Soliette is Soliette.

    It was hard pretending not to know."

    "Why pretend, then?"

    Jared smiled faintly.

    I didnt want to make it harder for my sister.

    I looked at him.

    He didnt seem like a fake, even though he was one. He seemed alive, even though he was already dead.

    I desperately pretended not to know. I wanted to... protect my sister.

    "Protect what? She''s alive.

    Im already dead, arent I?

    Jared stood up. He slowly surveyed the grimy basement

    I dont exist in the outside world anymore.

    I pondered for a moment.

    What would it feel like to be a fake who knows hes already dead?

    What kind of heart could ept this so calmly?

    "No matter what I say or what voice I use, it will only hurt her. It will remain as a scar-like memory.

    Jared slowly closed his eyes, as if sifting through the memories in his head, and let out a soft breath.

    "All I have are the memories from before I died. Our times are out of sync, and the days we spent together must have already faded... A fake like me shouldnt dredge up those real memories.

    Jared hadbeled himself a fake.

    At the same time, he called the memories he shared with Soliette real.

    They were strangely poignant words.

    "You. You dont know how Soliette has grown up.

    I shot back before I even realized it, a slight thorn in my voice.

    "Ah... I see.

    Jared had only been inside this bottle.

    Soliette had met him here too, through a process called consciousness transfer.

    Because of that, he couldnt see how Soliette had grown up.

    I do miss her a little, but its okay. That much is fine. Ill just cherish the memory of her that I have.

    Boom!

    Suddenly, arge vibration came from above.

    The end was approaching.

    I wonder what choice Soliette will make at thest moment.

    Im curious, but right now, I should keep my focus on Jared here.

    "Let me ask you again. Are you sure you don''t want to go to Soliette?

    "Yes.

    "No, no!"

    I shook my head violently. Instinctively, my tail shot up straight, quivering. A growl of dissatisfaction rumbled from the base of my throat.

    "That wasn''t a question just now.

    Jared looked at me. His eyes were still full of the conviction that he shouldnt go.

    "Go to Soliette.

    I insisted to him.

    I believe in you. Because Ive already seen the future where you dont go.

    Soliette from before my regression probably went through a simr ordeal.

    But she wasnt healed back then.

    Far from being healed, she became a bloody mess of wounds...

    "If you dont go, Soliette might kill herself."

    Jareds expression widened. I red at him, my tail erect with solemnity. My eyes sharpened like a hawks. I unsheathed my ws, both feline and human, ready to strike.

    Ill scratch you until you decide to go."

    Shashak.

    As I swiped through the air above and below, Jared smiled.

    "Hahaha.

    It was augh that seemed to find me adorably amusing, which was incredibly irritating to me.

 Chapter 267: Real, Fake (2)

    <h4>Chapter 267: Real, Fake (2)</h4>

    ...Its a faint memory.

    Everything I see feels distant.

    A hand that doesnt seem like my own moves on its own ord, and a self that doesnt feel like me wields a sword.

    I swing.

    People die.

    Watching this tragedy unfold, Felix feels as though hes dreaming.

    A nightmare.

    A terrible nightmare.

    To escape it, he closes his eyes, runs away from reality, sinking deep into his subconscious.

    Refusing to acknowledge the nightmare that has be one with him...

    Her sword shed against his. Sparks flew from the de. The high heat of magic touched the armor.

    Felix saw her.

    ng!

    Her face lookspletely different now, but Felix can see her red hair. Her clear eyese to mind. The smile that was once pure and childlike spreads across her face.

    It was because of this person.

    It was because of her that Felix resolved to fight. He decided not to lose.

    For her, who was suffering even more than himself.

    He resisted thousands of times a day, and eventually, he overcame part of the nightmare.

    ''My death will be your death.

    Knightmare threatened, but Felix was already prepared to die. He was ready to perish willingly.

    ng-

    A clear metallic sound rings out. The sparks that burst from the sword strikes slowly turn into a thick me.

    Its Arknes sword.

    Much more mature than before, Arknes sword is purely refined.

    Felix also swung his sword. There was no mercy in his grip. This act itself was Knightmare''s survival instinct.

    Shriiiing!

    Knightmares magic is a sword in itself, but Soliette''s fiery magic burns it to nothing. It devours the metal.

    As sword meets sword, and the red magic wraps around Knightmare''s armor with each collision, the creature inside him screams. It cries out for him to run.

    That he cannot win, that she is an opponent he cannot defeat.

    Felix rejects the creature''s survival.

    Instead, he swings his sword with a smile on his face.

    Boom-

    A loud noise erupts. A massive rupture bends Knightmares sword. His armor starts to melt away in disarray. Half of his helmet dissolves, revealing his ghastly paleplexion.

    A face thats no different from a corpse.

    Soliette grits her teeth as she looks at him, but her swordy does not stop.

    where the swords exchange blows, stars scatter In the trajectory like sparks.

    It was tears.

    Were they his?

    Or were they hers?

    Swoosh.

    The hot de of the sword pierced through his armor.

    This is the end.

    Felix found himself smiling unwittingly.

    Soliette looked up at him.

    "Im sorry. I came toote.

    Toote.

    To the words that needed no apology, Felix simply gazed at her.

    "Youll be okay now.

    A burning sensation seared his heart. The soul of Knightmare, burning with him in pain.

    Clearly, it was because of Soliette''s me Sword embedded in him like a nail.

    Ive been okay for a long time.

    Felix said that.

    Theres no need to worry about someone whos already dead, like himself.

    However, he was worried about her.

    Are you.

    Okay?

    Before he could ask, Soliette smiled.

    "I am now.

    She seemed to be thinking of someone else who was precious to her.

    "Theres someone who supports my reality.

    She nodded as if to affirm she was truly okay.

    If that were the case, he is relieved.

    Felix looked at her and took a step back. Then another. He knelt, a sword still lodged in his heart.

    "Nowrest easy."

    Soliette said to him.

    I used to like you.

    Ha.

    At the same time, Knightmare''s helmet cracked and split. The skin of his body lost its vitality.

    She quietly looked up at the ceiling, struggling to hold back tears that seemed ready to flow.

    Its a good thing.

    She had helped him find release, so there was absolutely no need to cry

    "Meow."

    "Ah!

    A cat suddenly flew onto her head. The cat covered her face with its entire body.

    "Shi, Shion, what are you doing.

    Just wait a moment.

    After rubbing its paws a few times, the cat moved to her shoulder.

    .What is it, Shion.

    It was supposed to be a solemn moment.

    "Oh. Thats good."

    Shion looked at her and smirked.

    "Whats good?

    "Your face."

    "My face.

    Infimian.

    Though Soliette in her current state of consciousness transition wasnt the Soliette that Shion remembered, Shion had oveid the image of Soliette he remembered onto her with Infimian.

    So that Jared could recognize her.

    "Enough of that. Look over there."

    The cat pointed to the right.

    Soliette turned to look in that direction.

    "Where...

    Her words halted abruptly. Her eyes moistened with a strange sadness.

    It was because of Jared.

    Thud,thud.

    He was approaching her.

    Soliette stared at him nkly and then uttered a single phrase.

    "It''s over.

    "Yeah.

    Jared responded.

    "You did well, Soliette."

    Calling her by her name, Soliette''s name.

    ...Yes?

    Her heart skipped a beat at that moment

    "Youve grown up a lot. Even your cheeks have slimmed down. Oh, is that because youve been through a lot?

    A strange feeling welled up inside her. She took a step back. Jared caught her wrist.

    "Of course, I''m not the real thing. Im not your real brother.

    He spoke as if he was somewhat relieved.

    "Even so, if I were the real Jared, I would have praised you. I would have been thankful.

    Soliette looked at the detonator in his hand.

    ...Jared.

    "Yeah?"

    Soliette silently gazed at his detonator.

    Continued to look at it

    A peculiar sensation brushed against her back.

    A scene that seemed familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before, a moment that felt as if she had experienced it.

    Deja vu.

    And then...

    Hand over the detonator. Dont move.

    A voice that waspletely different from her own flowed into her ears.

    It was a voice too foreign, too full of despair, even for her own thoughts.

    "Ugh."

    Soliette pressed her temples.

    Echoes of certain moments reverberated through the piercing pain.

    Jared, you dont need to die. So please, hurry...

    Herself, desperately begging for the detonator.

    Jared, with a much sterner expression than now.

    Despite her pleas.

    -No!

    He presses the detonator.

    And I scream.

    A me that is not me cries out to him with a heart vomiting blood.

    ...Soliette?

    Jared called her name.

    Soliette snapped back to reality btedly.

    "Ah... Yes.

    "What are you doing?

    "Nothing... Something strange... Yes. No. Anyway."

    She shook her head vigorously.

    Jared smiled faintly and extended the detonator to her.

    A situationpletely opposite to the strange deja vu she had just experienced.

    "Why are you giving this to me...

    "Because this is a fake world. Im fake too. You have to make the decision.

    At Jareds words, Soliette slightly furrowed her brows.

    "Whether its real or fake, its exhausting to distinguish between such things. Lets just live as we are, as is. The Jared who remembers me is real, isnt he?"

    With that, she took the detonator from him.

    "Thank you for everything. It was so good to travel with you.

    ...So, youre not going to press it? Want to travel a bit more?"

    Jared asked with a mischievous tone.

    Soliette looked at Jared. Jared also looked at Soliette. The siblings quietly locked eyes.

    Jared.

    "Yeah?"

    Soliettes lips and tongue quivered as she prepared to say something.

    It might be too cheesy for siblings, too embarrassing to actually say.

    "I love you.

    With those words of love, she grasped his hand. Then, she ced the detonator on the connected part of their palms.

    "Let''s press it together.

    ...Well, that''s nice.

    Jared smiled.

    They extended their fingers. And then, with a push.

    They pressed the button on the detonator.

    A silent explosion.

    A great st surged from the bottom of this bottle, liberating the souls trapped within.

    Soliette looked at Jared. She ran to him, who was smiling at her, and hugged him tightly.

    ...I love you.

    Once again, those words of love.

    "Stop being so cheesy... I love you too, okay?"

    The time when he was scratching his nape, embarrassed.

    Jareds eyes widened. Soliette also turned to look behind her.

    Rumble!

    A strange soul was released from Felix''s armor. It was Knightmare. It screamed and charged at Soliette.

    To seize her consciousness, to make her the new host for the Knightmare...

    "Nyaah!

    Shion on her shoulder sprang into action. He dashed forward, blocking the soul of the Knightmare with his entire body.

    ...No!"

    Soliette almost cried out in despair as she reached out to him, but it was toote.

    The Knightmares soul brutally shed the cat.

    Thump.

    Immediately after, the explosion wasplete.

    The gravity inside the bottle disappeared, and all space was dyed pure white.

    In the dark room.

    Soliette red at the flickering light bulb, then with a snap of her fingers

    Red mana spread, illuminating the interior.

    It was the bathroom.

    And there was a mirror.

    Soliette looked at her reflection.

    Something was off.

    There was a small scar under her eye.

    One that the current her didnt have...

    She, no ''I'', no ''she'' sighed and disinfected a wound on her shoulder.

    It was an odd memory for Soliette.

    An experience she never had, yet a vague sense of deja vu surfaced.

    Drrrring

    The sound of a cellphone ringtone.

    Soliette roughly answered the call.

    Yes, this is Soliette.

    Her voice was deep.

    Much darker, much heavier, much more muffled than her current self.

    ...Dont worry. Ive already dealt with the Knightmare.

    Who was Soliette talking to now?

    As she wondered,

    So, Shion.

    She called Shion''s name and continued.

    Take care of yourself first If you keep moving like that, you wontst another 3 years and 7 months. Im telling you to pay more attention to your health than I do.

    ...Health?

    Soliette abruptly opened her eyes. She sat up quickly.

    ...What was that?

    She was dazed.

    The unidentifiable deja vu, no, it was too vivid to be just deja vu, moments that felt like forgotten memories...

    No, more importantly.

    "Ah!

    Soliette btedly recalled the previous situation.

    The scene where the Knightmare was shing Shion Ascal.

    "No, no, no, no!!!!

    Crash!

    As she screamed, the space around her shook.

    "Kyaaak!

    It was a woman''s scream. Soliette looked in that direction. There was a nurse.

    "Whats going on? Where am I?

    "Where else. Youre in a hospital.

    From the other side, a too familiar voice was heard.

    Soliette quickly turned her head to look.

    ...Shion?"

    It was Shion.

    Hey in the hospital bed, looking too unscathed to imagine that he had been killed by the Knightmare or had be its new host

    "Are you okay, are you alright?

    "Yeah. Are you okay? We got forcibly logged out

    "Forcibly logged out... No, more importantly.

    Soliettes head hurt.

    It was clear that Shion had been attacked by the Knightmare, yet he was unscathed, and just moments ago, she was haunted by bizarre deja vu-like memories, what in the-

    "How are you unharmed? I clearly saw you being shed by the Knightmare.

    "Ah, that?

    Shion chuckled. Then he lifted up the Bethune CD key. Soliettes eyes widened as she read it

    "Premium... special edition?

    "Yeah. Im a Bethune golden spoon. Got a permanent blessing when I started."

    Namely Wieders Blessing.

    I didnt know what the effect was, but thanks to the Knightmare, I found out

    When inflicted with a fatal wound that could lead to death, it would, just once, defend against all damage without limit

    Because Knightmare attacked me within the game, the game system defended me.

    "Ah... really.

    Soliette bit her lip. Shion kept chuckling at her, but then his expression turned slightly surprised.

    "Whats wrong?

    ...What do you mean?"

    "Are you crying?

    Tears had formed at the corners of Soliette''s eyes. She hastily wiped them with her sleeve and shook her head.

    I''m not crying.

    "Come on. You just cried, didn''t you?

    I did not cry!

    Soliette got up pretending to be angry.

    "Before you worry about others, take better care of yourself, Shion. You gave me quite a scare.

    "As long as Im not dead, whats the problem?

    Shion also stood up beside her.

    Then, for some reason.

    Soliette suddenly remembered the words she had said in the deja vu.

    ...You should take care of yourself first, Shion."

    "You should take care of yourself"

    If you keep moving like that, you wontst another 3 years and 7 months. Im telling you to pay more attention to your health than I do."

    Shion''s face froze, speechless for a moment. He looked at Soliette with a shockingly impacted expression.

    "Whats wrong?

    His reaction was excessively intense, so Soliette tilted her head in confusion.

    "Huh? Oh... no.

    He seemed to feel a strange dizziness, cing his palm on his forehead. In that state, he let out a bizarre, hollowugh.

    It''s nothing.

    A wavering voice iming it was nothing.

    Shion was still remembering.

    3 years and 7 months.

    It was the life expectancy he had told Soliette before his regression, at some point in the past.

 Chapter 268: Real, Fake (3)

    <h4>Chapter 268: Real, Fake (3)</h4>

    I have two sets of memories.

    One from before the regression, and another from after.

    The storylines are vastly different

    Yes. It''s over.

    This memory is from before the regression.

    In a coffee shop in the capital, Soliette spoke. There was a scar by her eyes that hadnt been there before.

    I was concerned, but my concern was meaningless to her.

    So, is it over?

    I asked her, a hint of disappointment in my voice. Soliette slightly furrowed her brow.

    It''s not over for me yet.

    Not over? You said you dealt with Knightmare.

    As I mentioned Knightmare, Soliettes expression turned bitter. She twisted her lips into a wry smile and ran her fingers through her hair.

    Knightmare is an artificial phenomenon.

    Artificial phenomenon.

    That meant..

    It was created.

    Knightmare was a being created by someone.

    I will pursue whoever was behind it.

    At the time, I thought Soliette was broken. I mistook her for seeking another target for revenge, even after her vengeance wasplete.

    But that wasn''t it.

    Soliettes revenge was just beginning then.

    More importantly, how is your health, Shion?

    She was concerned about me. It was probably out of a sense of duty, but it still felt good.

    Well... its been a month since the 3 years and 7 months, so 3 years and 6 months left?

    But its strange. How can your life expectancy be so specific?

    I don''t know. They say it''s predicted. Because I haven''t broken through my limit yet

    I sipped my coffee while looking at Soliette. After gulping down her coffee in one go, Soliette stood up.

    Where are you going?

    To investigate.

    Investigate what? Ill help you.

    I had connections in the underworld and the slums, so I could help Soliette with her revenge.

    I could be of help to her.

    Two yearster, my help led to her suicide.

    I quietly opened my eyes.

    Drip, drip.

    The sound of rain. The dark interior. The creaking of wooden nks in the old Endex building.

    Huuu...

    Next to me, I could hear Soliette sleeping. There was a cat beside her.

    A cat given by Growl.

    ...3 years and 7 months.

    I murmured softly as I looked at her.

    "How could she know.

    Its something I cant understand.

    But if I were to hypothesize, maybe Soliette overcame the regression.

    But is oveing regression even possible?

    And even if it is, why is it that only Soliette remembers parts of what happened before?

    Because shes strong enough to ovee it?

    Then shouldnt Jade have been the first to ovee it?

    ...My head."

    My temples throbbed.

    "Haah...

    A deep sigh escaped me.

    The current Soliette and the Soliette before regression are different

    Of course, I loved the Soliette from before the regression, but she was never a healthy character.

    Beep-beep-beep Beep-beep-beep

    Meanwhile, the sun had risen.

    "Hey. Soliette.

    I poked Soliettes cheek with my finger. She scrunched up her face like crumpled newspaper and opened her eyes.

    ...What is it?"

    "What are you nning to do now?"

    ...Huh?

    She red at me sleepily, furrowing her brow as if asking what I was talking about.

    "What are you going to do now? Theres no Knightmare anymore.

    Perhaps my expression was quite stern, as Soliette also sat up.

    "Knightmare...

    She fumbled with her lips and hesitated.

    I finished her sentence for her.

    It''s an artificial phenomenon. A disaster caused by humans. A creation.

    ''...Ah.''

    Soliettes eyes widened.

    "So. What kind of revenge are you going to take?"

    I asked her about her ns for revenge.

    ...I need to find whos behind it

    "And then?

    Whates next is important.

    After finding and punishing those behind it, what will Soliette do? What does she want to do?

    Then Soliette looked at the [Bethune] gaming console. She narrowed her eyes almost to slits.

    Im going to be a game developer.

    ...Game development?

    "Yes. [Bethune] is under maintenance right now, isnt it?"

    The bottle was destroyed, and the souls within spilled out, wrapping around the entirety of Bethune. Because of that, it was currently under forced maintenance.

    Probably, it''s the process of [Bethune] being incorporated into reality.

    "Once the server is up, I n to create another game inside it. I''d like to meet the developers too.

    I smiled thinly and rubbed the back of my neck.

    Bing a game developer isnt too bad.

    Either way, it''s better than suicide.

    I tapped her head lightly.

    "Then get up. Lets go to school.

    At Edsi National University, I attended sses with Soliette for the first time in a while. Due to her prolonged absences, her grades and assignments were aplete mess, but those were unnecessary for Soliette anyway.

    ...Its been so long, it''s overwhelming to catch up.

    "That''s your karma. That''s what you get for only ying games."

    Soliette pouted her lips as she red at the pile of assignments in her arms.

    "Whoa?! Shion- Soliette!!

    Just then, someone waved and ran towards us from across the campus.

    It was La.

    She approached with a grin, dragging Gerkhen along with her.

    "Hey, guys. Wanna go see Elly?"

    ...Out of the blue?

    "No- She set up a hospital in the Magic Tower, didnt she? We could check out the Magic Tower too.

    I looked at Gerkhen. He coughed awkwardly, and La exined.

    "Oh. Hes in my debate ss. Hes really good at it. Might go into politics or something.

    Is that so.

    "But Soliette, why havent you beening to school?

    La looked at Soliette. Soliette scratched the back of her neck andughed awkwardly.

    I had some things to take care of."

    "Things? Whatever... If you wanna meet Ellyter, just let me know-

    Suddenly, La pulled me aside and whispered in my ear.

    Elly wants to see you.

    ...Dont lie to me.

    Its unlikely that Elise would say something like that.

    "Hehehehe."

    La snickered with a mischievous expression.

    "Oh, right. Did you guys hear? The Trick City Hero Act passed."

    "Really? That''s interesting.

    Half of the Hero Act is probably because of me.

    Not that its not true, I''ve been consistently active as Raquel Dra. Whenever I had spare time, I hunted down and killed the scum of the underworld, the cartels spies.

    "Well then...

    Ding-

    An rm went off on my smartphone.

    It was a text from the Intelligence Agency.

    I gotta go first. Soliette. Ask these guys to help you with your assignments.

    "Ah!

    Soliettes eyes sparkled as if she had a brilliant idea. Gerkhen and La looked perplexed, but Soliette, grinning like an idiot, promised to buy them food and led them away.

    As soon as I returned to the Intelligence Agency, I rummaged through a few personnel files. It was a privilege not granted to rookies, but I used Bell Moore''s code.

    [Jeff Garner]

    Hes a candidate for the team.

    From a lower-tier university. His weapon of choice is a dagger. Height 173 cm.

    Currently an outsider among Chasers, but in 5 years, he''ll be sessful in back-to-back extreme missions and grow into a Chaser on par with a Bncer.

    Ive seen him before at some point.

    If I had to describe him in a word, it would be a man of principle.

    He doesnt kill indiscriminately just for the sess of a mission, nor does he bring in elements unrted to the mission.

    ...Why is it so cramped.

    I found his office.

    Every Chaser has a personal office. The same goes for Jeff Garner. Theres no shortage of rooms in the vast underground expanse of the Intelligence Agency.

    I got a fairly spacious office thanks to Bell Moore changing it for me this time, but Jeffs office seemed like it wouldnt even be a tenth of mine.

    Its not even close to a studio apartment

    There wasn''t even a doorknob, so I just walked in.

    Theptop was shoddy. The clothes hanging on the coat rack were shoddy too.

    Even though the earnings of a Chaser vary from person to person, there should still be a base sry of at least 10,000 Ren a year.

    Creeeak-

    The office door opened from the outside.

    I turned to look.

    ...What brings you here?

    Jeff Garner. He asked me.

    For me, it was slightly disconcerting.

    How couldn''t it be? The gap between the future and now was too great.

    Though it''s only 5 years in the future, back then he had a bushy beard, deep wrinkles, and always wore sunsses.

    ...You are Jeff Garner, correct?

    "Yes, thats me.

    His voice was simr to that time, but his face waspletely different.

    Neat facial features, incredibly deer-like eyes. He was much shorter than I remembered, giving off an excessively cute impression.

    Was this impression deliberately cultivated to appear tougher?

    I am Shion Ascal.

    Im aware. You''re from Team Leader Bell Moores..."

    "Good."

    I fiddled with a pack of cigarettes on the desk as I spoke.

    If he already knew, it made it easier to sell my name.

    Jeff Garner. Team Leader Bell Moore wants you."

    Jeffs alreadyrge eyes grew even wider.

    At the same time.

    Intelligence Agency Director Gedley was presiding over an executive meeting. The purpose of the meeting was Vern once again. To find some way to retaliate against him, who was using the media and public opinion to disperish Derek.

    However, Gedley couldnt shake his concerns about Bell Moore.

    Gedley had seen him.

    In a meeting presided over by six team leaders and the director, the man didnt say a word. Instead, he consistently disyed a yes-man-like expression and attitude, reacting positively to everything said.

    His poker face was cunningly natural.

    "So then. Team Leader Bell Moore, who took down a Senator who was one of Vern''s fingers.

    Gedley pointed at Bell Moore with his finger. Bell Moore shed a brief smile.

    "Can the team leader take on another operation this time?

    If youmand it, I''m always ready."

    He was at ease.

    Director Gedley and the four other team leaders of the same faction werent exactly pleased with his demeanor, but they made an effort to hide their feelings.

    Bell Moore thought to himself.

    ''Maybe I''ll dump everything on Shion and hit the club. I heard some celebrities areing tonight.''

    Team leader Bell Moore is always soposed, isnt he?

    At Gedleys question, Bell Moore blinked for a moment and then nodded.

    Is there ever leisure or anxiety in a mission? I simply do what the direct linemands."

    While saying this, Bell Moore thought.

    ''Ill leave it to that guy Shion for now... Ah. Do I have any credit limit left? Looks like I''ll need to swipe for at least three or four bottles of expensive liquor.

    On the other hand, Gedley and the four team leaders pursed their lips.

    Clearly, the man had a different mindset

    However, the extent of his influence has yet to be revealed. No one knows who belongs to his faction.

    As can be inferred from his poker face right now, he''s a very cunning and quiet guy.

    "Alright We''ll entrust the operation to Team Leader Bell Moore. Report back after nning."

    "Yes."

    Gedley stood up first. The four team leaders followed him, and Bell Moore naturally stood up behind them.

    "Then you all...

    Gedley was about to converse with the four team leaders when Bell Moore, who suddenly interjected, stopped him.

    ...Do you have something to say, Team Leader Bell Moore?

    Bell Moore looked at Gedley silently for a moment. Gedley met his gaze.

    Bell Moore''s dilemma was as follows:

    ''Should I ask to borrow a card for operational expenses? I could use that to cover the club expenses.

    ...If you have something to say, speak up."

    It seems we''ll need operational funds."

    "Operational funds?"

    "Yes. A card under a pseudonym would suffice.

    ...Is that necessary?

    "Yes. Theres considerable personal expenditure in carrying out the operation.

    In reality, Shion Ascal was using his daily sry for the expenses. The concept of operational funds didnt exist for him.

    "Alright First, report the details of the operation, and then well provide the necessary funds."

    "Ah, yes."

    Bell Moore smirked.

    "When are we having the team dinner? Id like to invite Director Gedley.

    At that moment, Gedleys expression hardened slightly.

    A team dinner. Clearly a suspicious suggestion.

    Knowing there might be some trap set up.

    Team Leader Collores from the third team grimaced and stepped forward.

    ...Team Leader Bell Moore. Let''s talk about thatter. Youve only been here a month, havent you?

    "No, why wait half a year for a team dinner when you can have one after a month?

    Gedley left without saying a word. The four team leaders followed him. Bell Moore watched them with a peculiar gaze in his eyes.

    ...Youve got some nerve."

    A voice came from behind.

    Bell Moore looked in that direction.

    It was Team Leader David.

    For Bell Moore, David was a bit of an annoyance, a team leaderpletely out of favor with Gedley. Quite a foolish fellow.

    Is this a deration of war?

    Davids bizarrement left Bell Moore dumbfounded.

    Had hepletely lost his mind?

    ...What did you say?

    When Bell Moore asked back, David smirked and offered his hand for a handshake.

    Bell Moore frowned and put his hands in his pockets, walking out.

    Keep the handshaking to yourself.

    Ha ha ha ha. Sure.

    He seemed satisfied, but he really seemed like someone who had lost his mind. Better to keep his distance.

    Bell Moore took out his phone and made a call to someone.

    "Hey Shion. Weve got an operation.

    Recently, Johanna had been searching for Zia. This bitch hadn''t shown up at the Aerial Garden, so Johanna scoured the continent far and wide, but Zia was nowhere to be found.

    "Ah... should I kill her.

    On the streets of the imperial capital, in the coffee shop [BALANCE] where she had followed the traces of Zia, Johanna heard from an employee that she had already gone somewhere else.

    Is this crazy bitch ying games with me now?

    Just as heat was rising to Johanna''s head, steaming with anger.

    Drring Drring

    A call came through.

    It was Zia.

    Johanna hastily answered the phone.

    "You fucking bitch!''

    She cursed reflexively, just like she used to.

    Ah... sister...

    "Where are you.

    Right now... I''m at the Aerial Garden...

    "...Aerial Garden?

    Yes... work finishedte so...

    "Spit it out, quickly!

    It finishedte... sorry...

    A vein popped on Johannas forehead.

    "Youre deliberately speaking slowly, arent you. Do you want your tongue cut out? Are you even human if you cant speak ten sybles in 30 seconds?"

    No... Ive just...e up to the Aerial Garden... waiting here-

    Crack-!

    She clenched the phone in her hand. She kicked the phone, now broken in half-the sixth one shed destroyed - and got into her car.

    "Back to the Aerial Garden. When I find that bitch, Ill whip her ass... Lets go!''

    "Yes!"

    The chauffeur also floored the elerator urgently.

 Chapter 269: Real, Fake (4)

    <h4>Chapter 269: Real, Fake (4)</h4>

    Johanna arrived at the Aerial Garden. She had practically flown there, but the only thing that greeted her was a goddamn message left by Zia.

    [Sister... Ive been so busytely... I have to go down right away... Ive be the president in charge of a new business... Im sorry we keep missing each other... Ill be right back... Im sorry we keep missing each other...]

    ...This fucking bitch.

    Johanna red at the message until she felt dizzy. More than irritation, questions surged within her.

    "Why does this bitch use ellipses even in her letters?

    She deliberately left those ''... in her written lines.

    Its as if shes intentionally mocking me.

    "Whats this new business?

    Johanna asked her maid.

    "She received the coffee bean distribution rights from Lord Jade.

    ...Jade?

    "Yes. It seems to be an exclusive supply contract for the coffee beans to Cafe Bnce.

    For some reason, Jade and Zia always seemed to get along well.

    It had been that way since they were young.

    The one who was more Libra than anyone, who looked more like a Libra than anyone else, Zia.

    Some idiot taking a liking to a moron.

    Johanna clenched Zia''s note in her hand. Crinkle, crinkle. The crushed paper fluttered down like particles.

    These bastards are testing the limits of my patience, but I must hold back.

    She must

    She wanted to hang her upside down and whip her, but she couldnt do that.

    If she lets her rough behavior show, if she did anything cruel to Zia, Shion Ascal wouldnt be pleased.

    Hes stubborn enough as it is; he might be disappointed in her.

    Zia is probably counting on that, ying hard to get like this.

    Johanna dialed Zia''s number again.

    Ring-ring- ring-ring-

    -...Hello?

    Thankfully, she didnt ignore the call.

    Johanna asked, holding back the surge of anger.

    ...Where are you? I''m in Aerial Garden.

    Ah... Sister... I was... about to... speak...

    "Never mind, just speak a bit faster.

    Fucking bitch.

    Johanna swallowed the curse inside her and forced a smile.

    Im handling the business of... supplying the coffee beans... and will soon... be back up...

    "No, its fine. Stay there.

    Johanna leaned against the wall.

    Ill find you."

    From now on, shell deploy more people to search more aggressively.

    Shes been holding back because of Derek''s direct surveince'' nonsense, but now she''s done with it

    -Ah...

    "Wait for me. I have a lot to say to you.

    -Yes... Sister...

    Johanna smashed her seventh phone in half. Then she turned around in the corridor.

    "Oh.

    She ran into Belingham Kantar.

    Sherlocks Bncer, in other words, her father''s trusted aide.

    Johanna raised her eyebrows.

    It''s been a while, hasnt it?

    ...Yes. You seem to be in a very bad mood.

    At Belinghams inquiry, Johanna waved her hand.

    It was a gesture telling him not to ask.

    "Ha ha. Understood."

    He smiled as he wiped his hands with a towel.

    Johanna asked him.

    "What were you doing?

    "What... Ah, I was seeing Sophie."

    I see. More importantly, Im curious after such a longtime. What is the head of the family doing?

    "Oh, are you?

    Belingham widened his eyes.

    "Whats with the act of surprise? You see him often enough, don''t you?

    "No. I dont see him that often either. Its been about 3 years... I suppose. The head of the family also extremely refrains from showing himself.

    Someone had taken after this characteristic of Sherlock.

    It was Zia.

    It wasn''t for nothing that the family elders called Zia ''the most Libra of the direct line.

    If its been 3 years, youve seen him ten times more than I have."

    "Ha ha... No. Anyway, the head of the family is currently waiting for a sessor. Someone to whom he can pass on his entire legacy.

    Sessor.

    Johanna had been running towards that goal all this time. The one desire she had ever harbored in her life was that

    If she couldn''t be the sessor, she would be no different from the senile elders of Libra.

    ...How about you, Miss Johanna? Right now, it seems your mind is elsewhere.

    Belingham asked with a rather serious tone.

    Her expression soured.

    "Don''t cross the line. My mind is none of your business."

    "Ah, my apologies. It seemed as if you were ying a game of tag recently.

    Its all for the sake of obtaining the sessorship.

    Shion Ascal is a definitive Bncer. Making him hers would be a clear advantage.

    Therefore, all her efforts are for the sake of bing the sessor.

    Its not that shes being led by Shion Ascal...

    Probably.

    Ill be going."

    "Yes. I will prepare the vehicle right away.

    Johanna strode out of the mansion.

    Early in the morning, a clear sunlight settled down like paint on an ordinary day.

    For the first time, Soliette visited themunal cemetery.

    The resting ce of her brother, not in Arknes hometown, but buried in the capital.

    In the past, she didnt have the means toe here. Nor did she want to.

    Looking at the grave felt like acknowledging death.

    She didnt want to ept the death of someone already gone.

    ...Brother.

    Now it''s different.

    Soliette can ept his death.

    He is already dead, and the living cannot be with the dead.

    All she can do is cherish the memories she had with him while holding him in her heart.

    Jared. I came to see you. I came to visit you.

    Of course, he wasnt the real Jared, but it must have been Felixs consideration for her healing.

    Still, his voice lingers in her ears.

    I love you too, okay?

    Words she had never heard in her life.

    Words she had never been able to say.

    To say and to hear "I love you.

    It was indeed a blessing.

    ...It was thanks to Felix.

    Soliette murmured as if she was about to cry, kneeling on one knee. She ced flowers on Jared''s tombstone.

    "And... there''s still work left for me to do."

    Perhaps Jared himself wouldnt want revenge, but still.

    Because there might be other victims in the future.

    Soliette will cut off that sprout herself, no, together with Shion Ascal.

    ...But."

    Suddenly, Soliettes expression hardened.

    She quietly closed her eyes.

    ...Jared. You shouldn''t have died.

    Strange scenes kept haunting her mind.

    Soliette unable to let go of Jared, and Jared forcibly detaching himself from such Solietti

    Memories that she did not understand.

    "What are these memories?

    Just a simple imagination, or some kind of cinematic deja vu?

    Sigh... Anyway, Ille againter."

    Just as Soliette sighed and turned around.

    I love you.

    Suddenly, a blood-soaked voice whispered in her ear.

    A throbbing pain at her temple.

    "Ah!

    Soliette clutched the side of her head and closed her eyes.

    Some shape was projected behind her dark eyelids.

    Thend all around her was aze.

    A badly wounded Shion Ascal.

    He ced his hand on her cheek, and pressed his forehead against hers, the words escaping him on a trembling breath.

    Im sorry. For someone like me to love you...

    A moment of sheer desperation.

    Soliette abruptly opened her eyes.

    It was still, just an ordinarymunal cemetery.

    Her mind was momentarily dazed, but she shook her head to clear it.

    Rubbing her throbbing temples, she walked on.

    In the dim night.

    I got into Jeff Garner''s car.

    My car was bugged by Bell Moore.

    . It seems Linked Form is somewhat operational.

    But the car was pretty shabby. Actually, not just ''pretty'' - it was a wonder it moved at all.

    Its probably about 20 years old."

    "Youre very thrifty.

    "Thank you.

    That wasn''t apliment.

    "Anyway, heres the file."

    I handed him the file. Before my regression, Jeff Garner had a remarkable talent for assassinating agents.

    It was likely still the case.

    Is this a mission?"

    "Unofficial. Just read it first."

    "Yes.

    Jeff opened the file.

    [Operation: Strike on Future Strategy Room]

    Future Strategy Room

    "Vern also runs an information team. They call it the Future Strategy Room."

    But let me repeat, Vern is no pushover. In fact, if handled incorrectly, he could be a bigshot capable of going down with Derek.

    "Theyre known as agents. They travel across the continent, stealing Derek''s vulnerable information and engaging in sabotage. Among them.

    I pointed to the face of a man with a thick neck.

    [Maorge]

    "This Maorge is bing a nuisance. Hes been causing quite a stir.

    "Should I kill him?''

    Jeff asked.

    "Yes. As discreetly as possible."

    He pocketed the file into his inner jacket. Then, he suddenly turned to look at me.

    "But Mr. Shion. May I ask you one thing?

    "Anything."

    "Why did Team Leader Bell Moore choose me?"

    Hmm."

    I leaned back in the seat.

    I needed to think about what to say and how to say it. If I got it wrong, Jeff might run to Bell Moore and mess up the n.

    "Dont be mistaken. You haven''t been chosen yet."

    Not yet?"

    "Yes. This is a test from that person."

    I reced Bell Moore with the title ''that person.

    It would make him hesitate, and hesitation would keep him from approaching too easily.

    "Moreover, that person is more meticulous and strategic than anyone else. Do you think that person would have recruited you on a mere whim?

    Jeff wore an expression of half-belief, half-doubt

    Jeff Garner. 173 cm. 70 kg. A graduate of Gorgoa University. You work out every morning from 6 to 9 before going to work. Breakfast is curry with a chicken breast sd. Lunch is a sandwich with a suitable protein. Dinner is always beef. The reason your weight has stayed the same for over a decade is because of this routine. You also lived with just your mother, but she has passed away now."

    At that, Jeff trembled as if shocked, then his face turned slightly angry, probably because of the mention of his mother.

    It might be sensitive information but

    Im 177 cm."

    Excuse me?

    I asked back.

    He chewed his lip and then quickly corrected himself.

    Im 177 cm tall.

    "Uh-huh...

    I nced down at his feet. The heels of his shoes were quite high.

    "Ah, yes. Anyway. I also know that you have a half-brother.

    Huh.

    This time, his expression was genuinely surprised, and a little angry.

    "Theres no need to be upset. It means that person has been keeping an eye on you."

    "Me... you mean?

    "Yes."

    I crossed my arms with a nod.

    Im offering you a lifeline. Of course, its a rather thin lifeline, so the skill of the person grabbing it is crucial.

    Jeff fell silent, lost in thought.

    "Make your decision carefully. But if you decide to grab the lifeline, you must hide yourself as much as possible. Even if you dont, youll need to keep todays matter to yourself.

    I whispered the threat softly, but well.

    After all, Jeff is already a Chaser without a leash. And hes not without ambition.

    It means hell certainly ept.

    Ill take hold of it

    Jeff answered heavily.

    "Yes.

    I smiled inwardly.

    Jeff Garner has the talent to be a formidable weapon in the Intelligence Agency with just a little nurturing.

    "Then, from now on, all matters will go through me.

    "Yes. I understand."

    Until Bell Moore bes the director, Bell Moore''s influence must remain under the surface.

    To deceive not only Director Gedley but also Bell Moore himself.

    "Now, please give me your Chaser code. Ill invite you to the hotline..."

    How long did you think you could run, you bitch.

    ...In the end, Zia was caught. She had been staying at Jades mansion, but she was ensnared by Johanna''s cunning ploy.

    Zia muttered sullenly.

    "To think youd bring... the broadcasting station...

    "Hahaha.

    Johanna had bribed the station to interview Jade, under the pretense of wanting to feature an article and interview about the meteoric rise of the cafe bncer.

    Jade, who secretly enjoyed the media spotlight, naturally epted, and Zia carefully fled.

    All of Jades direct family avoided the press, but Zia, in particr, was an extreme reclusive.

    Johanna took advantage of this and captured Zia.

    She tied her up and made her kneel in her own mansion.

    ...Sister. But its not like I avoided it on purpose. I was just busy with work. I''ve even acquired a new business venture...

    "You sure talk fast when you''re caught. Over the phone, you were as slow as a sloth.

    Zia pouted her lips.

    "Enough. Look here.

    Johanna handed her a certificate.

    Uh...

    "Shares of the Golden Casino. And on top of that, shares of OMS Broadcasting and Herald Press.

    Zia scanned the certificates with her eyes.

    2% of Golden Casino, 3% of the broadcasting station, 3% of the presspany.

    Certificates that would be worth hundreds of millions of Ren if cashed in immediately.

    "You could retire right now and livefortably for the rest of your life."

    Johanna looked at Zia with a seductive smile. Zia pretended not to notice and swallowed her saliva.

    "Sister, why are you giving this to me...

    "You know why, dont you?

    Johanna lifted Zias chin with the tip of her foot.

    "You ran away because you knew.

    Of course, Zia knew too.

    There was only one thing Johanna wanted from her, one thing worth desiring.

    I... dont have the authority...

    "What authority are you talking about?

    The authority to send Shion...

    I know. It ultimately depends on his will anyway.

    Johanna squatted down and looked into Zias eyes.

    "All you need to do is give your permission with that mouth of yours. Ill persuade the rest.

    Zia then puffed her cheeks in displeasure.

    "Where do you think...

    Johanna grabbed her cheek with her fingers and shook it back and forth.

    "Aah... Aack... Ack...

    "Eventually. Itll be fine once I be the sessor. Ill make things convenient for you then.

    She tormented Zia, pinching her cheeks over and over. She couldnt do anything more extreme, or she might give others a reason to fault her.

    She pinched her cheeks mercilessly.

    "Ask him yourself, sister.

    Finally, Zia spoke.

    It''s okay... for me..."

    Her tone was almost tearful, and tears welled up in herrge eyes. It was probably an appeal to Johanna''s sympathy, but Johanna burst into loudughter instead.

    "Good. Youve clearly given your permission. Dont say anything else.

    ...Shion probably wont agree.

    "Well see when we see.

    With a snap of her fingers, Johanna released the ropes that had bound Zia.

    Zia red at Johanna with a sulky expression, then stealthily gathered the certificates Johanna had scattered.

    Im leaving. We''ll see each otherter.

    Johanna left Zia there and walked out.

 Chapter 270: Real, Fake (5)

    <h4>Chapter 270: Real, Fake (5)</h4>

    JefFs primary weapon is a dagger. A convenient knife for carrying, with a de about 30 centimeters long.

    His special ability is [Deferred Forced When he applies physical force to any substance, he can dy the effect at will.

    Yes, it''s like that thing you often see inics.

    He shes with a sword, and three secondster, the opponent copses.

    Thud. Thud.

    Its a tranquil evening in the alleys of Edsis capital.

    Jeff walks quietly, his dagger hidden in his pocket.

    His target is Maorge, who is walking towards him, about ten paces away.

    He will strike the moment they cross paths.

    Thud. Thud.

    As Maorge draws near, close enough for their shoulders to faintly touch,

    Jeff pretends to brush past him and stabs at vital points.

    In the blink of an eye, three stabs.

    But the target feels no pain, no sensation at all.

    Because Jeff has [Deferred J the physical force.

    "Hey."

    Suddenly, Maorge grabs JefFs shoulder.

    Jeff quickly releases the [ Deferred Force] , and Maorge clutches desperately at the stabbed areas.

    "Argh!

    But stopping the bleeding is impossible.

    Hes been stabbed in three vital spots.

    "Cough... What the hell are you

    Jeff thrusts his knife again.

    "Motherfucker!"

    Maorge grabs Jeffs wrist tightly. Lifting him up, he ms Jeff into the asphalt.

    Boom!

    Dust flies. The ground is torn apart. Blood spurts from JefFs mouth.

    "Die, you piece of shit!

    Just as Maorge is about to smash his fist into JefFs face.

    Crack!

    Another de pierces Maorges face. He stiffens on the spot.

    No, he bes a corpse.

    Jeff stares nkly in that direction.

    Shlick!

    Shion Ascal calmly sheaths his sword.

    I saw the message on the hotline. I was waiting just in case."

    He wipes the de with a cloth as he speaks. Jeff struggles to his feet, his body throbbing with pain.

    I guess I failed."

    No.

    Shion shakes his head.

    "Take this.

    He hands over an object.

    Its a gun.

    "A gun,

    "Your talent is exceptional. Youve just been too simplistic in its utilization.

    "Utilization, you say?

    "Yes. The more weapons you have, the better. Weapons that exert ordinary physical force often cant prate a Magic Body...

    Magic Bodies mostly mitigate the physical force. For instance, Gerken wouldnt die even if riddled with bullets from a machine gun.

    "But not you. You wont even give the Magic Body a chance to turn on.''

    The downside is that Magic Body turning on'' is a conscious concept.

    Of course, even so, assassination is not easy.

    Those who know how to use Magic Body are monsters with overall physical abilities extremely developed, not just Magic Body. They can instantly activate Magic Body the moment they sense gunfire or murderous intent.

    It''s a silencer pistol. Even if you shoot, it wont make the slightest sound.

    In fact, Jeff before regression often favored using a silenced pistol.

    Given that he can apply physical force with Deferred Force, if he riddles the target with this silenced pistol before they can activate their Magic Body, theyll end their life before they even have a chance to turn it on.

    Its also useful in the opposite situation. After attacking a target who has already activated Magic Body, he just has to wait until the Magic Body wears off.

    Jeff Garner. You''ve passed.

    Shion extended his hand to him.

    Jeff also took his hand.

    Chloe. Sia. Jeff.

    For now, three members have been secured.

    He ns to recruit two more. Too many would be cumbersome, but too few would not be enough to wage a power struggle.

    [Bell Moore, Team Leader]

    I knocked on the team leaders office door, having received permission from the secretary first

    Come in.

    Bell Moores voice, trying to sound overly deep for no reason.

    I entered the team leaders office.

    "Whats the matter?

    "Mission report.

    Hmm."

    I handed the report to Bell Moore. He took it and read it.

    "Youre going to hit Verns Future Strategy Room?"

    "Yes.

    He will assassinate the key members of the Future Strategy Room, one by one. Of course, this could escte into a war where they kill off Chasers one by one, but it doesn''t matter.

    After all, most of the Chasers, except for me, will be part of Dereks or Johanna''s faction.

    "So these guys will attack the Intelligence Agency too?"

    "The judgment is that Chasers are far superior to them. Above all, they wont be able to get their hands on the list of the decentralized Chaser organization."

    .That''s true."

    Bell Moore answered and yawned slightly. Hisplexion was pale as if he had drunk too much the night before, and the smell of alcohol was strong.

    "Alright You can report it as it is.

    I was about to turn around and leave when I hesitated.

    . Team Leader. Hows work going?

    "Work? Its fine. Why?

    "There are some rumors.

    "What rumors?

    That Director Gedley is keeping a check on Team Leader Bell Moore.

    Im baiting him. Its necessary to build up gently like this so thatter on, Bell Moore will be convinced, and more importantly...

    This office.

    Its being bugged.

    "Tsk, tsk. Don''t speak ill. Director Gedley isnt that kind of person. What reason would he have to keep tabs on me?

    Bell Moore said this while waving his hand dismissively.

    "Get out.

    His attempt to look important was a bit irritating, but well.

    This isnt too bad.

    "Tsk, tsk. Don''t speak ill. Director Gedley isnt that kind of person. What reason would he have to keep tabs on me?

    At the same time.

    Gedley was listening to the recording from Bell Moores office.

    It seemed like an ordinary conversation, but...

    "This is strange."

    Gedleys subordinate had a different thought.

    Strange, you say?

    "Yes. As I was reviewing the recordings from Team Leader Bell Moores office, a thought urred to me.

    The subordinate spoke with a grave face, suggesting deep suspicion.

    "Team Leader Bell Moore has not once spoken about work-rted matters in his office."

    It was true.

    Bell Moore would either nap, make club reservations on his phone, or watch dramas in his office.

    "Not even once?"

    "Yes. However, the team''s work has not stalled."

    Mostly because Shion was doing the grunt work.

    "So, I keep having this suspicion.

    Gedley felt like he already knew what his subordinate was going to say.

    ...That Bell Moore is already aware of the bugging?

    "Yes. This part.

    The subordinate reyed a segment of the conversation.

    "Tsk, tsk. Don''t speak ill. Director Gedley isnt that kind of person. What reason would he have to keep tabs on me?

    "The sudden praise for Director Gedley, doesn''t it sound a bit like hes acting?

    It was a valid point.

    Gedley smirked and put a finger to his temple.

    ...Cunning bastard.

    Little by little, Bell Moores true intentions seemed to being to light, but it was still just the tip of the iceberg. No one knows what thoughts, ambitions, or methods he might reveal.

    This uncertainty was a clear threat, but then again.

    He had been toofortable in his position as director for too long.

    There was no need for anger.

    Apetitor like this was natural. In fact, it was almost necessary for such characters to appear asionally so they could be brutally crushed, and with each defeat, his own position would be all the more secure.

    "What about the club he frequents?

    "There''s nothing unusual. It''s probably just to lull us intocency, but well continue to investigate."

    ...Do that.

    Gedley sent his subordinates off to delve deeper.

    Sunken deeply in his chair, Gedley thought about the man named Bell Moore, a formidable opponent.

    "How dare... that lowly maggot.

    The rage that surged up as if to consume him forced a strained smile onto Gedleys lips.

    The following night, at Edsi National Universitys dormitory.

    Shion... It seems your n has seeded...

    Zia had called me.

    "Are you referring to my n?"

    Yes... Johanna mighte to you...

    I had told her that I would stir up emotions in Johanna.

    To make her give up her session by her own feelings.

    But honestly, I wasn''t sure if it would work or not

    What will be of Johanna? How will she live her life from now on?

    Its impossible to know. I couldn''t even dare to predict.

    It will be alright."

    However, what Ivee to realize while staying in Libra is that in the end, they are also human.

    From afar, they seemed like the axis of evil, trying to build their own empires, exploiting themon people, and swallowing up the continent.

    But up close, they had their own reasons, clear principles of action, standards, and were even somewhat charming.

    I could see why so many people swore allegiance to Libra.

    ...Okay. But I still worry...

    Knock-knock-

    just then, there was a knock on the door.

    "Someone has arrived. Ill hang up for a moment."

    Okay.

    I straightened my clothes and went to open the door.

    "Who is it.

    At first, I thought it was Johanna.

    Naturally, I assumed it would be her.

    ...What is it?

    "Whaddya mean what? The team leader hase to consult his subordinate."

    Suddenly, it was Bell Moore.

    He peeked around my room with a sly smile.

    "Come out. Ivee to give you something really big.

    On a bench in the university campus.

    Bell Moore sat next to me, arms crossed. I asked him.

    "You said you were going to give me something really big. But you''vee empty-handed?"

    The really big thing is always here.

    Bell Moore clicked his tongue and crossed his legs.

    "Hey. You know about the Beckman case, right?

    "Yes. Im aware.

    "A spot as Johannas bncer is opening up.

    Only then did I begin to understand why Bell Moore hade looking for me.

    He was sent by Johanna.

    "You. Lady Johanna has taken a liking to you. Just go to her."

    I serve Miss Zia."

    "Come on, don''t be so uptight. Lets be flexible. You can serve Miss Zia while working under Lady Johanna. When Lady Johanna bes the sessor, itll make things easier for Miss Zia, you know?"

    I turned to look at Bell Moore.

    "Have you decided to serve Lady Johanna, Team Leader?

    ...Huh? Oh... No, well. I have to maintain political neutrality. Im the team leader of the Intelligence Agency, man. Im just rmending a good path for you as a subordinate.

    Bell Moore prodded subtly.

    ...Why. Do you dislike Lady Johanna?''

    No.

    I shook my head.

    "But why?

    Fora moment, I pondered mylines.

    From now on, its a y, a drama. A scene that must be manipted to deceive Johanna.

    "Something someone said.

    "Who?

    "That''s a secret

    "Oh, is that so? What did they say?

    Bell Moore was unusually talkative today. It seemed like he had been promised something substantial by Johanna to draw me in.

    ...That I harbor feelings for Lady Johanna.

    I returned to him the words that Beckman had said to me.

    "Huh?

    Bell Moore made a strange expression.

    "But it turns out I dont know that myself. A person who doesnt even know their own feelings.

    ...Ah. That does seem like you. Honestly, youve got a bit of a psychotic streak.

    I red at Bell Moore with narrowed eyes.

    Just kidding. So? Isnt that better? If you like Lady Johanna, then-

    "No.

    I cut off Bell Moores words, adopting a rather sorrowful expression.

    Just in case the conversation was being recorded.

    With a slightly sad tone, I said,

    "That''s precisely why I cannot be by her side."

    Bell Moore pursed his lips. Then he sighed softly and nodded.

    "Well. I suppose.

    He epted it surprisingly easily.

    "But I thought you might say that. You''ve always been a sucker for anyone directly rted to Libra. But dont make it obvious."

    Bell Moore stood up. As he was about to leave, he looked at me and smirked.

    ...This guy was a man after all. Anyway, good luck.

    Meanwhile, in the private office of the Intelligence Agency Director Gedley.

    "It''s been confirmed!

    Gedley hastily received the documents from his subordinate. Among them were a few photographs.

    Photos of Bell Moore and Shion Ascal sitting side by side on a university bench.

    Evidence that Bell Moore, aware of the team leaders office being bugged, was giving instructions to Shion from the outside.

    Is this the urgent news?

    Gedley furrowed his brow.

    This was within the expected range of reports. There was no need for such a fuss

    "Hes been assassinated."

    "What?"

    "The Chaser who was closely tracking Bell Moore has been killed."

    ...Incidentally.

    Unknown to them, the perpetrator was under Johanna''smand.

    She had ordered the killing because she was tired of what she called pesky flies buzzing around.

    "These photos were retrieved from his cloud."

    Gedley was momentarily stunned before he repeated the question.

    "Assassinated?

    "Yes.

    "Ha ha...

    A hollowugh spread across Gedleys lips. He was angered by Bell Moores clearly overstepped actions, but in truth, it was illegal on both sides.

    Attaching a Chaser to the team leader was problematic in itself.

    "What should we do?

    ...For now, we watch.

    Gedley held his breath and restrained himself.

    There was nothing to be done at the moment If he held Bell Moore ountable, it would be like advertising that he was under surveince.

    They had no choice but to feign ignorance despite knowing...

    "Bell Moore. You''re reallymitted, huh?"

    Veins throbbed at Gedleys temples. He poured whiskey into the ss he was clutching until it was full.

 Chapter 271: Artificial Intelligence Operations (1)

    <h4>Chapter 271: Artificial Intelligence Operations (1)</h4>

    At the eldest daughter Johannas mansion.

    She had received the USB recording directly from Bell Moore himself. There was a risk that the information could have leaked during the transfer.

    It was quite a private and top-secret matter.

    Johanna fiddled with the USB.

    Bell Moore, who had delivered it, had already left, and Johanna had listened to the conversation.

    ''That I harbor feelings for Lady Johanna, thats precisely why I cannot be by her side.

    She couldn''t understand those words from Shion, but now she was somewhat certain.

    This man likes her.

    More than Zia, more than Derek, more than Jade.

    It must be a rational emotion.

    So, does that mean, like Beckman, he cannot stay by her side to not stray from his duty?

    Or does it mean he will forcibly give up those feelings?

    Either way, its a curious situation.

    For Shion, that man, and for Johanna herself.

    ...How strange."

    Every time she thought of him, Johanna felt an unfamiliar emotion. An unknown feeling that made her heart flutter. A nagging sensation that kept churning her insides. It was hard to bear, and she didn''t want to bear it...

    Johanna looked up at the ceiling of her office.

    "You would be better off by my side too.

    His face floated into her mind against that nk canvas of white.

    If only you had met me first instead of Zia...

    Indeed, it was an extremely frustrating situation.

    [Edsi General Election D-7]

    Its the election season with just one week left until the general election.

    The TV is broadcasting thetest poll results, and my phone rings a dozen times a day with calls asking whom I support.

    [Poll Results: Ludeniel 73%]

    [Poll Results: Ken 56%]

    Ludeniel, who received my consulting, is almost certain to be elected.

    On the other hand, Ken Petra is also a strong candidate.

    Thus, the corruption of Petra exposed by Elise herself has not had a significant impact on the trend.

    Ken Petra will win reelection to his Senator position, and thats just how the world works.

    [In other news, a test video of the artificial intelligence developed by Everett Corporation has been released.]

    ...Huh?

    Everett. Thats thepany Vern belongs to, the one Derek wants to beat to a pulp. Currently, its the leading mega-corporation on the continent.

    "Artificial intelligence... its already that time.

    Verns artificial intelligence was quite an event

    The Al developed by Everett Corporation was impressive in itself, and there were conspiracy theories about its background.

    The story was simple.

    They captured human souls with magic, overwrote them, and used them for artificial intelligence.

    Even more astonishingly, this turned out to be somewhat true.

    Everett had purchased souls from terminally ill patients families for a hefty sum to create their Al.

    From what I heard, it sounds crazy, but most patients agreed to it, didnt they?

    "Derek will make his move now.

    From now on, Derek will jump into the race as ater in artificial intelligence.

    Everett Corporation paid a proper amount to the terminally ill, but Derek indiscriminately used the souls of homeless people or those without next of kin. He gave full authority to a mad scientist'' who made this possible.

    That guy is probably still the head researcher at Libra.

    ...Now."

    The future of Libra, under Dereks hand, is about to begin in earnest.

    Lets kill the bastards who need to be killed."

    I shed a faint smile and called Grawl.

    Grawl. Find me someone who fits the criteria.

    What I have to do now is simple.

    Ill be someone else for a while and join Dereks Al team.

    There are so many people on this continent who take their own lives. Most of them have no family, no rtives, no friends, or if not that, no money.

    Stress, as much as loneliness, is a great enemy of humananity.

    The name is Killian. Graduated from the Edsi National Universitys Department of Robotics.

    Anyway.

    I asked Grawl to find me a suitable person.

    To infiltrate, or rather to openly join as a researcher at Libra.

    "He was a national university graduate and he died?

    Yes. He threw himself into the Deme River due to depression about three months ago.

    I looked around the tiny one-room apartment.

    The only furniture was a desk, a chair, and a desktopputer. He didn''t seem to have any particr hobbies.

    "What about the death report?"

    He had no family! He lived as a recluse and knew no one! They havent even been able to find the body to hold a funeral. You could just say he barely managed to swim out alive- and the shock made him lose some memory- That excuse should work.

    I read the file again.

    Name Killian Trama. Graduate of Edsi National Universitys Department of Robotics. No family. Hardly any friends. 6 feet and 3 inches. 165 pounds.

    The face... wasnt ugly, but famished.

    Is there a video?"

    Just a moment! Ill send it to you!

    Soon, a video was sent to my phone.

    It was footage from the national universitys graduation ceremony.

    I scrutinized his face and then applied Infimian to my face to match his as closely as possible.

    ...How is it?

    Its simr! But what about the rest of the specs?

    I would have preferred someone with a background inputer science or something rted to artificial intelligence, but there was no one who fit the criteria.

    Itll be tough to get hired without any career rted to artificial intelligence.

    Its fine.

    I looked in the mirror.

    I have something akin to artificial intelligence."

    I smiled contentedly, still as Killian.

    Trick City, Akanes [Selfless Coffin].

    I visited her for the first time in a month.

    "Phew. My friend is still here.

    Akanes storage. Inside a ss tank, a navy mass was fluttering.

    An old friend.

    A bit of a stretch to call it a friend, but anyway.

    Why, its the spirit that once tried to take over my body.

    Elise wanted to obliterate it, but I insisted on keeping it alive.

    I never thought wed meet again like this.

    "Are you nning on taking it?"

    Akane asked, pushing up her sses.

    "Yes. I want to do a job with this friend."

    "...A job?

    I picked up my phone.

    "Hey buddy. Lets have a chat.

    Ding. I pressed the record button and spoke.

    If you can hear me, sh blue.

    The entity''s body turned blue.

    "Okay. Good."

    ...What are you nning to do?

    Akane tilted her head in curiosity.

    "Ah. I need a portfolio.

    A portfolio, and a resume.

    Achievements that could introduce the scientist Killian as a genius in artificial intelligence.

    "But hows this friend doingtely?

    "What do you mean how? It just sits there.

    "Hmm."

    I looked at the creature inside the ss tank.

    For my n, I absolutely needed this guy, and just as much as I needed him for my n, I needed its cooperation.

    "Hey. Want to do a job with me?

    There was no response, even after waiting.

    Maybe it didn''t want to.

    Is there a condition?

    Then, it shimmered like a blue firefly once again.

    "Whats the condition?"

    It probably wants to go for a walk.

    Akane answered.

    It seems to enjoy seeing the outside world.

    The creature inside the tank flickered like a firecracker.

    "Okay. Ill take you for a walk. But in return, you help me with my job. It''ll be good for you too .

    30 minutester.

    [Killian, DEEP MIND]

    I had set up a blog under Killians name. Akane also looked on with an intrigued expression.

    "So, youre going to start posting now? As if you created this thing?

    "Yes. That will shape the image of a reclusive genius in artificial intelligence research, something like that."

    I uploaded the video of my conversation with ''the creature to the blog.

    Click.

    [Conversation with Deep Mind]

    "But who''s going to read this blog? Even if they do, they wont believe it.

    Akane muttered skeptically.

    Im a Chaser, remember? I just have to say I''ve seen it."

    Before long, Derek, with fire under his feet, will try to gather talents rted to artificial intelligence. If the Al industry is also encroached upon by Vern, he will ascend to a position Derek wouldnt dare to challenge.

    Then, as Shion Ascal, I can rmend Killian.

    No, wait.

    There''s a better way than me rmending him directly.

    "Hmm... Well, do as you please. Im going to eat

    Akane picked up a cup of ramen. She tore into it as soon as she heard me say ''youre the real deal.

    "Enjoy your meal."

    I watched the video with my chin resting on my hand. The recorded scene of conversing with the creature inside the tank was quite fascinating.

    This should be enough.

    Three dayster.

    As expected, Derek had issued a mission to the Chasers to gather talents rted to artificial intelligence.

    Ipiled information rted to Killian into a report.

    I wrote Killian''s university credentials half-heartedly, but I emphasized the DEEP MIND blog significantly.

    However!

    Directly rmending him would be an amateur move.

    Because, in the end, Killian is meant to y a role in Dereks downfall, whether big or small.

    Thus, if I rmend him, it could potentially cause problems for my reputationter on.

    Is Team Leader Bell Moore avable?

    I asked the secretary in front of [Bell Moore Team Leaders Office].

    "Yes, he has already left.

    Bell Moore wasnt there, but I already knew that he had gone out.

    Hes probably at the club.

    "Hmm. Is that so?"

    . What can I do for you?

    The secretary asked with a hushed tone.

    "This document Could you deliver it to the team leader for me? Im too busy with work."

    I handed the secretary the report rmending the talent Killian.

    "Yes, I understand.

    The secretary said as she took the report, but this report was never going to reach Bell Moore.

    Why?

    Because Bell Moores secretary was assigned by the head of the Intelligence Agency, Gedley.

    "Director. We have obtained a work report from Shion Ascal.

    Gedleys subordinates had intercepted Shions report.

    This week, Derek''s top priority was ''selection of talents rted to artificial intelligence.

    Killian? What kind of guy is this?

    "We don''t know either. The peculiar thing is, he miraculously survived after jumping into the Deme River three months ago."

    Gedley skimmed through the report.

    Education from Edsi National University.

    Nothing else.

    Not a doctor, not a master, just a bachelor.

    No certifications, nopetitions, nothing.

    An empty shell, but why did Shion Ascal rmend such a guy?

    Normally, he wouldn''t have given it a second nce

    "Deep Mind. Whats this?

    "Yes. We were also skeptical about this but take a look.

    A subordinate ced aptop on Gedleys table. Gedley put down the report and looked at the screen.

    Inside a ss tank, a dark blue fluid mass shimmered.

    [Deep Mind. If you can hear my voice, twinkle blue for me.]

    A mans voice, presumably Killians, spoke to the mass inside the tank.

    [Twinkle-twinkle-]

    Deep Mind twinkled. Gedley crossed his arms with a skeptical expression.

    Again, Killian asked.

    "Then, can you help me with my work?

    [Twinkle-twinkle-]

    "Good. Take a look at this.

    With that, he attached a sheet of paper with a form to the tank.

    "Can you help me calcte this Magic Spell?

    "PffL Thats ridiculous-

    Gedley chuckled dismissively, but in the very next moment.

    Magic power swirled faintly within the tank.

    [Twinkle-twinkle-]

    Deep Mind wielded mana like a pen.

    Swoosh-swoosh-

    The calctions for the form materialized in mid-air.

    Gedley was momentarily at a loss for words.

    Its an artificial intelligence woven with Magic Spells, said a subordinate. Gedley fiddled with his chin for no reason.

    . It looks impressive, but its hard to believe. Did Shion Ascal verify this himself?"

    "We''re not sure about that, but its not toote for us to check it out ourselves."

    Gedley nodded.

    Issue an investigation."

    Trilling Trilling

    I looked at the iing call on my phone. It was an unknown number, but I had a rough idea of who it might be.

    Trilling Trilling

    I waited a bit before answering the call.

    "Yes, hello?"

    Is this Dr. Killian?

    Hmm?"

    I leaned back in my chair without a word.

    This ce was Killians studio apartment.

    It was a bit ufortable toe to a dead mans house and pretend to be him, but well.

    Im building him a career.

    And while Im at it, I might as well do some good for the world.

    Is it not?

    Gedleys subordinate asked again.

    I cleared my throat with a Ahem- and replied.

    "Yes, this is Killian. What can I do for you?

    Yes, Dr. Killian. My name is Jason from Libra Office.

    Another title for the doctor, huh? Killian wasn''t even a master, let alone a doctor.

    "Yes."

    We at the office have been reviewing your blog, Dr. Killian.

    "Blog, you say.

    I drawled, feigning nonchnce.

    Deep Mind, to be precise.

    The other party, Jason, spoke first

    A smirk yed at the corner of my mouth.

    "Ah, Deep Mind.

    Yes. We are currently conducting research on artificial intelligence at Libra, and we reached out because we need your assistance, Dr. Killian.

    Is there something I can help you with?

    Of course. Could youe to thepany and show us Deep Mind?

    I looked at the tank on the desk, and the twinkling creature inside it.

    Ive been suffering from severe depressiontely, so Id rather not go out Could you possiblye here instead?

    Of course. Our HR team will head there right away.

    "The HR team?"

    Yes. We can adjust the time if you wish-

    "No."

    I shook my head.

    "You cane right away. I dont have anything else to do anyway."

    Understood. Thank you, Doctor. We''ll see you shortly.

    Jason hung up immediately, and I tilted my head in wonder.

    . Right away?

    Right away.

    The word right away'' felt a bit odd, and just as I was pondering this.

    Knock-knock-

    There was indeed a knock on the door almost immediately. I stood up.

    Dr. Killian, are you there?

    Suddenly, my brow furrowed.

    It''s the HR team from Libra Office.

    It wasn''t for no reason that the voice seeping in from outside the door sounded familiar.

    It meant I knew the person.

    "Could it be,

    I slowly approached and grasped the doorknob.

    Are you there?

    "Yes. I am.

    I answered and opened the door.

    And

    "Nice to meet you, Dr. Killian.

    I saw her face.

    Im Riley, the HR manager from Libra Office."

    The insider that Vancheon had nted in Libra, and a friend of Bell Moore and Shion Ascal.

    Riley.

    "Are you surprised? I was actually waiting right outside.

    With her purple long hair tied up like a horse''s tail, she extended a hand for a handshake, offering a businesslike smile to Killian.

 Chapter 272: Artificial Intelligence Operations (2)

    <h4>Chapter 272: Artificial Intelligence Operations (2)</h4>

    I introduced Riley to Deep Mind.

    Wow. It can actually converse and itsputational abilities are outstanding.

    Riley seemed amazed by Deep Mind. She looked at Deep Mind inside the tank and asked,

    How did you invent this?

    Obviously, that''s a secret.

    Riley chuckled briefly. She handed me a piece of paper.

    This is the contract. The Libre Office wants to hire you.

    I looked at the contract.

    An annual sry of one million Ren. Plus, numerous performance bonuses.

    For a penny-pincher like Derek, this was an incredibly generous offer.

    ls it possible to mass-produce this Deep Mind?

    Riley asked.

    We would need the proper facilities.

    The facilities are plentiful at our office.

    She smiled. It was probably her beauty trap.

    Riley was quite good at subtly using her looks.

    Typically, developers and engineers as timid as Killian would have fallen for it immediately.

    I pretended to read the contract thoroughly, burying my eyes in the paper.

    Did Everett Corporation contact you first?

    NO.

    Hmm, how does it differ from the artificial intelligence of Everett Corporation?

    Ours are superior.

    I put down the contract.

    Before signing, may I see the facilities and such?

    Whoosh- Riley turned to look at me.

    Of course.

    I arrived at some underground location with Riley. It was the researchb of ZedCorp, a separate entity established by Derek.

    The site was vast, bustling with researchers, and most of the facilities were state-of-the-art.

    Please leave your portable electronic devices here.

    Sure.

    I put my phone in a basket. A security guard strode up to me and scanned my body with a detector.

    Clear.

    Pleasee in.

    Yes.

    I went inside.

    Originally, ZedCorp was a research corporation developing various technologies, buttely, the focus has been on artificial intelligence.

    Because of Everett?

    Right? Just, dont mention that in front of Mr. Derek, if you would.

    Of course, Riley seemed to havepletely sided with Derek.

    From now on, I have to be careful. I was in the heart of enemy territory.

    The Al department is newly established its this way.

    She pointed to a separate gate.

    Shall we go?

    Yes.

    Click.

    I pressed a button and the automatic door slid open.

    The interior of the Al department was as spacious as the other departments, but there were only four people actually present.

    Dr. Vito?

    Riley called out to someone.

    Among the four, the man in the middle with patchy hairVito.

    I clenched my fist quietly.

    Hes the mad scientist.

    Hes already killed thousands, and hes the fucking bastard who will sacrifice thousands more.

    Whats the matter? And whos that person with you?

    Vito asked Riley.

    This is Dr. Killian. I''ve scouted a talent youd appreciate, Mr. Vito.

    Talent?

    Yes.

    Riley pointed at me. I nodded and set down the tank with [Deep Mind].

    Oh?

    Vitos eyes sparkled for a moment.

    He would probably like it.

    After all, what hes trying to do isnt much different from this [Deep Mind]. Its essentially the act of creating spirits.

    lnteresting

    Vito smirked.

    Then. Would you mind stepping out for a moment, Ms. Riley? It seems we need a conversation between experts.

    Sure, whatever.

    Riley, raising an eyebrow, exited the room.

    Vito alternated his gaze between the tank and me, wearing a sly smile. I pretended to look at him with admiration.

    Vito furrowed his brow.

    Hmm. Whats with that look?

    Ah, are you perhaps Dr. Vito, the one who received the Teroman Award?

    I pretended to recognize him.

    Vito was a mad scientist, but he liked unconditional adoration.

    Yes, thats correct. Vito Demet of Libra. Thats me.

    He casually stroked his thinning hair as he spoke, and I feigned an expression of utter amazement.

    Incidentally, as his name suggests, hes a distant rtive of the Libra family.

    lts an incredible honor to be able to work with you, Mr. Vito

    We havent decided that youll be working here yet. Dont jump to conclusions.

    Vito frowned.

    Yes, my apologies.

    I bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

    It was a service that catered meticulously to the others needs. This bastard liked nothing less than vish, almost religious, adoration with his grass-like hair.

    Ah, get up. Well, if youve brought something like this tank, you barely meet the qualifications to work with me.

    Oh thats a relief.

    Even as I spoke, I made sure my eyes sparkled with sheer earnestness.

    Twinkle, twinkletwinkle, twinkle

    I looked at Vito''s famished body and skull-like face as if it were something to marvel at.

    Ask if you have questions. Dont just stare.

    Vito lifted his chin, perhaps finding his best angle.

    May I ask how long youve been researching artificial intelligence?

    Not long. I was originally researching immortality.

    I m m o rta lity?

    Yes.

    Vito grinned.

    This crazy fucker is spouting nonsense about immortality.

    I was utterly dumbfounded, but I quickly regained myposure.

    lf its Dr. Vito, it seems possible.

    I know. Thats why Ive found a theoretically possible method.

    lmmortality is possible?

    Of course. Theres a condition that requires a healthy and finicky body, but Well, actually, its somewhat simr to the artificial intelligence youre research ing.

    Vito nced between me and the tank.

    Look at this.

    Vito smirked and pointed to arge ss pane on one side of theb. It was a dark room.

    Here.

    He pulled a lever.

    Suddenly, the inside of theb lit up brightly.

    I was momentarily lost for words.

    There were countless tanks.

    Hundreds, maybe thousands.

    Anyway, people were inside cylindrical tanks the size of oil drums. All of their bodies were already dead, bleached white.

    What do you think?

    Vito asked me.

    The reason he showed me such an astonishing scene on our first meeting was probably to kill me immediately if I showed any suspicious reaction.

    But I''m not so easily dealt with.

    lts incredible.

    Instead, I wore a face filled with sincere longing. Vito scrutinized my expression and then burst intoughter.

    Huhu. Isnt it?

    Yes. Its exactly what Ive been hoping for

    I know. You must have created something like [Deep Mind] in the same way.

    lndeed. You recognized it at a nce.

    Admiration and awe should be offered as frequently as one breatheseffortlessly and generously.

    Of course, how could I, the master, not recognize it?

    lndeed Ah, by any chance, does Everett use a simr method?

    lts simr, but Im superior.

    Vito crossed his arms.

    The ones trapped in these tanks are societal negativeshomeless, criminals, that sort of scum. I extract their souls, overwrite them, and after direct training, I sell them as originals. They''re personal Al assistants for the elite.

    Vito scanned theb full of people as if they were pigs led to ughter.

    On the other hand, Everett uses a method of digitally duplicating souls for distribution. That might allow for mass production, but it makes higher-level Al reasoning impossible.

    I see. Thats very much like you, Dr. Vito.

    p, p, p. I apuded as if I couldnt help myself. Vito smirked at me.

    Youre Dr. Killian, right? I like you.

    Oh, Im not a doctor. I only have a bachelors degree couldnt afford more.

    That doesnt matter. If you can create something like this, youre better than a thousand average doctors.

    He gestured towards the Deep Mind.

    May I take a moment to observe?

    Yes. But its a sensitive creature.

    I understand. 30 minutes will be enough.

    Thats doable.

    I watched Vito. He stared intently at the Deep Mind inside the tank, asking it questions.

    Do you want to speak, what are you thinking, and so on

    Hmm. The overwriting is iplete. Its an imperfect, unfinished product.

    Yes, overwriting is something I hadnt even considered

    Overwriting , literally, is the act of writing a soul nk. Erasing all memories from life, turning it into something thats not even a soul anymorean act of eradicating existence.

    Its something I have no intention of doing.

    Take this one with you. Use it as your Al assistant Can you start work to m 0 rrow?

    Vito asked.

    I nodded with enthusiasm.

    I can. I would work with you, Doctor, even without a penny in pay.

    Take the money when its offered. If you say that in front of Lord

    Derek, he really won''t pay you.

    Yes.

    I answered and casually surveyed the interior of theb.

    Everything here was illegal, everything was against humanity.

    A horror where basic human rights were shattered.

    I, Killian, will be the whistleblower exposing the secrets of this ce.

    The timing of the exposewhen Dereks investment reaches its peak.

    Thats when Vito and hisb will crumble, and Derek will suffer countless losses.

    Thisb will be the catalyst for Dereks downfall.

    Johanna had joined the gambling tables at the Golden Casino. She had once backed Karlos, but now she was ying poker with the cartel guys who had since shut their mouths tight, and she won every time.

    She had won a considerable sum of money, but her mood was far from good.

    Victor.

    In the car on the way back to the mansion.

    Johanna asked Victor, who had taken Beckmans ce.

    Yes?

    Why doesnt hee to me?

    That he was probably Shion Ascal.

    Johanna had been lost in thought the whole time she was gambling.

    For what reason could he note to her?

    What kind of nonsense is it to say that he cant be by her side because he likes her?

    My lord. We can turn the car around.

    Instead of a direct answer, Victor suggested a course of action.

    It meant she should go and ask him directly.

    Johanna sank deep into the seat.

    The thought of actually going made her unexpectedly nervous. Her heart was pounding, and suddenly she felt irritated.

    My lord.

    Yes. Head there.

    Johanna made her decision.

    Johanna sat on a bench in the university courtyard.

    She was waiting for Shion Ascal, whom Victor would soon bring out.

    Swoosh

    The sound of leaves rustling in the night breeze.

    As she tried to calm herself and organize her thoughts, her long, dangling essories kept scraping against the wooden bench.

    Everything was irritating her.

    Maybe I should throw them away.

    Just as she was about to toss away a few rings and a scratchy ne.

    Thud-

    Footsteps approached.

    Johanna quickly assumed a rxed posture. She crossed her legs and angled her gaze down at 45 degrees.

    Have youe?

    As she asked, a familiar voice responded.

    Yes, Miss Johanna.

    Shion Ascal. His blond hair seemed to shimmer even in the dead of night.

    Sit down.

    Yes.

    He walked over and sat down at the edge of the bench. Johanna looked at him with a little strangely.

    Shion Ascal.

    Yes.

    lll say it. Come under me.

    Johanna threw a fastball first.

    No beating around the bush or talking in circles, and above all, her pounding heart was annoying her.

    1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.

    No matter how much time passed, Shion Ascal remained silent.

    Johanna red at him, frustrated.

    I dont mean to serve me. Serve Zia, but work with me.

    This was a significant concession, but it couldnt be helped.

    Johanna believed she understood Shion Ascal''s character better than anyone.

    However,

    l''m sorry.

    Shion conveyed his refusal.

    Johannas face hardened. Her teeth clenched. Something seemed to break inside her.

    lts impossible.

    Why?

    Johanna asked.

    I cannot tell you.

    Why?

    Johanna red at Shion with stern eyes, pressing for an answer.

    Sensing her stubbornness, Shion answered with a sigh-like tone.

    Because my presence by Miss Johannas side would cause harm.

    SO.

    Johanna gripped the edge of the bench. Crack a piece broke off.

    l''m asking what that reason is.

    Shion shook his head.

    I cannot tell you.

    The same response, again.

    Johanna exhaled a heated sigh. She ran her hot fingers through her hair.

    Sweat beaded on her forehead.

    Stupid bastard. Get lost.

    Johanna stood up abruptly. She was about to walk away when she stopped dead in her tracks. She red straight at Shion and snapped at him.

    Dont be mistaken. Ive never failed to get what I want.

    For Johanna, this was a disconcerting revtion.

    Suddenly, it felt as if her heart had been shredded whole. As if someone had wed through her ribs with their fingernails.

    These pains, which she had never experienced in her life, quickly turned into rage, and she pointed an using finger at Shion.

    YouU end uping to me eventually. Think carefully. Because of your worthless loyalty, your precious Zia might end up captured and killed.

    With that, she turned and walked away, her coat fluttering behind her.

    She felt Shions gaze on her but, out of stubbornness, she didnt look back.

    Thud, thud

    She walked as if trampling the grass beneath her feet. The night air cooled the heat at the back of her neck.

    Suddenly, Karloss voice echoed in her ears.

    Winning a persons heart is harder than any treasure.

    Fuck. Stupid old bastard.

    You and I are different.

    I''ve already won Shions heart.

    Its just his damned loyalty thats keeping him froming to me.

    Because of something as weak as Zia, he hesitates.

    Shes gone.

    Phew.

    I let out a sigh of relief. Just now, Johanna was truly enraged, and I felt my life was in danger.

    Because of the magical power she emitted, the temperature of the night seemed to soar to 104 degrees fahrenheit.

    Yet, I endured.

    The reason I cant be with herI''ve kept my terminal condition a secret.

    Why?

    Because theres a big difference between me telling her directly and Johanna discovering it on her own.

    NOW.

    I loathe to verbally inflict the reason that would hurt her.

    Its also difficult to dramatically evoke human emotions.

    Therefore, Johanna must discover on her own the reason I would be her pain.

    I will lead her to that discovery.

    Not much time left.

    I looked up at the night sky.

    Stars embroidered upon the darkness.

    Using my terminal condition feels bizarre, sorrowful, and somehow inevitable.

    Because the reason I live like this, already sentenced to death, is ultimately to exact revenge on all of you.

 Chapter 273: Artificial Intelligence Operations (3)

    <h4>Chapter 273: Artificial Intelligence Operations (3)</h4>

    Morning, at the Jade Mansion in the capital of Edsi.

    I met Zia there. To be precise, she had summoned me herself.

    lm suspicious.

    Zia muttered with a troubled expression on her face.

    What are you suspicious about?

    I asked calmly. She narrowed her eyes at me.

    Would my sister Johanna really give up her inheritance over something like this?

    I could understand Zias worries. Johanna was inherently unpredictable.

    Even as the strategist, I couldnt be more than 70% certain about the sess of the operation.

    Shes an enigma

    Indeed, before my regression, Johanna, betrayed by Zia, hadmitted an act beyond anyones imagination, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives.

    It was a catastrophe caused by an emotionless monster.

    Dont worry. The probability is high.

    However, if she were to develop emotions, if one day, as Jades old lover once said, she is able to value others as she does herself, she wouldnt ascend to the inheritance.

    Moreover, it would be in Johannas own best interest not to do so.

    The problem now is lord Derek.

    I changed the subject.

    The artificial intelligence youre talking about that, right?

    Yes.

    Zia caught on immediately.

    Derek was somewhat predictable, unlike Johanna. And it was precisely because of this that he would fall.

    Johanna had always yed wild cards. Casinos, department stores, multiplexes, magic spaces, etc. all ventures that were disadvantageous toters.

    Yet, Johanna seeded, and Derek was up to his neck.

    I also dont know how my brothers business will turn out

    Lord Derek is under a lot of psychological pressure.

    Johannas momentum showed no signs of waning, and even thepany Vern kept threatening Derek with. With only a few years left for the session decision, he must be under extreme stress.

    It is this building pressure that will lead to Dereks downfall.

    Lord Dereks artificial intelligence is dealing with human souls.

    Thats why hesmitting these abnormal acts, one after another.

    Souls?

    Zias eyes widened.

    Yes. Hes overwriting souls to process them into artificial intelligence.

    Zia was momentarily at a loss for words, as if she hadnt known.

    Thats illegal

    lts beyond illegal. Its a serious ethical issue.

    Even for a great house like Libra, there are limits to what they can cover up. Overwriting souls is a grave criminal act that crosses that line.

    If it had been before my regression, perhaps Sonya would have dealt with him personally.

    But the current Sonya is only focused on expanding the business. In other words, shes not a strategist but a bureaucrat.

    As for Zia''s strategist, its probably me at the moment.

    Shion Ascal.

    Therefore, its also my role to deal with Derek.

    What should we do?

    Zia looked at me. Her expression was tinged with various emotions.

    Without a word, I quietly pondered.

    Perhaps I was only pretending to think.

    She wants to be the sessor. To do so, she must bring down her siblings.

    Before my regression, Zia had done so ruthlessly.

    Without leaving any room for doubt, she trampled over her siblings.

    She brought Derek to ruin, threw Johanna in prison, and killed Jade.

    Shion. What are your thoughts?

    She asked me, her voice drifting.

    I gave her the answer she was hoping for.

    lf you wish to be the sessor, this is an excellent opportunity. Leave it to me

    Do you?

    Yes. Within a year, Lord Derek will be shaken, and in three years, Miss Zia will stand in his ce.

    Then Zia looked at me. I looked back at her.

    Eyes like the sea, a blue that was more Libra than anyone elses, drew a gentle curve.

    Alright. Ill leave it to you.

    As Killian, I went to theb. There was no one there.

    So much for flexible hours. Looks like its true.

    Hey. You see this?

    I spoke to Grawl.

    Yep. I see it.

    Good. Keep watching. You might have to impersonate meter.

    Understood.

    Having a dual identity is difficult. Especially for a job like a researcher, where time is of the essence.

    Therefore, I n to get a little help from Grawl and Akane this time too. Only in unavoidable circumstances.

    I looked around theb. Then I approached the ss wall that Vito had shown me before.

    Tszszsz!

    I pulled the lever.

    The other side of the ss lit up for a moment and there was nothing.

    ?

    I blinked. There should have been countless tanks overwritten souls in here.

    What are you doing there?

    Suddenly, a voice slithered in.

    It was Vito.

    That its gone.

    I pointed beyond the ss and added nonchntly.

    I wanted to see that beautiful sight once more.

    Ah~ that thing? Of course, it was a hologram. Could we really keep such an important factory inside ab like this?

    Wow as expected. You are Dr. Vito.

    I eximed naturally.

    Its one way to filter out spies. Show fake information openly to induce leaks.

    Vito said.

    Shall we start with the work?

    Work Yes. Yes, anytime.

    ls there a particr area you, Dr. Killian, would like to develop?

    I shook my head.

    Because I''ve never developed anything before. Not once in my life.

    No. I will only follow Dr. Vitos instructions.

    Hmm I wonder if I hired you too hastily.

    Vito raised his eyebrows as he handed me a piece of paper.

    Take it.

    What is this?

    What do you mean? Its the research form I developed. Its for operating the process of overwriting souls a bit more efficiently.

    I looked at it. Vitos research form appeared quite, no, extremelyplex.

    Would you like to try interpreting it?

    Vito asked.

    Um

    Of course, I cant develop a form. It requires too much excessive thinking.

    ITI give it a try.

    However, I should be able to calcte which parts of an already created form work and which do not, using my [NotepadJ .

    I stared intently at Vitos form. On the paper, visible only to me, magical paths glowed blue.

    The automaticputation of the form.

    Fzzzt!

    Suddenly, sparks flew across my retina. There was a blockage in the form.

    Meaning, it wasnt operating normally.

    Whats the matter?

    Vito inquired.

    Dr Dr. Vito.

    I showed him the paper.

    This part.

    I pointed to the branch that had caused the magical sparks.

    Theres something about this part thats troubling.

    Whats troubling about it?

    Well, Im not sure what the problem is with my level of expertise

    Give it here.

    Vito took the paper back and peered intently at the spot I had pointed out. For about 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes.

    This is Oh, wait a moment.

    Suddenly, he grabbed a pen and began scribbling on another piece of paper, then turned to me with a shocked expression.

    Vito scanned me up and

    down.

    No calctor, no Artifact, noputer

    lf my observation

    is incorrect

    N0, youre right. Dr. Killian, your observation is correct, and this part is wrong. I twisted the circuit incorrectly.

    A clear smile appeared on Vitos lips. He stroked his grass-like hair and said,

    You have intuition, Dr. Killian. I think I understand how you created

    Deepmind.

    Thank you.

    I didnt understand what he meant, but it seemed like I had scored some points.

    Outside the artificial intelligence departmentsb. Vito, who was getting coffee from a vending machine, was approached by someone.

    Dr. Vito?

    It was Riley, with her violet hair.

    Hows the new recruit?

    She inquired of Vito about thetest talent.

    I like him. Its been a while since Ive felt this way. Did Director Gedley bring him in?

    Well, thats what they say.

    Riley also pressed the coffee button on the machine. As she watched the liquid pour into the paper cup, she asked,

    Hows the artificial intelligenceing along?

    l''m in charge, so of course its going well.

    At Vitos confident response, Riley let out a hollowugh.

    Doctor, you do know, right? Derek has staked his life on this project. In the midst of ongoing tension with Everett

    MS. Riley.

    Vito turned to look at her.

    I report directly to Lord Derek. Without going through you or any other bothersome intermediaries. So, he is well aware. He knows what Im doing and just how perfect my artificial intelligence is.

    Thats a relief, then.

    Don''t get too cocky just because you snagged one good recruit. Im Libra. Im not like you pets.

    Vitos expression cracked. Riley forced a smile as she retrieved her coffee from the vending machine.

    I know, Dr. Vito. I do respect you, you know?

    Vito didnt even wait to hear her out and swiftly left.

    Riley red at his retreating back and carefully flipped him off.

    What a pain in the ass.

    To Vito, the honey trap clearly didnt work. He didnt seem to like women, nor did he seem to like men; maybe he was just a maniac for science.

    Tsk.

    Riley clicked her tongue. This time, Derek had promised a heavenly investment in the artificial intelligence project.

    So, if she could somehow extract that information, it would deal a significant blow

    Huh?

    Riley suddenly spotted someone.

    It was Killian.

    Dr. Killian?

    Ah. Hello.

    He nodded curtly. Dressed in a whiteb coat and white shirt, he was also the typical scientist.

    Would you like a cup of coffee?

    Ah Yes, please.

    Riley pressed for another cup of coffee from the machine.

    Hows the research going?

    She asked casually, feigning interest.

    l''m just assisting. Dr. Vito is quite remarkable.

    Oh~ What did you do?

    I just tweaked the research form a bit.

    I see.

    Riley took the coffee from the vending machine and handed it to Killian.

    Here you go.

    Thank you.

    She pretended to hand it over but deliberately brushed her fingers slightly against his. Making sure to touch the back of his hand.

    At that moment, Killians body had a strange reaction. His fingertips trembled slightly.

    Riley quietly looked up at him.

    As their eyes met, he slightly averted his gaze and took a sip of coffee, holding the paper cup with both hands.

    It worked.

    The honey trap that didnt work at all with Vito clearly had an effect on this man.

    Well, I have some work to do, so Ill be going. Keep up the good work with your research, Doctor!

    Ah, yes. Yes. Please go ahead.

    The problem was whether this man had any value to use.

    See youter~

    Yes

    Killian watched Riley with a somewhat dazed look, and Riley, feeling a surge in her self-esteem, turned around with a twirl.

    I gulped down the coffee in one go. I watched Riley leave with her model-like stride.

    Goodbye.

    Just in case, or rather definitely because she would hear, I murmured in a soft voice.

    Only after she hadpletely disappeared did I lean against the vending machine.

    I n to use Riley. In a somewhat good way.

    Researcher Killian has to be a conscientious whistleblower, but it has to be Riley who exposes that conscience to the outside world.

    Lets be a hero.

    The hero of Vancheon.

    The organization of Vancheon isnt exactly perfect either, but Riley, youre trustworthy.

    If possible, you should also climb to the top.

    I crumpled the paper cup tightly and threw it in the trash can.

    Director Yu Hainss Spring Water Hospital

    I stopped by there for my monthly treatment for Cancer of the Magics Core.

    Here. This is my investment for this month.

    Thud!

    I handed over a heavy bag of money to Director Yu Hains, who epted it with practiced ease.

    S0, hows the machine? Is it developing well?

    Technological development always requires the right amount of money.

    l''ve invested quite a lot already.

    Sry, bonuses, and other part-time job earnings, I have been endlessly offering money to Yu Hains.

    Yu Hains looked at me and furrowed his brow.

    Do you know how much it costs to make just one proper drug?

    Yes. I know.

    And to invent a treatment device thats much more popr than such a drug? Naturally, it would require hundreds, thousands of times more. Your investment is nothing more than a speck.

    He sure knows how to squeeze out a request for money.

    If I hadnt known about Yu Hainss future, I might have thought he was a con artist.

    Anyway, Ill continue to invest.

    Today''s procedure will have some changes.

    Oh? Are you finally doing something worth my money?

    Weve upgraded the integrated circuit a bit.

    I didnt understand what he meant, but I nodded anyway.

    I suppose that means its improved.

    While saying this, I looked out the window of the directors office. In the garden of the Spring Water Hospital, I could faintly see the dark figure of a human being.

    It was surveince.

    Naturally, Johannas surveince.

    Then lets get going.

    Before that.

    I stopped Yu Hains as he was about to get up from his seat.

    Director, you also visit the Libra Medical Center, dont you?

    I do, but

    Do you by any chance treat Johanna as well?

    I deliberately floated the topic of Johanna.

    asionally, yes. However, Johannas primary physician is another doctor. Why do you ask?

    Ah just wondering.

    Johanna was probably watching from a distance by now. She would continue to tail me, suffocatingly so, and eventuallye to Professor Yu Hains to press for something.

    Specifically, about the reason Shion Ascal keepsing to you.

    I really like that person.

    She is someone who bes meticulously calcting and cold-hearted when she wants something.

    Even if Yu Hains doesnt tell me, shell find a way to extract my information somehow.

    Like? Are you suddenly confessing your feelings?

    He was baffled. I just shrugged my shoulders.

    Just. I hope shes not in pain. Since Im a patient myself.

    I cant discuss the details about a patient, but theres probably no one healthier than her.

    Thats a relief then.

    I stood up.

    Lets go.

    Enough acting for now, its time to extend my life a little longer.

 Chapter 274: Artificial Intelligence Operations (4)

    <h4>Chapter 274: Artificial Intelligence Operations (4)</h4>

    Right after the treatment, my mind feels foggy, as if my soul momentarily slipped out of my body.

    Would it be easier to let myself go like this? No need to worry, no need to feel pain.

    Such thoughts asionally cross my mind.

    Your name?

    Director Yu Hainss voice roused my consciousness. He shone a light into my eyes.

    I answered.

    Shion Ascal.

    Where are you?

    Spring Hospital.

    lts Spring Water Hospital.

    Yu Hains corrected me with a prickly tone. A faint smile slipped across my lips.

    Do you have any friends?

    He inquired about friends.

    Suddenly, several faces came to mind.

    Yael, Soliette, Elise, La And then.

    The ck bobbed hair.

    The only person who knew my secret of being terminally ill, who had been with me for quite a long time.

    Tae.

    Where is that guy now?

    I shook my head.

    Clearing the hazy vision and the dimness of my mind, I return to the world.

    Don''t you have friends?

    I bolted upright to look at Yu Hains. Yu Hains shrugged his shoulders with satisfaction.

    The procedure was a sess. Youve gained at least two more months.

    I do have friends.

    I told Yu Hains.

    l''m sure you do.

    Frowning, I ced a hand on my temple. I tapped my head a few times and then turned to look at Yu Hains.

    The face and voice of that guy btedly came into sharp focus. The days we spent together shed by like a beacon.

    Where did she go?

    She?

    Her name was Tae. A college friend

    You dont have a tumor in your brain.

    I looked at Yu Hains. Yu Hains looked back at me. More precisely, at my skull.

    Well, of course. Theres no way this person would know Tae.

    lts nothing. Sometimes I just get a bit dazed after the procedure.

    lt could be a symptom, so Ill make a note of it.

    Yu Hains wrote something on the chart.

    Yes. Thank you for your work. Ill be leaving now.

    I stepped out of the hospital. As soon as I got into the car, I turned on the radio.

    [we bring you the election results.]

    What? The elections over?

    I didnt even get to vote. While listening to the radio, I turned on my smartphone and immediately checked the election results.

    [Parliamentary Senator: Ken Petra]

    Hmm

    Ken Petra was elected as a Parliamentary Senator. However, it was a close call with a 54% vote share.

    [Sanrama District Senator: Ludeniel]

    Ludeniel, where I had worked, won by andslide with 68%.

    [Ken Petra continues to deny the allegations made on social media]

    I quietly listened to the radio and then looked at my phone contacts. SwipeswipeI scrolled through and leaned back in my seat.

    Shes not here.

    No matter how much I searched, there was no name Tae.

    Its really strange. I remember her, and my memories with her are so vivid.

    Why does it seem like her name doesnt exist in this world?

    I dont know anymore.

    I gripped the steering wheel. I stepped on the elerator and moved onto the road.

    Libra Medical Center.

    Johanna was preparing for a health check-up in one of the WIP rooms there.

    Hospital.

    Yes. Its called Spring Water Hospital.

    In the midst of this, she received a report from the bncer, Vitro.

    lt seems hes been visiting consistently, not just this time.

    The news that Shion Ascal had been regrly visiting the hospital.

    Johanna pondered for a moment and then twisted her face in disgust.

    lts probably because of Zia.

    Are you referring to Miss Zia?

    Yes.

    Johanna said as she hung her coat on the hanger.

    That bitch has been sickly since she was young.

    She was quite a frail thing.

    As a newborn, she seemed like she would die without being killed, and during her infancy, she nearly died from a cold.

    lt must be Shion Ascal visiting the hospital on behalf of Zia.

    Vitro nodded. Johanna, loosening her tie, asked,

    Which hospital was it?

    Spring Water Hospital.

    The one run by Professor Yu Hains?

    Yes.

    Professor Yu Hains was well-known to Johanna as well. He was quite a prominent figure in this field.

    She found herself a good doctor.

    Just before Johanna began to undress from her shirt, Vitro turned around.

    Enough about that guy, what about business?

    The Domain for the magic space we won has been established. We''ve sessfully monopolized all the primend.

    Johanna nodded. The sess of this magic space wasrgely thanks to Shion Ascal''s report and the surveincework designed like a spiders web.

    Johanna''s team had clearly seen the movements of theirpetitors and acted ordingly, swallowing up more than half of the magic space as a result.

    What happened to Beckman?

    Johanna suddenly became curious about Beckman.

    Hes trapped in a Spiral Barrier. By now, hes probably aged and died.

    Time flows slowly within a Spiral Barrier.

    Of course, it was a situation he brought upon himself, but it was still a truth that it cast a shadow on her heart.

    Yet, for Johanna, even such emotions were strange. Unfamiliar and ufortable.

    Before she met him, she had never felt anything like this

    Knock knock.

    There was a knock at the door. It was probably her attending physician.

    Vitro opened the door.

    Are you ready for your health check-up?

    Johanna looked at him.

    Denilson. In his 70s, approaching old age, the director of Libra Medical Center. Not only Johanna but alSo Derek, Jade, and even Sherlock had received health check-ups from him, but

    Suddenly, Johanna had a mischievous thought.

    No.

    She twisted the corner of her mouth while looking at Denilson.

    I think Id like to change my attending physician.

    Denilson asked with a confused expression.

    change the attending physician?

    Yes.

    Johanna raised a finger.

    Yu Hains. From today on, I want that doctor to be my attending physician.

    She wanted to find out for herself what kind of illness Zia was suffering from, and what kind of conversations Shion Ascal was having with her.

    Meanwhile, at Dereks capital mansion.

    Derek red at the TV screen with bloodshot eyes.

    [Everett Corporations Al approaches an IQ of 100 Commercialization imminent]

    [Everetts stock hits record high Al effect?]

    Day after day, garbage-like articles were exploding. Verns damned Everett was booming historically with artificial intelligence, and news of Johannas sess kepting in as well.

    [Johanna of Libra sessfully bids for magic space Estimated value 3 billion Ren]

    [Johanna-owned Libra department store, hosts numerous high-end brands]

    Trash.

    Derek felt the pressure. He wouldnt admit it, but with each passing day, he felt a choking sense of inferiority.

    Vito. Hows the work progress! ng?

    He turned his gaze from the TV to a man in the room. Sitting in a corner of the office was a man with grass-like hair.

    Of course.

    Vito smiled faintly as he stood up.

    Here. This is the result.

    He ced a small ss tank on Derek''s desk. Inside, a soul-like substance shimmered like paint.

    lts the premium version. It can learn as you, Derek, desire. Try using it as a personal assistant.

    Learn?

    Yes. Try speaking to it.

    Derek red intently at the ss tank. The Al inside showed no reaction.

    Can you hear me?

    Then, the soul inside the ss tank twinkled slightly.

    Yes. I can hear you.

    The corners of Dereks mouth twitched slightly. He looked back at Vito.

    Thenguage has already been learned. It can process thoughts much more advanced and faster than humans. Even at millions of Ren each, customers would line up. Its different from Verns trash AI.

    Derek smiled silently. He leaned back in his chair with a leisurely cough.

    lt might sell for tens of millions, not just millions. The only problem is the ignorant parliament or ethical groups who know nothing about science.

    Killing those who deserve to die and overwriting their souls to use as Al.

    Even Derek hesitated when he first heard Vitos n, but in truth, it was necessary for the advancement of humanity.

    It wasnt for Dereks own safety, but a necessary evil for the benefit of all mankind.

    But Vito, I heard you hired a new researcher.

    Yes. Dr. Killian. I have him by my side.

    I told you to hire a researcher, not your own assistant.

    It was sensitive internal information worth Dereks concern. If it leaked, even Libra could suffer significant damage.

    Dont worry. Were keeping a tight watch, and hes someone whos already invented an Al like ours.

    Hmm.

    Derek looked at the ss tank on his desk.

    Do you think so too?

    Yes. I have alSo seen Dr. Killian a few times at the research institute. He was a diligent person. Additionally, he always apanies the artificial intelligence he developed, called ''Deep Mind.

    Is that so.

    Derek crinkled his nose at the response that was too human-like. He was quite satisfied.

    Vito smiled contentedly.

    Commercialization will be ready soon, so please wait a little longer.

    Understood. You may leave.

    Derek waved his hand. Vito backed out of Dereks office.

    A clear morning.

    I am walking across the campus of the national university.

    Yaaaawn

    As I yawned from drowsiness.

    Shion! Shion!

    I heard my name being called from afar. I turned to look in that direction.

    Shion !

    It was soliette. She was waving her hand and running towards me.

    Huh? Whats up?

    Such a fuss was unusual for soliette.

    I asked with concern, but soliette smiled brightly.

    The server is open!

    Server?

    Yes. Bethune!

    .

    I was momentarily speechless.

    The server is?

    Yes. Bethune has been integrated into reality.

    Says who?

    We do

    A sultry voice flowed in from behind. I looked over.

    It was Sheron and Erick from the Aventher family.

    Hello

    .

    Sheron waved at me, and Erick pretended not to see me.

    I asked Sheron.

    The server is open?

    Yeah. Its open- So, you know

    Sheron approached with a queenly smile and whispered softly in my ear.

    Are you looking for the mastermind behind Knightmare?

    .

    I furrowed my brow. Sheron shrugged her shoulders at my reaction.

    Why are you looking like that? Were the same. The Aventagher family is alSo a victim of Knightmare. Didnt you tell him, Soliette?

    Sheron looked at soliette. Soliette nodded at me, as if to confirm Sherons words.

    There are too many people here, so lets talk in detail at our guild house-

    Come when you have time

    Yes. Shion. I''ll go ahead

    I grabbed soliettes wrist. Soliette looked at me with a puzzled expression.

    Why are you holding on to me?

    lf you want to y the game, finish your assignments first.

    Ah.

    Soliettes face fell with bted disappointment.

    [Bethune] had been integrated into reality. Elise had heard the news and immediately sought a way to bring Bianca out.

    When she asked the [Bethune] users, it turned out to be surprisingly simple.

    Experience points could be used.

    In other words, by consuming some of the experience points needed for leveling up, one could bring out items, objects, or pets from within [Bethune].

    Elise willingly invested experience points in Bianca.

    And then

    Bianca.

    In the Magic Tower, in Elises private room.

    She choked up as she held the ck camelBiancathat had materialized before her eyes.

    Too elegant to be a camel, with even teeth, fine features, and glossy ck fur.

    It was Bianca.

    The very Bianca she had raised with such care.

    Bianca, my dear.

    Purr

    Bianca fluttered her lips. It must have been a sign of happiness.

    lm happy to see you too.

    Elises eyes welled up with tears.

    From now on, let''s stay together for a long, long time

    She ran over and hugged Biancas neck tightly.

    The sole reason Elise had not been able to give up on the dreadfully boring Bethune was Bianca.

    This creature had be a reality.

    Elise sobbed for quite a while, holding Bianca in her arms.

    At the Libra Medical Center, in the outpatient consulting room.

    Yu Hains looked at the woman standing before him.

    Lady Johanna, your health checkup results are in, and theres nothing wrong with your body.

    I would think so.

    She raised an eyebrow, as if she had expected as much.

    Yu Hains asked her further.

    Are you experiencing any particr symptoms that are of concern?

    No. Why do you ask?

    I heard you wanted to change your primary physician.

    Thats right.

    Johanna nodded.

    Professor Yu Hains. I would like you to be my primary physician.

    Director Dennison would be better for you in every aspect.

    That might have been true before. But the brain. Doesnt it change with age? Director Dennison is too old.

    Johanna smirked. Yu Hains faced her with an impassive expression.

    Suddenly, Johanna''s expression hardened.

    Why? Is that a problem?

    Not at all.

    lt shouldnt be. After all, youre already in charge of another Libra.

    Another Libra. The phrase puzzled Yu Hains for a moment, but then he understood.

    She must be talking about Shion Ascal.

    How is that fellow doing?

    Johanna asked in a subtle tone. Yu Hains responded with a cool shake of his head.

    I cannot disclose a patients personal information.

    Of course. That person must be seriously ill. Will that person live long?

    Johanna looked at Yu Hains. He looked back at her. His mouth was firmly shut, and his expression unchanged.

    It was a clear intent not to give away even the slightest piece of information.

    Pfft.

    Johanna smiled.

    Very well, then.

    She stood up and looked down at Yu Hains.

    Youre my primary physician now, so expect frequent visits.

    Yes. Take care.

    Yu Hains bowed his head. Johanna snorted and left his office.

    Thud, thud.

    Walking down the hospital corridor, she stopped at a junction. A figure emerged from the shadows.

    It was her bncer.

    Professor Yu Hains. Be careful in extracting whatever he knows about Zia.

    Yes, I understan d.

    Johanna didnt yet know what Zias specific weakness was. However, Professor Yu Hains surely would. Once she found out that weakness, even Shion wouldn''t be able to resist.

    lts the task youve taken upon yourself.

    Johanna had already made up her mind.

    She was determined to take Shion Ascal by force if necessary.

 Chapter 275: What are Emotions(1)

    Chapter 275: What are Emotions(1)

    At the national university library, I was finishing up an assignment with soliette.

    Why do I need to know the history of swordsmanship?

    She grumbled as if she was about to chew up the paper, her face a picture of frustration from having her time stolen.

    Just do it. Dont you want to graduate?

    The sword is not something you memorize. It is felt with the body.

    Write that on your answer sheet then. Let me see your notes.

    I wrote them properly.

    I checked soliettes notes.

    Hmm Not bad. You pass.

    Her notes were passable, and her handwriting was unmistakably aristocratic, even if she had written them carelessly.

    You know the end-of-semester exams areing up, right?

    The Knights Academy is quite a flexible department. You could graduate in a year if possible, or you could take the full four years.

    In the end, its the knights license that matters.

    I know.

    Then lets call it a day.

    Hehe.

    Soliette let out a strangeugh. She was probably nning to dash straight to Bethune.

    Will you join Shion?

    No, I have some things to take care of

    As I said this and stood up, suddenly, I caught sight of someones figure.

    Shion?

    Just a moment.

    I was drawn to it as if under a spell and strode towards it. I hurried through the aisles, catching glimpses of the figure.

    ck bobbed hair.

    That person was definitely in my Memory

    Tae!

    I grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

    Ah.

    She let out a small moan and then red at me with a fierce expression.

    Ah.

    It wasnt Tae.

    It was Theia.

    Professor Theia, good day to you.

    I quickly added thetter part.

    Theia was silent. Cold sweat formed on my temples.

    I inadvertently looked behind her. Gerkhen was blinking and standing there.

    l''m sorry. I mistook you for someone else.

    I bowed deeply. Theia red at me for a moment and then waved her hand dismissively.

    GO.

    Yes.

    I turned around quickly and left the library with soliette, who had been waiting with a nk expression.

    Soliette asked with round eyes.

    Shion. Who is Tae?

    I scratched the back of my neck.

    Exactly.

    Tae.

    Definitely a friend who exists in my memory. As precious as Yael, as precious as soliette. Someone who knew my secret of being ''terminally ill, yet now I have no idea where they are like a ghost.

    l''m so frustrated I dont know either.

    Theia watched the retreating figures of Shion and soliette intently.

    Tae.

    He definitely called her Tae. That slip of the unconscious was firmly imprinted in his mind.

    A troublesome matter.

    The symptoms would only worsen over time.

    Gerkhen.

    Theia turned to look at Gerkhen.

    Yes.

    He was almost certainly going to be under hermand soon.

    He would get his knight''s license within a year, and from then on, he would officially be under her tutge.

    A friend?

    Theia asked him about Shion.

    A ssmate.

    ssmate.

    A term that implied a distance greater than that of friends.

    The one who beat you.

    Yes, thats correct.

    Gerkhen spoke of his defeat without any hint of embarrassment or resentment, an attitude Theia valued.

    Try to get along with him.

    that is sudden?

    Theia nced around and coughed lightly.

    A rival is necessary. And tell him if theres any problem, he should ask me. I have a deep understanding of neuroscience.

    Neuroscience Why bring this up all of a sudden?

    lts not sudden.

    Theia turned sharply to Gerkhen, who quickly straightened his posture.

    Anyway. Thats the message I want you to convey.

    Yes, I understan d.

    In the researchb at Libra Station.

    I had returned to work as Killian. The job was simple. It involved using the intuition that Vito had praised.

    I had to visually inspect the artificial intelligence-rted forms left by Vito and three other researchers, check if they were functioning correctly, and if there were any tangled parts, mark them and pass the information on.

    Honestly, it was work that could be finished in three hours, but I deliberately took longer.

    Pretending to be tired, pretending to be struggling, pretending to be sleepyI put on all these acts. If I finished too quickly, I might end up with too much work. It was also a task that actually consumed a fair amount of mana.

    Dont worry. It''s a difficult task to begin with. Intuition is greatly influenced by ones condition.

    Fortunately, Vito was understanding.

    Thank you.

    S0, try to check mine first if possible.

    Vito nced at me. I gave him a meaningful smile.

    Of course. Here are the results of the inspection for Dr. Vitos form.

    I handed him the paper where I had finished the calctions. I had pointed out a few parts where the circuitry was not flowing well.

    Hmm.

    Vitos lips smiled in satisfaction.

    A mazing. You finish mine quickly,

    I do put the most effort into it, but Dr. Vitos forms are the cleanest and have the highestpletion rate.

    Hmm~

    Vito let out a sigh that seemed to savor a piece of poetry.

    lts easier to look at, so my intuition works more smooth ly.

    Yes, thats right.

    l''m d to know that. Thank you, Dr. Killian.

    Rather, I should be thanking you. Being able to see your invaluable forms every day

    Whilevishing praise with all my might, I pondered for a moment. I carefully gauged the timing to throw in a certain question.

    By the way.

    Yes?

    Vito responded with a grin.

    Thanks to mypliments, his grassy hair seemed to have be fluffier.

    Do you also work with Lord Sherlock

    Shh.

    He quickly ced a finger on his lips.

    He dislikes it when someone speaks his name.

    I apologize.

    lts alright. Now hes behind the scenes. Have you worked with him?

    Yes. Hes like something out of a fantasy.

    A fantasy

    Vito let out a faintugh. I scrutinized his face.

    There was no respect or admiration for Sherlock in his expression. It was purely the look of someone dealing with a superior.

    Well, I suppose so. Hes like a fantasy. A fantasy he wishes to be.

    A curious statement.

    One thing was clear.

    Vito knew something about Sherlock.

    Thank you. Then, Ill finish up the rest after I leave.

    Yes, do that.

    Surprisingly, Vito was quite flexible abouting and going. He seemed to think it was fine not toe in at all as long as one could do their job well.

    I bowed to Vito.

    Please let me know anytime if you have more forms you''d like me to check.

    ITI be focused onto this one today. Take care.

    As he trudged away, looking at the form paper I had given him, he was a true workaholic, obsessed with his work.

    A mad scientist who had harmed tens, no, hundreds of thousands of people.

    Thirring

    My phone rang.

    [Have you had dinner?]

    It was a text from Riley.

    In the stations cafeteria.

    I was having dinner with Riley.

    Well, I was the only one eating; she was propping her chin with her hand, staring at me with a drawn-out gaze.

    A ssic seduction tactic.

    Hows work?

    Riley asked. I slightly lifted my eyes.

    Uh its fine.

    Dr. Vito was praising you. Thats rare.

    Thank you. Its an honor.

    I pretended to suppress augh, my smile turning wobbly. Riley also let out a small smile.

    lts fascinating. Artificial intelligence. How do you even make something like that?

    I hardened my expression. Quietly looking at her, I spoke in a meaningful voice.

    Youre better off not knowing.

    Better off not knowing?

    Huh?

    Just then, another familiar voice appeared.

    Whats this?

    Upon recognizing him, I clenched my teeth. I almost burst intoughter.

    Who might this person be?

    It was Bell Moore. He sat down next to Riley, alternating his gaze between her and me.

    Riley introduced me first.

    This is Dr. Killian. Hes new to the artificial intelligence department.

    Ah, the new guy.

    New guy? Dr. Killian, this is Team Leader Bell Moore.

    Hello.

    I nodded to Bell Moore. He nodded back, though he seemed less than pleased.

    Yes.

    What brings you to the station, Team Leader Bell?

    The Al departments been the talk of the towntely, hasnt it? So I''m here doing an internal sweep checking for any moles or the like And speaking of which, Doctor.

    Bell Moore mmed his arm onto the table. Leaning forward, he looked at me intently.

    Any moles in your department?

    No. Everyone is working hard on their own tasks.

    IS that so?

    But why is this guy butting in all of a sudden? I need to get charmed by Riley quickly.

    Ahem.

    I slipped my hand into my pocket and sent a call to Bell Moores phone.

    Ding-

    Bell Moore picked up his phone. His brow furrowed.

    Whats this?

    Whats wrong?

    lts Shion. Suddenly wants me at the Intelligence Agency?

    As he hurriedly got up from his seat, he somehow looked like a dog being summoned by its master.

    Rileyughed.

    Pfft. Whos the team leader here? Comes when called, goes when told.

    Hey. Dont you know? A capable employee is one who does their job well, and a capable team leader is one who manages capable employees.

    Looks like youre the one being managed, though?

    Ha! Crazy talk. Thats why youre the employee. Shion, that bastard, says jump and you ask how high even in your sleep. Im off.

    Bell Moore dashed out. Riley pointed at his retreating figure and smirked.

    Just ignore him.

    Ah Yes.

    I replied, pretending to be an innocent young man. Internally, I contemted what kind of rice cake to give Bell Moore.

    After all, if I called him out for nothing and said it was a joke, even the house dog might bite right?

    Ah.

    I do have one.

    But if I don''t say anything, he might just take it himself.

    Oh, by the way. How are you getting home? Do you have a car?

    Riley asked with a subtle tone.

    No, I dont have a car

    That works out. Were headed the same way, Ill give you a ride.

    Uh Yes, yes. Well, thank you. I mean, I will be thankful.

    I blushed my face. Riley looked at me with a satisfied smile.

    Ah, this little shit. Fuck.

    Bell Moore furrowed his brow in Shion''s office.

    This subordinate had the nerve to call his team leader and then not be there, not even answering his phone. Does he really think hes the team leader or what?

    Ding-

    Just then, a text message arrived.

    [Shion: Something urgent came up, so I had to leave first. Ill talk to youter.]

    Has this fucker lost his mind? Ordering the team leader around?

    With a venomous look on his face, Bell Moore scanned the office. Then, for no particr reason, he sat down in Shions executive chair.

    Whew- Whew-whew-whew

    Whistling, he opened the top drawer. There was a document that looked like a business report.

    [Verns new business New Frontier massive short-selling n]

    Oh?

    Bell Moore skimmed through the document. A massive short-selling n. The operation was an economic strategy to bring down Verns ''New Frontier.

    It seemed like a new operation that Shion himself had directly c rafted

    Hmm.

    Bell Moore read through it briefly and then carefully slipped it into his own pocket.

    Well, Shion, this little shit, must have called me over because of this.

    ITI take good care of it~

    Just what I needed, something to mark my intellectual achievements.

    Thanks for that.

    Meanwhile, at the same time.

    Johanna had been admitted to Libra Medical Center. Director Dennison seemed perplexed by Johannas presence.

    Lady Johanna, theres nothing physically wrong with you.

    In the WIP room, Dennison hoped Johanna would agree to be discharged, but

    I know, how many times do you have to say it?

    Johanna, in her patient gown, just pointed to her chest with a sulky face.

    Still, theres such a thing as psychological stress.

    Psychological stress

    Yes. Can you calcte my stress urately, without a 1 mg margin of error?

    Thats difficult.

    Thats what Im saying.

    Johannay down on the hospital bed. She only turned her head to speak to Dennison.

    First, call my attending physician. I need to check my condition before I go to sleep. Youre not my attending physician anymore, are you, Director Dennison?

    Yes.

    Dennison left the room.

    Not long after, Yu Hains entered.

    He calmly measured Johannas pulse.

    lts normal.

    At the word normal, Johanna let out a wryugh.

    Hmm. But you know what? I find that normal suspicious.

    Why is that?

    Recently, my hearts been beating in a strange way.

    Johanna ced her hand on her chest.

    The way her heart had been beatingtely was just too strange.

    I cant even sleep properly.

    Shes getting angrier, feeling unnecessarily suffocated, and that bastard keeps popping into her mind unexpectedly. More precisely, the scene where he says he cant go to Lady Johanna keeps reying like a loop.

    lts so damn irritating.

    Yu Hains nodded and checked something on the chart.

    Have you experienced any recent emotional distress that could cause such sy m pto m s?

    Johanna immediately shot back a question at Yu Hains.

    Do you know Shion Ascal?

    You must know him. You''ve seen him often enough.

    Yu Hains remained expressionless, saying nothing. Johanna crossed her legs in frustration.

    lts because of that bastard. Hes the one pissing me off. So, tell me.

    Her gaze sharpened.

    Did that bastard say anything to you about me? I dont give a damn about patient confidentiality or any of that crap

    Ha.

    It was then that Yu Hainss expressionless face broke into a strange, hollowugh.

    It was an unpleasant feeling for Johanna, but for Yu Hains, it was also an awkward sentiment.

    Why are youughing?

    Johannas heart aches because of Shion, and Shion is fond of Johanna.

    Yu Hains is not oblivious.

    In fact, he once passionately loved his own partner.

    So, to anyone looking in, this was clearly a lovers quarrel.

    However, knowing Shions diagnosis, Yu Hains could somewhat understand.

    Terminal patients often believe their love will be a burden to someone else.

    Yu Hains himself had experienced this at one point.

    Why are youughing? she demanded.

    Yu Hains sighed as if in response.

    I hope you stay healthy.''

    What?

    Shion Ascal said he hopes Lady Johanna always stays healthy.

    Johanna was momentarily stunned. She tilted her head, rolling the words I hope you stay healthy around in her mouth.

    While she was reacting, Yu Hains stood up.

    ITI see you tomorrow. Well keep monitoring your pulse regrly.

    Thud-thud-thud Anticipating that Johanna might try to hold him back, he quickly left the room. Johanna, without even thinking of stopping him, justy there on the bed.

 Chapter 276: What are Emotions(2)

    Chapter 276: What are Emotions(2)

    On a dark night, Yu Hains returned to his own hospital, Spring Water Hospital, lost deep in thought. He let out a faint sigh as he gazed at the clusters of stars filling the night sky outside the window.

    Yu Hains, an associate physician at Libra Medical Center and the director of Spring Water Hospital.

    At some point, he hade to be recognized as a highly authoritative doctor in the industry, yet all his research was focused on the least profitable area.

    Perhaps it was an obsession.

    A very personal fixation on the disease that had taken the woman he loved

    Yu Hains silently closed his eyes. Bright memories from the past floated up in the darkened world.

    The woman who smiled at him.

    The knight who seemed unbreakable, with a sword at her waist and a turtle-like shield on her back.

    One day, she fell ill with the same disease as Shion Ascal. However, her prognosis was much worse.

    Because she was a knight.

    The woman who was stronger than himself, who in his eyes was stronger than anyone in the world, suddenly became the most vulnerable patient.

    All he could do as a husband and a doctor was to watch. To hold the hand of his dying wife.

    Yu Hains felt a drowning sense of powerlessness as he looked at his wife. Her words of Im sorry tore at his heart with pain.

    Diseases take away so much.

    The time left to live, the days walked together, memories, and eventually, even the emotion called love.

    His terminally ill wife apologized for her death even in her final moments.

    Yu Hains found that heartbreaking.

    I like her a lot.

    The voice of Shion Ascal talking about Johanna came to mind.

    Perhaps, he felt the same way.

    Yu Hains couldnt know how much Shion liked Johanna. But surely, he thought of that emotion as a burden.

    Just as his wife did.

    Cancer of the Magics Core is a disease that urs in mana. Its a vicious curse where the mana housed in the body itself bes corrupt.

    Shion Ascal is holding on thanks to his inability toplete his Magic Body, but his lifespan is unlikely to exceed ten years.

    Yu Hains opened a drawer in the hospital. He took out a carefully ced frame.

    A photo of himself in a gown and her in armor, both smiling brightly at the camera.

    The picture taken on the first day they achieved their dream together.

    I miss you.

    Yu Hains murmured in a trembling voice as he hugged the photo.

    So very much

    He quietly fell asleep.

    At the same time, Johanna was reading a file about Professor Yu Hains.

    He was born an orphan, but became a doctor, and though he took a knight as his partner, she died of cancer.

    It was a cruel fate.

    A knight, the wife of a doctor, dying of an illness.

    Cancer of the Magics Core, huh

    It was an exceedingly rare disease.

    Crunch, crunchBncer Vitro spoke as he peeled an apple.

    lts almost harmless to ordinary people who dont use magic at all, but for those who can use magic or knights and mages who havepleted the Magic Body, its the worst disease with a 99% mortality rate.

    A 99% mortality rate within five years. And among them, only three, who were all ordinary people.

    How strange.

    Yes. However, the incidence rate is also very low, so its not something to worry about. Its said to be as rare as being struck by lightning while walking down the street

    Suddenly, Vitro put a hand to his ear.

    He had received some report.

    My lord. There are no records rted to Miss Zia at Spring Water Hospital, where Professor Yu Hains serves as di rector.

    IS that so.

    Well, given Zias personality, she wouldnt have left any charts behind.

    It was expected.

    Leave that doctor alone for now. Well find out in due course.

    Yes.

    Johanna picked up a piece of the apple Vitro had peeled and ate it with her fingers, chewing as she thought about Shion Ascal.

    What could that guy be doing right now?

    She was curious.

    Why?

    Johanna furrowed her brow without realizing it.

    Why was she curious?

    Why with was she wondering what he was doing right now?

    her arms crossed, Johanna pondered the reason.

    Of course, that guy had saved her life. He hadpleted any mission perfectly and had anticipated Beckmans betrayal, preventing a disaster.

    At the same time, he liked her, so there was no risk of betrayal.

    He was that valuable.

    A precious talent.

    Thats why she wants him

    She wants to possess him.

    Yes, like owning a treasure or a trophy.

    She just want to ''have'' Shion Ascal

    David, the external team leader of the Libra Intelligence Agency, was thirsty for information. Specifically, he desired a ''safety that included reconnaissance and scouting.

    The external team, as the name suggests, epasses Chasers who operate in the field.

    Its not just about simple espionage or infiltration, but a profession that involves directbat.

    Therefore, for them, information was a matter of survival.

    External team leader David was more aware of the importance of reconnaissance than anyone and had requested the corresponding budget from Director Gedley, but Gedley had always refused, citing trivial reasons.

    There''s an ambush at the coordinates provided. It seems to be a trap for sure.

    I satisfied Davids desire.

    I utilized Grawls feline connections for reconnaissance.

    Confirmed. Will ry the message. Will contact you againter.

    Requests for scouting came in four or five times a day, but given enough time, Grawlpleted them without any trouble.

    [C1090. Missionpleted.]

    [K305. Missionpleted.]

    [JJJOM3. Missionpleted.]

    Moreover, members of the ''Bell Moore team, including Chloe, Sia, Jeff, consistently embarked on missions.

    They would umte achievements day by day, and I would provide the appropriate financial rewardan incentive.

    Would 200,000 be enough?

    In truth, the incentive is at the discretion of the team leader.

    Of course, Bell Moore wouldnt think of giving out incentives, but I could just burn my own money.

    I had more than enough Libra Points I received from Derek before.

    I should make a show of it.

    I activated the hotline.

    [The team haspleted 8 missions over the past month.]

    [I will distribute Libra Points at my discretion.]

    I divided a total of 200,000 points equally among the three of them.

    With that, I had more or less finished the days work, and it was 6 PM.

    About now.

    The meeting would have ended.

    I got up from my seat to go and confront Bell Moore.

    Not a bad ope rati on.

    In the executive meeting room, Gedley looked at Bell Moore''s short-selling report with aplex expression.

    Ha ha. Do you think so?

    Bell Moore smiled. Gedley found that smile quite nauseating.

    But there was nothing he could do.

    It was a very intellectual and sharp, needle-like operation. Especially for Gedley, who came from the economic sector.

    He hadnt expected such a loophole in Verns new enterprise, New Frontier.

    IS this your idea?

    Yes, it is.

    Bell Moore suppressed his expression for the moment. The atmosphere around him was quite serious.

    The other team leaders were sending envious nces his way.

    WelL Its not bad. Not bad, but.

    Gedley slowly turned his words around.

    Suchrge-scale short selling requires operational experience, as well as personnel. The situation changes every minute, every second, making it difficult to carry out decisively at the Intelligence Agency level.

    Then he tapped the report with his hand.

    lts not bad, but it''s a n that will soon turn bad.

    Hmm Is that so?

    Bell Moore felt self-conscious. Gedley gestured to him with his eyes.

    How about this? Lets leave it to the station. They know much more about the economy than we do

    Ah. Yes.

    Bell Moore immediately granted permission.

    ITI do that.

    His principle was to avoid causing disputes or even attracting jealousy if possible. After all, as long as his idea was recognized, that was enough for him.

    Well then. Ill report this matter to Lord Derek myself.

    Gedley said as he put the report into a drawer.

    Yes.

    Thats all for today. You may leave.

    The five team leaders, excluding David who was on a mission, exited the directors conference room. While the other team leaders were apanied by their respective lines, Bell Moore was alone.

    He preferred it that way.

    Whats this?

    But he wasn''t alone.

    At the end of the corridor stood Shion Ascal.

    What do you want?

    The meetings over, isnt it? Thats why Im here.

    What are you talking about? I don''t need that kind of thing.

    Better if you didnte at all. Its annoying having you around.

    Why does my presence bother you?

    You attract too much attention from above. I dont want that kind of attention.

    Shion tilted his head in confusion.

    For someone who doesnt want attention, you took my report.

    YOU knew?

    How could I not know? You could have made a copy.

    Ahem.

    Bell Moore cleared his throat and waved his hand dismissively.

    Look. The operations going to turn sour anyway, so we decided to hand it over to the station.

    TO the station?

    Shions expression shifted subtly.

    Yeah, man. We cant handle arge-scale short sale like that. Youve never done a short sale before, have you? So dont get too attached. The idea''s good, but its not something we can execute. Okay?

    Well. Yes.

    Shion forced down the smirk tugging at his lips.

    He had expected this.

    Bell Moore would pass the report to Gedley, and Gedley would entrust it not to the station but to his own team members.

    In professional terms, this was known as shucking.

    lm off then.

    Going to the club again?

    No. Ive got work to do, man.

    Bell Moore waved and left.

    Shion chuckled to himself.

    For the record, this short sale operation was an event that happened in the future.

    The result? A failure.

    The extent? Quite disastrous.

    lts simple and easy to man ipute .

    Indeed, Bell Moore needed to be pushed upwards as much as possible.

    On a peaceful weekend afternoon at the Libra Medical Center.

    Johanna furrowed her brows at the-like thing that had been ced over her head.

    Whats this now?

    Yu Hains answered.

    lts a machine to measure brain waves.

    Hah.

    Johanna let out a hollowugh.

    I know what it is. Im asking why youre putting it on me.

    You said you were feeling tightness in the chest.

    Yu Hains spoke calmly as he sat down in the chair opposite to her. He turned the monitor so Johanna could see it.

    lm going to measure it to see if it might be a psychological issue.

    Measuring psychology.

    Yes. Its simple. Just watch the video I y and feel your emotions honestly. Is that okay with you?

    Johanna pressed her lips tightly together, narrowing her eyes as she red at Yu Hains.

    Yu Hains replied nonchntly.

    lf Lady Johanna has been hospitalized, you must think its a rather serious issue, dont you? As your physician, I intend to do my best to find a solution. I ask for your coo pe ratio n.

    Click

    Yu Hains pressed a button. A video started ying on the monitor. It was a scene of a roughly shaped puppy frolicking in a field.

    Whats this?

    Just watch.

    Click

    He pressed another button. This time, it was a childughing.

    Click

    He continued to press the button.

    A scene of a man getting hit by a car, a child grinning and calling for his mother, aical scene of a grandfather trying to remove his dentures and his jawing off as well, a dying old gentleman embracing his grandson, and so on

    A session of ordinary slides that could hardly be called psychological therapy.

    What in the world is this?

    Lady Johan na.

    Yu Hains interrupted her.

    Lady Johanna has an incredibly rational brain.

    A rational brain.

    It didnt sound like a bad thing to hear.

    Johanna quietly listened to what Yu Hains had to say next.

    Look. This is the change in Lady Johannas brain when she views the slides.

    Colorful currents faintly shimmered across the gray brain. They were truly ''faint.'' They spread out as if they were going to disperse but stayed right at the edge, lingering there.

    As you can see, Lady Johannas brain only feels a very small part of the emotions. It''s probably a part you were born with.

    Hmm Ive heard that before.

    It was indeed something she had heard before. She had undergone tests at a hospital before entering university.

    Her innate nature was cool, calm, and rational.

    Something like that was the diagnosis.

    But. Look at this.

    Yu Hains disyed someone on the slidesomeone he anticipated would cause a dramatic change in Johanna.

    It was a video of Shion Ascal.

    Hello. Im Shion Ascal.

    1

    ln that moment, Johanna was greatly shaken.

    I am a sponsor of Spring Water Hospital Do I really have to record this?

    Shion Ascal looked at the camera with a baffled expression. He showed a clear smile that he had never shown to Johanna before.

    Johannas heart pounded.

    That frustration she knew all too well surged back with a vengeance.

    Yes. Thats enough.

    Yu Hains, who had just nodded, pointed to the state of Johannas brain.

    Look.

    Johanna turned to look as well.

    What.

    For a moment, her thoughts froze.

    Her brain was awash with colors.

    Almost every part that had been gray just moments before was now smeared with vibrant hues.

    When someone sees a certain person, hormones and neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are secreted in their brain, Yu Hains continued.

    The action of these chemicals causes various parts of the brain to be extremely active, and during this process, a person feels certain emotions.

    Facing the bewildered Johanna, Yu Hains concluded.

    The academic world calls this love.

 Episode 277: What are Emotions(3)

    Episode 277: What are Emotions(3)

    In Yu Hainss clinic, Johanna received a packet of medicine.

    [Prescription Medicine]

    She red at the words as if they were absurd.

    Thwack!

    With a flick of her wrist, she threw the packet against Yu Hainss chest.

    Are you mocking me now? After all that bullshit about love and whatnot.

    No, I am not.

    Yu Hains handed back the medicine and said,

    lts a psychotropic stabilizer. Its a medicinebined with magic. Take one when you feel constricted. It will calm your mind.

    Johanna turned her furrowed brow towards the monitor. Her brain, still vividly disyed on the screen, seemed foreign to her.

    lt doesnt look like my brain.

    Thats correct.

    You mean to say the doctors interpretation was wrong.

    Johanna snorted and crossed her arms.

    This is possessiveness. Its not love or anything of the sort.

    The glittering currents flooding her brain. This was the change that urred when she wanted to possess something.

    When she saw the World Series of Poker trophy, when she looked at a department store filled with luxury goods, when she saw the piles of chips in a casino, Johanna felt a simr emotion.

    The feeling of wanting to possess something is entirely different from affection.

    Yu Hains asked the nodding Johanna with satisfaction,

    Have you ever felt frustrated because you couldnt possess something?

    Often. It wasnt just frustration. I was angry. Extremely angry. But in the end, I managed to possess it all.

    Not just the trophies, department stores, or casinos, but also the Golden Casino and countless other desired things, Johanna had sessfully grasped them all.

    Therefore, Shion Ascal would be no different.

    Youre wrong. I am Johanna of Libra. You cant peer into me with just brain waves.

    Yes. That might be the case.

    Yu Hains didnt bother to argue. Johanna let out a satisfied sneer.

    However, I believe there is a clear difference between affection and possessiveness. Its the resonance.

    Resonance?

    Yes. Affection spreads around the object. It expands without you even realizing it.

    Yu Hains continued as he checked something on the chart.

    ln other words, its not just about the object itself, but also the time spent with it, the spaces walked together, from the very mundane everyday to the events that are too memorable, all remain as memories and be precious.

    Love spreads like resonance. Its not limited to the ''individual''; every moment shared with emotions resonates with the same love. Like ripples spreading from a droplet on a tranquilkeside

    Thats resonance.

    Possessiveness is not like that.

    Johanna looked at Yu Hains silently.

    lf youve possessed an item, thats the end of it since you now own it. The act of possession itself never remains as a meaningful memory in the brain.

    Suddenly, Shion Ascal came to mind.

    He wasnt fragmentary. No recollection stopped at just his face. It continued further, deeper and deeply.

    As her yer in the World Series of Poker, winning, risking his life in the heart of enemy territory to save her, anticipating Beckmans rampage and eliminating him

    At some point, he was embedded in all of her significant memories.

    Nonsense.

    Johanna flung the [Prescription Medicine] against the wall.

    Thwack! The medicine packet stuck to the pristine white wall.

    Are you a doctor or a shaman? Stick to one.

    Muttering, she stormed out.

    Hmm.

    Yu Hains, raising an eyebrow, was about to make a note on the chart when, suddenly

    Johanna returned, retrieving the medicine with [Telekinesis] .

    Bang!

    And then she was gone again.

    Yu Hains blinked nkly.

    Johanna was certainly a human in need of treatment.

    She needed to be admitted.

    How did ite to this

    Yu Hains pitied Shion Ascal. While its said that the human heart has a mind of its own, it seemed he might have taken a liking to the most difficult person on the continent.

    [Verns new venture New Frontier massive short-selling n]

    Meanwhile, Gedley was analyzing the report submitted by Bell Moore.

    He scanned the contents with a serious, heavy gaze.

    Verns ''New Frontier is a pioneeringpany. The Arctic, the Antarctic, Magic Space, and even thends of monsters that remain unexplored.

    Yet, itcks proper achievements. Despite this, its market capitalization is incredibly high. Its rising day by day.

    Moreover, this New Frontier is not outwardly associated with Vern.

    [The entirepany is presumed to be a pile of Verns slush funds.]

    Gedley focused on the conclusion of the report.

    Indeed, New Frontier has many unclear sources of funding.

    The bigger issue is the uncertain assets.

    [Reporting unverified assets as pioneering achievements, using them as coteral for loans, and then using the loans to buy back its own stock]

    It means they are manipting stock prices through circr trading.

    The real owner of New Frontier is the Mechron Company. The real owner of the Ketron Company is Tracing it back, Vernes into the picture.

    So, what if they dump it when the price has been driven up?

    The entirepany turns into a massive slush fund for Vern. The massive debts umted by thepany would disappear with corporate liquidation.

    lts certain.

    To Gedley, who once worked in the economic department of the station, it was crystal clear.

    Bell Moore, quite intelligent.

    Bell Moore himself called it ''his own strategy.

    Hes not the type to steal items from his subordinates, so its likely true. It also means hes quite confident in it.

    But

    lts too good a strategy for him.

    Gedley snickered as he dialed someones number.

    Yes, Director.

    ine. Come up.

    Chaser, who was a candidate for team leader but was overshadowed by Bell Moore.

    ine quickly made her way to the directors office.

    Yes, how can I help?

    Take this.

    Gedley handed her the report.

    This is.

    You minored in economics, didnt you?

    Yes, thats correct, but isnt this Bell Moores report?

    Not anymore.

    Gedley smiled. However, ine looked somewhat fearful.

    But

    I havent reported to Lord Derek yet. Also, there were no external team leaders present at that meeting.

    The only ones who could be said to be in Bell Moores faction are Shion Ascal and that esteemed external team leader, David.

    There were only our people in the meeting room. That means no one will believe him even if he shouts that its his strategy.

    ine soon understood Gedleys words. She quietly smiled and bowed her head.

    Yes, I will follow your instructions, Di recto r.

    At the same time, in the Cyber Response Room of the Intelligence Agency.

    I''m observing someone there. A Chaser, and a candidate for Bell Moores team, is sitting in front of aputer with multiple monitors, busily tapping away at the keyboard.

    His name is Luin, 24 years old, male, with a face that somehow resembles a Pomeranian.

    Lately, its felt like Grawl alone isnt enough for the information side of things, and weve been eyeing to recruit someone to manage the hotline.

    Luin willter be the reason why the Libra Intelligence Agency boasts such formidable server defense capabilities.

    Hem hem.

    I cleared my throat and approached Luin.

    Good day.

    Eh?

    Luin blinked and looked up at me. He had a rather cute face for a man.

    Who are you?

    Luin, being from a so-called provincial university, has a very weak position as a Chaser. Despite his exceptional abilities, he''s stuck doing menial tasks in the Intelligence Agencys cyber room.

    In fact, his main job is to find and delete negativements about Derek.

    lm Chaser Shion.

    Ah~ that person?

    Luin seemed to recognize me.

    Yes. What brings you here? Hacking SNS? Deleting maliciousments? Or did you forget your password? If yourputer wont turn on, have you checked if the cord is plugged in?

    Indeed, he already seems steeped in the ways of the world.

    No, but whats with the ''check if the cord is plugged in?

    lt''s not about that.

    I handed Luin a small business card. On the back, I had written a certain sentence.

    Read this. Its a selfbusting business card that will ignite in 30 minutes.

    What? Uh

    Luin epted the business card and flipped it over. As soon as he saw the content, his eyes widened in shock.

    What?!

    Shh.

    I ced a finger to my lips. Luin also covered his mouth with both hands.

    Don''t show any reaction and listen.

    I spoke in a low voice.

    lf youre interested,e to the abandoned factory written on the card at 10 p.m. If not, keep silent about this until the day you die.

    Luin nodded his head vigorously without saying a word.

    The next day. In the directors meeting room presided over by Gedley.

    During the meeting, which Derek also attended via video, Gedley presented the [New Frontier Short Sale] report to Derek.

    Ha. Vern has been up to this kind of thing.

    Derek, who was quite knowledgeable in economics, was immediately impressed, and Gedley smiled as he spoke.

    It''s a strategy sharp enough to be a dagger. Who do you n to assign to it?

    Chaser ine will lead the ope rati on.

    Excuse me?

    Bell Moore let out a bewildered sound. All the executives, including Gedley, turned to look at him.

    No I thought you were assigning it to the station.

    In response to Bell Moores words, Gedley calmly replied.

    Team Leader Bell Moore. I dont understand what youre saying. Please focus on the meeting.

    Excuse me?

    It''s a good strategy. Well done.

    As Bell Moore felt a lukewarm sensation at the back of his head, Derek satisfyingly tapped the report.

    This is what Ive been wanting. A strategy that can weaken Verns position in the corporate world Is the idea itself ines?

    lt''s not just me.

    At that moment, ine, who had been seated in the corner of the meeting room, humbly smiled.

    Director Gedley gave me the idea, and I merely embodied it.

    What kind of bullshit haha.

    Bell Mooreughed involuntarily.

    When youre so tantly backstabbed like this,ughter is really the only response.

    The budget will be allocated as you wish

    Dereks words continued, but Bell Moore had no idea how the meeting was proceeding.

    He was just dazed.

    His eyes felt hot, and rage was boiling up inside him.

    Lets end the meeting here. No need for other matters. Focus solely on this.

    And with that, the meeting came to an end.

    Derek turned off the screen with a more animated tone than he had used in a long time, and everyone rose from their seats.

    Bell Moore immediately grabbed Gedley.

    Director, may I have a word with you?

    A word? Didnt you hear Derek? From now on, actually from this moment, well be busy.

    Bell Moore blinked as he looked at Gedley, who furrowed his brow.

    You seem to have api nt.

    As if theres any chance I wouldnt, you asshole.

    He wanted to spit out those words, but instead, he swallowed them down deep.

    Uh no, not at all.

    If this is just the pecking order, I can ept it to some extent. Its irritating, sure, but its the path to contentment.

    Even as he said this, he thought that once it was all over, theyd probably throw him a few crumbs.

    Then, thats all. You should get to work as well.

    Gedley promptly left the meeting room, and the five team leaders followed, each sneering at Bell Moore as they passed by.

    Sigh.

    Bell Moore scratched the back of his neck and let out a sigh.

    He took out his phone and dialed someone.

    -Hello?

    It was Shion Ascal.

    Hey. That thing, your item. It got swiped.

    He didnt say anything, but Bell Moore felt inexplicably ashamed.

    Sorry, man. Ah~ shit. I got too greedy.

    Its okay. Just have a drink by yourself.

    Dont people usually say let''s have a drink together?

    I dont do ''together.''

    Fine, asshole. I dont want to drink with you either. Im off to the club to blow off some steam. Hanging up.

    Yes.

    After ending the call, Bell Moore immediately sent a text to the club asking if the water was good tonight.

    Not long after, he received a reply saying there will be lots of celebrity-level tonight.

    Phew- phewphewphew

    Bell Moore whistled cheerfully and left the meeting room.

    Libra Medical Center, one week into hospitalization.

    Just as rumors began to circte among the paparazzi that Johanna has fallen seriously ill,

    Johanna sat once again in Dr. Yu Hainss office.

    Dr. Hains asked her,

    How is the medication working?

    lt helps a bit when I feel suffocated.

    It was true. Especially when her chest fluttered or felt tight.

    Thats good to hear.

    Dr. Hains checked something off on the chart.

    Johanna red at it and clicked her tongue.

    Professor Yu Hains. Ive thought about what you said regarding the difference between possession and love. It seems usible.

    Is that so?

    lt doesnt mean I agree.

    Johanna spread her palms, as if to say she didnt include herself in his logic.

    I am different from everyone you know. Im just saying that the difference between possession and love you talked about makes sense.

    Hmm.

    However, you got the subject wrong.

    The subject?

    Dr. Hains met her gaze and asked.

    Yes. Its not that I have affection for Shion Ascal.

    Johanna pointed to her own chest with her finger.

    lts that Shion Ascal has affection for me.

    IS that so.

    Yes. If you knew what that guy has done for me Wait.

    Johannas words halted. Once a poker yer who dominated the gambling scene, she was adept at reading someones expression.

    And now,

    The expression on Dr. Yu Hainss face was peculiar.

    Doctor.

    It wasnt a look of disbelief. Nor was it one of astonishment. It wasnt a face ofplete trust either.

    You already know, dont you?

    He already knew.

    That Shion Ascal liked her.

    What did Shion Ascal say about me?

    Johanna asked with a voice that mixed her characteristic intimidation and menace, as natural as breathing.

    Dr. Hains remained silent.

    He just felt a slightly sorrowful sense of deja vu.

    The love of someone with a terminal condition, and the love of someone who is loved by the terminally ill.

    How painful that mismatch can be

    He knew because he had experienced it.

 Chapter 278: What are Emotions(4)

    Chapter 278: What are Emotions(4)

    Late at night. On the outskirts of the capital Edsi, a derelict factory shrouded in darkness.

    It was there that I met the new team member candidate, Luin.

    Um I I

    Luin was trembling as if the very space was terrifying. I extended my arms to him.

    This is our hideout.

    Hideout?

    Yes. No one can enter without my permission.

    It was a hideout constructed by Grawl himself. It was equipped with several magic spells, so any uninvited guests would die on their way here.

    But for a hideout

    Snap!

    I snapped my fingers. At that, the door of a container box ced in the corner of the abandoned factory swung open. Luins eyes widened as he peered inside.

    No, no way!

    Bright and colorful. A personal space filled with twinkling lights, high-endputers, and mana-servers lined up.

    This is the teams exclusive information room.

    This would be Luins workce from now on.

    Here, Mr. Luin, you willpile the status and conditions of our team members and deliver the solutions and information they want through the hotline. Additionally, Davids team will also fall under Mr. Luins jurisdiction.

    In other words, he was going to take over all the information and intelligence work I had been doing.

    Luin nodded hesitantly.

    Ah, I understand.

    Do you know Jake?

    Jake?!

    He pped his hand over his mouth in shock.

    Yes, Jake.

    Of course! Hes the ck Scale of the Dark Web! Hes my role model!

    Living virtually on the inte, Grawl had grown to the point where he had be someones role model.

    I pointed to the container.

    Thisputer has a hotline connected to Jake.

    Luins eyes grew even wider. They looked like they might pop out.

    Then, could it be Mr. Jake is also?

    Yes. Hes one of the team members.

    Wha what

    Luin staggered and leaned against the container. He trembled in his arms and legs like a newborn fawn.

    lf theres something you cant handle alone,municate with Jake to resolve it. Of course, the whitelist that Mr. Luin must cooperate with is limited.

    The whitelist refers to a list of those who can use the teams information.'' For now, it naturally includes only Bell Moores team and Davids team.

    Can can I really do well?

    Just try your best. You have talent.

    Luin was going to be an incredible coder.

    While he might not be the creator of [Bethune], he had risen to the level where he could implement his own coded programs into the world.

    Yes, yes

    Then Ill leave it to you. This is your space now, use it as you please. Food, water, drinks, and nutritional supplements are all stocked up.

    Thats a minimum of three months worth of supplies. Talented coders tend to dislike going outside.

    Where where are you going?

    Luin asked.

    I have other business to attend to. Jake will fill you in on the details.

    Jake Mr. Jake will

    Luin turned around in a daze and sat down in the chair with the face of someone who had just encountered a deity.

    I sought out Doctor Yu Hains once again. It was because of the rumor that Johanna had been hospitalized at Libra Medical Center with a serious illness.

    ls there no problem?

    I cannot disclose a patients personal information.

    Yu Hains was as steadfast as ever.

    But honestly, I dont think she has any illness. Shes excessively healthy, after all.

    I was there for my own purposes.

    Hmm.

    I looked intently at Yu Hains. He calmly met my gaze.

    I wonder why Lady Johanna would be hospitalized. Its curious.

    lf youre so concerned, why not ask her directly?

    At Yu Hainss response, I shrugged my shoulders.

    lt might be burdensome if I get too close.

    Why is that?

    Yu Hains asked. I scratched the back of my neck, feigning shyness.

    Well, just Anyway, its not a serious illness, right?

    I asked as if I were genuinely worried.

    Feigning emotion has be easier than anything else for me.

    Of course, there is guilt. Im not just deceiving the person who is treating me, but Im using them.

    Yu Hains said,

    You were the thirty-fifth.

    The thirty-fifth?

    That many people from Libra havee. There were also spies from other families who came pretending to be patients.

    Indeed, not only Johannas subordinates but also Derek, Jade, Zia, several elders, and even people from families other than Libra, and the cartel, would havee.

    They were all more interested in other things than Lady Johannas health. Unlike you.

    I pretended to be struck to the core, momentarily at a loss for words.

    lts strange not to worry when an oncology specialist has been changed to the primary physician Besides.

    I stealthily observed Yu Hainssplexion.

    His hair, reaching down to his shoulders, seemed quite dry. His skin was rough, and he had quite severe dark circles.

    You seem tired?

    A slight smile escaped me. Probably because of Johanna.

    Yu Hains, of course, kept his mouth shut. It was almost an obsession not to divulge any information rted to the patient.

    I let out a faint sigh.

    Thats just the kind of person she is. If theres something she wants, something that resonates with her heart, she never gives up.

    Yu Hainss lips remained firmly sealed.

    But shes not a bad person. On the contrary shes getting better and better.

    Getting better.

    Thats quite right.

    At least shes much better now than before the regression. Compared to when she used to kill people like a demon, it''s almost endearing.

    Arent you going to tell that person?

    Yu Hains asked. I tilted my head.

    Tell what?

    About you''.

    About me.

    I think I understand what he means.

    Well, I guess not?

    Yu Hains looked at me. His eyes were asking for an exnation.

    lm a burden, arent I? Lady Johanna has a lot to do and a long way to go. I shouldnt hinder her path.

    A burden.

    Such is a life with a time limit.

    While all humans cannot be perpetual, the pain of not being able to share time with them cuts deep.

    Thats why Im a burden.

    Even knowing all this, I cant be a nuisance.

    I stood up.

    Well, anyway. I''m off.

    Yu Hains watched me closely but said nothing more.

    He had lost apanion who possessed the same disease as me.

    I, like hispanion, had contracted the same disease.

    Though we seem to be in simr situations, in reality, we are vastly different. We are atplete opposites.

    I am going to die, and she will continue to live

    Being a nuisance is nothingpared to

    Yu Hains held me back.

    The happiness of the moments we shared was far greater.

    I turned to look at him.

    lf the suffering had outweighed the happiness, I would have already taken my own life.

    Yu Hains continued calmly.

    Even that would be too precious to waste. If I die, I wont be able to remember her.

    I pondered his words for a moment.

    A person who lives to remember someone already gone. A person who lives in a world without love, smelling their scent.

    Could Johanna be like Yu Hains?

    Hmm. That might be possible.

    I smiled faintly and closed the door behind me.

    The [New Frontier short-selling operation] of the Libra Intelligence Agency is currently underway.

    The Gedley team is building up the operation, and when the time is right, theyll break the news. That New Frontier is a mountain of debtpany made with Verns slush funds.

    But the future is

    Whether Vern had led them there from the beginning, or it was sheer luck, I dont know.

    A pioneering team hastily dispatched by [New Frontier] to find a pretext stumbled upon a crystal cave in the Arctic.

    It was a discovery worth billions of Ren.

    Therefore, Derek is going to lose hundreds of millions of Ren on this deal.

    Even for Derek, hundreds of millions of Ren would be a severe blow, and once this operation is over, Gedleys position will also be unstable.

    I''ll just keep doing what I need to do until then

    Shion! Over here!

    This is a coffee shop in the world of [Bethune].

    Soliette from the coffee shop waved at me. She was with Erick and Sheron, both disguised as ordinary people.

    Why are you sote~?

    Sheron asked. Erick furrowed his brows in displeasure.

    Sorry, I was held up with some work.

    Anyway, take a seat. We have something to discuss.

    I sat down next to soliette and asked her quietly.

    What were you guys talking about?

    About Knightmare, we were sharing some very important information.

    Soliettes words were confirmed with a nod from Sheron.

    Knightmare Soliette, how far did we get in our discussion~?

    lt started with theoretically living forever.

    Ah, right~.

    Sheron tapped my shoulder with her hand as she spoke, and soliette cast a slightly strange nce at Sherons gesture.

    ITI catch discussion from a host.

    Forever?

    up on the previous content with soliette, and well continue the now. First off, Knightmare theoretically lives forever by parasitizing

    How do you know that?

    I asked Sheron. Sheron scrunched up her eyebrows.

    Aventagher, the former Chairman family, you know? Dont underestimate their intelligence capabilities.

    Ah Yes.

    Well, considering the families that couldpete with Libra, Aventagher would be included.

    Anyway. Knightmare is a very imperfect being for something that lives eternally. Its like something that escaped from ab.

    Ab you say?

    Soliette''s eyes widened.

    Yes. Look at this.

    Sheron presented some kind of autopsy report.

    Felix, or rather the host that became Knightmare, was examined after his autopsy.

    I turned to look at soliette. Soliette exined with a bitter smile.

    The Aventagher family took care of Felixs body.

    Ah

    lf you look, the bodys structure itself is being maintained very imperfectly.

    Barely alive. Knightmare is forcibly sustaining life.

    Sheron rested her chin on her hand.

    ln my opinion, Knightmare was the byproduct of some research. More of a failure than a byproduct?

    It was a usible exnation.

    Soliette also nodded in agreement.

    But what specific research could have spawned it?

    What else? I mentioned its forcibly sustaining life

    Sheron wrinkled her nose as if frustrated.

    Eternal life.

    Soliette froze, and I quietly pricked up my ears.

    Sheron, this woman, knows a lot more than expected. Her insight and intuition are quite sharp.

    Was she always like this?

    Soliette asked.

    Which family would research immortality? Such an impossible greed.

    We have to start looking at that now- There are a lot of families involved. First-

    Sheron pointed at soliette with a thin smile.

    The Arkne family.

    Our family?

    Soliette looked surprised. Sheron nodded and pointed to her own chest.

    Next, the Aventaghers.

    Yes?

    There were records from our great-grandfathers time- If we exclude these things, you guys might suspect, right? Thats why Im telling you in advance.

    Sheron chuckled and then her expression hardened. She looked at me.

    Add to that Libra. There are at least eight major families involved

    At the same time.

    Visiting the cemetery, Johanna watched the back of Yu Hains. In front of a woman''s grave, he was quietlyying flowers.

    Hmm.

    But just watching was a bit boring.

    Johanna walked up and stood beside him.

    lt was cancer, wasnt it?

    She asked Yu Hains. He silently stood up.

    For Johanna, it was frustrating.

    Is this also patient confidentiality?

    It seemed so.

    Johanna sighed. While doing so, she looked at the same grave as Yu Hains.

    [Selinne Aryl Daisy]

    Did it hurt? When this woman died.

    Yes. Every moment was painful.

    Surprisingly, Yu Hains answered readily. Johannas eyebrows twitched.

    HOW much?

    Yu Hains turned to look at her.

    Life will crumble. Everything youve known, lived for, and brought with you will copse, and you can never go back to how it was before.

    You''re full of shit.

    Johannaughed sarcastically.

    Then why didnt you prepare for it? If she had such a disease, its natural she would die.

    Do ctors often talk about ''being mentally prepared. Shouldnt the doctor have been prepared?

    There is no preparation for that.

    Yu Hains smiled faintly. It was the first time Johanna had seen the Doctors smile.

    lf you can prepare, it would be not to love someone so deeply. That''s the biggest precaution.

    Swoosh

    Suddenly, the wind blew. Johannas hair fluttered softly.

    She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

    Ordinary people like you might suffer from such things. Not us.

    A sneer formed at the corner of her mouth.

    Libra. We control everything. Regting mere emotions is easier than anything else.

    Yu Hains shook his head slightly.

    I thought so too, but when it actually happens, its not the case.

    Hmph. Bullshit.

    Johanna flipped the middle finger. Yu Hains looked at it intently and then nodded.

    As a person, not as a doctor, I''ll give you advice.

    What, advice?

    Stay away if you can. From Shion Ascal.

    What?

    lf you truly care for his heart, stay as far away as possible.

    Johanna thought.

    Was this some strange sentimentality sprouting up in front of a grave? The professor suddenly spouting nonsense.

    But if you feel you cant do that, if it seems utterly impossible

    Yu Hains stared into Johannas eyes and said,

    Love without regrets.

    Her mouth fell open.

    But Yu Hainss idiotic words still had one more thing to add.

    When you acknowledge that love,e to me.

    Johanna looked at Yu Hains, then let out a hollowugh.

    lsnt this guy insane?

 Chapter 279: What are Emotions(5)

    Chapter 279: What are Emotions(5)

    Late at night.

    Johanna returned to the Libra Medical Center.

    My lord. The press has caught wind of this.

    Victor said.

    Of course, the fact that she, the eldest daughter, had been hospitalized for so long was a major event that could shake the stock prices of the affiliatepanies.

    lt doesnt matter. If an article breaks, will it drop by about 5%? Were flush with cash, so lets use this opportunity to buy more and increase my stake.

    Johanna nonchntly grasped the doorknob of the WIP room.

    Oh, and.

    She turned to look at Vitro and continued.

    From now on, Zia is my enemy. Apply as much pressure as possible.

    Yes.

    Johanna entered the hospital room.

    Hmm.

    Having stayed for quite a while, it now felt as familiar as home.

    Come to think of it, this might be the first space she had stayed in continuously since bing an adult.

    Thump

    Shey down on the plush bed and looked up at the ceiling.

    It was stark white.

    No decorations whatsoever.

    Thanks to that, she naturally fell into a certain line of thought.

    Stay as far away as possible. From Shion Ascal.

    It was a sudden crazy remark from the Doctor, but perhaps it was the right thing to say.

    Objectively thinking, she was obsessed with Shion Ascal.

    Even if it was just greed, it was too much.

    She was trying to acquire just one Chaser, who wasn''t even a Bncer yet, by giving up a stake in the Golden Casino.

    Then.

    Why did she want that bastard whose cost-benefit analysis didnt add up?

    Because of the potential he possessed as a talent?

    Or, as Doctor Yu Hains said

    Love.

    Johanna murmured quietly to herself.

    If it really was that kind of emotion, it might exin things, but unfortunately, she had never even felt something akin to Tove.

    .

    Suddenly, a certain knight came to mind.

    It must have been about a decade or so ago.

    Back when she was still a student, there was a time when she quietly watched an unnamed man practicing on a dummy.

    Thud Thud Thud-

    Watching the knight hone his swordsmanship on the dummy was Johannas routine.

    One day, that knight died.

    It was a strange thing.

    The guy who was almost always there suddenly disappeared, and when she asked why, they said he was dead.

    She thought people didnt die easily, but he died easily.

    Since she didnt know the process or scene of his death, he was simply dead with just that one word.

    From that day on, Johanna consciously avoided that ce.

    Even as she avoided it, she asionally walked there.

    And so, some ten yearster, one day.

    Thud Thud Thud

    Johanna found Shion Ascal striking the dummy just like that man did back then.

    The final destination of this recollection was inevitably Shion Ascal.

    Damn it.

    Johanna twisted her lips into a wry smile.

    More than anything, she couldnt understand Shion Ascal.

    Why does he like her yet refuse toe to her side?

    Is it simply because he serves Zia? Because of a promise made to his already deceased father?

    If thats the case, if he doesnte to her, Zia will instead be her enemy.

    For Zias sake as well, crawling under her would be the right choice.

    If you truly care for his heart, stay as far away as possible.

    The professor''s hint it seemed like one, but it was a hard pill for Johanna to swallow.

    She had honed the skill of gauging moments and discerning intentions for the sake of winning, but this mess of emotions was decidedly a first for her.

    When you acknowledge that love,e to me.

    Crazy talk.

    Johanna let out a hollowugh.

    To admit that she loved someone would be to deny her entire lifes journey.

    Even if that were the case, the object of such feelings couldnt possibly be Shion Ascal.

    For starters, his bloodline is inferior.

    Sigh

    Half-rising, she ced herptop on her knees.

    She was officially hospitalized now.

    In other words, she was in a weakened state.

    The various bugs, leeches, and maggots that had infiltrated her ranks would take this opportunity to engage in their foul y, so she might as well use this chance to weed them all out and kill them off

    This is how Johanna doesnt waste time.

    Time is the only thing in this world that is given equally to everyone. Its too precious a treasure to waste on mere emotions.

    Eternal life.

    Today, I pondered the information Sheron had revealed.

    lts strange.

    What is?

    Soliette asked.

    For reference, this is the old Endex building. Now owned by soliette, my former residence.

    Was Sheron always so insightful?

    The reason shes chasing Knightmare is still uncertain, and its odd that she includes her own family, Aventagher, in the list of suspects.

    Shes different from before the regressionmeticulous, smart, and cold.

    YOU seem quite inte rested.

    Soliette gave me a peculiar look.

    Well, she is as white as a snowman.

    What are you on about? Thats not it, I just dont get it. Why is she helping us?

    Huh? Why dont you know? Of course, she should help.

    Soliette tilted her head in confusion. I slightly furrowed my brow.

    Whats so obvious about it?

    We''ve made significant contributions to the realization of [Bethune].

    Ah, right.

    Once the server stabilizes and [Bethune] is integrated into the dungeon system, the siblings Sheron and Erick will be sitting on a gold mine.

    Indeed, while we were ving away underground, the Aventagher family poured their time and effort intoying the foundation.

    They probably own a significant portion of the central city by now.

    I heard theyre even nning to build a new town.

    Shion, dont be too bitter. Weve received our shares as well. 2.5% each.

    Is that so?

    Yes. Once the server stabilizes, well be sitting on a pile of money too.

    Well then that''s a relief.

    I may not know about Aventagher, but Sheron seems trustworthy.

    Hmm But Shion,

    Soliette sank into the sofa, her expression quietly hardening.

    Why do you think the high families researched eternal life?

    Theyre rich and powerful. Plus, since eternal life isntpletely out of the realm of impossibility, theyd want to give it a shot.

    Suddenly, I remembered what Dr. Vito from Libra had said.

    Originally, they researched eternal life. In theory, its possible.

    Soliette''s eyes widened.

    Really? Its not impossible?

    Yeah. Theres a guy in the underworld whos 300 years old. Hes hardly human anymore, recing his decaying body with monster parts, but he exists.

    If there was no possibility, it would be easy to give up.

    But if theres even a slight chance, its hard to let go.

    Simple logic.

    I''m also clinging to a slim chance of a cure, pouring money into Yu Hains, right?

    lf Knightmare is a byproduct of the research into eternal life

    Maybe, Vito knows something about it.

    Shion.

    Soliette called me with a notably somber voice.

    What?

    Sheron also mentioned Arkne as a suspicious candidate.

    Right

    She murmured, stroking her cat.

    lf Knightmare was born out of a mistake, or even intentionally by the Arkne family, what should I do?

    I pondered silently.

    If it were the soliette from before regression, she would probably

    Suicide.

    What?

    Soliette jerked, staring at me with eyes full of shock.

    Are you insane, Shion? You dont seriously wish for me to die

    lts a joke.

    I was just testing the waters. To see if she retained even a sliver of her preregression memory.

    If she had her memory, she wouldn''t have reacted like this.

    Soliettes face turned into a sulky bulldog.

    Thats too harsh for a joke.

    Yeah. So dont ever think about suicide. Dont die, fight and win. Even if Arkne is one of the families behind this, youre soliette, not Arkne.

    I was nning to do that anyway.

    Soliette nodded sullenly.

    For now, lets keep todays information under wraps.

    Of course.

    Then I have something to do today. Im leaving.

    I got up from my seat.

    Eternal life, you say?

    As soon as I arrived at theb, I asked Vito about eternal life.

    Yes. Dr. Vito, you once researched eternal life

    Thats right. Why, is our current research not interesting enough for you?

    Vito chuckled. I quickly waved my hands.

    No, thats not it. But I wanted to follow in the glorious footsteps of Dr. Vito. Eternal life and artificial intelligence seem somewhat rted

    ln fact, theyre not rted. You might think that housing a soul in an inanimate object would grant eternal life, but in reality, they have a lifespan.

    Is that so?

    Yes. They say the soul wears out and vanishes. Thats why we overwrite them. If you overwrite the soul thoroughly, it canst without worry for a hundred years.

    I followed Vito around theb, jotting down his words in my notebook.

    And, eternal life was impossible.

    Even with Dr. Vitos intelligence and wisdom?

    Ha ha.

    Vitoughed. He shook his head as if to say it was a hopeless case.

    lts not as easy as it looks, right? Eternal life means oveing all the shackles,ws, and logic of the human world. Thats why he eventually gave up.

    He would naturally be Sherlock.

    lnstead, he now seeks to perpetuate the Libra family eternally.

    Aha

    Enough chit-chat. What about the thing I requested?

    Ah, here it is.

    I handed Vito the paper with the checked form.

    This time its perfect. There wasnt a single thing to correct.

    Thanks to you. Writing with Dr. Killian''s intuition in mind, I tried to write it correctly from the start.

    You tter me.

    lts not ttery.

    Then its an honor.

    Ha ha. Youre something else.

    I pretended to hold Vito in infinite awe, but in my mind, I was thinking about Sherlock.

    The prototype will be ready for release soon.

    Vito had just said that Sherlock gave up on eternal life. But since he wasnt a perfect liar, there was a slight tremor in his voice and expression.

    Perhaps it was the result of my time spent honing my gambling skills.

    We have more orders than expected, so well need to find more humans to overwrite I suppose I can ask the Intelligence Agency for that.

    Yes.

    I had an intuition.

    Vito knew something.

    And Sherlock had a secret.

    A secret shrouded in dark veils, of unfathomable depth

    Ding-

    A message alert sounded on my personal phone.

    There was only one person who would trigger an alert on this phone, Zia.

    [Z: Big trouble. Sister suddenly cut off the funds.]

    It seems Johanna has started to lose her patience.

    Maybe its time to elerate the setup.

    I nced at the back of Vitos head and slowly typed a reply.

    [I have a suitable n. Please invite Lady Johanna to the Aerial Garden.]

    Johanna immediately cut off Zias financial lifeline. She had put intense pressure on the banks and creditors that had lent money to her.

    The effect was tremendous.

    The very next day, Zia was begging to meet

    Anyway, Johanna hade up to the Aerial Garden to meet Zia, but her mood suddenly soured.

    Because Jade had appeared.

    Jade also had a face like hed eaten shit.

    Johanna asked, running her fingers through her hair.

    What are you doing there?

    Jade lifted his coffee cup.

    Tea time.

    I heard a rumor you were hospitalized. Already discharged?

    This time it was Jades question.

    Johanna raised her middle finger.

    No. Havent been discharged yet.

    Lucky for you. Maybe youll die tomorrow?

    Ha ha.

    Johannaughed. This bastard Jade, hes the same as ever, hasnt changed a bit.

    G0 die yourself.

    lts a bit difficult, you see. If anything could kill me, its probably overwork. Huh.

    Jade smiled at his own joke.

    What the fuck are you saying, you moron. Just fuck off.

    Now that they were both of a certain age, they should be able to maintain some decorum, and she really wished they could, but whenever they were alone together, there was always trouble.

    Extreme mana stone ore management, cafe bncer diplomacy, and conversations with various royals among other things

    Dodging the idiot who wouldnt stop bragging about himself, Johanna stepped out of the mansion. She picked up her phone and called Zia.

    Tu-tu-tu-

    She doesn''t pick up again.

    Is this bitch ying games with me again? Just as her anger was about to spike.

    Thump-!

    The sound of hitting a straw dummy echoed.

    Johanna btedly realized she had entered ''that ce.

    Thump-!

    She followed the bursting sounds down the path.

    Around the garden, stopping behind a grassy wall, she saw someones back.

    Shion Ascal.

    Thump-!

    He was swinging a wooden sword at the dummy. He must have been at it for a while, as sweat droplets flew.

    Thump! Thump!

    His swordsmanship was quite exquisite. It was a style she hadn''t seen before, but it was not chaotic. There was a formality to the swordy, and the moves were as elegant as they were precise.

    Johanna watched him with her arms crosse d

    Cough.

    Suddenly, he put down the wooden sword. Clutching his chest, he coughed.

    Cough!

    Blood streaked through the gaps in his teeth, dripping down. The dark red blood spread on the sandy floor like spots.

    Phew.

    He quickly wiped his lips and gripped the wooden sword again, but Johanna was momentarily speechless.

    A strange tremor went through her heart.

 Chapter 280: What are Emotions(6)

    Chapter 280: What are Emotions(6)

    I turned around while hitting the straw dummy.

    There was no one there. Johannas presence had also disappeared at some point.

    Hmm .

    Operation name, Strange, sess.

    I wiped the bloodstain from my lips.

    Of course, coughing up blood is not a symptom of cancer. But, after all, I needed a visible symptom.

    The situation itself was created as I had intended, but I wasnt sure if it had worked.

    Would Johanna be able to feel the emotion I intended?

    Could a person born into Libra change?

    After putting down the wooden sword, I quietly looked at the straw dummy. I raised my eyes to quietly scan the entirety of the garden.

    A strange sentiment arose.

    Could my father have evere to this ce?

    After a lifetime of loyalty to Libra, treated as nothing more than a lowly knight, and ultimately sacrificed by them

    I wonder what my father''s intentions were.

    Why did he serve Libra?

    Simply because his father, my grandfather, had served Libra before him?

    Because our family was created to serve Libra?

    I looked down at my hands. Calluses were embedded in every joint that gripped the sword.

    These were marks that hadnt existed before my regression.

    This entire world is filled with things I hadn''t experienced before the regression.

    As I walk a pathpletely different from the past, theres only one thought circling in my head.

    I dont want to die.

    Johanna finally met Zia. As Zia entered her room, she raised both hands.

    lm sorry, sister

    Johanna quietly looked at Zia, who seemed genuinely apologetic.

    However, her thoughts were elsewhere.

    The coughing.

    The blood droplets trickling down onto the sandy floor.

    The scene that wouldn''t fade from her retina.

    Sister?

    Zia called out. Only then did Johanna look down at her sharply.

    lm sorry

    Why the hell did you run away?

    lt wasnt running away I had things to do And I brought these documents to prove it

    Zias voice became dull. It was as if she had swallowed water, barely audible.

    Johanna barely managed to think about Shion Ascal.

    Its nothing serious. It must be.

    Maybe he just bit his tongue.

    Or he was particrly tired today.

    But if it wasn''t that

    Here I have records of myings and goings

    The hospital.

    Shion Ascal frequented the hospital of Yu Hains. She thought he was attending in ce of Zia, but if.

    If it was his own injury.

    Please look, sister If you see here

    Zia pointed to several documents and exined, but Johanna couldnt see them. Nor could she hear her.

    If she thinks about it, its actually normal for his body to be in bad shape. If he were in good condition, that would be more suspicious.

    He had suffered too many serious gunshot wounds since the Golden Casino, and he had been overworked by Beckman.

    It meant he hadnt had a proper recovery period.

    His body had be weaker and weaker

    Johanna clenched her fist. Suddenly, irritation surged, and she furrowed her brow.

    Ugh.

    Zia let out a startled yelp, but Johanna ignored her, gritting her teeth even harder.

    Shion Ascal could very well be in pain. He might be suffering from some injury right now.

    But, its not something to ponder for long.

    If he coughs up blood just from swinging a sword a few times, if hes be that weak, then hes no longer fit to be a Chaser. His value is as good as trash.

    Its an excellent turn of events for her.

    Theres no need to possess him anymore.

    Since his usefulness has plummeted.

    Since theres no reason to expend her assets to own him.

    After all, Shion Ascal, in his weakened state, will go on various missionsrecklessly without caring for his own health

    And hell drop dead without anyone knowing.

    Johanna bowed her head. Anger was boiling up inside her.

    It was a strange feeling.

    She heaved heated breaths.

    When youre ready to acknowledge love,e find me.

    The words of Yu Hains echoed in her ears.

    But this isn''t love. Love shouldn''t feel this suffocating. The love she recognized, learned about, studied through various trivial mediums

    lm sorry Sister.

    Before she knew it, Zia had knelt down. Johanna looked down at her intently.

    I understand.

    She waved her hand dismissively.

    You?

    I said I understan d.

    Johanna pressed her fingers to her temples.

    ITI let it go, but dont run away again. When I call,e quickly, thats what I mean.

    Ah. Yes. I will. Thank you

    Leave now.

    Zia bowed her waist and scurried out.

    Left alone, Johanna fell back into thought.

    The image of him coughing up blood flickered before her eyes.

    It was frustrating. She bit her lower lip and contorted her face, intentionally making a grotesque expression like a goblin mask.

    Shit.

    She took the medicine prescribed by Yu Hains.

    The heaviness in her chest, like a stone had settled there, didnt improve this time. It still felt suffocating, as if something was stuck.

    Quack doctor

    She cursed Yu Hains and turned her head to the side.

    There was nothing there.

    Her bedroom had no windows.

    She had them removed on purpose for a peaceful sleep, and it had never bothered her until

    I need to get a window installed.

    Today, of all days, it felt unbearably suffocating.

    .

    Late at night, on a dark bench in the Libra garden.

    lm relieved.

    I had received word from Zia.

    Yeah she let me off easily.

    Yes. Didnt I tell you? If you kneel and beg, Johanna will let you off.

    Johanna had quickly released Zia from the financial pressure.

    Perhaps my strategy had worked to some extent.

    Johanna has a habit of dealing with other matters hastily when shes seriously focused on one thing.

    That one thing is probably

    Shion Ascal.

    I scratched the back of my neck.

    At this point, even Im not sure what will happen next.

    But surely, Johanna will learn to feel emotions, and I will reveal to her my inevitable death.

    It might not be a bad deal.

    If my predetermined death canpletely shake the life of the Libra lineage.

    Ctte r-ctte r-

    In the mens cafeteria of [Libra Station], where the sound of utensils clinked, the HR teams Riley was pondering. More precisely, she was harboring suspicions.

    About artificial intelligence.

    Can this really be possible?

    A product that thinks and converses like a human. Everetts product was dubious, but Dereks was even more bizarre.

    Riley had tried it out briefly, and it felt so real, as if there was an actual person trapped inside.

    Can technology advance this quickly

    To her, Derek is a viin. An enemy of [Vancheon].

    The entire Libra, a great family thatmits countless crimes.

    Something that must not seed-

    Ding-

    Riley quietly looked at her smartphone. It was a text from Dr. Killian.

    [Dr.Killian: Yes. Haha. That sounds fun.]

    New researcher Killian doesnt talk about internal information, but hes still quite friendly.

    It means theres a chance he could be used as a ''straw.''

    [Then, do you want to watch thatter? Its been getting good reviewstely.]

    The moment she sent a reply to Killian to go see a movie.

    Thump

    Someone ced a hand on Rileys shoulder. She shuddered.

    Youve been looking at your phone a lottely, havent you?

    It was Jean, the HR manager.

    YOU scared me.

    Riley exhaled, trying to calm her racing heart. Jean smiled faintly.

    Must be someone youre in touch with.

    No, its just

    Who is it?

    Jean sat down next to her. Riley showed him her phone.

    lts Dr. Killian.

    Killian the new researcher in the artificial intelligence department?

    Yes.

    I hear hes quite something.

    Jean spread strawberry jam and butter on a slice of bread.

    That picky Vito praised him, you know.

    Vitomands his own squad. All the researchers in the artificial intelligence department are part of his squad. Though calling it a squad is a bit of a stretchit''s only three people. But still.

    Vito is meticulous in his selection of people and monitors them closely.

    After all, more than 80% of the researchers Vito has hired and then dismissed have met with unexpected idents.

    Thats why Im keeping an eye on him, for surveince and management.

    Dr. Killian has been smoothly integrated into Vitos squad.

    Artificial intelligence is the most important thing these days, isnt it?

    Hmm. Its about time Riley started dating, I guess.

    lts not like that.

    Youve never done this before. Have you ever gone to see a movie with someone from thepany, Riley?

    Youve been snooping on my texts.

    Riley closed her mouth for a moment.

    Denying it might just raise unnecessary suspicion.

    lm nning to meet him a few times and see how it goes. Ive heard that the sries in Dr. Vitos squad are in the tens of millions of Ren.

    nning to snag one and retire?

    Dr. Killians starting sry seems like it might be ten times mine.

    lts probably more. Hes got a big incentive contract. Dr. Vito, he might not look it, but he takes really good care of his squad.

    l''m envious.

    And she truly was envious. She might as well just stay sitting at ab desk forever.

    Whoever it is, theyll be better than that team leader, Bell.

    Bell Moore.

    These days, hes the eye of the storm.

    Is it still intense?

    You can feel it in your skin. Even though were here at the station.

    Even Riley couldnt have predicted Bell Moores ambition.

    No sooner had he be a team leader than he joined hands with David, an external team leader, and started making moves as if to say, Im aiming for the directors position.

    lts going to be tough, for sure.

    Definitely. I heard Gedley has proposed quite a brilliant scheme to Derek.

    Jean took a bite of her bread. Riley shrugged her shoulders.

    lm curious. What it is.

    lm curious about you, Riley. How things will turn out with that doctor.

    Jean wore a pleased smile, and Riley had a bitter smile on her face.

    Its not for nothing, as Team Leader Jean is like this only during lunchtime. Outside of work hours, she might engage in various small talks, but as soon as its time to work, she suddenly bes as cold as ice.

    The separation between work and personal life is chillingly clear.

    Ding-

    A text message arrived just then.

    Must be the doctor?

    At Jean''s words, Riley nodded.

    [Ah, yes. Im fine with it. Whenever you have time]

    Hes asking to see a movie together.

    The next day.

    Soliette and I went to see Sheron again. She was at the architectural office in the midst of construction for the new city of Bethune, Aventagher Newtown.

    You seem busy.

    Soliette and I walked around the office, taking in the scene.

    Huh? Oh, yeah.

    Sheron greeted us with a bright smile.

    lts all thanks to you guys- Thats why I gave you a share of the equity, right?

    Youre here, Soliette.

    A heavy voice called out to soliette. It was Erick, who had juste out of the bathroom.

    Yes. You said you had news.

    Yeah. Theres news. Both about Knightmare and the developers of Bethune.

    Soliette''s expression turned grave in an instant.

    Both sound like intriguing news.

    ls the developer alive?

    I asked about the developer first. Sheron looked at me with a fox-like grin.

    I don''t know if theyre alive or dead. But theyre here in Bethune. If they exist only in data form, then theyre dead, and if not, theyre alive

    With that, Sheron pulled something out.

    It was a map.

    Here. Ive found the location of theb where they researched Knightmare.

    ?!

    Soliette quickly peered at it.

    There are six ces in total. Of course, theyve all been discarded, but there might still be traces left that werentpletely destroyed.

    The locations of the Knightmare researchbs.

    I hadnt been able to find them, so how did she?

    How did you find them?

    Sheron crossed her arms with pride.

    I had the corpse of a Knightmare, remember? I filtered out the ces with traces most simr to its ''frequency.

    Frequency? What do you mean by that?

    Soliette asked with an excited face.

    The frequency of mana and souls. Probably 99.999% of the continent cant read it that kind of thing, but I can. Its my Spectrum.

    Our, you mean.

    Ericks words followed. He gave soliette anguid look, while Sheron nced at him with eyes full of disgust.

    ldiot Anyway. Like he said, both of us can do it, but we specialize in different areas. Im souls, hes magic.

    Uh. Is it okay to just tell us about your Spectrum like this?

    Soliette asked innocently.

    lt doesnt matter. Even if you know, we dont have weaknesses like that.

    I nodded.

    As long as they dont exin what the frequency specifically is.

    SO, you.

    Suddenly, Sheron gave me a strange smile. She yfully flicked my sleeve with her finger.

    Soliette''s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

    Shion Ascal. Your frequency is interesting.

    What about it?

    I brushed Sherons fingers off. She then abruptly grabbed my wrist.

    And with her eyes widened, she stared at me and said,

    Your frequency, there are two of them ovep pi ng.

 Chapter 281: Frequency (1)

    Chapter 281: Frequency (1)

    Sheron''s question was abrupt, but I feigned calmness and asked back.

    Frequencies ovep pi ng?

    Sheron peered into my face quietly.

    Her gaze was full of suspicion, as if trying to dig into my thoughts, butpared to Johanna, she was nothing more than a docile cat.

    Sheron, youre holding onto my wrist.

    Soliette red at her with dissatisfaction. Sheron fiddled with her lips and then took a step back.

    Hmph.

    I pretended to be clueless and asked.

    What does it mean to have two frequencies?

    Sheron clicked her tongue and sat down on a chair.

    Didnt I just tell you, you goldfish?

    Huh?

    I can feel the frequency of souls. Once Ive sensed a frequency, my flesh remembers it. So no matter where someone is, dead or alive, I can always find them. But you.

    Sheron pointed at me with her slender finger stretched out.

    Your frequency doesnt match up properly.

    lf it doesnt match, what does that mean?

    lts strange, thats what!

    She frowned in annoyance and crossed her legs.

    Your frequency is entwined in a spiral.

    So what?

    I just told you it''s strange. Its bothering me because its the first time Ive ever seen something like this, you know?

    Sheron set her jaw in amanding manner. At that, Eric let out a snicker.

    Take it into ount. This is the lunatic who lines up drinks in the fridge in a row. Its an obsession bordering on psychopathy.

    Do you want to die?

    Sheron''s eyes, filled with murderous intent, pierced Eric. He shook his head nonchntly as if it was nothing.

    Sheron quickly turned back to me.

    Anyway. Ive been bothered by it since I first saw you. Two strands of frequency felt at the same time, and even the degree of separation bes clearer each time we meet. It doesnt seem like you have two souls inside you Do you have R-elix by any chance?

    Yes.

    But to say its because of that

    Sheron pondered to herself.

    I was sweating bullets on the inside.

    If its because of the regression, could the frequency from before the regression remain? Im just one soul. Or does it mean that time is entangled?

    Um Sheron. What about soliette?

    I asked about soliette.

    If regression is the cause, then there might be something different about soliette as well.

    She seems to have some, very little, memory from before the regression.

    Hmm?

    Suddenly, Sheron scrutinized soliette closely. Her eyes narrowed sharply.

    Chiiing

    Under theser-like gaze, Soliette turned her head away as if avoiding the sun.

    What, what is it all of a sudden?

    Youre strange too?

    Yes?

    At that moment, my heart sank with a heavy thud.

    Theres a slight confusion. Its not as tant as with you but when I look closely, I can see it.

    What does that mean?

    Soliette echoed my earlier question. Sherons face twisted with irritation.

    lts not about meaning, its just strange! What the hell is it with you two? Are you dating?

    Theyre not.

    Erick answered for us. He looked at soliette intently, as if hoping she would deny it.

    No, were not dating.

    Soliette shook her head shyly.

    Ha, of course.

    I silently watched soliette.

    The confusion of frequencies

    Not like mine, but a definite oddity.

    What are you looking at me like that for, Shion?

    Could there be something with her?

    Is somethinging?

    Are you nning to go straight to theb?

    Erick asked soliette. It was a smooth change of subject.

    lf youre thinking of going, I can take you, Soli.

    Sheron scratched Erick as he used a nickname that sounded too casual.

    You cant go, dumbass. Go do some work, you ox.

    What, ox? I told you not to call me that. This lunatic keeps saying weird stuff

    lf youve eaten a hidden ss, then go do some work.

    Whoa. Hidden ss?!

    Soliette''s eyes widened. Still amon thief, she still harbored attachment and longing for a hidden profession.

    Yeah. This guys construction

    Hahaha. Construction, yes. The art that most grandly expresses the human psyche.

    Erick covered Sherons mouth with his hand and smiled broadly.

    Carving nature to sculpt the world, a truly majestic hidden ss. Noble Architecture- Ow!

    Sheron bit Ericks palm. She spat out and sneered at him.

    Lunatic bastard. His ss is a construction worker. Just a in construction worker. The ss name is ''Advanced Construction Worker. Thanks to that, he works like a beastlike a hundred oxen strong

    How many times do I have to say its architecture, you crazy bitch!

    While being a construction worker is indeed a noble profession, Erick seems to desire a name that sounds a bit more prestigious.

    Whos calling who crazy, you mad fuckwit!

    Crazy bitch, crazy bitch, crazy bitch

    Finally, Ericks facade slipped, and as the two continued to bicker fiercely behind me,

    Lets go. Soliette.

    Yes. Lets go.

    We logged off from Bethune.

    Hows your body feeling?

    A foggy, cloud-like memory.

    Before my eyes, a wistful olden day faintly emerges.

    Shion. How is your body feeling? Answer me.

    Soliette, inquiring about my physical state as Iy in the hospital bed.

    Answer me!

    I look at the scar etched on her shoulder and shrug mine.

    It''s the same as always. Im more worried about you, though. Every time I see you, theres a new scar.

    What are you talking about? You know theres no need to worry.

    Soliette retorts with augh in her voice.

    It must be around this time. My life expectancy is just about five years, and soliette is a few weeks away from taking her own life.

    At this time, the whole continent came to know of soliette''s strength.

    Shion will get better too.

    Her voice is filled with an unfounded certainty that I will recover.

    Answer.

    Why do you keep asking for an answer?

    Because youre not answering, thats why Im telling you to answer.

    I let out a hollowugh.

    Soliettesfort was always abrupt and filled with too much deliberate positivity, but I liked those words.

    What are youughing at?

    Why? Cant Iugh?

    Im serious.

    About what?

    Just, I have this strong premonition. I will help Shion get better.

    Forget it.

    I reach out and ce my hand on her cheek, mustering a bit of courage.

    Soliette seems slightly flustered but quietly meets my gaze.

    All I need is for you to be by my side.

    I became weak beside her.

    If she had stayed by my side during my short remaining life, I might have given up on revenge.

    No. Thats not the right path.

    Soliette shakes her head.

    To soliette before the regression, revenge was the right path.

    I found that sad, and it was heartbreaking.

    The right path for me is you, isnt it?

    Bullshit. Theres definitely a better path. So take better care of your health. Quit coffee and cigarettes.

    Well, coffee in moderation is actually good for you. And cigarettes Ive already smoked too much. I''ve suffered irreversible damage, thats what I mean.

    Soliette narrows her eyes.

    I quickly changed the subject.

    Ahem. How are you feeling, though?

    Are you asking about the feeling of bing the strongest?

    She answers as if she has been asked this question before.

    Yeah.

    During that time, Soliette was the supreme being feared by all cartels, monsters, and even the noble families.

    Jade was dead at this point, but Jade had fought with bare hands, while soliette wielded a sworda lethal weapon.

    Doesnt it feel futile?

    No. Theres a sense of aplishment. Because I can help the person I care about.

    Soliette said.

    Her voice, still lingering in my memory, was very different from the soliette of now.

    It was strong and husky.

    It hadpletely changed because she had cried too much, suffered too much.

    You''re not talking about me, are you?

    At this time, there was no room for me to get through to soliette. She was filled with too much sorrow.

    after.

    Soliette gave a bitterugh and pressed her lips to my forehead.

    Youll find outter. Shion will definitely get better.

    You''ll find outter.

    Alright. Then todays surgery should go well, too.

    Soliette certainly said that, and I tried to believe it, but from my perspective, it was all so tragically selfish.

    She took her own life not long after.

    At her funeral, I reyed her words, but I couldnt understand them at all.

    Without you, I cant get better.

    Shion. Shion. Shion.

    7

    The shaking of my shoulder woke me up. I looked at the person in the seat next to me.

    It was soliette.

    The current soliette.

    We''ve arrived.

    Ah. Have we?

    I rubbed my eyes, pping my cheeks lightly to shake off the grogginess.

    Youre good at driving. I fell asleep right away.

    For the record, Soliette drove today.

    Hahaha! I told you, didnt I? Shion, you were worried about a car ident, but you slept like you were in a cradle?

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders proudly.

    Lets get out.

    Yes.

    We got out. There was a mountain right in front of us. More precisely, a mountain with a tunnel through it. But the entrance waspletely blocked.

    It was one of the locations of the researchb marked by Sheron.

    lts said to be underground. Lets go.

    Yes. Be on your guard, Shion.

    Soliette drew her sword. I did the same.

    Swoosh!

    Soliette sliced through the entrance of the tunnel. Beyond the cleanly cut opening, we advanced.

    A hidden space at the end of the underground tunnel.

    We had found a ce presumed to be a closed research facility.

    Theres nothing here.

    Due to the passage of time, there were no clues to be found. Broken vials, unidentified tufts of hair, shattered measuring instruments,puter fragments, and so on Most of it were merely remnants.

    Exactly.

    But, can we take this off? Its suffocating.

    I looked at soliette. She was currently wearing an Infimian. So was I.

    Both of us looked very ordinary.

    Quiet, Jelly.

    There was a possibility of surveince and even eavesdropping. Thats why soliette was Jelly, and I was Candy Bar.

    We hadn''t found any magical devices, but you never know, right?

    The alias Jelly to begin with

    Shh.

    I knelt down. I ced my hand on the ground. I closed my eyes and drew up my magic.

    I was trying to download the ''Memories left in the ce with rNotepadJ

    Aaaaaah!

    Case 53 Failure. Dispose of the test subject.

    Save me!

    Case 73. Failure. Dispose of the test subject.

    Kyaaaah!

    Case 103. Failure. Dispose of the test subject.

    Aside from these fragmented deaths of people, there was nothing left. Perhaps because the research itself was from too long ago.

    lt seems like quite a few people died here.

    Did you see something?

    Yeah. When people die, they release magic. I just caught a glimpse of that, but thats all there was.

    Theres this urban legend that when people are weighed just before death and then again after, theyre a few grams lighterits all because of this release of magic.

    Was there any hint about the family?

    No. The major families wouldnt leave their names in a ce like this.

    ording to Sheron, not only Arkne, Libra, Aventagher but also Glofeld, Pencia, and Kruansix of the famous Round Table families were involved.

    Still, lets collect evidence. If we show it to Sheron, she might find something.

    Sheron''s frequency can be applied to objects, or evidence as well.

    Yes.

    Soliette put various things into an evidence bag.

    But, lets say we collect the evidence like this.

    Crouching down and collecting various things, Soliette asked.

    How do we approach the major families?

    Approach Ah!

    Suddenly, my eyes widened.

    lve got an idea.

    What is it?

    Soliette asked.

    Do you know this? Strangely, the more sessful people are, the more they cling to superstitions.

    What is this?

    The next day, near Edsi.

    Soliette chuckled at the sight of the rundown building I had purchased under a pseudonym.

    [Castro logy]

    Castrology?

    Its abination of Card and Astrology.

    There was no particr reason for it, just to make it look somewhat credible.

    lts simr to Tarot cards. Im going to be a card reader. Im a gambler, right?

    With the skill [DeceptionJ from [Bethune], I can change the form of cards. I can also perform an actual effective [Card Draw] .

    Along with this, I n to fully utilize my knowledge of the future to make the ''Round Table familiese to me directly.

    ls that possible? It seems like no one would believe it.

    No, they will. Trust me. Especially the Glofeld family. They rely on astrology whenever they make important decisions.

    Libra is less so, but most of the Round Table families rely on astrology to some extent, not out of blind faith in quackery, but as a means to alleviate their own selfdoubt.

    lt might take some time, but the effect will be certain.

    Of course, since were starting now, we need word of mouth.

    It might take years, but just once.

    Just one meeting, and I can make them obsessed with me.

    Shion. Do you know how to do card readings?

    Sheron told me I had two frequencies, right? Maybe Ive got some psychic powers.

    Ah, that could be.

    Could be, my ass.

    I held back myughter and continued.

    Besides, with this astrology, presentation is more important than skill. If you package it right, you can quickly be number one in this business.

    Are you saying were going tomit fraud?

    lts not fraud, its technique and marketing.

    Its definitely not a scam.

    I only n to tell the ''celebrities who visit me about their future.

    In that sense

    Who are you going to call?

    lve got connections. Im thinking of starting by bringing in some celebrities.

    I called Grawl.

    It wasn''t for nothing; this guy had quite a few celebrities he followed back on SNS

    [Castro logy]

    On an autumn day, the third-album singer Benjamin looked up at the shabby sign of a building that was nearly falling apart.

    Thud!

    He closed the door of the luxury van and asked his manager.

    IS this the ce?

    lt seems so.

    The manager replied.

    I feel like wevee here for nothing. Whats Castro logy?

    Celebrities, overwhelmed with worry, sorrow, and anxiety about the future, often find themselves wanting to lean on such seemingly fraudulent superstitions.

    Benjamin. Who rmended this ce to you?

    Grawl, that guy. You know, the one I follow on SNS. You know him, right?

    Ah, the cat influencer?

    Yeah. The guy with the cute cat.

    Celebrities, always under the guillotine of public opinion, find great healing in cute creatures like cats.

    Benjamin asked his manager.

    Youve prepared the tracks for the album, right?

    Yes. But is it okay to y them? If theres a leak

    No, its fine. We just have to choose the title track anyway. And people with cats dont lie.

    The album release is just a week away. The current concern is only which song to choose as the title track.

    Lets go.

    Since its a friend''s rmendation and theyre not charging much, theres no harm in trying out astrology or card reading

 Chapter 282: Frequency (2)

    Chapter 282: Frequency (2)

    [Castro logy].

    A card astrology shop that seemed somewhat sophisticated.

    lm about to release an album, and Im struggling to decide on the title track.

    I saw Benjamin, who hade in as a customer.

    It was really Benjamin.

    The singer who heals hearts, Benjamin. A pro who knew how to softly blend magic into his voice.

    He was quite a star even before his regression. I used to listen to his songs quite often too.

    Wearing a turban pressed down on my head, I alternated my gaze between Benjamin and his manager.

    Honestly, its fascinating. The entertainment industry was always a distant world to me, both then and now.

    Shall I y them for you?

    Benjamin asked as he took out his CD.

    No need.

    I reached out my hand to stop him.

    It would seem much more mystical to guess without listening, rather than listening to the songs.

    A title track, you say Are you asking me to choose the most shining song among the tracks?

    Ah, yes. Is it okay not to listen? Heres the tracklist of my album.

    Benjamin handed me a small piece of paper. I looked at the list of tracks written on it.

    A total of 11 songs.

    More than half were unfamiliar, but there were definitely two that were famous.

    S0 how does the card reading work

    Sssssss

    Jesus, you scared me.

    I made a strange sound with my mouth and drew a card from thin air. It was red.

    Bethunes Card Draw.

    Whoa.

    Benjamin and his manager flinched in surprise.

    I casually waved the card around and then with a snap! I turned it into smoke. Benjamin chuckled.

    What, is this magic?

    This one.

    I pointed to one of the songs. Benjamins eyes widened.

    B ra h ms

    The manager beside him also looked quite surprised.

    Of course, the original title track that Benjamin and hispany had in mind must have been this Brahms.

    In reality, this was the song that had been released as the title track.

    S0, mage, are you saying to make Brahms the title track

    Exclude it.

    Excuse me?

    Benjamin asked, looking bewildered.

    Exclude it?

    This song itself carries bad luck.

    Bad luck.

    This Brahms would cause an explosive reaction for a week but would soon be embroiled in giarism disputes, and it was indeed an inextricable case of giarism.

    Different souls are embedded in it.

    What does that mean?

    Thud-

    I drew another card. It was blue.

    This time, I pointed to a different song.

    This one.

    Yesterday?

    Yesterday. A song with a melody line that seemed simpler and more monotonouspared to Brahms, but it was precisely because of that it would be a continental hit.

    However, it seems you n to exclude this one.

    But this Yesterday was not included in the current album.

    Yesterday was the song Benjamin released after Brahms disastrously failed, living as quiet as a dead mouse before suddenlying out with it.

    Benjamin quickly turned to his manager with a suspicious look that seemed to ask, Did you tell him? The manager shook his head vigorously.

    Benjamin spoke up.

    Yes. Its too quiet and doesnt really fit the albums concept We''re leaning towards cutting it from the album.

    lnclude it. It may start off insignificant, but it will certainly be m agn ifice nt.

    My certainty left Benjamin with a bewildered expression.

    On the way back to thepany, inside the luxury Benz, Benjamin was scratching the back of his neck.

    Does he have some kind of psychic ability? How did he know we were nning to cut Yesterday? You didn''t really tell him, did you?

    Absolutely not. It was Benjamin who found the ce, after all.

    Right, thats true.

    No one had been told about it, and it was a fortune-telling shop he had stumbled upon while consulting with a cat influencer.

    Dont worry too much about it. We just went there for fun. Most people at thepany prefer ''Brahms anyway.

    Yeah. Now I feel even more uneasy for having gone there.

    Benjamin clicked his tongue in annoyance.

    What did he mean by different souls are embedded in it''?

    Different souls. Different souls.

    Turning the fortune teller''s words over in his mouth, a sudden thought struck him.

    Composers sometimes use the expression soul when theypose. Theposers soul is infused into their worksomething like that.

    So, the phrase different souls are embedded in it could mean

    Could it be giarism?

    giarism?

    Yeah. Theposer of Brahms'' was Velot, right?

    Yes.

    A famousposer.

    Thats why they didnt check for giarism, meaning they didnt look for simr existingpositions.

    Lets look into it more, just in case. See if there are any simr songs. And

    Of course, a fortune teller is just a fortune teller. No matter how much magic advances, predicting a persons future is impossible.

    So whether to believe it or not is a matter of choicebut

    Lets not cut Yesterday.

    Benjamins ownposition, which the president and producers wanted to cut for the sake of the albums coherence.

    Adding or removing one song wouldntpletely change the album.

    How was it?

    Meanwhile, at a famous movie theater in the capital city of Edsi.

    Riley, having finished her popcorn and c, ced them on the trash shelf and asked. Dr. Killian, standing beside her, smiled thinly.

    Ah, it was entertai ning.

    Any historical inuracies?

    Riley inquired about the authenticity. It was a spy movie rted to magic and science, after all.

    Killian scratched his cheek.

    Perhaps To be honest, I dont really think about those things. It ruins the immersion.

    Is that so?

    Yes. But if I had to point something out, the design of the magic direct circuit was too far-fetched. A circuit that transmits magic without any loss is impossible. Also, the process of calcting that coefficient

    Despite iming not to think about such things, he rambled on for nearly 3,000 characters on his own.

    Riley was dumbfounded by his monologue.

    Ah, I see. Of course. I had simr thoughts.

    Yes. Exactly. Its always nice to have a conversation with someone like you, Riley.

    Killian was pleased with just a bit of agreement from her.

    Hes an easy man.

    Or perhaps, am I the one making it easy?

    Just as Riley was boosting her self-esteem for no reason.

    Huh?

    She encountered someone on the street.

    A blond man with golden eyes. A promising Chaser from the Intelligence Agency.

    Rumor had it, he was a leading candidate for a bncer.

    Mr. Shion?

    Shion Ascal nodded at Riley and then at Killian in turn.

    Riley chuckled awkwardly.

    What a coincidence, right?

    Yes. Nice to meet you. This must be Dr. Killian, I presu me?

    Oh, you know him?

    Of course. He works in the most crucial artificial intelligence sector.

    Shion offered his hand to Killian, and they shook hands.

    Are you two on a date?

    At Shions question, Riley gave a peculiar smile.

    Um Hes my guest. I''m trying to get to know him better.

    Shion looked at Killian, examining his face as if trying to dissect it.

    Dont look too deeply. Hes a valuable asset.

    Yes. Im aware. Well then, Ill be off.

    Shion turned away nonchntly. Watching his retreating figure, Killian asked.

    ls that gentleman a Chaser?

    Yes. Hes a Chaser.

    Riley continued in a low voice.

    The most reliable for Libra

    Shion Ascals achievements and abilities were dazzling. His dedication to serving only Libra was well-known not just in the Aerial Garden and among the direct lineage, but also among the elders.

    But if it were the opposite side.

    Riley looked at Killian.

    Hes probably a disaster.

    Shion Ascal is also a person of interest from Vancheon''s perspective. Riley, a spy for Vancheon, deliberately provides information to ensure that Vancheon and Shion Ascals paths do not cross, in an effort to minimize any shes.

    His obsession, his near-fanatical loyalty, would indeed be a burdensome opponent for Vancheon.

    I see.

    Killian muttered in a somewhat bitter tone. As they conversed and walked, they soon reached the parking lot.

    Dont worry. Like I said, if your on Libras side, hes the most reliable person there is.

    Riley pressed her car key firmly. Beep-beepshe climbed into the drivers seat of the shy luxury car.

    Get in. Ill give you a ride.

    Edsi National University Dormitory

    You did well.

    I praised Grawl as I stroked him upon his return.

    Oh, its not hard at all. Its fun pretending to be human.

    Just now, Grawl had infiltrated Akanes doll and pretended to be Killian. It was very natural.

    Pretending to be human?

    Yes.

    The ck cat Grawl yawnedstretching and flicking its tail. I told the creature.

    You are human too.

    Really?

    Grawls eyes widened in surprise.

    What I consider human isnt much. Just an entity thatmunicates smoothly in society and lives a social life.

    Grawl. Currently a cat, but on social media and the inte, hes quite a famous influencer, sometimes a phnthropist who donates his earnings to charity, and above all, a good guy.

    Youmunicate well with me. Youmunicate well in society. Youre trouble-free. And kind.

    Grawl smacked his lips contentedly and added.

    And cute?

    Anyway. Thats enough to be considered human.

    Grawl became a monster in the past.

    Probably because of his identity. The confusion stemming from being between a monster and a human, from the very essence of his existence.

    ITI take the role of dying this time.

    I will be with him. Not in a master-servant rtionship where onemands and the other obeys, but just like friends.

    Yes!

    SO, heres the thing.

    I ced my hand on Grawls back.

    Even if I die, you try living.

    Grawls expression hardened for a moment.

    Lets start preparing for independence now. You know my condition.

    Grawl narrowed his eyes and growled softly.

    You said you still have 8 more years.

    Still

    Dont talk about things that are too far away. Focus on the present. Who knows? Some amazing technology might be invented.

    True.

    I chuckled lightly.

    Maybe so. Lets aim to live until exactly 50 then. But you have to be independent before that, no matter what.

    -Why?

    I want to enjoy life a bit too. Being one body is inconvenient.

    Sharing sight, telepathyI can block it whenever I want, but still, being one body has its inconveniences.

    What are you nning to do? Got yourself a lover? Is it the redhead, the blonde, or the blue-haired one?

    Grawl asked with a suspicious tone.

    Shut up.

    Cough!

    I flicked the tip of his nose with my finger.

    Drring-drring-

    Just then, a call came through on my Libra phone. It was Zia.

    Ahem. Hem.

    I cleared my throat with a fake cough before answering.

    Hello?

    Yeah. Shion.

    Yes. Whats up?

    The annual Libra gathering it''s not far off.

    Oh, is that so.

    The annual Libra gathering.

    Once

    Its a

    -For

    a year, the Libra bloodlines gather. Not just the direct lines but the elders too. pretty important event, and attendance is mandatory for the direct lines.

    my protection Ive chosen you.

    On that day, only Libra bloodlines are allowed entry, but those of the direct line can choose one bodyguard.

    -Is that okay?

    Of course, its an honor. Then Lady Johanna will be attending as well.

    Yeah. Shell probably torment me. She always does at the annual gatherings. Its stressful.

    Torment, you say

    Suddenly, a good idea struck me.

    A n that would prevent Johanna from tormenting Zia, and for me, a chance to advance a little further.

    Leave it to me. I''ll make sure Lady Johanna cant bother you.

    The n, in other words, was a cliche operation.

    Libras Aerial Garden.

    Johanna has been busy with worktely. The Royal Casino, department stores, the Magic Space, new city projects, and so on Shes personally handling all of it.

    As soon as she was discharged from the hospital, she threw herself into a frenzy of work as if something had sparked her interest.

    Youve worked hard in todays meeting as well.

    The construction of Edsis new city. Thats the project Johanna has been engrossed intely.

    The wealthy want a ce where they can live as the wealthy do, so shes creating the perfect residential space to distribute,plete with department stores, hotels, swimming pools, golf courses, and resorts.

    Shes investing all her stacked cash into it.

    Whats the next schedule?

    Johanna asked Victor.

    The Aerial Garden.

    The Aerial Garden?

    Yes. The family gathering is the next day.

    Damn it all.

    Johanna bit her lip.

    The family gathering, the schedule she loathed the most. Meeting Jade, Derek, Zia, and the like was shitty enough, but it was eighteen times shittier to meet the elders.

    Has that daye already?

    Yes. We will depart immediately.

    Johanna sank silently into her chair, pressing down on her throbbing temples.

    Cough

    Suddenly, the sound of a dry cough echoed in her ears.

    Drip-drip

    She saw droplets of blood falling onto the sandy ground.

    It wasn''t just a simple coughing up of blood. Something like a clot had fallen from her mouth.

    Thus, Johanna kept thinking about that scene.

    It bothered her.

    Whether someone died, or she saw someone already dead, or even when she killed someone herself.

    She had never been so irritated.

    What kind of injury did Shion Ascal sustain?

    And why does he work every day without taking a single day off?

    It keepsing to mind.

    Its annoying.

    She had stopped the fake hospitalization, but now it seemed she might actually need a real one.

    lts suffocating.

    That professor was right.

    She should distance herself from that bastard Shion Ascal.

    Being close to him, staying near him, theres nothing good about it.

    The best answer is to distance herself from him

    We''ve arrived.

    Lets go.

    Meanwhile, they had arrived at the Aerial Garden.

    Johanna ascended the elevator reserved for direct descendants and entered the mansion in Section 0.

    Youve ar rived.

    The maids greeted her.

    The rest?

    She asked about the other direct descendants.

    Lord Jade is in the garden, Lord Derek is busy in his office.

    Theres one more.

    Lady Zia is in her room.

    Zia was in her room.

    Johanna entered the mansion. Her footsteps were heavy and resolutethump, thump, thump.

    Where is she?

    She had a habit of tormenting Zia at every annual gathering. Of course, she intended to do the same today.

    Zia was a perfect stress-relief punching bag.

    [Zia]

    Hey!

    At Zias room. The moment she flung open the door as she used to.

    Johanna stopped. All thoughts ceased.

    Zia wasnt there.

    Instead, Shion Ascal was present.

    But he was half-naked.

    In other words, he had taken off his shirt.

    Without realizing it, Johannas eyes scanned him from head to toe.

    His body was solid. Beautifully sculpted. Not an ounce of excess fat, not a hint of waste.

    Only, there were scars on his chest. Multiple gunshot wounds left their marks.

    Thump.

    Suddenly, her heart shook violently. It was a beating so violently, it hurt.

    Johanna swallowed. She grabbed something like a weapon to hide her agitation.

    Why are you here?

    Shion Ascal bowed politely.

    I apologize. I was in the middle of changing into my security atti re.

    Why would you do that in Zias room

    Suddenly, the answer came to her.

    This bastard must be Zias bodyguard.

    Thedy instructed me to change here.

    I see.

    Johanna quickly exited and mmed the door shut.

    No

    Dazed, she leaned against the wall, checking her own condition.

    Her body was hot, sweat was running, her heart was pounding, and the image of him just now was etched into her retina like a painting.

    His physique was impably sculpted.

    Damn it.

    Johanna, with a twisted expression of frustration, looked at the object she had unwittingly grabbed. It was a pencil case.

    Why

    She ran her fingers through her hair, disheveled. It was damp with sweat. A strange heat filled her entire body.

    Johanna hurriedly moved her legs.

    Wanting to cool down her suddenly overheated body, to escape from this ce at once

 Chapter 283: Annual (1)

    Chapter 283: Annual (1)

    I had donned my security uniform. Idly touching the cor, I nced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was a suitable time in the afternoon.

    This feels awkward.

    I deliberately produced a cliche.

    A cliche is a cliche because its a ''trite form for sess. Its certain to seed, but its be trite due to overuse.

    However, Johanna probably has never experienced anything like this. She doesnt enjoy media like dramas or movies, so the cliche she encountered today will undoubtedly have some impact on her.

    If you remove ''trite from ''trite form for sess, it just bes ''form for sess, right?

    Creeeak

    Just then, the bathroom door in the room slowly opened. Zia peeked out with both eyes.

    Did my sister?

    Shes gone.

    Phew.

    Zia let out a sigh of relief and stepped out into the room.

    But what kind of protection am I providing?

    I asked her about my duties.

    I knew about Libras annual gathering, but I didnt know how to behave. I was even doubtful if there would be any need for security in the Aerial Garden in the first ce.

    After midnight you''ll have to stay by my side The annual gathering of Libra is unusual.

    How so?

    Annual gatherings aremon events in major families. Its no different from direct and coteral rtives gathering to foster camaraderie.

    Phantoms moves

    Phantoms, you say.

    Yeah They say it appears every year during the annual event

    It sounded like an urban legend.

    I nodded for the time being, and Zia sat down at the desk chair, spreading out some documents. She was ready to dive into work immediately.

    I quietly held my position.

    Thanks to her efforts, [Lithium] was growing exponentially. The weapon brand called [Lithium] had be poprized in the central-western part of Edsi.

    lt looks like itll be easier to distribute in the south now that Ludeniel has been elected

    Thats good news.

    From Ludeniels Sanrama district, appropriate support would be sent to Zia.

    Otherwise, not only re-election but even the election itself could be jeopardized.

    Zia turned to look at me.

    lts thanks to you.

    Not at all.

    I shook my head, and she fiddled with the fountain pen in her hand.

    Hey

    Yes?

    She turned to me with a bashful smile.

    Before midnight shall we step out for a bit?

    Zia walked through the corridors of Libra. Tap-tap-tapher steps were somewhat erratic, but one should only believe the part of Zia that was visible.

    Her innermost thoughts were known to no one.

    Zia gazed intently at the portraits lining the corridors of Libra. From behind her, I asked a question.

    Are these the portraits of the past heads of the family?

    No they are thepanions of the heads

    Ah, I see.

    Five women, three men.

    It seemed there were only eightpanions of the past heads in total. In contrast, there were no portraits of the heads themselves.

    Libra, due to the familys characteristics, greatly detests bing ''subjects''. They absolutely refuse to be exposed in photographs and videos, and only make a slight exception for paintings.

    I dont know the reason.

    Perhaps the founder was an extraordinary character.

    Do you like paintings?

    Zia turned around at my question.

    H u h?

    lf you wish, I can paint one for you.

    I have a talent for painting. It was good enough to satisfy Jade, and well, its tiresome to repeat oneself.

    After a moment of contemtion, Zia smiled faintly and nodded.

    I think it would be worth leaving behind one portrait. But you have to give it to me. Ill keep it for myself.

    Of course.

    There happened to be a garden outside the corridor. We went there.

    A ce where various flowers bloomed and moonlight settled down like a faint mist.

    I fetched an easel and set it up. Zia stood casually. I mixed the paints on the palette and picked up the brush.

    Swoosh, swoosh.

    I touched the canvas with the brush, capturing the statue-like figure of Zia.

    At the same time, Johanna was wandering through the Aerial Garden.

    She was in a foul mood.

    To be specific, she felt like shit.

    Her face was hot, random thoughts kept surfacing and disappearing, and when she tried to lie down to sleep, she found herself kicking the nkets off with her feet.

    Tch.

    Eventually, Johanna stepped outside the mansion. She hoped the night air would help her calm down.

    She thought she would just walk through the garden and, once she felt a bit better, return and try to sleep but then.

    She silently stared at something. In a corner of the garden, there were two people she knew.

    One was awkwardly posing, and the other was painting a picture of that woman. Capturing the scene on canvas.

    Shion and Zia.

    Johanna felt a strange emotion as she watched them. Her chest burned with a stinging heat. It was an inexplicable sharp pain.

    Shion smiled as he painted Zia. Zia seemed displeased with that, puffing up her cheeks.

    It was a fucking ridiculous scene.

    Ha.

    Johanna let out a heated breath. Grinding her teeth, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    Suddenly, a different scene yed out on the dark canvas of her eyelids.

    She imagined herself in Zias ce, with Shion painting her instead of Zia.

    It was such a fantasy.

    If she had known him before Zia did.

    If she had been the one to catch him first.

    Maybe then she wouldnt be lusting after him like this.

    Without a word, Johanna turned away. She wasnt shameless enough to cause a scene in this ce.

    She went back inside the mansion and looked for alcohol.

    In the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a ss. She sat down and poured herself a drink.

    Not even a servant, and youre guzzling booze in the kitchen.

    Suddenly, a dog-like voice intruded. Johanna red murderously in that direction.

    It was Jade.

    Dont start with me, just fuck off.

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively. Jade seemed to have the same idea and turned away after taking a bottle of wine from the cer.

    No.

    She changed her mind.

    Johanna called him back.

    Sit down.

    lts nothing serious. Just a talk. Sit.

    For Jade, Johanna''s state was peculiar. Driven by curiosity, he sat down beside her.

    l''m going to see some weird shit, arent l?

    Glug, glug, glug, glug

    Johanna filled a ss of whiskey to the brim. She red at the surface, which seemed about to overflow, and then gulped it down.

    You werent hospitalized for nothing. Try to maintain some dignity.

    Jade clicked his tongue with a look of disgust. Johannas eyes sharpened menacingly.

    Hey. You, back in the day. You had a woman you couldn''t live without.

    Jades expression turned icy in an instant. He poured wine into his ss, frowning.

    You''d do well not to speak any further on that.

    lts nothing.

    Johanna smirked.

    l''m curious how a guy like you could ever fall for someone.

    Jades brow furrowed. Johanna asked in a calm, settled tone.

    ls it even possible?

    Jade met her eyes. There was a shallow moisture in them. It was the first time in nearly a decade.

    Only then did Jade realize that something was seriously off with Johanna.

    But damn it, what did he care about this horrid sister? Better off dead or seriously hurt.

    I was capable of it.

    Jade said proudly. Then he red at Johanna with a sneer.

    But you? Impossible. You cant feel that gentle emotion.

    Bullshit. Gentle my ass. Did you like her so much you took her arm?

    Watch your mouth, will you?

    Jade was genuinely stern. Johanna flipped him off, though she soon smirked bitterly.

    But now that I think about it I might understand. If you want something too much, that can happen.

    Dont judge me by your standards.

    This time, Jade downed his wine.

    lt wasnt that I wanted to have her.

    Then what?

    I wanted to be with her.

    But you werent.

    At Johannas jab, Jades lips curled into a sneer.

    Thats love.

    To love from a distance, even if you cant be together. To acknowledge that your very existence could be a wound to her.

    Yet, something you can never give up on.

    Thats love.

    ldiot. Does it hurt somewhere when you love someone?

    Johanna asked mockingly. Jade met her eyes and thought for a moment.

    This crazy woman, this deranged murderer with no sense of dignity, why was she seeking advice from him was beyond understanding.

    lf it doesnt hurt, its not love. Rather, the pain is the measure of love.

    As a moreplete human being, he supposed he could afford her that much advice.

    At the stroke of midnight in the Aerial Garden of Libra, the mansion of Section 0 was deserted in preparation for the annual gathering. All external personnel had vacated the premises.

    Johanna was alone again. Jade had left swiftly after boasting about his business, and she had emptied ten bottles of whiskey by herself where she sat.

    It had been quite a while since shed indulged in such heavy drinking.

    Fucki ng id iot.

    She chuckled to herself as she wandered down the corridor.

    If it doesnt hurt, its not loveRather, the pain is the measure of love

    Jades romanticist cosy was nauseating, but the more she mulled it over, the more it seemed to hold some truth.

    Perhaps it was the intoxication that had reached her head.

    Fuck

    She found herself entertaining the thought.

    If what Jade said was true, then she was in love.

    She was in love with Shion Ascal.

    She was in love, and it hurt, and she was jealous, and she wanted him.

    Even possessiveness was a part of love.

    Yu Hainss words, that damn doctor, was correct

    No.

    But still, Johanna couldnt ept it.

    She didnt want to ept it.

    She had always thought of marriage, even emotions, as tools to be used someday.

    Arranged marriages werent invented for nothing.

    Johanna nned to marry a man of matching stature, to continue the enterprise, the lineage, to create wealth worth billions of Ren.

    Shion Ascal was not an option. He couldnt even be considered.

    Because his bloodline was inferior. Because he had nothing. Because even his family lineage was meager.

    Having him would grant her nothing.

    Yet.

    Despite all that

    Johanna found herself thinking of everything about him. The less than two years they had known each other were vividly etched in her mind.

    Even now, drunk, and when sober, she kept remembering the day they escaped the casino together, the time they were trapped in the barrier, and the way he said he liked her.

    Yu Hainss voice pierced her like a thorn.

    Distance yourself if possible. From Shion Ascal.

    If its this painful, distancing is the right thing to do.

    If shes worried about him getting hurt, if she hates seeing him with Zia, if she wants to keep him by her side by any means necessary.

    She should stay away from him.

    But if you feel like you cant do that, if it seems impossible

    She should forget him. Not see his face, not keep him by her side, not even allow herself to think about him.

    If she can''t do that.

    Love without regret.

    Love without regret.

    That was a new concept for Johanna. She had lived a life without regrets, but she had also never loved anyone in her life.

    When youre ready to acknowledge your love,e find me.

    It was confusing.

    Was she at the point where she had no choice but to acknowledge love? To admit that she held Shion Ascal in her heart?

    Suddenly.

    Johanna stopped walking down the corridor.

    What the

    Something flickered at the end of the hallway. It was a strange shape. It seemed like a person, like mist, like a swarm of insects

    Stop.

    Someone approached abruptly. A man stood beside Johanna. She looked up at him without thinking.

    For a moment, she felt as if she were dreaming.

    There was a face before her.

    A handsome man with blond hair and golden eyes. His sharp features were unforgettable.

    He filled her visionpletely.

    lts a spirit, Miss Johan na.

    Shion Ascal.

    He drew his sword beside her. Johanna quietly examined his de.

    Honestly, she could kill a spirit with a single punch. Even drunk as a skunk, she could turn it to ash with a simple incantation.

    Is that so.

    But for some reason, she didnt want to.

    Johanna let out a sigh mixed with alcohol and staggered. She leaned on Shion Ascals shoulder.

    She closed her eyes quietly.

    It was a bit hard and ufortable

    But it wasfortable.

 Chapter 284: Annual (2)

    Chapter 284: Annual (2)

    Tick-tocktick-tock

    The wall clock ticked away in the room at dawn.

    Iid Johanna down on the guest room bed. Her breaths were shallow and mixed with the heavy scent of alcohol.

    How many bottles of spirits had she drunk?

    She was quietly asleep.

    Or at least, she appeared to be.

    Thump

    I gently ced my hand on her forehead. It was quite hot. Probably not due to a fever, though.

    The longer my hand stayed, the hotter it became.

    Sigh.

    I let out a deliberately soft sigh. While doing so, I tidied her disheveled hair. As if to say, I care for you, but we must part. As if to say, you too must drift away from me.

    As if to say we cannot be together

    I then got up from the bed.

    Thud, thud.

    As I was about to leave, I turned back to look at Johanna. My expression was a little sad.

    Most of it was calcted acting, but some of it was genuine.

    The Johanna before regression had killed countless people. It was probably a world record for a single individual.

    That terrible future would be erased because of me.

    However, the sins shemitted in the present would not just disappear.

    She had takennd from countlessmoners for her casinos, department stores, for her business, or simply to possess something. She had taken their money, their lives.

    She was a clear viin.

    Therefore, my revenge was simple.

    To change her, to make her face the sins of her past squarely.

    To make her aware of her own evil deeds.

    To gift Johanna with self-awareness and reflection.

    Sleep peacefully.

    I bowed to her.

    Creeeak

    I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

    The air was dark and quiet, still tinged with the aura of phantoms.

    There was no hostility from the phantoms, which was more puzzling, but I managed to walk safely back to Zias room.

    Tap-tap-tap-tap

    Zia nced at me while tapping away at herptop like an octopus.

    Youre back.

    Yes. Miss Johanna is fine.

    Thats a relief

    But.

    I asked while standing behind her.

    lts strange. Why would phantoms appear here?

    I couldn''t understand the reason.

    Section 0 of Aerial Garden is where the direct descendants of Libra reside. Its the most important and central ce, so why would phantoms appear here?

    I don''t know either Its been like that since Aerial Garden was built

    Suddenly, Sheron came to mind. Her Spectrum, [FrequencyJ , might sense something here.

    Just then, Zia took her hands off theptop.

    Miss.

    Yes?

    I asked her.

    Do you have any memories of Lord Sherlock, the head of the family?

    Sherlock.

    The current head of Libra, yet a man whose face is unknown.

    I do not know what kind of person he is. Despite my pride in knowing everything about Libra, I was ignorant about him.

    Of course, Sherlock is going to die within the next five years, but until then, he would remain thoroughly hidden in the shadows.

    Only very little.

    Zia spoke with a contemtive look on her face.

    Looking at me, he said, You wont live long.

    It was an unnecessary imitation, deepening her voice.

    He said that to me.

    I nodded calmly at Zias words.

    Is that so.

    Sherlock is a man who is going to die anyway.

    Zia will swallow up Libra whole within the next six years, and I will be her second inmand. Even though Sherlock is the master of the great evil known as Libra, the timelines will surely not ovep.

    Why do I keep worrying about it?

    S h i o n

    Suddenly, Zia called my name.

    Yes.

    What kind of man was Shions father?

    She asked about my father, whom Libra had killed.

    I smiled faintly.

    He was a good father.

    A person I could not respect, but still love. That''s what my father was to me.

    Why did he pass away?

    He died on duty.

    Do you know what mission it was?

    NO. I dont know.

    The truth is, I do know.

    My father didn''t even leave a body behind.

    His flesh was torn apart first, and his spirit disintegrated, as if he had never existed in the first ce.

    He was the reckless vanguard of a magic space called the Hole.

    Should I look into it?

    Zia offered tentatively, but I shook my head.

    I want to focus on the present. By your side, Miss Zia.

    Zia watched me closely. I also met her gaze steadily.

    Just as she is a person whose heart is unreadable, I must be to some extent as well. She wont be able to read my expression. She won''t be able to measure my sincerity.

    Because my wish to be in your present, Zia, contains not a shred of falsehood

    At the annual gathering of Libra, a dining area was set up in the garden of Section 0. Members from coteral and direct lines, as well as the elders, were present. There were many Libra members I was seeing for the first time, but I couldnt let it show.

    I stood behind Zia of the direct line, statue-like. Behind Derek was Smith, behind Johanna was Vitro, Jade was alone, and Sherlocks seat was entirely vacant.

    So. Are you still reconsidering your marriage prospects?

    The Libras exchanged various conversations among themselves. The coteral line spoke with their own, and the elders addressed the direct line members.

    Dont wait too long. Its always better to find an unconditional ally sooner rather thanter.

    Marriage was a particrlymon topic. Most of the attention was on Johanna. Derek and Jade were also single.

    Theres no one suitable for me.

    Johanna replied, biting back her irritation. Derek let out a snicker, while Jade just sat quietly.

    I remember when you were little, Johanna. You were so small and adorable back then

    Ahem?

    During the time when Dereks elders were teasing Johanna,

    Someone approached me. It was an elder with a long beard.

    Are you the knight of Zia Ive only heard about from the national university?

    Yes. Thats correct.

    Hmm~

    This elder seemed to already know of me.

    That must mean my name and face have gotten around.

    The work you''ve done is quite impressive. Zia has found herself a fine knight. Haha. Congrattions. Youll make a good independence gift.

    This is how the elders are, with their factions so clearly drawn.

    Mostly concerned with Derek and Johanna, they paid little attention to Zia.

    Yes

    Zia smiled broadly.

    I sent a mental message to Grawl.

    Grawl. Are you seeing this?

    Currently, Grawl was looking through my eyes.

    Yes!

    Before my regression, there were many whose names I knew but faces I didnt. Most of the elders and coteral members of Libra were like that.

    Whether coteral or direct, keeping themselves hidden from the outside was the same.

    There are quite a few here worth killing.

    I could step out as Raquel Dra, or simply carry out an assassination.

    Either way, its a gold mine.

    Well then, Im done eating.

    Just then, Johanna abruptly stood up. Apparently unable to tolerate the incessant talk of marriage and romance, she strode away briskly.

    Dont mind her. You know her temperament well enough, dont you?

    Ask me instead. I''m also in the process of preparing for a spouse.

    Derek spoke mockingly of her, and Jade suddenly looked at Zia and me.

    He seemed to notice something pleasing about the two of us.

    In the fall, the Knight School at Edsi National University conducts an annual exam. This test ismonly referred to as the end-of-semester exam, but in reality, its arge-scale assessment involving students from all years, from freshmen to seniors.

    Passing this exam grants eligibility to participate in the [Knight Examination], and upon obtaining a knights certificate from the [Knight Examination], one is finally called a formal knight.

    Pleased to meet you.

    Today, the venue for the final exam was an artificial magic space prepared solely for the test.

    I stood in a spacious za, facing a passage with quite a number of knights lined up all around.

    The outline of the exam is simple. Rescue and survival.

    The professor spoke while projecting a powerpoint into the air.

    There will be two groups: the survival group and the rescue group. The survival group will be randomly ced in extreme situations, and the rescue group will be tasked with saving them from the starting point.

    The ratio was 7:3.

    Seven for the survival group, three for the rescue group.

    Theposition of the groups has been based on personality and grades thus far. Both survival and rescue will be evaluated on proper and strict criteria, so noints. Understand?!

    Yes-

    A resounding shout echoed. My ears almost burst for a moment.

    Shion. Somehow, I think Shion will be in the rescue group.

    Soliette poked my shoulder repeatedly.

    Ah. Youre definitely survival.

    Her eyes narrowed at that.

    Why do you think so?

    Youve missed a lot of sses.

    Now, I will announce the rescue group! Those not included in this list are all in the survival group!

    Just then, the professor disyed the list on the powerpoint.

    Familiar names in the rescue group were Gerkhen, Kain, Asher, and Shion.

    As expected, Soliette was not there.

    Ah. Really.

    Soliette bit her lip in dissatisfaction, but,

    The survival group will enter the passage first, proceed!

    There was no time toin.

    Proceed-

    All the knight school students not in the rescue group rushed into the passage.

    We will now proceed with the ribbon-cutting ceremony-

    A morous cheer resounded, loud enough to sting the ears. Amidst the popping of firecrackers and the fluttering of confetti, onlookers beamed with joy and pped their hands.

    Johanna gazed at the scissors in her hand.

    After a moment of contemtion, she snipped through the ribbon before her

    The apuse intensified, dozens of times louder than before.

    Congrattions, Johanna!

    Soon, men dressed in suits approached to shake her hand. Johanna nodded perfunctorily and looked up at the building.

    Her thirteenth department store.

    A cash cow erected on the most prizednd in Edsi''s new city.

    Almost every luxury brand on the continent had scrambled to get a spot inside, with the expected profit running into the hundreds of millions of Ren.

    Well done.

    Johannamended her subordinates, patting the shoulders of those involved in the construction.

    Yet, the feeling wasnt the same as before.

    When she built her first department store, her first casino, she was filled with excitement, a sense of purpose, and a reaffirmation of her lifes meaning

    She had thought that she lived for these achievements.

    Why does it feel so empty today?

    Is it because she has built too many department stores?

    Should she have built a taller tower instead?

    Lost in thought, she found herself already in the car.

    Are you alright?

    Vitro asked. Johanna nced away and retorted.

    What do you mean?

    Usually you would stay for at least three hours.

    That was before. Now, time is too precious. Besides, hand me the tablet.

    Yes.

    Johanna took the tablet from Vitro. On the screen was a list of men deemed suitable to be her consort.

    A catalog, if you will, personallypiled and delivered by the elders.

    Most had excellent lineage, had established and managed sessful enterprises, and even looked like they were chiseled from stone.

    All of them were dozens of times better than Shion Ascal.

    However, in Johannas eyes

    [End-of-semester exam at Edsi National Universitys Knight School begins]

    An alert popped up at the top of the tablet.

    Since Edsi National University made all exam processes avable to businesses or families, Johanna naturally had the right to observe.

    It wasnt snooping, per se.

    Hmm .

    She discreetly nced at the driver''s seat as she pressed to view the alert.

    A list of students unfolded before her. Among them, she searched for the name and face of [Shion Ascal].

    Flicking through the scroll, she quickly found him.

    Tap.

    Johanna tapped on his name with her finger. The tablets screen was filled with the drones feed.

    There was Shion Ascal, dressed in a rescue teams uniform, advancing through and indistinguishable between the Arctic or Antarctic.

    Johanna saw his face. A sharp, expressionless visage resembling a bird of prey. A jawline like a de and eyes unwavering.

    And then

    The way heid her down on the bed. The touch that caressed her forehead, that gently straightened her hair. The face that looked down at her, seemingly sad and distant.

    1

    Caught in a trance of memories, Johanna shuddered and quickly set the tablet down.

    Vitro.

    She urgently called out to Vitro, who was in the passenger seat.

    Yes?

    Take me to the hospital.

    The hospital, you say?

    Yes. The hospital.

    Johanna pressed her hand to her temple.

    Lately, she found herselfcking motivation in everything.

    Things that used to be fun no longer amused her, and what she liked no longer held her interest.

    Instead, she asionally felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her restless mind would wake her from sleep.

    She started having strange and mncholic dreams.

    Libra Medical Center, no

    Now, it seemed she had to admit it to herself.

    Take me to Spring Water Hospital.

    Professor Yu Hains.

    It appears, just as you said, I might have fallen in love with that man.

 Chapter 285: Pure White (1)

    Chapter 285: Pure White (1)

    Its pure white.

    Every part my eyes touch is pure white.

    But its not cozy.

    Quite the opposite, in fact.

    Its extremely cold and icy.

    The howling gale seems intent on carving up my skin, and the hammer-like chill taps at my bones.

    Its an extreme environment.

    lt''s quite fascinating.

    Of course, Im fine. As Ive said time and again, the outside of my body is quite sturdy.

    Looks like theyve really got money to burn.

    This ce is a massive magic space created by Edsi National University just to assess their students. Its an excessive use of funds, but anyway.

    I''m traversing the snowfield as a member of the rescue team.

    My equipment consists only of a detector,pass, radio, telescope, rope, climbing gear, and three days worth of rations.

    Thendscape is hardly distinguishable from the Antarctic or Arctic.

    The survival and rescue teams face different situations, but they share the same environment. Somewhere here, knights waiting for survival are trapped.

    I turned on the [SZX-9500J in my eyes. I looked far into the distance, but there were no significant signals.

    If the goal was survival, they would be desperately sending out signals.

    Is it that vast?

    It seems highly likely. Considering the size of the entrance we came through, it could be asrge as a city.

    Crunch Crunch-

    I moved forward on the surface mixed with ice and snow, setting my direction with thepass and mapping it out in my mind.

    Then, suddenly, I stopped.

    Swoosh

    The snowbank shifted following my footsteps. Right in front of me was a mysterious slope. I examined the area closely.

    It was a crevasse in the cier''s surface.

    This is suspicious.

    I tightly packed the snow into a hard ball, like a stone.

    Whoosh I threw it down below.

    I listened intently.

    No matter how long I waited, no sound came back up.

    Definitely suspicious.

    There must be someone down there. Trusting my intuition, I attached a rope to my waist. I hammered a piton into a nearby solid cier and tied the rope to it.

    And then, I descended straight down.

    Ssssshhhh-

    I jumped down into the crevasse.

    Crack. Johanna clenched the tablet in her hands without realizing it. Her heart churned at the sight of him falling. Her mood soured instantly.

    lsnt he injured?

    This guy recklessly throws himself around. He could have easily half-assed this kind of evaluation test and no one would have said anything.

    And theres no footage from underground. The drones cant follow down there.

    After pocketing the money

    Johanna was furious. If they took money under the pretense of broadcasting the test process, they should have anticipated this kind of situation. They should have nted cameras underground.

    She aimlessly tapped on the tablet.

    We''ve arrived.

    Meanwhile, they had reached the hospital. Johanna clicked her tongue and got out of the car.

    [Spring Water Hospital], where Doctor Yu Hains serves as the director.

    IS this the ce?

    It looked extremely shabby, situated on a rural plot ofnd.

    Yes. This is it.

    Johanna entered regardless. There were quite a few patients waiting, but she pushed her way straight to the directors office.

    Oh, urn, maam! The director is still with a patient

    lm not a ma''am.

    She didnt exchange pleasantries and just pushed open the door to the directors office. Director Yu Hains was in the middle of examining another patient.

    Johanna red at him in silence.

    You''ve arrived.

    Yu Hains responded calmly, as if he had been expecting her.

    For Johanna, his expression was incredibly irritating.

    The crevasse below was like a cave.

    Hmm.

    I walked, craning my neck to look around. The interior was pitch-ck, and not a sound could be heard.

    It seemed like the magical energy pooled at the bottom was causing a barrier-like phenomenon.

    Ah.

    No matter how much I moved my mouth, no voice came out.

    Fortunately, my eyes adjusted quickly. The night vision mode of the [SZX-9500J was in operation.

    There should be someone around here.

    I muttered to myself as I moved forward.

    Thud, thud, thud, thud.

    I imagined the sounds I couldnt hear for what must have been dozens of minutes.

    Suddenly, I found someone.

    In the darkness, a woman with her arms and legs bound.

    Ah!

    I rushed over to her. I shook her shoulder to wake her up first, then cut the ropes on her arms and legs.

    Are you okay

    I started to say but stopped abruptly. It was because of her face.

    I muttered dumbly.

    Tei?

    Tei.

    My old friend, lost and forgotten. The face of that person whose memory I couldnt even recall

    No, that''s not it.

    Upon closer inspection, it wasnt Tei.

    It was Theia.

    I stared nkly as Theia slowly got up.

    Why was Professor Theia tied up here?

    As I pondered,

    Snap!

    She flicked her finger. All the darkness lifted, and sound returned.

    Congrattions

    Theia, who turned to look at my face, seemed slightly surprised. She chewed her lip and then nodded seriously.

    Congrattions. Youve rescued someone trapped in the dark crevasse. Bonus points are awarded for the courage to jump into danger and the ability to navigate a ce where sight and hearing are lost. Plus 10 points.

    I blinked. It was quite an unexpected event.

    Ah Yes. There were bonus points too. Is that why youve been hiding until now?

    Yes.

    I thought you were Tei.

    Words slipped out without thinking.

    Theia furrowed her brow slightly.

    Who is that? Every time you see me, you call me Tei.

    Ah Well, a friend.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    A friend whose whereabouts I dont even know.

    Then a faint sigh escaped through Theias teeth. For me, the reason for the sigh was unknown.

    Tsk- She clicked her tongue.

    Do you want to find that friend?

    Yes? Do you know Tei?

    ITI exin after the test is over. For now, lets finish the rescue. How do you n to get back up?

    Ah, right.

    Rescue doesnt end with justing down.

    We have to go back up together.

    The method is

    I untied the rope fastened to my waist. Clutching it, I hesitated and then cautiously asked Theia.

    The ropes a bit short, so it looks like well have to hold each other. Is that okay with you?

    At the same time, Johanna waited until Yu Hainss consultation was over and then took a seat.

    The doctor and patient looked at each other without a word.

    A simple staring contest, or perhaps a battle of wits to take control of the situation.

    Finally, Yu Hains was the first to speak.

    What brings you here?

    YOU know, dont you?

    Johanna clicked her tongue and crossed her legs.

    You said toe when I''m ready to admit it.

    Hm.

    Yu Hains made an odd sound as he rifled through the charts in the drawer and pulled one out.

    Every reaction from him was irritating to Johanna.

    Hey. Dr. Yu Hains. If you ever disclose this matter

    Patient confidentiality is not breached.

    Yu Hains spoke stiffly, like some NPC.

    Well, that figures. The man is frustratingly principled.

    To put it simply, hes the stubborn type whod rather die than be threatened.

    Johanna, who has seen her fair share of death, knows this all too well.

    U n d e rstoo d

    Yu Hains checked something on the chart.

    That Lady Johanna has fallen in love with Shion Ascal is

    No.

    Johannas face flushed as she quickly reached out her hand.

    Dont use that word so directly, will you?

    Yes. I understand that Lady Johanna has developed special feelings for Shion.

    Its slightly unsatisfactory, but its tolerable.

    However, I am a doctor. While I possess systematic knowledge in almost all areas of medicine, my specialty is oncology. In matters of psychiatry and psychology, I can only offer advice akin to a p rescript ion.

    So?

    Johanna rested her chin on her hand.

    He told her toe when she admits to being in love, but now that itse to this, hes spouting nonsense.

    lm bing increasingly dissatisfied, Dr. Yu Hains.

    What I can do as a doctor is limited to prescribing. I would like to offer Lady Johanna two prescriptions, and you may choose.

    Yu Hains extended an envelope.

    Here is the first prescription.

    What is it?

    lf Lady Johanna wishes to discard those special feelings for Shion Ascal, use this.

    Discard my feelings?

    Yu Hains took a deep breath and nodded.

    As Ive said repeatedly, its the easiest method. Simply erasing the feelings.

    The easiest way?

    Yes. Lady Johanna, acknowledging love is a difficult path. You will surelye to regret it.

    Yu Hainss words wereden with meaning. However, Johanna did not ponder deeply.

    It would surely be a difficult path. She was the eldest daughter of a great house, while Shion was a man with nothing.

    That fact alone would be torment enough for both of them. Perhaps they would marry, perhaps they would divorce.

    Johanna looked inside the envelope. There were pills inside.

    Her brow furrowed.

    Pills, huh? This kind of medicine won''t work.

    Her feelings for Shion Ascal had grown to the point where they could not be suppressed by some tranquilizer. They had grown beyond her awareness.

    This is apletely different medication from the previous ones. Its a drug I''ve synthesized with my [SpectrumJ .

    A different drug?

    Johanna took out a pill.

    But, there was no way to discern anything just by its appearance.

    She looked up at Doctor Yu Hains again.

    What kind of drug is this?

    It wouldnt be poison not from this doctor. Theres no doctor more conscientious of his profession.

    lts an emotional suppressant.

    How does it work?

    lt precisely blocks the parts of the brain that be active and the neurohormones that are secreted when Lady Johanna sees Shion Ascal. Its a drug I''ve patented and validated.

    In other words, it would return the current Johanna to the original Johanna.

    It was quite a remarkable drug.

    Johanna flicked the drug envelope with her finger.

    Why did you create such a drug?

    As Ive said. Acknowledging love is difficult and painful.

    True to his words, Yu Hains was a man who had experienced loss. He must have tried to forget through medication.

    Johanna asked bluntly.

    S0, block the emotions with drugs?

    Yes. However, its not a drug that works all the time; you must take it whenever you feel distressed.

    Then, a question suddenly arose.

    But why did you stop taking it? Wasnt it a drug you made for yourself?

    Johanna looked into Yu Hainss eyes.

    Yu Hains answered with an impassive expression.

    Because I acknowledged love.

    What a crazy thing to say. This guy, at times, seems the most rational, yet hes ridiculously emotional in the strangest ways.

    As Johanna pocketed the medicine, she asked.

    Whats the second prescription?

    Here it is.

    It was another envelope.

    This prescription is forter, when the timees

    Yu Hains seemed about to say something, but Johanna immediately opened the envelope.

    Inside was just a single note.

    Haah.

    Yu Hains let out a faint sigh. Johanna saw the two characters written on it.

    Snapher temples throbbed with a pulse.

    Are you joking?

    Johanna showed the note to Yu Hains.

    [Confess]

    Her gaze turned harsh, but Yu Hains faced her calmly.

    Yes. This is more of an advice. I cannot disclose a patients personal information, after all.

    Then theres no reason for me to be here. You asshole.

    No, there is. You have two options left.

    Yu Hains pointed to Johannas envelope of medicine.

    lf you dislike confessing, then take the medicine. It will be the easier path.

    However, if you wish to hear the truth from Shion Ascal.

    He pointed to the note that read [Confess].

    Confess your love to Shion Ascal.

    Are you insane?

    lt cant be helped. I assure you, Shion Ascal will never tell Lady Johanna that he loves her.

    In an instant, Johannas eyes narrowed sharply. A small wave surged in her heart.

    She asked in a low, sunken voice.

    Are you saying he doesnt like me?

    lts the opposite.

    Yu Hains said something cryptic. But that cryptic statement was probably the best for now.

    Damn the 1 cannot disclose a patient''s personal information rule.

    However, if Lady Johanna confesses your true feelings first, then Shion Ascal will surely tell you the truth as well.

    Johanna listened quietly.

    She couldnt know how much this man knew, or to what extent. It was a truly frustrating asymmetry of information.

    The prescription has been given. Now the choice is Lady Johanna''s to make.

    Fi n e.

    Johanna put both prescriptions into her coat pocket. As she turned to leave, she pulled out her tablet.

    Right now, she was curious to know if Shion Ascal had escaped from the crevasse.

    But then.

    What is this.

    He was with some woman.

    Who is this crazy bitch?

    Suddenly, a fierce me ignited in Johannas grip.

 Chapter 286: Pure White (2)

    Chapter 286: Pure White (2)

    I brought Theia to the base camp. It was a modr housing unit set up at the edge of the Icefield.

    About twenty people, I guess.

    Theia counted the number of survivors. Since not even a day had passed, there werent many rescued, and most of them were in bad shape.

    They must have had a tough time.

    Well then. Professor, you do your thing.

    I pointed to the door with my thumb.

    lll be leaving.

    The evaluation is still underway. I dont know how much the bonus points for saving the professor, 10 points, are worth, but I n to score as much as I can.

    Theia looked at me silently. I shrugged my shoulders.

    Dont worry about what Tei. Just ah, my head hurts. Forget it.

    She seemed to know something about Tei, but I didnt feel like prying.

    After all, we shouldn''t get too close to each other. She will soon be Libras biggest enemy.

    Come visit when you have time.

    She handed me her business card. It had her name, [Theia Esil], and contact information on it.

    I smiled faintly.

    Yes.

    Theia Esil before my regression.

    She was killed by Libra.

    I still dont know the details, but I wont lose her in this life. I wont let my benefactors die.

    Even if it means choosing the lesser of two evils

    ITI visit when I have time.

    I will ensure that Theia Esil of this life enjoys a long life.

    The 96-hour evaluation period ended. I rescued 7 people, and my results were quite high-ranking.

    lt was incredibly tough.

    Soliette said, peeling off the seaweed strands that clung to her head.

    Really?

    Yes. It turns out, if the survivors don''t send out signals while struggling, the rescue team can never find them. I was floating on a drifting ice sheet, an ice sheet. Seals were teasing me!

    She burst out in frustration. I casually yed along while checking the scores on my smartphone.

    WOW. Gerkhen rescued 18 people?

    Hmm.

    Then, a cough came from the right. Gerkhen was right next to me.

    When did you get here?

    He nced at me.

    Shion Ascal.

    What? Why are you calling my name?

    It seemed like the first time he had called me by name.

    Hmm.

    Gerkhen coughed awkwardly again. And then

    Are you interested in neuroscience by any chance?

    He threw out a bizarre question.

    What are you talking about all of a sudden?

    Hmm.

    Gerkhen coughed for the third time. He seemed reluctant to ask, as if he didnt want to, but had no choice.

    lf you ever feel like youve forgotten something, something that you cant remember, go see Professor Theia. Shes quite knowledgeable in neuroscience.

    His words sounded rehearsed, as if he was reading from a textbook.

    Ah.

    So hes been put up to this by Theia. Thanks to this guy, Im pretty sure now. Theres definitely some connection between Tei and Theia.

    Are they actually rted?

    Got it. I''ll think about it.

    Hmm .

    Gerkhen nodded in satisfaction. I smirked as I checked the number of people monitoring me.

    There were exactly 57 people monitoring me.

    Johanna must be one of them.

    Hmm

    I looked up at the sky and sighed.

    The seeds have been sown.

    Now, its just a matter of time.

    At Johannas mansion. Shey in bed, staring at her tablet. She had been fixated on the tablet all weekend.

    Watching scenes of Shion Ascal smiling, tearing apart a beast with his sword, and rescuing survivors from an avnche She kept rewinding and reying them over and over.

    But whenever she saw him with another woman, her blood seemed to boil, and a murderous intent to kill the other person surged within her.

    Johanna knew what this feeling was.

    Jealousy.

    It was an emotion she had no need to feel. Apletely useless emotion.

    Yet it was like a thorn stuck in her heart, one that she could simply pull out if she chose to.

    Perhaps because it was her first time experiencing it, Johanna couldnt help but feel it. Inescapably, unavoidably.

    Eventually, she took out the beta-blockers prescribed by Yu Hains. She popped the pill into her mouth.

    H aa h

    Instantly, she felt at ease.

    She picked up the tablet again. Even looking at Shion in the video, she felt no emotion.

    Now I can finally get some work done.

    But was this really the right way to handle it?

    Was it nothing more than running away?

    Should Johanna of Libra, who has never run away from anything in her life, be backpedaling because of just this one man?

    The most important issue a matter of pride.

    Johanna picked up the second note.

    [Confession]

    1 m possi b le.

    Johanna shook her head. She was not that kind of person. Not a girl who shyly conveys her feelings, driven by mere emotions.

    Johanna of Libra. A lifetime of pride, walking the path of a winner befitting that pride, a member of the societal elite who would lead the continent.

    The iron-blooded gambler who would inherit the family legacy.

    She must not be swayed by mere emotions.

    She absolutely must not.

    And SO

    Johanna turned off the tablet. She erased Shion from her mind.

    She had chosen the first prescription.

    Time flows on. For me, time is more than three times as precious as it is for ordinary people, slipping through my fingers without the possibility of holding on.

    The autumn leaves have long since dried and twisted, and the biting winds of winter have arrived.

    In the meantime, Ive been busy moving.

    Sometimes as Killian, sometimes as Raquel Dra, and sometimes as Shion Ascal.

    Killian became the savior of Vitos nuclear Abyss, Raquel Dra became synonymous with viiny, and Shion Ascal

    I managed to recruit an additional informant, a rather sizable one named Rockendel.

    Chloe, Sia, Jeff, Rockendel, Luin.

    With these five, I now have enough. After all, a task force doesnt function properly if its toorge.

    I gave them hints about their future, hints about the talents they would acquire in the future, so they could elerate their growth.

    [R199 missionplete.]

    [C103 mission terminated.]

    Our team, with the intelligence of Grawl and Luin and close cooperation with external teams, has umted practical experience through performance. In nearly three months, wevepleted hundreds of missions.

    We were developing into a force worthy of being called elite.

    [R2B2: Gedley haspleted the operation preparations.]

    Just then, a message came from Luin.

    Our current main enemy is Gedley. We need to take him down so Bell Moore can step up as director.

    [R2B2: Should we interfere with the operation?]

    Theres no need for that.

    [No need. Just leave it be.]

    As I said, this [New Frontier] short-selling operation is going to fail miserably.

    I put my phone back in my pocket.

    At the same time, Gedley is directing the project from the control room.

    Everyone should be ready.

    The short-selling volume has been adequately umted. Gedley even put in his own personal funds. It was a surefire operation.

    Starting now

    This economic operation, Vern, will take a major hit, and theyll have to worry about ending up behind bars for embezzlement, not to mention the evaporation of slush funds.

    Begin.

    As Gedley gave the signal, the Chasers immediately ryed the start of the operation to various media outlets.

    Almost simultaneously, headline articles sprouted like mushrooms on the inte from the most representative news sources.

    [The pioneeringpany New Frontier, created with embezzled funds by Everett]

    [New Frontier, a ghostpany without substance?]

    NoW, right away!

    Yes.

    Now, they openly resume short-selling again. They short-sell, take out loans with those short positions, and then hit with more short-selling in a cycle.

    Tatatat

    The control room is filled with the sounds of mice and keyboards clicking.

    Looking at the monitors full of charts and the news desks preparing exclusive reports, Gedley smiles.

    .

    [Chairman Everett''s slush fund hideout, New Frontier.]

    [Settlement without results. Loans without substance.]

    [Toppany Vern, suspected of embezzlement]

    Derek watched the articles about New Frontier light up the world like Firecrackers.

    The stock price plummeted in an instant, and all sorts of economic experts appeared on the news to denounce Everetts Vern.

    Ha ha ha ha ha.

    He burst into triumphantughter, filling his office with his cackling.

    Ka ha ha ha

    Suddenly, his smile faded.

    Instead, something deep inside him surged, a sense of ecstasy overwhelming him.

    He leaned on the table, his face drenched in sweat.

    Ah

    He let out a strange moan, his chest shaking.

    He let out a ragged breath, as if gasping for air.

    Ah

    This was the sensation of climax.

    Derek bit his lip. Still watching the exploding articles, the news criticizing Vern, the bending stock price graphs, and Verns flustered face captured on the TV screen, he wrapped his arms around himself.

    Kuh Uh.

    It was a peak that transcended dozens of times that of an ordinary orgasm.

    At the same time, in the capital Edsi, at Johannas mansion.

    Johanna also heard the news about Derek.

    So he was up to something. This was it.

    It was quite a smart economic maneuver. Even to her, it seemed like Verns cleverly hidden enterprise had been well targeted.

    Should she interfere?

    She briefly considered it, but didnt feel the need to go through with it.

    In the past, she would have spread counter-articles to make Derek suffer more losses and gain less, but

    Really.

    Lately, she felt as if she had lost her drive.

    Johanna sighed, looking at the ceiling of her office.

    Again, she felt sick to her stomach. His face was about toe to mind.

    Damn it.

    She hurriedly took a blocker from Yu Hains.

    Gulp.

    She swallowed two pills whole, but the effect wasnt as strong as before.

    It was due to tolerance.

    The drug couldnt stop her from thinking about Shion Ascal, and as soon as the effect wore off, his face would reappear in her mind.

    The crossing of emotions made her feel powerless.

    It made her want to see him.

    This is messed up

    Johanna wanted to distance herself from him. She was trying to forget him by force.

    Honestly, she didnt want to confess.

    Her pride wouldnt allow it.

    But two months had already passed.

    During this time, Johanna realized that she could not ovee it. She acknowledged that she was doomed to fall.

    At the same time, she was curious.

    Shion Ascal.

    Does he feel something simr to what she does?

    He hasnt seen her just as she hasnt seen him.

    Does he also long to see her, to meet with her, feeling this burning desire?

    Confession

    If possible, I could do it.

    But a confession isnt the start of a rtionship. Its the stamp that seals it.

    Above all, Johanna had never experienced the kind of love where she confesses first.

    She was fairly certain that he loved her, but what if, by some chance, it was all a misunderstanding on her part?

    Where in the world would there be such a disgrace?

    If she were to be rejected in her current state, she would either have to kill him or herself.

    Therefore, a situation was necessary.

    A situation where she could be certain that he loved her, and he could be certain that she loved him.

    Johannas mood turned cold. She abruptly stood up and sat at her desk. Thanks to the effects of the beta-blockers, she regained herposure, if only for a moment, and began to devise a n.

    This should do.

    It was a strategy she had been considering in her head for a while, so bringing it to the forefront was easy.

    Vitro.

    She called for Vitro.

    Yes.

    Come to my office. I have an operation to discuss with you.

    Understood.

    Johanna brushed her hair back.

    She was nning a terrorist act.

    A ne hijacking. Or a train hijacking.

    Either way, during the event, Johanna would be kidnapped along with Zia. Then Shion Ascal would be deployed, and he would be given two choices.

    Johanna, or Zia.

    If he came to her, it would be tantamount to a deration of love, and she would confess her love to him as well.

    However, if he went to Zia

    ITI have to kill her.

    Johanna would have to murder Zia.

    Meow

    ?

    A beasts cry came from the side. Johanna turned to look. A cat was sitting on the newly installed windowsill.

    What are you?

    Johanna opened the window and grabbed the creature with one hand.

    She was about to burst it when

    Meow

    The creature meowed and rubbed its fur against her hand. Surprisingly clean, and not bad-looking at all, it didnt seem like the kind of animal spies would use for scouting.

    Tsk.

    It seemed like a stray, but was there any need to needlessly take a life?

    Johanna simply put it down. Then the creature intently looked over her office desk. As if it was reading the operation ns she had written.

    Get down.

    Meow

    The creature responded and jumped down.

    Clever thing.

    Knock-knock

    Just then, Vitro knocked. Johanna, tidying up the papers, said,

    Come in.

 Chapter 287: Pure White (3)

    Chapter 287: Pure White (3)

    Libra Intelligence Agency, Private Office.

    Really?

    I received information from Grawl.

    Yes! Mistrone pulled off a big one!

    The cat, ''Mistrone'', sessfully infiltrated Johannas residence and dug up quite some significant secrets.

    Johanna shes indeed a dangerous person

    Grawls voice trembled as if he was scared.

    Thats for sure.

    I had anticipated that Johanna would make a move somehow.

    Shes not the type to give up easily.

    Perhaps, shes the type who never gives up.

    S0, shes the one who devised the scenario?

    Yes, thats right.

    A scenario to confirm my feelings.

    Johanna is meticulous. Therefore, she will create the perfect space and situation, and I will pretend to be oblivious and y along.

    Its an easy task.

    Unde rstood .

    The end of this lengthy operation is not far off.

    However, I dont know how she will change once she learns all my secrets. Its a gamble from my perspective too.

    Especially since Im still not sure how much she values me.

    p p p p p.

    Suddenly, the sound of apuse echoed. It was a resonance that pierced through the walls of the private office.

    Creeeak

    Then, the door to my office opened. A man peeked his face in.

    It was Bell Moore.

    I tilted my head in confusion.

    Team Leader?

    Ah, hello.

    He raised his hand high.

    ls there something going on outside?

    Well the Director came by. Theyre giving apuse at the Intelligence

    Agency for a sessful ope rati on.

    He looked somewhat guilty.

    An operation?

    That the one you nned, the one that got leaked.

    He scratched the back of his neck and sat down on the sofa.

    Ah, are you talking about the short-selling operation?

    Yeah. That one, its going really well, they say. The profit is going to be in the billions of Ren

    Bell Moore had a look of regret. That was all. There was no animosity or murderous intent towards the Director.

    He really is a man far removed from ambition.

    lm sorry about this.

    Bell Moore spoke as if he was sighing.

    No, its alright. I''m actually wondering if theyre popping the champagne too early.

    The billions in profits will soon turn into a catastrophic loss.

    By the way, Ive already given a hint to the [New Frontier] pioneer team. Just in case the future I desirees toote, or not at all.

    That article'' will be published soon.

    Well, yeah. Ughhhhh

    He stretched himself out.

    Yaaan

    Hisfortable demeanor,plete with a yawn, was exasperating.

    Anyway. Arent you dissatisfied, Team Leader?

    With what?

    lts obvious that the Director is keeping you in check.

    Ah, that? Its bound to be like this. Im the youngest team leader, after all. I have to endure this kind of hazing.

    Bell Moore touched his chin andughed. I spoke with a meaningful tone.

    lt might be more than just keeping you in check.

    What?

    Bell Moores expression stiffened slightly.

    I have ears too. I hear rumors.

    Bell Moore hesitated for a moment but soon resumed his carefree demeanor.

    Man, do you think I dont have ears? Oh,e on, Ughhh- You wouldnt know, but Director Gedley isnt like that. We went to college together. Its normal for juniors to pay their dues to their seniors.

    He got up.

    Anyway, since youre okay with it, Im out. Take care, man.

    Whistling cheerfully, he left, and I was left speechless at his departing figure.

    For the past two months, Ive established a regr schedule.

    As a Chaser, I exchange information and report on the status of the Intelligence Agency and other matters with Zia.

    Wait a minute.

    Zia, in the video call, spoke with a tone of surprise. It was because of the information I had shared today.

    SO shes reallye to like you?

    Zia seemed amazed by the idea.

    lts not certain yet, but I will definitely draw her in Miss Zia.

    Ah I actually got a message from her

    ls it a business trip notification?

    Yes.

    I nodded.

    READ ON SERENETRANSLATION. I''M THINKING ABOUT DELAYING DAILY RELEASES TO

    WEEKLY CAUSE PEOPLE KEEP STEALING AND POSTING ON THEIR SITE.

    Just follow the scenario as nned.

    Okay. I will. What about you?

    Zia looked at me intently. I smiled slightly.

    ITI be fine.

    Then shall we eat something now?

    Yes.

    I hadnt realized before, but Zia likes to eat while facing someone.

    Of course, she might just be pretending to like it, but our regr reports always ended with dinner.

    However, Zia herself doesnt eat much. Just a banana, a potato, and a piece of chicken breast.

    On the other hand, I always prepared a full meal. My developed cooking skills allowed me to prepare a variety of menus every day.

    Shion, you always enjoy your food.

    Zia said this with augh in her voice.

    This is how she responds positively.

    Thank you.

    As I grew closer to her, pretending to be influenced and gradually assimting, I naturally came to understand.

    Zia has a peculiar charm. I think I understand now why so many people have sworn almost religious levels of loyalty to her.

    Perhaps the ability to make people her allies is Zias [Spectrum] .

    But I mustn''t approach her carelessly. Zia dislikes intrusion. She avoids people whoe too close forfort.

    Even if she treats mefortably, I must maintain a proper distance.

    Wrap up some meat in lettuce and eat it too.

    Yes.

    I wrapped the meat in lettuce. I ate as she told me to.

    How is it?

    lt tastes fine.

    Good.

    Zia looked satisfied vicariously.

    At first nce, she might seem quite innocent and naive, but shes the woman who will one day take over as Chairman of Edsi.

    I must never let my guard down.

    Youve got something on your cheek.

    Ah. Yes.

    I hastily wiped away the rice. Zia smiled broadly, and I bowed my head, pretending to be embarrassed.

    Johanna had summoned Zia under the pretext of a business trip. The specific project name was ''Scouting for a New Casino Site.

    lts the desert. Were building a casino in the desert.

    ln the desert really?

    Yes.

    In a limousine heading towards the barren desert, Johanna looked at Zia sitting next to her and smirked.

    ITI give you the right to participate in the business.

    A casino in the desert.

    Dont doubt it. When have my businesses ever failed?

    A casino in the desert. It seemed like a far-fetched idea, but on second thought, it might just be possible because its the desert.

    Zia nodded.

    Yes, sister But what about Shion?

    Ah. Lets not talk about that guy.

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    Hes too fussy. You keep him.

    Zia looked at Johannas face, which was as expressionless as usual.

    But, does that guy like you or something?

    Me?

    Hes loyal to you.

    Johanna asked with a uncharacteristic edge

    He says hes carrying on his fathers will to me

    Zia fidgeted with her fingers as she replied. Johanna shrugged nonchntly.

    Right. Make good use of him. He seems like hes not a bad guy.

    Zia cautiously nced out the window.

    There were no escort vehicles. It was unlikely for someone as meticulous as Johanna to move around alone like this.

    Could it be that the scenario was about to begin

    Just as she was pondering.

    The entire exterior of the limousine was engulfed in darkness. Zia flinched, and Johanna furrowed her brow.

    Whats this

    Bang-

    With a loud explosion, the car body lifted off the ground.

    Bncer Vitro visited my Intelligence Agency office. He pushed his sses up and handed me a file.

    This is a top-secret mission.

    AU of a sudden?

    I feigned ignorance and furrowed my brow as I asked.

    This mission is more important than anything else right now. The moment you open this file, you are part of the operation, and you must not disclose this fact to anyone.

    Vitro spoke urgently. He looked disheveled, unlike his usual self. I hesitated for a moment before opening the file.

    The moment I saw the documents inside, my expression twitched. To be exact, I made my expression twitch.

    It was an act of pretending to be calm while internally I was greatly surprised.

    Is this true?

    lt happened 5 minutes ago.

    I stood up from my seat.

    Please head to the site immediately.

    Am I going alone?

    I asked while putting on my coat.

    Yes.

    WeU need more people, wont we?

    The masters business trip was a confidential matter. That means information has been leaked from within. Therefore, we cannot supplement our internal staff. We dont know who the traitor is.

    Vitro said convincingly.

    Shion Chaser, you are an outsider whom the master trusts.

    I understand for now.

    The golden time is 48 hours. I will control the internal affairs, so we willmunicate via satellite radio.

    Vitro handed me a radio. I was about to head out when I hesitated and turned back.

    But, Mr. Vitro. What were you doing while the two were being kidnapped?

    I asked with a hint of hostility. Vitro bit his lip tightly.

    lt was my mistake. I admit it.

    Vitro, the embodiment of FM (Facial Management), was certainly FM in his acting as well. His tone, expression, and eye contact were stable without a hint of wavering.

    Perfect.

    Yes.

    I left the Intelligence Agency, inwardly admiring his performance.

    I arrived at the crime scene quickly. At the entrance to the southern part of Edsi, leading to the desert nation of Arahall. There were traces of magic and fragments of the cars body left at that border area, and nothing else.

    Is this the concept?

    Tsk- I clicked my tongue.

    I knelt down and ced my hand on the ground. With my eyes closed, I called upon the memory that remained here.

    A limousine moving forward. A ck veil enveloping it entirely. After that, the limousinepletely disappeared.

    Seems like theyve hired some pretty capable people.

    Drring

    A ringtone sounded from somewhere. I looked around.

    Drring

    It wasnt my phone, but the ringing continued.

    Drring

    I searched for the source of the sound.

    Drring

    It was deep in the desert sand. An old-fashioned cellphone was buried in the sand.

    I picked it up.

    Drring

    I answered the call.

    I waited quietly, and the person on the other end spoke first.

    Im watching.

    At that moment, I quickly looked around. There was no significant sign of anyones presence.

    Are you alone?

    Alone. Do you want a ransom?

    The person on the other end didnt respond.

    After about a minute of silence, they spoke.

    I will leave the coordinates. Prepare 100 million Ren ande here alone. If youre not alone, I will execute the hostages weve captured.

    Click-

    The call was abruptly cut off. Then, a text with the coordinates came through. Fortunately, it wasnt too far away.

    Tsk. What a filthy concept.

    I clicked my tongue and moved out.

    For now, I nned to follow the scenario as much as possible.

    .

    I arrived at the designated coordinates. It was a rundown factory on the border of the desert nation of Arahall. I had arranged for the money through Vitro.

    IS it you?

    In the abandoned factory, there was a man sitting with an air of arrogance.

    Sit down.

    His face was covered with a mask, and his body was d entirely in ck.

    He smiled.

    I approached and sat opposite him.

    Thud

    I ced the briefcase full of money on the table.

    Hmm. Libra is indeed wealthy. To produce 100 million Ren so quickly.

    Arent you afraid of the consequences?

    I am afraid. But the anticipation is also there.

    He smirked, and I hardened my expression.

    Theres no time for chit-chat. Start with the location of the hostages.

    Hmm Which hostages?

    Sigh.

    I sighed and gripped the sword at my waist. He spread his palms.

    READ CONTENT FROM THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATORS AND SUPPORT THEIR WORK. STOP

    READING ON AGGREAGATE SITES. GO TO NOVELUPDATES.

    Calm down. I need a way to keep living too. Choose just one of them.

    lf youre ying games

    lts not a game. Right now, the ce where the hostages are being held is filled with toxic gas. In exactly 24 hours, both will die. If you kill me, naturally, they will die as well.

    He grinned maliciously.

    S0 choose one first. Once you leave to save one hostage, then Ill tell you the location of the second.

    How can I trust you?

    I asked him rationally. He twisted his lips and rested his hand on the table.

    He spoke with a cold, viinous calm.

    lf you dont trust me, both will die.

    It seems this is the scenario Johanna has prepared.

    In the end, I have to save someone first. The first hostage can definitely be saved, but the second might die at any moment.

    Who will my choice be directed towards?

    I red at the man.

    If it were the old me, I would have killed this scum and peered through his memory, but now, following Johannas will was the best course of action. I had to show as much as she wished to see.

    As if chewing over the name, I spoke someones name.

    Johanna.

    His expression twitched.

    Where is Lady Johanna?

 Chapter 288: Pure White (4)

    Chapter 288: Pure White (4)

    Perhaps my response was too quick. Maybe I should have pretended to agonize over it a bit more.

    I was slightly worried, but fortunately, the other party didnt seem to find it odd.

    On the contrary, this might be better.

    For now, I must be a man who loves Johanna.

    I must appear as a man who is deeply worried about Johanna, a man who is extremely angry at the kidnappers, and a man who is clouded by emotions, acting without any rational thought.

    lnteresting.

    The man said. I clenched my teeth and gripped the sword at my waist.

    Theres no time.

    Hmm, understood.

    The man who had taken the briefcase handed me a card. The coordinates were written on it.

    I red at him, my mind racing.

    lf this is a lie

    lm not that fearless. Everything is true. Ill disappear as if I never existed.

    Youre confident youll survive?

    I asked him. Heughed in response.

    Do you have time to tussle with me?

    True to his words, my immediate goal was clear.

    Where is Miss Zia?

    Youll find out naturally. I promise.

    I stood up from my seat. Right after, the mans body turned pitch ck and he sank into the ground.

    Johanna must have hired someone with real skill.

    Sigh.

    I left the abandoned factory, checking the coordinates. They were much farther than I expected. It would take at least half a day of nonstop travel.

    My head throbbed, but I couldnt show any sign of weakness.

    Johanna was lost in thought, quietly. Her body was tightly bound, unable to move, and the filth around her made her reluctant to even open her eyes.

    It wasnt as if she had never experienced such humiliation before. Her twenties were full of conflicts, after all.

    Back when she was full of youthful vigor, kidnappings, confinements, and battles were almost annual events, but now, all those who were once enemies of Johanna are dead.

    In other words, this is the first time shes encountered something like this in nearly five years.

    Thats why its so absurd, why she asionally feels a sense of doubt about why she''s in this situation, and why shes confused.

    All of this is because its a y she has orchestrated herself.

    Johanna quietly opened her eyes.

    Hssssss

    Its real poison gas rising, not a fake. In 24 hours, it will fill the space and kill Johanna.

    Of course, she has no intention of just sitting still until then.

    Sigh.

    Johanna let out a sigh.

    At this point, even she no longer understood herself.

    Why is she doing this? Why is shemitting such idiotic acts?

    This is not like Johanna of Libra.

    Far from being noble, its rather pathetic and ugly.

    It has nothing to do with the tangible values of money, honor, and power that she has always pursued.

    Rather, its an act that damages those very things.

    Therefore, Johanna begins to doubt. She starts to ponder and think.

    Is love supposed to be like this?

    Is love something that makes you give up a part of yourself?

    Johanna doesnt know yet.

    So, she will simply wait.

    To see the end of this torment today, to wait for himwho may or may note for her. She will wait.

    I am running through the desert. At a speed that kicks up sandstorms, I am moving quite swiftly.

    But my mind is a bit hazy.

    I feel worried, confused, and somewhat relieved.

    Shion Ascal.

    As Shion Ascal, before and after my regression, what I have always desired is the downfall of Libra.

    They led my father to his death and ruined my life. Even the cancer all the diseases I suffered from werergely because of them.

    Libras elixir ''Perion'' wasnt a project that just happened overnight. It was secretly developed over decades.

    The truth Theia Esil revealed to me in the past.

    The precursor of Perion recorded in my [Notepad] .

    Initially, it was a drug developed by Libra for standardization purposes. It was more efficient to create a drug that would strengthen the weak majority rather than one for the strong.

    Libra offered it to my father.

    My father was a low-ranking knight but wished to be of help to Libra. Libra exploited my fathers pure heart.

    If there exists an elixir that could make you much stronger, and thus be of help to the family, would you be willing to take it?

    Of course, I didnt know about that day. I didnt know what my father had struggled with, what kind of resolve he had made.

    I only caught a glimpse of the fragments with the help of Theia Esil.

    Libra injected the elixir into low-ranking knights to observe their growth.

    At that time, Libra used knights as samples, who were not only under Librasmand but also fathers of families, someones sons, brothers, friends, siblings.

    Some became stronger, some died, some remained the same, but a rare few suffered fatal side effects.

    Their bodys mana became corrupted, spreading a resonant hum in their daily lives, infecting those around them with bizarre effects.

    Your father that''s what happened to him.

    Unfortunately, my father was one of those ''rare cases.

    Because of that, I contracted a disease unknowingly, and Libra disposed of my father under the pretense of ''duty.

    Without even allowing an autopsy.

    My father left no trace behind.

    His body was torn apart, and his soul was trapped in the spiral of mana.

    Yet, I almost resented my father.

    Dont resent him, dear. If you resent your father instead of Libra, then they get what they want.

    A cancer patient who withered away in a hospital room day by day, waiting only for death.

    Thanks to Theia, I regained my senses and set a new goal in life.

    That goal was revenge.

    Of course, not all my illnesses were due to them.

    The first disease, a brain tumor, was certainly Libras fault, but I couldnt be 100% sure about the subsequent leukemia and Cancer of the Magics Core.

    However, my life was derailed because of them.

    The direct descendants of Libra must surely know about those experiments that day. Derek, Johanna, Jade, Zia.

    They must have heard about it somewhere.

    But they probably just brushed it off, considering it merely as a case of experimental failure, one of the many trials and errors on the path to Libras greatness.

    Dont fall apart. You must seek revenge.

    Theia Esil lifted me up, and from that day on, I changed.

    Those times were rewound with my regression.

    Theia Esil was no longer my ally, but I would have my own form of revenge.

    I would change Johanna of Libra. She was bound to change. Thinking about my illness, she would try to dig deeper into the truth.

    At the end of it, she would face the ugliest side of Libra.

    I stopped. In the ce corresponding to the coordinates on the card, there was a deste abandoned building.

    There were no obstacles, so I simply opened the door.

    Johanna was troubled.

    What would she do if he chose Zia over her? How should she act, how should she respond?

    The mere thought was infuriating.

    If that had happened, she might have actually killed Zia.

    She had two more siblings, but only one bastard.

    It was just needless worry, after all.

    Johanna saw Shion Ascal push the door open. His figure, rushing towards her as soon as he spotted her, seemed to move in slow motion.

    Like a scene from a movie.

    He cut through the toxic gas to reach her, breaking her bondage, and then lifting her onto his back

    Thud-

    Heid her down on the soft sand of the desert.

    Lady Johanna.

    Johanna looked up at him calling her name. Today, of all days, his face seemed particrly handsome.

    Lady Johanna. Are you alright?

    Ha.

    A smile she didnt know she had in her spilled out. A strange emotion welled up from within. It was different from love, different from affection.

    A feeling of overwhelming happiness that filled her from her chest to her limbs, as if brimming over.

    This too was a first experience.

    This man has given her quite a few of her firsts.

    Lady Johanna!

    Shion Ascal, misunderstanding her condition, looked frantic. Johanna shook her head.

    Dont worry. Im fine.

    Johanna grabbed Shions shoulder, pulling herself up to a sitting position and leaning her head against his chest.

    Are you really okay?

    lm better now.

    Shion exhaled a sigh of relief. Even the light sound of his breath was pleasant to hear.

    He then reached for his radio.

    ITI contact Bncer Vitro.

    lts fine. Stay here with me.

    Johanna grabbed his radio.

    Theres no need to go to Zia.

    huh?

    She will be rescued soon. I know the location.

    Shion looked puzzled, but even that was oddly endearing.

    Johanna smiled faintly and ced her hand on his cheek.

    As expected, you came to me first. Not to your lord Zia.

    Shions expression hardened. Johanna shook her head as if to reassure him.

    I know everything. I know what feelings you harbor for me.

    It felt strange to say such things, and she felt a blush of embarrassment that made her hands and feet tremble, but it was bound toe to this.

    Shion Ascal. Come to me. I can give you what you desire.

    Johanna already knew what Shion Ascal desired.

    But Shion remained silent. He just looked at her quietly. Johanna leaned her face against his shoulder.

    Do you know why you came to me?

    Lady Johan na.

    Because you love me.

    Johanna continued in a low voice.

    Shion. You are like me.

    Shions body trembled. That tremor reached Johanna. It was a gentle gesture.

    Johanna looked up at him from his embrace.

    Soe to me before its toote. Time is too short to be apart.

    Suddenly, the wind swirled around them. Thin streams of sand danced beside them.

    Shion was silent, and Johanna waited.

    Whooooosh-

    The hot wind of the desert stretched out long. Even as time passed, his silence was too persistent. Johanna would have normally stayed quiet, but she was an impatient person.

    She furrowed her brow in frustration.

    Answer me.

    Then, Shion bit his lip. He then quietly shook his head. At that series of actions, Johanna felt a sharp pain in her heart.

    lm sorry.

    Johannasplexion turned pale.

    It was as if a window had exploded beneath her ribs. It felt like all the shattered fragments were tearing through her skin and guts.

    lm sorry.

    Shion stood up, leaving her behind. Johanna quickly grabbed him as he started to trudge away.

    Stop.

    Shion did not stop. His strides crushed the sand dunes. Grains of sand, stirred by the gale, obscured her vision.

    lf you don''t stop, Zia will die.

    Johanna eventually took Zia hostage. Finally, Shions steps halted, and she red at him, breathing heavily.

    What''s the reason?

    Shion did not answer.

    You love me, and you came to save me before Zia. Even so, you cant give up on Zia? You''re lying to yourself right now.

    Shion did not answer.

    I made it clear. I always get what I want. If you donte to me, Zia will die today.

    Shion did not answer.

    Johannas face sharpened like a bird of prey. She even raised her magical power as she shouted.

    Answer me!

    Shion quietly closed his eyes.

    Now, this was the moment.

    All emotions were reaching their climax, the perfect time for Libra to confess to him. The perfect situation to carry out his revenge.

    l''m sorry. I cannot go to Lady Johanna.

    Shion murmured softly.

    Suddenly, Johannas entire being turned cold. Her frigid magical power made even the desert feel chilly.

    Why?

    Shion opened his eyes. With a face that seemed sorrowful, as if he was too guilty, he bit his lip.

    And then

    Because I love you, Lady Johan na.

    It shook Johannas heart once more.

    It was an iprehensible statement to Johanna.

    Because you love me, you cant stay by my side?

    She let out a hollowugh. It was a rage she had rarely felt in her life. If it had been anyone other than this man, she might have already killed them countless times.

    Meanwhile, Shion counted the years in his heart.

    Perhaps there were 9 years left.

    Dont talk bullshit. If you love me, just stay by my side. I wont say it twice. If you donte to me, Zia will die

    lts not because of that.

    Shions tone settled calmly. There was no need to dy any longer, as everything was set.

    I am going to die soon.

    Shion spoke inly. Atst, he confessed his secret to her.

    ?

    Johannas fingertips trembled slightly. One eyebrow arched oddly.

    To her, who still couldnt fully ept his words, he added onest sentence.

    I have cancer.

 Chapter 289: Pure White (5)

    Chapter 289: Pure White (5)

    Confessing was easy. All I had to do was convey my condition to her.

    My remaining days are not long.

    Its a rather mncholic thing to confess with my own lips, but it''s an unavoidable truth.

    Carrying out my revenge wont extend my life. The natural death'' that everyone takes for granted is an impossible ending for me.

    Its merely the purpose of my life.

    To concentrate my predetermined life on Libra, to bring ruin to the one who made me this way.

    The time I have left is too short to share with someone.

    Those with a terminal illness must always have a goal.

    Without it, they cant go on living.

    What does that mean?

    Johanna asked with a trembling voice. Her eyes were vacant, and her heartbeat intruded faintly.

    I was puzzled. It was curious.

    Could such an expression really exist on her?

    l''ve been afraid to reveal my condition, so Ive kept it hidden from everyone until now.

    I bowed my head. Still not losing myposure. I bit my lip as if in sorrow.

    lm sorry.

    I said I was sorry that my illness was a burden to her.

    Johanna didnt respond. Sand swirled around her like the wind. Her magic was speaking for her heart.

    So youre saying you don''t want to be by my side that much.

    Johanna forced a smile on her lips. She seemed to try to turn it into humor with a jest.

    I replied softly.

    lt was my selfish ness.

    Johannas shoulders trembled.

    Perhaps, from the first time I saw Lady Johan na.

    I continued in a gentle voice, barely audible.

    I might have had feelings for you since then.

    Deceiving myself is easy.

    As much as I deceive myself, I put sincerity into my words.

    When I was ordered by Lady Johanna to y poker. When I saw Lady Johanna from the audience seats. Even when I was fleeing with Lady Johanna, I found myself unwittingly exh i rated.

    Lady Johanna would surely read my true emotions.

    I wanted to give you something beneficial.

    She would fully sense theplex emotions of regret, sorrow, and affection that clung to me.

    But in the end, I realized.

    I lifted my head to look at her. The desert sand swirled dryly behind her, but the eyes that looked back at me were moist like dew.

    That all my actions for Lady Johanna would one day leave scars on you

    Love eventually turns into pain. It bes an unimaginable thorn.

    Because the farewell is not far off.

    I should not be by Lady Johannas side.

    Johanna had already lost her words.

    From the beginning, I shouldnt havee so close.

    It didnt even seem like she was breathing.

    lt was mere greed that led me to this point. Despite knowing it was wrong, I wanted to be by your side.

    I let out a deep sigh and clenched my fists tightly.

    Therefore, from now on, I wish to distance myself. For your sake, Johanna.

    Suddenly, a tear streamed down her cheek. It was a thin line, barely like a tear at all, but my heart pounded fiercely.

    It was quite a surprising reaction.

    Without realizing it, I reached out my fingers to wipe away her tear. Only then did Johanna seem to be aware of her own tears.

    Lady Johan na.

    I called her name calmly. Johanna tilted her gaze to look into my eyes.

    Will you help me to die in peace?

    It was thest line I had pondered over for a long time.

    Johanna quietly closed her eyes. Her breathing wavered.

    When she opened her eyes again, she handed me a card.

    Zia is here.

    I epted it. It had the coordinates for Zia written on it.

    Johanna said no more. Instead, she turned to leave before me.

    Thud Thud

    As she walked away, trampling over the sand dunes, I bid her farewell.

    Farewell be well.

    Zia fiddled with her wrist, marked by the remnants of handcuffs. Freed from the y, she sat in the passenger seat of the SUV.

    Did the job go well?

    She nced briefly at the drivers seat.

    Yes.

    Shion Ascal answered with reassuring confidence. Zia also let out a sigh of relief.

    Phew

    Was it difficult for you?

    No it was fine.

    Vrooom

    The SUV tore through the sand dunes. Zia sank into the seat.

    What did she say?

    She didnt say anything.

    No words at all.

    Zia still didnt know what was going on between Shion and Johanna. And truthfully, she didnt want to know.

    She was aware of the strategy to exploit Johannas emotions, but it somehow left a bad taste in her mouth.

    Would you like to listen to the radio?

    Shion asked. Zia nodded slightly.

    Yeah.

    He turned on the radio, and soon a soft melody began to y.

    Yesterday

    The song by Benjamin started with the tranquil verse Yesterday. It was a voice Zia recognized.

    She closed her eyes and quietly savored the music.

    This is a nice song.

    Yes. Its very popr these days.

    Shion replied with a voice tinged with a smile.

    Benjamin, who had once received a tarot reading from him, ultimately chose Yesterday as his title track, discarded the giarized song, and thanks to that, was continuing to enjoy an unprecedented hit.

    What will happen to her now?

    Zia suddenly asked. Shion was silent for a moment, as if pondering.

    l''m not sure exactly.

    He soon answered, staring out at the desert.

    I hope that she can lead a normal life.

    In the directors office of Spring Water Hospital.

    Yu Hains sat in his chair, gazing out at the world. The persistent rain soaked the dark earth below.

    He suddenly felt a loneliness pressing in at his side.

    Still, the fact of being alone felt strange.

    A reality without her feels awkward.

    But the pain is less.

    The torment is the same.

    The searing agony that once burned his flesh and pierced his heart is gone, but now theres a gaping hole in the corner of his heart, an emptiness as if something big is missing.

    He has be somewhat ustomed to this feeling.

    Thats why he is both worried and curious.

    What happened to the two of them?

    Loving a patient is difficult. Loving someone with a terminal illness is even harder.

    Its truly painful for both the terminally ill and their partner.

    Because the separation is predetermined.

    A farewell that is scheduled and cannot be shared is too cruel and sad

    Knock-knock

    Late at night, after all the consultations had ended, a knock sounded.

    Yu Hains already knew which patient hade.

    Come in.

    The door opened.

    Beyond it stood a person.

    At first, Yu Hains couldn''t recognize her. She was drenched from the rain.

    Lady Johanna.

    Her always elegant attire drooped like wetundry, and her perfect long hair was limp like seaweed.

    Johanna approached, scattering droplets of water, and sat down in a chair.

    Yu Hains understood what had happened to her.

    I confessed.

    A confession. It must have been quite difficult for Johanna.

    Yu Hains, out of professional habit, picked up a chart.

    He also made a confession. About his condition.

    But there was no need to check anything on the chart. There was no reason to record the patients history.

    He had already treated a simr person Yu Hains himself, in the past.

    Did you feel like this?

    Johanna asked. Yu Hains silently looked into her eyes.

    lsnt there a way? A way to save him.

    Somehow, she seemed to ovep with his former self.

    The former self who refused to ept reality, who didnt believe in the limits of technology, who underestimated the malignancy of the disease, and who frantically searched for a solution like a madman.

    But mere denial of reality helps nothing.

    ln 15 years, we might be able to devise a method. But Shion Ascals lifespan is not long.

    Yu Hains had calcted the remaining life expectancy while examining him, while progressing with magical healing.

    The most optimistic expected lifespan is 9 years and 4 months.

    In an instant, Johannas body trembled. Her breath, unlike her usualposure, let out a groan.

    Even though his time may extend little by little, anything beyond that is impossible with current medical technology.

    For a man just entering his twenties, its an endlessly short amount of time.

    Johanna chuckled hollowly, as ifughing at a joke.

    HeU barely make it past thirty. If he gets injured, that time will decrease even more.

    Yes, thats likely.

    Johanna lifted her head. Staring nkly at the ceiling, she muttered,

    What a strange guy.

    Streams of water, indistinguishable between rain and tears, flowed down her forehead.

    That guy, he apologized for his own death to me.

    Yu Hainss heart also shook greatly. Because it was a phrase he had heard before.

    Thats right.

    Then, Johanna looked down at Yu Hains. Yu Hains shook his head gently with a faint smile.

    lt seems thats just how love is.

    Youve already experienced it all, I see.

    Johanna slumped, as if all energy had drained from her.

    Because he loves me, he cante closer; because he loves me, he cant be with me

    She repeated the words Shion had said to her. The image of him from that day was still vivid in her mind.

    It felt like she had done something wrong.

    Should she have stayed by his side? Should she have been there for him, regardless of everything?

    But.

    Now I understand what he meant.

    Johanna was in pain. It felt as if her heart had been ripped out, and reality didnt seem real.

    It was as if she was dreaming.

    Moreover, she wished it were a dream.

    It was a feeling she was experiencing for the first time in her life.

    Yes, it was sorrow.

    The closer we get, and the more I love him, the greater the disaster that willeter.

    Johanna already doubted herself.

    If Shion Ascal were to cough up blood and die, if he were to wither away weakly and emaciated in his sickbed.

    She didnt believe she could bear to watch that happen with her own eyes.

    Write any amount you want.

    Johanna extended a check to Yu Hains.

    lf theres even a single way.

    Yu Hains looked at the check.

    The family seal of Libra and Johannas signature were already on it. But the amount was left nk, a white space.

    ITI support you indefinitely.

    Are you sure about that?

    Yu Hains asked her that. Johanna, with an exhausted face, asked back,

    What?

    The effort itself will be painful.

    It was advice from someone who had experienced it first-hand.

    It was certainly worth taking to heart,

    He saved my life twice. I can endure the pain of trying.

    Johannas heart was set.

    In the high society club where tranquil jazz and ssical music flowed, the singer Benjamin was conversing with the bigwigs of the political and business world.

    Really?

    Yes. I was surprised too. The song that the fortune teller told me to remove was a giarized one, and the one they suggested as the title was Yesterday, you know?

    Could it be just a coincidence?

    Thedy sitting across Benjamin at the same table was the daughter of the Roundtable family, a Senator.

    Benjamin maintained a natural expression as he shook his head.

    You might think that, but they even got the reason spot on.

    The reason?

    Yes. The original title I had in mind was a piece called Brahms. But when they picked that one, they told me to drop it, saying it was imbued with someone elses souL

    Someone else''s soul?

    Yes. Usually,posers and artists pour their own souls into their work.

    Only then did thedy show a genuinely surprised expression.

    Thats fascinating It can''t be magic, though.

    Of course not. Theres no such thing as magic that predicts the future.

    Thedy with the goddess-like hair touched her lips with her hand, looking intrigued.

    S0, Yesterday was also chosen by them?

    Yes. Initially, I hadnt nned to use it as the cover, but since they were right about Brahms being giarized, I thought they might be right about this one too, so I chose it as the cover.

    Benjamin took a sip of his whiskey and smiled broadly.

    And the rest is history.

    Thats right. Yesterday is a historic song.

    Hahaha.

    That being said.

    Thedy leaned in closer to him. Benjamins face turned slightly red.

    Could I perhaps have my fortune told too?

    Fortune telling? I mean, do you have any concernstely?

    Benjamin asked. She seemed like someone who had lived without a single worry.

    Thedy with the goddess-like hair gave a somewhat sad smile.

    Yes. I do have one.

    Ah

    lts about my boyfriend.

    At that moment, Benjamins heart cooled sharply.

    Ah, what? She had a boyfriend?

    I see.

    Benjamin quickly shifted to a more businesslike demeanor. Thedy with the goddess-like hair cautiously reached out her hand to his shoulder.

    lf its possible

    Hold on.

    He shrugged off her hand with a snap.

    I got this from a friend of mine. I cant just go around giving out their contact without asking. Ill check with them first.

    Ah Okay.

    Benjamin sent a DM on social media.

    Ah, but this friend is too nice, they might just connect her right away.

    He narrowed his eyes and red at thedy with the goddess-like hair.

    Also, you can''t ask for too much. And dont be too forward, like how youre treating me right now.

    I, I haven''t been disrespectful to you, Mr. Benjamin

    Never mind that. This fortune teller is very sensitive. Even if they dont take a fee, make sure to bring a gift What are you doing?

    Huh?

    Arent you going to write down the precautions and what you need to bring?

    Oh, yes, of course.

    Thedy fumbled in her pocket and quickly pulled out a notebook.

    Wow, but this woman''s notebook is a luxury brand too. Why on earth would you embed jewels in a notebook?

    A hopeless person is indeed a hopeless person

    Tsk tsk Write this down.

    Benjamin clicked his tongue and began listing the items she needed to prepare.

 Chapters 290: Breaking News (1)

    Chapters 290: Breaking News (1)

    [Castrology]

    Card astrology, Castrollogy.

    It had been quite some time since I weed my second customer.

    Um

    The woman who faced me, first off, had goddess-like hair. The hair split so evenly, that if a woman wasnt confident in her own appearance would style as such.

    Firstly, this is my sincerity.

    She handed me something with a slightly anxious face. It was a luxury item, but not just any luxury item.

    It was a ne artifact from the high-end brand Algoro.

    Hmm.

    I hadnt expected such an offering, but I took it anyway.

    Its always good to have a little extra ie.

    I looked at her with drooping eyes.

    She was a celebrity. Known to the public even before my regression.

    This meant she was one of the few people I could actually perform a future reading for.

    Um

    The woman, hesitant to speak, was named Yerain. A cherished jewel of the prestigious Rodman family.

    I spoke to her.

    Is it about a lover?

    !

    Yerain gasped and covered her mouth.

    H-how did you hear about it, perhaps?

    Hear? I saw it.

    I had actually seen her fame.

    A terrible end that was widely publicized across the continent.

    Saw my boyfriend?

    Your future.

    She had tried to break up with her knightly lover, but he murdered her. The murderer tried to dispose of her dismembered body by thekeside but was caught.

    My future?

    Yes.

    Indeed, she should be thankful for her past life now.

    Saving someone simply because they died horribly is not without its risks for me either. Who knows what kind of butterfly effect might return.

    However, she is a good person.

    Born the sole daughter of the Rodman family, she was neither violent nor arrogant; rather, she loved welfare, volunteering, children, and animals.

    T0 see the future

    She looked at me with a somewhat skeptical gaze.

    Snap!

    I pulled a card from my hand. It was a rather ominous crimson card.

    Perfectly drawn.

    Run.

    Pardon ?

    Hes a dangerous man.

    lf hes dangerous

    Whoosh!

    I tossed the card upwards. The card stuck to the ceiling and bathed the entire tent in a crimson hue.

    Aah!

    Startled, Yeraine screamed.

    I told her,

    lt seems you are trying to end things with him, but he will not ept it.

    In an instant, Yerainesplexion changed. She made a choking sound and ced her hand on her nose, her expression speaking volumes.

    How do you know?!

    He has a soul that is red.

    I pointed to the color of the tent. Yerain swallowed hard.

    His soul is red?

    lf youre thinking of breaking up with him.

    Thinking of breaking up?

    She leaned forward.

    I answered briefly.

    Be sure to have an escort.

    An escort?

    Yes.

    I nodded and continued.

    A strong guard to protect you.

    Yerain listened intently with a serious expression.

    Three days after she visited the fortune-telling shop, breaking news exploded in the media.

    [Yerain of the Rodman family attacked by an unidentified man Life saved thanks to apanying knight]

    [Shock! Active knight attacks the cherished gem of the Rodman family]

    I sat on a bench near the Castrollogy building, reading the article.

    Yerain had survived, and conversely, the man had died. Fortunately, she had heeded my advice.

    The future had changed, but it was a fitting twist of fate.

    S h i o n

    Soliette appeared behind me. She plopped down next to me.

    ls the fortune-telling shop n going well?

    Yeah, m ode rate ly.

    Arent you out here because it''s not going well?

    lts going fine. What about you?

    Backlogged assignments, inte research, qualifying exams for the article I have a lot to do.

    For the record, its university break. However, Soliette was busy trying to salvage her messed-up grades.

    Meanwhile, I had scored enough to challenge the qualifying exam, and I nned to do so at the end of the year.

    Looks like Ill be taking the end-of-year exam alone?

    At my words, Soliette frowned.

    ITI join you, even if I have to get a rmendation letter. So

    Suddenly, Soliettes eyes widened.

    lsn''t that Miss Yerain?

    Hmm?

    I looked in that direction too. Yerain, the subject of the breaking news, had just gotten out of a car with her knights.

    Do you know her?

    Yes. I saw her during the volunteer activities at the knight academy, but Miss

    Yerain!

    Soliette waved at her. Yerain was startled, and the knights quickly drew their swords.

    Soliette?

    Having recognized soliette, Yerain patted her chest in relief. Soliette asked back.

    Whats going on?

    Ah You havent seen the news, I see.

    The news?

    I tapped soliettes shoulder and showed her my phone. Her expression widened in an instant.

    Wow. Are you alright?

    Yes, as you can see By the way, did you twoe to have your fortunes told as well?

    No, we''re just sitting here.

    Soliette answered casually. I nced at Yerain and her escort knights.

    Now that I looked, they were carrying something wrapped up.

    It seemed like an offering of some sort.

    What is that?

    Just then, Soliette asked.

    Thankfully, thanks to the fortune teller, I was able to avoid disaster. Ive brought a gift though Im not sure if hes here.

    I whispered to soliette.

    Ask what the gift is.

    What gift is it?

    Soliette parroted like a parrot.

    Yerain smiled bitterly.

    lts a mana nucleus. I thought it might help with his abilities

    Mana nucleus.

    I discreetly moved away and slipped into the tent to get ready.

    A mana nucleus is a higher version of a mana core. Its a treasure that cant be bought with all the money in the world, but the Rodman family, having amassed wealth through trade, could certainly afford a mana nucleus.

    I sat in the tent and messaged soliette.

    [Tell her toe in.]

    Not long after, there was a knock.

    Come in.

    The tent p slid open, and Yerain entered.

    Ah, fortune teller.

    I looked at her. Yerain cautiously approached and sat down.

    Thank you so much. Because of you

    She almost teared up.

    From now on, develop an eye for people. Dont assume everyone is like you.

    Yerain nodded with a somber face.

    Yes Ive decided to always have an escort knight from now on. This is a token of gratitude from my father.

    Mana nucleus.

    I swallowed inwardly.

    With this, the capacity of the [Notepad] would increase by hundreds.

    Leave it here.

    Thank you.

    One more thing.

    As Yerain was about to get up, I added another piece of advice.

    Tell your father to be wary of someone with auburn hair.

    Auburn hair?

    Soon, the Rodman family would be defrauded by a man with auburn hair. I feltpelled to warn them because.

    Yes. A vile and dangerous soul is lurking near your family.

    I had been conned by that bastard before, too.

    No gains at all.

    On a secluded mountainside, I had been searching the abandoned research facility all day with soliette, but today was another bust.

    Exactly.

    All we gathered as evidence were scraps of metal, ss, and broken artifacts.

    We arrived at 10 PM, and before we knew it, it was 10 AM.

    Jelly, lets head back.

    At that, Soliette scrunched up her nose.

    Can you please change that name? What kind of name is Jelly?

    I ignored her and picked up my smartphone.

    [Breaking News: The controversialpany New Frontier has announced the sessful pioneering of the Arctic Crystal Cave.]

    Oh.

    This was the second piece of breaking news in two days. A very good piece of news that made me smile. Soon, there would be chaos at the Intelligence Agency.

    Gedleys influence would diminish, and Derek would suffer a major blow.

    You seem pleased?

    Soliette asked, scratching her pink hair.

    Well

    I shrugged.

    Just the breaking news.

    The entire Intelligence Agency paused. Everyone was silent as they watched the suddenly soaring charts.

    It was a situation no one had predicted or even imagined.

    [''New Frontier has announced the sessful pioneering of the Arctic Crystal Cave. At the same time, they refuted ims that New Frontier is a slush fundpany owned by CEO Vern Everett]

    The tone of all media and articles across the continent changed, and even the Knights were dispatched to verify the existence of the crystal cave.

    Its value was in the billions of Ren.

    However, more critical than its direct value was the fact that they were not a fakepany.

    Moreover, the existence of short positions had already been confirmed, attracting not just individual investors but hedge funds as well.

    The buying pressure exploded.

    It was on a scale that was impossible to respond to.

    Gedley was just dazed. This moment felt like a dream to him.

    Even for someone who had experienced all sorts of battles over decades, this was the first time he faced such a chaotic scenario. It was a war of numbers only, and there was no manual on how to respond. It wasnt like he could pull out a gun and shoot at the numbers.

    He just stared nkly and then suddenly checked his ount.

    Ah damn.

    His entire fortune was dissolving like salt in water.

    [New Frontier has sessfully pioneered the Arctic Crystal Cave]

    [Shedding the disgrace of being called a slush fundpany.]

    Zia watched these breaking news broadcasts on TV, resting her palm on her cheek.

    Fascinating.

    lts truly fascinating. This situation, the process, and even the oueall of it.

    Why was it fascinating?

    She opened the drawer of her desk and pulled out a nearlypleted report.

    [New Frontier]

    New Frontier. It was the card she had personally prepared to inflict losses on Derek.

    In other words, the series of events currently unfolding were actually a setup that Zia had already meticulously nned from A to Z in her mind.

    However, Zia herself had never activated this card.

    Yet, the operation proceeded astonishingly just as she had envisioned.

    Zia seemed to know the reason.

    Shion Ascal.

    ln some way, he had acquired and created a report about New Frontier and ensured Gedley would get his hands on it directly.

    Afterward, he leaked specific information to New Frontier, shattering Dereks short-selling scheme.

    Could it be that were alike?

    Zia muttered quietly.

    It was possible that Shion and her thoughts were simr. Zia felt this inwardly.

    But this operation was too identical, even the crystal cave discovered by New Frontier was at a location Zia had previously scouted herself.

    It''s still unclear who provided the information, but Dereks losses are estimated to be at least several billion Ren.

    HR Manager Jean spoke from the other end of the phone.

    Zia raised her eyebrows and changed the subject.

    S0, hows sister doing?

    Shespletely secluded herself. Shes handed over all official duties to her subordinates and hasnt left the mansion.

    Hmm

    Zias mouth watered.

    If what Shion said was true, and Johanna gave up all her business to her, the thought was delicious.

    Also, theres been a rather strange rumor circting at the Round Table recently.

    A rumor?

    Yes. Its about a fortune teller.

    Fortune teller.

    Zia didnt really believe in shamans, psychics, or prophets. They were just experts in fitting things together.

    Do you know Yerain of the Rodman family?

    Yes the woman from yesterdays breaking news.

    She was saved from disaster thanks to a fortune teller.

    HOW curious

    That was the end of her remark.

    ITI hang up now. Get back to work

    Yes.

    Click.

    After ending the call, Zia fell back into thought.

    Her [New Frontier] and Shion Ascals [New Frontier].

    About the astonishingly identical two operations, whether it was because she and Shion were simr, or if there was another reason.

    She tapped her desk pensively but

    ITI have to ask him directly.

    The conclusion was surprisingly simple.

    At Aventagher, Sherons vi.

    Here are the items brought from theb.

    We presented Sheron with the evidence. It was a bag filled with all sorts of trash and discarded Artifacts.

    Ugh, how filthy.

    Sheron flicked at them, unnecessarily fussy.

    Soliette asked earnestly, Can you make anything out of these?

    I dont know. If there are any soul frequencies left, I might be able to find something.

    Sherons brow furrowed suddenly.

    Ah, Im tired. It stinks! Didn''t you clean these?

    I thought cleaning might erase the frequencies.

    Soliette pouted her lips.

    Whats going to be erased? My nose is about to be obsolete!.

    She clutched her nose.

    Anyway. I do feel some frequencies.

    Is that so?

    Soliettes eyes widened. Sheron, having stepped a few paces away from the discarded Artifacts, continued irritably.

    Yes, but I cant distinguish which of these trash has the frequency. I dont even want to do it.

    Why, why not?

    Because its filthy, that''s why!

    Sheron seemed upset and picked up her phone.

    Shes quite uncooperative today.

    ITI clean them!

    Soliette grabbed the discarded Artifacts and dashed to the bathroom.

    Really. No sense at all. Talking about finding soul frequencies, as if they''d be erased if cleaned.

    I asked her as she grumbled.

    ls something bothering you?

    Tch. Hey.

    Sheron turned to me as if she had been waiting.

    Do you know about the Yerain incident?

    Yes, I saw it on the news.

    Indeed, rumors spread much faster from higher ces.

    When training monkeys, its said to be two thousand times more efficient to teach the highest-ranking one rather than the lowest.

    But. That Yerain is someone I know. From the Rodman family.

    Yes.

    I nodded intermittently.

    If I dont show gestures that Im listening, she gets angry.

    The knight who was killed was originally Yerains boyfriend.

    Is that so?

    Yes. She acted all prim and proper, but she was dating a madman. Anyway, she was just about to break up with him, right? But some fortune teller told her that guy was dangerous.

    Really?

    Yes! The fortune teller advised her to bring guards if she was going to break up with him. So she brought guards along. At first, it seemed excessive, but then that madman swung a sword when she tried to break up with him.

    Wow.

    A mazing, right? That fortune teller nailed itpletely.

    And then?

    Yerain wont tell who the fortune teller is, really stingy! Its so annoying. If shes not going to tell, she shouldnt have said anything in the first ce.

    Bang! Sheron stomped her foot irritably.

    I asked cautiously, Do you want to see the fortune teller or something?

    No~ If theyre that good, theres no harm in seeing them, right? I have some business dealings going on anyway.

    I naturally crossed my arms and tilted my head slightly, looking down at her with a serious gaze.

    Whats with you? You suddenly got serious.

    I know about them.

    Huh?

    Sherons expression turned curious at my words.

    That fortune teller. I know them.

    Bullshit.

    lts true.

    Really?

    She chewed her lip, her voice heavy with skepticism.

    How?

    lts called Castrolology, theyre someone I have personal connections with. I can arrange a meeting as soon as tomorrow, but

    Set it up!

    Sheron beamed a bright smile.

    But.

    I pointed towards where soliette had gone.

    Clean those discarded Artifacts youself. Let''s finish the frequency analysis today, and then Ill consider it.

    What? Are you insane? Do you want to die?

    Her face contorted her right eye narrowed sharply while her left eyebrow furrowed deeply, a rather cartoonish expression.

    lf you dont like it, forget it. Im also dealing with someone who needs to be handled carefully. Do you know how hard it is to arrange these meetings?

    Splish-ssh- Splish-ssh-

    Just then, the sound of something being cleaned came from the bathroom. Sheron nced over before ring back at me.

    Are you serious? Can really arrange it?

    Yes, of course.

    There really was no reason not to. Aventagher is also a family of the Round Table, and Sheron holds a significant position in social circles.

    Alright. If you fail to arrange it, were done. Hey! Soliette!

    She shouted loudly and entered the bathroom.

    Huh, what? Im cleaning.

    Move aside. Ill do it.

    She hurried the bewildered soliette out and began cleaning the discarded Artifacts herself, sshing water around.

 Chapter 291: Breaking News (2)

    Chapter 291: Breaking News (2)

    Sherons mansion.

    The cleaned artifacts wereid out on the table, personally wiped down by Sheron herself.

    This one. This one. This one.

    She selected a few among them. Most were restraints like handcuffs or restraining suits.

    I can feel the souls in these. If we adjust the frequency precisely, well see Anyway, it seems theyre not dead but alive.

    Can you also determine their location?

    Soliette asked. Sherons face tightened.

    Do I look like a human radar to you

    *Ahem*

    Sigh.

    After my deliberate cough, she sighed deeply and quietly closed her eyes.

    Mana began to emanate from her body.

    It seemed like she was doing something, but I couldnt understand the exact principle. That''s typical for a rSpectrumJ .

    I found it.

    Sheron opened her eyes.

    lts here.

    She took a pen and precisely scribbled down all the coordinates, includingtitude and longitude.

    How do you know these coord in ates?

    It was quite surprising to me. Before her regression, she never utilized this rspectrumj .

    Sheron shrugged.

    Hmph. Its about utilizing the frequency, amplitude, and period of the wavesprehensively. You wouldnt understand even if I exined in detail, so let''s skip that. More importantly.

    Her face suddenly turned serious as she red at me.

    Can it happen?

    Yes.

    lt better.

    Sheron waved her hand at soliette.

    Soliette. You go outside for a bit.

    Yes, yes.

    Soliette, looking at the paper with the coordinates, stepped outside.

    Now tell me. How are you going to arrange the meeting?

    Sheron crossed her arms.

    Before that, what exactly are you nning to inquire about?

    What? Why should I have to tell you that?

    Sherons eyebrows twitched left and right like some kind of living caterpir.

    lf you ask something nonsensical, it could put me in an awkward position.

    DO you think I would ask something nonsensical?

    I firmly shut my mouth. Sheron stared at me withser-like eyes before letting out a sigh.

    Ugh. Its about family matters. So, I cant tell you the details.

    Aventagher, rted to Sherons family.

    That gives me a rough idea of what it might be about. The elders of Aventagher are notoriously strict.

    The reason she was expelled from Aventagher before her regression was mostly because of these elders.

    Yes. Ill arrange the meeting and contact you.

    Really? When? Its going to happen, right?

    Sheron asked with a beaming smile. I nodded confidently.

    lt will happen.

    Crash!

    Derek hurled a ss against the wall. Shards flew in all directions. Gedley couldnt bear to look at him and bowed his head.

    I am terribly sorry.

    ls that kind of apology supposed to fix this?

    Derek was furious. The losses from the [New Frontier] project were astronomical, but what disgusted him even more was Verns smug face.

    I have nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths. It was their sheer luck

    Luck? Luck?

    Thump!

    Derek mmed his fist on the desk.

    Such bullshit about luck, we should have been prepared for this.

    His voice wasced with a bitterugh, clearly indicating extreme anger.

    There was a pioneer team at New Frontier. We should have kept them in check. Then we wouldnt be in this shitty situation!

    He grabbed a bottle by the neck and hurled it at Gedley, striking him hard in the chest.

    lm sorry.

    Dont worry.

    An oddly calm voice intervened. Derek looked over.

    It was Dr. Vito from the Al department.

    The research will bepleted soon. Once our Al ismercialized, we can recover this scale of loss in just one day.

    What does that have to do with our current losses?

    Dereks jaw trembled as he red. Vito responded clearly.

    Director Gedley was the one who scouted Dr. Killian, our key researcher. Without Dr. Killian, the project would have been dyed by at least six months. Please consider that as well.

    Derek then sat back down, ring intensely at Gedley and waved him away.

    Get out.

    Yes.

    Gedley backed out of Dereks office.

    Creak Thud.

    The door closed firmly.

    He clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth. Humiliation and degradation welled up from within.

    It was absurd. This failure wasnt his fault. The rivals discovery of the crystal cave in the Arctic was a stroke of luck that not even a god could have anticipated.

    Gedley had checked hundreds of times. The New Frontier''s pioneer team was just a bunch of nobodies.

    But then

    A thought suddenly crossed Gedley''s mind.

    What if someone had leaked the information about the crystal cave to the [New Frontier] guys? What if they had been led to make the discovery?

    That seemed more usible.

    Wait a minute

    Whose operation was this [New Frontier] originally?

    Bell Moore.

    Who was the first person to submit the report to him?

    Bell Moore.

    And that guy had handed over the operation too easily. No resistance, no defiance. As if he had been waiting to hand over the entire operation.

    No way.

    Gedleys face turned red. As he continued to ponder, he bit his lip. Crunchskin tore, and blood spattered.

    So this was your n all along.

    Half out of his mind, he was already convinced. With a bloodied mouth, he smiled.

    Bell Moore. That bastard, I''ll rip his guts out

    For him, who had lost everything in this debacle, all that was left was revenge.

    In the capital city of Edsi, within the mansion of the eldest daughter.

    Johannay buried in her bed, lost to the passage of time and space, indifferent to how hours flowed or where she found herself.

    She no longer cared.

    To her, everything that surrounded her had be worthless. All the happenings across the continent seemed meaningless.

    It wasn''t just ack of motivation; it was a deeper questioning of the very purpose of existence.

    What had all her gambling, killing, wealth umtion, and desire for honor been for?

    A strange emotion welled up, and when she closed her eyes, his image surfaced again.

    The way he confessed his love in the desert, blurring like clouds.

    It was mere greed that led me to this point. Despite knowing it was wrong, I wanted to be by your side.

    Because of love, we cannot be together,

    Because of love, we should not be together.

    Therefore, from now on, I wish to distance myself. For your sake, Johanna.

    The desire to distance himself from her for her sake,

    The way he didnt want to hurt her.

    Will you help me to die in peace?

    He worried about her even as he confessed his own death. It was a sentiment unknown to Johanna. She thought they were alike, but in reality, he was more considerate towards her than she could ever be.

    .

    Johanna quietly contemted her wealth.

    Casinos, department stores, hospitals, magical spaces, real estate, stocks She owned so much, yet all of itbined couldnt save Shion.

    She couldnt heal the person who loved her, and the person she loved.

    There are too many useless things in this world.

    Johanna was crumbling.

    Somehow, it feels like a tower built on a faulty foundation from the start.

    What was I hoping for when she killed people? Why did she umte wealth?

    Johanna of Libra.

    Intoxicated with that honor and pride, she lost sight of what truly mattered.

    Shion Ascal.

    Shion Ascal wont live past thirty.

    Such a dear, loyal, and splendid man, a damn rare man in her life, wont even see one more decade.

    Johanna had read every paper rted to his cancer. No onested five years. Most patients suffered endlessly before their deaths.

    Johanna is terrified of his death. It scares her.

    No matter how far away she is, no matter how much she pretends not to know, his death will inevitably reach her ears.

    Will she be able to avoid crumbling even more than now?

    You must be more frightened.

    Johanna muttered nkly as she stared at the ceiling.

    Probably, no, certainly.

    He must be more frightened than herself. More depressed. More tormented.

    While loving her, and worrying about hurting her, what must he be thinking as he tries to distance himself from her?

    I miss you.

    Johanna began to consider the feelings of others. She became considerate of others.

    She realized there was someone more important than all the businesses on the continent, more important than any wealth.

    She quietly got up. It was the sudden memory of his father that spurred her.

    Dale Ascal, who served Libra but died on duty.

    What kind of man was his father?

    Johanna became curious.

    Because love spreads like ripples, she became interested in everything rted to him. She wanted to know everything about him.

    Perhaps, it could be a gift to him.

    Before heading out, Johanna took a packet of pills. They were new antidepressants prescribed by Yu Hains.

    I received information from my team members on the hotline.

    lt looks like Gedley is about to make a movehis condition is quite fierce  was the message.

    Indeed, he blew his entire fortune umted over decades. The losses must be even greater than before his regression.

    It seems like its time to activate Bell Moore.

    He seems a bit unstable.

    In the warehouse of the Intelligence Agency, where he had fully joined the Bell Moore forcesunbeknownst to Bell MooreDavid, the external team leader, said.

    How about the other team leaders?

    lt seems theyve suffered significant losses too. Apparently, they forgot it was an operation and put in their own money.

    Hmm. I see.

    I nodded and casually brought up the next point.

    lt looks like Gedley is going to act more aggressively.

    Aggressively?

    Yes.

    NO. I dont think so.

    The external team leader shook his head.

    Gedley is an expert at strangling his opponents. Hes more likely to do a background check and slowly tighten the noose using his connections.

    He shrugged his shoulders.

    Even if hes lost his rationality, he wont start shooting wildly inside the Intelligence Agency. Derek is already furious hell be cautious.

    I have a different view.

    I crossed my arms. David slightly furrowed his brow.

    Trust me on this one, second-year Chaser. Ive been opposing Gedley for 15 years.

    I stared at David. David didnt look away either.

    Such power struggles aremon. Even if theres a recognition of being allies, once were from different houses, everyone wants to take the lead.

    Therefore, not only do I need to elevate Bell Moore to the director position, but I also need to establish superiority among these allied forces.

    Yes. I understand. Since my experience is still limited, let''s defer to Team Leader David on this matte r.

    You make things sound soplicated.

    I nodded.

    Alright. Ill contact youter.

    Do that.

    I stepped out into the corridor of the Intelligence Agency and called Bell Moore.

    Team Leader Bell Moore, where are you right now? I need to talk to you.

    What? Im outside. Just say whatever you want here.

    lts urgent.

    What''s the matter then?

    Judging by the background noise seeping through, he seemed to be near a club.

    Youre aware of the failure of the New Frontier operation, right?

    Yeah, that. I was shocked. I was about to get involved in the public auction, didnt know how, and almost got screwed over.

    I think Director Gedley mes you for the failure.

    What? Are you insane? What have I done?

    Bell Moore retorted. I quickly continued.

    The operation was originally ours, Team Leader Bell Moore. So now, the director thinks you deliberately screwed them over

    Ah shit, why are you stirring things up? Im starting to doubt you. Gedley is a decent man

    He reallycks ambition.

    Still, Bell Moore has strong survival instinct.

    I''ve prepared something to trigger that instinct.

    Lets meet in person to discuss this, Ille to you. Where did you leave the car keys?

    Ah, damn it. Theyre in the team leaders office. Dont you have a car?

    I sent it for repairs. Ill see youter. Don''t drink.

    Hang on, damn it.

    I stopped by the team leaders office and picked up the car keys from the table. Then I headed down to the Intelligence Agencys parking lot.

    Bell Mooresrge SUV was parked in the middle.

    He takes taxis to and from clubs, a strange way of showing his adherence to thew by not drinking and driving.

    I opened the car door and sat in the drivers seat.

    As I gripped the steering wheel and was about to press the elerator.

    BOOM!

    An explosion surged from beneath the car. A deafening roar filled the parking lot.

    Meanwhile, inside the car, I smiled as I felt the hot air burst around me.

    Why?

    Because it was all my own setup.

 Chapter 292: Breaking News (3)

    Chapter 292: Breaking News (3)

    What?!

    Bell Moore received the news while at the club.

    Your car exploded.

    Why? I had it well-maintained.

    He said, swirling his whiskey ss.

    -NO Ah.

    Over the phone, Riley sighed in exasperation.

    It blew up in the Intelligence Agency parking lot. It was a bomb. Your subordinate, Chaser Shion, got caught up in it.

    Bell Moore was momentarily stunned, his eyes blinking rapidly as he gripped his drink.

    Can you hear me?

    He flinched suddenly, recalling what Shion had said just moments before.

    The operation was originally ours, Team Leader Bell Moore. So now, the director thinks you deliberately screwed them over

    Handsome.

    A sultry voice called to Bell Moore from the seat next to him. He turned to look. There sat a woman with the looks of a celebrity.

    Hey handsome, what are you doooing~?

    Her face was all flirtation as she cooed at him

    Ah, fuck, what the hell is this.

    Suddenly, all the pieces of the situation struck him like lightning.

    Huh? Whats wrong all of a sudden.

    The woman, who seemed drunk, suddenly asked soberly. Bell Moore quickly stood up.

    I have to go.

    Ah handsome, where are you going?

    Something urgent came up. My subordinate is hurt. Ah, shit.

    Cursing, Bell Moore left the club.

    Of course, there was no life-threatening injury. However, his body was definitely caught in the explosion.

    It hurt, but it was bearable. I had lightly encased myself with Grawls power.

    Were currently conducting an internal investigation.

    In a hospital room at Libra Medical Center, Riley asked while peeling an apple.

    How did you survive?

    Her face was a mix of admiration and surprise.

    I looked at her suspiciously. Riley chuckled dryly.

    I have an alibi. Besides, you almost died. It was a high-grade magic bomb.

    Indeed, it was not an ordinary magic bomb. It had a circuit board integrated with pure magic.

    Using a cheap bomb would have been too suspicious.

    I shrugged.

    I felt something was off when I grabbed the steering wheel. I used my rspectrumj right away.

    Quick reaction.

    Riley smirked, then handed me a te with sliced apples. I crunched on a piece.

    Was it an inside job?

    Well Team Leader Bell Moore gets around a lot, so its hard to say for sure it was an inside job, but for now, it seems like its from within

    The door opened. It was Team Leader Bell Moore.

    He walked in, fluttering a report in one hand, and sat down on a chair.

    Wow. Hey Shion, youre still alive? I heard the bomb was pretty intense.

    l''ve already exined it to Riley.

    Really? Well Anyway.

    Bell Moore started to say something but then subtly nced at Riley. He crossed his arms.

    Alright, Im leaving.

    Riley pouted her lips in disappointment as she left the hospital room. Only then did Bell Moore ask.

    Was this Ged ley''s doing?

    lts not certain yet. Jumping to conclusions might just cause more conflict, so act normal for now.

    Bell Moores face hardened. He let out a faint sigh.

    I didnt think he was that kind of person.

    People change, you know.

    Ah, shit. For now, lets just assume it wasnt him and start the investigation. Ill look into it too. Im going.

    Bell Moore stood up.

    Team Leader Bell Moore.

    I stopped him. Bell Moore just turned his head to look at me.

    What.

    Be careful. They werent targeting me, they were targeting you.

    Bell Moore lost his words for a moment but soon nodded with a grim expression.

    Got it, you bastard. Just rest up.

    In the office of the Director of the Intelligence Agency. Gedley had also received the news about the bomb. It was quite a shock for him too.

    If Bell Moore had been taken out, it would have been like picking his nose without lifting a finger, but instead, his subordinate Shion got caught up in it.

    An internal investigation team is being formed as we speak.

    Gedley snorted at his secretarys words.

    An internal investigation? I''m the Director, who dares to form an investigation team

    lts from the direct line.

    Direct line.

    Ged ley frowned.

    Whom from thre direct line? Is it Derek?

    I cant say that much

    But it didn''t matter.

    It wasn''t Gedleys own doing anyway.

    lt could have been the team leaders doing.

    It wasn''t just Gedley and Derek who had squandered money on this operation. Team leaders had also secretly invested.

    Men who lose their senses sometimesmit ridiculous idents.

    If they had just waited, he would have handled it himself, but being blinded by rage made things worse.

    Check the ounts of the team leaders and find out who suffered the biggest loss.

    If a direct line forms an investigation team, Gedley himself needs a tail to cut off. It''s also a chance to tighten the ckened discipline of the Intelligence Agency.

    No matter how much they lost their senses, internal bombing is an unforgivable act. Make sure to catch them.

    Yes, understood.

    The secretary bowed and left the room.

    Meanwhile, Sheron was staring up at a sign that read [Castrology], her hands full of offerings wrapped tightly.

    IS this the right ce?

    Despite her doubts, she trudged inside.

    She cautiously pulled back the tent p. A round table where people sat facing each other was the first thing she saw, and on it, oddly enough,y a tablet PC.

    Whats this?

    Wee.

    A voice flowed from the tablet PC.

    7

    Sheron blinked. On the screen, a man wearing a hat that resembled a hijab was sitting.

    It was a trick by Shion to avoid detection of her frequency.

    ls this how its always done here?

    Sheron asked incredulously.

    It''s for the sake of identity protection.

    Ah Well, I guess that makes sense.

    Famous fortune tellers, after all. Anything could happen.

    State your inquiry.

    She took a seat.

    Fortune Well, is something like inheritance fortune possible? Like power factions?

    Snap!

    Jesus.

    The man on the screen immediately drew a card. It was blue.

    Is it a matter of people?

    Sheron was startled.

    Yes. It seems like internal information keeps leaking.

    They say hes skilled, and he guessed it right away.

    Snap-

    He drew another card. This time it was gray.

    I see old faces.

    At that moment, goosebumps erupted all over Sherons body, a chill ran down her spine, and her cheeks trembled.

    Old faces.

    Sheron was also suspecting the ''Elders!

    Ma, ah, uh. Yes. 0, old faces. Among the old faces, who should I suspect?

    Among the elders of Aventagher, there was definitely someone trying to sabotage her business.

    I brought some files just in case.

    Sheron handed over the familys top-secret information to the fortune teller. The fortune teller didnt even nce at it before drawing another card.

    Hmm.

    Then he suddenly paused.

    Sheron swallowed hard. She perked up her ears.

    And then

    Start by suspecting the closest person to you.

    Excuse me?

    An old face who has been with you for a long time. He is deceiving you.

    The closest person who had been with her for a long time.

    Sheron mulled over the fortune tellers words and her mood turned icy cold.

    Still, at Libra Medical Center.

    I remotely passed on the necessary advice to Sheron, pointing out the elder who wouldter betray her.

    Now, the future would not repeat itself.

    The reason I informed her was simple: if Aventagher grows, it benefits me. If Eric bes the head, hell be manipted by the elders.

    But its not just Erics problem alone. Its a trick of Libra itself. Libra is weakening itspetitors by spreading money among various roundtable families.

    Among the various missions of the Intelligence Agency, many are just like this.

    Once my ess to information increases, Ill be able to see who the Intelligence Agency has been feeding money to.

    H m m?

    Suddenly, I looked towards the door of the hospital room.

    I sensed someones presence. Someone was standing there.

    I couldn''t tell who it was.

    Who''s there?

    I said as I got up.

    Swoosh

    With a slightly startled breath, the presence disappeared. I strode forward and opened the door. No one was there, but I could tell from the faint scent lingering in the air.

    Johanna.

    She had been here.

    .

    I smiled slightly.

    Johanna of the regression wasnt someone who woulde for a hospital visit.

    Somehow, my strategy must have worked.

    Shion Ascal.

    Then someone called me.

    It was Professor Yu Hains.

    Ah, Professor.

    Come in.

    He was my attending doctor at Libra Medical Center.

    Yes.

    I weed him in.

    I sat on the hospital bed, and Yu Hains looked at the chart and said,

    You shouldn''t keep pushing yourself like this.

    I know. But it wasnt that I was pushing myself; it just happened suddenly.

    I raised my eyebrows.

    Shush- Shush-

    I watched quietly as Yu Hains checked something on the chart and then asked,

    Professor, could you possibly get me a pen and paper oh, never mind.

    I noticed Yu Hainss chart and pen.

    Could I borrow some unused chart paper and a pen?

    I was thinking of drawing something.

    As a way to repay Johanna for bothering to visit.

    Johanna herself was also flustered.

    Upon hearing the news about him, she found herself at the hospital without realizing it. When she opened her eyes, she was at Libra Medical Center, in front of the VIP room where he was admitted.

    She almost got caught by him.

    IS this Gedley''s doing?

    Quickly, Johanna retreated to the chairmans office on the top floor of the medical center and asked Vitro.

    lm not entirely sure yet, but it seems the target was not Shion Ascal but Bell Moore.

    Upon hearing the news, Johanna was furious. She almost reverted to her old self.

    But she knew Shion wouldnt appreciate her stepping in.

    Were also nning to form an internal investigation team on our side.

    Good. Find them and punish them.

    Johanna sank into her chair, ring at the chairmans exclusive monitor before squinting her eyes slightly.

    By the way, have you found any records on Dale Ascal?

    Ah.

    Vitro, who was about to leave, stopped.

    There are no detailed records, but we''ve secured a ''witness ount that he participated in some experiment.

    A witness ount?

    Yes. About 17 years ago, he was involved in a Libra project. Its unclear whether he was a knight or a test subject.

    Test subject. It was an odd term.

    Vitro asked again.

    Should I continue to look into this?

    Yes. Keep investigating.

    U n d e rstoo d .

    With that, Vitro left, and Johanna monitored the hospital room situation using the chairman''sputer.

    What the

    Her eyes suddenly turned sharp.

    This crazy bastard has already been discharged?

    VIP room 303, the very ce where Shion Ascal had been hospitalized, was now empty.

    He had been discharged.

    Psychotic bastard.

    Johanna suddenly felt enraged, as much as when she had first heard he was caught in an explosion.

    Just he should rest.

    Muttering to herself, Johanna left the chairmans office. She took the elevator down and arrived in front of room 303.

    Initially, she thought about smashing something, but she hesitated.

    Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump

    Suddenly, her heart pounded wildly. The sound of drums echoed. Just the thought that he might still be inside made her nervous, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

    Silently, Johanna gripped the doorknob of the hospital room.

    With a forceful pushshe flung the door open.

    Ha.

    A hollowugh escaped her lips.

    The bed was neatly made, and there was a single sheet of chart paper beside the pillow, but the most important thinghimwas absent.

    Only a faint scent of him lingered.

    That crazy bastard.

    She gritted her teeth and opened the window of the hospital room. Just then, she saw the back of Shions head as he was leaving the hospital.

    That guy never rests.

    A man in poor health, with not much life left, what on earth does he desire so much that he grinds down his own life

    Whoooosh

    Suddenly, a small breeze blew in, toppling the chart paper beside the pillow.

    Rustle

    What seemed like an ordinary piece of chart paper flipped over on the floor.

    Johanna quietly turned around and picked it up.

    Her heart sank.

    Her fingertips trembled as she held the paper, and she let out a breath she didnt know she was holding.

    It was a drawing.

    On the back of the chart paper was a drawing.

    The image of her, by the one who haunts her every thought.

    A portrait containing herself.

    Johanna bowed her head sorrowfully, staring only at her toes while biting her lip hard.

    You too.

    Just as she thinks of him, he also lives his lives thinking of her.

    Broken by him

    With a sad smile, she tucked her own portrait into her embrace.

 Chapter 293: Breaking News (4)

    Chapter 293: Breaking News (4)

    In Trick City, a ce brimming with novel and mysterious things, I am here with soliette.

    lt seems to be somewhere around here

    Sheron had given us these coordinates.

    But, Candy, if its a person, wouldnt it be difficult with just coordinates? People move, dont they?

    We were here to find a subject for human experimentation.

    Exactly. Hold on, Jelly.

    Can I just be Candy instead?

    Shh.

    I pulled out my phone and dialed someone.

    Ring-ringring-ring

    Who is this?

    Ah, yes. Sheron, its me, Shion.

    It was Sheron.

    What now? What is it?

    What do you mean what is it? Didnt you get what you wanted?

    No response.

    That probably means she did.

    lf you got what you wanted, were currently at these coordinates.

    I texted our current location to Sheron.

    ls the person matching the frequency around here by any chance?

    Huh?

    Could you check it for us?

    Are you insane?

    Sheron let out a baffled chuckle.

    Come on. You arranged everything, just help us out a bit. Well just see them once, okay?

    Again, no response.

    Maybe she doesnt want it to end with just one meeting, maybe she wants to meet two or three more times.

    Wait a sec.

    I waited briefly.

    Soon, Sheron spoke.

    Eh? There. You guys are standing right next to them?

    Right next to us?

    Wha?

    Soliette and I quickly looked around.

    There was a street vendor right beside the road where we stood. A middle-aged man with bushy hair had piled up fruits on his stall.

    Hey. But you, can you arrange another meetingter? That fortune-teller seems really powerful.

    Just a moment.

    It''s not just a moment, that fortune-teller was right. He knew who my internal spy was. That person is really incredible

    I hung up the phone and slowly approached the vendor.

    The middle-aged man just looked at us without saying a word.

    Um

    He immediately pointed at the fruits.

    Three for 3 Ren.

    No, were not interested. Ah, I do have cash here though.

    I pulled out a wad of cash from my wallet.

    lf you answer some questions honestly, Ill give it all to you.

    Questions?

    Yes. Itll be about 5000 Ren.

    5000 Ren. The middle-aged mans expression showed a flicker of interest.

    What do you want to ask?

    Well, about that

    Its an awkward question to ask someone for the first time, but theres no time to beat around the bush.

    Have you ever participated in human experimentation?

    I don''t know what youre after, but this isnt something to discuss on the street.

    I was formally invited to a cabin in the forest outside Trick City. The middle-aged manJekyllwas telling us as I listened with soliette.

    I don''t know where it was exactly. I was blindfolded and taken there.

    He showed his palm with each statement, signaling he wanted money.

    I handed him a 1,000 Ren bill.

    Soliette asked, ls there anything else you can remem ber?

    I was injected with a syringe full of some unknown drugs. But they didnt exin what it was.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''ffcffrtVicif''YnIM Shovi ieiu:i7wV7vAliXti\~otiiT

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''fftffrtVicif''YnIM 3hoVi ieiu:i7wV7O*liXti\~otiiT

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''^fdAVicirri''llM 3hoVi i^iU:i7\/X7vAlIXti\Otn.T

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''^f''d''AVicirri''llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7\/X7vAlIXti\Otn.T

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''^f''d''AVicirri''llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7\/X7vAlIXti\Otn.T

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    1 ''^f''d''AVicirri''llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7\/X7vAlIXti\Otn.T

    Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?

    There wasnt much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. Thats all I know. I dont know about the others.

    Jekyll reached out his hand again.

    I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

    S0, how did the experiment end?

    There was an ident.

    An ident?

    Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, theb was almost split in half.

    I handed him 3,000 Ren.

    HOW did it split?

    I don''t know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?

    I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

    Knightmare.

    Anyway, I ran away from there. That''s the end of it.

    StflVthe''Soliette of now."

    You. Just now what did you do?

    Ah, that? I tried to imitate what Shion did.

    Me?

    Yes. Remember the sword technique you showed before? I tried to adapt that Shion. You really wield an incredible technique. Its extremely powerful.

    ls it really something you can just imitate?

    Well, its originally soliettes, so I guess she could imitate it.

    Are you hurt?

    Yes. I got a deep cut on my shoulder, but thanks to Shion, I survived.

    She smiled at me.

    Shion. That sword was more destructive than Arknes techniques. Wont you teach me?

    NO.

    Why not?

    lf I say no, then its a no. Dont try to imitate it either.

    Hmm. Why?

    Soliette crossed her arms. I sheath my sword and retorted bluntly.

    ITI sue you for copyright infringement. Imitate it if you have the money.

    What No, more importantly. What do we do about this person?

    She pointed at Phine. I let out a light sigh.

    lndeed. Weve killed a Bncer.

    Fortunately, our identities havent been exposed.

    I''m Candy, and soliette is Jelly.

    Lets get out of here. Well ditch these identities.

    Yes.

    Soliette immediately turned around. I quietly followed her as she skillfully surveyed the surroundings and made her escape.

    The next day, I went to work as Killian.

    Due to the fierce battle the night before, my whole body felt as if it had been hammered by a hammer, but well, today was an important day nheless.

    lm at work.

    There was no response.

    Dr. Vito was deep in thought, something ced on the table in front of him.

    Dr. Vito. What are you doing?

    Ah, Dr. Ki Ilian.

    Vito pointed at the object with a twitch of his eyebrow. It was a human arm.

    Is that a human arm?

    No. Its a doll.

    A doll?

    Yes. A doll. Have you ever heard of Akane from Selfless Coffin ?

    I was taken aback.

    Akane, of course, I knew very well.

    Uh not really sure.

    Shes the greatest doll maker of our era. I oncemissioned her Its truly fascinating. How can she make dolls that seem just like real people?

    Ah It does indeed look quite human.

    I casually yed along. Vito chuckled and pushed up his sses.

    Well, thats that.

    Then he lifted a lever in the corner of theboratory.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    A loud noise echoed as the Bottles of souls were revealed. Now there were no bodies, just overwritten souls, sparkling as they were trapped inside the bottles.

    Lets get ready formercialization.

    Yes.

    I carefully recorded the scene on video.

    The time for me to act as a whistleblower was drawing near.

    [The streets are getting cleaner The serial disappearance of the homeless]

    Riley was reading the news whilemunicating with Vancheon.

    These incidents, theyre linked to Libras AI?

    Yes. Evidence has been captured.

    Riley scanned through the evidence they had sent.

    Scenes of Libras agents kidnapping sleeping homeless people or luring them under the guise of free meals It all looked suspiciously foul.

    Riley bit her lip slightly.

    lts a dangerous mission. Dereks future is at stake.

    But the risk of approaching was too great.

    Since this was the mission Derek was most focused on, just getting close would attract suspicion from all sorts of Chasers.

    It''s also a perfect opportunity to bring Derek down.

    What about me?

    Riley bit her lip again.

    lf we bring Derek down, am I expendable?

    Owl. That''s not what I mean.

    Riley quietly closed her eyes, sinking into her chair and taking a deep breath.

    What happened to the researcher you were close with?

    Dr. Killian suddenly came to mind.

    Dr. Killians words echoed in her ears.

    Artificial intelligence Its going to be a whole new technology. But you''d better stay away from it if you can.

    He had warned her to stay away.

    Dr. Killian definitely knew something. There was clearly a deeply inhumane conspiracy involved with this Al.

    ITI provide more detailster.

    Riley ended themunication.

    Then, she picked up her smartphone.

    There were quite a few messages exchanged with Dr. Killian.

    As a member of [VancheonJ , she had a role to fulfill. To do that, she needed to deal with this man first.

    A lot of homeless people have disappeared, you know? Isnt that a good thing?

    Riley practiced her lines.

    Since Dereks Al was surely rted to the serial disappearance of the homeless, she had to pretend to be just like them to extract information.

    The homeless who are of no help to the continent might as well disappear sooner rather thanter

    Lines to share with Dr. Killian. Riley nodded as she typed the dialogue into herptop.

 Chapter 294: Retribution

    Chapter 294: Retribution

    In the capital city of Edsi, at a fine dining restaurant called Finchile,I sat across from Riley.

    I heard a lot of homeless people have disappeared. Isn''t that a good thing?

    Riley had brought up the mysterious incidents urring in Edsitely.

    Is that so?

    She nodded at my response.

    Yes. Homeless people who are of no help to the continent might as well disappear sooner rather thanter

    Hmm.

    Her statement was quite radical, but I understood. I knew why she was saying this, what she wanted from me.

    Then, I should y along.

    Right. They''re no help to society. They dont contribute to any meaningful productive activities, just consuming like parasites

    Riley hesitated for a moment but quickly smiled.

    Thats right. Theres hardly a need to investigate these serial disappearances.

    Exactly. No need for an investigation.

    I smiled meaningfully. Suddenly, Riley''s expression hardened, but she soon nodded in agreement and cut her steak with a knife.

    No need for an investigation Well, thats true.

    Yes. Really, theres no need. Trust me.

    I smiled like a psychopath.

    As if I knew something. As if I knew it very well.

    Really? But what if these disappearances are kidnappings, maybe for organs?

    Riley asked subtly.

    I paused cutting my steak and looked at her, my eyes slightly suspicious.

    Riley calmly exined.

    Oh, its nothing. I just had this thought before. If dismantling one homeless person could save ten diligent ones

    Well, isnt there something more i m porta nt?

    More important than organs?

    Ha. Yes. Even such trashy humans there might be a way to make them useful to society .

    I smiled. Riley also lifted the corners of her mouth.

    lm curious. What might that method be?

    nk

    I sliced another piece of steak and replied.

    Shall we end the work talk here?

    Was this work talk?

    Riley hit the nail on the head.

    I pretended to be flustered andughed brightly.

    Ah~ Wasnt it work talk? Ha ha.

    Well. Try this. Its delicious.

    Riley ced a piece of meat on my te. I dly put it in my mouth.

    Oh~ It''s delicious.

    Yes. Youre quite charming.

    .

    I deliberately stopped chewing.

    Cough, cough. Ahem.

    I coughed as if I was choked, and Riley came over, concerned, patting my back.

    Oh my, are you alright?

    It was a y we were both part of.

    The difference was, I knew she was acting.

    Yes, Im fine. Ha, haha.

    At the Libra Stations researchb.

    With the release of the new artificial intelligence not far off, everyone from the least staffed Al department had gathered. The head, Vito, had called the meeting himself.

    The first reveal is scheduled for three weeks from now.

    Vito announced. The other researchers listened quietly, showing no reaction.

    Are you all excited?

    They didnt answer but just nodded their heads.

    What are they, nts?

    I enthusiastically raised my hand.

    lm excited!

    Vito chuckled at that.

    He secretly enjoyed such lively atmospheres. The other researchers hardly even talked, let alone muttered to themselves.

    Alright. Let''s continue with the final checks Dr. Killian, could youe see me for a moment?

    Yes.

    Vito called me into his office.

    He sat down and said,

    Dr. Killian.

    I stood in front of him.

    Yes. What is it?

    I heard you had an interesting conversation with Ms. Riley yesterday?

    Yes? Oh, were you at that restaurant too?

    I was well aware of the surveince. Grawl had been having a tough time monitoring both inside and outside Killians house.

    Vitoughed.

    Ha, yes. I was there too. You might not have noticed.

    lf youre referring to the interesting conversation, are you talking about the homeless?

    Yes. I think the same as you and Ms. Riley, but please don''t talk about such things outside.

    Ah, yes. I guess I got too excited with the project nearingpletion. I apologize!

    I responded energetically.

    Thats alright. I didn''t call you here to scold you. Compared to what Dr. Killian has done for us, its nothing. You can go back to your station.

    Ah, Dr. Vito.

    I called out to Vito as he was about to look at his monitor. Vito tilted his head slightly.

    Yes?

    About that doll you showed usst time.

    I was curious about Akanes doll.

    Of course, I could ask Akane herself, but I thought Vito might have more urate information.

    What coboration did you have with Selfless Coffin

    Vito chuckled lightly.

    lndeed. Dr. Killian, you have a deep intellectual curiosity.

    Ah haha.

    Was that apliment, or a warning?

    There was a project involving artificial bodies.

    It seemed he was willing to give an answer.

    Artificial bodies?

    Yes, a project to create artificial bodies It was challenging. Dollmaker Akane could create bodies, but the process was too slow. It was like a household business.

    Indeed. Akane handcrafted each doll herself. The time it took to create a doll identical to a human was at least three weeks.

    Also, the bodies themselves decayed quickly. They couldnt withstand the weight of a soul.

    Wow. So, what if we were to insert our artificial intelligence into these artificial bodies

    Artificial humans. Homunculi?

    Vito finished my sentence. I nodded eagerly.

    He smiled faintly.

    Actually, that project has already seeded.

    lt has?

    Yes. The details are a secret of Libra. Maybe Ill tell you if you ever be part of the family.

    Ah of course, Doctor. Youve been working hard to transcend human limitations. Its truly impressive and admirable.

    Haha. Well, now.

    Vito shook his head as if he couldnt be helped.

    Dr. Killian, youll be there soon too.

    lt would be an honor.

    Yes. You can go now.

    Yes!

    I bowed deeply at a 120-degree angle. Vito let out a pleased chuckle.

    Alright, go on now.

    This man, surprisingly straightforward.

    After all, hes monitoring Killian 24 hours a day.

    To Vito now, Killian must appear as the most innocent and harmless person, someone who holds infinite respect for him.

    Yes!

    lt means Grawl is having a tough time.

    Artificial humans with artificial bodies you say?

    In the residence of the Endex curator, Soliette asked.

    Yes.

    I nodded.

    lts all connected. Knightmare, human experimentation, homunculi all of it.

    I turned to look at soliette. In a low voice, she stated the answer.

    1 m m o rta lity.

    Exactly.

    The desire to live forever.

    Knightmare, human experimentation, homunculiall lead to that one path.

    The issue is how many families are involved.

    Libra is certain. The other suspects on the list are Aventagher, Arkne, Glofeld, Pencia, Kruan.

    Among them, Glofeld has reached out to my tarot card reading shop.

    Then, could it be that my father too

    Soliettes expression turned serious.

    We dont know yet. Probably not. Its more likely the elders. They''re the main operatives in Libras schemes, buying off the elders.

    The coteral branches that have be family elders surprisingly hold significant influence. They have decision-making power in major family matters, especially involving the session structure.

    But its strange. Artificial humans, or rather, homunculi, they say its already seeded.

    What? It seeded?

    Yes. ording to Vito

    Ah! Then, do you think Sheron could determine that?

    Oh.

    Sheron. My eyes widened too.

    Thats right. She can read souls.

    Yes, exactly.

    If artificial humanshomunculiexist and are moving around, they will definitely be detected by Sherons radar.

    Okay. Then well ask Sheron to look into that as well.

    Shion. But are you in contact with her?

    Of course.

    Soliette pouted her lips.

    lve been blocked.

    Why?

    I don''t know. Maybe because I contacted her too often

    I get messages from her every day.

    What? How do you get messages every day?

    Soliette narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

    I held up my smartphone to show her Sherons texts.

    [Hey.]

    [Hey hey hey.]

    [Hey hey hey hey hey.]

    [Set me up one more time.]

    [Seriously reply.]

    [No reply?]

    [Reply, I said.]

    [Just one more time please ;]

    [Please]

    [Hey, but dont they only do one reading at a time there? Cant you ask multiple questions?]

    [Then cant you just do it three more times instead of once?]

    See. Shes obsessed with tarot readings now.

    Hmm. Clearly.

    Soliette rested her chin on her hand. I stared intently at her.

    When she thinks, she asionally fiddles with her lower jaw. Tapping her lips and cheeks with her fingers.

    The same habit, before and after regression.

    I stood up.

    Shion. Where are you going?

    T0 work.

    It was about time to start my shift as a Chaser.

    In a secluded back alley, a quietkeside with no surveince or tailing. I sat on a fishing chair, waiting for someone.

    Soon, someone woulde.

    Rustle-

    The sound of stepping on leaves echoed. I looked out over theke and said,

    Mr. Jeff.

    Yes.

    Jeff Garner approached and stood behind me.

    Have you heard the news?

    Yes, of course.

    Bell Moores car exploded, but instead, I got caught up in it.

    Thats why the atmosphere inside the Intelligence Agency has rapidly cooled.

    I jiggled the fishing rod as I spoke.

    lt seems an internal investigation team will be formed.

    Jeff listened to my words quietly.

    Team Leader Bell Moore doesnt want such an internal investigation. He has no intention of forgiving those who dared target him.

    In fact, Bell Moore, far from forgiving, is conducting his own investigation, suspecting that it might be the work of external forces.

    How foolish.

    Yes, I expected as much.

    Jeff Garners voice grew low.

    He is an agent specialized in assassination. Even formidable opponents, if unprepared, are bound to die at his hands.

    I turned to look at him.

    Once it happens once, it will happen twice, and if it happens twice,it will happen a third time So, we need to nip it in the bud.

    Yes.

    lts an order.

    I handed him a personnel file.

    Four team leaders under Gedley, of the Intelligence Agency.

    However, we won''t kill the team leaders, but their right-hand men. After all, the justification is on our side, so well cut off all four right hands.

    They are trash that deserve to die.

    Kill them all.

    This also serves to build Bell Moores image.

    He must never tolerate. He must show a brutally cruel side to those who strike first.

    But you must not be caught.

    At the same time, he must be cold. Like a sharp ice pick, he must hide himself.

    Everyone may suspect that its Bell Moores doing, but no evidence pointing to the fact should emerge.

    Not even the smallest piece of evidence should remain.

    Bell Moore must be such a terrifying and fearsome figure. He must appear as an extremely dark and meticulous predator, a mastermind that no one dares to easily approach.

    All words directed at Bell Moore muste through me first.

    Yes, I understand.

    I nodded.

    Before I knew it, Jeff had disappeared.

    Bloop!

    Just then, a fish bit the bait.

    The next day, Bell Moore woke up on a sofa in a club room.

    Ah, my head.

    He had drunk heavily the night before.

    These days, things have been soplicated and tangled up, its suffocating. That''s why I went on a rampage for the first time in a while.

    H aa h

    He sighed as he got up. Staggering, he left the club.

    The streets were bathed in dazzling sunlight.

    Ah, its blinding. Hey! Taxi!

    He was about to take a taxi to work when suddenly, Shions words came to mind.

    The warning from his deputy that Gedley was targeting him.

    Bell Moore thought it hard to believe and ept, but now that things had unfolded, there was no helping it.

    Bell Moore shook his head with the taxi door still open.

    No, no. Go ahead. I called you by mistake.

    What the hell, bastard.

    What? Bastard? Hey, did you just call me

    The taxi sped off abruptly. Bell Moore red at its retreating back, furrowing his brow.

    That crazy son of a bitch

    Anyway, he ended up choosing his own two legs.

    He walked to work at the Intelligence Agency.

    Good for some exercise.

    Sweating is good for a hangover.

    Bell Moore ran for an hour and arrived at the underground Intelligence Agency.

    Ahem.

    He straightened his expression and walked down the corridors of the Intelligence Agency.

    Thud, thud, thud, thud.

    What the

    But he kept catching peoples eyes. Many at the Intelligence Agency kept ncing at him as he walked.

    Maybe it was because of the SUV explosion incident involving Shion.

    It was embarrassingly unnecessary.

    Bell Moore quickly walked to the team leaders office.

    Wheres the secretary?

    The secretary was not there.

    Maybe they took a day off today. They should have told me in advance if they were going to take a break.

    Damn it I was going to ask for some honey water.

    Bell Moore sat down in his office chair and turned on theputer.

    He immediately logged into the Intelligence Agencys internal server to check the progress of the explosion incident.

    Whats this?

    A fresh case had been uploaded just this morning.

    Bell Moore blinked in confusion and clicked on the case file.

    What Three Chasers are dead?

    It was a highly suspicious assassination case involving Chasers.

 Chapter 295: Artificial Intelligence (1)

    Chapter 295: Artificial Intelligence (1)

    lts definitely his doing, but theres no physical evidence.

    At the Intelligence Agency, Im recording a conversation between team leaders who lost their right-hand man to Jeff.

    That damned bastard

    They spew harsh words in their outrage, yet they fail to present any clear solution.

    Should we strike first?

    We cant hit when we dont even know the full extent of his forces. David, the external team leader, is now his ally, so we must avoid an all-out war.

    The team leader, having lost money and subordinates, naturally bes more fearful.

    How about we catch the guy who nted the bomb in Bell Moores car?

    That was a suggestion from a team leader named Jensen.

    Another team leader retorted angrily.

    Are you suggesting we catch one of our own now?

    No, the opposite. Why on earth would we assassinate Bell Moore in the first ce? Theres no reason for that.

    What?

    Suddenly, the room was soaked in silence. Even in the recording, only breathing could be heard.

    Then Jensen spoke up.

    Everyone knows but keeps quiet. Lets be frank. Its obviously Director Gedley''s doing. The director has lost almost his entire fortune.

    Jensen. Thats too spective

    And yet, the director is trying to pin it on us. Hes dered an internal investigation, suggesting one of us is the culprit. He even went through my and my subordinates bank ounts. Is this really spective?

    I leaned back in my chair, satisfied.

    After all, its a sandcastle held together by money and connections. Loyalty, such romantic nonsense, is meaningless in the face of ones own life.

    Think about it. Why would Bell Moore keep us alive? Why kill only the s u bo rd i nates?

    I smiled slightly.

    Bell Moore is extending a hand to us. Director Gedley has lost his power. Soon, even Dereks trust in him will fade Hes finished.

    Knock, knock-

    Just then, a knock sounded. I set down my headset.

    Who is it?

    The door opened.

    It was Bell Moore.

    The team leader himself, knocking for his subordinate.

    Hey. Youre discharged from the hospital already?

    I got better, so I was discharged.

    He walked in slowly and set down a file.

    Well, that aside. Hey. I heard a few more Chasers are dead. Do you know about this case?

    Um Ill look into it.

    Right. And about that bomb

    Yes.

    I stared at Bell Moore as he crossed his arms and shook his head in frustration.

    Ah, itsplicated.

    lf itsplicated, just stay put, Team Leader Bell Moore. Ill handle it.

    Handle it maybe not that far. If you find anything out, report to me first. Dont act rashly.

    Yes, I''ve always been doing that.

    True. Oh right, but what should I say if the other team leaders ask me how Im doing? Just saying ''I''m okay will seem like a lie, especially after I almost died.

    Suddenly, Bell Moore burped loudly.

    He must have had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.

    I narrowed my eyes. Bell Moore chuckled awkwardly.

    Sorry, it just came out.

    Fine, but if they want to talk, tell them to go through me.

    You?

    Yes. Right now, youre in a more advantageous position than they are. Theres no need for you to meet them face-to-face.

    Ah, right. If they go through you, it saves me face. That sounds good.

    Bell Moore nodded in satisfaction.

    Good. But, are you okay physically?

    Yes, Im better, thats why I was discharged.

    Alright. Be more careful next time.

    He patted my shoulder and turned to leave.

    lm off.

    Yes.

    As soon as Bell Moore left, I put my headset back on.

    Lets talk about the details tomorrow. Make sure todays information doesnt leak

    Hmm.

    ItU probably leak.

    Even if Gedley is ousted and Bell Moore rises to director, we cant let scum like you livefortably.

    Now, its time to stir up internal discord.

    Meanwhile, in Trick City, LaM is actively operating as a hero.

    The monsters, beasts, and viins she has dealt with now number in the hundreds.

    However, the viin of viins, her Archenemy, Raquel Dra, is still atrge.

    Raquel Dra, a murderer who indiscriminately kills the influential, the wealthy, phnthropists, entrepreneurs, as well as criminals, cartels, and viins, does not discriminate by wealth, age, or moral standing.

    He is now poised to expand his reach beyond Trick City to the entire continent.

    Ah, Im tired.

    Afterpleting another days hero duties, La returned to her mansion. She threw off her suit and turned on the TV.

    [Derek isunching a next-generation Al soon Have you seen this, Berrie?.]

    Yes. It might be good for us to apply for one too.

    Really?

    La ns to attend the seminar herself, given that Derek isunching the nextgeneration Al this quarter. After all, it could be a friend to Berrie.

    Berrie, if we get one too, will it be your friend?

    Friend? More like a subordinate.

    Ah.

    Berrie is an artificial intelligence designed by her father andpleted by La. Its a milestone achieved long before the likes of Everett, Vern, and Derek jumped into this industry.

    Anyway, Ive received an invitation to the seminar, so lets go together.

    Yes. He he.

    Berrie seemed to smirk evilly.

    It seems she really ns to treat it as a subordinate. Isnt this turning into a wicked boss situation?

    Ding-a-ling-ling

    Suddenly, Las smartphone rang. Seeing the name, she grinned broadly.

    Hellooo

    Hey, La. Its me.

    Elly, whats up~?

    Elise. Recently, shes been gaining prominence at the Magic Tower, known as a genius mage and a genius doctor.

    Nothing much, just that the Magic Tower has decided to dispatch some mages to Trick City.

    Really?

    Yeah. It seems like the cooperation with Raquel Dra has been finalized.

    Its a cooperative investigation to capture Raquel Dra.

    Mages will handle mages, right?

    Are youing too, Elly?

    La asked as she rolled around on her bed.

    No, Im still studying.

    Studying? Youre learning math there, not magic?

    Dont mind it. Since youre there, please cooperate.

    Sure, sure. But, Elly, how is it over there? Is Raquel Dra famous there too?

    Elly chuckled.

    There are already 300 papers published about Raquel Dra. Theyve even been included in academic journals.

    What?! Why?! It should be on a wanted list, not in academic journals!

    It''s about the way Raquel Dra kills people So, the ''Chimera form is evolving day by day. There are a lot of citations in the papers, and many efforts to develop it into new theories.

    Chimera form.

    Its Raquel Dras unique way of deploying magic. It involves tearing apart specific ''forms from various magics and reassembling them like a chimera into a weapon specialized for murder.

    La narrowed her eyes slightly.

    SO, thats not okay?

    On the contrary. Raquel Dra is using such great talent just for killing people, but if the research on the papers progresses well, it could be used to save lives and advance civilization.

    What Well then. So, those mages areing to investigate Raquel Dra?

    No. The goal is assassination. Two elites are being sent who can definitely handle Raquel Dra.

    WOW.

    The idea of assassination somehow seemed exciting.

    But Elly, have you heard about the Al newstely?

    Yeah. It''s hot these days. Made some money on stocks.

    Really? Are youing to the seminar?

    Seminar?

    Yeah. Derek is announcing a groundbreaking next-generation AI.

    Derek, the one from Libra?

    Yes.

    Elise seemed to ponder in silence for a moment.

    You don''t have toe if youre too busy.

    No, Ille. I happen to have some time, and Ill also take the opportunity to show Bianca around the city.

    Who''s Bianca?

    She exists. My camel.

    Elly, youre raising a camel?

    Yep.

    Just then, there was a knock on the door. La turned to look.

    Who is it?

    It''s not your side, its mine. Come in.

    Ah. What?

    La giggled.

    A patient has arrived. Gotta hang up. See you at the seminar.

    Okay. Its next week, so I''LL contact you

    Click. The call ended.

    La turned her attention back to the TV.

    [This Al can fully perform the role of a personal assistant just by entering specific keywords, with a registration fee of 300,000 Ren and a monthly subscription fee of 3,000 Ren for pre-orders]

    Wow that''s really expensive.

    Two weekster.

    At Dereks Al seminar, Johanna made a personal appearance at the event where that pretentious jerk was giving the presentation himself.

    What are you doing here?

    In the waiting room, Derek looked at Johanna as if she were a bug. Johanna returned the gaze with simr disdain.

    I came to congratte you.

    She set down a bottle of Liquor as a gift.

    Have you lost your mind?

    Derek scoffed with a hollowugh.

    Johanna continued steadfastly.

    Yeah, the congrattions is bullshit. I have a question.

    What.

    You, there was some human experimentation going on decades ago, wasnt there?

    The details of some ''human experiment that Dale Ascal was said to have participated in were nowhere to be found in Libra.

    However, since Derek was now managing Sherlocks pharmaceutical business, perhaps he still had those records.

    And why are you asking about that?

    Derek furrowed his brow. Johanna shrugged.

    lts nothing big, just that I have some cash to spare. Heard you took a big hit with the short sale this time?

    In an instant, veins bulged on the back of Dereks hand. Clearly, she had hit a nerve.

    Johanna felt immensely satisfied, but there was no need to taunt him further since she was here to negotiate.

    Anyway. Heres my offer. Ill buy all the records rted to that human experimentation in cash.

    ln cash?

    Yes.

    Johanna lifted one corner of her mouth. Derek rolled his eyes, thinking.

    He was trying to gauge what she was aiming for.

    Johanna hade prepared with a justification.

    lm thinking of trying my hand at pharmaceuticals. Better to start with some data rather than from scratch, right?

    Derek tilted his head.

    Pharmaceuticals? You?

    Yes. That''s why I need the data on human experiments Youve done plenty, havent you?

    Ha.

    He smiled, augh escaping him that sounded incredulous, a mocking chuckle.

    Johanna. Does this field look easy to you?

    lt looks manageable.

    Thatsughable.

    Cut the crap and just answer.

    You still have a filthy mouth.

    Derek red at Johanna. She did not avert her gaze.

    Fine. Ill give them to you.

    Derek leaned back and crossed his legs.

    G0 ahead and try. Youll see just how easy the businesses youve been running are.

    But I want everything: the list, the process, and the results of the experiments.

    Johanna added firmly. Derek furrowed his brows and retorted.

    The list?

    Yes. Who participated, what are the names of the subjects. I cant fully trust you, Derek. Who knows if youll just make something up?

    Seeing swine everywhere you look, huh? Fine, Ill prepare everything and include it. How much in cash?

    Half of what you lost on that stupid short sale.

    Johanna taunted. Dereks face contorted.

    But then, he muttered with a face calcting his next business move.

    Half, huh.

    Deal?

    Fine.

    Derek nodded.

    Theres no reason to refuse when my own sister is doing the crazy stuff for me.

    Deal.

    Johanna extended her hand, and Derek waved it off.

    Just get out. Send the contractter.

    ldiotic bastard.

    Crazy lunatic.

    Johanna stood up, exchanging warm insults.

    Just then, as she swung open the door of the waiting room.

    Thump.

    Her heart pounded violently. Something inside her burst. Her heart sank to her toes, and her guts churned.

    There was no physical impact from the outside.

    It was simply because of the man standing right in front of her.

    Ah.

    Shion Ascal.

    Perhaps he was here for security at the seminar, as a Chaser.

    Shion looked down at her with wide eyes. Johanna forced her trembling fingers into her pockets.

    Neither spoke. They remained silent for a long time.

    Johanna finally managed to suppress her rough breaths and asked him as nonchntly as possible.

    Are you alright?

    Asking if he was alright.

    Even as she spoke, Johanna thought it was the wrong thing to say. She wanted to close her eyes tightly and tousle her hair.

    lm fine.

    Shion responded.

    Fortunately, he seemed to be without much thought.

    No, he must be suppressing his thoughts.

    He must be as devastated inside as she was, as if a war had broken out.

    Take it easy.

    Yes. Thank you.

    She brushed past Shion. She hurried outside and jumped into her car.

    Her mind was numb.

    Just from encountering him, just from exchanging a few words, her whole body was hot. Her head felt light, and her thoughts were stuttering.

    Its strange.

    If she forced herself not to see him, if she forced herself to stay away, things would get better.

    But now, it feels like the dam holding back the emotions that had been building up, that had been pent-up, has burst end less ly

    Haah.

    Johanna clutched her chest.

    Da m n

    Gasping from the agony, she was certain.

    Shes copsing.

    No, she had already broken.

    I stepped out into the parking lot. I pretended to follow her btedly, but Johannas limousine was already gone.

    Instead, there was a camel tied up.

    A sleek, glossy ck camel.

    B ia n ca?

    When I called its name, the creature turned to look at me. Its movements were unusually graceful for a camel.

    I chuckled.

    S0, youre here?

    If this camel was here, then she must be here too.

    Elise must be around.

    I''ve been wanting to see her, and it seems Im in luck.

    Hey, wheres your owner?

    I approached Bianca and stroked her head. Bianca haughtily enjoyed my gesture, but soon after,

    Whiiiiing-

    A siren red from the saddle.

    Startled by the Loud noise, I cursed,

    What the hell?

    Whos there!

    Elise appeared. She seemed to have dashed out from a nearby toast shop, with a piece of toast clenched in her mouth.

    1. Serene Trantions Discord is officially up. Took a while.

 Chapter 296: Artificial Intelligence (2)

    Chapter 296: Artificial Intelligence (2)

    Elise paused when she spotted me. She hurried over and then just stood there nkly, so I spoke first.

    Whats up with you?

    It took her a moment before she responded.

    Damn, you scared me.

    lm the one who got scared.

    Elise red daggers at me while stroking Bianca.

    Why are you touching her without permission?

    She seems to like it.

    Hmph. Doubtful.

    Elise nced at me sideways. I was pleased to see her, but unfortunately, there was no time to catch up.

    Are you here for the seminar?

    Yeah. I heard they created an artificial intelligence. What about you?

    Elise pointed at me.

    An escort. Im with Libra, remem ber?

    Oh!

    Just then, another voice chimed in.

    It was La this time.

    lts Shion!

    La approached with a big smile, holding a toast in each hand.

    I smirked.

    Looks like you came together.

    Yeah. Came with Elly. Shion, want some?

    La offered me a toast.

    No, Im good.

    Really? Its tasty. This ce is a gem.

    Crunch- She took a bite.

    Are you here for the Al too?

    Yeah.

    Something urred to me at Las response.

    Thene on. Ill show you the best spot.

    Really?

    IS that even possible?

    Elise squinted her eyes suspiciously. I confidently replied.

    Yeah. Ive grown more than you think. Follow me.

    We walked down the seminar hall corridor together.

    Crunch, crunch- La devoured her toast greedily, while Elise nibbled like a bird, pretending to be timid.

    I asked her.

    But, dont the magic tower freshmen usually note out to the continent?

    Thats true. Freshmen are overwhelmed just following the Magic Tower curriculum. But Im not one of them.

    Is that so?

    Theres also a matter I need to attend to.

    What matter?

    Then La answered.

    Raquel Dra. You know about it, Shion, right?

    yeah. I know.

    I casually asked.

    S0 what? Any evidencee up?

    No. No evidence at all. Cant even guess. But mages areing down to catch Raquel Dra.

    Is that so?

    Magesing down.

    The mages of the Magic Tower, Im confident that whoeveres down wont be a match for me. I have a peculiar body that''s immune to most magic.

    Whosing down?

    Elly. You know her?

    Lermont, right?

    Lermont. I hesitated for a moment then nodded.

    Shes a famous mage.

    Was it a coincidence? Or was it the unseen hand of Libra, perhaps Sherlock, moving things behind the scenes?

    Lermont is a mage from Libra.

    That means shes one of the many from Libra who hold high positions in almost every field.

    Yeah. Shesing with a team, so it looks like Raquel Dra will be caught soon. Its rare for the Magic Tower to get involved in worldly matte rs.

    Here we are.

    I led them to the VIP seats, the closest to the podium.

    Wow! Shion, you actually managed it!

    La looked surprised, and Elise nodded in satisfaction with a hum.

    TheyU probably sell firste-first-serve subscriptions to the Al after the presentation. You should be able to get one.

    La and Elise are smart. Theyll figure out whatever secrets this Al holds.

    After all, exposing the overwriting of souls alone, just through my whistleblowing as Killian, wont enough. We need the hands of other notable consciences.

    Even before my actual regression, several sages including Theia had taken the lead.

    Hey. Shion. Do you know anything about this AI?

    Elise asked as she sat down.

    Are you talking about insider information?

    I ced my hand on her head. Elise swatted my hand away and frowned.

    No, Im not.

    Thats a crime, you know. An economic crime.

    I ced my hand on her head again. Elise tried to dodge by shaking her head from side to side, but I persistently followed.

    Ah,e on. Stop it. Really, stop.

    Elise squirmed all over.

    Whats going on~?

    La looked at us alternately with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

    Enough.

    I stopped teasing her. As I pulled my hand away, Elises hair was a mess, and she red at me sharply.

    I don''t know much either. How this Al works. Its a highly confidential department.

    H m p h. Figu res.

    Elise scoffed and picked up her smartphone. She seemed about to do something as she tapped the screen sharply.

    Dont even think about buying stocks.

    You''d lose a lot.

    Her hand paused mid-air. She nced at me and quietly put down her smartphone.

    Just then, it was time for the presentation.

    The room dimmed appropriately, and as people trickled in until it was full.

    lm off.

    I left for the bodyguards position.

    Derek lectured about artificial intelligence.

    With pompous vocabry, he seemed intoxicated with himself as an innovator rather than focusing on the product itself.

    This Al, ZR1, shows exceptional achievements in almost every field, connecting to the inte and learning on its own ording to the ownersmands

    I quietly listened to Dereks words. Indeed, the content itself was enough to amaze the audience.

    Indeed, using actual overwritten souls does give it an over-technology vibe.

    Look at her. Just look.

    I discreetly zoomed in on Elise with the SZX-9500. She was fiddling with her smartphone, busy buying stocks in real-time.

    The internal expose would blow up in a few months to a year, so selling before that would indeed be profitable.

    It seems she really isnt receiving any support from her family anymore.

    And that concludes the presentation.

    Dereks product exnation came to an end, and a thunderous apuse erupted. I too pped, infusing my palms with magic.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The loud ps made Derek smile.

    Then

    At that moment, someone in the audience stood up abruptly. She asked Derek a question before anyone else could speak.

    What is the source of this artificial intelligence? Is it truly just created from simple magic?

    She tried to disguise her identity with Infimian, but I immediately knew who it was.

    Theia Esil.

    Derek smirked and waved his hand dismissively, signaling for the security guards.

    There have been consecutive disappearances of homeless people across Edsi. Astonishingly, the approximate number of missing people over the past month matches the number of artificial intelligences that can be sold

    The guards grabbed her. They covered her mouth and almost wrestled her out.

    Sometimes, there are those who are envious of the technology.

    Derek brushed it off like that. The audienceughed.

    I followed the guards outside too. I stopped them as they were about to bind Theias limbs with magic.

    Let her go.

    Yes.

    The guards stepped back. I looked at her, kneeling on one knee. Her face was distinctly different from that of Theia Esil.

    The infimian''s level is certainly impressive, though not as much as mine.

    Theia.

    Her shoulders trembled slightly.

    lsn''t that a bit too far-fetched?

    Ha. Youll find out soon enough.

    She scoffed and stood up. I silently watched her back as she walked away.

    Uh, should we really let her go just like that?

    A security guard asked.

    We have no other choice.

    Just then, Dereks bncer, Smith, appeared. Coming out of the seminar room, he stood next to me and asked.

    Who was that?

    lt was Theia Esil.

    The guards were visibly shocked, and Smiths eyebrows twitched.

    Was it lnfimian?

    Yes.

    lt was unavoidable then. Ill let Derek know.

    Thank you.

    I nodded quietly.

    Now, a sh between Theia Esil and Libra is inevitable. Therefore, the best course of action I can take is already clear.

    To imprison her before she dies.

    It seems like the lesser of two evils.

    I went back into the seminar room. Leaning against the wall, I watched the VIP seats.

    Elise and La, as well as several noble families, were signing the membership contracts.

    Whoooosh.

    A white wind sweeps through. Beyond lies a mountain range wrapped in snow and clouds, stretching endlessly like andscape painting, and beneath it stand countless aspiring knights.

    [The Knight Qualification Exam].

    The goal of the first test is simple. Climb as high as possible in this mountain range within 120 hours. This backpack provided as supplies is the same for everyone.

    It feels like deja vu.

    This test, it feels like I''ve done it with someone before.

    Oh. This should be interesting.

    Soliette said next to me. She had just barely met the qualifications by attending the summer session.

    Exactly. Its just hiking.

    Yes.

    I looked ahead. Gerkhens red hair stood out.

    lf you want to give up, just nt this g ande down. With the severe cold and numerous monsters appearing, dont even think about risking your life. You could actually die.

    The knight instructor said.

    Apparently, there have been quite a few deaths during the knight qualification exams.

    You can form teams or go alone. Both methods have their advantages. Are you ready!

    The instructors shout was met with a resounding response.

    Good. Lets begin!

    He drew his sword from his waist and raised it high into the sky. It was the signal to start the exam, and thousands of cadets challenging for the knight qualification simultaneously rushed towards the mountain.

    It was quite a spectacle.

    Shion. Shall we go?

    Soliette asked with a smile.

    lm going alone.

    What?

    She looked as if she had been betrayed by the world. I chuckled and corrected myself.

    Just kidding. Lets go.

    You really scared me there.

    We climbed the mountain. The first 1,000 meters were easy, but the peak of this mountain range reaches a staggering 9,000 meters above sea level.

    It means we could actually die if were not careful.

    S h i o n

    Soliette asked as she climbed the path.

    Yeah. What is it?

    I stuck close to soliette.

    Arent you a bit too close?

    Apparently, Soliette found this proximity somewhat ufortable.

    You generate a lot of body heat.

    People from Arkne naturally emit heat due to their magical energy, and they produce a significant amount of heat, so Im using her as a human heater. Even though Im quite sturdy, I cantpletely ignore the cold like soliette.

    Hmm.

    Soliette looked somewhat displeased.

    What?

    lts always been like this. Ever since I was young, on cold days, animals or people would cling to me.

    Think of it as fate.

    What kind of response is that?

    lts a good thing. Lets hurry up.

    [3,000 meters above sea level] a sign appeared. It was a half snow-covered milestone, and beneath it was a small warning.

    Be careful of the cold and blizzards.

    The cold had indeed be severe. It was not just moderately cold. I ended up clinging to soliettes back, and her lips pouted.

    Soliette. Turn it up a bit.

    What are you talking about?

    The temperature.

    Soliette nced at me sharply and then increased the output of her magic a bit more.

    Ah, thats warm. Its nice.

    Really now.

    She frowned as if it was ridiculous, but was a bit embarrassed.

    No, Soliette. Isnt this a bit abnormal?

    What is?

    lts too cold, even for cold weather.

    The cold was bizarre. It felt like it could be minus 80 degrees Celsius. At an altitude of 3,000 meters, if its this cold here, what will happen if we go higher?

    Whooooosh!

    Suddenly, the wind blew, mixing with particles of snow. It was a blizzard. Even a slight touch on the skin felt like it was freezing.

    Heater!

    Ah, damn.

    Soliette released a powerful burst of magic. Inside the circr barrier she created, I caught my breath.

    No, Shion. But whats with ''heater? Call me by my name.

    Soliette red at me, but honestly, I felt it was a bit unfair.

    Thats not the point? This is really weird.

    This cold snap is suspicious.

    Of course, direct magical effects cant harm me.

    However, if magic indirectly dramatically lowers the natural temperature, it affects me too.

    It seems like that kind of magic is happening in this mountain range right now.

    Why?

    Is someone targeting me?

    Or is it just nature going haywire?

    Well. Its okay. Anyway

    Suddenly, Soliette stopped talking. She stared up at the mountain range, frozen in ce.

    What

    I looked up at the same spot and also shut my mouth.

    Rumble, rumble, rumble!

    An avnche No.

    Hey, hey! Look out!

    A snowball the size of half the mountain was rolling down towards us.

    It was toote to dodge.

    Soliette, meth rower!

    Ah, damn. I cant do that!

    Soliette quickly drew her sword, and I did the same.

    Center! Lets break thro ugh.

    Got it.

    In an instant, we assumed the same stance.

    It was the Severing Sword.

 Chapter 297: Artificial Intelligence (3)

    Chapter 297: Artificial Intelligence (3)

    The two sword strikes flew side by side on the pristine snowy mountain. The avnche, as big as a house, shattered noisily, and the debris melted away in soliettes heat.

    I sheathed my sword. Soliette did the same.

    Phew!

    Soliette sighed in relief, but I was annoyed.

    Why do you keep copying me?

    She keeps mimicking the Severing Sword. Arkne swordsmanship would have been much more effective against that snowball.

    Shions swordsmanship is very good. It feels like its be second nature to me.

    The phrase second nature.

    Whether she regressed or not, perhaps the Severing Sword itself is a talent that suits her.

    You know, thats like copyright infringement.

    But its not a good thing. Not for soliette, nor for the Arkne family.

    Shion, please be my master.

    Your master is supposed to be your family.

    The Arkne family is essentially swordsmanship.

    It means that the family was created to pass down swordsmanship, not that the family passes down swordsmanship.

    Therefore, before regression, Soliette, who chose the Severing Sword, had no choice but to sever ties with her family.

    lts petty. I taught you Arkne swordsmanship, didnt I7

    Thats different.

    How is it different?

    YOU Ah, let''s just walk.

    We continued up the path. The cold persisted, so I leaned against soliettes back.

    Dont turn off the heater.

    Then teach me the swordsmanship.

    You said youd learn by watching anyway.

    Still, its not too bad. If she uses Arkne as the base and learns the Severing Sword as a special technique.

    Yes. Then I will continue to learn by watch ing.

    Soliette, sounding somewhat pleased, turned up the intensity of the heater. The area around us warmed up.

    It made me a bit drowsy, but lets endure until we find a suitable campsite.

    At an altitude of 5,000 meters.

    The cold here is almost magical. Not that its actually magical, but its as magically cold.

    Because of this, Ive run into a problem.

    The cold, coupled with the side effects of the Severing Sword, has me nearly passing out. The issue of getting sleepy when my stamina runs out is still very much present.

    Soliette. This ce looks good. Lets rest for a bit.

    We must have been climbing non-stop for about 16 hours. I spotted a cave-like formation in the snowy mountain.

    It was a crevice where the walls ovepped in a curved shape, quite spacious, enough to build a sturdy igloo that couldst us a few days.

    Yes. Lets rest.

    Soliette seemed tired too and agreed.

    Should we spread out the sleeping bags first?

    No. Lets build the igloo.

    I moved the snow using a Magic Spell. It was telekinesis.

    Wow~ Shion. Did you learn this too?

    Its from Raquel Dra, but soliette wouldnt know that.

    Yeah. Just in case, I learned it.

    I pulled the snowkes into the crevice, stacking themyer byyer to build an igloo that could fit about four to five people.

    In 30 minutes, a pretty decent igloo waspleted.

    Not the kind kids make out of snow for fun, but the neat igloos youd see in cartoons.

    Lets go inside.

    Yes.

    We entered.

    Soliette made an admiring noise like an old man.

    lts cozy, Shion. Will it hold if we turn on the heater in here?

    This guy has already epted the fact that shes like a heater.

    lf you release your magic power too strongly, of course itll melt. But it should hold up just fine with the heater.

    Oh? Is that so?

    Yeah. Lets start a fire first. Itll be a waste of your magic power otherwise.

    Even a human heater isnt infinite. We need to rest and refuel appropriately.

    I took out a burner. A mountaineering cooking device that runs on magic power. Its one of the supplies, and as soon as soliette flicked her finger, the fire zed up.

    The warmth quickly filled the inside of the igloo.

    Ah.

    I groaned andy down on the floor. Soliette took out a frying pan.

    Seemingly hungry, she started sizzling some frozen meat we had in supplies on the pan.

    I watched soliette as she salivated over the cooking meat and then noticed my gaze.

    l''m cooking yours too, Shion.

    Yeah. But it wont be enough, will it?

    I''ve calcted, and the amount of supplies in our backpacks is ridiculously low. Not even enough for half a day, let alone a full day.

    Especially since our base metabolic rate is probably equivalent to three or four average menbined.

    So, are you nning not to eat, Shion?

    Soliette asked with a hint of anticipation.

    No, Im going to eat it.

    Yes.

    I didnt understand why she seemed disappointed.

    lt means we have to hunt. Well have to keep going while hunting.

    Hmm If you want, we can nt the g and go down. 5,000 meters is more than enough to pass the first test.

    I chuckled dryly and shook my head.

    Who would you trust?

    Trust? Who?

    Soliette is too naive right now.

    Maybe Im being too cynical, but still.

    Think about it. Sure, the rule is that you can go down the mountain once you nt the g. But who manages those gs?

    As I asked, Soliettes eyes widened slightly.

    This knights exam, everyones apetitor. There will probably be a lot of people who will pull out any g they see. Some might even go around looking for gs to pull out. Or, the mountain beasts swarming around here might break them.

    Soliette nodded as he listened to me.

    So, the climb itself is a test, but if you cant protect your g, yourepletely out.

    Ah That makes sense.

    She seemed to understand as she distributed the fully cooked meat onto tes.

    We split the meat evenly between us, but it was far from enough.

    Well have to go hunting.

    Soliette looked like she couldnt stand it anymore. Her stomach was growling loudly.

    At some point, she had regained her appetite and had be aplete glutton.

    She took out a whetstone. I quietly watched as she sharpened her sword with swift strokes.

    The motion of sharpening on the whetstone. Her focused eyes. Her long hair tied up into a ponytail.

    Every aspect of her was just like before the regression.

    The soliette I loved before the regression

    Ah, except for the grease around her mouth.

    Hey.

    Yes?

    Severing Sword. You learned it by watching me, right?

    I asked her pointlessly. It seemed like she still had some faint memories from before the regression.

    Of course. Who else would I learn from if not Shion? But, is the sword technique called Severing Sword?

    Ascal Style.

    Ascal Style Would you consider taking me as your disci ple?

    Soliettes eyes were earnest.

    ShickShick

    The sound of the sword being sharpened on the whetstone added a menacing air.

    Lets go hunting. I cant sleep because Im hungry.

    I got up.

    Yes.

    Soliette followed suit.

    Whooooosh!

    As soon as we stepped out, a fierce wind whipped around us.

    Boiler!

    Say heater, instead.

    I clung close to soliette as I turned on the SZX-9500, scanning for potential prey

    Huh?

    Did you find something?

    Soliette asked, swallowing her saliva.

    Yeah. Found a person.

    Really?

    Thud, thud. A man, covered in frost, was climbing the mountain in the distance.

    Gerkhen.

    He was in a precarious state, on the verge of copsing, or rather, he was already copsed and only his feet were moving.

    His willpower is something else.

    Typical of Gerkhen. Of course, even for someone like him, this environment wouldnt be easy

    Thats when a thought shed through my mind. Suddenly, I considered this magical cold.

    Guess it wasnt at me after all.

    What do you mean?

    At first, I thought this cold was targeting me.

    But, that couldnt be right.

    The target was Gerkhen.

    I just happened to take the same route as him.

    Come on. Lets go save him Oh. Theres food next to him too.

    Food?

    Yeah. A beast.

    The difference between a beast and a monster is that both are dangerous, but you can eat a beast.

    lts a bear.

    A pitch-ck bear, plump and meaty, its eyes fixed on Gerkhen.

    It seems it followed him up here to catch him in his vulnerable state, but thats even better for us.

    Lets go catch it.

    Yes! Well be having bear soup today.

    Soliette licked her lips as she prepared to move out.

    Bubble, bubble - bubble, bubble -

    The sound of the bear soup boiling woke Gerkhen up. He blinked slowly as hey there.

    You awake?

    Someone called out to him. Gerkhen jerked his upper body up in surprise.

    Why so start led 7

    It was Shion Ascal.

    Gerkhen silently alternated his gaze between Shion and the bear soup, confused about what was happening.

    His memories of climbing the snowy mountain were fragmented.

    Shion spoke.

    You passed out. Because of the cold.

    Bubble, bubble -

    Enticed by the sound of the soup, Gerkhen asked.

    Did you save me?

    Something like that. Soliette and I.

    Gerkhen looked around the interior. Soliette wasnt there.

    Shes outside butchering right now. Meat, hide, and various other useful things. For now, eat this.

    Shion handed him a bowl of bear soup. Gerkhen didnt refuse. His hunger was nearly murderous.

    Gulp - gulp -

    After taking a sip, Gerkhen asked Shion.

    Can you guys handle the cold?

    Well Its tough for me too. Soliettes the only one whos okay.

    Shion then made a slightly strange expression.

    Youre being targeted.

    Targeted?

    Gerkhen repeated.

    Yeah. Didnt you be a disciple of Professor Theia?

    That news was well-known. The moment Gerkhen obtained his knight certification, he officially became Theias apprentice.

    lts probably Libra. It''s definitely Libra.

    Shion was certain that this was Libra''s interference.

    Libra would torment Theia Esil by meddling with her subordinates. Persistently and relentlessly shaking those around her, ultimately isting her.

    Gerkhen, the most loyalpanion who had stayed by her side the longest.

    Yet, he was the very person who would betray her at the most crucial moment, leading Theia to her demise.

    In this life too, he would probably betray Theia.

    Why would Libra?

    Your professor dered war on us.

    The living being killed, its soul overwritten by artificial intelligence. An hical act that Theia could never condone.

    Just eat the bear soup. We need to start moving soon.

    Thump

    Shion set the bear soup on the igloo floor, grabbed the burner, and then stepped outside.

    Gerkhen, after ncing around, lifted the pot of bear soup and started eating.

    Gulpgulpgulp

    He ate the meat and crunched the bones. The soup was so hearty that he was full after eating about half of it.

    Ah.

    Having satisfied his hunger, Gerkhen also stepped outside the igloo. Soliette and Shion were standing there.

    I dont owe you anything.

    At Gerkhens words, Shion chuckled.

    Owe nothing. Just take this.

    Shion handed over a third of the bear supplies to Gerkhen. A bear skin to wear, and meat to eatter, all wrapped up like a bundle.

    Soliette frowned in surprise.

    Ah, Shion. I spent three hours diligently butchering that

    Take it.

    Shion insisted. Gerkhen quietly looked at it.

    Our paths are different, so we cant go together. Just don''t die.

    Theia and Libra.

    Now inherently antagonistic, they couldnt even pretend to be friendly.

    Thanks.

    Gerkhen hugged the bundle to his side. Soliette pouted like a child who had her toy taken away.

    Yeah. GO.

    Trudging up the slope, Gerkhen could hear soliette and Shions conversation trailing behind him.

    I spent hours butchering that.

    Ah, we can just catch another one. There are two of us, after all.

    Hmph But what about this igloo? Should we smash it?

    No. Lets just leave it. Consider it a gift to anyone who makes it up to 5,000 meters.

    What? I thought this was apetition.

    We dont need to stoop to sabotaging others, do we?

    Hmm. True, that makes sense.

    Theres no need to stoop to pettypetition.

    Gerkhen smiled faintly as their voices faded away.

    The next day.

    A team of four college students reached the same altitude of 5,000 meters.

    lts 5,000 meters!

    Though many had passed this way long before them, for these students, it was an unexpected achievement.

    Mid-tier students from a provincial university, they had nothing remarkable about them, but they had clung together, enduring through sheer willpower over two days It was almost a miracle.

    5,000 meters, its 5,000 meters!

    Ughhh

    Waaahhh

    They hugged each other and cried for a long while.

    But soon, the cold reality set in.

    lf we nt a g and then leave, it might get taken, right?

    P ro ba b ly

    The format of the first test was essentially ''climb as high as possible, but it was ultimately simr to a game of capturing gs.

    Even if I climb high, if someone takes the g, their score increases.

    Many had their gs stolen without climbing far up.

    Can west the remaining time?

    One of the four muttered dejectedly.

    There were still three days until the end of the test, but they were out of food, exhausted, and the cold and environment were far more brutal.

    Encountering a wild beast now would almost certainly mean death.

    Lets nt the g and head down.

    What if it gets stolen?

    Lets hide it. We have to leave it to luck. Staying here any longer could kill US.

    They fell silent, heavy-hearted. They had worked hard, very hard, to reach 5,000 meters, so now should they just leave it to luck?

    Or how could they leave it to luck after working so hard to get here?

    Alright. Let''s hide the g

    After some deliberation, they lifted the g and

    Hey, guys!

    Suddenly, one of them scanning the area pointed somewhere and shouted.

    Look over there!

    What, what?

    There! There!

    Where?

    Ah, just follow me!

    One ran ahead, and the other three followed.

    An igloo!

    It was a neatly made igloo nestled in the crevice of the mountain range.

    ls there someone inside?

    lt doesnt seem like it.

    Lets go in and check.

    The knight who discovered the igloo entered first. Inside the cozy interior, on the ground, there was a pot containing half-eaten bear soup.

    Theres soup? And its even half left.

    Really?

    Hey. Lets go. There must be an owner then.

    The owner is huh?

    One of them picked up a piece of paper ced on the ground.

    Theres a note here. Take a look.

    He then showed it to the others.

    [Feel free to use and restfortably before you leave.]

    The four of them were silent for a while, just standing still.

    Then, looking at each other, they nodded, feeling touched.

    In this world, there are many obsessed withpetition, and many who believe they must bring others down to survive.

    But here was someone with a kind, warm heart.

    This is what makes the world worth living in.

    They took out a burner and ced the pot with the bear soup on it.

    Click-

    This is going to be delicious.

    Theres meat in it too.

    As the bear soup bubbled over the me, the four of them smiled, a mix of emotion and tears in their eyes.

 Chapter 298: What are Memories (1)

    Chapter 298: What are Memories (1)

    At an altitude of 7,000 meters.

    It seemed like the sun never set here. The night was incredibly short, and the morning was exceedingly long.

    lt''s cold.

    The magical chill that had targeted Gerkhen had now dissipated, but the natural cold was no less forgiving. Without soliette, I would have barely made it.

    This knight qualification exam is no joke.

    No wonder freshmen dont participate.

    Shion. Doesnt it look like theres an enemy over there?

    Soliette drew her sword.

    Just a moment. Let me check.

    I with my SZX-9500 to the other side. Along a narrow path leading to the peak of the mountain range, a man was leaning against a stone tower.

    He was chewing on a branch.

    Looks like there is someone.

    Seems like hes another college student.

    Shion. Shall we go?

    Yeah. Thats the only path.

    We walked towards him.

    Crunch. Crunch.

    As we got closer, the man turned to look at us. He smirked and picked up a long spear he had stuck in the ground.

    What year are you guys?

    His voice was full of bluster and arrogance.

    I answered.

    Freshmen.

    What~?

    He frowned, his lips and eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

    Wow~ Freshmen applying for the qualification exam? Youve got guts.

    IS that not allowed?

    Soliette asked. The man swung his spear around.

    Of course not. Oh, did you juste here to gain some experience?

    The tip of the spear pointed at us.

    I exined to soliette.

    lts always like this. The number of those who pass the knight qualification exam is limited. That''s why freshmen usually face intense scrutiny.

    Ah, I see. That makes sense.

    Its a nasty mindset.

    How dare you try to snatch a knights qualification in just one year? Thats the sentiment.

    In this exam, it doesnt matter if youre from a high-ranking family or not, nobles usually participate in their second or third year.

    Targeting freshmen? Ha, thats funny. Hey. Do you think we target freshmen? Its just that youck skills and experience.

    The man tossed the g from his back to one side, maintaining his pride.

    lts survival of the fittest. The weak are preyed upon first, and the strongpeteter. Its an unspoken rule.

    I looked at soliette. Soliette asked me.

    Who goes fi rst?

    Well. Do you want to go fi rst?

    Its a bit more fair to have a one-on-one than a free-for-all.

    Pfft!

    The manughed at us deciding the order. He activated his Magic Body and swung his spear.

    Whooosh!

    The gust of wind tousled our clothes and hair.

    Hey, kids, cut the crap ande at me both of you.

    lf you don''te at me, shall I make the first move? Youll regret it then.

    Soliette looked at me. I looked back at her.

    Hes asking for it, Shion.

    Seems so.

    We nodded to each other and drew our swords. The man shed a thick smile.

    Hey, you cheeky brats. Even if you cry and beg just to see the gter, it wont help.

    Talkative, arent you?

    I approached him steadily. There seemed no need to rush if it was two against one.

    Ha, look at this kid. Youre really nothing special.

    Soliette and I walked towards the spearman who acted like a gatekeeper. Straightforwardly, step by stepthud, thud.

    Hahaha! Let me teach you, this is a spear! You won''t even be able to get close!

    As we reached a certain range, he swung his spear with all his might. A magic-infused gale forcefully surged towards us.

    And then

    Just ignore the g! Please, just ignore the g!

    10 minutester.

    His face swollen and beaten, hey pathetically sprawled,tched to my leg.

    Soliette picked up his g that had fallen to the ground.

    Aaaargh! Please, just ignore the g! Aaaargh1

    He screamed and begged, even jerking his body up and down.

    His face was so swollen that his features were barely recognizable, which was quite pitiful.

    Shion. What should we do?

    Soliette asked.

    Just ignore the g! Just ignore the g!

    Ah, shut up.

    The man quickly shut his mouth.

    Whats your name?

    I asked for his name first.

    Now it was time to gauge his past life.

    Geton. I''m a senior at Althea.

    Your words have gotten quite brief, havent they?

    l''m a senior! Really, if I dont pass this qualification exam, I have to wait another year You know, at my age, one year is like three years for you guys

    Geton sobbed and buried his face on the ground.

    Bethon, h u h.

    Not a name that sticks in memory, but if I rummage through the f Notepad J s memory

    His name appears on several significant protest event lists.

    Anyway, his character doesnt seem too bad.

    Yes. Ill consider it.

    At my words, Geton quickly raised his head.

    Really?!

    Lets see in the second exam.

    I took the g from soliette and handed it back to Bethon.

    Phew!

    Bethon quickly snatched the g, hugging it like it was his lifeline.

    What are you doing?

    I asked, pitying his appearance. Bethon shivered.

    lf youre going to destroy the g, youll have to cut through me fi rst.

    Were not going to destroy it. Were leaving.

    Yes. Lets go.

    I don''t believe you!

    Bethon clung to the g until the end, and we passed him to resume our climb.

    Meanwhile, at Dereks residence. He was receiving information about Theia Esil from Bncer Smith.

    lt seems, our A.I. has raised some suspicions.

    Huh.

    Derek gritted his teeth.

    That crazy woman is trying to cause trouble.

    Theia Esil, a professor at the national university, a mage, and a knight, had earned considerable trust in her field through numerous achievements.

    She was attempting to unravel his Al.

    What if she stops now?

    Theia was a formidable opponent even for Derek.

    He could handle her alone, but Vern was the problem.

    Expanding the front on both sides was

    The preparations for the sales are alreadyplete.

    Dr. Vito said. Derek turned to him.

    The Ais will soon be packaged and delivered. A total of 1,000 people. Just the registration fee is 300 million Ren.

    Just the registration fee, 300 million Ren. Subscription revenue, 1 million Ren per month. Derek''s breathing became rough.

    Of course, the reviews will be good, and then well get 1,000 new subscribers each month. At least 10,000 people across the continent will own this personal assistant.

    10,000 people meant 30 billion Ren in registration fees.

    Subscription revenue, 10 million Ren per month.

    The numbers were exhrating. He couldnt let go of such a cash cow.

    The only problem was the damned ''ethics.

    What if. That woman finds evidence?

    lt''s unlikely, but by then, many corporations, wealthy individuals, and families will be using our AI.

    Vitos answer had multiple implications. Derek smiled deeply.

    Make them aplices?

    Yes. The corporations will never give it up. They can save from the wages of at least a thousand employees.

    Derek looked at Smith. Smith quickly asked.

    Should we activate the Intelligence Agency?

    NO. That director.

    TskDerek clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    Gedley can no longer be trusted. Hes practically obsolete.

    Gedley hadpletely lost trust after the previous New Frontier incident.

    So then

    That guy. The new one. The one who kept Theia from attending the parliamentst time.

    Derek snapped his fingers as he spoke. The name didnte to mind immediately.

    Shion Ascal, are you referring to him?

    Yes, that guy.

    He pointed at Smith as if confirming the correct answer.

    Leave it to him.

    Yes, understood.

    Smith nodded. Derek then turned back to Vito.

    And, Vito. Did you bring the data I asked for before?

    Vito fiddled with his hair and pulled out a USB from his pocket.

    Here it is.

    There won''t be any corrupted data, right? Johanna will figure everything out.

    Yes. Its all urate data values, including the registry.

    Derek does not breach faith in dealings. It was also one of his principles.

    He might y tricks during the negotiation itself, but he doesnt engage in amateurish deception in a finalized deal.

    lts strange that Johanna is diving into pharmaceuticals.

    Vito chuckled softly. Derek smirked and slipped the USB into his pocket.

    lts a waste of money. She doesnt know how hard I worked to build up the pharmaceutical industry.

    Yes. Lord Derek, you have splendidly continued the legacy of Lord Sherlock.

    Vito quietly praised him. Derek paused for a moment but soon smiled contentedly.

    Yes. After all, I will be the sessor.

    A sly smile spread across Vitos lips.

    At an altitude of over 11,000 meters, the summit of the mountain range was thin on oxygen. Although I had somewhat adapted to the cold, breathing was still nearly impossible.

    Isnt space closer than the ground from here?

    The view is nice.

    The spectacr sight of the entirely white mountain range oveid with the blue sky.

    I gasped for breath and muttered absentmindedly.

    lndeed.

    Soliette still looked fine.

    Just 24 hours left. Now its really about endurance.

    I could see why Geton was ying gatekeeper. Id rather squabble with the kids below than suffer up here.

    Yes.

    Soliette''s response was unusually thin. She just stood on the cliff, looking out.

    Was the view that sentimental?

    I moved my weary body to stand beside her.

    Just then, the sun began to set.

    The ridges and horizon were bathed in pink as the sunset cast its hues. It was the color of twilight that drenched the world ethereally.

    It felt as though we had fallen into some magical space, and for a moment, I too was dazed.

    lts not just nice.

    Its breathtaking.

    I dont know who came up with such flowerynguage, but it truly suited thisndscape.

    It was just like a fantasy.

    .

    Soliette was silent.

    Perhaps moved by such beautiful scenery, she just stood still in the same spot.

    Do you like it that much?

    I ced my hand on her shoulder.

    Then, suddenly

    Ah!

    Soliettes body abruptly tilted towards the cliff. I quickly grabbed her.

    Her eyes were closed, and her body was limp.

    Hey! Soliette!

    I pulled her away from the cliff andid her down on the ground.

    Hey, hey. Whats wrong with you?

    Soliette remained silent. The pink sunlight touched her face, but there was no change in her unconscious state.

    Open your eyes, damn it!

    Could it be hypoxia? Should I perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?

    I ced my hand on her lips, gauging the amount of oxygen my body could provide.

    Huh.

    Trying to calm my racing heart.

    Soliette weakly opened her eyes.

    I slowly removed my hand from her lips.

    That scared me. Are you alright?

    .

    She just looked up at me silently. I tapped her cheek lightly.

    What. Stop spacing out? Snap out of it.

    .

    Tap-tap- Tap-tap-

    After tapping her cheek a couple more times, Soliette pushed my hand away and sat up. Then she began to act strangely.

    She rolling her hands around, pinched her own cheeks, and repeatedly stretched and folded her legs

    I didnt know why she was doing this, but suddenly she drew her gaze at me.

    Shion.

    She called my name.

    .

    She called my name.

    She called my name.

    My whole body stiffened at the sound of her calling my name.

    Her voice was eerily peculiar.

    The hairs on the back of my neck stood up like thorns, and an inexplicable shiver resonated down to my bones.

    YOU

    I tried to steady my trembling hand as I asked,

    Who are you?

    Soliette still looked like soliette, but her face and expression were subtly different.

    Too different.

    Who are you?

    Soliette, repeating my words, slightly raised her eyebrows.

    Touching the corner of her eyeperfectly intact without any scarsshe answered,

    lts me.

    Her tone was deeply resonant. It was as if her soul had switched, her voice tinged with raw wounds.

    The moment I heard her words, I knew.

    My heart was suddenly shaken. My breathing felt as if it was being chopped into pieces.

    It was hard to breathe.

    Shion.

    Soliette called me again. But she was not the soliette of now.

    Soliette.

    The soliette from before the regression.

    The her from that time was facing me right here, right now

    Now I will take my 1 month break.

 Chapter 299: What are Memories (2)

    Chapter 299: What are Memories (2)

    The sunset smeared across the mountain peak was ethereal. The sky was dyed in mystical hues.

    Wrapped as if in an aurora, I gazed at soliette.

    Her outward appearance remained the same

    No, even her exterior was different.

    Her soul summoned forth simple habits, and these habits formed expressions that were both familiar and unfamiliar, making her seem like someone else.

    YOU.

    I called out to soliette. She nodded as she looked at me.

    What is it?

    Her brief reply was perplexing. It was as if her mouth had frozen over.

    Could it really be an oxygen issue?

    Was I passed out and dreaming?

    lt''s not a dream.

    Even the talk of dreams was initiated by soliette. I pressed down on my throbbing temples.

    I decided to rx my body to maintain consciousness.

    I ended up slumping to the ground.

    Soliette looked down at me and asked,

    Does it still hurt?

    I let out a hollowugh.

    How could it not hurt? Its mental pain now.

    lndeed. Something seems fucked up.

    HOW What happened?

    Soliette turned back to the horizon. Between the ridges, there were bursts of light spreading like fountains.

    I dont know the details. But at this altitude, the magical energy itself bes peculiar. Anything could happen.

    Just peculiar is your exnation?

    Soliette tilted her head.

    Yes. It is peculiar, isnt it? Both Shion and I.

    I ran my fingers through my hair. Soliette continued softly,

    I thought I was dreaming all this while.

    A dream.

    Yes. In that dream, there was another me, not me, with the Shion I know.

    By now, it was clear.

    She was soliette from before her regression. However, why she was here, how she came to be here, I didnt know.

    The most likely hypothesis was hallucinations due to oxygen deprivation.

    A fantasy invoked by my subconscious longing.

    Shion was experiencing things with a version of me that wasnt me.

    Really?

    Yes. Honestly, it still feels like a dream. I feel like Ill return when I wake up.

    I got up.

    If she was indeed the soliette from before her regression, regardless of the principles or reasons, if she was indeed the pre-regression soliette.

    Then. Do you know your future?

    I felt like I couldnt let her die.

    Spoilers kill.

    Soliette narrowed her eyes sharply.

    She was deadly serious. And it wasnt even a joke. This soliette never joked in the first ce.

    I stood beside her.

    Then take a guess, damn it. Why are you here?

    lt might be because of the Severing Sword.

    Severing Sword

    Indeed, even the Severing Sword is suspicious.

    Could this severing sword have cut through the ties of both before and after her regression?

    lm not sure of the details, but one thing is certain.

    Soliette gazed into the open scenery. The mystical colors had faded into mere afterimages, and a deep navy began to fill the void.

    Something is pulling me.

    Something? What is that something?

    lf I knew, Id be a god.

    Right now, you seem like a god to me.

    As a simple regressor, she was the first to have ovee regression.

    Dont fuck around.

    Yes, of course.

    Soliette shrugged her shoulders.

    More importantly, is Shion okay?

    The same. Just repeating everything from the begin ning.

    ls that so? Then, is your revenge going well?

    Soliette seemed curious about my illness and my revenge.

    lts going well.

    She nodded silently.

    Now the world hadpletely darkened, and soliette quietly closed her eyes as if feeling that something.

    We might see each other often.

    What?

    Swoosh

    She quietly copsed. I caught her.

    She keeps dangerously teetering towards the edge of the cliff.

    Uh.

    Soliette opened her eyes again. I scanned her face.

    Soliette. Are you okay?

    Um Yes.

    This innocent, frog-like expression wasnt the soliette from just before.

    It was the current soliette, not the one before regression.

    lt seems I fainted for a moment

    Soliette struggled slightly, almost as if I was embracing her.

    Oh, sorry.

    I quickly let go. Soliette, who had stepped back a few paces, cleared her throat.

    So. Shall we head up to the peak now?

    No. Lets just nt the g. Here or at the peak, its all top-tier anyway.

    Yes.

    Thump! Thump!

    We nted the g.

    Then we sat down side by side on the ground.

    Breathing is tough here.

    Yeah. It really is.

    The sudden encounter ended just as abruptly.

    Yet, I waited, wondering if she might appear again, and yawned loudly

    Soliette leaned against my shoulder and fell asleep.

    About three hourster, the first phase of the exam was over.

    The order to descend the mountain had been issued.

    Descending the mountain was as difficult as climbing it. We made our way down awkwardly, and the soliette from before the regression never returned.

    But she had clearly said we would see each other often.

    Shes not one to break a promise, so shell surely return someday

    Regression.

    Suddenly, I found myself deep in thought. It was all because of that sudden appearance.

    What, really, was the reason for my regression?

    Or rather, what does regression mean?

    All linear events return to a point in the past and start over from there.

    Thats what I thought regression was.

    However, if that''s the case, the soliette from before the regression shouldn''t exist. The current soliette and the soliette from before the regression shouldnt be connected.

    Regression is an event that erases all past urrences and starts anew.

    Shion. What are you thinking so deeply about?

    Uh, oh? Ah nothing.

    Anyway.

    We safely descended the mountain.

    There was no need to go all the way down the mountain we had climbed; there was a proper base camp in the middle of the mountain where only the passers gathered.

    There were already quite a few passers and instructors gathered there.

    Well done!

    An instructor shouted loudly.

    The passers of the first exam are the top 300 record holders! The list of passers is as follows!

    The instructor called out the names of the passers by mouth. Only Gerkhen, me, and soliette were first-year students.

    Shion. Look over there.

    Soliette pointed somewhere.

    Bethon, whose face was still swollen. He, who had been beaten up by us, was grinning and enjoying his pass.

    The second exam is next week. Go home, recover from the journey, ande back in perfect condition!

    Yes!

    The aspiring knights responded loudly.

    Now, take your phones!

    The instructors distributed the phones that had been collected before the exam. I immediately pressed the message box as soon as I received mine.

    There were quite a few messages from the Intelligence Agency.

    It seemed that, rather than recovering, I would have to start working immediately.

    The next morning at dawn.

    I had only taken a short nap before heading straight to work.

    However, the ce of work wasnt the Intelligence Agency. It was the car.

    More precisely, the back seat of the car. I was glued to the floor mat, waiting for someone who would soon get into this car.

    Beep

    The sound of unlocking.

    Then the door opened, and that person sat in the drivers seat.

    At that moment, I sprang up.

    Director Gedley.

    !

    Gedleys whole body flinched. I ced my hand on his shoulder.

    Calm down.

    You.

    Gedley looked at me with unsteady eyes.

    Youre being careless. Seems like youre not having the best of timestely.

    No bodyguards, no secretary. This meant that Gedleys current situation was extremely precarious.

    He bit his lip. Probably, the Chaser assassination case was shing through his mind like a rapid slideshow.

    It seemed like he was imagining himself as one of the victims.

    Do you think youll be safe like this?

    Gedley asked.

    Dont misunderstand. Im not here to harm you, D ire ctor.

    I patted his shoulder lightly to calm him down.

    ln this situation? You expect me to believe that?

    Please forgive the rudeness. There simply was no other ce for us to have this conversation.

    You think Id want to talk with you

    I know youre not the one who targeted Team Leader Bell.

    What?

    Gedley furrowed his brow.

    I don''t believe you were behind the attempt on Bell''s life.

    I smiled slightly as I looked at Gedley. He pped my hand away.

    Obvious. Knowing that, you still dare to be this disrespectful?

    lts precisely because I know that, Director, that I came to find you.

    Now, it was time to sow discord.

    Removing Gedley wouldnt guarantee Bell Moore bing the Director. With the other team leaders still in ce, Derek might parachute his own bncer into the position.

    We suspect your subordinates, Director.

    Gedley listened silently to my story.

    They attacked us and tried to pin the me on you, Director.

    Hmph. Baseless nonsense without evidence.

    I pulled out a portable cassette yer from my coat and yed the tape.

    No, its the opposite. Why would we assassinate Bell Moore in the first ce? Theres no reason for that.

    What?

    Everyone knows yet keeps quiet. Lets be frank. Its obviously something Director Gedley would do. The Director has almost lost his entire fortune.

    Jensen. Thats too spective-

    Yet the Director is trying to pin it on us. Hes dered it an internal investigation, iming one of the team leaders is the culprit. He even went through my subordinates and my bank ounts. Is this spective?

    The recording of a highly confidential meeting of the team leaders.

    Gedleys expression changed moment by moment as he listened.

    lt could be fabricated.

    Gedley gritted his teeth and responded. I smiled slightly.

    You really trust your subordinates. You can die that way too.

    You bastard

    I threw the tape onto the passenger seat.

    lf you think its fabricated, listen to the whole thing, not just the context.

    Hey. Is this also Bell Moores doing?

    As I was about to get out of the car, Gedley grabbed my arm. I turned to face him, considering my next words carefully.

    lt''s not a scheme, its an opportunity that Team Leader Bell is offering you.

    Ha

    A hollowugh spread across Gedleys face. Was it self-mockery about the situation he was in, or was it extreme anger?

    Think it over and let me know your decision, Director Gedley.

    I shed a grin and left the parking lot.

    Hmm.

    It was clear how Gedley would move forward.

    Having already lost Dereks trust and with the team leaders likely to betray him, the opportunist Gedley would surely cling to Bell Moore, or rather, to me, in an attempt to survive.

    Then, Bell Moore would naturally be the next director, endorsed by the former di recto r

    Drrring

    My smartphone rang just as I was thinking about it.

    Speak of the devil.

    It was a call from Bell Moore.

    Hello?

    Hey! Hey!

    Bell Moore shouted as soon as I answered.

    Whats up?

    Fuck, where are you? Were screwed.

    He cursed immediately. Had this lunatic gotten into some trouble?

    I sighed.

    What happened now?

    Just get to the team leaders office now! Weve been assigned some shitty mission.

    A mission?

    It seemed he hadnt caused any idents, fortunately.

    Yeah! Hurry up! Im waiting!

    Click-

    Bell Moore had hung up abruptly.

    ls this really a team leader, this brat

    I muttered to myself as I hailed a nearby taxi.

    Take a look. This is the setup mission weve been assign ed.

    In Bell Moores office.

    He was biting his nails as he handed me the documents. I quickly scanned the contents.

    Definitely. This is a big deal.

    I immediately understood why Bell Moore was acting like a dog desperate to shit.

    I lifted the photo of the [operation target] from the file.

    Hair as dark as obsidian. Pupils deep and unfathomable like darkness itself.

    The woman with the bob cut, Theia Esil, suited it quite well.

    Yeah. The order came directly from above to target this woman. Directly!

    Directly meant it was from Derek.

    What should we do?

    Whats the deadline for the mission?

    I havent epted it yet.

    I looked at Bell Moore.

    Why havent you epted it?

    Hey. You think you can handle Theia Esil? Shes a real crazy bitch.

    lf you don''t ept, Derek will be disap pointed.

    This isnt the kind of operation you can just ept.

    Damn it

    Then Bell Moore flung the file into the air, like a child throwing a tantrum over food.

    He might as well start stomping his feet next.

    So what do you want me to do? Fight her? How? Even if we bring 100 Chasers, they''d all be butchered. You''ve never seen Theia Esil fight, have you?

    We dont have to fight.

    I set the report down.

    Not fight?

    Yes. Leave it to me.

    I''m aware of the scandals surrounding Theia Esil. Honestly, theres not much to them, but they can be spun.

    As they were before my regression.

    lt might take some time, but I can definitely get her imprisoned.

    Imprisonment would surely be a better end than death.

 Chapter 300: What are Memories (3)

    Chapter 300: What are Memories (3)

    Theia had a mentor. Even she couldnt have seeded alone. She was exceptionally talented, but she needed someone to guide her direction.

    Theias mentor had only three disciples, and two of them were Theia and Akane. They were disciples of the same master.

    Now, they have be sworn enemies.

    It was because of their masters death.

    The suspicious death of their old master, a respected schr and mage, was the crux of Theias downfall before my regression.

    Im pondering, rolling my pen between my fingers.

    The Theia Esil before my regression died. She was executed, the highest form of legal punishment. It was made possible through countless fabrications by Libra and the cooperation of the council.

    Theia had many enemies.

    As many enemies as she had, she also had allies, but she was too harsh with the important higher-ups.

    Unfortunately, there are too many things on this continent that one cannot endure alone with personal strength.

    I know this all too well because Ive painfully experienced it.

    Thats why

    Even if it wasnt me, someone would have to do it.

    I dont know exactly when Libras evil began. However, if Sherlock moves, he will surely execute Theia.

    Before that, I must prevent the future.

    I can prevent her execution.

    I must.

    Even if a momentary imprisonment is difficult, even if it makes me utterly detestable.

    Theia, as long as you are alive, you will surely triumph someday.

    Akanes [Selfless Coffin].

    I visited her. As usual, she was sitting at the counter.

    With her legs propped up on the desk, she nced at me while flipping through a magazine.

    What now?

    I browsed the items on the shelves. There were quite a few new products.

    Are prosthetics selling well these days?

    Did youe here to worry about my business?

    Well, two birds with one stone.

    I fiddled with a prosthetic hand that felt almost like a real one. Akane yawned and turned the page of her magazine.

    They sell, but the profit isnt great.

    That figures. You put too much effort into each one.

    Akane is a chronic debtor, gued by financial losses. Prosthetic creation is costly, and most people who lose limbs are financially strained.

    The wealthy rarely find themselves in situations where they might lose a limb.

    Tell me what youre here for. Did youe to buy a prosthetic?

    No.

    I stood in front of the counter. Looking her straight in the eye, I said,

    This time, Ivee as a Chaser for Libra.

    Libra?

    Yes.

    I ced my business card on the table.

    I need your help, Akane.

    Akane eyed me strangely, and I handed her an envelope.

    Take a look.

    She sighed as she pulled out the documents. Her expression, initially casual as she skimmed the content, quickly turned stern.

    It was the first time we faced each other in this life.

    These are documents about Theia Esil.

    Where did you get this information, and how?

    Akane set the documents upright. Her voice was edged with sharpness, as if she might detonate the papers and split my head open at any moment.

    I investigated.

    This isn''t something you just ''find out through investigation.

    lt wasnt a simple investigation, obviously.

    Dont y word games with me.

    Akane red at me. I met her gaze without flinching.

    I felt no psychological pressure. It''s a skill that has grown day by day, dealing with people like Johanna, Jade.

    Shion Ascal.

    She called my name.

    Yes.

    Do you want to die?

    No.

    Youre crossing a line.

    I have to cross it, to deliver Theia Esil.

    Akane gritted her teeth. She flung the documents aside.

    The papers fluttered to the ground.

    Take them.

    Does this mean you''ll cooperate?

    I asked, a sly tone in my voice.

    In an instant, Akanesplexion stiffened. She summoned her magic power. A chilling sensation surged throughout [Selfless Coffin].

    You know, with just a flick of my finger, I could kill you.

    I think Ive heard that before. Could you switch it to a punch instead?

    I seemed to have grown somewhat since then.

    Akane remained silent.

    Her face was genuinely angry. Her pupils began to lose color, and a dry magic brushed against my skin.

    After all, her mentor was her Achilles'' heel.

    Are you going to lose your anchor?

    The atmosphere shifted dramatically at my words. Akane stood up abruptly, emitting a vividly eerie aura.

    ls that what you call a threat?

    No, just curious.

    I shrugged nonchntly.

    Using your mentor, or dealing with Theia Esil. Which do you dislike more, Akane?

    Akane didnt open her mouth. I began to gather the documents she had thrown on the floor.

    Akane, if you dont cooperate

    Theia Esil and Akane were archenemies. Their mutual hatred was deep enough to turn into lethal curses.

    Yet, ironically, in thest moments, Akane had tried to save Theia Esil.

    Theia Esil will die.

    I held out the documents back to her.

    Akanes magic wavered. She frowned.

    Good riddance if she dies. But if you dare use my mentor in such filthy schemes, you''ll die too.

    Akanes expression was cold and impassive. An umon emotion flickered in her when discussing her mentor.

    It was respect and reverence.

    Really? Thats strange.

    I continued with a bitter smile.

    For someone who ims that, you''ve been quite cooperative with Libra.

    Akanes body tensed for a moment. I watched her closely.

    I had always harbored some suspicions.

    There was something peculiar about her.

    Right?

    Before and after the regressionshe knew too much about me. About my illness, about my existence.

    I had never disclosed my disease to her, yet she acted as if she already knew.

    And she did know.

    Initially, I thought it was simply her informationwork the capability to spread dolls across the continent at any time.

    But I found another clue in Vitosb.

    Akane, you participated in Libras experi ments.

    She was involved in the experiments that my father had participated in.

    At the very least, she knew of an entity named ''Dale Ascal.

    Akane did not respond. However, the sharp air around us gradually dulled.

    You say your mentor should not be used.

    I continued slowly, but remained silent about my father.

    It was a story I couldnt bring up just yet.

    And yet, its alright topletely exploit someone elses life?

    Silence settled in Selfless Coffin.

    Akane stiffened like a wax doll, and I maintained my poker face.

    Soon, she let out a small sigh.

    What difference does it make if I help?

    Yes. Theia Esil wont die but will be imprisoned.

    What?

    Akane frowned, seemingly puzzled.

    Which do you prefer? Do you want to kill Theia or save her?

    Um

    I looked into Akanes eyes, pondering.

    I hope.

    The real her. Could Akane be my ally?

    Could she join me in all my intentions?

    I hope Theia Esil doesnt die.

    Before the regression, she had been of proper help to me, but ultimately, she became just a ''phenomenon.''

    A phenomenon called Akane, where countless dolls share a single consciousness, not even knowing if they are real.

    Thats what you want too, isnt it, Akane?

    I extended my hand to her. Akane scoffed.

    I want to kill her with my own hands. I dont want someone else to beat me to it.

    It was an unusual reason, but considering their rtionship, it made sense.

    And

    Akane took my hand and said,

    My mentor would also hope she doesnt die.

    A handshake sealing the agreement.

    Yes.

    Of course, there are still things about Akane I dont know and aspects that are suspicious.

    Lets do this.

    Thats why I need to delve deeper into her world.

    The second stage of the knight qualification exam was a swamp.

    The format was apetition to hunt monsters in the ''Banpara Swamp, teeming with creatures.

    This time it was an individualpetition, so I couldnt team up with soliette, and the 300 candidates who passed the first exam had to navigate the swamp alone.

    Others struggled quite a bit.

    ''Banpara Swamp is a magic space. The more you take a step within, the deeper you sink into the swamp.

    They had to maintain a Magic Body constantly to take even a single step, but it wasfortable for me.

    I borrowed the power of Grawl.

    Mud is a type of soil. Solidifying it with every step I took made it easier.

    Anyway.

    The exam took 48 hours.

    We will now announce the rankings!

    Outside the swamp, on the dirt ground, the instructor gathered us. Most of the participants looked exhausted, their breaths heavy with fatigue.

    The top 200 will advance to the final exam!

    The instructor projected the list of passers into the air.

    At the top, in first ce, was someone I had expected.

    [1st ce: Gerkhen]

    Gerkhen, a freshman, had ranked the highest.

    He was sitting on the ground, leaning his forehead against his sword.

    He seemed to be recovering his stamina, but he looked like something out of a movie.

    [3rd ce: Soliette]

    Soliette was in third ce, and I was in fifteenth.

    Not in the top 5%, but considering Im a freshman, its sufficient. I qualify as a Libra Bncer.

    Congrattions to the top 200. Unfortunately, the rest have failed. The final exam will be an interview. See you next week!

    As the instructor left, groans and some cries erupted here and there. Some were crying, whether from joy or sorrow, I couldnt tell.

    lm dead.

    Soliette approached me. Her face was covered in mud as she sighed.

    Shion. Good job.

    Yeah. You too.

    It felt like the old soliette could pop out at any moment, but I had to keep myposure.

    Suddenly, Soliette nced at me and asked.

    Shion. I heard a rumor that you drove here.

    Huh? Oh, yeah. I''ll give you a ride. I parked nearby.

    Phew. Thank you. Im totally spent.

    Then someone turned to look at me. I was slightly startled by the sudden gaze.

    It was Gerkhen.

    After dropping off soliette and Gerkhen, I was on my way home.

    lt feels awkward.

    By the way, I received a house as a gift. I was certain to pass the knight exam, and I needed a suitable base, so Zia had gifted me an apartment near the capital, close to the Aerial Garden.

    It was even in Veromonon, a ce where mostly the upper ss lived.

    [Wee]

    An unfamiliar mechanical voice greeted me as I parked in the parking lot, used the unfamiliar card key to ess the elevator, and opened the door to what had now be my home.

    Pop!

    Some sort of confetti-like pollen burst out. I flinched and looked in that direction.

    Zia was standing in the living room.

    Congrattions

    Pop!

    She set off anotherrge firecracker in each hand. I chuckled and approached her.

    Theres still the interview left.

    I picked confetti out of her hair.

    Eh you wont fail the final interview

    How can you be so sure?

    The pass rate for the final interview is surprisingly only 75%. Its not just a formality; they really filter people out.

    lt''s just a feeling.

    Zia smiled faintly. I stared at her for a moment and then smiled back.

    In this situation, it seems best to just befortable and show a rxed demeanor.

    Did youe here to congratte me?

    Yes and also, I''m kind of hungry.

    Zia sat down on the sofa.

    Shion you make delicious food.

    Her voice dripped with anticipation, as if she was hinting at something.

    It seemed like a request.

    I walked to the kitchen and asked.

    ls there anything in particr youd like to eat? I have plenty of ingredients.

    Anything is fine

    I started cooking. I presented a steak with truffles, casually showing off my most confident dish.

    Please eat.

    WOW.

    She first admired it with her eyes, and upon taking a bite, her whole body shivered.

    Is it alright?

    Mmm its so delicious.

    Her face was visibly moved.

    I smiled slightly and took a bite myself.

    tter, tter.

    Amid the sounds of utensils, Zias voice mixed in, discussing work.

    Theia Esil will it be okay?

    Yes. It will take a while, but its possible.

    I ry all the sensitive matters of the Intelligence Agency to Zia. Even hiding a small part could be sensitively perceived by her.

    Right be careful

    Zia seemed to have more to say.

    ls there something else you need to mention?

    Theres been a problem with the distribution of Lithium. Its Blocker.

    Blocker. Notoriously infamous in the underworld, essentially the backbone behind the old ''Jesco.''

    What exactly is the problem?

    Theyre performing gori warfare on the distributionworks It seems sonya isnt handling it well

    Yes. Leave it to me.

    Though this guy is two to three times bigger than Jesco, the method to handle it might be surprisingly simple.

    The situation itself is different from the Jesco days.

    Back then, due to the sheer size of the Lithium, we opted to internally dismantle the Jesco organization, but now, that isnt necessary.

    If we just cut off the head of Blocker, well have the power to easily swallow the rest.

    Can you do it?

    Of course.

    The clue is, Lithiums distributionwork that Zia uses appears to handle ''coffee beans on the surface.

    They hide weapons and raw materials under the guise of coffee beans in their distribution, a business gifted by Jade.

    Moreover, under Jade, theres hardly anybat force. It''s even being reduced day by day, for reasons unknown to anyone, because hes considered the strongest in the world.

    Helping you is my priority.

    So, what if we provoke Blocker to touch Jade?

    If we annoy him not just for a day or two, but almost every day for a long time?

    Even Jade, who dislikes violence, would have to step in, and a thorough cleanup would be enough for one day.

    lts delicious

    Zia smiled as she ate the steak. Her expression relieved by my words.

    You trust my words.

    Yeah. Shion, youve always seeded I trust you.

    lm d.

    Like Zia, I smiled, happy at her words.

 Chapter 301: What are Memories (4)

    Chapter 301: What are Memories (4)

    Gedley clenched his teeth so hard that his gums bled. He shivered with a sense of betrayal as he listened to the tape delivered by Bell Moores subordinate on repeat, but soon he had to ept the inevitable.

    There was no turning back. The team leaders would sacrifice him to survive, and Derek would turn a blind eye.

    Despite Bell Moore assassinating his own people, there wasn''t even a hint of an internal investigation team trying to track down the perpetrator.

    Everything had been meticulously and systematically progressing. It hadnt just suddenly happened.

    Could it be?

    Suddenly, Gedley thought of Benedict.

    The former team leader, Benedict, who had been killed by Shion Ascal.

    He was decapitated for being a rat and coincidentally, Bell Moore became his sessor.

    Now, Bell Moore was after his own position.

    Could all this really just be a coincidence?

    Ha

    Gedley sat down in his chair and closed his eyes.

    In the darkness, a ck curtain fluttered. Between its folds, he glimpsed some damn bastards fiery red eyes.

    The mastermind.

    Bell Moore.

    Sir! Bell Moore, your junior often years, greets you!

    From their first meeting, he pretended to be a carefree drinker emphasizing school ties,ughing like a fool to hide his true self. A man who spent every night in clubs, drowning in alcohol with women.

    But all of it was an act to lower any guard. He had been steeped in greed and ambition from the start, always panting like a dog but looking upwards.

    Indeed, Gedley had faced the worst and most dangerous enemy.

    The most meticulous nner.

    For Gedley, who realized his true nature toote, there was now no other option but to prolong his own life

    Hahaha.

    He smiled. A hollowugh echoed through the empty director''s office, where no one came.

    Meanwhile, Jade received an update on the coffee bean supply issue.

    President Jade, there areplications with the coffee bean supply.

    Jade furrowed one eyebrow.

    The coffee beans?

    Yes.

    Is it an issue with the distributionwork itself?

    No, actually. Thework that Miss Zia has set up is excellent. She has connected with regions that have the right climate conditions for growing premium beans, and she has even selected secondary and tertiary options in case the primary regions suffer from droughts or floods. Thework itself is almost global.

    An employee handed him a file.

    Blocker,'' an organization, is disrupting the distributionwork. Since thework passes through remote and foreign areas, conflicts are urring in regions beyond administrative reach.

    The reason?

    lt seems like they''re demanding a toll.

    Jade chuckled dryly.

    A toll.

    Yes.

    Cafe Bnce was Jades enterprise. It was also the most sessful business he had ever built.

    Its current revenue far exceeded the stations expectations, and it had grown to a size where it could go public whenever he wished.

    What should we do?

    We do not negotiate with terrorists. Hire mercenaries to deal with them.

    While the supply of coffee beans were indeed Zias responsibility, their protection was Jades.

    Especially since the quality of the coffee had improved significantly since Zia began supplying the beans.

    Yes, understood.

    Dismissed.

    With a leisurely gesture, Jade returned to his tea-time. He sipped his coffee and unfolded the newspaper.

    [One-armed painter Eceline embarks on a new challenge.]

    There was a story about Eceline. Jade smiled unwittingly, but his expression soon turned cold.

    One-armed.

    He was irked by the wording.

    He called back his secretary who was about to leave.

    Allen.

    Yes.

    He showed him the newspaper.

    Request a correction for this.

    What should they change it to?

    Thats for those bastards to figure out. If they dont change it, they better be prepared to face Libra as an enemy

    On the day of the final interview for the knight qualification exam, over 200 sessful second-round candidates gathered at the building of the Knights Association.

    In the waiting room, which resembled a stadium, Soliette was chattering nervously beside me.

    The reason I want to be a knight isnt just because it was a childhood dream

    Why are you nervous? I nudged her shoulder with my elbow. She stumbled slightly and then took a deep breath.

    I received a callst night. They told me to think about returning home if I fail.

    From Arkne?

    Yes. Do you think the family suspects something?

    That youre Jelly?

    I asked teasingly.

    Ah. Well.

    Soliette sighed in relief.

    lt would be difficult for them to know. Such a strange is me.

    It was not for nothing we had hidden her identity.

    Next. Candidate number 113, Shion Ascal.

    Just then, my name was called.

    Shion. Good luck.

    Yeah. Okay.

    I stood in front of the interview room door.

    Knock, knock - I didn''t forget to knock.

    I opened the door, greeted the interviewers with a bow, and then sat down.

    However, I was slightly taken aback by the interviewers.

    One of the three interviewers was Theia Esil.

    She flipped through her file as she saw me.

    Mr. Shion Ascal.

    Yes.

    You have passed all the exams with excellent grades. Your GPA as a freshman isn''t bad either.

    l''ve worked hard.

    Theia Esil raised her eyebrows at my response.

    The question I want to ask during the interview is simple. Why do you want to be a knight?

    T0 fulfill my dream.

    The rest of the interview consisted of simple questions and answers.

    The interview wasnt difficult, but it was very ordinaryreasons for wanting to be a knight, what I would do as a knight, and so on It was quite mundane.

    You seem unaffected.

    ?

    Suddenly, Theia Esils remark made me tilt my head. She exchanged nces with another interviewer and then said,

    As if you didnt even feel its presence

    Another interviewer chuckled softly.

    Candidate Shion Ascal. There are various types of illusion magicyered here.

    If youre not careful, you can get lost and have strange experiences.

    Yes.

    I nodded calmly.

    l''m good at enduring and resisting.

    lt seems so. This is a first.

    An unnamed interviewer smiled as he checked something on the document.

    Meanwhile, Theia Esil red at me.

    Between her and me, a bad fate was gradually umting. Of course,pared to what wouldeter, this was just scratching the surface.

    Yes, I see. Even figured out the unique framework. But what about this?

    The interviewers exchanged smiles, and Theia Esil forced a slight smile on her lips.

    Please leave now. And dont discuss the interview details with your friends.

    Yes, thank you.

    I rose from the chair and bowed. As I exited the interview room, Soliette asked me,

    Shion, how did it go?

    Of course, I passed.

    Next. Candidate number 114, Soliette.

    Suddenly, Soliettes hair raised. I ced my hand reassuringly on her tense shoulder.

    ltll be easy for you.

    Yes.

    Gulp.

    She swallowed nervously and walked into the interview room like a robot.

    At the same time.

    Johanna received data from Derek. More precisely, she purchased it. The price was outrageously high, but she was flush with cash anyway.

    Just the dividends from her shares in the Golden Casino were enough to buy two or three such data sets annually.

    Johanna plugged a USB into herptop. It buffered due to therge file size, but soon the data was disyed on the screen.

    Theres a lot.

    There were many names. The participants in the test numbered in the thousands. Most were low-ranking knights from Libra.

    The experiment they participated in was called [Magical Enhancement AL-Z2 Project].

    The outline was simple.

    Administer drugs to low-ranking knights to enhance their skills, turning them into significant forces.

    The experiment was legal, having undergone clinical trials, and Johanna had remembered hearing about it before.

    She scrolled with the mouse, searching for a particr name.

    Though there were thousands, finding that persons surname was easy.

    It was as if her eyes immediately found it, just like his face.

    [Dale Ascal]

    Dale Ascal.

    Johanna opened the data on that person specifically.

    Her reason for seeking information on Dale Ascal was singr: for a man with a limited time left, the unknown aspects of his father could be a gift.

    [Low-ranking knight of Libra]

    [Voluntarily participated in the experiment]

    [Day 1 of drug administration: No visible changes]

    Every days changes were observed and recorded in sentences, and reports in the form of a diary werepiled with physical data included.

    Voluntary

    Johanna sighed softly.

    Indeed, the desire of low-ranking knights to be stronger is immense. Without a college education and unable to properly use magic, they are merely treated as simple guards.

    [Day 2 of drug administration: Some increase in physical abilities. No other issues observed. The subjects gentle nature remains considerate of the researchers.]

    Gentle, huh.

    Did Shion Ascal inherit his fathers temperament? Johanna couldn''t help but smile unknowingly.

    [Day 7 of drug administration: Upgrade in physical abilities. Muscle strength nearly doubledpared to Day 2. It appears that AL-Z2 has manifested in enhancing physical abilities for this knight. Interestingly, his temperament remains unchanged. This distinguishes him from other low-ranking knights who have be aggressive. We will continue to monitor the progress weekly.]

    The experiment itself seemed sessful. No abnormalities were noted in the logs from Day 20, Day 30, or Day 40.

    Johanna was somewhat relieved.

    However.

    [Day 60 of drug administration: Magical mutations have urred. Strange magical waves are being emitted from the subjects body. The impact is uncertain, but it has been kept confidential for now. Researchers are advised to wear protective gear when encountering the subject.]

    The tone of the text had turned stark. The designation had changed from knight to subject.

    Johannasplexion turned cold.

    Her heart beat slowly.

    [Day 90 of drug administration: It is confirmed that the magic emitted by the subject affects others. To understand this in detail, the subject has been asked to restrict outings.]

    The magic emitted by the subject definitely affects others.

    Request to restrict outings.

    The sentences grew increasingly strange.

    Johannas breathing quickened.

    [Day 100 of drug administration: A dog was provided as part of the procedure.

    Although the subject is living with his son, faster effects are expected from animals than humans.]

    Faster effects.

    Johannas fingertips trembled. She stiffened like stone. It seemed she shouldnt move the mouse any further.

    She had to stop here.

    It seemed her instincts were telling her.

    If she read more it would be irreversible.

    [Day 120 of drug administration: Thepanion dog suddenly developed cancer. It is now clear. The magic emitted by the subject has a distinctly negative impact.]

    Johanna closed her eyes for a moment. It felt as though she couldnt breathe.

    Thepanion dog had developed cancer and died due to the magic released externally.

    If that happened to the dog, what effect might it have had on the son living with him?

    [Day 150 of drug administration: Examination results show a small tumor in the sons brain. This fact will be kept confidential. Immediate disposal of the subject is necessary.]

    Johannas mouth fell open without her realizing it. Her eyes zed over as they fixed on the monitor screen.

    The word disposal cut through her like a de, yet she dared not speak a word.

    [Day 180 of drug administration: Disposal process initiated]

    All of this was the doing of Libra.

    From Sherlock to Derek, a deed of Libra.

    The legacy Johanna herself was to inherit.

    [Day 180 of drug administration: Disposal process initiated]

    She quietly stared at the screen. She stared nkly at the dry, drudging characters.

    [Day 180 of drug administration: Disposal process initiated]

    After Day 180, there were no more logs concerning Dale Ascal.

    Nor was there any information about his son.

    Eventually, Johanna clutched her face, which had be as barren as a desert.

    Dale Ascal.

    He was the father of Shion Ascal, who had been murdered by Libra, the organization Shion Ascal loyally served to the death

 Chapter 302: What are Memories (5)

    Chapter 302: What are Memories (5)

    Theia does not let personal feelings interfere with her assessments.

    This means she doesnt give Shion Ascal, who is practically a dog of Libra, a bad score, nor does she favor her own student, Gerkhen, with good scores.

    She has given up on evaluating the two of them.

    Instead, she focused on another case.

    Dereks artificial intelligence. Tracking the massive evil perpetrated by that damned family.

    [Owl: Investigating]

    Even the informants infiltrated within Libra find it difficult to ess the Al side.

    That must mean its thoroughly guarded.

    Fortunately, Dereks Al has been secured. A contact purchased the Al on her behalf. Dissecting and analyzing it might reveal crucial evidence.

    Hmm.

    Theia let out a quiet yawn and turned on the group messenger on herputer. The chat room of her studentsgraduate studentswas bustling with messages.

    Theia doesn''t join their conversations, but she does have a habit of snooping. In fact, this chat room is one she wasnt invited to.

    Meaning, she hacked into it.

    [Arkham: Wow. So Gerkhen got epted just like that? That''s awesome.]

    [Allen: Is Gerkhening to ourb?]

    [Arkham: Looks like hes going to be a direct apprentice to the professor.]

    [Allen: Jealous;;]

    These guys have clear eyes and sharp ears. They are sensitive to trends and topics. Most of them are from the upper ss or those closely connected to it, so the quality of information they ess is high.

    Reading this chat window helps her understand the current social climate far better than checking the morning news.

    But the more she reads, the more she feels left out.

    Theia opened another group chat, one she officially belongs to.

    Its been silent for three days.

    Theia sent a message out of boredom.

    [Has everyone prepared for the uing paper?]

    No reply. It wasnt even read.

    She went back to the chat room she wasnt part of.

    [Allen: Did you see the professors message? How''s everyone doing with the paper?]

    [Arthong: No idea, f*ck. The samples keep getting contaminated.]

    [Charles: OO@@ Can someone help me?]

    This room was lively, yet no one responded in her own chat.

    Would it kill them to reply?

    Theia felt hurt as shepared the two chat rooms.

    [BestFriendo: Guys. Do you know about Castology?]

    Then a strange name came up.

    [Allen: Oh, I know that. Isn''t that the psychic who gets everything right?]

    [Arthong: No, no, not a psychic but a fortune-teller. Tarot cards, right? They say he pinpointed Benjamins Yesterday with that.]

    Fortune-teller. Castology. This was a topic unknown to Theia.

    [Charles: I know about that too. Didnt that fortune-teller save Mr. Yerain?]

    She read with intrigue.

    [Arthong: Right. She almost got killed by her lunatic boyfriend.]

    [Charles: Yeah; but she survived because Castology insisted she must always have a bodyguard.]

    [Arthong: Crazy. How much does one session cost? Must be expensive, right?]

    [Charles: I heard Mr. Yerain spent almost a million Ren on consultation fees alone.]

    [Arthong: Damn]

    A million Ren for consultation fees.

    If true, its a cheap price for a life.

    [Charles: But even if you have the money, people like us cant see him. Its all about connections, and unless youre someone like Mr. Yerain or Mr. Sheron, you cant even think about it.]

    [Arthong: Even our professor?]

    [Charles: What about the professor?]

    Theia herself isnt particrly interested in fortune-telling or psychics, but it seems worth considering.

    It might not just be simple fortune-telling but something more akin to a [Spectrum] .

    Tsk.

    To think like this, she must be feeling uneasy these days.

    Theia is slowly approaching Libra. She is determined to expose whatever corruption and filth lurk at their very core to the world

    But the odds are uncertain.

    Theia wrote down the name Castology in her notebook.

    [Passing of the Knight Certification]

    I received the notification of my passing. Among the freshmen at the national university, there were probably only three of us: Gerkhen, Soliette, and me.

    For the record, Kain and Asher didnt even apply for the exam.

    Shion. Did Shion pass too?

    Just then, Soliette asked.

    We were in the old Endex building. The ce shes paying me rent to live in.

    Yes.

    I showed her the screen of my smartphone.

    Hehe. Congrattions.

    Soliette spread out her palm. I high-fived her.

    p!

    Thank you.

    Now, theres no reason for me to attend university anymore.

    Of course, many people still attend university even after obtaining their knight certification. Theyre not just focusing on knight-rted majors or sses, but also on learning various other subjects.

    In fact, Erick and Sheron, who got their certifications long ago, are attending various business-rted lectures, and Gerkhen, who dreams of bing a Senator, will continue at university.

    Not me.

    Shion. So, youre not going to university anymore?

    Yeah.

    Hmm. Maybe I should do the same. Its a waste of time

    You cant.

    What?

    Soliette suddenly narrowed her eyes.

    You cant.

    Why not?

    You have a lot to learn.

    Are you my parent, Shion?

    She red at me. I chuckled lightly.

    Arkne will keep watching you. You need to learn management lessons, among other things. If you quit now, your family wille looking for you, wont they?

    Staying in college makes our investigation much easier.

    With Libra already marking us, there was no need to turn Arkne into an enemy as well.

    We are used of killing a Bncer.

    Candy and Jelly had killed a Bncer.

    Surprisingly quiet for such an incident, but stirring things up would likely provoke a bigger reaction.

    Understood.

    Soliette nodded nkly. I watched her silently for a moment before standing up.

    Come on, lets go.

    Why?

    ITI show you.

    What?

    Soliette narrowed her eyes. Her face was a mix of suspicion and anticipation, but I decided to fulfill only her anticipation.

    Severing Sword. You said you wanted to learn it.

    I

    Soliette sprang up from the ground like a frog.

    Really?!

    Yeah.

    My Severing Sword and the Severing Sword soliette knew from before her regression would undoubtedly be different.

    However, if she was going to learn the Severing Sword eventually, I thought it better she learns from me.

    ITI teach you.

    Thanks to Jade, I knew something important.

    When strength reaches its peak, it never brings happiness.

    Winter hade. It was a particrly cold end of the year. I found myself waking up frequently from a troubled sleep.

    It was a sign that my life was wearing thin.

    Without surgery like before, the pain would probably continue to worsen.

    However, I had no intention of undergoing that terrible kind of surgery now, which involved imnting a special Artifact in my body to keep me going as long as possible.

    I shouldst at least another eight years.

    Eight years is enough time to finish everything.

    [Castro logy]

    Today, I went to work as a fortune teller. My client was Glofelds current heads eldest son, the heir, Beckron.

    Hmm.

    I looked at him. He asked me about his business. It was the automobile business ran by Glofeld.

    Currently, we are second in market share but we are nning tounch a new car.

    Beckron, honestly,es from a family as distinguished as Libra, originally belonging to the lifelong Senate of the Round Table.

    He wants to know if it will go well.

    Despite this, Beckron asked quite respectfully.

    I drew a card.

    Swoosh!

    It was red.

    Not good.

    Beckron''splexion hardened.

    Is the business not good?

    ls business what matters to you right now?

    I looked at Beckron. He tilted his head, his face nk.

    Yes, yes. I came to ask about the business.

    Hmph. You dont even know what''s important.

    I frowned.

    For Glofelds Beckron, there is a very easy, clear, and perfectly exploitable future.

    Beckron asked again.

    What is important then? Obviously, the business is important.

    Have you ever participated in experiments dealing with souls?

    Soul, what, what?

    Beckron''s brow furrowed.

    Suddenly talking nonsense Its about the business, the business. I came to ask whether the business will do well or not

    Thats not whats important!

    Bang. I mmed the table.

    Then Beckron''s mask slightly slipped.

    lf my question isn''t important, then what is?

    I fixed my gaze on his shoulder. Beckron also nced alternately at his own shoulders.

    Your body is attached to souls. Countless souls.

    Glofeld is a coborator with Libra. Perhaps, one of the families that participated in human experiments aiming for eternal life.

    Countless grudges are weighing you down.

    Huh, really now.

    Beckron crossed his arms in frustration.

    I don''t know what youre talking about. So, are you saying these grudges are ruining my business?

    Youre wrong.

    Then what is it!

    He eventually yelled, and I pointed at Beckron with my finger.

    The vengeful spirits are trying to kill you.

    Me? Has this fortune teller lost his mind

    The umted grudges will be a disease within your body.

    A famous issue before regression.

    Beckron will get cancer.

    Not like my Cancer of the Magics Core, but pancreatic cancer.

    But hes lucky because it will be discovered during a health checkter on, so he wont die, Im just informing him a bit early.

    Disease?

    Beckron paused slightly.

    What nonsense. I must be an idiot foring to receive such unscientific fo rtu n e-te Ui ng.

    He spat out harsh words and started to leave the tent, but then he turned back, gathered all the fees he had ced on the desk, and walked out again.

    I called out to his back.

    Youre a man who doesnt know what''s important. Don''t think that one disease is the end.

    Of course, pancreatic cancer is usually the end, but Im just scaring him.

    This way, when hees backter, Ill take everything he has, liver and galldder included.

    You should be thankful I dont send someone to destroy this ce.

    Beckron nced at me sideways and left the building threateningly.

    Drip-drip

    Rain falls outside the window. What began as mere droplets touched by fingertips soon thickens, soaking the winter garden in a cold embrace.

    Chirr-

    Whiskey fills the ss. Johannas pale, delicate fingers grasp it.

    She sits in a chair, gazing out the window.

    On the desk, theptop screen still disys the past. For months, it tormented Johanna, a gift she had prepared though calling it a gift is utter bullshit.

    It was simple curiosity.

    Just wanting to know him.

    The life traces that made Shion Ascal who he is today, not just his hobbies and habits, but even his parents, spurred her to foolishly spend a fortune to uncover the truth.

    Gulp-gulp

    Johanna downs the hard liquor. The hot liquid surges into her chest. Intoxication and pain mingle, breeding turmoil.

    She slumps, pondering simply.

    Can this event be considered shocking?

    Yes, could such events really have a significant impact on me?

    So far, such ''events weremon for her.

    Verymon.

    Johanna, Derek, Jade, they all had their share of far worse incidents.

    The pharmaceutical business was something their father, Sherlock, was particrly obsessed with, and all three siblings wanted to inherit it, but after much pain, Derek ended up taking it over.

    Yet, the reason Derek sold this data to her was ultimately because it was us.

    Because it was Libra.

    [Day 180 of Drug Administration: Disposal Process Initiated]

    Johanna nces again at theptop screen. Shes not sure how many days shes spent staring at the stark words Disposal Process.

    The same worries, the same torment, confined in this househow much has he suffered, she couldnt say.

    If, his illness is because of Libra.

    If his fathers death, and his dying, are truly because of Libra.

    If thats really the case.

    Then their meeting was doomed from the start. Their mutual love was wed from the beginning.

    Libra was not his benefactor.

    Therefore, he should not have been loyal to Libra. He should not havee to Libra following his father''s wishes. He should not have met her then.

    He should have resented Libra, and she should have resented him too.

    However

    Johanna still sees his face when she closes her eyes. His earnestness as he dered his love in the desertndscape blurs, and her own feelings of loving him are reaffirmed.

    Ha

    Originally, he should have hated her.

    He should have been disgusted by her.

    He should have despised her.

    lt''s hard to bear.

    Johanna found it unbearable.

    If it had been her former self, she would have scoffed at anyones hatred, disgust, or dislike.

    But not with Shion Ascal.

    Just imagining his gaze shifting from love to hatred, his body and mind filled with betrayal, brought on a pain to her stomach, as if it were being torn apart.

    I

    Johanna looked out the window again. She felt the chill of the falling rain. Her skin seemed to freeze.

    I feel guilty.

    For the first time, she experienced that feeling.

    It was a devastating kind of guilt that went beyond mere apology, epting even the sins of her family as her own fault.

    Johanna looked at the calendar. It had somehow be winter, but her time and that guys time would have been different.

    His seasons were running out.

    Johanna silently bowed her head.

    She choked back a rising sob, struggling to contain her tears.

 Chapter 303: New Year (1)

    Chapter 303: New Year (1)

    Lately, the atmosphere at the Intelligence Agency is eerily calm. To be precise, it''s like the eye of a storm. There¡¯s a rather suspicious current flowing between Director Gedley and several team leaders.

    Because of that, I¡¯m keeping an eye on Bell Moore¡¯s office, just in case¡­

    ¡ªAh, fuck. Where did those three pieces go?

    Unaware of anything, Bell Moore is busy assembling a puzzle. It¡¯s a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

    ¡ªDid I drop them on the way here? This is driving me crazy.

    He Looks quite rxed as he bends down to rummage under the desk and the sofa.

    That¡¯s Bell Moore for you.

    For some reason or another, including work reports, employees of the Intelligence Agency do note to him. He is thoroughly isted from both internal and external contacts.

    On the other hand, almost all information is ryed to me. Through team members, the hotline, or even the cameras I''ve installed inside the Intelligence Agency.

    Externally, I am Bell Moore¡¯s right-hand man.

    However, I am not a person of my own volition.

    What I mean is, I am nothing more than an ''executive carrying out Bell Moore¡¯s orders.¡¯

    All the ns that I execute, all the thoughts in my head, are Bell Moore¡¯s ideas.

    Shion Ascal is a minion following the mastermind, Bell Moore.

    Thanks to this, I can relieve all responsibilities with a simple phrase, ¡®It¡¯s Team Leader Bell¡¯s will.¡¯

    It¡¯s authority without true responsibility.

    ¡ªAh, fuck, I really must have dropped them. Shitty, so shitty.

    Having given up on finding the puzzle pieces, Bell Moore lies down on the sofa.

    ¡ªAh, fuck, were these pieces missing when I bought it? Feels like they were fucking out and cut corners. Fucking annoying.

    He mutters irritably and then suddenly yawns loudly.

    ¡­Haaaah.

    He blinks sleepily for a moment, then curls up like a shrimp and falls asleep.

    He really is a man true to his instincts.

    ¡®Master! I found it!¡¯

    Just then, I received a message from Grawl.

    ¡®Good. Send it over by email.''

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    The email arrived in my dark web ount. It was rted to Theia EsiT.

    I quietly looked at it.

    ¡®Shall we get started right away?

    ¡®No. Slowly. We need time.¡¯

    We must gather evidence slowly but surely.

    Theia is a meticulous person.

    No matter how much it¡¯s to help her, acting too hastily could lead to a counterattack.

    ¡®Keep watching. Someday, she will probably go to meet the child of her old mentor.¡¯

    Theia¡¯s old mentor has a son.

    He is a monster.

    All the false usations and disgrace that lead to her downfall originate from him.

    ¡­Glofeld¡¯s Beckron underwent a health examination, moved up several months ahead of schedule.

    Of course, he had dismissed the fortune teller as a madman that day, but it was because he was bothered by the curse-like words spoken.

    The results¡ª

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Beckron was startled by his wife¡¯s words.

    Right now, he¡¯s lying in a VIP hospital room, dressed in stark white clothes.

    ¡°¡­At least it''s a relief. It was discovered early.¡±

    His wife babbled on, but Beckron was dazed. Her voice didn¡¯t properly reach his ears.

    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    She said not to worry, but he couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°lt¡¯s still early.¡±

    Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst prognosis for an average person. However, for Beckron, who has been magically and physically trained, and who would receive toptier mana treatment, the likelihood of dying from this cancer alone is close to 0%.

    The cancer cells hadn¡¯t even caused a magical mutation yet.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    But Beckron was in despair. He tugged at his mustache and lowered his head.

    ¡°lt¡¯s not true. It¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    His wife patted his back, but it was of nofort.

    Beckron responded in a defeated tone.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡ªCountless grudges are weighing you down.

    That fortune teller¡­ no, the astrological mage had said this wasn¡¯t the end.

    ¡ªThe vengeful spirits are trying to kill you.

    The cause is the grudges of spirits.

    But Beckron doesn¡¯t know exactly what ¡®spirits¡¯ means. Could it be referring to a few workers who died in industrial idents?

    Just then, the doctor entered.

    ¡°Mr. Glofeld. As you''ve heard¡­¡±

    He began exining the treatment options for pancreatic cancer, boasting confidently about how he had saved dozens of patients.

    Beckron found his face displeasing.

    This man in a white coat, oblivious to what¡¯s truly important.

    ¡°Still, you¡¯re very lucky. It¡¯s way before any magical mutation, even a normal person could return to daily life without much trouble at this stage.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks to the astrological mage.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Astrological mage. The doctor looked puzzled, but Beckron bowed his head again.

    ¡°Beckron. Lift your face.¡±

    Suddenly, a deep voice raised his face.

    ¡°¡­my lord.¡±

    Beckron¡¯s father and the current head of the Glofeld family, Derian. An elderly man whose head waspletely bald, and his body was still robust and unbent by the passage of time.

    He spoke as ifmanding.

    ¡°What sort of state is this?¡±

    The doctors and nurses nced around and left the room.

    Derian scowled discontentedly.

    ¡°Disease is merely a disease, yet it seems you fear something other than the illness itself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you going to keep your mouth shut? Exin yourself.¡±

    His father urged him. Beckron pursed his lips.

    Does one always remain a child before their father, no matter the age?

    Beckron rubbed his face dry with his hands, his voice trembling with the urge to cry.

    ¡°There was an incident at Castology.¡±

    ¡°Castology?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s where the card astrological mage is¡­¡±

    ¡°You foolish boy. Are you distressed over such superstitious nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Please listen. If it weren¡¯t for him, I might have died. He¡¯s the one who informed me about this pancreatic cancer.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Father. What happened there was¡­¡±

    Beckron exined to his father what had urred at Castology.

    The astrological mage had pointed out the disease growing in his body, and thanks to him, Beckron had moved up his health examination.

    ¡°lt¡¯s just a coincidence. You''ve be weak, Beckron.¡±

    Derian dismissed it, but Beckron was still in a panic.

    It wasn¡¯t just because of the fortune-telling.

    ¡ªHas this fortune teller lost his mind¡ªYou should be thankful I don¡¯t send someone to destroy this ce.

    Beckron had even ndered the astrological mage as a mere fortune teller, threatened him, and had taken back all the fees paid.

    It was madness.

    Thwack!

    Derian smacked Beckron on the head.

    ¡°Beckron. Get a hold of yourself. I told you, it¡¯s a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°¡­But, father. He said this isn¡¯t the end.¡±

    ¡°Not the end?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡ªYou''re a man who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s important. Don¡¯t think that one disease is the end.

    Beckron was afraid.

    No matter how much of a billionaire he was, the heir to a prestigious family seated at the round table, or rather because of it, he had lived a life full of splendor and had many regrets. He didn¡¯t want to let go of all his wealth and glory, and his fear of death was great.

    ¡°He said this is just the begin ning.¡±

    ¡°Beckron. Do you believe that? You¡¯ve been obsessed with superstitions since you were a child¡±

    ¡°He said that spirits are clinging to my shoulders. Spirits.¡±

    Suddenly, Derian stiffened. His deep wrinkles trembled slightly.

    ¡°What are you talking about? Speak clearly. Spirits?¡±

    Beckron looked up at Derian.

    ¡°¡­The astrological mage said, numerous spirits are trying to kill me.¡±

    Derian suddenly fell silent. Beckron sensed something in his father¡¯s face.

    His father knew something.

    ¡°Father. You know something.¡±

    Derian¡¯s gaunt cheeks twitched. He quickly shook his head.

    ¡°Know what? Don¡¯t believe such nonsense from a fortune teller.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a fortune teller. Father, you know something. You just remembered something, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    The son knew his father well.

    Always strong and sharp, his father had definitely just recalled something.

    ¡°Father. Please tell me. I need to seek forgiveness from the spirits.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind. I told you not to believe in those fortune tellers!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a fortune teller!¡±

    Beckron tore at his own hair, his teeth ttering as he muttered.

    ¡°I need to meet the astrological mage again. I was too rude to him. I shouldn''t have acted that way¡­¡±

    ¡°This crazy bastard¡­¡±

    Derian looked at his son with exasperated eyes before leaving the hospital room.

    However, he returned shortly after.

    ¡°Drink some water.¡±

    He handed Beckron a ss of water. Beckron stared nkly up at his father.

    ¡°Go on. Drink and calm down.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He drank the water, though his demeanor was off.

    ¡°Rest.¡±

    Derian waited until he had finished the cup before stepping out again.

    ¡°Father. Please talk to me. Father¡±

    Beckron tried to hold him back, but his father¡¯s departing figure was cold.

    ¡­

    I deactivated Infimian in the hospital bathroom. The face that was Derian reverted back to apletely different man.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Seems like I timed that just right.

    By the way, I¡¯m the one who just gave Beckron the water as Derian.

    The water contained a poison, used in a spell called [Weakening] , a modified version of Weaken that Grawl had altered in theb.

    I n to continue giving him this poisoned tea once a week.

    Even during his chemotherapy, and after it ends, Beckron will continue to weaken.

    Moreover, because this poison is magical, it¡¯s undetectable by modern medicine.

    Beckron wille to believe that he is truly dying because of the spirits, and the more he believes, the more he will cling to me, and eventually, Derian will have to reveal the truth rted to the eternal life experiments.

    Once I receive that information, I n to release him.

    I just need to brew an antidote.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    I walked down the hospital corridor. I saw the head of the Glofeld family¡ªDerian¡ª getting into a limousine with a troubled expression.

    He¡¯s a robust figure. Unlike Beckron, he¡¯s not swayed in the slightest by superstitions.

    A small smile appeared on my lips.

    ¡°My predictions are never wrong.¡±

    Even if they are, I just make them right.

    A stark white winter.

    The year had changed, and the continent had aged another year.

    During this time, I had mostly been active as an Intelligence Agency Chaser. The end and beginning of the year were incredibly busy. I assassinated several agents, gathered intelligence, fed Beckron poisoned tea, and followed Theia very cautiously.

    ¡ªJade is really pissed off right now.

    Grawl chattered while lounging on the sofa.

    He seems to really like my new house and oftenes to visit.

    ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯d be pissed too.¡±

    Jade has been suffering for the past three months. Blocker has been tormenting him with all sorts of methods like coffee bean raids, material looting, and bomb attacks.

    I instigated it, but even I¡¯m surprised by how recklessly they¡¯re acting.

    ¡ªI think they mistook Lithium for Jade¡¯s business.

    ¡°Yeah. I think so too.¡±

    Zia received weapon materials through the coffee distributionwork.

    Therefore, Blocker mistook Zia¡¯s Lithium for Jade¡¯s business and saw him as a directpetitor.

    Blocker must think he can handle Jade, the second son.

    Given the current session dynamics, neither the eldest daughter nor the eldest son would help Jade even if he were to die tomorrow.

    Maybe in the past, they would have actually supported Blocker?

    ¡°Has Jade made any moves yet?¡±

    ¡ªNo.

    Although it¡¯s a bit more severe than a mosquito bite, Jade is enduring it with superhuman patience.

    That must mean he loves the persona he presents as a businessman.

    But what can you do when your opponent isn¡¯t a businessman?

    Violence that doesn¡¯tmunicate must be met with violence.

    ¡°He¡¯U move within one or two months.¡±

    Jade will move just once, and that one move will be the end. The organization known as Blocker will disappear into the annals of history without knowing who struck them.

    ¡ªThat sounds interesting- I want to watch.

    Grawl chuckled.

    I silently watched the TV.

    [Libra¡¯s Derek, artificial intelligence sales at an all-time high¡­¡­]

    The news was about Derek¡¯s Al selling like hotcakes. Despite the hefty membership and subscription fees, there are already over 100,000 pre-orders.

    Thanks to this, Killian¡¯s identity earned nearly 50 million Ren in bonuses, but I nned to bring them down when they reached their peak.

    Ding¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, a message arrived on my Libra phone.

    A message tinged blue.

    It was a direct, personal request from someone rted to Libra.

    In other words, a targeted mission.

    [Find out the hideout of an organization called ¡®Blocker,¡¯ and the whereabouts and personal details of its leader, Blocker, and report back.]

    As soon as I saw the mission details, I knew who had asked for it.

    I thought it would take another month, but it seems even Jade has grown too impatient.

    ¡°Grawl. I¡¯m off to work.¡±

    ¡ªOkay. Keep in touch-

    I got dressed, and Grawl tapped on his smartphone, managing his social media.

 Chapter 304: New Year (2)

    Chapter 304: New Year (2)

    ¡°Negotiation, huh.¡±

    In a dimly lit factory, I red menacingly at the executives from Cafe [BALANCE] who hade to find me.

    An executive in a suit spoke seriously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop these wasteful activities and state your terms.¡±

    For the record, I¡¯m currently pretending to be one of Blocker¡¯s underlings.

    It¡¯s a setup using Grawl¡¯s intelligencework. I¡¯m controlling all the information that flows to and from Jade and his subordinates.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult. Jade, who doesn¡¯t manage information orbat personnel, was the easiest direct lineage to deceive.

    The whole purpose of this process was ultimately to infuriate Jade.

    ¡°lf you give up 30% of your profits as protection money, you might find it manageable.¡±

    I smirked slyly. The demand was, of course, absurd.

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±

    One of the executives burst out angrily.

    I immediately turned serious, staring at them with eyes marked by scars.

    ¡°lf you want to leave here in one piece, I suggest you keep your voice down.¡±

    The executives flinched. They had bodyguards, but their faces were equally frightened.

    ¡°30% of the profits is an impossible figure.¡±

    ¡°lmpossible? Don¡¯t you understand the concept of protection money? The railroads you use to transport your coffee beans are frequently attacked by monsters. Plus, the smell of the beans attracts them. We¡¯re offering to protect your distributionwork.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡±

    ¡°The absurdity is what you¡¯re spouting.¡±

    I spoke and acted like a thug who couldn''t be reasoned with.

    As if the only solution was a ughter.

    ¡°So, convey our terms precisely, without missing a single detail, to that noble lord of yours.¡±

    I said, baring my teeth. The executives bit their lips in anger, and I shed a viinous smile.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha¡±

    Well, with that kind ofugh.

    For the first time in his life, Jade was experiencing what could only be described as a fit of rage. It was rare for his patience to be tested this much.

    Because of these damn leeches clinging to him like ticks.

    ¡°Negotiation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. It was so frustrating that I had to step out¡­¡±

    Jade had not permitted negotiations with these bugs. However, his employees had forcibly arranged a meeting, and all they received was a demand to hand over 30% of the profits as protection money.

    ¡°I never authorized this.¡±

    Jade tilted his head, a habit when he was angry.

    With just a slight flick of his finger, all the employees could be dead.

    Of course, the employees didn¡¯t know this, but they quickly knelt down, sensing the danger.

    ¡°l¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade pressed his temples.

    Killing them would only serve as a momentary relief. It would leave him without people to work.

    The real problem was the force called Blocker. These cancerous elements of society disregarded public authority, operated across borders, and infiltrated. Not only in Edsi but also in other countries, many bureaucrats were feeding off the scraps to these viins.

    Initially, Jade had tried to deal with them with the poise of a noble.

    However, these scoundrels didn¡¯t even bother to negotiate, not only raiding the coffee beans but also stripping the cafe¡¯s interior tomit robberies¡­

    Because of this, Jade was genuinely agonizing.

    Should he personally step in and wipe out these filthy creatures?

    Knock-knock¡ª

    Just then, a knock sounded. Jade turned towards the source.

    Beyond the door opened by the butler stood Shion Ascal.

    He first bowed politely.

    ¡°Lord Jade, it seems you are troubled, so I havee to see you.¡±

    Jade sighed lightly and gestured with his eyes for the employees to leave. They all exited the room.

    ¡°You already know what this is about.¡±

    Jade had given Shion a mission. He hadn¡¯t named names, but he must have caught on.

    ¡°Yes. Regarding that matter, Miss Zia is also distressed.¡±

    ¡°Tell Zia it¡¯s not her fault and not to worry.¡±

    Jade gestured to a chair. Shion nodded and took a seat.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, let me exin the mission in more detail. Those pests have been up to all sorts of trouble.¡±

    Jade detailed all the conflicts from the past few months. Shion pretended to be unaware and listened attentively.

    ¡°Did you request their location and identities to sweep them out?¡±

    ¡°l''m still considering it.¡±

    Violencecks dignity. There¡¯s also the risk of information leaking out.

    Suddenly, Shion spoke up.

    ¡°Lord Jade, may I speak freely?¡±

    ¡°An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,¡± is that what you mean?

    Even the elders, let alone the employees, would advise this.

    ¡°lt¡¯s the concept of ¡¯the chosen people.''¡±

    Shion Ascal said something entirely different. Jade¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°Lord Jade, you are a noble chosen by the heavens. Your dignity and ability prove it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was apliment that pleased him greatly. Jade¡¯s lips twitched slightly. He struggled to keep his smile from showing.

    ¡°On the other hand, those creatures are barbarians. To them, logic is power, and violence is dialogue.¡±

    Shion ced a scroll on the desk, a map marked with specific coordinates.

    ¡°However, Lord Jade, violence is a term used among humans. To beasts that do not understand words, human violence is akin to enlightenment. Humans civilize beasts through violence.¡±

    Jade nodded, listening to his words.

    ¡°Just as it is the right of humans to civilize beasts, civilizing barbarism is the right of chosen ones like Lord Jade. Such civilization is, in fact, a dignified act.¡±

    He was a superior chosen one, and the others were uncivilized barbarians. The violence enacted upon them was not violence but civilization¡ªa very persuasive proposition.

    ¡°That sounds usible. But what if I have no intention of civilizing them?¡±

    Shion looked puzzled, his eyes widening.

    Jade¡¯s expression darken.

    ¡°What if those creatures are beasts unworthy of civilization?¡±

    Shion pondered for a moment before responding.

    ¡°Culling would be appropriate then. That too would be within Lord Jade¡¯s rights.¡±

    ¡­The air itself seemed to freeze in the chilling winter.

    Recently, the atmosphere of the Glofeld family has been gloomy. The entire estate seemed as if it had been drenched in rain, sagging under the weight.

    Even the usually iron-willed head of the family, Derian, was no exception. His normally upright posture seemed bent as if he were sighing deeply.

    ¡°¡­Lord.¡±

    Inside the private chambers of the Glofeld mansion.

    A knight who had been with the family for 30 years bowed to Lord Derian.

    ¡°I believe it is time to seek them out.¡±

    Derian was silent. He understood what the knight meant. Had it been three weeks earlier, he would have immediately issued a decree.

    The knight spoke persuasively.

    ¡°lt is not about relying on superstitions. We must grasp at straws now. If we continue like this, young master Beckron will¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derian had a troubled expression.

    The future of a person, the handling of souls through magic¡ªsuch things could not exist. Thus, divination and shamanistic practices were merely ¡®superstitions.¡¯

    Yet despite this¡ª

    ¡°Lord, I ask for yourmand.¡±

    Even Derian¡¯s heart was weakening.

    ¡°¡­Did they agree to see him?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Didn''t Beckron cause a mess when he left that fortune teller¡¯s ce?¡±

    Glofeld¡¯s heir, Derian¡¯s son Beckron.

    His pancreatic cancer had beenpletely remitted. Magic medicine made that an easy feat.

    However, he was still hospitalized. Due to some ¡®symptoms¡¯ that modern medicine couldn¡¯t exin.

    ¡°The fortune teller must forgive Beckron before we decide whether to visit or not.¡±

    Day by day, Beckron was wasting away, falling into some madness, ming Derian. He was screaming that Derian¡¯s refusal to meet was killing him.

    What impact this information could have on Glofeld¡­

    No, not just a blow to their public image, but a crisis that could end the Glofeld lineage.

    ¡°¡­ln fact. Thedy has arranged a meeting.¡±

    Derian¡¯s eyes widened at the knight¡¯s words.

    ¡°My daughter-inw?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thedy somehow contacted Lord Yerain and sessfully persuaded her to arrange the meeting.¡±

    ¡°Yerain? You mean Rodman¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She too was saved from disaster thanks to the astrologer mage.¡±

    Derian pondered. But thinking of his son in the hospital, he couldn''t just sit idly.

    Beckron was his only child, obtainedte in life. He was also thest gift from his wife who had passed away earlier.

    ¡°¡­Alright. I will go myself, so ask her to prepare for a meeting.¡±

    At Derian¡¯s words, the knight sighed in relief.

    ¡°Yes. I will obey!¡±

    He spoke loudly, bowing at a 90-degree angle.

    Inside the tent of Castrology, I gaze upon Derian of Glofeld.

    Though now a gaunt-faced old man, he still meets my eyes with a piercing gaze.

    ¡°l''ve heard you spoke some bizarre words to my son.¡±

    His tone was quite worn.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Not bizarre words. I merely conveyed the words of the spirits.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derian slipped his hand into his coat. From it, he produced a small casket, cing it on the table.

    ¡°A treasure. If it were auctioned, it would fetch at least 300 million Ren.¡±

    He opened the casket. Inside was a sphere the size of a ping pong ball.

    I recognized the object at a nce.

    ¡°lt¡¯s called a will-o¡¯-the-wisp.¡±

    This sphere floats around its owner, intercepting and protecting against external attacks.

    An artifact far surpassing ordinary levels, indeed a treasure. Capable of recing ten knights, it was a rarity even in Edsi.

    Certainly, it was an item to covet.

    ¡°Money isn''t going to solve this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derian¡¯s hands tensed.

    ¡°lf money won¡¯t solve it, then what will?¡±

    ¡°You are mistaken about the target of your anger. I merely interpret the flow of celestial bodies to people, embodying it through cards.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡±

    Derian asked anxiously.

    ¡°I am the messenger of meanings. It is up to you to unravel them.¡±

    ¡°But why is my son suffering!¡±

    He mmed his fists on the table. I calmly looked at him and exined.

    ¡°lt¡¯s a resonance of the soul.¡±

    ¡°A resonance of the soul?¡±

    Derian¡¯s brow furrowed, veins pulsing on his bald head.

    To him, I threw my words like a dagger.

    ¡°While you cherish your son, do you think so little of others¡¯ sons and daughters?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His expression hardened.

    ¡°The souls of those trivially lost have borrowed the power of the celestial bodies to descend upon your son.¡±

    His bony hands trembled violently. He could barely breathe.

    Snap-

    I seized the moment to draw a card. It was green.

    ¡°The souls seek a proper apo logy .¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derian silently looked at me. I floated several cards into the air. Suddenly, an auroralike phenomenon filled the tent.

    It was an intended performance, and Derian momentarily lost himself in the spectacle.

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°Will speaking change anything? Or, if you handle celestial bodies, shouldn''t you know without words?¡±

    Yet Derian still held onto his doubts.

    ¡°I can convey your intentions to the soul. But to do so, we must construct a ritual for the spirits.¡±

    ¡°A ritual?¡±

    I nodded. Derian scoffed as ifughing.

    ¡°You mean to perform a ritual?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    At that moment, Derian stomped his foot and stood up abruptly, intending to leave.

    As I watched his retreating figure, I spoke.

    ¡°ln my view, the souls seem willing to forgive you to some extent.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯To some extent''?¡±

    He quickly grasped the significant implication of the words I had added.

    ¡°The souls say that it¡¯s not just one family that has disturbed them. They im that their tormentors attempted to fulfill some twisted ¡®wish¡¯ using them.¡±

    ¡°A wish¡­¡±

    In an instant, Derian¡¯s wrinkles tightened. Hisplexion turned as pale as if he had seen a ghost.

    I pressed on.

    ¡°You are worthy of forgiveness. However, this also means you are being given a chance to make things right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derian breathed heavily, wordlessly.

    ¡°lf you miss this opportunity, it won¡¯t just be your son who suffers. You will never be able to continue your lineage.¡±

    The old man¡¯s knees wobbled, and his body slowly bent.

    I flicked thest card. It turned into a drizzle that settled on the tent¡¯s ceiling.

    Jurrrrrrr¡­¡­.

    Derian¡¯s back became cold and wet.

    ¡°Confess your errors to the souls and beg for a chance to make amends. They still have the heart to forgive you¡­¡±

    I spoke like a sage who had seen through everything. At that moment, Derian began to cry. It was rare to see an old man cry, but there was no need for sympathy or Pity-

    Whether it was partial cooperation, full cooperation, or if he was the instigator, he deserved much more suffering than this.

    I waited for Derian¡¯s crying to stop.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I thought he would stop sooner, but Derian cried for quite a long time. It was a hard sound to listen to. Surely, his son¡¯s illness must have been a tremendous mental agony.

    How much time had passed?

    I inadvertently looked at my watch.

    Already 30 minutes had gone by.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The old man was still crying. There seemed to be no end in sight.

    When will this end? Why is this old man behaving like this?

    ¡°Time is running short.¡±

    I finally urged him.

    Atst, Derian stopped crying. With a shuffling sound, he astonishingly lifted his dried-out body and sat down in front of me.

 Chapter 305: New Year (3)

    Chapter 305: New Year (3)

    ¡°My father was ill,¡±

    Derian confessed slowly, recounting his past and reflecting on it simultaneously.

    ¡°lt was an incurable disease, so he abdicated in my favor at a very young age. I became the head of the family at neen.¡±

    It was the story of the Glofeld family.

    I ced a ss of water in front of him. The nonsense about the gathered souls judging his sincerity was just that¡ªnonsense.

    ¡°My father¡¯s body began to stiffen. His whole body turned to stone, like a curse or petrification. Eventually, except for his index finger, he couldn¡¯t move anything.¡±

    The head of the Glofeld, a noble family that had achieved wealth and glory, was ironically unable to own his own body.

    ¡°That¡¯s when the family made contact. They said they could create a new body and free my father from his constraints. They said it was possible to perform such a miracle.¡±

    It seemed that Glofeld¡¯s encounter with Libra was not about immortality but about incarnation¡ªno, receiving flesh.

    ¡°As I listened to them, I looked at my father, at his index finger.¡±

    Suddenly, a faint smile spread across Derian¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I saw that finger move so purely, with such desire. It was like seeing a child.¡±

    A fond memory yed across his face as he remembered his father.

    ¡°I saw hope in my father¡¯s eyes. That''s why I agreed and promised to cooperate as much as I could¡­¡±

    However, his smile quickly faded, and his face became lined with worry.

    ¡°I only found outter how they conducted their experiments. You might think it¡¯s an excuse, but that¡¯s how it was at the time.¡±

    Derian clenched his fists tightly on his knees. He continued in a mournful tone.

    ¡°At first, it was simply an experiment to create dolls. However, the dolls that received souls had many problems. Either the body would disintegrate, or the soul would copse. Time just passed hopelessly, and they said they had found another method¡­¡±

    A sigh escaped him.

    ¡°lt was human experimentation. They nned to extract a soul from a human body and transnt my father¡¯s soul into it¡­¡±

    Derian couldn¡¯t continue.

    I looked into his eyes.

    ¡°You felt betrayed. It was something that, as humans, should nevermit.¡±

    Did he truly regret the events of that day?

    ¡°I wanted to give up. But I kept thinking of my father.¡±

    At least, his emotions now seemed genuine.

    ¡°lt was 50 years. A full 50 years. My father was trapped in a body that could only move its fingertips, harboring just a sliver of hope.¡±

    Tears streamed down Derian¡¯s face. Suddenly, he started to cry.

    In front of his father, even a grown son bes but a child.

    ¡°Just because I give up doesn¡¯t mean the experiments would stop. That''s all they wanted¡­ Yes, there were many ''deluded old men.¡¯ I decided to wait and see their experiments. That was my sin unto death.¡±

    Derian looked at the cup of water on the table. He muttered as if speaking to a spirit.

    ¡°What they wanted to achieve ultimately couldn¡¯t be achieved.¡±

    The reason why it couldn''t be achieved.

    That reason is important.

    But it must not be questioned.

    I must appear as an agent of the soul. If I interject my opinion, my subjectivity, it would break the immersion and breed doubt.

    ¡°No matter how much you overwrite the flesh, the world recognizes human deception.¡±

    Deception.

    ¡°The world distinguishes between the body and the soul. The soul is given only one body. If thatw is broken, the world seeks to exclude it. That is what is called causality, or the ''irresistible force¡¯ of natural force.¡±

    Artificially created dolls cannot bear the weight of a soul, and bodies not artificially created cannot deceive the eyes of the world.

    ¡°However, one day, Libra discovered a method to deceive the eyes. My father agreed, but soon gave up.¡±

    ¡°Gave up.¡±

    I murmured unknowingly.

    Derian continued with a bitter smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know the reason. But he just stroked my arm, aged by his finger. He touched the face of his grandchild. Then, with a smile-like expression, he seemed to say it was enough¡­¡±

    Derian nodded.

    ¡°After that day, Glofeldpletely withdrew from their experiments.¡±

    His clear eyes looked at me.

    ¡°Mage. As you said, I valued my family more than others. This is my indelible sin and confession. But the one whomitted the sin is me. So, can you not just kill me instead of my son?¡±

    Derian was at least honest. There was no falsehood in his words.

    He neither glorified his family nor imed righteousness. He merely narrated the whole story.

    ¡°Take this water.¡±

    I offered him the cup of water I had ced on the table.

    ¡°I don''t know if all the soul¡¯s anger has disappeared. This cup won¡¯t heal it. But if your son¡¯s symptoms improve, it means you¡¯re given a chance.¡±

    ¡°A chance?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you are the one who sinned, you are also the one who must make it right.¡±

    The vile faces that sacrificed others for their own glory and longevity. Their day of reckoning was not far off.

    ¡°Someday, you will have the chance to make it right. Until then, remember this moment.¡±

    Glofeld¡¯s Derian.

    This old man was surely someone who could help me.

    I watched Derian from outside the tent. Clutching the cup of water I had given him, he hurriedly climbed into the limousine.

    The antidote should alleviate the symptoms of Derian¡¯s son, Beckron. Of course, it¡¯s only temporary. If Derian and Glofeld betray my expectations, I won''t give them a second chance.

    ¡°Shion. What kind of person was he?¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette approached and asked.

    I raised an eyebrow and responded.

    ¡°A good father, a good son, but a bad man.¡±

    Humans are always dual-natured.

    Starting with myself, I¡¯m a murderer. No matter the euphemisms or purposes attached, that fact doesn''t change.

    There are certainly people who deserve to die, but the moment one kills such a person, they themselves be deserving of death.

    I am all too aware of this proposition.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did you find out anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, quite a bit.¡±

    I ryed to soliette the stories I had heard from Derian. Soliette nodded, her face a mix ofplexity.

    ¡°Dolls couldn¡¯t bear the weight of a soul, and they tried using human bodies to contain souls, but even that didn''t work well.¡±

    Because dolls cannot withstand the weight of a soul.

    Because bodies cannot deceive the eyes of the world.

    ¡°So¡­ did all the experiments ultimately fail?¡±

    ¡°No. They said they found a way.¡±

    ¡°A way?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s what I think.¡±

    I thought of Derian. I thought of his son, Beckron.

    ¡°The grandson. Maybe they were nning to use Beckron.¡±

    ¡°The grandson?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a saying, isn¡¯t there? ''Children take on the soul of their parents''¡±

    Here¡¯s my theory.

    Derian¡¯s father was probably initially agreeable to Libra¡¯s proposal to use his grandson. The idea that transnting a soul into the grandson¡¯s body could deceive the world''s eyes, granting freedom to roam the continent with enticing words.

    ¡°Then could it be that Mr. Beckron¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Derian¡¯s father just died.¡±

    However, at some point, he might have seen his son loving his grandson.

    A son who had a child in histe fifties. A son smiling happily with his grandson, carrying on his bloodline.

    At that moment, the father might have given up his regrets.

    Or, perhaps, ''resolved'' them.

    He might have found the meaning of life.

    ¡°The purpose of life varies from person to person, but at the very least, ''continuation'' cannot be the purpose. There is no life thatsts forever. Nor should there be.¡±

    The purpose of his life he realized was probably not the family name, but his family.

    His proud son and grandson that he had raised.

    ¡°¡­IS that so.¡±

    Soliette chewed her lip and nodded.

    ¡°lt¡¯splicated.¡±

    I fell silent, lost in thought.

    If my imagination is correct,

    If so,

    Could the person named Sherlock possibly¡­

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    I turned to look at soliette.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk about.¡±

    Soliette seemed to sense my seriousness and adjusted her expression.

    I hadn¡¯t told her about my father yet. Before the regression, she would have figured it out on her own, but now-

    ¡°Will you listen to my story?¡±

    I had nned to confess to her first.

    It seemed like the right time now.

    Jade leaped to the location marked by Shion Ascal. There were no cheap disguises like wearing a mask or a stocking over his head. He was bare-faced and unadorned, except for wearing an artifact to avoid video recording.

    Jade greatly disliked this essory, but it was quite helpful at times like these.

    Thud¡ª

    Jadended. From the outskirts of Edsi to Blocker¡¯s hideout, it took just three leaps.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The hideout was arge farm. A luxurious mansion was hidden deep within a farm that cultivated crops, decorated like a red-light district.

    Before approaching Blocker, he expanded his senses.

    He hade to civilize barbarism, yet violence itself was a breach of dignity.

    Therefore, he intended not to create any witnesses.

    ¡°Three hundred eighty-four.¡±

    After assessing all the personnel in the vicinity, Jade took a step.

    With just one step, he crossed the farm road and arrived at the mansion.

    Boom¡ª! Boom¡ª! Boom¡ª!

    Loud music and the smell of alcohol filled the air, and hundreds of beasts jolted at Jade¡¯s sudden appearance.

    ¡°What, what the hell is this guy!¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, fuck!¡±

    Jade pointed out the most conspicuous beast among the vulgar creatures.

    ¡°You must be Blocker.¡±

    The man, Blocker, sat in the seat of honor, smoking a cigar.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Despite the unexpected visit, he showed no sign of panic.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this noble lord?¡±

    ¡°Hey. Are you crazy?¡±

    His subordinates were about to step forward, but Blocker stopped them.

    ¡°I recognize that face. He¡¯s a distinguished guest, stand down.¡±

    Blocker prided himself on being a ¡®master¡¯. He had the skills and confidence to match.

    ¡°How did you find this ce? There should have been a Barrier.¡±

    To him, Jade also seemed at least a master.

    No extraordinary senses were felt, but since he had prated his own Barrier.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jade took gloves out of his pocket and slipped the stiff items onto both hands. He had no intention of touching the filthy skin of these beasts.

    ¡°You¡¯U need to exin why you''vee.¡±

    Blocker raised his Magic Body and snapped his fingers crisply. Numerousrge figures appeared inside the mansion. They were monsters he had hired as insurance.

    Jade, without even ncing in that direction, replied.

    ¡°l¡¯vee to cull.¡±

    And then, he took a step forward.

    Meanwhile, in the WIP hospital room where Glofeld¡¯s Beckron was admitted:

    ¡°¡­lt¡¯s remarkable. His condition has significantly im proved.¡±

    At the doctor¡¯s words, Derian and the other family members wore bewildered expressions.

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    Beckron¡¯s wife asked with a face about to burst into tears. The doctor, flipping through the chart, nodded.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll need to continue monitoring, but¡­ he¡¯s definitely passed the critical phase.¡±

    Derian chuckled dryly and ced a hand on his forehead.

    The cure was just a cup of water.

    A cup of water given by the astrological mage, imbued with the intent of the soul.

    Thanks to that, Beckron had been revived.

    ¡°Was it the IV treatment that worked?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, the IV did nothing.¡±

    Derian suddenly shook his head sternly, looking at Beckron who was still gasping for breath, and then smiled faintly.

    ¡°lt was thanks to the astrological mage.¡±

    It was unthinkable that it was just the IV. The words of the doctors, who hadn¡¯t even determined the cause of the illness, couldn¡¯t be trusted.

    Now, Derian had no choice but to believe in that astrological mage.

    ¡°Astrological mage, you say?¡±

    ¡°G0 on, leave US.¡±

    Derian waved his hand dismissively. The doctor, though puzzled, eventually stepped out.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The hospital room was silent.

    Derian silently watched Beckron. His foolish-looking son had already opened his eyes.

    He nodded at Derian, who nodded back.

    No further words or gestures were necessary.

    Derian wiped the tears that welled up in his eyes.

    ¡°My daughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, father-inW.¡±

    The daughter-inw sobbed as she responded. Derian stroked her hair.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. You saved this good-for-nothing. It was all thanks to your arrangement.¡±

    This worthless Beckron had messed up everything with the astrological mage.

    The persuasion was entirely thanks to the daughter-inw, so this guy owed his life to her.

    ¡°No¡­ it was what I had to do.¡±

    The daughter-inw wiped her tears with her sleeve.

    ¡°lt¡¯s a relief, a great relief, my lord¡­ Sob.¡±

    Tears suddenly burst forth like a waterfall from Derian¡¯s seasoned eyes, endlessly streaming down.

    ¡°¡­Come here. Everyone.¡±

    Derian opened his arms wide and embraced them all.

    The three of them cried andughed together, and Beckron quietly joined in.

    It was an umon sea of tears for a noble family of the Round Table.

 Chapter 306: New Year (4)

    Chapter 306: New Year (4)

    On a winter night when the wind mixed with snow and whirled in white gusts, I was with soliette.

    Listening to my depressingly unmatched story, she had a somewhat sorrowful expression.

    But it wasn''t too gloomy.

    I had kept my terminal diagnosis a secret.

    If I added that to the mix, wouldn''t it be a bit too much?

    I didn''t even want to share the fact of my impending death.

    ¡°Now I understand. Shion, thats why you''re trying to bring them down.¡±

    Soliette murmured, her breath mingling with the snowkes.

    ¡°Yeah. Its a bit of a grand dream. Will you help me?¡±¡°¡­¡±

    She frowned, as if questioning why I would even ask.

    ¡°What are you talking about? I already promised before. I said I''d go with you to the end.¡±

    To the end.

    It''s a reassuring phrase, but I still don''t know how many years I have left. Its a shame it won''t be long.

    It would be nice if I could save some.

    ¡°And¡­ it seems like there''s an ovep, Shion.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The target our des are aimed at.¡±

    I smiled faintly and nodded.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Libra. They must definitely be involved with Knightmare. But just as much, Arkne''s wrongdoing is significant.

    Thats why, before my regression, she hadmitted suicide.

    Back then, she avenged herself on Arkne with her death. She severed the ''line£» cutting off the lineage of her family.

    ¡­At Least, thafs what I thought.

    Ding-

    Just then, an rm went off on my Libra phone. It was a signal from GrawL

    ¡°I need to go.¡±

    ¡°What? Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°T0 clean up.¡±

    ¡°CLean up¡­¡±

    Soliette didn''t ask much. She already knew there was no need.

    ¡°Yes. Please go.¡±

    Soliette extended her hand to me. I took her hand. We shook hands.

    ¡°Yeah. I''ll be back.¡±

    She said toe back, and I said I would.

    Sometimes, I tell her toe back, and she says she will.

    This level of rtionship is enough.

    I do not Love her now, and she is gradually oveing her losses.

    These experiences of burying those who left first will be of great help to her in the future.

    Someday, I too will have to Leave her side.

    Thump, thump.

    Jade dusted off the dirt clinging to his body. The situation had long since ended.

    He was the only one standing in his vicinity.

    The entire area was scorched ck. The farm that had been full of crops was now a dark mound. It was piled with the ashes of corpses.

    Jade detested monstrosities.

    Therefore, he burned them whenever possible. He preferred the near-nothingness of ash over Leaving debris that would pollute the scenery.

    However, he did not handle chemicals. Simply by adjusting the friction of his strikes correctly, he could ignite with a punch.

    Every battle Jade fought was intuitive.

    He knew the limits of the violence he could inflict, and it was almost everything.

    Perhaps.

    The entirews of physics were in his grasp.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Jade saw Blocker. Half of his face remained. Fitting for someone who had carved out his own influence, he had endured this much.

    He was a bug that didn''t even deserve a clean death, but Jade had no hobby of torturing people.

    This was enough.

    ¡ª¡ªRustle.

    The sound of footsteps on the ash. Jade had already sensed his approach.

    ¡°l''m sorry for being Late.¡±

    Shion AscaL Jade turned to Look at him.

    ¡°Can you handle the cleanup?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°This was your doing.¡±

    Jade spoke as if he was pinning a crime on him. Although it was indeed a crime, it wasn''t entirely bad for Shion.

    ¡°Unde rsto o d.¡±

    Jade turned away. He was not in a good mood. Direct killings always felt like this.

    The difort of having gone out of his way to crush a bug.

    On such days, Eceline often came to mind.

    Perhaps, he would dream of that day''s nightmare tonight. The day he had torn off the arm of the woman who said she would leave him¡­

    Jade took a step forward.

    Kwaaaaaa-

    A massive shockwave erupted. A wave-like wind spread in a fan shape on the opposite side of him, shaking the ground. The embers in the ash red up again.

    ¡­Too destructive for a mere leap.

    Shion scratched the back of his neck and chuckled dryly.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    At least the objective was achieved.

    Jade''s expertise had be his own, and there wasn''t much left to clean up.

    It was all ash anyway.

    But to im he did all this alone would be too grand, so he nned to downy the report to the Intelligence Agency.

    He had received help from Bell Moore, nted internal agents, and used several expensive explosives¡­ That should sound usible.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shion suddenly looked up at the sky. Jade had already left, but he had doubts about him.

    The undeniable strongest in the world. An unmatched champion.

    Yet, he had been killed by Zia.

    No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t understand it.

    He seemed like a person who couldn''t even die, more like the closest being to immortality.

    How did Zia kill him?

    ¡°¡­¡­IS it ultimately about lineage?¡±

    No matter how much he stirred and dug around, all secrets eventuallyy with the direct descendants.

    Just as his revenge was directed towards them.

    ¡ªThe Blocker faction has been annihted

    That night, Zia received the news from the head of HR, Jean. It was hard to believe that Blocker had been wiped out in an instant.

    At first, it sounded Like someone banging on a window in her sleep.

    ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡±

    ¡ªYes. We dispatched staff from the station to confirm.

    Just awakened, Zia felt her mind floating hazily. Even her hair seemed slightly aloft.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ just a moment¡­¡±

    She rubbed her eyes.

    Lately, she''s been sleeping a Lot. All her time outside of work was devoted to sleep, to recovery.

    ¡ªNot only Blocker but even his closest aides have beenpletely destroyed.

    Zia was skeptical of the information. It was merely a fragment, after all, and she only trusted what she could see herself.

    ¡°Really¡­?¡±

    She could hack electronic devices to create her own eyes and ears, andmand countless demons, but sadly, her time was not infinite to observe everything. Neither was her capacity.

    She was bing dull.

    More precisely, she was dying.

    ¡ªMiss, I think you can stop doubting now.

    As Jean suggested, Zia felt the need to rely on, or depend on someone.

    She needed someone to whom she could delegate at least some of her responsibilities. Not always someone to doubt, but someone she could trust and rely on.

    A confidant to lessen her burden and fatigue.

    ¡ªChaser Shion is a knight solely for Miss Zia.

    Zia pondered for a moment. It didn''t take Long.

    She had only been with Shion AscaL for two years, but their rtionship was perhaps thicker than the ten years she had spent with Jean.

    ¡°Okay. I''ll hang up.¡±

    She nodded and ended the call. Then she contacted sonya.

    There was no time to sit idle. If this information leaked, other hyenas would swoop in.

    Before that, she had to swallow up all of Blocker''s forces and foundations in one go.

    ¡­What?

    Sonya''s voice was heavy with sleep.

    Zia told her.

    ¡°Sonya¡­ Blocker is dead¡­¡±

    ¡­Eh?

    Sonya reacted simrly. It must be confusing to hear such news while asleep.

    ¡°lt''s not a lie¡­ We need to move now¡­¡±

    ¡ªUh¡­ Okay. Kll issue the deployment orders.

    Zia had already cultivated her forces. She had even established a mercenary group with that power. Now, she just needed to deploy them to seize control of all distributionworks.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was such a crucial moment.

    Yet, she couldn''t get up. Unknowingly, she had Lain back down on the bed.

    ¡°¡­l''m sleepy.¡±

    Like being buried in sand, Like sinking into the ocean, her consciousness precipitated. She was too sleepy to even twitch a finger.

    Drrriiing¡ª¡ª

    Suddenly, the phone rang. She Looked at the phone in her hand.

    It was Shion.

    Shion AscaL

    She moved her fingers to answer the phone.

    ¡ªMiss Zia, the mission has beenpleted.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Her response was brief.

    It was the best Zia could muster.

    ¡ªAre you feeling unwell?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia didn''t speak. Even moving her lips felt like too much effort.

    ¡ªI''ll be there soon.

    Shion arrived quickly, at least in his own estimation, though it might have taken a few hours. He stayed by her side until she recovered, and when she woke, he had prepared a meal for her.

    It tasted good.

    Gedley of the Intelligence Agency heard the shocking news.

    Blocker. The force that even the Intelligence Agency had been watching, had been annihted by Shion Ascal and Bell Moore team.

    For Ged ley, this was practically a death blow.

    Bell Moore''s stature had skyrocketed, and his capabilities far exceeded Gedley''s expectations.

    Bell Moore was now recognized as one of the strongest at the Intelligence Agency. Rumors circted that he was on par with a top bncer.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gedley stood alone in his office, Looking at his namete. He had held onto his position for a long time.

    [Director Ged ley]

    If he remained passive, he would be devoured by him.

    He would be betrayed by his own subordinates.

    Now, it was time to make a choice.

    Gedley walked out of his office with a bitter smile, strolling through the Intelligence Agency.

    By chance, Bell Moore was walking down the corridor leading to the main hall.

    Bell Moore simply walked. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets, a confident smile on his face, and Shion Ascal was by his side.

    The eyes of the Intelligence Agency were all focused on them.

    To Ged ley, everything about them seemed to move in slow motion, Like a scene from a movie.

    Gedley envied their confidence. He feared Bell Moore''s grand ambitions and his meticulousness. He scowled at himself for having misjudged the man.

    The day to pay for that misjudgment was not far off.

    Winter seemed to pass quickly somehow.

    My regression had already reached its third year, and soliette had started the new semester without dropping out, while Castology was temporarily closed.

    There was no need to operate it until a family capable of extracting more information than GLofeld appeared.

    Also, as Dr. Killian, I had been gathering materials as a whistleblower.

    Theb, as well as Killian''s residence, were under surveince, so I utilized the fNotepadJ .

    I had stored all the data and experimental processes in my [NotepadJ . A perfect replica is indistinguishable from the original, so it would serve as suitable evidence.

    ¡°¡­Are you nervous?¡±

    And today¡ª Vito had asked me that. Now, I stand in front of Derek''s inner sanctum.

    As a key researcher, I had been granted the opportunity to meet Derek.

    ¡°Yes, I am nervous.¡±

    Vito regarded me as a key researcher, a special treatment far beyond what other senior researchers received.

    ¡°Don''t be too nervous. Lord Derek has called Dr. Killian to bemended, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I feigned nervousness in my response, and Vito chuckled lightly. He knocked lightly on the door before opening it.

    Beyond it was Derek, and by his side stood his direct secretary, Riley, who had also been promoted.

    ¡°You''ve arrived.¡±

    Uncharacteristically, Derek greeted us with a bright smile.

    ¡°Dr. Killian of the Abyss project, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it''s an honor, truly an honor.¡±

    He ced his hand on my shoulder. I pretended as best as I could that I didn''t know how to react.

    ¡°l''ve heard a lot about you from Dr. Vito. You yed a significant role in artificial intelligence?¡±

    Joy radiated from every gesture and expression of Derek.

    Indeed, it was a performance good enough to outshine even Everett, the toppany this quarter.

    ¡°I merely assisted Dr. Vito.¡±

    As always, I deflected the credit to Vito. Vito shook his head with a smile, and Derekughed as well.

    ¡°Hahaha, what a humble friend.¡±

    Not many could earn the title of ''friend'' from Derek.

    ¡°The reason I''ve called you is simple. For the second quarter, we n to present version two at the Ortus Symposium, and I want you to apany me.¡±

    The Ortus Symposium. Its thergest tech and academic conference attended by the top schrs of the continent.

    ¡°T0 apany¡­ you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As the architect behind the revolutionary Al, it''s only right to show the world the faces of those who walked this path with me.¡±

    I paused for a moment, then subtly nced at Riley. Our eyes met, and she raised her eyebrows slightly.

    I then bowed slightly to Derek.

    ¡°¡­lf I may apany Lord Derek, it would be an infinite honor.¡±

    The Ortus Symposium.

    A ce Like the Milky Way, where stars of intellect gather.

    It would be the perfect stage to handle the ''end'' of Dr. Killian.

 Chapter 307: Milky Way(1)

    Chapter 307: Milky Way(1)

    Riley waspiling a file on Derek''s artificial intelligence, weaving together the conversations she had with Dr. Killian.

    Of course, this alone was not enough. More concrete information and evidence were needed for [Vancheon], but the security of theboratory was beyond her control.

    Thus, she prepared a n.

    On ate, drizzly night, Riley stayed in the Libra Station Laboratory under the pretext of working overtime. Dr. Vito had left for the Libra headquarters, and coincidentally, there was a thunderstorm forecast for that day.

    Riley''s Spectrum could manipte nature. Specifically, she could control natural phenomena such as thunderstorms, tsunamis, and earthquakes to her will.

    Silently, she typed on herptop in the empty office, waiting for the right moment.

    Suddenly!

    A bolt of lightning cracked through the air. In that instant, Riley''s magic resonated. She drew the residual energy of the Lightning that had shed across the sky into Libra Station.

    Boom!A second, artificial sh struck the building. The Lights went out. The entire system, including the security system, cked out.

    Thus, Rile/s Spectrum could reconfigure natural phenomena. In other words, she could recycle the ''natural forces'' that had been dropped across the continent.

    Riley quickly got up.

    There was no time to waste.

    She ran down the corridor and reached the artificial intelligenceboratory. She manually opened the unlocked door.

    There were many tables, but only one had documents on it.

    Dr. Killian.

    Riley rushed to the spot and read the documents.

    Her expression hardened. The spections she had made were indeed written there as facts.

    Riley interpreted the data.

    They had overwritten real human souls and contained them in a ''vessel'' called artificial intelligence. The precision of the operation was as heinous as the crime itself.

    ¡°lnsane¡­¡±

    Riley took photos of the documents with her phone, and just as she was about to Leave,

    ¡°Who''s there?¡±

    Someone called out to Riley. Her heart stopped.

    She quietly turned around. A Chaser, whose name she only knew, stood at the entrance.

    ¡°lts Riley from the Station. You know me, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°I do, but¡­¡±

    The Chaser walked towards her, speaking.

    ¡°lt seems you wereing out of theboratory. Did you have permission to enter?¡±

    ¡°No, I was just worried. There was a sudden ckout.¡±

    Riley smiled faintly. In contrast, the Chaser''s expression was unreadable. He noticed the phone in Rile/s hand.

    ¡°May I see your phone?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°lts procedure.¡±

    Procedure.

    Riley Looked into the Chaser''s eyes. He was exceedingly nd and had already Lifted a radio to his hand.

    ¡°Station, artificial intelligenceboratory sector.¡±

    He Locked his gaze on Riley as he reported their location. In that brief moment, Riley intensely deliberated her next move.

    Should she kill this man? Can she kill him and escape?

    Her mind was tightly wound, and as her hand began to gather magical energy,

    ¡°Currently, there''s suspicious activity¡ª¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Suddenly, another voice cut between them. Riley and the Chaser both turned towards the source.

    ¡°Ah, Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    The Chaser recognized him first and bowed his head.

    ¡°I was just following procedure because an employee from the station entered without permission.¡±

    At Chaser''s words, Killian slightly furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Without permission? It''s Ms. Riley.¡±

    Riley Licked her dry lips. Her heart felt like it was about to burst.

    ¡°I know, but it''s the procedure.¡±

    The Chaser pointed at Riley''s hand. Killian saw the phone she was holding.

    ¡°W½Ð Let me check it then.¡±

    Killian reached out and snatched Riley''s phone. Her heart sank further, but Killian flicked through it briefly and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°There''s nothing much here.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Did you really suspect Ms. Riley?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°l''ve checked it, so you can go now.¡±

    The Chaser bowed his head slightly and stepped back.

    ¡°¡­Goodnight.¡±

    Killian handed her the phone back. Riley responded with a bitter smile.

    ¡°l''m sorry. I was just worried.¡±

    ¡°Worried?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lies.¡±

    At Killian''s response, Riley tensed up again.

    ¡°I know everything. You took photos, didn''t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her back was drenched in cold sweat. Although Riley prided herself on her poker face, in such a situation¡ª

    ¡°ls it your job to monitor me, Ms. Riley?¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    Riley flinched and looked up at Killian cautiously.

    He shrugged his shoulders with a slightly sad expression.

    ¡°l''ve known for a while. There''s no other reason someone like Ms. Riley would be so friendly to me unless it was that. Did you think I was going to Leak internal information or something?¡±

    Apparently, Killian had misunderstood.

    Riley was genuinely flustered but felt relieved at the same time.

    ¡°Ah¡­ that''s¡­¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to feel too sorry.¡±

    Killian gave a bitter smile.

    ¡°From now on, don''t suspect me.¡±

    Crack!

    Just then, the power was restored. The lights around them turned on, and the security system began to operate again.

    Killian gestured.

    ¡°You go ahead. I still have some research left.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡±

    Riley turned around, her mind feeling shattered, and quickly left the area.

    ¡­

    In the now emptyboratory, I sat down and began to organize the documents.

    This should be sufficient.

    Riley will ry the information she gathered today to [Vancheon].

    However, the ending I desire is not just that.

    Riley must personally finish Killian. She must track him down, uncover the information he has hidden, and expose it to the world to ascend to the higher echelons of [Vancheon].

    As I''ve said before, there are quite a few Lunatics in [Vancheon].

    Secret societies aimed at overthrowing the regime inevitably attract the unhinged, but Riley is trustworthy.

    In my opinion, she is the only one I can truly rely on.

    So.

    ¡°¡­Lets get moving quickly now.¡±

    Pretending to be Killian is getting tiresome.

    Ughhhhh¡ª

    I stretched while sitting in the chair.

    Sherlock''s loyal ''Belingham Kantar* was among the most talented of his generation, along with Theia EsiL and Akane. Though amoner, he followed a path more elite than the elites with the support of Libra.

    However, nothing was known about his family background. Belingham had truly ''suddenly'' appeared on this continent.

    ¡°Lady Johanna?¡±

    Recognized as Sherlock''s right-hand man, he has recently been keeping an eye on a direct descendant. The subject is Johanna. Her behavior is quite youthful.

    ¡°¡­You''ve been meeting frequently these days.¡±

    In the corridor of the Aerial Garden, Johanna responded to Belingham with a bitter smile.

    ¡°That''s right. How have you been?¡±

    Johanna looked at him and asked back.

    ¡°How is the lord? I heard you met him recently.¡±

    ¡°The time to select a sessor is approaching, he says.¡±

    ¡°¡­IS that so.¡±

    Johanna frowned.

    Belingham smiled faintly.

    ¡°I heard you''re diving into pharmaceuticals.¡±

    ¡°That''s right.¡±

    ¡°ls it because of the session structure?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±

    Johanna asked expressionlessly. Belingham shrugged.

    ¡°lt was the business that Lord Sherlock showed the most enthusiasm for.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna said nothing, just Looked at him and let out a faint sigh.

    ¡°Yes. I always wanted to be the sessor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Past tense?¡±

    Belingham detected something unusual in her voice. Johanna had already cooled down.

    ¡°Belingham. You served my father, didn''t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course.¡±

    ¡°You must know what my father wants.¡±

    ¡°¡­What he wants?¡±

    Johanna crossed her arms. Her brow slowly furrowed.

    ¡°l''m asking because I don''t know. What does my father want, and what did he see, to show such enthusiasm for those human experiments?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Well, I''m not involved in the business, so I don''t really know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pfft. I guess so.¡±

    Johanna shed a smile again, her expression somewhat girlish in Belingham''s view.

    ¡°¡­You7e really thinking of giving up your inheritance?¡±

    Belingham asked in surprise.

    Johanna answered nonchntly.

    ¡°Whether I give up the inheritance or not, nothing changes. I am still Johanna.¡±

    With that, she brushed past Bellingham and left the mansion.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Belingham watched her retreating figure, puzzled, for quite some time. Then, as if realizing something btedly, he nodded.

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    He murmured with a meaningful smile.

    ¡°So thats what being human is.¡±

    Elise was making rapid progress in a bunker known as the Magic Tower. Her magical talent shone particrly bright, even among the myriad stars of the Milky Way.

    The Spectrum known as [maismJ , as Akane once said, was a talent that belonged to the ''uppermost tier* of humanity.

    Her focus was artificial. Using ¡¸maism¡¹ to more tightly bind the neuralworks¡ªsynapses¡ªin her brain, she could enhance processing speed, memory, and all other capabilities. She could remember everything she saw once, andplete all calctions in an instant.

    Even more, this ability applied to non-logical aspects as well.

    She could even trigger ''creativity.''

    The side effects were scarce.

    ¡­ln fact, they were fatal.

    Manipting the brain''s neuralwork inevitably stirred emotions.

    This was especially true when dealing with creativity and innovation. Whenever Elise engaged in emergent thinking thatbined rational and emotional thoughts, she always suffered.

    Because she frequently thought of ''Shion Ascal£º

    His blond hair, his golden eyes seemed vividly before her, and the days they had spent together felt as fresh as today.

    These side effects made Elise feel lonely, but she converted even that into passion, and eventually, she was promoted to a third-tier mage.

    It was the fourth fastest promotion in the history of Edsi.

    ¡°¡­Well, thafs the story- Even I can''t fully grasp my own talent.¡±

    Elise smiled and twirled her hair with her finger. She had just spent the Last 30 minutes bragging about herself.

    She had that much to share.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    La, Asher, and Kain, who hade to see her, looked somewhat dumbfounded.

    ¡°Well, any thoughts? Hehe.¡±

    Elise chuckled, crossing her legs.

    La scratched the back of her neck.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Impressive, Elly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You''re really something.¡±

    Asher retorted. Elise''s brow furrowed.

    ¡°Thats gross. Asher, try saying that to the mage you serveter?¡±

    The real side effect was something else entirely.

    Elise had already been steeped in the ways of a mage. She treated knights as mere bodyguards or servants, and she always considered herself superior, no matter where she was.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Asher sighed deeply. Elise Looked genuinely bbergasted.

    ¡°Now you''re sighing too. Are you really going off the rails? How do you n to team up with a mageter?¡±

    ¡°Never mind that. Did you hear? Shion got his knight certification.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise was visibly shaken. Shion Ascal was a significant weakness for her.

    Not without reason; every time she used [maismJ , old memories surfaced, naturally fostering feelings even though they werenl meeting.

    She woulde to like Shion Ascal more day by day.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I heard.¡±

    Maybe we''ll meet on a teaming missionter? No, she''s an elite mage, so she can just appoint him.

    Elise pursed her lips like a cat, looking forward to an uing mission.

    Kain asked,

    ¡°Hey. Do you still keep in touch with your parents?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mother contacted me. She must have heard some rumors.¡±

    The Magic Tower was on par with, or perhaps even superior to, the Round Table families. Naturally, Elise''s ambition was to head the Magic Tower.

    Because of Elise''s revtions, the prominent influence of the Petra family had been undone.

    ¡°Really? Oh. So, Petra is bing a magic family now?¡±

    ¡°lts bing Elise''s Petra.¡±

    It was the process of changing from Ken''s Petra to Elise''s Petra.

    Not Petra''s Elise, but Elise''s Petra.

    ¡°No! That''s not what we came to ask about!¡±

    La''s face contorted with frustration, like a bulldog.

    ¡°We came to ask about Raquel Dra. How far have you gotten with that investigati o n 7¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, that?¡±

    Elise smirked.

    ¡°The analysis is almost done. Kve managed to replicate that chimera form to some extent.¡±

    Raquel Dra''s chimera forms are almost unraveled, thanks to Elise''s own [maismJ .

    ¡°T''ve incorporated an old man into the magic I''m developing, and once it''splete, KU be invincible. Huh.¡±

    La narrowed her eyes.

    Seeing her chuckle about being invincible, it was clear that being confined in the Magic Tower could indeed cause issues.

    It wasn''t the people that were the problem; it was the Magic Tower itself.

    ¡°¡­Really. La. More importantly, have you ever used artificial intelligence?¡±

    Suddenly, Elise was back to her usual self.

    La shook her head with a look of difort.

    ¡°l''ve tried it a few times. It felt odd, so I stopped using it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. There seems to be something off about it.¡±

    It was creepy, or perhaps eerie.

    While the performance of artificial intelligence was undoubtedly helpful, the strange vibes it gave off made it unappealing.

    It was probably not just a simple feeling. A mage''s Five Senses are exceptionally sharp.

    Elise said,

    ¡°Let''s go to the symposium together.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about Ortus?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Get us some entry tickets.¡±

    Elisemanded La as if she were a maid. La''s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°¡­Elly could get the tickets herself.¡±

    ¡°I don''t have the time. Oh, and arrange transportation. A truck or even a private jet would be fine. Bianca needs to be able toe along too. And, it would be nice if there were plenty of desserts and coffee inside. I want to continue my magic research on the way¡­¡±

    Elise rambled on about her desires for nearly 20 minutes, and La genuinely looked fed up.

    All this time, I thought all mages were odd, but that wasn''t the case.

    It was being trapped in the Magic Tower that caused these issues¡­

 Chapter 308: Milky Wayï¼ˆ2ï¼‰

    Chapter 308: Milky Way£¨2£©

    On a summer day Leading up to the Ortus Symposium.

    I was chatting in theb with Vito.

    ¡°l''ve heard rumors that you''ve been quite extravaganttely.¡±

    Vito said with a grin. I feigned surprise and pursed my lips.

    ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­¡±

    I had received the sales performance of the artificial intelligence from Vito. An Artifact created by overwriting human souls. The revenue from that abomination, even more horrific than mere ves, and the incentives given to Killian were already more than one could spend in a lifetime.

    ¡°Having suddenlye into so much money, I ended up buying everything I wanted¡­¡±

    As Killian, I bought several sports cars, luxury goods, and made it Look Like I was indulging in Luxury.

    Whether it was Vito or Derek, they would be suspicious if I didn''t spend the money.After all, money is just scraps of paper to those who can''t use it. And you can''t buy people with scraps of paper. If you can''t buy them, you can''t control them, which is always suspicious.

    ¡°Ha ha. I understand. Km not ming you. It just makes me happy to see. You should earn a lot of money, Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    Vito chuckled and ruffled my hair.

    ¡°Yes. Ha ha. It''s good to have a lot. I want to earn more.¡±

    However, most of the Luxuries were sold off and donated anonymously. I poured all of Killian''s incentives into orphanages, schools, hospitals, and other needy ces.

    Thats how I squandered the initial incentive of 50 million Ren.

    ¡°You will earn more. Dr. Killian is exceptionally capable.¡±

    Thanks to this, Vito almost treated Killian as his right-hand man.

    After all, he was everything Vito liked in a person.

    Capable, revered him, was without greed but indulgent in luxury, and loyal when given crumbs.

    ¡°¡­Dr. Vito. Kve be a bit curious about something.¡±

    I cautiously broached the subject.

    I felt I had gained enough favor to get an answer.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°When you overwrite a soul and put it in a container, it Lasts a Long time, right?¡±

    ¡°Thats right.¡±

    ¡°But if you don''t overwrite it¡ª¡±

    ¡°lt won''t stay in any object. The object would break. Even if you create a perfect fake body, it''s the same. A fake can''t contain a real soul.¡±

    Vito answered nonchntly.

    ¡°¡­Then, Dr. Vito. What if you put a real soul into a real body?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, are you talking about soul transntation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Like, removing the soul from its original body and putting another soul into the soulless body.¡±

    ¡°lts possible, but you can''t fool the world. The lifespan wouldn''t exceed five years.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Then Vito chuckled.

    ¡°Dr. Killian, you think quite like I did in the past.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ really? I''m honored, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, there''s no honor in it. To continue, quite a few schrs have thought of various ways to deceive the ''eyes of the world''.¡±

    Vito tapped his fingers on the table as he continued speaking.

    ¡°First, the first method. It involves cing a soul into a body that already has a soul.¡±

    ¡°¡­lnto a body that already has a soul?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You transnt without removing the existing soul. Its like having two souls Living in one body.¡±

    At that moment, a chill ran down my spine.

    ¡°But in such cases, erosion urs. Simply put, one of the souls goes mad. The stronger soul survives, and the stronger one goes mad, leading to quite a messy situation.¡±

    Two souls in one body.

    ''Knightmare.''

    I asked with feigned curiosity.

    ¡°What happens when such problems ur?¡±

    ¡°Well, we try to control it first. If it can be utilized, we make it usable. But if that doesn''t work, we dispose of it.¡±

    Just Like he said, they had used Knightmare like a mercenary.

    ¡°Anyway, moving on.¡±

    Vito held up two fingers.

    ¡°The second method to deceive the eyes of the world.¡±

    He paused and smiled broadly.

    ¡°What do you think it is? Guess, and I''ll tell you. Think of it as a lesson.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I pretended to ponder and then responded.

    ¡°Perhaps. Using blood rtives?¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Correct! You truly are Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    p, p, p¡ª

    Vito apuded. His face genuinely pleased.

    ¡°Yes. You use the body of a blood rtive. You remove the soul of a child or grandchild and insert your own soul into that body. This way, you can deceive the eyes of the world, but¡­¡±

    Vito shrugged as if he found it distasteful.

    ¡°Most people seem reluctant to use that method. Maybe it''s a bit much to use one''s own child. I don''t understand it, though.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ thafs right.¡±

    I casually agreed, thinking this was the end of the discussion.

    ¡°Lastly, the third method.¡±

    But then Vito held up three fingers. I turned to look at him.

    ¡°Since Dr. Killian guessed the problem correctly, I''ll just tell you.¡±

    Vito still had a smile full of mirth.

    ¡°lts not about using an artificial body, but an artificial fertilized egg.¡±

    ¡°¡­A fertilized egg?¡±

    I asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

    ¡°Yes. You find a suitable surrogate to carry the egg, and then the child grows. The child bes a being that has a soul, yet doesnV¡±

    ¡°Has yet doesn''t have¡­?¡±

    It was a momentarily confusing statement.

    Vito continued to exin.

    ¡°lts fine when the child is young, but as they grow, the soul dies before the body.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, you wait for that moment to transnt the soul?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. Its essentially a technology for cultivating humans.¡±

    Vito sipped his coffee and stood up. I stared nkly at him.

    This bastard, he''s even more of a vile than I thought.

    ¡°Let''s end the chatter now and get to work, shall we? Dr. Killian, you need to earn a lot of money.¡±

    Vito extended his form to me. I quickly nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Yes, I will review it immediately and report back¡­¡±

    At the same time, I stopped the voice recording.

    Where was the recorder, you ask?

    Inside my fNotepadJ .

    The newly acquired mansion of Dr. Killian.

    ¡°¡­Tve more or less settled my personal affairs.¡±

    I told GrawL Grawl responded telepathically.

    ''Yes, me too. So, this month will be ourst day at work?*

    ¡°That seems likely.¡±

    I replied while picking up a designer bag.

    Arge bag branded with AIROL Inside were all the materials prepared by Killian. Not only the recordings of conversations between Killian and Vito but also a letter to Riley.

    Heroes pretending to be viins usually die like this.

    With the conviction that their death could somehow benefit society, and with the hope that their Legacy could be continued by someone else.

    Riley, who would receive this ''package£» would undoubtedly expose all the corruption and malfeasance to the world.

    Til miss this¡¹

    At Grawl''s words, I smiled faintly.

    ¡°lndeed.¡±

    Drring¡ª¡ª

    Just then, a call came through on my Libra phone.

    ¡ªIt''s Jeff.

    It was Jeff, the ace of the Bell Moore team.

    ¡ªI''ve found the key figure rted to Theia Esil, as you mentioned before.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I nodded. I had Located a key figure rted to Theia Esil''s former mentor.

    From here on, things would proceed swiftly. I could involve Theia EsiL as much as I wanted, but I had to wait a bit longer. Until Theia inflicted enough damage on Derek.

    ¡°Let''s stand by for now.¡±

    ¡ªI will monitor from a close distance.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I ended the call. Sitting in a rocking chair worth 3 million Ren, I Looked out the window at the sky and quietly closed my eyes.

    ¡ªYes. If you find a suitable surrogate to carry the embryo, the child will grow up. The child bes a being that has a soul, yet doesn''t.

    Vito''s voice resounded in my ears.

    Perhaps a hint of sorts.

    ¡ªIt''s fine when the child is young, but as they grow, the soul dies before the body¡­

    I felt sleepy.

    I slowly drifted off to sleep.

    In a dark forest, Riley, dressed in a mask and a cap, leaned against the trunk of a tree. She Looked up at the Milky Way filling the night sky, waiting for someone.

    Before Long, a woman approached her from the opposite side.

    Beneath a cap, ck hair shimmered¡ªTheia EsiL

    Riley nodded slightly and handed over some photographs.

    ¡°Take a look.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia quietly examined the photos. They were documents on artificial intelligence obtained from Killian.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    A curse-Like sound escaped Theia''s lips. She seemed furious at the entire operation involving Libra and Derek.

    ¡°Where did you get this information?¡±

    Theia asked Riley. Riley responded briefly.

    ¡°Key researcher.¡±

    ¡°l''m asking who that is.¡±

    Theia''s brow furrowed sharply. Riley fiddled with her mask.

    ¡°Do you really need to know that much?¡±

    ¡°These bastards are overwriting human souls. Of course, I need to know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley and Theia had a deep connection. First, they were from the same hometown, expelled by Libra, both having lost their parents.

    Riley called Theia ''sister'' and followed her, while Theia, as the Leader of several children, had protected their neighborhood alleys.

    ¡°I know. But if the source is Leaked, we might not be able to get more information.¡±

    But now, things had changed.

    Riley had joined [Vancheon], and Theia was trying to bring down Libra from within the system.

    Theia lowered her voice.

    ¡°We can''t give them any more time. You know what they1 re doing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Of course, Riley was also disgusted by their acts. Libra was trying to corrupt even the essence of being human.

    However.

    ¡ªYou''ve been monitoring me, haven''t you, Ms. Riley? I''ve known about it for a while. There''s no other reason someone like you would be so kind to me.

    Killian''s voice, his expression seemingly sorrowful, came to mind.

    ¡°Lia.¡±

    Theia called her by her old name. Riley cautiously lifted her head.

    ¡°Yes. Ifs Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    Dr. Killian.

    ¡°Dr. Killian. Vito''s key right-hand man.¡±

    ¡°Right-hand man.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Dr. Killian is very precise, Like aputer. Even the famous Vito can''t get things done quickly without Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    ¡°Characteristics?¡±

    ¡°He''s been making a Lot of moneytely, so he spends a lot. He likes luxury¡­¡±

    He doesn''t understand women well, is foolish, has disgusting ideologies, hates the homeless, is caught up in a sense of chosen superiority, admires the nasty, grasshaired Vito, and also¡­

    ¡°¡­and he''s pure.¡±

    ¡°Pure?¡±

    Theia frowned.

    Riley shook her head as if joking.

    ¡°Anyway. I''ll blow this open at the symposium.¡±

    As she tucked the photos into her coat, Theia spoke. A bitter smile spread across Riley''s lips.

    ¡°Lia, you need to get out of Libra starting today. Once the scoop breaks, your existence will be exposed.¡±

    That was likely. She was the only one who had even slightly infiltrated theb.

    But¡­

    Riley hesitated before responding.

    ¡°¡­NO. I''ll stay a bit Longer.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Killian. He trusts me.¡±

    She reyed the words Killian had said to her Last time.

    ¡ªYou don''t need to be too sorry. From now on, don''t doubt me.

    Thus, Dr. Killian trusted her. Even in suspicious circumstances, he trusted her enough¡­

    He Loved her.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°l''ll try harder. I''ll stay closer.¡±

    Riley continued as if sighing.

    ¡°There''s a lot more to milk from him. Just these documents aren''t enough, right? ril bring you something decisive, a smoking gun¡­¡±

    Theia stared at her intently, chewing her teeth as if to warn her.

    ¡°You could die if you get caught. No, you will definitely die.¡±

    Riley raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°¡­I know. But, too many people have already died, right?¡±

    Too many had died unjustly, bing material for artificial intelligence, or mysteriously perishing while opposing Derek, not just in their hometown.

    All the more reason, to bring down Derek, a definitive smoking gun was necessary.

    ¡°You know. I want to kill Derek as much as you do.¡±

    At Riley''s words, Theia remained expressionless. She pressed down the brim of her cap.

    ¡°I want to cause him as much pain as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek wasmitting atrocious sins. Killian was an aplice in these wrongdoings. He was no different from human trash like Vito.

    Therefore, Riley would extract all the information from Killian, betray him right before his eyes, and disappear from his sight.

    That would be the punishment she would deliver to Killian.

    ¡°¡­I4I do things my way this time.¡±

    With that, Riley smiled nonchntly, and Theia nodded slightly. Riley watched her back as she turned to Leave.

    Suddenly, she Lifted her eyes to the sky.

    Above the dark river of the night, the stars were spread out in abundance.

    Beautiful¡­ a beautiful Milky Way.

 Chapter 309: Milky Wayï¼ˆ3ï¼‰

    Chapter 309: Milky Way£¨3£©

    ¡°Hey. How''s work going?¡±

    Bell Moore, who had stopped by my office at the Intelligence Agency, asked as he Looked around and smiled contentedly.

    ¡°lts gotten a lot bigger. A lot bigger indeed.¡±

    True to his words, the office had changed.

    It was about five times the size of the previous one.

    As Bell Moore''s stature rose day by day, the administrative team had taken care of the changes.

    ¡°Yes. How about your work?¡±

    Bell Moore shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Same old, same old. But, you''re still working on that project, right?¡±''That project was probably Theia Esil.

    ¡°Yes. Its taking some time to prepare meticulously, and it''s confidential externally. There''s a risk of information Leakage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore looked uneasy, typical of someone who shies away from unnecessary conflicts.

    ¡°Ah, whatever. Its not my fault if something goes wrong.¡±

    Bell Moore muttered as he sprawled on the sofa.

    ¡°Oh right. You said you''re not participating in Ortus?¡±

    The Ortus Symposium. Derek''s painstakingly crafted endgame for artificial intelligence was nearing.

    ¡°Yes. I have a mission.¡±

    It''s a self-assigned mission. I need to attend as Killian, so Shion will be staying away for now.

    ¡°You should go yourself, Team Leader Bell.¡±

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Bell Moore''s face scrunched up as if he found the idea distasteful.

    It''s the peak of summer season, maybe he''d rather be at a club.

    ¡°Hey. Shion. Have you heard the rumors about Dr. Killian?¡±

    Bell Moore kept talking, as if he was chatting with college buddies or friends.

    He must be really bored these days.

    ¡°What rumors are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°They say he blew through 50 million Ren in just three months. Isnrt that crazy?¡±

    Bell Mooreughed heartily.

    ¡°Thats almost 500,000 Ren a day, even more extravagant than me~¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Such rumors were actually what I hoped for. Appearing indulgent in luxury and pleasure would make his downfall all the more dramatic.

    ¡°Well¡­ Team Leader BelL¡±

    I subtly changed the subject.

    ¡°Oh, what?¡±

    ¡°Be carefuL¡±

    ¡°¡­Carefu L?¡±

    ¡°Yes. While I''m away.¡±

    I looked him in the eyes and spoke gravely.

    ¡°Di rector Ged Ley might try to kill you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore no longer denies such statements. He just listens silently and then sighs.

    ¡°I don''t understand why that man is so paranoid.¡±

    He only whispers behind the scenes.

    ¡°Make sure to keep the hotline on.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was going to do that anyway, man.¡±

    Bell Moore got up from the sofa. He grabbed the doorknob, seemingly ready to leave.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    He turned back to me and asked.

    ¡°Why do you¡­ to me¡­.¡±

    What was it again? Oh, what was it? Bell Moore muttered to himself, seemingly embarrassed, then cleared his throat Loudly.

    ¡°Why are you loyal to me?¡±

    Bell Moore seemed genuinely curious. Thanks to me, he had be a team Leader in just two years.

    ¡°Team Leader Bell, the only person I am Loyal to is Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­NO, I mean, thats just a saying.¡±

    Bell Moore pouted his lips. His rabbit-Like features and the movement of his wrinkles were repulsive.

    I held back a curse and smiled slightly.

    ¡°You''re mymander, aren''t you? And you''re my mentor, Team Leader BelL¡±

    That was the only reason.

    You climb above me, and I use you from below.

    Bell Moore must be the conduit through which all information from the Intelligence Agency is passed to me.

    ¡°¡­Right. Keep up the good work.¡±

    He smiled somewhat inly. Waving his hand, he left my office.

    On the outskirts of Edsi, in a remote area, there exists a dark cavern. Originally a humble vige, it was abandoned following the emergence of monsters and the discovery of a mana stone vein.

    This was Derek''s first venture. A radical setupmitted by him in his vigorous youth.

    ¡°This seems to be the ce¡­¡±

    Derek had Learned beforehand that beneath this vigey a vein of mana stones.

    However, the vigers refused to sell their Land to him. To them, their homnd was more precious than any mana stone vein.

    Not so for Derek.

    He hired monsters.

    The monsters pretended to be beasts and set fire to this tiny vige. Precious homes were destroyed, and many lives were lost.

    An ordinary disaster that received no media attention.

    Afterward, Derek bought the entire vige site for much less than the price he initially offered. He then mined relentlessly for 20 years.

    ¡°¡­lt''s deste now.¡±

    Now that the mana stones have also been depleted, this ce, neither a vige nor a mine anymore, this void is Theia Esil''s hometown.

    The reason she came to hate Derek to death.

    ¡° My master and I discovered that bitch Theia here.¡±

    A familiar voice spoke. I turned towards it. In the darkness, the faint glow of a cigarette red up.

    It was Akane.

    ¡°Miss Akane. You''vee as a fake.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane suddenly lifted her shirt to Look at her corbone. There was a mark indicating she was a fake.

    She had deliberately left a symbol of being fake.

    ¡°Did you suspect me?¡±

    I smiled faintly. Akane frowned.

    ¡°You could say all the dolls are real.¡±

    As she approached, I added one more thing.

    ¡°ln fact, you are real.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°The mark of being fake. It might disappear.¡±

    Startled, she rubbed her corbone with her hand. With a creaking sound, the mark was erased.

    ¡°¡­ bizarre.¡±

    Akane muttered as if she couldn''t believe it.

    ¡°A mark can''t distinguish between a fake and the real thing. Other dolls also believe they are real.¡±

    In simple terms, even on the flesh of the real, a mark indicates they are fake.

    ¡°¡­I didn''te here to talk about myself.¡±

    Akane frowned. I nodded calmly.

    ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±

    As I Looked around the now-empty cavern that had once been a mine and even earlier a vige, I said,

    ¡°My argument is this: ''Theia''s mentor was killed by Theia, and the current Theia is Vancheon.''¡±

    Thats how I would frame it. Along with murder, I would push Theia into prison by portraying her as Vancheon.

    Framing evidence is easy. There are already plenty of people in Vancheon coborating with Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane''s silence seemed to indicate agreement.

    ¡°May I ask you something?¡±

    However, there was something I was curious about.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why did you coborate with Libra in the past?¡±

    Akane had cooperated with Libra. She had assisted them to some extent with their human experiments.

    She exhaled smoke from her cigarette and shook her head.

    ¡°¡­I didn''t cooperate for a specific cause. I did it for myself.¡±

    ¡°For yourself?¡±

    It was a rationale I couldn''t understand.

    It was the same Logic as theirs.

    Old, twisted ghosts killing father-Like figures and creating victims like me, just to avoid death and dy the inevitable, all for themselves.

    ¡°Shion Ascal.¡±

    Akane called my name.

    ¡°Do you think humans can create dolls that are almost identical to humans, or even indistinguishable?¡±

    A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°lmpossible.¡±

    She shook her head, a statement from someone who had seeded in creating nearly identical human dolls.

    ¡°¡­Don''t be mistaken. I am¡­¡±

    Feeling my gaze, Akane raised her hand.

    ¡°¡­not a human, but a monster.¡±

    Her arm was entirely ckened.

    If there was the darkest color in the world, it might Look like this. As if isted from the background, her arm seemed to float alone.

    ¡°I was almost devoured by this hand. I delved into Doll Magic to find my identity, 4Akane? A monster can maintain itself when obsessed with something, and for me, my identity was in being a doll. Libra was just part of the process.¡±

    She shed a brief smile.

    ¡°¡­SO I knew.¡±

    She continued, looking at me.

    ¡°What disease you had.¡±

    I did not avert my eyes.

    ¡°And what kind of person your father was.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn''te here to talk about myself.¡±

    I didn''t bother to ask her about my father.

    Akane. She had been a great help to me before my regression.

    She always tried to revert to her former self and tried to hold on, but in the end, she became a grotesque creature that had degenerated into a phenomenon.

    ¡°What happened here with Ms. Theia?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, nothing much. I was the first disciple of my master, and Theia was much younger than me. I found her here, dying.¡±

    Akane recalled the past with a small smile.

    ¡°She was crying for help. The kid was cute. So, I saved her, and she turned out to be talented.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The first few years I was with her weren''t too bad. But along the way, I turned into a monster.¡±

    I quietly listened to her story.

    ¡°Unlike you, she hated monsters terribly. Maybe because she Lost her parents to them. Well, because of her, I had to Leave my master. A rolling stone dislodges a settled one.¡±

    Akane had already lit her third cigarette, a chain smoker burning through one after another.

    ¡°Butter I found out that the master had died, you know?¡±

    A cynicalugh escaped her.

    I asked her back.

    ¡°Was it the doing of Theia EsiL?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thats right.¡±

    Akane muttered, clutching her cigarette tightly.

    ¡°The master had turned into a monster too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°He probably didn''t want to die. The master was an old man dying. Renowned, Learned, honored, authoritative, but still a sick old man. Perhaps he still had many seas he wanted to sail before he died.¡±

    Akane shrugged her shoulders with a Laugh.

    ¡°Anyway, so. Can you really tie it all up with just these things?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I''ve found the master''s daughter.¡±

    At my words, Akane''s expression tensed.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°A testimony from her would be enough for a murder charge.¡±

    Killing a monster is not a crime. Rather, letting a monster Live is a crime.

    However, no one knows that Theia''s former master was a monster. What no one knows isn''t a fact.

    Moreover, if I tie Theia up with the fact that she''s a stooge for [Vancheon], she will definitely Lose.

    She will be imprisoned.

    ¡°¡­That would be interesting.¡±

    Akane muttered, flicking her cigarette ash. Then suddenly, she asked me in a deadly serious tone.

    ¡°You''re sure. She won''t die, right?¡±

    Thus, Akane does not want to kill Theia.

    Even if she betrayed her own master, she wants ''her'' to stay alive.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I extended my hand to Akane.

    ¡°She will definitely not die. Theia EsiI¡­¡±

    ¡­and the ''human'' ego of Akane¡­

    ¡°¡­WilL definitely remain in this world.¡±

    To the people who helped me in my past Life, from me who cannot live long, this is the gift I can give.

    A wish for their happy ending.

    ¡°¡­You really are a strange one.¡±

    Akane held my hand with a faint smile.

    One week before the Ortus Symposium.

    I am preparing for a business trip as Dr. Killian.

    ¡°Are you all set?¡±

    Riley, who I bumped into in the hallway, asked me. She would be my personal assistant during the symposium. She must have asked Derek directly.

    ¡°Yes, I''ve prepared all the materials.¡±

    I emphasized the word ''materials'' heavily.

    The materials you need to take with you.

    Riley sipped her coffee.

    ¡°¡­1fm a bit nervous. You''re announcing Version 2 of the Al at Ortus, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. WelL¡±

    I forced a sad smile.

    ¡°I hope it goes well. Without any strange incidents.¡±

    ¡°Strange incidents¡­ Well, there have been some odd rumorstely.¡±

    Riley cautiously broached the subject.

    ¡°They say the Al are overwritten souls.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I stiffened my face abruptly, reacting quite sensitively on purpose.

    ¡°Who says that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Riley feigned ignorance, tilting her head.

    ¡°Just¡­ gossip. I don''t believe it but¡­ I mean, if it''s overwritten souls, maybe that''s a good thing?¡±

    ¡°Good?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It means we can recycle useless people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, that might be true. But, Ms. Riley.¡±

    I looked around cautiously and then asked.

    ¡°You don''t need to monitor me anymore, do you?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ that''s-¡±

    Riley forced a smile.

    ¡°¡­or.¡±

    I red at Riley, expressing suspicion.

    ¡°Perhaps you had another purpose, not just monitoring.¡±

    This provocation should be enough.

    Riley, feeling a sense of crisis from my every word, would soon try to eliminate me, and then I would hand over the materials I had prepared as a ''whistleblower''.

    ¡°lts just a joke. Haha.¡±

    Iughed and extended my hand to Riley.

    ¡°Please take good care of me during the symposium.¡±

    It might be ourst handshake.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Until the end, not revealing her intentions, Riley grasped my hand. Her skin felt soft against mine.

    I recalled the same intent we both harbored.

    The downfall of Derek.

    The turbulent session that would soon cascade like a waterfall.

    It was indeed imminent.

 Chapter 310: Milky Way (4)

    Chapter 310: Milky Way (4)

    ¡ªPlease save me¡­

    Still, Akane asionally recalls the Theia of that day. Its part of the myriad dreams dreamt by countless dolls.

    ¡ªPlease save me¡­!

    A ck beast gasping, stuck to the melting asphalt. Young Theia, perhaps about seven years old.

    She had been hiding under the corpse of a monster, crawling on the ground begging for help, but at that time, I was excessively rational and just stared nkly.

    ¡ªSave me, please!!!

    Unable to bear it any Longer, Theia screamed desperately. Only then did Akane help her to stand.

    She clung to herself like a wild animal.

    ¡ªHelp, please help.¡ªI did just help you.

    ¡ªNot just me, there are more kids inside!

    Since then, Theia had always been greedy. Akane found it quite bothersome but tried to detach herself.

    ¡ªAkane. Compassion is one of the most basic human emotions, her mentor intervened.

    ¡ªIf you want to handle dolls, you need to understand human emotions.

    ¡ªIs that so?

    Akane just epted it.

    Again, at that time, she was quite excessively rational.

    ¡ªHere, this way!

    Theia led Akane. Guided by her hand, Akane entered the vige.

    The streets were a horror show of human entrails and flesh strewn about, with blood and debris forming rivulets that trickled down.

    Akane lit a cigarette against the burning wall of a house, puffing out acrid smoke as she followed Theia.

    ¡ªHey guys! Guys!

    Theia called out. She didn''t Look for her mom and dad. She knew they were already dead.

    ¡ªHey! Guys!

    Theia ran around desperately. Akane followed her, and attracted by the noise, killed a few monsters that attacked.

    ¡ªHere, here it is!

    Finally, Theia achieved her goal. She had found the children.

    ¡ªHere, here!

    About half a dozen bloodied children were hiding in an underground bunker at the yground. Most were unconscious with paleplexions.

    ¡ªHere, here!

    Theia looked back at Akane, whimpering like a puppy asking for help.

    ¡ªAlright, I got it.

    Akane checked on the children.

    ¡ªNobody''s dead. They''ll survive.

    Just exhaustion and fatigue. No serious injuries.

    -Ah¡­ Ahhh.

    At Akane''s words, Theia cried. After crying, the tension released, and she Lay down and fell asleep.

    Akane watched her with a bit of disbelief.

    ¡ªLets go now, said the mentor.

    Akane snuffed out her cigarette and shook her head.

    ¡ªShould we take this one with us?

    ¡ªHmm?

    The mentor Looked surprised.

    ¡ªYou saidpassion was necessary. She seems to have potential too.

    Talent often reveals itself in extreme situations.

    Theia had been hiding under the corpse of a monster. But who had killed that monster? It was probably Theia herself.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The mentor smiled faintly.

    ¡°Then, lets wait here.¡±

    He constructed a barrier. It was a considerate barrier that separated them from the external mes, ash, and the smell of blood.

    That was the beginning of a fateful connection.

    From that day, Theia became the disciple of the Holy Knight ''Athan£» and the three of them spent a long time together, sharing both hardships and joys.

    Akane learned about emotions thanks to Theia. Despite her severe injuries, Theia''s emotional expressions were vivid, and since she was so different from herself, Akane somewhat felt as if she had gained a younger sister.

    Thats why Akane was angry.

    When she herself had be a monster, when she had ''chosen'' to be a monster so she could Live.

    Akane was angry at Theia''s anger.

    ¡°I saved your life, I took you in under the mentor''s guidance, and you can''t even overlook the fact that I imnted a monster''s arm on the right side?¡±

    ¡°No, isn''t that how it should be?¡±

    This ungratefuL¡­

    ¡°¡­Fucking bitch.¡±

    Akane cursed as she opened her eyes.

    Suddenly, she Looked at her corbone. There was no mark indicating it was fake, but the ''real'' certainty Shion had testified about Last night was fleeting.

    Because her Memory was the same for all dolls.

    What everyone knows cannot be proof.

    Theia woke up on the small bed in the workshop office. It seemed she had fallen asleep without realizing it.

    ¡°¡­Yawn.¡±

    She woke up and shuffled outside.

    Even in the early morning, there were many disciples in theb, but most of them were napping on sofas or chairs. It was because of the [Derek Artificial Intelligence Data] that Theia had obtained.

    They were pouring all day into analyzing the data.

    However, one guy was wide awake.

    Gerkhen.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He was a guy brimming with talent. He was a perfect knight with exceptional skills.

    He had mastered sword strength as a swordsman and acquired an excellent Magic Body as a knight.

    He had the potential to surpass her someday.

    However, Theia was worried.

    This act of hers was almost Like dering war on Derek and Libra. An enraged Derek would surely make her and those around her suffer.

    ¡°Gerkhen.¡±

    Theia called him. Gerkhen turned to look at her.

    Theia moved and sat next to him.

    ¡°¡­You said your dream was to be a Senator, right?¡±

    He was puzzled by the sudden question but soon nodded.

    ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±

    ¡°But why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don''t understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you know? You can''t be a Senator by my side.¡±

    Theia''s tone was friendly. At this moment, she was free from any fSwitches].

    fSwitchesJ is her Spectrum, likely the most powerful form of ''self-suggestion'' and ''restriction'' on the continent.

    She sets conditions and circumstances to change her own self, as if turning a switch on and off.

    During work hours, when she steps up to the Lectern, she focuses as a FProfessor], and in [Combat situationsj , she invests all her physical resources intobat.

    This isn''t just a simple suggestion. Its a real change, a dramatic upgrade.

    For instance, when the ¡¸Combat situationsj switch is activated, Theia''s strength increases more than thirtyfold.

    This is based on data derived from direct tests, so it can be trusted.

    ¡°¡­T''m quite far from being a Senator.¡±

    Now, with no FSwitches] were activated, Theia was in her natural state¡ªsimpler and more emotional than one might expect.

    ¡°I never nned to seek your help to be a Senator.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Theia furrowed her brow without realizing it at Gerkhen''s response.

    ¡°No, this is ridiculous. Even if you can''t get help, you shouldnl be at a disadvantage. You can step back from this matter.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Gerkhen shook his head. He was stubborn as ever.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°lts the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a valid point. All the disciples were outraged, angry, and saddened by the artificial intelligence created from captured human souls and bleached.

    Derek deserved to die.

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    Theia responded softly.

    ¡°But still, I''ll make sure of this.¡±

    She looked at Gerkhen with a somewhat rxed expression and continued.

    ¡°lf, just in case, something goes wrong and I end up in the worst situation possible¡­¡±

    A simple smile appeared on her Lips.

    ¡°Then you''ll be able to be a Senator.¡±

    And precisely at four in the morning.

    Her expression turned stern. The time-triggered fSwitchesJ had been activated.

    ¡°Wake everyone up.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Though it seemed like a multiple personality trait, Gerkhen, now ustomed to it, woke the disciples.

    I nned a double operation while waiting for the Ortus Symposium. First, I manipted certain documents from the Intelligence Agency, and next, I uploaded the files to Derek.

    ¡°The content was good.¡±

    Specifically, it was a business proposal.

    The topic was about ''autonomous driving/ a technology soon to emerge in the near future.

    ¡°Autonomous driving using a degraded version of artificial intelligence, huh? Not bad.¡±

    Derek called me immediately after receiving this report.

    These days, he often allows private meetings, which means he''s in a good mood.

    ¡°I heard you rmended a cafe to Jade. You seem to have a knack for business.¡±

    ¡°That''s an overstatement.¡±

    ¡°So, who do you rmend as the manager?¡±

    The Intelligence Agency has an advantage in personnel rmendations. Although there is a separate HR department, they don''t scrutinize as meticulously as the Intelligence Agency does.

    ¡°I rmend Dr. Killian for the manager.¡±

    ¡°Dr. Killian, huh? He has a good reputation in the Intelligence Agency, I see?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s correct.¡±

    Derek chuckled at my response.

    ¡°Then tell Vito¡­¡±

    He paused as he was about to discuss Vito.

    I smiled inwardly.

    There''s no need to provoke or stimte Derek unnecessarily. He''s inherently suspicious.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Derek pointed his finger at me.

    ¡°You propose directly to Dr. Killian yourself. Say it''s my directive.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    This was a ploy to create discord between Vito and Derek.

    Vito cooperates with Derek but is fundamentally aligned with Sherlock.

    Derek knows this and, being a narcissist who wants to possess all ingenious traits, he doesn''t genuinely like Vito.

    And since Vito is a person whose pride is second to none, the two are inherently ipatible.

    ¡°I will convey it to Dr. Killian as ''Derek''s idea.''¡±

    Thats not my style.

    I can offer Derek any business item he desires.

    ¡°Good, good. Oh, and on your way.¡±

    Derek wrote a check with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Deliver a bonus too. That doctor seems to have many things he wants to buy. Haha.¡±

    I looked at the check.

    It was a Libra gift voucher again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It''s somewhat annoying.

    After earning so much, it might be time to start issuing cash checks.

    ¡­

    The next day, in theb. Disguised as Killian, I presented a document on Vito''s table. It was a review of a form developed by Vito.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I''ve checked it.¡±

    He nodded in satisfaction as he took it.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait. Dr. Killian?¡±

    As I was about to turn away, he handed me a key card.

    ¡°Take this. Its for the Hanja Hotel at Ortus.¡±

    The Ortus Symposium is held in Edsi''s Ortus, a district famous for its affluent schrlymunity and dotted with luxury hotels.

    Among them, the Hanja Hotel is renowned across the continent for its luxury.

    ¡°Presidential suite. It seems like you''re running low on funds.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Surprisingly, Vito was treating Killian far better than I had anticipated.

    Was this part of his suspicion, or did Vito secretly Long for someone who understood him?

    I couldn''t be sure, but dealing with these people taught me one thing for certain.

    If you''re prepared to dirty your soul, you can even befriend a devil.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    I slipped the key card into my pocket and shuffled awkwardly in front of Vito.

    Vito, scrutinizing my expression, asked,

    ¡°Do you have something else to say?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Doctor.¡±

    I nced around cautiously before presenting Derek''s proposal.

    ¡°Mr. Derek wants to entrust me with a new business.¡±

    ¡°¡­A new business?¡±

    Vito skimmed through the document and frowned.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    His voice was sharp, almost as if he felt betrayed.

    ¡°¡­Because.¡±

    I whispered into Vito''s ear.

    ¡°My reason for being here isn''t because of Libra.¡±

    His expression darkened. To him, I spoke as if confessing, as if reciting a poem.

    ¡°I wanted to work with Dr. Vito, to Learn under you¡­ and to coborate with you. My reason for being here is the intellect named Vito.¡±

    Vito snorted with Laughter.

    ¡°¡­Don''t say such things elsewhere. Its embarrassing.¡±

    He pushed the business n back to me.

    ¡°This is probably because I''m one of Mr. Sherlock''s people. Derek must want to fill thepany with his own people too.¡±

    I awkwardly took back the proposal.

    ¡°Don''t refuse it. That would only anger him.¡±

    ¡°But, I¡±

    ¡°Listen to me. Derek is a man of strong pride. Rather, act as if you are bing one of Derek''s people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I''ll try.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Vito nodded and clicked his mouse.

    Click- Click-

    Fiddling with the innocentputer desktop, he left a meaningfulment.

    ¡°Lately, Mr. Riley has been staying close to you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡±

    ¡°Be careful. That person, she''s suspicious.¡±

    A chill ran down my spine.

    Vito had noticed.

    Was there a leak of information from within [Vancheon]? Or had he simply done some background checks?

    Either way, it was unexpected.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I''ll be careful.¡±

    Riley''s time was running out.

    One week before the Ortus Symposium.

    While driving, Riley received a telegram from [Vancheon]. It was a radio code that meant ''danger, step back£º Moreover, for the past few days, all the warnings had been directed at ¡ªthe owl, meaning herself.

    It implied that something was Lurking in Ortus.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Just when the traffic Light stopped him, Riley sighed deeply and pondered.

    Today, he was heading to Ortus. As a Libra employee, she was to participate, preparing a proper presentation and promoting their products.

    This meant she had to stay there for at least ten days. Whether she Liked it or not, the moment she attended as Libra''s secretary, she couldn''t Leave.

    It meant Ortus could be her graveyard.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley agonized intensely but eventually turned off the radio.

    It''s not enough yet.

    The information he had passed to Theia wasn''t enough to definitively bring down Derek. There were too many usible excuses that could be made.

    Derek was stillmitting inhuman acts.

    She couldn''t let the same old disasters happen again.

    The burning vige. Her dying mother and father. She remembers the many adults who tried to save her even as they were chased by the monster. All those people still flickered before her eyes.

    For their sake, Riley must take revenge.

    She must bring Derek to ruin¡­

    Meanwhile, she arrived at the meeting ce.

    She stopped on the sidewalk of Edsi Square.

    Not far away, a doctor fond of Luxury was standing.

    ¡°¡­H e re!¡±

    Riley rolled down the window and shed a bright smile. Dr. Killian approached with a smile.

    His clothes were all designer brands. Probably more expensive than her car.

    ¡°lts nerve-wracking.¡±

    He said as he climbed into the passenger seat.

    ¡°Yes, indeed. It really is nerve-wracking.¡±

    Riley nodded as if she truly felt the same.

 Chapter 311: Milky Way (5)

    Chapter 311: Milky Way (5)

    Symposium D-7. Afternoon time.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    A man with a thick, overgrown mustache asked.

    ¡°Yes. Ifs the truth.¡±

    Holy Knight Theia Esil responded, facing him.

    ¡°I don''t mean the truth, I mean your sincerity.¡±

    This is the office of the vicemander of the Edsi National Knights, thergest and finest knight order on the continent, affiliated with Edsi National University.

    ¡°I am sincere.¡±

    At Theia''s affirmation, Vice-Knight Commander Yusef pressed his temples, seemingly gued by a migraine.¡°¡­You''re going to mess with Derek from Libra?¡±

    Yusef, nearing seventy in a couple of days, was one of the few people Theia could trust.

    ¡°lts not just messing around.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°We''re going to destroy him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Yusef let out a deeper sigh. This time, a slight dizziness came and went like anemia.

    ¡°¡­Right. He''s a heinous criminal, if what you say is true.¡±

    He pointed at the documents Theia had Laid out.

    ¡°But if this is all the evidence you have, it''s nothing more than a conspiracy theory.¡±

    ¡°These are internal documents. ALL investigations have beenpleted. They are indeed overwriting human souls. How can this be a conspiracy theory?¡±

    ¡°lt could be fabricated. They will im it''s all manipted.¡±

    ¡°Thats why I came to you, vicemander.¡±

    Theia said with a resolute expression.

    ¡°I will detain Derek from Ortus and simultaneously raid the headquarters. We will find more evidence there.¡±

    This would escte things significantly.

    Yusef asked, baffled.

    ¡°On what grounds?¡±

    ¡°As a Holy Knight, I will invoke emergency investigative powers under the ''Special Law on Monsters.''¡±

    Holy Knights havebined authority and power akin to that of prosecutors, police, and judges, applicable only when the case is definitively rted to monsters.

    To Theia, the crime of overwriting human souls is clearly a ''monstrous'' act.

    ¡°¡­Derek is at his prime right now.¡±

    Still, Yusef Looked skeptical.

    ¡°At a time when it''s questionable whether to strike even in his weakest state, you want to strike now when he''s strongest?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Theia smiled faintly.

    ¡°Thats precisely why now is the most opportune time.¡±

    With the sess of artificial intelligence, the bnce of power among the Libra siblings is heavily tilted towards Derek. It means the session structure is on the verge of copse.

    ¡°Johanna and Jade want Derek to fall. They will never help him. Rather, they will hinder him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Yusef sighed.

    ¡°Alright. Suppose¡­ your n seeds and Derek falls. What then? Even if Derek is no longer the heir, you be Libra''s main enemy.¡±

    The current head of the family, Sherlock, is still thriving as a Senator of the Round Table and is also considered a Leading candidate for the next Chairman¡ªa powerful family indeed.

    ¡°Libra never forgets a grudge once it''s been made. Its not for nothing they1 re called the family of the scales.¡±

    Bing their primary enemy meant¡ª

    ¡°lt means it would be difficult to keep your life.¡±

    Yet, Theia remained calm. Yusef found herposure frustrating.

    ¡°¡­lt''s alright.¡±

    The Theia standing before him now was a prodigy. Someday, she would illuminate the continent like the Milky Way, bringing light from the darkness.

    Yusef had been watching her for a Long time¡ª

    ¡°l''ve been their enemy for a Long time.¡±

    He knew she wouldn''t back down from this decision.

    ¡°Damn, it''s frustrating.¡±

    He furrowed his brow and fiddled with his white, thinning hair before Lightly tapping the desk with a bang!

    ¡°¡­I4I Lend you the tough ones. Will thirty men suffice?¡±

    ¡°That will be enough.¡±

    Theia nodded and rose from her seat. Yusef also stood up.

    ¡°Are you heading to Ortus?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Aren, who is directly under mymand, will go to the headquarters.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. I''ll do my best to block any pressureing from above.¡±

    He was nearing the age of honorable retirement. If he failed, he would retire; if he seeded, he would make history.

    Not a bad gamble.

    ''Ortus'' is an ind floating on the river, connected to the maind by a bridge known as Ortus Bridge, a wealthy neighborhood. The symposium takes ce in a dome-shaped stadium at the very center of this area.

    I unpacked my bags in the Presidential Suite of the Hanja Hotel, right next to the stadium¡ªa room that took up nearly half of the floor.

    ¡°H m m¡­¡±

    I looked out the window at the view.

    There were many people walking along the street. I recognized quite a few faces.

    They were named members of [Vancheon] who had concealed their identities.

    Some had been Like friends before my regression, and others had betrayed me.

    Thus, Derek was a walking aggro ma, attracting all sorts of good, bad, and strange people.

    ¡°¡­Nice.¡±

    I set down my designer bag under the desk in the Presidential Suite and then headed down to the VIP observatory where the sd bar was located.

    The VIP observatory was crowded with VIPs.

    ¡ª¡­Wow. This is delicious. Elly, try this-

    I almostughed at the face I saw upon arrival.

    ¡ªYou eat it. I''ll manage on my own.

    ¡ª¡­Then don''t eat it! Don''t anything either!

    ¡ªWhat? That''s how you talk to a mage-

    ¡ªAaaargh!!! Stop saying mage mage! I''m going to get neurosis!

    La, Elise, Kain, Asher. It was a Lively scene. I also caught a glimpse of Johanna in the WIP room.

    ¡°Over here~¡±

    Just then, someone waved at me. It was Riley. She was sitting by the window.

    I approached her with a smile.

    ¡°Doctor, have you unpacked everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°l''m jealous. You''re in the Presidential Suite, I hear.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    In front of me was a cup of coffee. Riley, looking at her notebook, spoke,

    ¡°The preparation starts today and will Last for seven days; it''s the best spot at the symposium.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sipped my coffee. Riley asked in a subtle tone,

    ¡°¡­¡­DO you feel confident?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. Tvee well-prepared.¡±

    A mysterious smile then appeared on Riley''s lips.

    ¡°Mmm~ You''vee well-prepared, I see. I''ll just go to the restroom for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I nced at her retreating figure.

    Then, my gaze shifted back down to the window.

    The gathering crowd of [Vancheon]. Among them, there must be a traitor nning to sell out Riley.

    Today, there are quite a few fish.

    Of course, it''s impossible to catch them all without missing any.

    ¡°¡­¡­I''U catch them.¡±

    I''ll have to catch quite a few, at Least.

    I prepared for the symposium at the stadium. I reviewed the Artificial Intelligence version 2 that Vito had entrusted to me, and ghostwrote Derek''s script.

    After all, Derek has no knack for scripts, so I took it upon myself.

    ¡°¡­¡­Th ree days left.¡±

    Vito said from the podium of the symposium.

    ¡°Thats right. Its nerve-wracking.¡±

    By now, Shion Ascal might be busy on paper, flying between countries and carrying out various missions.

    ''On paper/ that is.

    ¡°How''s the autonomous drivinging along?¡±

    Vito asked.

    ¡°Just as the doctor said, I''ve told them we would participate¡­ but he insisted it be kept a secret from him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Well done.¡±

    Vito patted my shoulder as if handling a puppy.

    Just then, Derek appeared.

    ¡°ls everything going well with the p re pa rati o ns?¡±

    He approached like a boss questioning his employees.

    ¡°Just a moment.¡±

    Vito avoided his gaze and headed to the restroom, and Derek pretended not to care about him.

    ¡°Ah~ Dr. Killian.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Derek.¡±

    Derek approached me and patted my shoulder just like Vito had.

    ¡°l''ve read the script. It was perfect. Very perfect.¡±

    I had only written the kind of things an innovative businessman would say.

    Derek, being a tremendous narcissist, liked content that unted his genius.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Dr. Killian, wait for me after the symposium. We''ll also talk about the next business¡±

    Thud. Thud.

    Suddenly, ominous footsteps echoed throughout the stadium, deliberately resonating as if to be heard.

    Derek, the researchers, and all the security guards turned towards the sound.

    The entrance of the symposium.

    Not far from the podium, several people were there.

    Among them, the most conspicuous was undoubtedly¡­¡­ ''Theia Esil''.

    ¡°¡­¡­Why is she here again?¡±

    Derek bit his lip. Theia seemed to have heard him, as a fleeting smile crossed her face.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, President Derek.¡±

    Theia''s greeting was brazen from the start. Even I was taken aback by her audacity. Derek, addressed as "President Derek£» momentarily Lost control of his expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He red at Theia silently. I, observing his difort, bravely stepped forward.

    ¡°You. This area is off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Didn''t you see the sign?¡±

    ¡°I know. I saw it.¡±

    Theia''s gaze met mine. Itsted only a few seconds, but her eyes seemed to hold a bewitching power.

    Derek took a step forward.

    ¡°Then you shouldn''t have entered. Professor Theia, are you blind? How dare you enter a ce filled with corporate secrets?¡±

    He tried to demean her by calling her ''Professor Theia£» but Theia was not the type to be bothered by such titles.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow and pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket.

    ¡°Let me start with¡­¡±

    Ahem. She cleared her throat. Derek''s Lips twitched.

    ¡°Derek, Caiden Libran.¡±

    Theia even dared to call Derek by his full name. It was as good as a deration of war to him.

    ¡°¡­¡­Have you finally lost your mind?¡±

    Derek hated being called by his full name. It was loathsome.

    In the past, his father used to call him by his full name when scolding him.

    ¡°As Holy Knight Theia, I am arresting you on charges of viting the ''Monster Special Law.''¡±

    At this, Derek''s security personnel moved first. They drew their weapons, and the knights around Theia responded by drawing their swords.

    Theia''s eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Let''s not resist. Unless you want additional charges.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Nonsense. Viting the ''Monster Special Law''?¡±

    Derek scoffed and narrowed his eyes. Theia calmly replied.

    ¡°Yes. There are rumors that your artificial intelligence is monstrous. Created by overwriting human souls.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit¡­ You''re spouting nonsense. You''re arresting me based on such rumors? How preposterous¡±

    ¡°We''U hear the details in the interrogation room.¡±

    Theia pulled out handcuffs. She walked towards Derek and said,

    ¡°You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court ofw.¡±

    Derek red at her as if he wanted to kill her.

    ¡°You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.¡±

    As Theia moved to cuff Derek''s hands behind his back¡ª

    ¡°Therers no need for this, is there?¡±

    I stepped forward, urgently stopping Theia from handcuffing Derek.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Theia looked at me with eyes full of irritation.

    ¡°lts unnecessary. Handcuffing someone behind their back is only done when there''s a risk of escape. Derek is a noble. Please treat him with the respect he deserves.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Both Theia and Derek Looked at me simultaneously.

    ¡°Respect¡­ Well, I''llply.¡±

    Theia scoffed lightly, then proceeded to handcuff Derek''s wrists in front of him. Derek''s hands were politely sped in front.

    Derek red down at Theia and muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Do you think you can handle the consequences?¡±

    ¡°lf I couldn''t handle it, I wouldn''t have started this.¡±

    Theia deliberately kept her response brief. At that, Derek''s cheeks trembled slightly. It was from his overflowing anger.

    Suddenly, my phone rang. Theia gestured for me to answer it.

    ¡°Take the call.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek nodded silently.

    I answered the phone.

    ¡ªDoctor, knights have stormed into the Lab¡­ Ah, please! Don''t go in there!

    Simultaneously with that urgent voice, there was a loud explosion.

    Theia smirked mockingly, while Derek''s expression hardened.

    ¡°lt seems you might now understand the situation.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Lord Derek. I will apany you.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Derek stopped me.

    ¡°Doctor Killian. You stay here and prepare for the symposium.¡±

    He Looked at me with eyes full of trust.

    ¡°l''ll be back before it starts.¡±

    ¡°You sure dream big.¡±

    Theia rebutted. A Large vein bulged at Derek''s temple, but he seemed to decide to ignore Theia and scanned the surroundings again.

    ¡°Vito is not here. Did he run away?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ h uh?¡±

    I too btedly surveyed the interior. Vito, who had gone to the bathroom, had not yet returned.

    Derek shed an enigmatic smile.

    ¡°¡­¡­1 nteresti ng.¡±

    This was an unexpected coincidence even for me.

    ¡°Doctor Ki Ilian.¡±

    Derek called me again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I have the script memorized, so don''t worry. You go back and double-check the form for version two of the artificial intelligence. Hurry back.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I turned around, and Derek stared at Theia.

    Derek''s tall stature was looking down at Theia, but she was not intimidated in the slightest.

    ¡°Let''s go, knights.¡±

    ¡°You can look forward to what happens next.¡±

    There was a smoldering rage in Derek''s voice.

    ¡°Thats exactly what I wanted to say.¡±

    However, the anger was mutual. Theia''s emotions were even darker, and more venomous than Derek''s, coalescing together as dark red resentment.

    ¡°Let''s consider ourselves in agreement. Come on, I''ll show you out.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Two knights clung to Derek. They escorted him, supporting him as if he needed assistance.

    Meanwhile, I continued preparing for the symposium as Derek had instructed.

    ¡°Everyone, stay calm. Lord Derek will be back soon.¡±

    I said it Loud enough for Derek and Theia to hear.

 Chapter 312: Milky Wayï¼ˆ6ï¼‰

    Chapter 312: Milky Way£¨6£©

    Theia had constructed a magical space. It was a barrier designed for interrogating Derek. This operation had to be concluded swiftly and decisively within the confines of Ortus.

    There was no better time than now; the longer they waited, the lower the chances of sess, and the closer they got to the council, the more intense the pressure would be.

    Above all, Theia could no longer stand to watch Derek sacrifice innocent lives. It was somewhat of an emotional gamble for her, but the odds were in her favor.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Theia gazed across at Derek, who sat opposite to her.

    Derek''s hands were cuffed, resting on the table. He, in turn, looked back at Theia, contemting.

    Proof was impossible.

    There was no evidence in the overwriting process itself. It was a magic and science that extracted only the essence and principles of the soul. Even if evidence was somehow captured, countless corporations and institutions were alreadyplicit. They would not cooperate with Theia Esil, a mere Holy Knight.

    ¡°You''re in a hurry, Holy Knight.¡±By now, his bncers would be in motion.

    A day or two at most. The symposium could proceed without a hitch.

    ¡°Do you think the council will allow such abuse of power?¡±

    Theia twisted her lips like a snake, silently. Derek continued with ease.

    ¡°''Monstrous'' deeds? Who will Legally judge what is monstrous? If being called monstrous means mypany''s excellent technology or my genius, should I take it as a p li m e nt?¡±

    Abuse of power would soon be blocked by the council, and this mad woman would go to jail.

    ¡­NO.

    Perhaps cutting off her head wouldn''t be a bad idea either.

    ¡°Are you not thinking, or are you just stupid? I''m curious.¡±

    Still expressionless, Theia pulled out a document and handed it to Derek.

    ¡°Read this first.¡±

    Derek Looked down at it. Suddenly, his eyes wavered.

    It was an internal document from theb. Data had been Leaked.

    Instantly, one person came to mind.

    Dr. Vito.

    ¡°¡­What is this supposed to mean? Are you confessing to industrial espion age?¡±

    In response to Derek''s bravado, Theia picked up a pen.

    ¡°Let me interpret it for you. You wouldn''t understand the data properly anyway.¡±

    She pointed to a section filled with figures and graphs.

    ¡°ording to this document, during the process of ''creating'' a single artificial intelligence, different code configurations were discovered in the Lab.¡±

    Code configurations. Theb described it that way, but the data, whenpiled and restructured, was all too familiar¡ªit was ''DNA''.

    ¡°lt means that two different genes were found in a single

 Chapter 313: Milky Way (7)

    Chapter 313: Milky Way (7)

    30 minutes earlier.

    Riley was backstage at the Symposium, keeping an eye on Killian as she waited.

    As nned, Theia had moved in and detained Derek, and during this distraction, [Vancheon] made their move, but something unexpected happened.

    A third group had initiated sabotage.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    An unidentified armed organization had entered Ortus. Riley was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly grasped the situation.

    It was the doing of Vern, the CEO of Everett, Derek''s most directpetitor.

    ording to [Vancheon]''s investigation, Vern was also using artificial intelligence simr to Derek''s.

    Of course, it wasn''t as horrific a crime as Derek''s. He didn''tpletely overwrite people whole.However, the use of data derived from human souls was the same.

    Thus, to keep his own crimes from being exposed and to check Derek, Vern was attacking.

    The targets were key researchers, Killian and Vito.

    Not to detain or kidnap, but to assassinate.

    ¡°This is insane!¡±

    Fortunately, Killian seemed to quickly realize the situation and had escaped to the rooftop of the Hanja Hotel, with Riley following him.

    Boom! Bang!

    A series of explosions echoed as they climbed the emergency stairs of the hotel to the top floor.

    Killian was standing at the edge of the rooftop.

    ¡°Dr. Killian!¡±

    Riley called out to him. Killian turned to look at her.

    ¡°lts dangerous! Come this way!¡±

    A fierce wind seemed to grab at their clothes.

    Killian Leaned against the railing, and Riley slowly approached him.

    ¡°Doctor!¡±

    To execute n B, it was crucial to secure Killian''s safety. More important than any document, the real evidence was the ''person'' himself.

    ¡°Hurry over!¡±

    The air was turbulent. It was uncertain if her shouts were even being heard.

    Yet, Riley took one step at a time towards Ki Ilian¡­

    A Loud noise erupted from the sky as a gust swept through. Riley and Killian both Looked up.

    It was a helicopter. Agents were lowering a line to rescue Killian from the trembling propeller above.

    Riley was startled, but only for a moment.

    Suddenly, a fireball surged from somewhere and struck the helicopter directly.

    The helicopter, having Lost power, crashed onto the rooftop and exploded Like a firecracker. Pieces of machinery and human flesh scattered as mes spread. ck smoke enveloped the entire area.

    ¡°Dr. Killian!¡±

    Riley seized the moment and rushed towards Killian.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Suddenly, Killian stopped her. Riley froze in ce. Killian was holding a cellphone in his hand.

    ¡°Stay there.¡±

    ¡°¡­Doctor?¡±

    Could it be, perhaps.

    Had he received some information?

    ¡°MS. Riley.¡±

    Killian called her. Riley responded as usual.

    ¡°Yes, Doctor.¡±

    ¡°¡­I told you, you don''t need to monitor me anymore.¡±

    A small smile spread across his Lips.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a suspicious look.

    No, it was certain.

    Riley bit her lower lip.

    He knew her role.

    ¡°Why did you follow me? It''s dangerouS.¡±

    Killian asked. Riley straightened her back. Her expression had suddenly turned cold.

    Now was the time for persuasion.

    ¡°Listen carefully, Dr. Ki Ilian.¡±

    Killian raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Derek has been detained. Very important internal documents have been leaked.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He remained silent. He just stood there calmly, looking at her with his usual eyes.

    ¡°But Derek won''t take the fall. He''ll im he didn''t know about it, that he was unaware of such matters.¡±

    The wind stirred, causing Killian''s coat to flutter.

    ¡°He will definitely betray you.¡±

    Derek''s history proves it. He has consistently cut off his own tail by iming ignorance of all his deeds.

    Riley extended her hand to him.

    ¡°lf youe with me¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Killian shook his head. Then he sat on the railing. Riley''s eyes widened.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    ¡°¡­Fortunately.¡±

    Riley immediately knew what Killian was about to do.

    Suicide, to destroy the ''evidence* that was himself.

    ¡°lf you fall, you''ll die!¡±

    It was a jumbled plea. Killian smiled faintly, as if he found her endearing.

    ¡°MS. Riley.¡±

    ¡°Come down from there, now!¡±

    ¡°You should be more worried about the evidence.¡±

    ¡°Come down¡­?¡±

    Killian''s strange words, somehow odd.

    Unknowingly, Riley furrowed her brow. Her head tilted in confusion.

    ¡°Everything I say directly can''t be evidence.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°Libra has the power and authority to crush even a single witness. Besides, as you said, if Derek ims ignorance, that''s the end of it.¡±

    Riley couldn''t understand what he was saying. The meanings of the words flowing into her ears weren''t assembling properly.

    Was it because the situation was too urgent?

    ¡°That won''t do.¡±

    Boom¡ª¡ª£¡ The sound erupted loudly¡ª¡ª!

    From the wreckage of the helicopter, a secondary explosion erupted.

    Amidst the rising mes, Killian continued calmly.

    ¡°I think it''s better for me to be the perpetrator rather than a witness.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that moment Killian murmured, Riley felt an inexplicable pain. It was as if her heart was being crushed.

    ¡°¡­Doctor?¡±

    Her frail voice called out to Killian. He faced her and nodded firmly.

    ¡°I thought I could be numb doing this job.¡±

    Crackle¡ªCrackle¡ª

    The asphalt on the road slowly melted, and dark red ash fluttered in the air, sticking to their faces.

    ¡°But I realized that I shouldn''t be numb.¡±

    Killian closed his eyes for a moment.

    It seemed as if he was contemting something he had lost, recounting things that had already passed.

    ¡°MS. Riley.¡±

    Killian called her name. Riley''s breath hitched.

    ¡°Did you once say you wanted to make a lot of money and retire?¡±

    Riley had imed her goal was money. It was amon disguise.

    ¡°l''ve tried it, but you''ll never make enough to retire in your lifetime. The more money you have, the more ces there are to spend it.¡±

    Killian Laughed. For some reason, Riley felt his demeanor was genuinely pure.

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    Suddenly, his expression darkened.

    ¡°There''s something I''m curious about.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley blinked nkly.

    ¡°lf¡­ our meeting hadn''t been like this. Could I have spent more time with you, Ms. Riley?¡±

    Killian''s gaze drifted slightly. There was a designer bag ced near where his gaze fell. It was small, but packed with some contents.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Riley started to respond but stopped herself. She simply couldn''t.

    ¡°MS. Riley.¡±

    He called her name again. The burning toxic substances choked Riley''s breath.

    ¡°Ovee this.¡±

    He was encouraging her. Riley suddenly remembered a certain day.

    ¡°Don''t be numb.¡±

    Even in situations where she was suspected, he didn''t distance himself; instead, he protected her.

    Whenever he was by her side, he always smiled shyly.

    ¡°Ms. Riley, you''ve caught me. Killian, the key researcher for Derek.¡±

    Riley tilted her head down to Look at her feet. mes had transferred to her shoes.

    ¡°I am a person full of greed, jealousy, and suspicion, so I feared Derek might abandon me and I collected a lot of evidence. A lot.¡±

    Facing him was overwhelming. Listening to him was difficult.

    ¡°Now you take that evidence. Like some drama or movie. Just like a cliche.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°MS. Riley. Look at me.¡±

    Riley Lifted her head. He smiled at her.

    ¡°lts okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­Killian.¡±

    ¡°T00 many people have died. Too many have been sacrificed.¡±

    Killian Looked up at the sky.

    Wrapped in ck smoke, the ming rooftop seemed like a perfect stage for death.

    ¡°People shouldn''t be like this. We''re all human, so why do we do this to each other¡­¡±

    Killian''s body slowly Leaned forward. Riley, startled, took a step towards him.

    ¡°Doctor!¡±

    ¡°I trust you, Ms. Riley.¡±

    ¡°Don''t move!¡±

    ¡°¡­SO.¡±

    Before he fell.

    Before he faced his own death.

    He had something he wanted to say to Riley as Killian.

    ¡°Don''t give up.¡±

    He hoped she would avenge Libra from the highest ce in [Vancheon].

    Beyond that, he hoped she would continue to pursue the right values as she did now.

    ¡°You are a good person.¡±

    Killian''s body crossed the railing. He flowed down like a crescent moon. Riley ran and stretched out her hand, but Killian, already falling, had closed his eyes.

    He serenely epted his own death.

    She couldn''t even utter the word ¡°No.¡±

    She didn''t even feel she had the right to.

    Boom-

    A sudden explosion obscured her entire view. Riley fell backwards.

    ¡°Uh.¡±

    Her hand groping the ground grabbed a bag. It was Killian''s bag.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley hugged it to her chest. With trembling eyes, she looked inside.

    All the evidence was there. All the internal documents of Libra, Derek, and Vito.

    Additionally, there was a single Letter, probably left for her by Killian¡­

    Crash¡ª

    There was a noise from behind. Riley quickly grabbed the letter.

    ¡°Who''s there!¡±

    They were the subordinates of the Holy Knight, Theia. They were the knights involved in the investigation.

    All the evidence they collected would have legal effect.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riley silently sat on the ground. The knights rushed to her side. Riley muttered very quietly.

    ¡°¡­seize.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? seize?¡±

    The knights asked confusedly. Riley bit her Lip as if she was about to curse.

    ¡°Damn it. Seize me. Take me away.¡±

    While ncing at the bag in her hand.

    ¡°Ah, yes! Seize her!¡±

    Realizing what she meant, they pressed Riley''s face to the ground.

    Thump! It hurt terribly. It felt Like her cheekbone was splitting.

    It didn''t matter, the knights secured Killian''s bag as evidence.

    ¡°¡­Huh, senior! Look at this!¡±

    The information in the bag was shocking enough. Its a wonder they didn''t faint from the surprise.

    ¡°Uh, pass it on quickly. Call the professor first¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    The knights were flustered, their faces flushed, and the sound of explosions echoed from all around.

    However, Riley was somewhat dazed.

    She turned her head, which was pressed against the ground, to Look at the railing.

    The railing from which Killian had just fallen.

    He was no longer there.

    He had fallen down below and already met his death.

    He chose to die¡­ to "destroy the evidence/

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Riley''s vision blurred.

    I thought he was just human trash, a doctor I considered using just to get close.

    Tears clung to her eyes. They were so ufortable that she just closed her eyes.

    Instead, her mouth moved on its own. A childlike sob burst out.

    ¡°What''s the? Is she crying?¡±

    The knights* confused voices were irritating, but the crying didn''t stop for a while.

    ¡°Here it is!¡±

    Derek interrogation barrier set up in Ortus.

    Theia received Killian''s bag from the subordinate knight.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Everything was inside.

    From information about the form used by Dr. Vito, to the method of extracting souls, names of some people who had been overwritten, and even recordings of conversations between Derek and Vito.

    Theia asked,

    ¡°What''s the source?¡±

    ¡°We acquired it after the core researcher, Dr. Killian, died.¡±

    ¡°¡­Died?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was an ident, but it seems these guys didn''t trust each other either.¡±

    Theia quietly scanned through the evidence left by Killian.

    It was meticulous. Abnormally meticulous, as if he had anticipated this situation.

    ¡°T0 engage in the act of overwriting souls into spirits, there''s no way they could truly trust each other.

    The subordinates say so, but is that really the case?

    Did Killian really not trust Derek and Vito, creating this just as a precaution?

    Theia was still skeptical, but she would need to hear the details from Riley to know for sure.

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    Regardless¡ª the evidence was now sufficient.

    Theia looked at Derek in the interrogation room.

    He was oblivious to the situation outside, not anxious but rather smug.

    Drring¡ª¡ª

    Just then, a call came through. It was Yusef, the vice-captain of the Edsi Knights.

    ¡ªTheia.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡ª¡­lt''s the Limit now. Release Derek.

    Yusefs voice was steeped in deep fatigue and hardship. It seemed he had been tremendously tormented in just half a day.

    ¡ªThere''s chaos in Ortus too. The operation has failed, it seems.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Theia smiled satisfactorily.

    ¡°lts alright. There''s no need to release him now.¡±

    ¡ªNo need? The council is in uproar. If you^e detained Derek without evidence-

    ¡°Eviden ce.¡±

    Theia cut him off. She sighed in relief and looked at Derek in the interrogation room.

    ¡°lts sufficient.¡±

    At that moment, Derek also Looked at Theia with a rxed gaze. Their eyes met.

    ¡°Quite sufficient.¡±

    Theia smiled deeply. Derek chuckled in ridicule, but soon his expression slowly hardened. He had caught a sense of dissonance in Theia''s smile.

    It was correct.

    ¡°Derek will now be imprisoned.¡±

    Theia asserted and hung up the phone.

 Chapter 314: Milky Wayï¼ˆ8ï¼‰

    Chapter 314: Milky Way£¨8£©

    ¡°Ah, my body is killing me¡­¡±

    I had just escaped from Ortus. It felt Like my whole body was shattered, and my insides slightly damaged.

    I really did fall from that high-rise. Probably shaved off a week of my Life, at least.

    Anyway.

    Killian is dead.

    He fell from the top floor of the hotel, and then, coincidentally, a bombing happened that shattered his body beyond recognition.

    ¡ªYou''ve had it tough!

    Growl said. His main body clung to my shoulder, pointing towards the distant Ortus.

    ¡ªPhew! That''s a relief!¡°Right. But how much did Vito see?¡±

    ¡°l''m not sure, but with all that smoke, he might not know Killian was a traitor!¡±

    ¡°Good then.¡±

    The future is somewhat predictable.

    Once the Edsi Council forces intervene and calm Ortus, Derek will be imprisoned based on the evidence I provided.

    But Derek is no sandcastle. He''s not an opponent who can be easily crumbled in an instant.

    Even before my regression, he had been imprisoned. Back then, it must have been sonya and Zia who took over my role.

    Derek Lost a lot then, but he was released after six months, and Theia died a year Later.

    Things wouldn''t be much different now.

    The world doesnl follow a romantic form where justice prevails.

    The phone rang just then. It was Zia.

    I answered the call.

    ¡°¡­Shion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Zia.¡±

    Zia was silent, seemingly waiting for me to speak.

    ¡°Derek seems to be on the verge of being ousted.¡±

    ¡°¡­ln d eed.¡±

    She responded as if she had anticipated this.

    ¡°Shion, what do you want to do next?¡±

    ¡°I will support Lord Derek.¡±

    Technically, it''s just a pretense.

    Usurpation doesn''t happen overnight. Everything that belongs to Derek is his. If Derek falls, it will be torn apart, and those who imed to be his loyalists will try to divide it among themselves.

    So, I must pretend to be an ally and help Derek.

    While he is imprisoned, I must gradually steal everything from him.

    ¡°I will make Lord Derek trust me.¡±

    ¡­

    Zia was silent for a moment but then responded with a firm will.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Please do.¡±

    In a secluded forest.

    Theia had heard the details from Riley. The content was quite bitter. She picked up a stone and threw it into theke.

    ¡°¡­That''s what happened.¡±

    Riley shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

    The evidence they had obtained was actually an internal whistleblowing by Dr. Killian. However, he died as a perpetrator, not a witness.

    ¡°We could even make a drama out of this.¡±

    At Theia''s needless joke, Riley shot her a sharp Look.

    ¡°Ahem. What are you nning to do now?¡±

    Theia, who had cleared her throat, asked Riley. She looked at the bushes stretched out along thekeside.

    Suddenly, she saw Dr. Killian''s face on the other side. His image, scratching the back of his neck and smiling, flickered like an apparition.

    ¡°l''m nning to leave. I''m tired of being an inside agent.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. You''ve suffered enough.¡±

    Theia nodded.

    ¡°Yeah. Deceiving people is getting tough.¡±

    Riley Let out a faint sigh. This time, her internal injuries were a bit more severe.

    ¡°Just leave Edsi.¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t n to.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°l''m going underground.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She nned to return to [Vancheon]. With her qualifications, she could definitely im an executive position.

    ¡°l''m thinking of changing things up there too.¡±

    ¡°Change?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Riley chuckled dryly.

    ¡°This operation was too much¡­ like a terrorist group.¡±

    Thanks to Killian, she had Learned one thing.

    Changing the world, changing people, wasn''t about radical destruction or collective action, but about the conscience of each individual.

    ¡°¡­lf thats the case, Leave as soon as possible.¡±

    Theia said.

    ¡°Derek is going to go berserk soon.¡±

    Riley turned to look at her.

    A faint smile was ying on her lips. For some reason, her face seemed to be delighted about the uing events.

    ¡ªThis is an urgent news update. The artificial intelligence released by Derek Industries is allegedly linked to crimes against humanity¡­

    Derek trembled as he red at the news spreading across the media and the public opinion. A rage that seemed to burn his insides surged within him.

    He doubted everything about this situation.

    He suspected Dr. Vito first. Then Johanna, Jade, and even Zia.

    ¡°Lord Derek.¡±

    Someone called him.

    It was a prison guard.

    Now, Derek was in custody. He hadn''t even been tried yet, but he was detained on the humiliating grounds of ''risk of evidence tampering.''

    ¡°Do you know a person named Shion Ascal?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek red silently at the guard. A murderous impulse surged through him. How dare this scum look him straight in the eye.

    ¡°lts a visitor. If you wish to refuse¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    Derek moved.

    In the visiting room, Shion Ascal stood up immediately upon seeing Derek.

    ¡°You''ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sit down.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Derek sat down, and Shion followed suit, cing a lunchbox on the table.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek asked with his eyes.

    ¡°lts sushi from Chef Metroci.¡±

    Shion opened the Lid.

    Indeed, it was from Pine Dining, Derek''s favorite.

    ¡°The bncers are busy moving around. If you gather your strengths, good news wille.¡±

    Derek, raising an eyebrow, unwittingly picked up the chopsticks first. Taking a bite improved his mood slightly, but then a surge of anger welled up.

    ¡°¡­What were you and the Intelligence Agency doing until things got to this point?¡±

    ¡°I apologize. I was unable to intervene due to external duties. Also, the Intelligence Agency itself is¡­¡±

    ¡°The Intelligence Agency itself is?¡±

    Shion nodded.

    ¡°There''s severe political strife.¡±

    The ongoing discord between Gedley and the team Leaders. It seems endless, meaning all the resources and capabilities within the Intelligence Agency are being wasted on internal surveince.

    Derek scoffed.

    ¡°ls that why you came? You were too busy to Look after Theia, and the Intelligence Agency has be useless, leading to this situation?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion quietly looked around the visiting room and then ced a briefcase on the table.

    ¡°l''m sorry for being a step toote¡­¡±

    Click¡ªthe briefcase opened, revealing documents inside. Shion handed them to Derek, who epted them with a displeased expression.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    His eyes gradually widened, and a smirk spread across his face.

    ¡°Well imprison Theia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At Shion''s words, Derek set the documents down. They seemed satisfactory, but he wanted more.

    ¡°No need for that. Kill her.¡±

    Derek would have Theia''s throat slit. There was no need to keep alive a woman who had brought him such disgrace. The very fact that he shared the same world and breathed the same air as such a woman was repulsive.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shion nodded, his response too clear, prompting Derek to question him further.

    ¡°Do you have no thoughts of your own?¡±

    ¡°I will carry out your orders, Lord Derek¡­ However, personally, I believe she deserves a fate worse than death.¡±

    ¡°Worse?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Derek crossed his arms.

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°To make the trial more favorable.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek Looked at Shion curiously.

    ¡°The triaL¡±

    ¡°Yes. The best way to attack the message is to attack the messenger. Moreover¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal asked quietly.

    ¡°¡­Do you suspect anyone in this situation?¡±

    ¡°Suspect?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why did Dr. Killian have such files?¡±

    ¡°That''s¡­¡±

    Derek''s expression hardened. He started to speak, then stopped. All his words receded back to thoughts in his head.

    ¡°Did he really possess them? Or did someone else nt them on Dr. Killian?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°To clear that suspicion, we must keep Theia Esil alive. It seems she is deeply involved in this case.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Vito.

    Derek suddenly suspected Vito. Vito did not trust him. At the same time, he was jealous of him. Perfect appearance, genius, and even the direct Lineage.

    Vito envied everything about himself, whose hair grew like grass.

    ¡°What is Vito doing?¡±

    ¡°He has gone to theb.¡±

    ¡°Gone to theb?¡±

    Derek frowned.

    Libra Station''s Derek Industries. Vito is affiliated with it. Derek is the major shareholder, but Vito holds a significant amount of shares.

    Enough to usurp ownership in an emergency.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek pondered.

    ¡°Legal judgments are made by judges. But with evidence this conclusive, the only way for Derek to escape is to pin the me on someone else.¡±

    SO¡­

    ¡°Vito seems suspicious.¡±

    Derek told Shion Ascal.

    ¡°Dr. Vito, you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Look into it. But don''t tell the bncers.¡±

    Derek found it hard to trust even his own bncers.

    Vito was a coteral rtive, a man of his father''s, and most of his own bncers were originally his father''s.

    Meaning they weren''t entirely his people.

    ¡°Yes. I willply.¡±

    At least for now, this bastard in front of him seemed more trustworthy. A Chaser serving the utterly useless Zia.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek silently ate his sushi. It tasted quite good, having been a while since hest had it.

    Just Looking at this lunchbox, one could tell. Shion Ascal, this guy really is different from the others.

    Sensing his mood and knowing what he wanted beforehand, and satisfying those desires.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    After finishing the visit, I got into the car. I ced the empty lunchbox on the passenger seat.

    For your information, Derek is a gourmet. He doesn''t show it much, but he really enjoys eating.

    Probably scored a solid 10 points of favor with this lunchbox?

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this will be easy to take over.¡±

    A rough blueprint formed in my mind.

    Firstly, take over the shares of Derek Industries under the pretext that Vito is trying to usurp thepany.

    That''s the first step, next is imprisoning Theia Esil, killing Vito, and carrying out all other tasks Derek desires.

    Ultimately, the goal is to increase Derek''s trust.

    To make him trust me more than his own bncers, so that all the nominee properties and shares will be transferred back to Zia.

    Probably the rtives will requestpensation, and a punitive damages verdict should suffice.

    ¡°Keep everything under Miss Zia''s name until things quiet down. The public are pigs anyway, they''ll quiet down on their own¡­¡±

    That should do.

    I nodded and added the line into the [NotepadJ .

    Vrooom¡ª¡ª!

    I stepped on the elerator, Looking at the scenery outside.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This detention center has a nice view. Its more like a hotel than a prison, actually.

    Theia had put in a lot of effort to imprison Derek, but she was most likely annoyed at that.

    Because that was her nature.

    ¡°But whatever.¡±

    After all, when he Leaves here, he''ll be penniless.

    I grinned and gripped the steering wheel.

    Today felt unusually enjoyable.

    Watching Derek''s downfall, seeing him dressed up and trapped in a detention center, felt unexpectedly good¡­

    Next week.

    For the first time in a while, I was summoned not as a ''Chaser'' but as a ''Knight''. For us knights in our first to fourth year, these summon orders were mandatory.

    ¡°¡­Yaaawn.¡±

    A yawn came naturally.

    ¡°Shion. Stay alert. This is our first summon.¡±

    Next to me, Soliette jabbed me in the ribs. Yet, my yawning didn''t stop.

    After all, this wasn''t a field operation but a ssroom.

    ¡°Let me exin the overview of the summon.¡±

    At the podium stood a woman who looked like a government official.

    ¡°First, today you knights will be deployed in an operation with the mages.¡±

    At this, most of the knights grimaced. Mages were notoriously difficult to work with for knights.

    ¡°lts called teaming, right?¡±

    It was the teaming'' we had previously Learned about in ss.

    ¡°First, I will distribute the list of mages.¡±

    The official handed out the List. I quickly scanned it, and one name caught my eye.

    Elise.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Is she aedian? Just seeing her name makes me Laugh.

    ¡°This summon is essentially about syncing up. Normally, a knight and a mage pair up, and theirbined strength is often stronger than an entire battalion. So, get in sync now, in case of an emergency summoning¡­¡±

    As she spoke, I thought about how I could torment Elise.

    There were rumors, not just that her nose was high in the air, but that her shoulders, head, and even her height had grown a bit recently.

    I nned to crush her properly.

    Pride and arrogance are a mage''s greatest enemies, after all, it''s for her sake too.

 Chapter 315: Usurpation (1)

    Chapter 315: Usurpation (1)

    Elise Petra is truly distinguished. Even among the geniuses gathered at the Magic Tower, she is recognized for her exceptional talent, simultaneously an angel in white and a treasure of the magical world.

    It''s no exaggeration.

    The elders of the Magic Tower themselves have acknowledged it. Even those proud old men seemed somewhat flustered by her.

    Elise now agrees with the fact that she can save anyone, as long as they are not already dead. If they are at least on the brink of death, she can save them.

    Especially when ites to trauma, she boasts perfect treatment.

    It''s all thanks to her Spectrum, fMaism J .

    The simplest example is stopping bleeding, but ¡¸Maism¡¹ can artificially direct blood flow to prevent damage to organs.

    To put it a bit dramatically, it means she could even save someone whose lower half has beenpletely severed.

    ¡°Knights who get to team up with Miss Elise are really enviable.¡±That''s why mages often say this, envying the knight who will serve her more than themselves.

    ¡°At least they won''t die during missions, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well, maybe?¡±

    Elise somewhat agrees. After all, her reputation has spread beyond the Magic Tower and across the continent.

    ¡°They said the same thing happened at Ortusst time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that story is already out?¡±

    Elise saved many lives during the Ortus terror attack. If it weren''t for her, there would have been many more casualties.

    There, she conducted surgeries on dozens of trauma patients simultaneously, Like a maestro conducting an orchestra, by her own assessment.

    She considers it quite a heroic achievement.

    ¡°And how about her Looks? Her hair is like gold.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Mages are a very personal bunch, but they are not stingy with praise. They are endlessly kind to those they respect and try hard to ''draw the line.''

    After all, she is a sure future golden lifeline.

    ¡°Well then. Shall we prepare for the knight interviews?¡±

    ¡°Yes, see youter!¡±

    ¡°Miss Elise, if any knight bothers you too much, just tell me!¡±

    Six mages left the office. Elise sat down with a slight smile.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    This is her office. Her personal space is adorned with Bianca camel merchandise on the desk drawers, in front of theputer, and on the shelves.

    It''s a space provided by the Edsi Council. Perhaps a privilege of a third-tier mage.

    Thus, for this teaming, the knightse to her. She just needs tofortably conduct the interviews.

    It''s only natural.

    A third-tier mage represents the top 0.0001% of the poption, after all.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    After moistening her mouth with a cup of water, Elise prepared for the interviews.

    She intended to team up with as many knights as possible.

    For their sake, not hers. After all, it''s not every day they get to match wits with a high-level mage brimming with talent like herself.

    ¡ª¡ªKnock, knock.

    Just then, the butler entered as he knocked.

    ¡°Miss, the interviews are ready.¡±

    A distinguished old gentleman. He was the person who managed Elise''s external schedules, her butler.

    ¡°Let them in.¡±

    Elise crossed her legs. Soon, a tall knight entered. He sat down confidently in the chair across from her.

    Elise, with her arms crossed, asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Vikal Lichten.¡±

    ¡°¡­from the Lichten family?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Vikal shed a knightly smile.

    For your information, the Lichten family is quite well-known among knightly houses.

    ¡°Do you have any other documents?¡±

    ¡°Here is my Challenger Certification and my resume outlining my career.¡±

    A Challenger Certification is roughly equivalent to a fourth-tier mage. His other credentials were also quite respectable.

    Not a bad knight, but¡­

    ¡°Hmm. Yes, I''ll review them. Til consider them positively. You may go now.¡±

    He didn''t particrly appeal to her. She also didn''t Like how stiffly he held himself in front of a mage.

    Elise dismissed VikaL

    ¡°Next.¡±

    She meticulously evaluated each knight thereafter. They earnestly presented their personal pitches.

    Considering they would definitely be part of national-Level operations in teaming, she was among the highest-ranking mages they could possibly meet.

    ¡°¡­Miss, this is thest one.¡±

    Time had flown by, and it was almost time to end the interviews. The sunset was casting its glow through the window.

    ¡°Yesr let them in.¡±

    Elise had already assigned scores based on appearance, ability, talent, humor, and many other criteria.

    She nned to team up with about five of the highest-scoring individuals this year.

    ¡­But then.

    Thest knight suddenly sat down in front of her. Elise frowned slightly.

    Such a bask of manners in a knight. He barely even greeted her as he entered.

    ¡°Excuse me. Its basic courtesy to greet when you enter¡­¡±

    She was about to sharply rebuke this presumptuous knight, but she found herself speechless.

    The moment she Looked across at them, all thoughts in her head ceased.

    The criteria she had carefully set up shattered Like a ss window.

    ¡°Nice to meet you?¡±

    Shion AscaL

    This first-year knight smiled as he met her gaze.

    Her heart pounded fiercely.

    ¡°¡­What''s this?¡±

    I fiddled around with various things in Elise''s office.

    Pulling out a book from the drawer, flipping through it, ying with some camel merchandise, and brewing coffee with the coffee machine.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Elise called out to me again. It might have been my imagination, but her voice seemed tinged with enticement.

    I shrugged my shoulders as I looked at her.

    ¡°What''s what?¡±

    ¡°How did you end up here¡­ as a first-year?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. They just let mee because I wanted to?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. You must have really wanted toe, huh?¡±

    Elise smirked. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

    I sat back down in the chair.

    ¡°Hey. You''re a mage and a doctor, right? I heard you''re famous.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Seems the word has spread?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ can you cure something Like cancer?¡±

    I asked jokingly.

    Then she responded with a serious expression.

    ¡°lts not impossible.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°But it would require research. Its not possible yet.¡±

    ¡°How many years?¡±

    ¡°10 to 20 years?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°What a waste.¡±

    I got my hopes up for nothing.

    Elise snickered.

    ¡°ln the Long term, it''s possible. I already have some theories in mind.¡±

    ¡°ln the Long term, everyone dies.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    I looked at Elise. Elise Looked back at me.

    Ziiiing¡ª A Laser seemed to shoot from her ring eyes. I faced it and blew air out of my mouth.

    Phew!

    ¡°¡­Ugh!¡±

    Elise''s face contorted as if she was angry. I chuckled and fiddled with a camel doll near the monitor.

    She crossed her arms with authority.

    ¡°Did youe here to pick a fight?¡±

    I loaded my immutable retort.

    ¡°Hey. There''s been a lot of talk about youtely. You know?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    My goal is to set Elise straight. Of course, the definition of ''straight'' varies by person, but well.

    ¡°They say you''re incredibly snobby.¡±

    ording to my inside sources, her current state is somewhat off from that righteousness.

    Her shoulders and pride are about to explode.

    ¡°¡­Rude? Did you just say I''m snobby?¡±

    Elise suddenly showed her mage side, as if she was about to blurt out something like ''How dare you!''

    Of course, I wasn''t intimidated at all.

    ¡°Yeah. I heard you demand too much wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°That''s the treatment a third-tier mage deserves¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where does it say that? So, if you be a top-tier mage, you can just kill people?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise shut her mouth. I Looked at her with a stern expression.

    ¡°lf you keep this up, I''ll be disappointed as someone who acknowledged you.¡±

    She flinched at my finishing move but muttered quietly like a chick.

    ¡°Be disappointed if you want¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I''m leaving.¡±

    I immediately stood up. Elise, seemingly flustered, grabbed the hem of my clothes with her telekinesis.

    ¡°Where are you going? Aren''t you going to give me the application7¡±

    ¡°What application?¡±

    ¡°For teaming.¡±

    ¡°Why would I team up with you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You''re snobby. I don''t team up with snobby mages.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then she looked troubled. Her eyebrows twitched and muttered softly.

    ¡°Just team up.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Team.¡±

    Her voice was unnecessarily shy.

    I found myself smiling without realizing it.

    ¡°So, you''re going to behave better from now on?¡±

    It''s not for nothing; she was the first proof I obtained in my regression.

    She was a precious proof that I might be able to change the world, that I could possibly make a difference.

    ¡°You better behave yourself. Kve heard quite a bit about you too.¡±

    Suddenly, Elise bristled.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soon, the ''was'' proof might change.

    ¡°Yeah. I''m leaving.¡±

    ¡°l''ll do better.¡±

    She quickly corrected herself.

    I sat back down.

    ¡°But how exactly are you going to do better¡­¡±

    Elise puffed her cheeks.

    ¡°Um.¡±

    She stroked her chin.

    Suddenly, a breeze swept in through the open window. The airy current tousled her hair. Her radiant blonde hair approached me.

    ¡°Just.¡±

    Without thinking, I ced my fingers on her hair. I gently toyed with it, smiling.

    ¡°Take it easy. Calm down.¡±

    Elise''s face was bathed in the glow of the sunset.

    Autumn. It was a day when preparations were underway for Derek''s first public trial.

    I initiated Vern''s setup, Derek''s rival, using Bell Moore team.

    ¡ªThis is Jeff. I''ve secured evidence rted to artificial intelligence.

    Luin, our Lead hacker, identified the information route they intended to discard, and Jeff intercepted it directly.

    ¡°Send it to the special investigation team and the media immediateLy.¡±

    Following the confirmation of the "artificial intelligence crime* raised by the Holy Knight Theia, the parliament also formed a special investigation team.

    If Derek was imprisoned, Vern, the CEO of Everett, had to be as well.

    He would probably end up in the same prison as Derek. Meeting Vern in the cell next door, Derek might just not be able to keep from smiling.

    ¡ªYes, I''ll pass it on.

    I hung up the phone.

    This too was a process to build Derek''s favorability.

    ¡­¡­

    [Breaking news. It is now confirmed that Everetts artificial intelligence also obtained data from human souls¡­]

    [It has been btedly revealed that Vern, the CEO of Everett, embezzled funds through ''New Frontier1.]

    I visited Derek in prison every three days. I prepared a different Lunchbox each day, tailoring the menu to Derek''s tastes, though I kept the fact that I cooked them myself a secret.

    Even for the vain Derek, and to show off my efforts.

    I pretended to have sourced all sorts of luxurious foods from abroad for Derek.

    The taste wouldn''t be much different.

    No, my cooking is probably much tastier?

    ¡°Today''s meal is sourced from a three-star restaurant in the desert.¡±

    I unfolded the Lunchbox. A faint smile spread across Derek''s Lips.

    In front of the food, he seemed to regain some peace of mind, though inside he was probably still rotting away.

    ¡°¡­¡­1 heard the news.¡±

    Derek picked up his chopsticks and spoke.

    ¡°Vern will being soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°ls it certain that he attacked Ortus?¡±

    ¡°AS of now, yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek nodded expressionlessly. It was quite a dangerous look.

    I had a feeling.

    Vern probably wouldn''t make it out of this prison alive. He might not even face trial.

    ¡°¡­¡­This is good too.¡±

    Derek nodded as if satisfied with the food. He moved his chopsticks for a while, and I watched him carefully before speaking.

    ¡°Lord Derek. The board of Derek Industries is convening.¡±

    His chopsticks stopped abruptly.

    Derek Industries* shares are not solely owned by Derek. For an efficient governance structure and to attract investments, the shares are distributed among various hands, including Vito.

    ¡°¡­¡­It must be Vito''s doing.¡±

    ¡°We can''t be sure. We are unable to attend the board meetings.¡±

    Derek''s face turned contemtive.

    I seized the moment and cautiously suggested.

    ¡°How about entrusting Miss Zia with the shares?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­TO Zia?¡±

    Each of his words were tense.

    If he caught on here, or if it angered him, a bloodless entry would be difficult.

    ¡°Yes. Miss Zia is also very concerned about Lord Derek. If she temporarily holds the shares and attends the board meetings, she can understand what they are nning, and Lord Derek can respond appropriately.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Derek remained silent.

    Tick, tock.

    The seconds ticking by were quite nerve-wracking, but I couldn''t show it.

    I must appear as a loyal servant to Derek, and Zia as a concerned sister.

    ¡­¡­Slowly, Derek spoke.

    ¡°That''s a good idea. The documents?¡±

    ¡°Here they are.¡±

    I ced the prepared documents on the table. Derek skimmed through them.

    ¡°Have them reviewed by the Libra legal team just in case.¡±

    The share transfer documents were meticulously prepared. With just one signature, the shares of Derek Industries would belong to Zia.

    Derek knew this, but a "perfect transfer1 was necessary under the current circumstances.

    ¡°¡­¡­Very well.¡±

    Derek picked up his fountain pen and easily signed his name in his own handwriting.

    The first step of the usurpation was taken.

    ¡°Pass it on to Zia.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He then switched his fountain pen back to chopsticks.

    ¡°How is today''s meal?¡±

    ¡°Satisfactory. Thanks to you, I''m starting to think prison isn''t so bad. I might even consider staying a bit longer.¡±

    That was typical of Derek''s casual demeanor.

    I must tread carefully here.

    ¡°Lord Derek is the pir of Libra. With Libra shaking, you must return to the family soon¡­¡­¡±

    I rattled off phrases like a subject delivering a eulogy to an emperor - Derek is an incredibly important person - the whole of Libra is struggling because he''s in jail -Miss Zia is very worried - everyone is working hard so you can be released as soon as possible - and Derek Listened as if he was attending poetry while continuing his meal.

 Chapter 316: Usurpation(2)

    Chapter 316: Usurpation(2)

    ¡°¡­¡­Lord Derek, are you alright?¡±

    In the visiting room, Derek''s bncer, Smith, asked his master.

    There was a meal on the table as well, but Derek had only taken a few bites. The difference in quality from Shion Ascal''s was too drastic.

    ¡°What do you mean by ''alright''?¡±

    ¡°About the shares in the industry¡­¡±

    Derek had entrusted the shares to Zia. The legal team''s opinion wasn''t much different. It was necessary to attend the board meeting, given the uncertainty of what might be discussed there.

    ¡°l''m worried whether Miss Zia will act as we intend.¡±

    H owe ver, Smith had his doubts about Zia. More specifically, he found it hard to trust that snake-like man, Shion Ascal, who served her.

    Derek furrowed his brow.¡°Then, who should we send to the board meeting?¡±

    He asked back with a prickly tone.

    ¡°Should we entrust it to Jade? Or perhaps, Johanna?¡±

    Having been locked up for a long time, his hysteria was deepening. Everything was displeasing to him; even the meal brought by his bncer was unsatisfactory, and his mental strength and patience were gradually wearing thin.

    ¡°¡­¡­Or do you want to take charge of those shares yourself?¡±

    Suspicion flickered in Derek''s eyes.

    Trusting anyone was the hardest act for him now.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Smith bowed his head.

    Tch. Derek clicked his tongue.

    ¡°How are things progressing? Are the bncers moving?¡±

    Derek''s bncers had been excluded from Al operations until now.

    Managing the numerous business ventures Derek had initiated, they had failed to respond swiftly to his own peril.

    ¡°The legal team is doing their best to prepare for the trial, but¡­ bail seems a bit difficult.¡±

    It was a case that had attracted the attention of the entire continent. With thousands of victims and Holy Knight Theia personally handling the case, neither the judge nor the parliament would Likely grant bail.

    Derek''s face contorted.

    ¡°¡­¡­lpetent.¡±

    He regarded the realistic impossibility as the ipetence of his agents. Gradually, making rational judgments was bing burdensome for him.

    ¡°Johanna and Jade must beughing.¡±

    Derek snickered. Smith quickly responded.

    ¡°That''s not true. Lord Jade and Lady Johanna are also concerned and offering help¡±

    ¡°Are you defending those bastards now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­1 apologize.¡±

    Reading Derek''s severe mood swings was proving to be quite difficult.

    Derek also red at Smith with dissatisfaction and waved his hand.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    At this moment, the only one he couldmunicate with was "that man''.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Make sure Vern is taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have prepared thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I can no longer trust what you call ''thoroughly''.¡±

    Derek smirked and stood up.

    Smith watched his back as he returned to the prison, a bitter expression on his face.

    In the upscale apartment in the capital, Edsi, I handed over the share certificates of Derek Industries to Zia.

    ¡°WOW¡­¡±

    Zia blinked herrge eyes in astonishment.

    ¡°You really secured it¡­¡±

    She then silently stared at the certificate for a moment. Was it emotional or bafflement? She seemed lost in thought before turning to look at me intently.

    ¡°Shion¡­ you''ve worked hard.¡±

    Perhaps, the highest praise she could offer.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°l''ve wanted the industry since I was a child.¡±

    Her casual way of talking about thepany as if it were a toy made me chuckle softly.

    ¡°Still, I am concerned.¡±

    ¡°About what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Given the situation.¡±

    ¡°lf its the Al issue¡­ it''s okay.¡±

    Zia stood by the window. I quietly observed her slender back as she gazed out at the skyline of Edsi.

    ¡°The industry has many patents. The research facilities and resources are immense. Its apany my father nurtured with great effort¡­ It won''t crumble because of one failed venture. It shouldn''t crumble¡­¡±

    Her tone was slightly elevated with emotion.

    I was curious about her feelings.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Zia looked at me reflected in the window.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The usurpation,¡± I replied.

    Zia is a direct descendant of Libra. Therefore, Derek is undeniably her elder brother. Though born of different mothers, they are connected by blood.

    ¡°Is Shion okay?¡±

    Instead, she asked me.

    ¡°Have youe to pity my brother?¡±

    Her question seemed innocently posed at first nce.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I am only concerned about your feelings.¡±

    ¡°My feelings¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I took a step closer to Zia.

    ¡°To gain something, one must give something up. Bringing down someone close to you isn''t good for your mental health.¡±

    She then smiled softly.

    ¡°Derek, my brother¡­ he overwrote the souls of others to create AI¡­¡±

    It was a clear crime against humanity. I, as Killian, had cooperated.

    We did not stop their evil deeds prematurely, waiting instead to gather more conclusive evidence.

    ¡°Has my brother been blinded by money?¡±

    Zia tilted her head in wonder.

    ¡°Why? Why was he blinded by money?¡±

    That was still beyond my understanding.

    ¡°Whatever the reason, my brother''s crimes have been exposed¡­¡±

    Not that he mitted'' crimes, but that it was wrong they were ''discovered£º

    ¡°For whatever reason, to be the sessor, I must take everything from my brother.¡±

    Zia turned to look at me.

    ¡°I willingly must do so.¡±

    Her words were filled with resolve.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    To her, my response was simple.

    ¡°I will follow.¡±

    Zia shed a broad smile.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    I faced her as she looked at me. There were three steps between us.

    A clear ''line'' still distinctly Laid out.

    ¡°l''m d you''re by my side, Shion.¡±

    Zia smiled warmly.

    Suddenly, I felt a profound sense of the passage of time.

    A person''s light smile, a mere faint expression, seemed to change the world I stood in.

    Before my regression, I had watched her from afar, too intimidated to even lift my head, face down in the dirt.

    Zia was at the pinnacle of the continent, surrounded by many people. Each one of them was a person who would carve history into the continent.

    But now, I am right beside her.

    I am, in a way, shaping her.

    ¡°¡­What do you think, Shion?¡±

    The answer to that question was already determined.

    ¡°I believe¡­¡±

    Having turned back time to seize this Last chance.

    ¡°¡­that serving you is my calling.¡±

    This, truly, is the duty bestowed upon me by the heavens.

    Cafe Bnce.

    Despite the Al crisis of the Libra family, I sat in Jade''s bustling upscale cafe with soliette, facing Sheron.

    ¡°¡­lf you have something to say, say it quickly.¡±

    Sheron crossed her arms with a Look of annoyance.

    ¡°Ah, it''s nothing much.¡±

    The reason I specifically called her out this weekend¡ª

    ¡°Do you feel any different frequencies here?¡±

    Because Akane (the doll) and Akane (the real one) are hiding in this coffee shop.

    ¡°Different frequencies?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Frequencies that don''t seem human.¡±

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Sheron closed her eyes.

    She seemed to activate her fSpectrumJ , her shoulders trembling slightly, but soon she shook her head.

    ¡°¡­No. Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±

    As expected, she couldn''t distinguish Akane''s doll either.

    Akane''s doll shares the ''soul'' of the human Akane, hence they emit the same soul frequency.

    It''s somewhat disappointing. It seems still elusive how Akane could maintain being Akane after I leave.

    ¡°Well¡­ Miss Akane?¡±

    I called out to Akane, who was watching from somewhere. She suddenly appeared and sat at our table.

    Sheron was startled.

    ¡°Who¡­?¡±

    ¡°Sheron, listen carefully.¡±

    I focused her attention.

    ¡°Now, things are getting serious.¡±

    ¡°This is extremely confidential information.¡±

    Cafe Bnce is the safest ce. Here, we can shake off the risks of eavesdropping or surveince.

    The artworks used in the interior have that effect. They meet the needs of the nobles sensitive to cameras.

    ¡°Do you believe that artificial humans exist in this world?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Sheron looked baffled.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Al uproar recently?¡±

    ¡°No, it''s different.¡±

    This time, Soliette responded. She looked at Sheron with a very basic gaze.

    ¡°I mean humans that are artificially created.¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean this person?¡±

    Sheron pointed at Akane.

    ¡°She does Look Like an artificial human.¡±

    Akane frowned.

    ¡°Rude bitch.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what? Rude? Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    I ced a finger to my Lips.

    ¡°Anyway, artificial humans¡­ homunculi. You should definitely be able to distinguish their wavelengths, Sheron. Their soul arrangement is clearly different from humans.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who are they?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know yet.¡±

    I spoke confidently. Sheron''s face contorted in disdain.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That''s why Tm asking for your help. It will be very dangerouS.¡±

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    She seemed about to retort sharply but suddenly her expression changed as if she remembered something, and she puckered her lips thoughtfully.

    ¡°¡­Then.¡±

    Tap, tap, tap. She tapped on the table as she spoke.

    ¡°Astrological mage¡­ will you arrange another meeting?¡±

    ¡°I had no idea you were that puppeteer, Akane.¡±

    Inside the ck SUV, Sheron, who had agreed to cooperate in exchange for a ime use coupon for astrological mage services, nced at Akane.

    Akane responded indifferently.

    ¡°Focus on the job.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph. As arrogant as I heard.¡±

    ¡°Just focus on the job. Don''t be rude.¡±

    ¡°¡­I would if there was something to do!¡±

    Sheron red at Akane.

    Indeed, we were quite idle at the moment.

    We were hiding near the gates of the detention center. Parked in the car, we were waiting for ''someone''.

    Of course, Sheron was wearing an Infimian.

    She could feel frequencies even from a distance.

    ¡°Sheron, there are a few more peopleing.¡±

    I called out to Sheron.

    A few individuals associated with Libra were getting out of a car at the detention center gates, seemingly from their Legal team.

    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±

    She stared at them, sensing their wavelengths.

    ¡°ls there a problem? Or rather, can we really find Mr. Homunculus like this?¡±

    ¡°Homunculus.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    ¡°Well, it might take a while, but we''ll keep waiting like this.¡±

    ¡°What?! Do you think I have all the time in the world?!¡±

    ¡°Astrological mage doesn''t have time to spare either. You''ve heard the rumors about how they revived the GLofeld family, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sheron closed her mouth shut.

    Anyway, if artificial humans, homunculi, really exist, they1 re definitely lurking among Libra''s key figures.

    Soliette and I are both certain of this.

    ¡°¡­Then give me two coupons.¡±

    Sheron grabbed the sleeve of my coat.

    ¡°Why do you have so many questions?¡±

    ¡°l''ll use one for bragging rights. In society.¡±

    Bragging rights, what now.

    I was stunned but nodded as if I understood.

    ¡°lf it takes a long time, I''ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°Sheron, it looks like it''s going to take a while, so let''s have a meal first.¡±

    Suddenly, Soliette opened a lunchbox. Akane also picked one up.

    Sheron frowned.

    ¡°I don''t eat lunchboxes.¡±

    ¡°What? They''re really delicious.¡±

    Soliette stirred her chopsticks and widened her eyes. Sheron shook her head with the expression of a true noble.

    ¡°¡­That might be delicious by your or Akane''s standards. I have a luxury taste~¡±

    Akane said.

    ¡°She definitelycks manners.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please, can we stop with the manners thing?¡±

    ¡ªThree weeks passed like that.

    There was no such luck as identifying them on the first day. We staked out in front of the detention center for three weeks, regrly.

    BaLancers, congressional Senators, heads of various corporations, and even Jade had visited, but there had been no real progress.

    ¡°¡­Hey. Shion.¡±

    It was evening, the sun had set.

    Sheron, sitting in the backseat, called out to me.

    ¡°ls there another lunchbox?¡±

    Her fingers tightly gripped the wooden chopsticks, and grains of rice were stuck to her cheeks¡ªa stark contrast to her initial disinterest in the lunchboxes.

    ¡°I thought you said your taste was too luxurious.¡±

    Akane threw in a jab. Sheron shot her a sharp re.

    ¡°¡­Using Spectrum a lot makes me hungry, okay? It''s not like I want to be doing this¡­ God, how Long do we have to keep this up¡­¡±

    Despite herints, her eyes were still fixed on me, inquiring.

    Is there another lunchbox?

    ¡°l''ll give you one when we leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph, whatever~¡±

    She snorted in apparent satisfaction.

    ¡°I won''t give it then.¡±

    ¡°No! I''ll take it. Thanks~¡±

    Sheron settled back into her seat contentedly.

    ¡°Yaaaawn~¡±

    Yawns echoed around. Soliette, myself, and even Akane.

    Two weeks of nothing had slightly eased our tension.

    ¡°¡­Yaaawn.¡±

    I scrolled through Bell Moore team''s hotline on my Libra phone.

    Nothing particrly special seemed to be happening. It seemed about time to deal with Ged ley.

    That''s when it happened.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    Suddenly, Sheron looked out the window. Her expression hardened.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    I quickly straightened up.

    ¡°How can that person¡­?¡±

    Sheron muttered as if shocked, even beads of sweat formed on her temples.

    ¡°What''s wrong?¡±

    Soliette asked tly, and Akane furrowed her brows.

    ¡°That person, that person¡­ their wavelength is different. Like you said, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    Sheron''s hair bristled as she pointed somewhere.

    I looked in the direction her finger was pointing.

    There was¡­

 Chapter 317: Usurpation (3)

    Chapter 317: Usurpation (3)

    We were glued to the car window, looking at the prison gate. Sheron pointed towards a man standing there.

    He had thick gray hair and wore sunsses.

    He was a close associate of Sherlock, residing in the heart of Libra¡ª¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡­Belingham Kantar.¡±

    Akane said, a smirk appearing at the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°He was too perfect, though.¡±

    ¡°Do you know each other well?¡±

    Soliette asked. Akane crossed her arms.

    ¡°That guy, me, and that bitch Theia, we were called the Golden Trio or something. You must know Theia well.¡±I turned to Sheron.

    ¡°Miss. Sheron, what specifically is unusual?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­The wavelengths themselves are extremely foreign.¡±

    Sheron continued with a serious expression.

    ¡°You and soliette might have ovepping wavelengths, but they are still distinctly human. But.¡±

    Sheron stared directly at Belingham. He had entered the prison, but Sheron''s eyes still seemed to follow the wavelengths.

    ¡°¡­¡­his is very foreign. If a human soul is a curve, his feels like a straight Line.¡±

    Then soliette tilted her head and replied.

    ¡°But Mr. Belingham has a family. How can an artificial human have a family?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Honestly, I was also skeptical. Even setting aside the existence of a family, the notion of creating a homunculus meant creating a ''soul£º

    It''s practically the domain of gods, creating humans.

    I asked Akane.

    ¡°Ms. Akane, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I find it hard to believe too. How can those who can''t even make a proper doll create something asplex as a soul?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­But he''s definitely not human.¡±

    That was Sheron''sment. She furrowed her brow and muttered.

    ¡°Of all the wavelengths I''ve felt in my life, only his is like this. Even monsters aren''t like that.¡±

    Thanks to that, we knew about the existence of homunculi.

    But knowing only made the questions grow.

    ¡°¡­¡­Shion. What shall we do? Attack?¡±

    Soliette suggested a rather radical solution. I chuckled and pushed her forehead with my finger.

    ¡°What attack? Are you going to dissect him?¡±

    ¡°U m¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Let''s approach it differently. I know someone who might know about Belingham.¡±

    ¡°Oh, who is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I ignored soliette. I just looked at Akane. Akane nodded. Soliette scrunched up the tip of her nose.

    ¡°Why are the two of you exchanging looks?¡±

    It can''t be helped. I can''t talk about it in front of Sheron.

    ¡°First of all, Miss. Sheron. Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Oh, but aren''t you from Libra? Is it okay for you to be doing this? Isn''t that person your superior?¡±

    I felt a slight sting, but I had prepared an excuse long ago.

    I didn''t want to reveal too much about myself to Sheron yet.

    ¡°Because I''m from Libra, I need to delve deeper. They could be a threat to Libra.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then, whatever you need.¡±

    Sheron extended her hand.

    ¡°Give me what you promised.¡±

    I handed her the coupons. There were two [CastoLogy Usage Tickets].

    Her face lit up as she quickly snatched them.

    ¡°Can I go today?!¡±

    ¡°No, you need to make an appointment.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°But next time I ask for a favor, you''ll have toe out again.¡±

    ¡°Can I use both tickets then?¡±

    ¡°One is for showing off, remember?¡±

    Sheron narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°You''ll owe me one next time too.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Good. Deal!¡±

    Sheron smiled and extended her hand to me.

    ¡­

    In a secluded clearing, after dropping off Sheron, the three of us continued our conversation in the car.

    ¡°Dr. Vito probably knows.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the Al expert?¡±

    Soliette nodded. Akane clicked her tongue.

    ¡°But will that coward talk easily? He''s so fearful, we don''t even know where he''s hiding now.¡±

    Vito''s ability to detect danger is exceptional. Even Grawl can''t locate him.

    ¡°He''ll talk because he''s scared. We can use this.¡±

    I pulled out a diary.

    It was written in Killian''s handwriting.

    ¡°Vito doesn''t know yet that Killian betrayed him.¡±

    ¡°So, you''re going to deliver this diary to Vito directly?¡±

    ¡°No, he''d be suspicious for sure. Instead, we''ll hide it. In Killian''s house.¡±

    Suspicious types always need to discover things themselves. They won''t trust evidence delivered through someone else''s hands or words.

    But.

    ¡°Suspicious people also tend to trust themselves too much.¡±

    They''ll believe anything they find themselves.

    I nned to exploit that.

    ¡­

    Killian''s house was still in the same ce. He was dead, but the lights of the upscale vi twinkled even in the dead of night.

    Likewise, the surveince system Vito had installed in Killian''s house would still be operational.

    ¡°Done!¡±

    Grawl, the cat, stood with his tail straight up, grinning.

    I had Grawl ''cleverly'' nt the diary in Killian''s house. If it was too obvious, that would be suspicious too.

    Roughly, the content reads, "Vito is truly a remarkable person, I''ve always admired and adored him, Derek is suspicious, Vito is worried, so he haspiled relevant information I''m suspicious of Derek, I''m worried about Vito, so I''m organizing information about him£» and so on¡­ Sentences that could sow discord between Vito and Derek, and anecdotes that only Vito and Killian would know.

    [Chaser Shion warned me. There could be trouble in Ortus, so be careful. He is the only Chaser I trust, but I cannot disappoint Dr. Vito¡­]

    In this manner, Killian also wrote about his trust in Shion Ascal¡ª''me''.

    If Vito finds this diary, he should contact me first.

    ¡°Then, I''m off. Keep a lookout.¡±

    ¡ªYes!

    I became a ''thief disguised in Infimian.

    A thief targeting Killian''s house. A thief skilled enough to break into a Luxury vi.

    I climbed through a window and infiltrated Killian''s house.

    Now, rummaging inside, I would discover the diary hidden by Grawl and say:

    ¡ªWhat''s this¡­ a diary?

    Angrily, I flung the diary onto the floor, then gathered all the valuable items Left in the house and left.

    Thats the end of it.

    Then Vito''s side will take care of retrieving the diary.

    Meanwhile, Johannapleted the research facility. It was a Large-scale facility designed to advance Yu Hains''s ''Mana elerator*. A heavenly sum had been invested, and much more would be needed in the future.

    ¡° about this?¡±

    Johanna asked as she walked down the empty corridor.

    Yu Hains responded beside her.

    ¡°lts fine, except for theck of personnel.¡±

    Of course, besides such facilities, a lot of manpower is needed. The ''Mana elerator* itself is a new technologybining science and mana, which is stillrgely unexplored.

    ¡°l''m also offering top industrypensation to recruit experts, but¡­¡±

    Johanna clenched her teeth.

    ¡°That damned Derek is making everyone hesitant.¡±

    Derek might im it''s just the researchers being stubborn, but the bacsh from the Libra Al was quite severe.

    Even with generous pay, they1 re refusing to conduct what they consider hical research.

    ¡°I wish he''d just die in prison.¡±

    Johanna muttered bitterly as she opened the door to her private office. Sitting in the chair by the window, she Let out a thin sigh.

    ¡°''Mana elerator1. Such a grand idea.¡±

    Using mana to elerate the destruction of cancer cells¡­ It''s not even a surgery, nor a procedure. It doesn''t ce any burden on the body, so the term ''healing'' truly fits.

    ¡°Most cancers could be easily healed with this.¡±

    However, the problem is that the Cancer of the Magic''s Core isn''t4most cancers''. It''s so severe that the medicalmunity might as well ssify it as a curse.

    ¡°How many years does the professor expect this to take?¡±

    ¡°Estimating time is meaningless. We should just keep trying¡ª¡±

    ¡°lts not meaningless.¡±

    Johanna''s tone became stern.

    ¡°lts actually the most important thing.¡±

    She red at Yu Hains.

    ¡°He''s still dying.¡±

    Yu Hains lowered his head as Johanna''s voice trembled.

    ¡°Every passing day feels torturous. Its agonizing, Like being torn apart, like dying.¡±

    Thinking about him, who would be lucky to live another ten years, and at best five, made her despise time itself.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Yu Hains responded.

    Johanna nodded calmly.

    ¡°Sorry. Km just too greedy.¡±

    This professor had also lost someone he Loved.

    You''ve lost, but I''m asking you to make sure I don''t¡ªJohanna understood how cruel that request was.

    ¡°But it''s really strange.¡±

    Johanna still struggled to sleep. She wondered what he was doing, worried if he was okay, and eventually, she would dream about him.

    ¡°Even if I wake up from a nightmare.¡±

    First, Shion Ascal, who had left this world before her.

    Herself standing dazed in front of his grave.

    ¡°When I wake up, suddenly good fantasiese to mind.¡±

    She imagined the professor''s treatment progressing well, him being healed, both of them shedding the shackles of Libra, and leading a normal life together.

    ¡°ls this bipr disorder?¡±

    An utterly normal imagination feeling utterly blissful, an utterly strange state.

    ¡°lts perfectly normaL¡±

    Yu Hains dered it normal.

    Johanna chuckled bitterly.

    ¡°Let''s call it a day.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yu Hains turned to Leave. Watching his retreating figure, Johanna pulled out a photograph.

    It was a picture of Shion Ascal. There were quite a few. She had asked them to take several.

    Yet, there were no pictures of her with him. Direct descendants of Libra weren''t supposed to be ''subjects'' in photos.

    ¡°Damn ridiculous.¡±

    The rules of that family, which she once thought were natural, had never felt as shitty as they did these days.

    No, they were bing shittier by the day.

    Johanna looked at the photo of Shion Ascal and smiled, stroking his image with her finger. His stupid-looking expression was endearing.

    Drip.

    A small droplet fell onto it.

    In the director''s office of the Libra Intelligence Agency.

    Gedley had summoned Shion AscaL

    He was a major yer in the current Intelligence Agency, practically the eye of the storm and the right-hand man of Bell Moore.

    It was a bit too daunting to call Bell Moore directly.

    Of course, even this required some mental preparation, and indeed it was necessary.

    ¡°ls this the first time we''ve been alone, Chaser Shion?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    Shion sat in the chair in the director''s office. His gestures were filled with confidence.

    Did his response to my summons mean he anticipated some of what I would say?

    Gedley casually asked.

    ¡°I hear you''ve been dealing with Theia Esil recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Theia EsiL Currently Derek''s biggest adversary, and a heavyweight even the Intelligence Agency struggled to handle.

    Yet Shion remainedposed.

    ¡°You seem very confident, especially given who you''re up against.¡±

    Gedley sat down in front of him. He made coffee and offered it to him.

    ¡°I simply carry out orders.¡±

    Orders.

    Shion Ascal followed Bell Moore''s orders. He was someone who had never failed.

    However, Ged Ley was still suspicious.

    Between Bell Moore and Shion Ascal, who was the real¡ª

    Just then, Shion Ascal took a sip of his coffee. He also ate some peanuts that wereid out in front of him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gedley was convinced by his simple actions.

    This guy was a puppet.

    He was merely a doll, moving ording to Bell Moore''smands.

    The peanuts and the coffee could have been poisoned.

    But this guy, as if he didn''t even need to suspect such a thing, as if there was no need to think at all¡­

    He was a one-dimensional character, not even worth being cautious about.

    ¡°l''ve heard that Team Leader Bell has been frequenting clubstely.¡±

    Gedley brought up some everyday topics.

    ¡°Yes. He says that''s the only way he can relieve stress.¡±

    Gedley had been deceived by such behaviors of his. At that time, he had thought him to be just a frivolous man.

    If only he had known a bit earlier about his ambition, his endless greed, his wolf-like desires.

    Things wouldn''t have turned out this way.

    ¡°l''ll ask you straight.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gedley Looked intently at Shion.

    ¡°What does Bell Moore want?¡±

    Still, Ged Ley didn''t want to give up his position as director. If possible, he intended to cling to it.

    ¡°Why would you ask me that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap. You''re Bell Moore''s confidant.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Don''t pretend you don''t know. Just say it directly.¡±

    Shion stiffened.

    ¡°H m m¡­¡±

    He seemed to ponder while stroking his chin, but soon he smiled leisurely.

    ¡°Therers only one thing Team Leader Bell wants.¡±

    His second-inmand was about to speak.

    Gedley perked up his ears.

    And then.

    ¡°Director.¡±

    Shion gestured towards the director''s seat.

    ¡°Team Leader Bell Moore will not be satisfied with anything Less than that position. Therefore¡­¡±

    Again, looking into Gedley''s eyes, he continued.

    ¡°No matter what happens, he will obtain it.¡±

    Gedley felt as if his insides were twisting.

 Chapter 318: Usurpation (4)

    Chapter 318: Usurpation (4)

    Tick, tock.

    The only sound in the director''s office was the clear ticking of the second hand. Gedley sat in prolonged silence.

    He seemed to be trying to appear calm, but the wrinkles on his face Looking at me were already filled with tension and trembling.

    ¡°Are you talking about the position?¡±

    Soon, Ged ley pointed to the director''s chair and forced a smile. I could see that strained smile.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Of course, Bell Moore himself wouldnrt care. He''s the kind of person who would refuse the director''s position even if it were offered. Hecks unnecessary ambition.

    But.

    ¡°Team Leader Bell has been very patient.¡±I won''t Let it stay that way.

    ¡°Patient, you say?¡±

    Gedley asked, as if shocked.

    ¡°Yes. Starting with the bomb targeted at Team Leader Bell just recently.¡±

    I will force Bell Moore into the director''s position.

    ¡°Up to the secret meetings between team leaders that happens every night.¡±

    I will pass all the merits, capabilities, and ambitions onto him, and stuff it down his throat until he bursts, even if he hates it, until he bes the director.

    ¡°He knows yet he endures.¡±

    I looked at Ged Ley. His furrowed brow wriggled Like a worm.

    ¡°Soon, his patience will reach its limit.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Gedley frowned.

    ¡°To be a director in front of a director. Have you and your boss gone mad?¡±

    His forced smile had now be so distorted it was hard to even call it a smile.

    ¡°I don''t know the details.¡±

    ¡°I know. You look just like a puppet. A puppet without thought.¡±

    Gedley suddenly expressed his anger towards me.

    ¡°Lucky for you, clinging onto a thread named Bell Moore to climb up. You should just stick to your beloved Miss Zia.¡±

    He spat as he pointed out, but I wasn''t bothered.

    Gedley has already Lost.

    I responded with a faint smile.

    ¡°Team Leader Bell Moore has added that he will give a deadline for the opportun ity.¡±

    ¡°An opportunity?¡±

    Gedley paused.

    ¡°Yes. Until the setup of Theia Esil isplete.¡±

    Then he burst into a scornfulugh.

    ¡°Do you really think you can beat Theia? She''s clean as a whistle. Even your capable boss can''t do it.¡±

    Of course. There''s no one as clean as Theia.

    I looked at Ged Ley.

    ¡°lt seems you are verycking in the skill of digging.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    At that moment, Ged Ley stiffened, and I shed him a broad smile.

    ¡°That''s what Team Leader Bell Moore said.¡±

    Bell Moore''s office.

    Tick, tock. The peaceful passing of the second hand was the only sound in the room where Bell Moore sat, eyes opening and closing to the monotonal rhythm.

    ¡°¡­Damn, I''m sleepy.¡±

    He was desperately trying to pass the boring hours.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    His whole body felt stiff.

    Normally, he would be asleep at home at this time.

    It wasn''t even time to start work yet.

    ¡°Yawn¡­ When will this end?¡±

    Lately, it was unavoidable because of the Derek incident. Derek had ended up in jail, thanks to some artificial intelligence or something, causing an emergency at the Intelligence Agency.

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Bell Moore ced his interlocked hands behind his head.

    Well, it''s not Like I have anything urgent to do. Nor do I want to be busy.

    Shion Ascal will handle all the work anyway.

    ¡°¡­But that guy might struggle with Theia Esil.¡±

    It''s not that he waspletely worry-free.

    He had inadvertently received the operation involving ''Theia Esil.''

    Bell Moore was scared of her. Not without reason; he had witnessed her prowess firsthand. A one-woman army capable of taking on a hundred. Seriously, she''s no joke.

    Ding¡ª

    A document popped up on the Intelligence Agency''s intr.

    [Shion Ascal: List of scandals and incidents to release to the press]

    It was Shion Ascal''s report on flooding the media with various love scandals and sensational articles to bury the Derek incident.

    He nced at it and casually approved it. That was all he had done this week as a team Leader.

    Stamping approval.

    ¡°¡­Ah, sleepy.¡±

    Of course, he was somewhat concerned about the internal political dynamics within the Intelligence Agency.

    Shion Ascal was dealing with threats from the director about being ''taken out£» but honestly, he didn''t take it that seriously.

    Maybe it was just some aggressive posturing?

    After all, why would they bother to check on him when he''s not doing anything?

    So, if he continued to stay put Like this, the director and other team leaders would naturally back down.

    In other words, he was openly nning to do nothing.

    ¡°Yawn¡­ I really need some sleep.¡±

    Bell Moore had no intention of climbing higher. He was quite satisfied with his position as a team leader, and if he could earn enough money to live azy life forever, that was more than enough.

    After the meeting with Ged ley.

    Descending to the parking lot of the Intelligence Agency, I received a mysterious call.

    [Unknown]

    Sender unidentified.

    ¡ªCan you hear me?

    However, the voiceing through the receiver was familiar.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    I asked politely.

    ¡ªIt''s Dr. Vito.

    Vito had taken the bait. I suppressed a Laugh as I climbed into my parked car.

    ¡°Dr. Vito, is it?¡±

    ¡ªYes. I*m contacting you regarding Dr. Killian''s diary.

    ¡°Ki Ilian''s, I mean, Dr. Killian''s diary, you say?¡±

    I feigned ignorance, pretending to be very close to Killian by casually calling him ''Killian£º

    ¡ªI heard you were close with Dr. Killian.

    The Jesco case was simr; this method works quite well. Trustworthiness skyrockets when information is conveyed through a medium Like a diary.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I agreed in silence.

    ¡ªDo you have any message for me?

    Vito chuckled slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡­Dr. Vito. Derek suspects you.¡±

    I spoke as if I was concerned for his safety.

    Then, letting out a small sigh, Vito spoke.

    ¡ªShall we meet to discuss this?

    He said exactly what I wanted to hear.

    ¡­¡­

    I arrived at a space resembling a stark office. However, instead of Vito himself, there was a ''hologram.''

    ¡ªNice to see you.

    He''s extremely cautious. Not an easy target.

    ¡°This is quite the technoLogy.¡±

    Tt''s nothing special. It''s dangerous outside, after all.

    Vito chuckled as he fiddled with his hair.

    ¡ªSo, Derek suspects me?

    ¡°Yes. I heard you convened the board of directors at the industry.¡±

    ¡ªWell¡­ naturally. The industry is practically apany I built. AU its patents are fruits of my Labor.

    Vito crossed his arms in displeasure.

    ¡ªDerek will surely me me for the business failures and try to oust me. How can I allow that? The industry is apany with 20 years of history.

    ¡°MS. Zia will attend the board meeting in your ce.¡±

    ¡ªLet her.

    Vito pursed his lips.

    ¡ªWell, Derek is Derek. The reason I called you isn''t really about that.

    It was somewhat unexpected.

    If its not about Derek, what else could it be?

    ¡ªThere''s a group stirring up Libra.

    ¡°A group¡­ you say?¡±

    ¡ªYes. A man and a woman who call each other ''Candy'' and ''Jelly£º

    It was soliette and mine''s cover identities.

    I maintained myposure as much as possible.

    ¡°What exactly are they stirring up?¡±

    ¡ªThey''ve been digging into the past research facilities of the industry. They''ve killed a bncer too. For people with childish names like Candy and Jelly, they*re quite skilled.

    ¡°¡­¡­This is a serious matter.¡±

    ¡ªIndeed.

    I stared intently at Vito''s hologram.

    ¡°But why would they be digging into the research facilities? Is it because of the artificial intelligence? Or perhaps¡­¡­ because of the homunculi?¡±

    I asked Vito as directly as possible.

    If we beat around the bush here, it would take too Long to reach our destination.

    ¡ªHmm?

    Hologram Vito nced at me sharply. His eyes suddenly widened.

    ¡ªYou seem to know a lot.

    ¡°Because I care about Libra.¡±

    Vito narrowed his eyes and then chuckled lightly.

    ¡ªYes. I*m aware of your stature, Mr. Shion. But, I don''t know why that man and woman are stirring things up with us¡­¡­ By the way, you follow Zia, right?

    ¡°Yes, that''s correct.¡±

    ¡ªThen, about the homunculi¡­

    He paused for a moment and then chuckled.

    ¡ªStart by capturing Theia EsiL After all, it''s because of that woman that things went sour with Derek.

    It was a kind of quest.

    ¡ªThen, I''ll tell you. What you need to protect. Can you handle that?

    Vito asked skeptically, but I nodded immediately.

    ¡°lts only a matter of time.¡±

    It was something I had to do anyway.

    And it would be over soon.

    I know the names of the so-called rades'' affiliated with [Vancheon]. Especially those who have betrayed us.

    These bastards betray in the future, they betrayed in the past, and they betray now. From the beginning, they''ve considered ''ideology'' a way to make money.

    The method to recruit such bastards is simple.

    A carrot and stick approach is sufficient.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Currently, I am at the residence of a Vancheon executive. The interior is quite spacious and tidy.

    For someone who advocates for the radical abolition of the parliament and absolute equality, his ce is remarkably modern and fancy.

    There are even a few pieces of art visible, probably spoils secretly captured during their raids.

    Creak¡ª

    I might have waited about 6 hours.

    When the sun had set, the door opened.

    ¡°Haah.¡±

    He seemed quite exhausted from the day, and upon entering the Living room, he noticed me.

    ¡°Who the hell are you!¡±

    ¡°Good evening.¡±

    Startled, he immediately drew the sword at his waist, but I smiled kindly.

    ¡°Mr. Berhorn.¡±

    A dandy-haired man in his mid-30s, about 190 cm tall, a prosecutor.

    ¡°¡­¡­Who are you? How do you know my name¡±

    ¡°Or should I call you ''Guts''?¡±

    His eyes widened.

    Currently, 4Gutsr is his [Vancheon] codename.

    ¡°I am Shion Ascal of Libra.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You folks, you''ve caused quite a stir in Ortus recently.¡±

    I smiled faintly and gestured towards the sofa.

    ¡°Would you like to sit down? I hope you choose the easier path.¡±

    Berhorn said nothing. He eyed me cautiously and slowly sheathed his sword.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    As he sat down on the sofa, I nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°I thought you were someone reasonabLe.¡±

    Berhorn smirked.

    ¡°I know your name.¡±

    ¡°Thats fortunate.¡±

    ¡°But I was against the actions in Ortus. Stirring up trouble so directly just attracts unwanted attention¡­ like now.¡±

    Clearly, he was dissatisfied with the current state of [Vancheon].

    ¡°I know. Mr. Berhorn, you''re someone who sees room for negotiation. Thats why I''vee to you.¡±

    ¡°Room for negotiation? How did you even know I''m with Vancheon¡ª¡±

    ¡°What''s important is this.¡±

    I set down a suitcase with a thud.

    ¡°l''d like to request a favor from you, Mr. Berhorn.¡±

    Inside the suitcase was a substantial amount of cash, probably around 5 million Ren.

    ¡°Please retrieve documents from within Vancheon concerning Theia Esil.¡±

    Berhorn frowned.

    ¡°Who is Theia Esil? She''s not with Vancheon.¡±

    I widened my eyes, and he smirked.

    ¡°Did you get it wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. You might not be aware, but that woman is indeed with Vancheon.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Ah.¡±

    It seemed Berhorn finally understood what I meant.

    I pulled out a few photographs from my coat.

    ¡°Riley, as it turns out, was with Vancheon. She was a spy within Libra. I, too, was deceived.¡±

    The photos showed Riley and Theia Esil together, taken by Grawl when the two were interacting.

    Berhorn scrutinized the photo.

    ¡°These could just be coincidental captures.¡±

    ¡°Thats why I''m asking for your help. If we can Link this photo with internal evidence, it would be sufficient to use as proof.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Berhorn looked at me. I continued with a hint of amusement in my voice.

    ¡°This photo alone, and the internal documents you provide, mean nothing separately. But together, they create meaning.¡±

    ¡°That might be true.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mr. Berhorn, just create the documents and hand them over to us.¡±

    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°You''U be our enemy. Immediately.¡±

    I pointed at Berhorn.

    It was a clear threat of immediate consequences if he did notply.

    Berhorn seemed to ponder for a moment, but it was a brief consideration.

    ¡°There''s not much choice, is there? The fact that you know who I am already suggests someone has betrayed me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you''re free to think that.¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders. At that moment, I pulled out a hidden painting.

    It was a canvas by a famous artist, directly taken from the Libra Art School.

    ¡°Consider this a gift.¡±

    Berhorn''s eyes sparkled like stars at that instant.

    Indeed, as always, disgustingly honest.

    Locked away in the detention center, Derek withered day by day, yet he awaited certain days. Uncharacteristically, he even marked them on the calendar, eagerly anticipating the periodic ''gourmet'' treats.

    ¡°Mr. Derek.¡±

    Today, finally.

    A guard appeared from beyond the detention center.

    ¡°You have a visitor.¡±

    A smile Derek himself didn''t expect crept onto his lips.

    He walked out into the corridor.

    They no Longer handcuffed him. Now, his solitary cell was equipped with a TV, inte ess, and even a luxury bed.

    The scenery was entirely different from right after his incarceration, a testament to the power of ''time'' and ''influence''.

    During Derek''s time in detention, numerous scandals involving celebrities, love affairs, drugs, and assaults had erupted. It was a strategy exined to him directly by Shion Ascal.

    He had acquired very provocative news from somewhere and passed it to the media, gradually diminishing the external scrutiny on Derek.

    A very clever method, indeed. The guy was overflowing with capability.

    ¡°Thats the visitor.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    Upon arriving at the visitor''s room, Derek first smiled contentedly, but then,

    ¡°ls it really you, Johanna?¡±

    His face contorted unexpectedly at the sight of his visitor.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Johanna. She brushed back her roughly dried hair and smiled at Derek.

    ¡°What do you mean? I came to visit as your sister.¡±

    She then scanned Derek up and down in his prison uniform, her expression gleefully malicious.

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Derek turned to Leave, but the guard intervened.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Derek. There is one more visitor. Ms. Johanna''s visit was arranged sudden ly¡­¡±

    ¡°One more?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Thats when the door to the visitor''s room opened.

    Derek reflexively swallowed his saliva, while Johanna waved her hand dismissively without even looking in that direction.

    ¡°Never mind. Hey, guard. Send the other guy back.¡±

    Yet the other visitor, who had trudged forward, suddenly stood near her.

    ¡°MS. Johanna?¡±

    Johanna''s eyes widened at the voice.

    ¡°1¡±

    Silently, she turned her head as if trembling.

    There he was. The man she had consciously avoided. It had been too long since Johanna had seen his face. Their eyes met. Her heart raced, and her cheeks flushed pink.

    Meanwhile, Derek noticed the Lunchbox in the man''s hands. His heart also raced, and his cheeks twitched. His Lips moistened and turned a deeper shade of red.

    Both had remarkably unconscious physical reactions.

 Chapter 319: Usurpation ï¼ˆ5ï¼‰

    Chapter 319: Usurpation £¨5£©

    Johanna quietly observed the situation. Shion handed Derek a lunchbox and sat next to him.

    The proximity, close enough for their knees to touch, was ufortable.

    She thought about Leaving, but it wasn''t as easy as she wished. Her heart pounded ufortably, constricting her, yet she wanted to stay in the same space.

    It was paradoxically too much.

    From some point, this guy had made her feel soplicated. He endlessly tormented her reason and tested her.

    ¡ªDing

    The sound of a phone notification felt overwhelmingly Loud. Johanna flinched.

    ¡°l''ll be back, I need to take care of some work.¡±

    Suddenly, Shion left. Johanna then regained herposure and red at Derek.¡°Really now.¡±

    In the visitation room, indulging in a Lavish meal, suddenly she felt a surge of anger.

    Is this bastard using Shion as a shuttle?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna silently picked up her chopsticks. At that moment, a murderous look shed in Derek''s eyes.

    Johanna scoffed.

    ¡°Let me have some too, why don''t you?¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it.¡±

    Johanna threw the chopsticks down on the table. The chopsticks soared into the air before Landing.

    ¡°Even in jail, your gluttony persists.¡±

    ¡°lts not jail, it''s a detention center.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. You''ve always been like this.¡±

    Derek had an unusual obsession with food. There was a day he secretly stole something, pudding perhaps, and ended up being whipped about ten times.

    The things Johanna did to Zia were, in fact, a long-standing tradition of bullying that Johanna herself had endured from Derek.

    ¡°Why are you making Shion Ascal do your bidding, you should be using a bncer instead?¡±

    ¡°Shut up if you don''t know. He brings it out of his own loyalty.¡±

    Johanna''s brow twitched.

    ¡ªIt''s a loyalty that Libra doesn''t deserve.

    Shion''s father was killed, and Libra, who will cause Shion''s death, does not deserve it.

    Derek red at her sharply.

    ¡°Can you just leave now? Seeing your face makes me lose my appetite.¡±

    ¡°For someone who ims that, you''re eating quite well.¡±

    ¡°Get lost. I won''t say it twice.¡±

    ¡°Still talking big after tarnishing the family name.¡±

    Johanna stood up. After all, her purpose of visiting was just to irritate him.

    ¡°l''m Leaving. Take care.¡±

    Derek pretended not to hear and focused on his food.

    As Johanna turned around, Shion Ascal returned. He nodded at Derek and whispered something to him.

    ¡ªThe Theia operation is ready.

    A deep smile spread across Derek''s lips.

    ¡­

    Johanna stepped outside the detention center. However, she didn''t Leave. She Lingered nearby, cing her phone to her ear.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    As if she had something to discuss with someone, Johanna scanned the exit of the detention center.

    ¡°Miss Johanna¡±

    She waved off the attendants approaching her with a hurried gesture.

    About ten minutes passed.

    Finally, Shion emerged.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, handle that matter yourself. Yes, just deal with it.¡±

    Johanna muttered as if giving instructions, and soon Shion Ascal stood by her side.

    ¡°Handle the report yourself¡­ Hmm?¡±

    Pretending not to notice him at first, Johanna then turned to look at Shion.

    ¡°Miss Johanna.¡±

    He bowed his head.

    ¡°¡­l''ll contact youter.¡±

    Just as he spoke, a real call came through.

    In that instant, Johanna flung her phone to the ground.

    Crack!

    Silently, Shion watched the shattered pieces.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    Pretending nothing happened, Johanna cleared her throat.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then, a long silence ensued.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ln Johanna''s mind, her rtionship with this man was both ambiguous and clear.

    They both knew they loved each other.

    But they couldn''t be together.

    They shouldn''t be.

    Because they would only bring each other sorrow.

    Yet, knowing that¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±

    Johanna wanted to talk to him, to exchange even just a few more words, to see him just once more.

    ¡°Have some when you have time.¡±

    Shion handed her a lunchbox. It was different from the one Derek had, smaller and simpler.

    ¡°Which restaurant did you get this from?¡±

    Johanna epted it.

    ¡°I made it myself.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I packed it for myself to eat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She examined the lunchbox from top to bottom and tucked it under her arm.

    ¡°I hope it suits your taste, Miss Johanna. I''ll be going now.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    She stopped Shion as he was about to leave.

    He turned back to face her.

    ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡±

    For the first time, Johanna showed concern for someone, and Shion gave a faint smile.

    ¡°As usual.¡±

    Not saying he was fine, but that he was as usual.

    He was always honest.

    ¡°How about you, Miss Johanna?¡±

    ¡°l''m excessively healthy.¡±

    ¡°That''s good to hear.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear, indeed¡­ I''m leaving.¡±

    Johanna quickly left the scene.

    Lately, her emotions have been fluctuating frequently, and she might end up crying if she wasn''t careful. She couldn''t afford to show such a pathetic sight.

    She hurried into her limousine.

    ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As the car moved forward, she opened the Lunchbox. She couldn''t help butugh upon seeing the contents. The food items were quite charming, especially the octopus-shaped sausages.

    ¡°There''s a cute side to him.¡±

    Johanna took a bite.

    ¡°¡­1¡±

    Her eyes widened slightly. She murmured without realizing.

    ¡°lts delicious¡­¡±

    Her admiration was brief. Suddenly, her throat tightened. Johanna clenched her teeth and Looked out the window. Shion Ascal was still standing there. Looking at him, an inexplicable smile appeared on her face.

    Johannaughed as though she was about to cry.

    ¡­This is what a fluctuation of emotions Looks Like.

    It seems like he has ruined her forever, but she didn''t entirely dislike that.

    Derek''s trial was imminent. I traveled abroad in time for the trial.

    I hade to find Emilia, the daughter of Athan, the mentor of Theia EsiL

    ¡°My memory isn''t certain.¡±

    In a modest mansion, at a garden tea table.

    She sipped her coffee and gave a wry smile.

    ¡°As I mentioned before, I have no desire to assist Libra''s political maneuvers with my uncertain memory.¡±

    ¡°lts not a political maneuver.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°We are the ones who can help avenge your father.¡±

    Emilia slightly furrowed her brow.

    ¡°¡­Don*t Lie. Everyone knows you want to take revenge on Theia Esil because of the Al. Even a passing dog wouldn''t believe you. You''re treating me Like a fool¡±

    ¡°Derek will be punished.¡±

    Indeed, Derek will receive the most certain punishment.

    ¡°Everyone must face the consequences of their sins. Theia Esil is no exception, Miss Emilia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Still, Emilia Looked displeased.

    She was a person of strong principles, and I couldn''t persuade her alone.

    ¡°There is a witness.¡±

    Thats why we need Akane''s cooperation.

    ¡°¡­A witness?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded towards a spot. From behind a tree in the garden, Akane took a step forward.

    ¡°¡­Akane?¡±

    Emilia''s eyes widened.

    ¡°¡­Hello.¡±

    Emilia looked at Akane with eyes full of surprise and delight.

    ¡°You really haven''t aged, have you?¡±

    ¡°lt turned out that way.¡±

    Akane gave a wry smile and sat down beside her.

    ¡°Sorry for being sote.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡­¡±

    Emilia fiddled with Akane''s hand. Perhaps she was fascinated by her unaged skin.

    ¡°Ah. But, a witness? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Akane nced at me and sighed softly.

    ¡°My doll, specifically, saw it. That bitch Theia killing master.¡±

    Emilia''s expression hardened.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She quietly lowered her gaze, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly as she pondered silently.

    ¡°Why, did she do that? That child?¡±

    Then Akane picked up my teacup. She gulped it down like it was a shot of Liquor and said,

    ¡°¡­lt doesn''t really matter. The dead don''te back. You know that, Emilia.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­l''m sorry.¡±

    I apologized to Akane.

    Emilia had gone inside to pack her things, leaving just the two of us in the garden.

    ¡°lts okay.¡±

    Akane smirked slightly and Lit a cigarette.

    ¡°You''re just as pitiful as we are. Thafs why I understand you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked at Akane. There was a shadow on her face that differed from her words.

    ¡°Akane.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a family?¡±

    ¡°I must have had one to be born. But when I opened my eyes, they were gone.¡±

    She exhaled smoke and raised her eyebrows slightly.

    ¡°lts probably for the best. Too many people have ruined their Lives because of their parents.¡±

    I just smiled silently.

    Akane roughly scratched her head.

    ¡°¡­Anyway. Its a good n. Theia won''t deny her crimes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thats right.¡±

    Theia EsiL was now going to stand trial.

    However, she could easily defend her crimes if she chose to.

    Just saying that Holy Knight Athan had fallen and be a monster¡ª

    Would be enough.

    ¡°She''ll take the me alone.¡±

    However, Theia wouldn''t do that.

    She hadn''t in the past Life, and she wouldn''t in this one either.

    Because thats the kind of person she is.

    To avoid staining her mentor Athan with disgrace, and to prevent inflicting further wounds on his daughter Emilia.

    She would sacrifice herself.

    ¡°What do you know? You''re not even close to her.¡±

    Akane nced at me.

    I met her eyes and replied.

    ¡°I know as much as you do, Akane.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°l''m a fan.¡±

    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±

    Akane chuckled.

    Just then, Emilia came out. Her face was resolute, her hands full with luggage.

    ¡°Let''s go! Time to catch a murderer!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Akane and I exchanged a slightly bitter look.

    At theing end of autumn, the beginning of winter. On a day when the biting wind carried fallen leaves, marking the change of seasons.

    Theia Esil was preparing for the trial, walking through the university district with her disciple.

    ¡°Phew. Derek is finished. The evidence is too solid, it''s either life imprisonment or this country needs aplete overhaul.¡±

    Despite her disciple ''Aren''s'' assurance, Theia did not Let her guard down.

    She knew all too well how powerful nobility and family influence could be in Edsi.

    ¡°But, Master. About that friend Gerkhen. I heard he''s already been scouted by the parliament.¡±

    ¡°¡­From the parliament?¡±

    Theia lifted her head.

    Aren exhaled sharply, nodding in admiration.

    ¡°Yes, from the Parliamentary Knights. He really got an offer.¡±

    The Parliamentary Knights are an elite force assigned to the parliament, considered among the most prestigious on the continent. They are not just ordinary knights. About 10% of these knights are actually selected to be Senators.

    In other words, it''s a stepping stone to entering the parliament.

    ¡°We''re urging him to go immediately, but it seems Like he''s hesitating for some reason.¡±

    ¡°He should go. Obviously.¡±

    The threshold to join the Parliamentary Knights is extremely high. Its almost abnormally so formoners, with only about two out of two hundred candidates making it.

    And now amoner like Gerkhen is being scouted by them?

    It''s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    ¡°Why is Gerkhen hesitating?¡±

    ¡°He finds it suspicious, but I don''t know the details. You should ask him directly.¡±

    As they were exchanging these casual remarks,

    Numerous vehicles converged around Theia Esil and Aren.

    Screech¡ª! Squeal¡ª!

    The sound of tires screeching was Loud.

    ¡°Shit, what the hell is this?¡±

    Theia stopped calmly, while Aren drew his sword immediately.

    A man with a sleazy look stepped out of the car.

    ¡°What do you want?!¡±

    Aren thrust his sword forward. The man raised his hands in rm.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Please, put the sword away.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°We''rew enforcement. Not here to cause trouble.¡±

    He smiled weakly and showed his ID.

    Deputy Prosecutor of Edsi, ''Al Ras''.

    ¡°¡­Prosecutor? Even a deputy? Why would a deputy prosecutore Looking for us? Is this a fake?!¡±

    Aren still spoke aggressively.

    ¡°Ah, well.¡±

    Al Ras chuckled and cleared his throat.

    ¡ªAnd then.

    ¡°Holy Knight Theia Esil, you are under arrest for the suspected murder of the former Holy Knight Athan and for treason.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Aren''s eyes widened, and Theia quietly shifted her gaze somewhere else.

    Beyond the circle of vehicles, a man stood in the bushes, watching them.

    Shion AscaL

    ¡°You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in court.¡±

    Suddenly, he smiled faintly, and a fire kindled within Theia.

    ¡°You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, the state will provide you with one. Do you understand7¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about!¡±

    Aren drew his sword. The other personnel who had alighted from the cars quickly drew their weapons as well.

    Al Ras extended his hand.

    ¡°Whoa! Any resistance will add to your charges! You''ll end up in jail too!¡±

    ¡°Crazy bastard. This makes no sense. What, Holy Knight, murder, are you insane? Do you even know who Theia Esil is?!¡±

    ¡°I know. Why wouldn''t I7¡±

    ¡°Then!¡±

    ¡°Aren.¡±

    Aren growled as he brandished his sword, but Theia stopped him.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    ¡°No, Master! This officer is spouting nonsense!¡±

    Theia stepped in front of Al Ras, who smiled in response.

    ¡°lndeed, Professor, you do understand. Why don''t we go and prove your innocen ce?¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren. Go back first.¡±

    Aren''s face twisted into an expression of utter disbelief, clearly unable toprehend the situation.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Go back, I said.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Leaving Aren behind, Theia climbed into the police''s car. Inside, she Looked towards where Shion Ascal had been standing.

    He was still there.

    It was as if he was politely asking, ¡°How do you Like this situation?¡±

 Chapter 320: Usurpation ï¼ˆ6ï¼‰

    Chapter 320: Usurpation £¨6£©

    Emilia, the daughter of the former Holy Knight Athan, used Theia Esil concerning her father''s mysterious death. I added to that suspicion by suggesting she was involved in treason.

    As a result, Theia was detained.

    Consequently, the trial of Derek, which Theia was handling, was reassigned to the prosecutor''s office, where the pressure from Libra was expected to be effective.

    Just Like now.

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    In the interrogation room of the Edsi Prosecutor''s Office.

    I saw Theia through a transparent ss. Her wrists were bound with the highest grade of magical handcuffs.

    Honestly, it was a tough sight to behold.

    After all, she is my mentor.¡°Oh, isn''t that Sir Ascal?¡±

    Prosecutor Al Ras appeared from behind. The title ''Sir'' had somehow been attached to my name.

    ¡°You''ve been through a lot. I''ve heard rumors here and there, but indeed, you handle things decisively.¡±

    ¡°lt was with the support of Team Leader Bell Moore.¡±

    I casually dropped Bell Moore''s name.

    ¡°¡­Ah, I see. Team Leader Bell Moore. He''s well-known.¡±

    This ''Al Ras'' is a prosecutor nurtured by Libra, using Libra''s resources.

    Indeed, within the countless internal structures of Edsi, there are numerous people from Libra¡­ specifically, from ''Sherlock''.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    I asked Al Ras in a dry tone.

    ¡°Theia EsiL¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ with the evidence of treason, even the death penalty could be sufficiently justifled.¡±

    He sipped his coffee as he responded.

    ¡°The death penalty is not an option.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Al Ras looked at me. I met his gaze and stated firmly.

    ¡°I said the death penalty is not an option.¡±

    ¡°U h¡­¡±

    He had a strange expression, but soon nodded as if he understood.

    ¡°Ah, haha. I see what you mean. Indeed, keeping her alive would be more beneficial for the trial of lord Derek.¡±

    He then scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°But, Sir AscaL The trial of lord Derek itself might be challenging. There have been many deaths, after all.¡±

    Although it''s well-known that a prosecutor is supposed to expose the guilt of the used. Yet here is this prosecutor discussing the advantages and disadvantages for the used.

    This is good for Derek.

    ¡°Thats fine. We just need to dy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, well. The public are like sheep and pigs.¡±

    A familiar phrase slipped from Al Ras''s mouth.

    ¡°Whether Lord Derek can endure until then, I don''t know, but once the public''s attention fades, we can steer the trial as we wish.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded while looking at Theia in the interrogation room.

    ¡°Lord Derek will definitely be released from prisen.¡±

    Of that, I was certain.

    ¡°Whatever happens, I will make sure of it.¡±

    Whether it''s acquittal, suspended execution, or a fine, he will be freed from detention.

    ¡°¡­Haha. Indeed, Sir AscaL Your loyalty is as formidable as I''ve heard.

    In return, he remains penniless, having Lost everything.¡±

    Gedley had been nning to kill Bell Moore even before hearing the news about Theia EsiL He knew he couldn''t afford to waste any more time.

    Day by day, the Intelligence Agency was at risk of being swallowed whole. Decades of gathered intelligence and espionage could fall into the hands of a mere thug''s private organization.

    This was Gedley''s grand idea¡ªor perhaps his self-justification.

    He couldn''t stand by and watch Bell Moore swallow the Intelligence Agency whole.

    So, he colluded with the team Leaders and gathered Chasers who were dissatisfied with Bell Moore. Fortunately, there were quite a few factions that resented his rapid promotion.

    The operation was codenamed: "Beyond the Curtain?

    It was a metaphor for stabbing the mastermind Bell Moore in the back.

    [.¡­Everything is ready.]

    Gedley had set up his ownwork to control information. He had made a ''pact of confidentiality* among key personnel. At the same time, he meticulously calcted Bell Moore''s routines and tendencies, verifying the n dozens of times through simtions in the Magic Space.

    Gedley had perfected this borate operation in a short time.

    [Soon, we willmence the operation.]

    Underestimating Gedley''s capabilities would be a mistake.

    ¡­

    ¡°Ah~ Of course, I''d love to go too~¡±

    At the same time, Bell Moore was on a call with someone.

    ¡°But I''m just too busy these days. Really. You know, with all the chaos in the society pages on the news.¡±

    He paced around his office, his voice tinged with affection.

    ¡°¡­Ah shit. I''ve got a woman.¡±

    It was a secret romance, conducted over untraceable secret Lines and burner phones.

    ¡°Here I dere! There''s no one for me but you.¡±

    For Bell Moore, it was his first serious rtionship in a long time, not just a fling.

    But it absolutely had to remain a secret.

    His partner was a celebrity.

    And not just any celebrity, but a very famous, promising young top star.

    ¡°¡­ Ba by. Did I ever tell you? About the person I once had feelings for¡­ It was actually Vancheon.¡±

    Bell Moore murmured in a somewhat sad voice.

    He had liked Riley. He hadn''t shown it, but he had even thought about marrying her.

    ¡°Back when I was broken.¡±

    Bell Moore struck a pose Like a drama protagonist.

    ¡°Like fate, you came to me. You healed all my wounds.¡±

    The other end of the line was silent. This young woman, too, must feel the same about their cinematic love.

    ¡°You''re the only one who can be by my side now. So don''t worry. I only have you.¡±

    He conveyed his feelings in a deep, somber tone,

    But the response was merely frivolous: ¡°But that''s the only day I''m free¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, yeah. I know that''s the only day our schedules match. But¡­why are you crying?¡±

    Suddenly, she starts crying again. Her sobs fill his ears Like a waterfall.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    He sighed.

    Being popr is tough, even for a man like himself, attracting top stars Like this.

    ¡°¡­ALright. Just wait.¡±

    Bell Moore sat in his office chair, Looking at hisptop.

    [Shock! Theia Esil, suspected of murdering her mentor?]

    The news of Theia Esil''s arrest was the reason he couldn''t Leave.

    Of course, as a leader, he had to stick to his position.

    ¡°¡­Or do I7¡±

    He thought about it. He neither wanted to work nor felt Like doing it.

    Bell Moore fiddled with his lips and then sent a message to his deputy.

    [Hey]

    The reply came quickly.

    [Yes.]

    He quickly typed.

    [About the Theia Esil case. Do you need me?]

    [Team Leader Bell, do you have another agenda?]

    ¡°¡­lt''s frightening.¡±

    How can they guess just by one text?

    ¡°No, no. Not you. I have a subordinate. How can he be frightening? He''s a blessing.¡±

    Bell Moore corrected his hold on the phone and replied to Shion.

    [Yeah. I have ns. Can I be away for a few days?]

    [Yes, that''s fine.]

    After a moments thought, he added.

    [Not just a few days, maybe a few weeks?]

    [Thats fine.]

    Bell Moore''s lips curled into a smirk. He gripped his phone tightly.

    ¡°Hey baby. Looks like I can go.¡±

    Now, instead of sobs, Laughter was heard. Giggling sweetly, Like flowers smiling.

    ¡°Of course. Kll prepare a private room. In the Magic Space.¡±

    These days, Magic Space is also a business. Turning scenic private retreats into Magic Spaces to offer to the wealthy.

    ¡°l''lle right now- Just wait for me.¡±

    And, Bell Moore had received millions of Ren as a bonus for this operation.

    Just the right amount to blow through.

    I visited Vito again. It was time to receive my reward forpleting the quest.

    ¡­Wow. That''s satisfying.

    Vito''s hologram shed a bright smile, holding up a newspaper about Theia Esil and giving a thumbs up.

    ¡°Now I want to hear your answer. About the homunculus.¡±

    There was no reason for me to hesitate or wait, so I asked directly.

    ¡ªHmm¡­ Well, okay. You''re talking about homunculi?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡ªHomunculi¡­ you could think of them as artificial humans. But the reality is different. Creating a soul is impossible.

    Akane had said something simr.

    ¡°So what is it then?¡±

    ¡ªDo you know what artificial insemination is?

    Vito smirked.

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡ªIt involves manipting the ovum in that process.

    ¡°¡­Manipting?¡±

    ¡ªBy imposing self-awareness and constraints on the ovum that it''s a ''created human/ thats essentially what makes a homunculus.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a rather strange statement. It was far different from what I had expected.

    I furrowed my brow.

    ¡°So, does that mean they are real humans?¡±

    ¡ªNo, not that either. Because it involves manipting the soul itself.

    While creating a soul is impossible, manipting an already created soul is possible.

    That seemed to be what Vito was implying.

    ¡ªBy manipting the soul, you can be born with talents far surpassing those of ordinary humans. And they*re easier to handle.

    Belingham Kantar. He possessed talentsparable to Theia Esil, but was Loyal only to Libra.

    ¡°¡­Why develop such a technology?¡±

    -Hmm¡­

    Vito paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡ªDo you know? When I die, there won''t be another intellect like mine. There won''t be an intellect that can surpass me, or evene close.

    His voice trailed off wistfully.

    It was a sudden disy of narcissism.

    ¡ªIts the same even if I have children. They won''t inherit all my intellect and talents.

    ¡°¡­SO it''s not hereditary?¡±

    ¡ªYes, that''s right. Even if nobles try to maintain and measure their high Lineage, there will inevitablye a ''qualitative decline.''

    Vito grinned.

    ¡ªIn reality, noble families fear the loss of talent more than anything else. Libra is no exception.

    I thought of Arkne. Before the regression, Arkne had cut ties with soliette, but he panicked when she actuallymitted suicide.

    Because it meant not continuing the lineage.

    Because it meant Losing a talent that would have been noted in the history of the family.

    ¡°¡­Belingham Kantar was an experimental subject then.¡±

    I asked directly. Vito smirked and nodded.

    ¡ªYes, thats right. The moment he recognized himself as a homunculus, he became a servant to Libra. His existence itself is a perfect PR product.

    Vito''s words made something click in my mind.

    ¡­lt seems you''ve got the idea.

    Vito asked with a meaningful nuance.

    ¡°Mr. Shion, why do you think I called you here? Because you''re friends with Dr. Killian? Just because of that diary entry?¡±

    I looked at Vito.

    ¡°I trust Dr. Killian, but I don''t trust the diary. Its a medium that can be manipted at any time. You probably manipted it.¡±

    I needed to reassess my opinion of him.

    He was far more dangerous than I had anticipated.

    ¡°Mr. Shion, does Zia have ambition?¡±

    Vito smirked.

    ¡°Zia is a child into whom the essence of Libra has been poured. She''s even more perfect than Belingham Kantar.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Vito''s words confirmed it for me.

    ¡°Yes. She''s the most perfectly prepared sessor.¡±

    Libra.

    Within the deeper malice of that evil, some ''specter'' must be lurking.

    ¡°Was Miss Zia always destined to be the sessor?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. Of course not. There''s no such thing as destiny in this world.¡±

    Vito waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°Lord Shelrock wanted fairness. If you defeat a perfect sessor, it means you be an even more perfect sessor. But¡­¡±

    Vito''s eyes curved as he Looked at me.

    ¡°Zia is also very Lucky.¡±

    He ran his hand through his grass-Like hair and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Somewhere, from a deep mud pit, she found the perfect ''joker''.¡±

    Vito''s hologram walked around me in a circle.

    ¡°Exceptional talent. Cold intellect. Infinite loyalty. The ability to turn every situation to your advantage and ultimately resolve it¡­ a true Skeleton Key.¡±

    Vito looked ecstatic, though I found it utterly repulsive.

    ¡°A joker like you was unexpected even for me. A perfect knight for the perfect sessor. It''s almost cinematic.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, but¡­¡±

    I asked Vito.

    ¡°Where is Lord Shelrock now?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? He might be sleeping now. Waiting for the right moment.¡±

    Vito crossed his arms indifferently.

    ¡°Anyway, that''s all I can tell you. Just keep serving Zia. There''s no need to doubt anything else.¡±

    His voice continued, snake-like.

    ¡°Just keep moving forward as you have been. For your lord¡­¡±

    Crackle-

    The hologram flickered off, Like a TV losing its signal.

    ¡°¡­sigh.¡±

    Alone in the abandoned factory, I exhaled softly.

    What a mess this family is. No matter how much you peel back, there''s always more.

    ^Master! It''s urgent¡ª!1

    Suddenly, Grawl''s telepathy rang in my ears. It was a cry that shook my skull.

    I pressed my temples.

    ''You startled me. Whats happening all of a sudden?*

    ''Gedley has attacked Bell Moore!''

    ''What?''

    My eyes widened. This was intelligence I hadn''t known, hadn''t even anticipated.

    ''Are you serious?''

    ''Yes! The Intelligence Agency is¡­f

    I clenched my teeth. I had let my guard down without realizing it.

    Of course, Gedley isn''t a vegetable. I treated him too much like an inanimate object-

    ''Oh? Ah. Hold on a moment?

    GrawL suddenly became confused.

    ''What now?''

    ''Bell Moore is gone/

    ''¡­What are you talking about?''

    ''Gedley attacked, but Bell Moore isn''t there/

    ''What does that mean¡­^

    Then it hit me.

    Was itst night? The text Bell Moore had sent me.

    [Uh. I have some ns. Is it okay if I''m away for a few days?]

    [How about a few weeks instead?]

    ¡°¡­WOW.¡±

    I couldn''t help but marvel. An incredulousugh spread across my face.

    ¡°This guy is really lucky¡­¡±

 Chapter 321: Usurpation ï¼ˆ7ï¼‰

    Chapter 321: Usurpation £¨7£©

    Gedley had raided Bell Moore''s office. It was a surprise attack that mobilized all the [SpectrumJ of the Chasers involved in the operation, but something unexpected happened.

    The target, Bell Moore, was not in his office.

    Gedley quickly activated n B. He ordered some Chasers to head to Bell Moore''s mansion, while others were dispersed within Bell Moore''s usual range of activity.

    ¡°¡­Director. Bell Moore is not here.¡±

    But Bell Moore was nowhere to be found.

    He had suddenly vanished.

    As if he had evaporated, leaving no trace behind.

    Just yesterday, he had been holed up in his office. He was the kind of person who, especially because of the Theia Esil operation, should never have left his post¡­

    So suddenly?¡°Did he catch on?¡±

    In the director''s office, the secretary asked. Gedley, with hands trembling like he had Parkinson''s, stuffed them into his pockets.

    ¡°¡­That''s impossible.¡±

    It was an operation sealed with a pact. The internal controls were tight, and they used amunication line that absolutely couldn''t be detected.

    So, it couldn''t have been discovered.

    ¡°lts impossible¡­¡±

    Gedley muttered to himself nkly before Lowering his head.

    If he hadn''t caught on, where had he gone?

    If he had caught on, how did he find out?

    Was there a traitor? Or had his intelligencework already taken over the entire Intelligence Agency?

    Either way, Gedley''s mind was in turmoil.

    He was already in a state of panic.

    More than the operation failing, the fact that he was being yed in the palm of Bell Moore''s hand.

    ¡°¡­Director. What do we do now?¡±

    He had known everything yet waited until Gedley deployed the operation. It was humiliation, a trick.

    Yet, more than anger, Gedley was filled with questions.

    Bell Moore, where on earth was he now, and what was he doing¡ª¡ª

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡°Why are you so cute?¡±

    In their private magic space on a sandy beach along the coastline, Bell Moore was yfully caressing his lover''s cheek.

    ¡°Stop it- It feels weird~¡±

    ¡°But why are you smiling then?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Because it feels good.¡±

    Embracing his smiling Lover against his chest, Bell Moore felt ecstatic.

    There was no need for heaven elsewhere.

    He had always thought of heaven as a ''ce£» but in reality, heaven was a ''situation£º Today proved that. Every moment was heavenly for Bell Moore.

    ¡°Ah¡­ this is nice.¡±

    What a fortunate life.

    Not only having this darling in his arms but also Living a Life where he didn''t work much yet still earned well.

    A Life where he could feel happiness at a resort.

    This was the work-Life bnce he wanted to enjoy for a lifetime.

    This was definitely right for him.

    Forget being a director or dealing with politics, he just wanted to maintain his team Leader position, stick to his subordinates, and Live like this forever.

    ¡°¡­Babe, how long can we stay here?¡±

    Suddenly, his Lover asked. Bell Moore looked into her big eyes, pondering.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Honestly, he did feel a bit guilty. The other Chasers were probably working their asses off because of the Theia case.

    ¡°l''ll stay with you until your next schedule.¡±

    That should be fine, right?

    Shion Ascal was a sharp guy. Quick-witted.

    If something urgent came up, he''d find out on his own.

    ¡°Really~ Wow!¡±

    She hugged him joyfully,ughing.

    At that moment, Bell Moore thought about marriage for the first time since Riley.

    The turmoil caused by Gedley had subsided. It had erupted without my knowledge and settled just as quietly.

    If Bell Moore had died, it would have been a crisis, but thanks to his innate luck, we gained a clear justification.

    Gedley was now bound to crumble from within.

    Someone would surely betray him, so all I had to do was sit back and wait.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. So Vito said that.¡±

    This was Akane''s [Selfless Coffin].

    I ryed Vito''s story to Akane and soliette, and Akane nodded as if finally convinced.

    ¡°lt makes sense. If you manipte a soul and infuse it with thought, making it believe it''s a homunculus, then it bes one¡­¡±

    Soliette''s expression darkened.

    ¡°¡­An unforgivable sin. He''s just like us¡­ all because of greed.¡±

    Akane stood up.

    ¡°So, is Zia like that too? Is her soul manipted7¡±

    It''s possible.

    Zia might be a person in whom ''ambition* itself has been imnted.

    ¡°I don''t know for sure.¡±

    But for now, and for me, I can only serve Zia as Vito said.

    Whether it''s Sherlock or some greater evil lurking deeper, to reach them, I must elevate Zia.

    ¡°I will devote everything to Zia.¡±

    Thats why I prepared the documents.

    The second step in the usurpation.

    Now, Derek will transfer the mercial district* to Zia.

    It''s not necessary to take over all of Derek''s businesses. Just a few more acquisitions, and I can strip him of everything.

    Most of thepanies Derek owns have unstable governance structures.

    In fact, ''optimized'' is the correct term.

    His greed and thriftiness are to me for his attempts to build a vast empire with minimal investment.

    ¡°The rest, we''ll find out Later.¡±

    Thanks to this, just removing a few foundational stones will significantly shake the governance structure.

    Derek will be imprisoned for the next year, and during this time, he will unknowingly be nothing but a skeleton, stripped bare.

    And furthermore¡­

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you help me?¡±

    Vito still doesn''t know what I''m moving for.

    My greatest weapon is that no one knows I''m a ''regressor£º

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Soliette nodded resolutely as she Looked at me.

    ¡°ln reality, I''m not helping Shion; you''re helping me.¡±

    ¡°Right. Then¡­¡±

    I handed her the file I had prepared earlier.

    ¡°Study this. Its the Bncer file.¡±

    The Bncer of Libra.

    Specifically, we will gradually reduce those bastards serving Sherlock, as ''Candy'' and ''Jelly£º

    ¡°Yes. Knowing oneself and the enemy will lead to victory in a hundred battles¡­ I understand that.¡±

    Soliette took the file and looked intently into my eyes.

    ¡°Teach me Shion''s Severing Sword soon. Only then can I beat the Bncers.¡±

    Meanwhile, Theia Esil, incarcerated in the prison, was deep in thought. She was charged with the murder of Holy Knight Athan and treason against the state.

    Thetter was a clear frame-up, but the former was an undeniable fact.

    ¡°Tch¡­¡±

    She might have known it woulde to this someday.

    Her own disgrace-

    No, her master''s disgrace was destined to catch up with her.

    Theia was deeply resentful.

    Why did you be a monster out of fear of death, when you were always kind, caring, and admirable? Why did you try to avoid death?

    However, Theia could not expose his disgrace to the world. She could not tarnish the man who had saved her, raised her¡­

    ¡ªThud

    Suddenly, footsteps sounded. Theia looked up. Her brow furrowed.

    Shion AscaL

    The man who intended to use not only her master, Athan, but also his daughter, Emilia.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    He asked disgustingly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia remained silent.

    Showing anger, expressing hatred, even showing contempt, were all too precious to waste on a man who branded the death of others into a weapon.

    ¡°¡­Miss Theia.¡±

    Yet, he persisted.

    ¡°When I see you, strange memoriese to mind.¡±

    Theia slightly raised her eyes.

    ¡°I think I had an old friend who resembled you.¡±

    For Shion, these were memories he couldn''t understand, and because he couldn''t, they became an obsession.

    Memories that didn''t exist before his regression. But suddenly, they had appeared.

    They surfaced every time he saw Theia, poking deep inside his heart.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia, of course, knew the reason. It was due to an ident years ago, a Layer of the unconscious.

    Could she use that?

    Theia spoke softly.

    ¡°''Tei''.¡±

    His expression twitched.

    ¡°You do know, after all.¡±

    Theia smirked slightly.

    But she had no intention of revealing the truth to him. It was a natural grudge. He was the man who exploited her master to try to kill her.

    ¡°Libra has killed countless people. They even overwrote souls. And you still serve them knowing this?¡±

    Shion''s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was such an expected answer that a hollowugh escaped Theia''s lips.

    Shion asked in a subdued tone.

    ¡°Yet, it seems you haven''t confessed.¡±

    ¡°There''s nothing to confess.¡±

    ¡°You need to confess.¡±

    Theia coolly responded to his veiled threat.

    ¡°So you want to see me sentenced to death.¡±

    Shion did not reply. He merely smiled.

    ¡°Then, I''ll leave you be for now. I don''t have much to say today as I''m quite busy, but I''ll visit often.¡±

    ¡°Therers no need, so please leave.¡±

    ¡°Until next time.¡±

    With a bow, Shion Ascal left. Theia red at his retreating figure.

    Thud.

    The prison door closed.

    A deep sigh escaped through Theia''s clenched teeth.

    ¡°¡­Athan.¡±

    Holy Knight Athan.

    Her former master.

    ¡°How I resent you¡­¡±

    Bell Moore had finished a two-week rest. Satisfied, he stepped out of the magical space and first checked his phone. There were several messages, but fortunately, it seemed nothing urgent had urred.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    ¡°Take care, hunny! See you next time!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Take care!¡±

    He waved to his girlfriend as she got into the limousine he had called for her. Bell Moore chuckled and got into a rental car.

    Why a rental? Well, the paparazzi were particrly relentless these days. Can''t risk being spotted, right? It''s definitely not because I''m short on money.

    Anyway, on his way back to the Intelligence Agency.

    Ring-ring.

    He received a call. It was from Gedley.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡­

    Gedley didn''t respond.

    ¡°Di rector, whats the matter?¡±

    Bell Moore asked as usual. Really, just casually.

    Then, a hollowugh came from the other end.

    ¡­What''s the matter, you ask.

    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±

    ¡­

    Suddenly calling and not replied when asked what''s the matter.

    Whats with this guy all of a sudden? Is this some new kind of silent treatment?

    ¡­Well.

    A sighden voice came through. Bell Moore''s mood soured.

    After hearing his lively girlfriend''s voice, why does this guy suddenly sound like a dying bastard?

    From your perspective, thats the right question to ask.

    Right now, Gedley thinks this.

    Bell Moore is pretending not to know. Maybe he''s trying to coax something out.

    Nothing has happened, so how you conduct yourself from here on is up to you.

    ¡°¡­Why ask like that?¡±

    Of course, Bell Moore himself was clueless.

    ¡ªBell Moore.

    Finally, as if he had made up his mind, Gedley called Bell Moore''s name.

    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±

    ¡ªI''ll do as you wish.

    Whats this about now?

    Bell Moore furrowed his brow and tilted his head in confusion.

    ¡°What do you mean¡­ as I wish? Exin yourself. What''s going on?¡±

    ¡­

    Gedley didn''t respond again.

    He only spoke in fragments, followed by a Long silence.

    Bell Moore gripped the steering wheel and sighed deeply.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Did Gedley hear that sigh? He let out a simr one.

    ¡°Ah, no, thats not what I meant¡ª¡±

    Just as Bell Moore was about to hurriedly rify to avoid any misunderstandings.

    ¡ªUnderstood.

    The word ''understood£º

    Then, Gedley continued in a subdued tone.

    ¡ªYou would make a very suitable sessor for me.

    ¡°¡­Sessor?¡±

    Bell Moore asked nkly, feeling as if he had heard something he shouldn''t have.

    ¡ªYes. Director. Thats right.

    Director.

    ¡­Director?

    ¡°Wait a minute. What do you mean¡ª¡±

    ¡ªrm nning to leave, and I want you to take over my position.

    Bang¡ª!

    Gedley''s words stamped themselves into Bell Moore''s brain.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Bell Moore blinked stupidly.

    Having just finished a pleasant vacation, he waspletely unable to understand or make sense of the situation. Had this guy eaten something bad?

    Or¡­ had he gone mad?

    ¡°No, it''s okay. There*s no need for that.¡±

    Bell Moore chuckled bitterly, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.

    ¡°Let''s meet and talk about this. Lets discuss it in person, Director.¡±

    ¡­

    Then Gedley made a sound as if he was gasping for air.

    In the current situation, from Gedley''s perspective, suggesting a meeting was akin to a final ultimatum.

    ¡°Wait. Don''t go ahead. Stay right there.

    ¡­

    Bell Moore''s clear threat, implying that Leaving might even endanger his life, at Least that''s how Gedley felt.

    ¡ªUnde rsto o d¡­

    Gedley quietly hung up the phone, and Bell Moore pressed the elerator urgently.

    He blurted out the thoughts filling his mind.

    ¡°Shit! What the hell is this, some crazy fucking nonsense¡­!¡±

 Chapter 322: Usurpationï¼ˆ8ï¼‰

    Chapter 322: Usurpation£¨8£©

    In the Director''s office of the Intelligence Agency.

    Gedley was packing up his things. He put everything into boxes: the namete he had polished for over a decade, work documents, his personalputer, andptop.

    He left the interior decor untouched since Bell Moore would likely change it to his taste anyway.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    There was no regret. He had lost, after all. From the beginning to the end, even the moments he thought he had won, he had actually been Losing.

    Above all¡­

    Now, Gedley wasmitting an act of betrayal.

    He was the first to sessfully contact Bell Moore and the first to admit defeat. Then, Bell Moore, as if he had been waiting, requested a meeting.

    Perhaps, to give him a chance.¡°Tsk.¡±

    Gedley clicked his tongue as he opened the door of the Director''s office.

    ¡°¡­1¡±

    Someone was already there, and Gedley''s body froze in an instant. A chilling fear crept up his spine.

    Shion AscaL

    He bowed to Gedley.

    ¡°You''ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Team Leader Bell Moore sent me.¡±

    ¡°He said he woulde himself?¡±

    Shion smiled faintly.

    ¡°lt could have been a trap.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Indeed, had Bell Moore been testing him until the very end?

    Damn him, he''s thoroughly meticulous.

    ¡°Well. It seems retirement is indeed happening, so your wishes will be conveyed to the higher-ups as they are.¡±

    Gedley''s title had subtly changed.

    From ''Director'' to ''Mr.''

    It was a truly fucked-up situation.

    ¡°Don''t worry. Mr. Gedley, as the former Director, will be treated with respect¡±

    It was a privilege given to those who betrayed first. The price for selling out his colleagues.

    ¡°Of course, some of the team leaders and other Chasers involved in the operation will be weeded out.¡±

    ¡°¡­lsn''t that already happening?¡±

    Gedley sneered.

    Sincest week, several Chasers had gone missing. No bodies were found, but it was obvious what had happened.

    ¡°¡­This means that Mr. Gedley will not be included in those targeted.¡±

    Shion ced his hand near Gedley''s neck. Gedley tensed involuntarily. The area around his corbone stiffened under the touch.

    ¡°Still, Mr. Gedley, it''s best you stay hidden until everything is settled.¡±

    Shion straightened Gedley''s disheveled tie.

    ¡°You never know when the Water Phantom might strike.¡±

    Thump, thump. After adjusting his clothes, Shion raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°You''U have to protect yourself.¡±

    It was a great humiliation for Gedley, but he had no other choice at the moment.

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    ¡°Ah, before you go.¡±

    Shion extended his hand as Gedley was about to Leave.

    ¡°The recordings. I need them. The conversations you''ve had with the team Leaders so far. You''ve prepared them, haven''t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    Gedley Let out a bitter Laugh.

    Gedley''s strategy had been meticulous. He had nned every move before executing the operation, and his final n was a ''betrayal'' to survive on his own.

    Bell Moore had seen through even that.

    ¡°Here¡­ here it is.¡±

    Gedley handed over a USB containing all the necessary files to Shion.

    I sent Gedley offfortably. The other team leaders were to be killed.

    After all, they were worthless scum. Even if they had climbed the ranks through politicking, the karma they umted from theirpetitions of loyalty was severe.

    Of course, Gedley might be the main culprit, but his remaining days wouldn''t befortable either.

    Anyway.

    From now on, the Intelligence Agency must eradicate unnecessary civilian killings, bribery, and corruption¡ª

    ¡°Hey! Hey, you bastard!¡±

    A booming voice called out to me. It was Bell Moore, who had rushed to the director''s office.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where did the director go?!¡±

    Sweating profusely, he was looking for Gedley.

    Such ack of dignity for someone about to be director.

    I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°He''s gone.¡±

    ¡°What? NO¡­ where to?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Bell Moore''s face Looked as if he had Lost the world.

    Is there anyone else in the world who hates promotion this much? Such a ridiculous person.

    I feigned ignorance and asked.

    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±

    ¡°What''s the matter, you ask? Hey! Did the director say anything to you?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What did he say!¡±

    ¡°He hoped you would follow well in his footsteps.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore''s mouth dropped open.

    His already Large jaw seemed to grow evenrger, almost touching the ground.

    ¡°Put your jaw back in ce.¡±

    ¡°lt won''t go back, fuck!¡±

    Bell Moore yelled and ced his hand on his forehead.

    ¡°What the hell¡­ what the hell is this situation, damn it¡­¡±

    I stroked my chin and casually mentioned.

    ¡°Well, it''s hard to say this, but it seems he had marked you as his sessor from the start.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Look at this.¡±

    I handed him a file I had prepared earlier.

    ¡°Here''s a list of civilian killingsmitted by the other team leaders.¡±

    Bell Moore quickly scanned the contents.

    ¡°But what is this.¡±

    ¡°You don''t kill civilians during operations, do you, Team Leader Bell?¡±

    ¡°Why kill them? It just causes trouble if something happens.¡±

    He might have a hobby of collecting skulls by killing people, but he never touches civilians. In a way, it''s a fair fight.

    Of course, it doesn''t mean Bell Moore is a better person, just a slightly better piece of shit.

    ¡°ls it just because of that? Why the hell did he suddenly retire and make a fuss? He was a decent man.¡±

    ¡°Gedley had made many mistakes over the years. With Derek also being imprisoned, it seems he couldn''t hold on any Longer.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Bell Moore staggered. I nced around and then casually threw in ament.

    ¡°Just do it.¡±

    ¡°Ah. No. Why should I¡±

    ¡°Di rector Gedley personally nominated you, Team Leader Bell. It will probably bemunicated to the higher-ups as well. If you still don''t want to, the only option left would be to Leave the Intelligence Agency.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Bell Moore eventually Lost strength in his Legs and slumped down onto the sofa, mumbling as hey there.

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    I waited quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore breathed heavily in silence. Then he picked up his smartphone and Looked at the screen. His lips twitched suddenly. He seemed to be typing a response, his thumb tapping rapidly.

    What is this guy doing?

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    Bell Moore''s expression turned sad again.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    He just rolled his eyes to look at me.

    ¡°You be the team Leader. If you do it, I''ll do it too.¡±

    At this point, he was almost convinced.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I can''t.¡±

    ¡°What? Why? You won''t do it if I do?¡±

    ¡°I am originally a knight for Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then I won''t do it. Just retire. Do you think I came here to be the director? I donl want to live under stress every day¡ª¡±

    ¡°What''s the problem?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what''s the problem? There are many problems, many.¡±

    ¡°Team Leader Bell, you could also be one of Miss Zia''s people.¡±

    That was my main point.

    Bell Moore furrowed his brows deeply.

    ¡°Zia? Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°l''m serious.¡±

    I changed my tone to be more earnest.

    ¡°After all, Miss Zia is the least likely sessor. In reality, she has no ambition.¡±

    Zia''s faction is still considered weak externally. It would only be relevant after swallowing Derek.

    Therefore, the current situation is still apetition between Derek and Johanna.

    ¡°lf Team Leader Bell serves Miss Zia, I can assist you by your side.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bell Moore''s face softened.

    ¡°Once the inheritance isplete, Miss Zia will naturally belong to the sessor.¡±

    Additionally, I added something that Bell Moore would Like the most.

    ¡°lt means there''s no risk.¡±

    Visitation Room.

    I obtained Derek''s signature on the [Commercial District Transfer Certificate]. He seemed quite pleased with today''s lunch menu as well.

    ¡°Yes, I will handle the matter as quickly as possible.¡±

    The pretext this time was ''Executives in themercial district are showing signs of wanting to break away from Derek/

    It wasn''t a fabricated incident; it was actually happening.

    Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Derek, he had many enemies within.

    ¡°Have you found out what Vito is proposing at the board meeting?¡±

    Derek asked.

    ¡°lt seems he intends to im ownership of several patents.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that grass-haired bastard ns to steal the patents and start anotherpany.¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, it Looks like it can be easily blocked. The details are in this report.¡±

    I handed him a report of hundreds of pages.

    In this way, I am offering both a stick and a carrot, showing him that things are being handled well even while he''s locked up.

    ¡°l''ll read it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And, have you heard about Gedley''s retirement?¡±

    ¡°I have. Bell Moore is taking over, I hear.¡±

    He seemed indifferent, if not supportive.

    ¡°ls that alright with you? He is quite a neutral figure.¡±

    I emphasized ''neutral.''

    ¡°lts fine. He might not be entirely my man, but he isn''t Johanna''s either.¡±

    Derek picked up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

    ¡°¡­Shion Ascal. You, you will soon be a bncer.¡±

    ¡°I still think its a long way off.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Modesty.¡±

    Snap¡ªHe flicked his fingers.

    ¡°Go now. Go and do what you need to do. Don''t just watch.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Treating me like a dog. Now that he''s gettingfortable, Derek''s characteristic inability to remember favors, his old habits, are showing.

    ¡°I would appreciate it if there were desserts next time.¡±

    ¡°I will take note of that.¡±

    ¡°Good. Be on your way.¡±

    Derek waved his hand, focusing only on his lunchbox.

    Hisck of interest in watching me Leave was so typical of him.

    Meanwhile, Theia Esil''s workshop had turned into a house of mourning.

    They moved as desperately as they could, but there was no one left to help Theia. Even Yusuf, the vice-captain who had cooperated with Derek, refused to meet.

    [Holy Knight Theia Esil remains silent, and Athan''s daughter Emilia is demanding severe punishment¡­]

    ¡°¡­This fucking bullshit doesn''t make sense!¡±

    Theia''s disciple Aren threw his smartphone violently.

    ¡°That crazy bitch, how much did Libra pay her to sell out her own father!¡±

    ¡°Aren! Aren, calm down.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Do you think you''re the only one fucked up right now?!¡±

    The other disciples restrained Aren. He ruffled his hair and slumped into a chair.

    After a while of heavy breathing, he quietly called someone''s name.

    ¡°Gerkhen.¡±

    Gerkhen turned to look at Aren.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Gerkhen''splexion was no different from the other disciples, a testament to his efforts running around for Theia.

    ¡°You know Shion Ascal, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I know him.¡±

    ¡°That bastard, doesn''t he have any dirty secrets? From what I see, Shion Ascal is the real culprit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen remained silent.

    Shion AscaL From the beginning, he dered himself a loyalist of Libra, and he has been meticulously keeping the promises he made.

    ¡°Shion Ascal? My information points to Bell Moore.¡±

    Suddenly, another disciple, a knight named Rita, interjected.

    ¡°¡­Bell Moore?¡±

    Aren furrowed his brow. Rita exined.

    ¡°Yeah. Bell Moore is the head of the Intelligence Agency. Anyone who stood up to him got their heads chopped off. He''s a dangerous man.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know that, but no. I saw it when the professor was taken away. Shion

    Ascal was there,ughing at us. Its definitely Shion, that bastard.¡±

    Gerkhen listened quietly to their conversation. He had nothing to say. An old friend¡­ perhaps not, but a known associate had definitely turned into an enemy.

    Gossip was not Gerkhen''s hobby.

    Aren let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Gerkhen. Come outside. Lets talk.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Aren and Gerkhen left the workshop, following each other.

    Aren climbed up to the rooftop and lit a cigarette. The gray smoke dispersed in the wind.

    ¡°Gerkhen. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    Gerkhen looked at Aren, puzzled by his question.

    Aren chuckled lightly.

    ¡°You. You have an interview with the Knights of the Council tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah¡±

    ¡°GO.¡±

    Aren spoke firmly.

    ¡°The professor said so. She told me to send you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Gerkhen leaned against the railing, aimlessly looking up at the night sky.

    There were no stars tonight.

    ¡°But, I''m curious about something.¡±

    Aren exhaled a puff of smoke.

    ¡°What do you want to beter? I can''t figure out your thoughts.¡±

    ¡°I have no particr aspirations.¡±

    At Gerkhen''s response, Aren narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Figures. You''re always so uninteresting.¡±

    Flick. He tapped off the ash from his cigarette.

    ¡°Anyway, go to the Knights of the Council. There''s no better timing than now.¡±

    He continued as if sighing.

    ¡°Help her there. Help clear our master''s name.¡±

    Then, looking at Gerkhen, he winked.

    ¡°That would work, right?¡±

    Gerkhen fell into thought for a moment.

    Logically, it was difficult to help Theia from within this situation. All information was being blocked.

    The power of Libra was this immense and thorough.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    So, Aren''s words were right.

    There was no time left to hesitate.

    ¡°I will do that.¡±

    Aren smiled, relieved.

 Chapter 323: Flow â‘´

    Chapter 323: Flow ¢Å

    I handed themercial district transfer deed to Zia.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia stared nkly at it, her face flushing red.

    ¡°Are you pleased?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    She clutched the deed in both hands and spun around in ce, as if dancing a waltz. Round and round, round and round.

    A smile spread across my face without me realizing.

    ¡°Also, it seems that Team Leader Bell Moore is confirmed as the next di rector.¡±

    It''s a meteoric rise to directorship since it''s been less than two years since he took on the team leader title. Bell Moore''s ambition is truly remarkable.The Chasers at the Intelligence Agency are very impressed with his trajectory.

    ¡°Has Bell Moore¡­ decided to be one of our people too?¡±

    Zia asked cautiously.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bell Moore, of course, expected low risk. Indeed, the risk itself would be low.

    In the not-too-distant future, Zia will surely seize Libra.

    ¡°He seems to support Miss Zia under the guise of pursuing Neutrality.''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Its okay.¡±

    There''s still a long way to go.

    Johanna has already semi-retired, and Derek is in prison, but the coteral branches of Libra are still intact.

    Represented by the elders, they are dreadful. Malicious and vile. Like ghastly old ghosts. Who knows what kind of atrocities they wouldmit if their chosen sessor fails¡­

    ¡°ls the next di recto r¡­ trustworthy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I answered with conviction.

    Honestly, I never thought I''d say this about Bell Moore.

    ¡°He''s the person I trust the most at the Intelligence Agency.¡±

    I can trust him. I can trust his words. I can trust his thoughts.

    Because his innermost thoughts are too transparent and simple, too easy to see through.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. That''s a relief. If Shion trusts him, I trust him too¡­ ¡­¡±

    Zia smiled broadly.

    ¡°And¡­¡­ it Looks Like you might be a Bncer at the next elder council meeting. My brothers and sister have given their permission¡­¡­ ¡±

    Bncer.

    Soon, I will be Zia''s first Bncer.

    ¡°lt is an honor.¡±

    It was indeed a great honor.

    ¡°l''m hanging in there.¡±

    On a day when the seasons were changing, I received a health check-up from Professor Yu Hains.

    ¡°For now.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you take a break from work?¡±

    Yu Hains asked. I rubbed my stiff neck as I responded.

    ¡°Yeah. Whether I rest or not, it seems Like it wouldn''t make much difference to my lifespan.¡±

    Treatment started much faster than before my regression, but my physical condition was simr or perhaps even worse than before.

    Probably because I''ve been pushing myself as much as I''ve improved.

    ¡°You''re hastening your own death.¡±

    ¡°People eventually die.¡±

    But I certainly do not wish for death by disease. Kd rather meet my end at the hands of someone else.

    Thats how I died before my regression.

    A Life spent lying powerlessly in bed, waiting to be dust, the worst of the worst.

    ¡°Here''s the investment amount.¡±

    I ced a briefcase full of cash on the table. ncing at it, Yu Hains made a remark.

    ¡°Johanna hase and gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I had anticipated it, but it required an act.

    After all, I am the scoundrel who exploits not only Johanna but also Professor Yu Hains''s personal emotions and the wounds of his bereavement.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    I let my expression darken. I colored my tone with calmness.

    ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°She asked about your condition.¡±

    ¡°And you didn''t answer, I suppose.¡±

    Yu Hains nodded. I gave a bitter smile.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to keep your distance until the end?¡±

    His question was tinged with a slight regret. Perhaps, he was projecting the rtionship between his old love and himself onto us.

    ¡°Yes. It must be so. For both of us to forget each other.¡±

    Then, Yu Hains quietly retorted.

    ¡°The memory of a Loved one can help endure the pain of the future.¡±

    His stance seemed a bit changed, but I shook my head.

    ¡°¡­¡­I don''t think so.¡±

    When soliette died, my life shattered. The death of the woman I once lovedpletely broke me down.

    Those left behind can''t change anything and can never be happy.

    ¡°Because I love Johanna¡­¡­¡±

    Someday, I will engage in a false love with Johanna, but because of this, my death will be the punishment that befalls Johanna.

    It would be the punishment for the countless sins she hasmitted¡ª the inexcusable evils.

    ¡°I don*t want to burden her.¡±

    The world flows steeply onward. People live as if they will never die, and everything changespletely from the day before.

    ¡ªCelebrating the establishment of the Hero Association, Trick City will neverpromise on the safety of its citizens and we will not back down¡­

    This is the inauguration ceremony of the Hero Association.

    I am watching Senator Amota''s speech from a distance. Beside me, Soliette is eating ice cream.

    ¡°Shion. Are you really not going to eat? It''s a specialty of Trick City.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Having regained her sense of taste, she has be aplete glutton.

    ¡ª¡ªAdditionally, I would like to invite a special guest who has attended today.

    Senator Amota pointed to the sky. Then, from afar, a remarkable guest, a hero, appeared.

    Shiiiiik-

    M, making a grand entrance with an incredible surge of air, has aplished countless good in her against her arch-enemy, "Raquel Dra£º Now, overwhelming cheers and apuse pour down from the citizens.

    ¡°Wow. Impressive. A true hero.¡±

    By the way, I''m tight-lipped, so I haven''t even told soliette that M is actually La.

    ¡°I wonder who would win if we fought.¡±

    Lately, she''s been Learning the Severing Sword, and herpetitive spirit is overflowing. Its a side effect, if anything.

    ¡°Don''t even think about fighting.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because you would definitely win.¡±

    La has considerable talent, but this one''s potential is on par with Jade, or perhaps even greater.

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so.¡±

    Soliette swallowed arge bite of her ice cream with a satisfied expression.

    ¡­

    The world changes rapidly, but there are ces where time flows somewhat slower. Prisons, or jails, are the most typical examples.

    ¡ªThe bail¡­ has been denied.

    Visitation room.

    I''m not going inside, just watching Derek and Smith from outside. The atmosphere feels grim.

    ¡ªAgain?

    ¡­I apologize.

    Smith bowed his head to Derek''s intensely angry question.

    -Sigh.

    Thus, Derek is still trapped in jail. Bail will be impossible until the trial ends.

    Theia is also detained, so there''s no way you can get out.

    ¡ªSuch uselessness¡­!

    Derek stood up abruptly.

    Zzzak¡ª¡ª!

    A tearing sound echoed as he even resorted to physical violence, and I ced a Lunchbox on the floor of the visitation room.

    ¡°Please deliver this after the visitation ends.¡±

    I asked the guard. All in order to avoid any troubleing my way.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡­

    Time passed again, and a council meeting of the elders was held in Libra.

    I was invited to the beautifully decorated Aerial Garden and stepped onto the podium.

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    An elder named ''Anakta'' handed me a tie as the representative. It was a blue Veroma tie, symbolizing a bncer.

    Veroma is a mysterious item, both a mineral and a fabric. In other words, even a single tie is worth a million Ren.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The wrinkled, old hands of the elder ced the tie around my neck. There was a hint of a foul smell at the tip of my nose, but I showed no reaction, and as I stepped down from the podium, someone tapped my shoulder.

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    It was sonya. Before the regression, she was Zia''s right hand, now my right hand.

    ¡°Bncer. Shion AscaL¡±

    She grinned at me, and I too responded with a smile.

    ¡­

    In the basement of the Intelligence Agency, there''s a garden with artificial sunlight. Since the entire Intelligence Agency is built underground, this garden is designed to maintain the work-Life bnce of its members¡ª

    ¡°Ah fuck, this is fucking bullshit, I''m so fucking pissed off, I''m going crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±

    Anyway.

    Today, in that garden, the inauguration ceremony for the new director is taking ce, but the main character, Bell Moore, is in the waiting room, unleashing an endless stream of curses and tantrums.

    ¡°Just stop it.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°¡­Ah, fuck.¡±

    Bell Moore slumped into the chair with a vacant expression. His face was drained even before he took the stage.

    ¡°How was it for you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°When you became a bncer.¡±

    ¡°I didn*t think much of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Bullshit.¡±

    Bell Moore flung his speech papers aside. Sweat had already begun to bead on his forehead.

    ¡°Just read it as it is. It will be over soon.¡±

    It would only take 20 minutes.

    ¡°At the banquet, just show your best side to the elders I''ve marked.¡±

    ¡­

    Five elders are attending the director''s inauguration ceremony.

    Bell Moore sighed as he checked their faces and names.

    ¡°And¡­ this is about the team Leader selection.¡±

    I handed him the official documents that needed the director''s seal.

    ¡°Team Leader?¡±

    Bell Moore nced at me.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He seemed slightly concerned.

    ¡°Hey, can''t you just persuade the people who left toe back?¡±

    The four team leaders who had joined Gedley''s operation had all died.

    Of course, Bell Moore wasn''t literally asking to bring back the dead; he actually thought they had just left.

    Their passports and several documents had been manipted, so their deaths weren''t confirmed.

    ¡°Everyone has a firm intention to Leave with Director Gedley.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh. Is that so? Then do as you please. I don''t care.¡±

    Hey back down on the sofa, pressing his temples with his thumb, then looked back at me with a grimace.

    ¡°Hey. I''m just filling in five years and then I''m retiring.¡±

    Inci dentally, five years is the period to receive the maximum retirement pay.

    ¡°D0 as you wish, but for now, memorize the speech.¡±

    I pped the speech papers back onto his face.

    ¡­

    Right after Bell Moore''s appointment as director was confirmed.

    I gathered the Chasers who had been operating under Bell Moore''s team.

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    Sia, Chloe, Jeff, Luin, including the original members, a total of seven direct elite team members.

    ¡°ls this the first time everyone has gathered like this? I called you to get to know each other''s faces.¡±

    True to their elite status, they simply nodded without any change in expression.

    ¡°Try smiling a bit. Such a stark atmosphere isn''t great. Ah, maybe this will make you smile.¡±

    I picked up a Libra phone. I executed the bonus payment that needed the director''s approval under my own authority.

    Ding-ding¡ª

    All of their Libra phones rang simultaneously. The team members couldn''t help but smile as they checked their screens.

    Even Jeff, the calmest of them all, made significant contributions by assassinating the team Leaders, slightly smiled.

    ¡°¡­lfs much more than expected?¡±

    Chloe murmured in surprise.

    It probably was. I don''t skimp on money.

    I distributed all my bonus and incentives to them, so the amount they expected probably had an extra digit.

    ¡°lts too early to be surprised.¡±

    Rewards and punishments must be clear. In that regard, money is just a simple reward.

    The real prize is ''rank.''

    ¡°ln this team Leader selection, Ms. Sia and Ms. Chloe will be assigned.¡±

    The eyes of Chloe and Sia widened.

    From the previous Johanna mission, the two hade tomand a dozen or so Chasers under them, making them capable enough to officially perform the duties of a team Leader.

    ¡°Team Leader?¡±

    The two of them looked utterly stunned.

    ¡°Yes. You two will assist Director Bell Moore as team leaders, but in reality, you will be having more conversations with me. The director dislikes being on the front Lines.¡±

    Chloe nodded resolutely.

    ¡°¡­I know. Bell Moore of the Shadows.¡±

    Bell Moore of the Shadows?

    It seems like a strange reputation is spreading, but it''s not necessarily a bad thing.

    ¡°And Mr. Jeff?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jeff responded gravely.

    He had made significant contributions, but his lone-wo If attitude made a team Leader position impossible for him.

    ¡°You will act as my direct agent, a direct Chaser under a Bncer.¡±

    I¡ªthe Bncer¡ªam now treated as a department in my own right. Thus, Jeff bes my first employee.

    ¡°lts an honor.¡±

    Jeffs face showed he truly believed that.

    ¡°Additionally, you will establish yourself as a key figure at the Magic Space Intelligence Agency, but all tasks directly requested by the high ranks of Libra must be reported to me.¡±

    The high ranks of Libra assign specific missions to the Intelligence Agency. Just bypiling these mission details, I can discern the thoughts of Derek and the elders.

    ¡°Does everyone understand7¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Now, upon taking office, Bell Moore has filled the team Leader selections with his own faction. They would actively infiltrate and take over the entire Intelligence Agency.

    ¡°You''ve all worked hard following and trusting me in the shadows.¡±

    Bell Moore''s unknown ambitions had grown this immense.

    ¡°Now, everyone, return to your duties.¡±

    I had sessfully hijacked the Intelligence Agency.

 Chapter 324: Flow â‘µ

    Chapter 324: Flow ¢Æ

    I strategically ced key personnel within the Intelligence Agency.

    For the cyber team, which gathers information throughworks including the dark web, I installed ''Luin'' as the head. ''Chloe'' and ''Sia'' naturally took their ces among the five team Leaders, and I also nted my people in the security team.

    Now, everything within the Intelligence Agency flows towards me. More precisely, towards GrawL

    He will categorize and systematize the information, pass on the significant details to me, and manage the Intelligence Agency on my behalf.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yet.

    I am not a team Leader.

    Yet, the new office I inherited from Bell Moore is as spacious as a team leader''s, and theyout is familiar.

    I won''t being to the Intelligence Agency as often as before, but it''s better than not having an office at all.I stepped out of the office.

    I walked down the corridor.

    Employees from various departments of the Intelligence Agency were still busy, indistinguishable from ordinary office workers. asionally, Chasers walked by, stiffnecked, but they lowered their heads turtles when they encountered me.

    All of them, people of Libra.

    However, not all of them were necessarily bound by the belief in ''Libra£º

    The reason Libra canmand them, the reason they willingly serve, is probably money.

    To earn money as individuals, to live a better life.

    Their lives have continuity. A continuity I do not possess, which drives them.

    They know they can''t Live forever, yet they chase after a predictable future.

    They are Living diligently.

    Pouring themselves into their jobs, yet probably enjoying a simple can of beer and a chicken at home.

    They are the very small cogs that make up the massive machinery of the Intelligence Agency¡­

    At the Council of Elders of Libra, I was chosen as a Bncer. It was almost a unanimous decision among the elders, including the direct descendants, which I''m grateful for.

    It was more of a formality since Derek, Johanna, Jade, and Zia all agreed.

    However, it wasn''t final yet.

    There was onest step remaining.

    ¡°I didn''t expect you to rise so quickly.¡±

    Belingham Kantar. He looked at me and smiled.

    ¡°lndeed. Your achievements are quite impressive.¡±

    Rustle¡ªrustle¡ª

    He flipped through the documents detailing my career.

    ¡°Extreme mana stone, Cafe Bnce, Golden Casino, handling Benedict, resolving the Beckman case, capturing the spies in Vancheon, Vern, Theia Esil¡­ ¡±

    Thump!

    He closed the folder.

    ¡°lts rare to see someone make such significant contributions in such a short time.¡±

    Kantar slightly smiled.

    ¡°Of course, I could see your potential from our first meeting.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I just nodded.

    There''s no need for words Like thank you'' or ''it''s an honor.1 We''re equals now as Bncers.

    ¡°However. There''s a very challenging final step remaining for confirmation as a Bncer. Its called a ''hearing''¡­ Do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    A Bncer is treated as both an outsider and an insider of Libra. Therefore, a hearing more stringent than most national ministerial positions is scheduled. It involves digging up and scrutinizing not only one''s own past but also that of their family and lineage.

    ¡°Originally, today was supposed to be the day of the hearing.¡±

    But I have no family, and my lineage is remarkably clean.

    Probably nothing but a dusty lineage that has served Libra.

    ¡°Exceptionally, it has been concluded that there''s no need for such a procedure for Mr. Shion.¡±

    Belingham smirked and handed something over.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I took it.

    ¡°lts a key. Bncers are assigned a personal room in Section 1, the Libra mansion.¡±

    Room 309.

    It was probably the most secluded spot.

    Even among Bncers, there''s a hierarchy, and being Zia''s Bncer, I would be treated as the lowest.

    ¡°C0ngratti0ns. You can check out the amodation today.¡±

    Belingham extended his hand.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was no reason to refuse the handshake.

    I left Belingham''s office. Before departing, I nced back at the sign that read [Office].

    It was still impressive. Having an [Office] in the Libra mansion meant a significant Level of trust.

    But now that I knew the inner workings of Belingham, that ''trust'' seemed profoundlyplicated.

    Libra only grants this Level of trust to those who were meant to be their servants from the start.

    It makes me wonder.

    In thispetition of loyalty, can I surpass him?

    I quietly walked down the mansion''s corridor, my steps echoing softly as I searched for room 309. When I opened the door, I was met with a surprise.

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    There was someone already there. She was grunting as she moved furniture around.

    ¡°¡­Miss?¡±

    I called out to her. Zia flinched and turned around, startled.

    ¡°Shion¡­ you''re early¡­ Did the hearing already end¡­?¡±

    ¡°There was no hearing to speak of.¡±

    ¡°¡­That''s a relief.¡±

    Zia smiled faintly and gestured towards the sofa.

    ¡°Have a seat¡­ Its a gift.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I also have a gift for you.¡±

    I had an artifact to give to Zia, the [Goblin Fire]. I had received it from the Glofeld family as a settlement instead of payment, and there was no particr route to sell it anyway.

    ¡°Please ept this.¡±

    I intended to gift to my Lord.

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Zia gasped in surprise, her eyes quickly recognizing the value of the Goblin Fire. Her pupils sparkled like coins.

    ¡°Where did you¡­ get this¡­?¡±

    I had my excuse ready.

    ¡°I acquired it cheaply from an astrological mage.¡±

    [''Soul Overwriting'' Derek, the first trial begins¡­]

    The trial of Derek had begun. The main issue was Derek''s liability. Derek tried to prove it was the unteral action of a subordinate researcher, and almost all of Derek''s Legal team, along with the Chasers and Bncers, sided with him.

    For Derek, it was a critical moment of concentrated effort.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Zia looked at Shion and smiled faintly.

    ¡°I think we can do it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Shion ced a pudding in front of Zia. It was today''s dessert.

    ¡°Yes¡­ We just need to time it right.¡±

    Zia''s influence had grown, thanks to the tremendous development of [Lithium]. The arms industry had swallowed the back alleys of Edsi, and the pouring cash was enough to engulf Derek''s imperfect governance structure.

    Above all, thergest [Derek Industries] and [Derek Commercial District] had rolled into her hands for free.

    Zia took a bite of the pudding.

    ¡°¡­lt''s delicious.¡±

    ¡°l''m d to hear that.¡±

    Shion smiled. Zia murmured as she dug into the pudding.

    ¡°The problem is¡­ the elders.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Probably so.¡±

    Among the elders, those who served Derek would try to prevent Zia''s usurpation.

    Being an elder wasn''t a permanent position; losing in the session structure could Lead to being expelled from the Aerial Garden or even killed.

    ¡°Don''t worry. I will handle the elders.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you.¡±

    Zia grinned broadly.

    ¡°By the way, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°l''ll be over there¡­¡±

    Zia pointed out the window to a mansion directly facing Shion*s room.

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Shion chuckled softly.

    ¡°lf you need anything, just signal me through the window. Tile running.¡±

    ¡°¡­NOW.¡±

    Zia murmured something meaningful.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Let''s try it now.¡±

    Then she left with the te of pudding.

    It wasn''t Long before she appeared in her room. She drew back the curtain and sent a hand signal to Shion.

    Shion also smiled wryly and waved his arm.

    ¡­

    Johanna was looking up at them from the garden on the first floor, watching Zia and Shion exchange signals through the windows.

    She hadn''t intended to watch. She didn''t want to.

    It was purely by chance.

    ¡°Lady Johanna, here.¡±

    Her secretary handed her a document that needed her signature. She signed it without really looking.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion smiled at Zia, and Zia smiled back at Shion.

    It was a scene too much for Johanna to bear.

    Whats all the fuss about?

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    A heated sigh escaped her, and her mood soured.

    However, she shouldnl interfere in their friendship. She shouldn''t be jealous.

    Johanna no longer exists in that equation. She knows now that today''s happiness will return as much greater sorrow Later.

    Johanna can''t approach him thinking about the future.

    She can''t muster the courage to say that his death wouldn''t affect her.

    Yes, she''s a coward.

    If her efforts could save him, if Yu Hains''s Mana elerator were fully developed and could extend his Life, she would run to him barefoot and embrace him right now.

    But thats not the case.

    It''s not possible.

    The Mana elerator is just a slim chance.

    So, she fears the wound Shion''s death will inflict on her, she can''t bear to watch him vomit blood before her eyes, she''s afraid of the heartbreak.

    Johanna is deliberately avoiding it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She clenched her fist tightly but quietly Lowered her gaze. She ignored the dark ashes smoldering in her heart.

    ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She just has to endure it.

    Until Shion dies.

    Shion Ascal wants that too.

    He Loves her, so he would want her not to suffer¡­.

    Compared to Derek''s prison, the ''Beros Detention Center* was far more harsh, filthy, and brutal.

    ¡°Visiting time.¡±

    Theia Esil came into the visiting room, her magical restraints clinking. Although most of her visitations had been denied, today she was permitted.

    The reason was not hard to discern.

    ¡°¡­You''vee.¡±

    It was Shion Ascal. Above all, she noticed his tie.

    It was a Bncer''s tie.

    ¡°You sold me out for a promotion.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well, that''s how it turned out.¡±

    Shion fidgeted with the back of his neck, furrowing his brow.

    ¡°But it''s cold here. Derek is in a much warmer ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway.¡±

    He ced a lunchbox on the visiting table.

    ¡°lts hardly a rpense, but please, have something to eat.¡±

    Theia scoffed. A murderous intent boiled within her. Her eyes sharpened like des.

    ¡°You don''t have to eat now. You can eat in the prison. Trust me. Tm confident in the taste. I make nopromises there.¡±

    Theia stood up.

    There was no need to converse with a madman spouting nonsense.

    ¡°¡­Sure. Bye.¡±

    Shion hadn''t expected much from their first meeting today. In fact, today''s meeting was merely a pretext.

    ¡°See you next time.¡±

    A pretext to advocate for Theia''s treatment at the ''Council of Elders£º

    ¡­

    The elders of Libra often held meetings. With strong connections to the parliament and various national institutions, they convened especially when significant matters arose.

    The case of Theia Esil was certainly a significant matter.

    ¡°We should be able to secure a death sentence.¡±

    Elder ''Anakta'' spoke, pleased with the conversation he had had with the chief prosecutor.

    ¡°Of course. She definitely deserves to die.¡±

    This time it was Elder ''Bnta''. She had the gentle demeanor of a grandmother and had been with Derek since his childhood,

    ¡°How dare you touch our baby. That bitch deserves to be torn apart and even that wouldnl be enough¡­¡±

    Her voice was murderous. She gnashed her teeth, her wrinkles writhing like a demon''s.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Before my regression, Theia Esil''s death was the result of this haphazardwork boasting, a chaotic council meeting.

    Knowing the truth, I was utterly dumbfounded.

    The image of the elders I had in mind was not like this.

    It seems that the further away a person is, the more Layers of fear and dread umte around hidden ces.

    But when all the veils are finally lifted¡ª

    ¡°Bribing should be easy¡­ Just squeeze them a bit. How much liquid assets does everyone have?¡±

    ¡°I don''t have much left. Lost it all on betting golf.¡±

    ¡°Are you still ying golf at your age?¡±

    I realized that these so-called elders were just ordinary people after all

    ¡°No. Before we discuss that, first. Bncer Shion.¡±

    Suddenly, Anakta looked at me.

    For the record, I attended the council meeting as the person responsible for the Theia Esil case.

    ¡°What do you think? It should be the death penalty, right?¡±

    I quietly nodded to his question, which already had a predetermined answer.

    ¡°¡­Death penalty.¡±

    Of course, I intended to prevent the execution, but the elders are stubborn. They extremely dislike being contradicted. Their stubborn nature is disgustingly strong.

    They are old folks who have aged disgracefully, consumed by greed and desire.

    Therefore.

    ¡°Of course. Theia Esil rightly deserves to die.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    ¡°I knew you''d think the same. Thats why we''ve intricately entangled Theia Esil Like this. Haha.¡±

    ¡°However.¡±

    Pretend to agree initially, but slowly turn up the heat behind the scenes.

    If that doesn''t work, then strike from behind with a strategy.

    ¡°Before making a hasty decision.¡±

    Either way, Theia EsiTs fate is in my hands.

    ¡°Would you listen to what I have to say¡­?¡±

    Compared to before my regression, this was a significantly more positive scenario.

 Chapter 325: Flow â‘¶

    Chapter 325: Flow ¢Ç

    The elders of Libra want the death penalty.

    Of course, I do not.

    But saying ''I do not want it'' directly would make things awkward.

    I did tell the prosecutor in charge of Theia Esil, Instead of the death penalty, disgrace/ but the elders would not be persuaded by simr words.

    Therefore¡­

    ¡°I will kill her.¡±

    I spoke with force against force.

    To those who want to kill Theia, I proposed an even more extreme measure. Acting like someone crazier than a Libra elder, Excessively* loyal.

    If I agree with their opinion but push the extreme¡­¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Thus, the elders remain silent. Their faces show considerable confusion. They agree with the oue of ''death£º but they are scared of the method.

    ¡°¡­ Ki IL? Inside the prison, you say?¡±

    Anakta asked.

    ¡°Yes. Theia Esil is a person who must not be forgiven, having tarnished the reputation and trust of Lord Derek. Thus, as Libra, we must send a warning across this continent.¡±

    The elders remained silent.

    I feigned madness with false sincerity.

    ¡°What will happen if you mess with Libra. What kind of end will you meet?¡±

    There were thirteen elders present at the meeting. I Looked each of them in the eye, almost ring.

    One by one, the elders averted their gaze.

    ¡°The n is perfect. From the initial draft to the follow-up.¡±

    ¡°¡­But still¡±

    ¡°D0 not worry, Elder Anakta. It will appear to be a suicide.¡±

    Anakta stroked his chin with his palm.

    I continued dryly.

    ¡°There is no point in a death sentence. It would just means that the council has punished her.¡±

    I faintly adjusted my expression. I wore the face of a viin.

    This is not a contrived appearance from movies or dramas. It is a mimicry of the endless evil I have encountered firsthand, rolling in the gutters of life.

    ¡°Theia Esil must be killed by us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, wait. Just wait. Lets see, shall we?¡±

    It was Bnta who spoke.

    The elder who call Derek ''baby'' was now calming me down.

    ¡°I understand your Loyalty. But this decision is too hasty.¡±

    BeLanta forced a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I silently sank back into my chair. Bnta looked at me with a soothing gaze.

    ¡°Don''t worry too much. We are all as angry as you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I will fully follow the elders1 opinions. However, this is what I think.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ shall we conclude the meeting for now?¡±

    Bnta exchanged nces with the other elders. Anakta, responding to her cue, stood up.

    ¡°Let''s end today''s meeting here and resumeter.¡±

    We all rose from our seats.

    The council meeting was abruptly adjourned, but they would likely hold a second meeting among themselves.

    ¡°Elder Anakta.¡±

    I caught Anakta as he was about to Leave.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. What is it now?¡±

    He Looked distinctly displeased.

    Well, an overly aggressive attitude can indeed be off-putting to a conservative elder.

    Thats why I came prepared with a tailored gift.

    ¡°I heard you enjoy golf, Elder. Its nothing much, but¡­¡±

    I pulled out an invitation from my pocket, embossed in gold embellishments. It clearly looked premium.

    Anakta furrowed his brow.

    ¡°¡­A golf membership?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He seemed to scoff at the idea.

    With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, ''As young as you are, you''re still clumsy. I already own memberships at all the renowned golf courses. What do you take my social standing and prestige for?''

    Thats understandable. Anakta is one of the most influential elders in Libra.

    But.

    ¡°lts Emilio Golden garden .¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Hisplexion changed instantly.

    Emilio Goldengarden.

    Called the finest golf course on earth, it''s actually a ''magical space.''

    Regardless of the price of membership, the number of members is limited, and spots only open up every few years, making it difficult even for a Libra elder to gain entry. Even direct descendants like Zia, the youngest, might not be epted.

    How did Ie into possession of such a coveted invitation?

    I received it as a brokerage fee.

    Yerain, the scion of that distinguished family who survived thanks to my prophecy, kept giving me gifts.

    Since the invitation isn''t numbered, there would be no issue if someone other than me used it.

    ¡°Is this a bribe?¡±

    He asked sternly.

    I replied with a smile.

    ¡°Elder Anakta, isn''t your birthday in three days? I''ll be busy then, so I''m giving this to you in advance. I originally wanted to give you an invitation to [Castology], but I couldn''t get one, so this is the next best thing.¡±

    ¡°H0. Casto Logy, you mean the famous astrological mage¡­ Well, it''s actually better this way. I prefer this membership¡­ No¡ªwait! I can''t ept this.¡±

    Anakta made a show of refusing. I persisted with cliched persuasions, forcibly cing the invitation into his hands.

    ¡°Oh dear, this dreadful young man. Even so!¡±

    Pretending to scold me harshly, he eventually grinned and ced his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Killing someone inside the prison is difficult. Its too conspicuous. But still, I''ll see what I can do. Its your sincerity, after all.¡±

    Anakta shed a relieved smile, looking as if he had just shed decades of chronic indigestion.

    It seems the "Goldengarden* membership was on his bucket list.

    ¡°Happy birthday once again.¡±

    I bowed deeply to him.

    Bending 90 degrees is easy for me.

    It would be difficult for other Bncers. They are overflowing with useless pride, thinking they are equals to the elders.

    ¡°Haha, go on then. I haven''t seen such a diligent young man in a Long time¡­ This is why you became a Bncer.¡±

    Anakta waved his hand as he walked down the corridor.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I quietly watched his retreating figure and then brushed back my hair.

    ¡°He''s not the one, it seems.¡±

    By the way.

    Surprisingly, among the elders of Libra, there are traitors¡ªelders who intend to betray Libra.

    Broadly speaking, they are my allies.

    I don''t know who it is yet, but it''s highly unlikely to be Anakta.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the elders gathered again in a more cramped meeting room without Shion''s knowledge.

    ¡°That Bncer gives me the creeps. He''s a dangerous man. What does he mean by killing someone inside? Just execute him cleanly¡ª¡±

    ¡°What the hell-!¡±

    Bnta''s words were abruptly cut off by Anakta''s sharp rebuke. Bnta shuddered.

    ¡°That scared the hell out of me! Have you gone senile? Why the hell are you freaking out!¡±

    ¡°You''re the one freaking out, whats there to be creeped out about?! Why are you going insanse!¡±

    Anakta, his face wrinkling with anger, red at Bnta.

    ¡°A young man can be a bit extreme! Isnl he one of the youngest Bncers? It all stems from loyalty, and instead of patting him on the back, what nonsense is this at your old age? Tsk.¡±

    Fiddling with the [Emilio Goldengarden] invitation in his pocket, Anakta defended Shion. Bnta was dumbfounded by his fervor.

    ¡°So, are you suggesting we kill Theia inside the prison?¡±

    ¡°¡­l''ll have to think about that.¡±

    Ahem. Anakta stroked his beard.

    Suddenly, he remembered something Shion Ascal had said earlier.

    ''I originally wanted to give you an invitation to [Castology], but I couldn''t get one, so this is the next best thing/

    ¡°¡­I hear there''s a very skilled astrological mage on the continent these days?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I''ve heard that too.¡±

    Another elder chimed in.

    ¡°The one from the Roundtable family, saved Glofeld''s son, and Yerain too, some very capable fortune-teller, they say.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so? Then how about we go there and have our fortunes told? It wouldn''t hurt to check.¡±

    Anakta looked at Bnta. Bnta scratched her curly hair and replied.

    ¡°What to ask. We should ask the Intelligence Agency¡­ That''s a good suggestion for once.¡±

    Bnta''s lips curled slightly.

    In fact, she was quite a famous believer in shamans and superstitions within Libra.

    ¡­¡­

    The Intelligence Agency has issued a mission.

    [A single Casto Logy voucher]

    Things went smoothly.

    Of course, it wasn''t for nothing that I mentioned Casto Logy to Anakta. Human nature is quite deceitful, always seeking the easiest answers close at hand. Thus, Anakta unconsciously adopted the idea of Casto logy that I had mentioned just before the meeting.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Bell Moore asked. He was almost sprawled out in the director''s chair.

    ¡°Can you get a hold of one of those vouchers?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°However, the mission grade needs to be a bit higher for it to be worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°lts a B-grade, isn''t that high enough7¡±

    ¡°Even the Senators of the Roundtable struggle to obtain these Casto logy vouchers.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what? What do you want me to do? Haaaah.¡±

    His yawn was Laced with alcohol. Looks like he had another heavy drinking session Last night.

    ¡°Just tell the elder. Ask to raise it to an A-grade mission.¡±

    ¡°Really? Will they just do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Of course, they wouldn''t just do it.

    I''m subtly causing a conflict. I n to make Bell Moore, a director that not even the elders can casually dismiss.

    He''s someone I worked hard on, so if he gets swayed by the elders, it would''ve been like giving a dog a bone.

    ¡°What, wouldn''t the Elders hate it? Saying I''m too fussy?¡±

    ¡°Would that be the case? Ultimately, we''re doing the tasks they''ve requested. It should be fine. Just send up the paperwork.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Fi n e. Go on then. But make sure you bring the Casto Logy thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nodded with a business-Like smile.

    ¡°¡­As expected, that was Shion Ascal''s fucking move.¡±

    The tranquil Lakeside. Aren''s coarse swearing echoed harshly. The magicden with rage flowed into theke, causing ripples like waves.

    ¡ªShh.

    Someone''s voice. However, it wasn''t a human voice.

    It was a small ''stuffed doll''.

    ¡ªDon''t react too strongly.

    ¡°How can I not react strongly, Miss. Riley?¡±

    This stuffed doll was Riley''smunication device.

    After achieving a monumental feat, she had returned to Vancheon and was promoted to one of the key Leadership positions. Therefore, she had to be extremely cautious about exposing her whereabouts.

    ¡°Can''t we strike first? I''ll kill that bastard and go to prison.¡±

    Aren could no longer contain his anger. The press were relentlessly tearing down his mentor with their filthy, dirty nder.

    ¡ªShion Ascal is a skilled man. It would be difficult for you alone.

    ¡°lf not, we''ll go together!¡±

    ¡ªAnd then what?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Aren was at a Loss for words.

    ¡ªSuppose you, her disciple, kill Shion Ascal. Then what remains?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªShe won''t be able toe out, and all of you will end up dead¡­ Sigh.

    The stuffed doll let out a sad sigh.

    ¡ªAren. Don''t be mistaken. You are not Vancheon. Just like Theia isn''t.

    ¡°¡­Then what are we supposed to do?¡±

    Aren copsed against a tree as if Leaning on it for support.

    ¡°I can''t Live like this.¡±

    Aren had no family. He had been an orphan since birth.

    If Theia Esil hadn''t recognized his talent, hadn''t offered herself as his mentor, he would have likely died starving on the streets.

    But now, at the most difficult time, when his mentor was starving to death, how could he do nothing?

    ¡°¡­lt doesn''t make sense.¡±

    ¡ªWait. There will be a way. I''ll try my best too. So that she¡­ won''t die.

    The stuffed doll asked for patience, but Aren pressed his hands against his eyes.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    As a disciple, he wept quietly, worried about his mentor.

    Beros Prison.

    Theia Esil was in a solitary cell. The lunchbox was washed clean and ced on the table, but she hadn''t eaten it. The guards had.

    They had asked for it if she was going to throw it away, and even marveled as they ate.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Theia looked up at the TV. She was unusually allowed to watch TV, but it was no privilege.

    The only program avable was the news.

    [Breaking news. As Theia Esil''s past criminal activities are increasingly uncovered, many testimonies about her unusual personality are emerging¡­]

    It was a tactic to break her mentally.

    ¡°Visitor.¡±

    Suddenly, a guard approached and knocked on the bars.

    Theia shook her head.

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    She knew who the visitor was. It had to be that bastard.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Professor.¡±

    The guard let out a faint sigh.

    ¡°¡­You can''t refuse. You know that. Just do as you''re told for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia red at the guard, but he was not at fault.

    In fact, he was one of the Lower-ranked ones trying to make her stay asfortable as possible.

    Reluctantly, she left her solitary cell.

    As she trudged to the visiting room, the person she saw was, as expected, Shion AscaL He was there with a lunchbox again today.

    ¡°You''ve arrived.¡±

    He greeted her with a polite tone. Theia silently sat down on the chair.

    ¡°¡­You''re wasting away. Didn''t you eat your Lunchbox?¡±

    His voice feigned concern, which was revolting.

    ¡°¡­Don''t you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Don''t you?¡±

    Theia remained silent. Shion Ascal also scratched his cheek and kept his mouth shut.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Without much conversation, time passed between them.

    Tick¡ª Tock-

    Tick¡ª Tock¡ª

    Theia nced sideways at the ticking clock.

    She was allowed 15 minutes of visitation.

    5 minutes remained.

    ¡°¡­l''m curious.¡±

    Suddenly, Shion broke the silence. He stared at Theia and asked.

    ¡°Why don''t you file aint?¡±

    That question momentarily shook Theia''sposure. It was a strange sensation wrapped around the word int£º

    ¡°Holy Knight Athan.¡±

    Shion Ascal spoke the name of her mentor.

    ¡°Your mentor.¡±

    Theia''s handcuffs twitched. The instinct to silence him surged, but her body was bound in chains.

    ¡°That person. Isn*t he a monster?¡±

 Chapter 326: Flow (4)

    Chapter 326: Flow (4)

    ¡°¡­Where did you hear such bullshit?¡±

    Theia retorted coldly, but herposure was already shaken. Her use of the Spectrum fSwitches] was restricted due to the magical restraint sphere.

    Always having controlled herself with Spectrum, hiding her emotions was somewhat difficult for her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tap-tap¡ªShion tapped his fingers on the table and then shook his head.

    ¡°That will be all then.¡±

    Theia forced a rxed smile.

    ¡°Have you found any evidence that I killed my mentor? It seems to be dragging on. What will you do if it backfires?¡±

    ¡°A witness should be sufficient, shouldn''t it?¡±Emilia''s usation and Vancheon''s fabricated evidence were the reasons Theia Esil was detained.

    ¡­Superficially, at Least.

    Ultimately, it was because she had dered war against ''Libra.''

    ¡°Why do you serve Libra?¡±

    Suddenly, Theia asked, driven by pure curiosity.

    Just as she had reasons to hate Libra, did he have reasons to serve it?

    What kind of connection between people necessitates the duty to ''serve'' someone?

    ¡°¡­My grandfather''s name was Aaron Ascal. He was a knight of Libra.¡±

    Shion recited his family''s history.

    More for the sake of ''Libra''s people* who might still be monitoring the visitation room than for Theia.

    ¡°My father was Dale AscaL He was also a knight of Libra.¡±

    A Life of serving them, passed down through generations.

    ¡°And I am with Libra too. My grandfather, my father, and I¡ªall of us belong to

    Libra. Do I need any more reason than that?¡±

    For the ''Ascal'' family, that was enough; for ''Libra£» it was a perfect reason.

    In contrast, Theia Esil grew cold.

    ¡°Being proud of your entire family serving Libra isn''t something to boast about.

    It''s a passive Life. A ve''s Life.¡±

    Shion smiled faintly.

    ¡°Do you see chains on my ankles or wrists, Professor? On the contrary, I see them on you.¡±

    Theia looked at the restraints binding her entire body.

    Then, the 15 minutes were up.

    Time to endure this ufortable meeting no Longer.

    Theia stood up, and he ced the Lunchbox on the table.

    ¡°Eat when you''re hungry.¡±

    ¡°¡­The guards eat well. It''s better than throwing it away as trash.¡±

    Shion responded calmly to her clear sarcasm.

    ¡°Yes, do that. You''ve had a tough life, so the prison diet must suit your taste.¡±

    Then he left the visitation room first.

    ¡°¡­Bastard.¡±

    Theia cursed at his retreating figure.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking at the hefty lunchbox left alone on the table, she picked it up with both arms and left the visitation room.

    ¡°Ah, there she is.¡±

    As soon as she came out, the guards rushed towards her, their eyes sparkling.

    ¡°Did the visitation. Hmm. Go well?¡±

    Their voices were tinged with saliva.

    Theia extended the lunchbox to them.

    ¡°Ah, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Uh! Professor, you don''t have to go back in right away. You can rest a bit!¡±

    While their eyes were glued on the lunchbox, they uttered insincere words.

    Theia shook her head.

    ¡°l''m fine.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes! Please restfortably! Let us know if there''s any problem!¡±

    ¡°¡­Heater.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Heater.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªof course, we should put a heater in! The solitary cell is too cold, isn''t it?

    Hey, rookie! What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The rookie hurriedly ced a small heater in the solitary cell. It was the same heater they had been using themselves.

    ¡°Here you go¡­ Please restfortably!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia silently turned to enter her cell, but suddenly Looked back at the guards.

    ¡ªWow, they''re radiant today too.

    ¡ªThe menu is insane¡­

    The guards were gleefully sharing the Lunchbox.

    For Theia, their behavior was peculiar.

    ¡ªHey guys. Can I take some home for my son?

    ¡ªAh. What is it? Please look. We have sons too.

    The number of Lunchboxes they Laid out was not just one.

    Not even two.

    ¡ªAre you crazy? Then I''ll give you just one piece of sushi. Just one piece.

    ¡ªThen eat less.

    ¡ªGot it, asshole.

    The amount was too much for one person, enough for several to share.

    In exchange for this Lunchbox, a heater was ced in her solitary cell.

    As if it had been prepared just for this situation¡­

    ¡­The media continued to churn out sensational articles about Theia, and Theia Esil neither confessed nor denied anything.

    It was dragging on, simr to before her regression.

    Back then, the decisive factor that led her to confess was Gerkhen.

    Gerkhen had snitched some "evidence* to Libra, and thus the execution was carried out.

    The silver lining was¡ªshe had witnessed Derek''s downfall with her own eyes.

    This time, Derek would fall just the same, but she would be alive to watch the process.

    ¡°¡­Esteemed astrological mage. Currently, in the mundane world, such a person exists.¡±

    In the tent of [Castology], Elder Bnta presented a photo to me with utmost politeness.

    It was Theia Esil.

    ¡°We wish to punish this person, but we are uncertain of the method to employ.¡±

    Even her gestures were extremely proper and respectful.

    I knew this grandmother was a fervent believer in shamans and fortune-tellers, but to this extent¡­

    Snap!

    I drew a card and threw it into the air. Tsszzt¡ª¡ªTiny sparks wove a web across the ceiling.

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­!¡±

    Bnta''s eyes filled with admiration.

    I responded.

    ¡°¡­lt seems best to follow the majority''s will.¡±

    ¡°The majority''s will¡­ The majority''s wi11¡­7¡±

    BeLanta muttered to herself, lost in thought, then suddenly pped her hands.

    ¡°Jury!¡±

    Her face lit up with realization.

    A jury verdict could shock both Theia and society tremendously. Theia would be devastated by being rejected by the most ordinary people, shattering the soul of the Holy Knight and plummeting her social prestige. In other words, it''s a far more efficient method than assassinating Theia Esil¡­

    She must be thinking along these lines.

    ¡°lndeed¡­ you strike at the core.¡±

    ¡°However.¡±

    I raised a finger, and Bnta''s eyes focused intently on it.

    ¡°Death should not ur.¡±

    ¡°Death, you say¡­?¡±

    ¡°There lurks a dark aura behind the soul. Should the physical death release it, the winds will blow backwards, and curses will spread like a gue.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ln simple terms, a serious bacsh would ur, so do not kill Theia.

    ¡°Why¡­ I truly do not understand. May I request an interpretation7¡±

    I drew a card.

    Swoosh!

    I scattered it into the air, and it transformed into particles, falling like snowkes.

    ¡°This person.¡±

    I pointed at the photo. This time, it was not Theia Esil, but the face of Holy Knight Athan, whom she was used of killing.

    ¡°He does not seem human.¡±

    ¡°Not human?¡±

    ¡°Thats right. In his final years, the visage of a demon appears.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bnta''s expression turned grave as she chewed her lip in thought, then she stuffed all the documents into her bosom.

    However, she did not leave.

    ¡°Esteemed astrological mage.¡±

    Instead, she presented another photo. It was of an unknown man.

    ¡°¡­This is my grandson.¡±

    Suddenly?

    I almost blurted it out.

    ¡°He is sitting for the College Board this year¡­ I am terribly worried whether he can get into a national university or not¡­¡±

    Elder Bnta''s grandson.

    Do I have such a memory in my head?

    Honestly, I was taken aback, but I closed my eyes and sifted through my memories with the fNotepadJ .

    Fortunately, the scope wasn''t wide.

    Before the regression, I only needed to check the records around this year''s Detonation List.

    Around this time, I was so desperate to know everything rted to Libra, down to who was defecating in which house, so I must have seen something about the elder''s grandson''s university entrance information¡­

    [¡­Edgar Bnta, a coteral rtive of Libra, admitted to the national university]

    Hmm.

    It seems the grandson is well-raised. Even for a coteral rtive, not just anyone gets into a national university.

    ¡°I see it.¡±

    I smiled at her. Bnta shuddered visibly.

    ¡°What do you see¡­?¡±

    ¡°Cherry blossoms. Beautiful cherry blossoms. And walking confidently amongst them¡­ this face.¡±

    I gave a very positive response. Bnta ced her hand over her heart, her face a mix of ecstasy and gratitude.

    ¡°However.¡±

    I raised a finger sternly.

    ¡°Keep my words confidential. The moment you carelessly divulge the future Luxury, it will turn into a disaster.¡±

    Casually saying ''you''ll definitely pass* could lead tocency and failure.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I unde rsta n d ¡­¡±

    BeLanta fiddled with her curly hair, nodding continuously.

    Getting close to the elders is simple. Give them what they want, avoid actions they dislike, and always treat them with respect and kindness.

    People tend to simplify things as they age.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Beriolsa Restaurant?¡±

    ¡ªHmm- That ce, yes. Oh, it''s alright. Its quite famous. I don''t want to impose on you¡­

    The elders spend more than half the year in the Aerial Garden, but the rest is spent enjoying the high life on the ground.

    In other words, if they can''t enjoy the high life, they prefer not to descend at all.

    ¡°l''ll do my best.¡±

    ¡ªAh, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Fortunately, I have many connections. To some, it might seem like an extravagantwork.

    ¡ªEh~? Beriolsa-? Are you talking about the restaurant?

    This enticing voice belongs to Sheron.

    ¡°Yes. Is it possible? It''s for next week, Friday at 6 PM.¡±

    ¡ªEasy- But, who are you going with-?

    For the elders, a reservation at such a restaurant is daunting, but for Sheron, it''s remarkably easy.

    It''s more about image and brand than status and position.

    Sheron of Aventagher has the looks and star quality to brighten any venue she attends. Its worth investing in her already established brand image.

    Unfortunately, the elders don''t evene close to her.

    ¡°lts not for me, it''s a gift.¡±

    ¡ªOh really? Got it~ I''ll reserve two spots. The best seats.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I smiled.

    Suddenly, a thought struck me.

    ¡°But why don''t you use the Casto logy? You''ve received it, haven''t you?¡±

    ¡ªrm saving it for a crucial moment. Why would I use it right away~ Silly.

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    In this respect, she''s unexpectedly meticulous and smart.

    Anyway.

    ¡°So, the reservation is¡±

    ¡ªI*ve just made it. Next Friday at 6 PM.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Beriolsa is the most luxurious high-end restaurant in current Edsi.

    To secure a reservation at such a restaurant, especially during the prime time of 6 PM on a Friday, like it''s just a fast food joint, there are truly only a handful of people on the continent who could manage it.

    ¡ªIt seemed Like something you should take credit for, so I made the reservation under your name-

    She*s also quick on the uptake.

    ¡°Thank you. If there''s ever anything you need, don''t hesitate to ask.¡±

    ¡ªAlright. Hanging up now-

    The reservation was a sess. However, I couldn''t just hand it over immediately.

    If it seems too easy, they won''t appreciate it as much.

    You have to keep them on edge until thest moment, and then solve it dramatically at the most critical time¡ªthats when their gratitude hits its peak¡­

    ¡­That''s how it works.

    I devoted my efforts to the elders.

    ¡°Oh my! Really?! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to thank me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡±

    In the garden of Libra Section 1.

    Last week, Elder ''Raymond£» who had asked me to make a reservation at Beriolsa, came in person to express his gratitude.

    ¡°Was it difficult?¡±

    ¡°lt was tough, but it''s okay. I managed to secure a cancetion spot just in time.¡±

    I make it seem like I''m not showing off, even though I am.

    You have to show off a bit to be appreciated, but too much and it bes tiresome.

    ¡°Tomorrow. Just mention my name at the restaurant and you''ll be set. Now, you better start getting ready.¡±

    ¡°Understood! Thank you so much~!¡±

    Raymond patted my shoulder several times before leaving. His steps almost seemed to Levitate as he walked away, excited to go to the restaurant with his mistress.

    He might actually fly at this rate.

    Anyways.

    In this way, I will continue to fulfill the requests and favors of other elders as well, naturally earning their favor.

    And what happens then?

    The elders be my allies.

    Meaning, if I ever sh with another Bncer, almost all the elders will take my side.

    Having returned once before, I know that in Libra''s society, the elders have enough influence to easily overshadow a few Bncers.

    Those who don''t know this will be buried by me.

    ¡°¡­Belingham.¡±

    This is ultimately about Belingham Kantar.

    This is the strategy I''ve devised to deal with him.

    After all, that guy, who believes he was ''made'' for Libra, has quite a strong ego and doesn''t bow down to the elders.

    Because of that¡ª

    ¡°Shion~¡±

    Suddenly, a gentle voice called out to me. I turned towards it.

    Across the garden, by thekeside, Zia appeared. For some reason barefoot, holding her sandals in one hand, she approached me.

    ¡°There''s a beautiful view¡­ want toe see¡­?¡±

    Although it was quite sudden, I didn''t refuse the hand she offered with a smile.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    At that moment.

    I felt a gaze from behind me. Once sharp, now dulled, and barely perceptible. Eyes filled with a watery sadness¡­

    It was probably Johanna.

 Chapter 327: Flow â‘¸

    Chapter 327: Flow ¢É

    The conditions at the Beros Detention Center where Theia was imprisoned are harsh. The solitary cells routinely reach under negative four degrees Fahrenheit, and the environment is so barren that even describing it as ''dry'' seems Like an understatement. One can literally feel the skin cracking.

    There is absolutely no interaction allowed between the prisoners, and not even a minute of exercise time is guaranteed.

    Simply put, it''s worse than being homeless¡ªa state she''s all too familiar with, having experienced it firsthand.

    Since being incarcerated, there hasn''t been a single night where she hasn''t lost sleep¡­

    However, recently, there has been a small change.

    ¡°¡­lt''s warm.¡±

    Looking at the small stove, she felt grateful for the little things.

    The slight warmth it provided was immenselyforting. The mini humidifier ced beside her bed was equally valuable.

    Given her past respiratory issues, these environmental factors were potentially Lifesaving.¡°¡­¡±

    A small stove. A palm-sized humidifier. Along with eight volumes of academic humanities books.

    These were theforts she had received from the guards in exchange for a Lunchbox prepared by Shion Ascal. These small items were preserving her.

    Crunch, crunch.

    The sound of snow umting outside the window.

    Every day, she immersed herself in reading, deeply reflecting on herself. Ultimately, it was a contemtion about her mentor.

    Theia had killed the mentor who had saved her Life with her own hands.

    She couldn''t tolerate his corruption.

    ¡­Because that was her taboo.

    Knock-knock-

    ¡°You have a visitor.¡±

    The guard said. Theia Lifted her gaze slightly.

    ¡°You don''t have to go this time.¡±

    The guards1 words are usually the opposite. Visits that one must attend are the ones they dread, and those they are told they can skip are the ones they must attend.

    ¡°l''ll go.¡±

    She left her solitary cell, guided by the guards to the visiting room. nking in her shackles, she arrived to find¡ª

    Her mentor''s daughter.

    Emilia was there.

    A middle-aged woman Looking at her, painted withplex shades of anger, sorrow, and bewilderment.

    Only then did Theia realize her sin.

    It wasn''t a sin against her mentor. Excluding a monster who had forsaken his humanity was a creed she had upheld all her life.

    However, she owed an apology to his daughter.

    The old her had run away, unable to do so.

    Because she was scared.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a long time, she had returned to that ce.

    Btedly, she faced the daughter of the man she had killed.

    The elders of Libra are like immortals Leisurely residing in the Aerial Garden. They are both rulers and retirees, coborators and participants.

    Their esteemed treatment isn''t merely because they are descendants of Libra''s Lineage.

    Most Bncers think of them as old folks squandering the resources of the Aerial Garden and the assets of Libra, but thats not the reality.

    They too were once the backbone of Libra.

    They were soldiers at the forefront of Libra, as cunning strategists, and knights with endless loyalty.

    Their title of ''elder'' isn''t just a nominal position reserved for the backroom.

    However, the vast majority of ''Libra employees* working across the continent treat the elders like troublesome old men.

    They disregard the achievements of the elders'' youth and trivialize theworks they''ve built.

    Outwardly, they show respect, but subtly, they treat them like parasites.

    Thats why the emergence of Shion Ascal, a staunch supporter of the elders¡­No.

    The arrival of this earnest young man was a topic of discussion even among the elders.

    ¡°Juror-?¡±

    Elder Anakta asked.

    ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±

    BeLanta replied while eating ice cream.

    ¡°¡­No. You mean to tell me you came all this way with that precious invitation just to hear such an answer?¡±

    ¡°lts not just any answer. It was a crucial astrological reading.¡±

    The elders, numerous and influential in the session structure, hold significant sway in critical matters Like the Theia Esil case.

    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±

    BeLanta covered her mouth with her palm. Anakta also leaned in slightly.

    ¡°¡­I heard that Holy Knight Athan might actually be a monster.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Anakta blinked but soon furrowed his brow.

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, you fool? Have you lost your mind?¡±

    ¡°lf you don''t understand, never mind. The jury trial is exactly what could shatter Theia''s souL¡±

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Anakta swallowed a sigh and ate a macaron.

    By the way, this ce is a newly opened dessert shop in Libra Section 1, a kind of welfare project recently introduced by Shion Ascal.

    Of course, the elders can use it without spending a dime.

    ¡°Did you hear about Elder Raymond?¡±

    At Bnta''s question, Anakta chuckled.

    ¡°Yeah. Heard he went to Berio. Silly old man. Bncer Ascal had to rescue him.¡±

    Among the elders, Shion Ascal had quickly be known as a fixer.

    ¡°Speaking of Ascal, I heard a rumor. Theia asked Ascal why he serves Libra.¡±

    Be Lanta was particrly in a good mood. He had received a prophecy that his grandson would pass.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°That''s when Ascal said¡­¡±

    ''My grandfather served Libra, and my father served Libra, so naturally, I must too.''

    At this, Anakta also smiled contentedly. The aging elders found a strange fantasy in the idea of generations serving their n.

    ¡°Quite the upstanding young man. Its been a long time since we had a proper Bncere in¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, Zia was attending to her work in her room.

    All preparations rted to Derek''s usurpation were already in ce. She was just waiting for the right moment. The trial seemed like the perfect opportunity.

    Derek would pour all his assets and manpower into the trial, and Zia would strike then.

    He might win the trial, but he would be Left with nothing in his grasp.

    The only variable, of course¡­ Derek''s Bncers.

    They were the most numerous among his siblings and if they decided to forcefully push through, Shion alone might struggle to handle it.

    ¡°l''ll have to ask for help.¡±

    But Shion would be able to solve it. He was like a skeleton key, always finding the right solution.

    Zia ced the documents rted to the usurpation in a safe under the floor tiles. Then, she pulled out another document.

    ¡°A more efficient way to use the extreme mana stone¡­¡±

    This was the area Zia had been focusing on Lately. She was trying to advance weapon technology by using the extreme mana stone more efficiently, but it was a tight spot. It had been a month ago, a week ago, yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow too.

    [Should I ask Shion ???]

    She scribbled on the paper.

    But, well.

    It was a magical engineering matter, so Shion might not be able to do anything about it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia quietly got up. She needed to use the bathroom.

    As she returned to her room after finishing in the bathroom.

    ¡°1¡±

    The scene inside had changed dramatically, all because of one unexpected person. An intruder was sitting in her chair.

    With long blue hair tied back in a ponytail, and one hand roughly flipping through documents, it was Johanna.

    ¡°Sister¡­?¡±

    Johanna, who had infiltrated without her knowing, had already activated her Magic Body.

    Thud. She put down the documents.

    ¡°Zia.¡±

    Herplexion was calm but dangerous, and her voice was ominously soaked.

    ¡°Seems like you''re embarking on quite a big project?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Zia answered honestly for now. Johanna stood up.

    ¡°l''m curious. What do you want? It''s too big a scale for your capabilities.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia clenched her mouth shut. Had she been too careless? She hadn''t expected such a sudden visit.

    Johanna raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I asked.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Why on earth.¡±

    She suddenly clenched her teeth.

    ¡°ln these work-rted documents too¡ª¡±

    With a gesture full of anger, she lifted the documents and then pointed at a ''sentence'' Zia had just scribbled.

    [Should I ask Shion ???]

    ¡°Why are you writing such personal content?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia was momentarily flustered, but then swallowed her saliva.

    It might not be as bad as she thought.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°You should clearly distinguish between work and personal matters. That is a very basic quality for a direct descendanL¡±

    Johanna still red at her with angry eyes.

    ¡°Do you not know what kind of man Shion Ascal is?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shion Ascal, what kind of man.

    Zia couldn''t quite grasp the meaning of the words, but Johanna stubbornly continued.

    ¡°Knowing that, what? Are you just indulging in simple, one-dimensional pleasure? Are you harboring such a filthy heart?!¡±

    Johanna''s rebuke came at an odd time. From the beginning, the conversation had been strange for Zia.

    ¡°Sister¡­ Is there something wrong with Shion¡­?¡±

    Zia asked quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna paused at that moment. She suddenly realized.

    Zia doesn''t know about Shion''s condition.

    Why did I assume that Zia would naturally know about his limited time?

    And why hasn''t Shion told Zia about it?

    That''s¡­

    A Logic formed in Johanna''s mind. At that moment, she felt as if something built up inside her was being washed away cleanly.

    ¡°You don''t know, do you.¡±

    Johanna pursed her Lips. It was almost like a smile.

    ¡°¡­wha?¡±

    The fact that she didn''t know was clear enough. Shion wasn''t sincere with her. Loyalty and love are vastly different.

    Shion is fulfilling his duty towards Zia, but that is not love. It''s a pristine duty, devoid of any trace of love.

    ¡°The perfect distinction between public and private matters.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sister?¡±

    Zia called out to Johanna.

    ¡°lts fine.¡±

    Johanna smirked and waved her hand dismissively.

    ¡°The rest is less important.¡±

    Somehow, she felt Like a victor. She tossed aside the documents and ced her hand on Zia''s shoulder.

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Zia could never have Shion, even if she were to die ande back to life.

    Johanna felt pleased, but a sudden thought made her heart sink again.

    ¡­Even if she were to die ande back to life, she couldn''t have him either.

    Unless she bears the pain.

    Zia called me over. She asked me about the strange words Johanna had just said to her, but I chose to remain silent on that particr matter.

    ¡°lt seems Like Lady Johanna has be¡­ overly fond of you¡ªa sort of side effect.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia seemed curious about what exactly had transpired between the two of us, but she didn''t press further.

    For me, it was a sess.

    It was proof that she at Least harbored ''curiosity'' towards me.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Now, about the most important issue¡­¡±

    Zia brought up Derek''s bncers.

    ¡°Yes, I''ve already thought of a method.¡±

    Reduce the numbers, or make deals under the table.

    Derek''s bncers aren''t incredibly loyal, but they aren''tpletely devoid of loyalty either. Some, like Bncer Smith, will definitely need to be eliminated, while others could be persuaded to join our side.

    ¡°Okay¡­ I trust you.¡±

    Zia didn''t ask about the specifics of the n. It meant ''do not spare any means necessary?

    It was the perfect attitude for cutting ties¡ªimplying that no matter who you employ or how you kill, it has nothing to do with me.

    But hey, I''m not offended.

    There''s no one harder to get close to than Zia.

    Right now, I''m her second inmand, but if I fail to demonstrate my worth, especially if bncers like Belingham Kantar show more exceptional talent, she''ll rece me in no time.

    Whether before or after the regression, thats just who Zia is.

    ¡°But what is this document about?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    I pointed to the document she was scribbling on.

    ¡°lts about utilizing the extreme mana stone¡­ but there''s a problem thats not resolving¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. May I take a look?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ but it''s quite schrly¡­¡±

    I picked up the document.

    It was about enhancing the weapon efficiency of the extreme mana stone.

    ¡°¡­ H m m?¡±

    My eyes widened in surprise.

    This is, it was even featured in the news before the regression as one of the ''13 Simple Yet Amazing Inventions?

    And the inventor was Zia Libra even then.

    So, this was the exact time she was researching it.

    ¡°Difficult, isn''t it¡­?¡±

    Zia gave a wry smile.

    ¡°Give here¡­¡±

    She reached out her hand to me. As I handed back the document, I added,

    ¡°But you know,¡±

    The Zia I''vee to know always tends to oveplicate things, assuming the worst-case scenarios. Thats why she often struggles with simple solutions.

    ¡°Why not just install a double circuit?¡±

    I offered a too-simple hint to her, who was deep in thought.

    ¡°¡­Huh? Double?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The extreme mana stone has too much power, making it difficult to utilize, right?¡±

    ¡°Thats true¡­¡±

    ¡°So, if you install a double circuit, it could fully transmit the power, increase efficiency, and improve safety, couldn''t it?¡±

    ln other words, not a single [¡ª] circuit, but a double [=] circuit.

    ¡°lt can''t be that simple¡­¡±

    She was about to say it couldn''t be that simple.

    But Zia''s words halted as something seemed to strike her.

    She stared nkly at the paper for what felt like two hours to me.

    ¡°Let''s see.¡±

    She hastily picked up her pencil and began scribbling.

    Scribble-scribble - scribble-scribble -

    Her writing was a whirlwind of focus. Her hair seemed to buzz with static electricity as if struck by it, puffing up like an owl fluffing its feathers.

    ¡°¡­Please Let me know when you''re done.¡±

    I quietly sat beside her, waiting for her discovery.

 Episode 328: Flowï¼ˆ6ï¼‰

    Episode 328: Flow£¨6£©

    Zia had seen the theory she had invented. It was a way to utilize the extreme mana stone more efficiently and innovatively. She wrote it down swiftly, yet thepletion was exceptional.

    Astonishingly simple Logic: One circuit couldn''t fully handle the efficiency of the extreme mana stone, so she proposed Layering two circuits.

    An ordinary mana stone would oxidize without even fully utilizing the double circuit, but not the extreme mana stone. It contained much more inherent magical power.

    There was no need to verify the theory. Zia was quite confident in her ideas, and this was enough to be immediately adopted.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    Zia called out to Shion with a bright voice, a smile Lingering on her lips to boast about her achievement.

    ¡°Shion¡­?¡±

    There was no response. She absentmindedly turned towards him.

    ¡°Ah.¡±He was asleep. Lying on the sofa as if dead, breathing evenly.

    Zia approached him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His face was peacefully asleep. No wrinkles, no blemishes, just white skin with blonde hair cascading down.

    To the people of Libra, Shion Ascal was meticulous and wless, a perfect confidant prepared solely for Libra.

    Zia thought no differently.

    One who skillfully untiesplex knots and one who cuts through them with a single stroke. Shion was capable of both.

    He was a ''wild card'' that could adapt to any situation.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    He just looked like a child.

    A deeply sleeping child. A child, albeit taller and more robust.

    Zia reached out to touch his cheek but hesitated.

    Suddenly, Johanna''s words came to mind.

    ¡ªDo you even know what kind of person Shion Ascal is?

    Curious about the underlying meaning, she decided not to delve deeper.

    Zia tended not to take much interest in people. She tried not to harbor any emotions towards anyone, not her father, not her brother, not her sister, and not even her own knight, Shion.

    That didn''t mean Zia was a sociopath like Johanna, devoid of emotions.

    Rather, Zia was more analytical, rational, and above all, her ambition for ''session'' was greater.

    It was a matter of priorities.

    Her foremost task was session.

    ¡°SLeep welL¡±

    She smiled faintly. Zia, who had rarely experienced a peaceful sleep, felt a pang of envy.

    Her ambition was, in fact, directly linked to survival. Since childhood, she had been tormented by an incurable disease.

    This disease, which was slowly killing her, meant that even bing the head of Libra and pouring all its resources into treatment was uncertain¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Just then, Shion opened his eyes.

    ¡°Awake?¡±

    Zia grinned broadly.

    ¡°l''m sorry.¡±

    He quickly sat up, straightening his posture.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Zia shook her head and proudly shared her theory with him.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I''vepleted it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    He Looked surprised, a sight that Zia found endearing.

    She wasn''t one to trust people easily.

    But Shion was definitely different.

    He was the one who showed her that there were ways to work together, even for someone like her who tried to handle everything alone. He taught her a different kind of perfection.

    ¡°Thats good.¡±

    Shion said.

    Zia nodded softly.

    ¡°Yes. Ifs good¡­¡±

    On azy weekend afternoon, I visited the Germetici Art Museum. I admired the paintings and sculptures there.

    It''s a famous museum, so there were plenty of delightful artworks, but that wasn''t the real reason I came.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    Soliette. She was on duty as the museum''s security for the day, part of her knightly duties.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    She saw me but didn''t speak. Stuck to the wall, pretending to be a statue.

    ¡°lgnoring me, huh? Is this embarrassing for you?¡±

    I circled around her, chattering away.

    ¡°Are you fucking with me?¡±

    Unable to hold back any longer, Soliette moved only the right side of her Lips and whispered softly.

    ¡°¡­Please Leave.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you talk?¡±

    ¡°¡­NO, I can''t.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why can''t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­lt''s my duty.¡±

    Soliette closed her mouth again, and I chuckled. She was, after all, fulfilling her knightly duties.

    ¡°¡­H uh?¡±

    Suddenly, I spotted a familiar figure.

    Blue eyes and blue hair. One of the most perfect appearances one could see in a Lifetime. A presence that seemed Like a sculpture fitting for the museum-

    ¡°¡­Lord Jade?¡±

    Jade, who was admiring a masterpiece, turned to Look at me.

    ¡°A Bncer, here to admire the art?¡±

    A faint smile appeared on his Lips.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have an exceptional artistic sense.¡±

    The change in how he addressed me was quite dramatic. To be called ''you'' by Jade, something I couldn''t have even imagined a few years ago¡ª

    ¡°Follow me. I''ll exin the artworks.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He called me over.

    ¡°This painting, ''Heaven''s Tree/ is by an artist named Berth ng. Its somewhat surreal¡­¡±

    He toured me around various paintings in the museum, not staying long at any one spot.

    In my opinion, he seemed to be searching for a particr artists work.

    The one-armed painter.

    Calling her such a derogatory name in front of Jade would likely be my Last words, but still.

    Perhaps he was hoping that ''her'' painting might have made it into this museum.

    ¡°¡­Shion Ascal.¡±

    However, her painting was not in the museum, and Jade eventually lost interest and turned to Look at me.

    ¡°l''m thinking of creating my own art gallery.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Perhaps it was because he now had the financial means.

    Jade''s art gallery, something that would have been utterly impossible before his business failures in his previous Life.

    ¡°Could you help me with that?¡±

    He asked for my help. It was a request, not a demand.

    In this way, Jade might be the one who has changed the most among his direct Lineage.

    It''s a good change. A change directly connected to life. The best way to deal with Jade is not to fight him.

    I still don''t know how the pre-regression Zia managed to ovee Jade.

    ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡±

    I was about to say it was possible, but then a scheme popped into my head¡ªa way topletely retire Jade from the session structure.

    ¡°¡­Of course?¡±

    Jade questioned the hesitation in my voice. I managed to hide my smile as I responded.

    ¡°I think I can help you.¡±

    In the continent of Edsi, there is a one-armed painter. She has long been out of the mainstream, content with her modest, simple happiness.

    I visited her disguised as a critic in his mid-sixties.

    The small building had an art supply store on the first floor and an art school on the second, but I entered the first floor first.

    ¡°Hello~¡±

    A woman who appeared to be her sister approached me.

    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡±

    I silently looked around the interior and then pointed to a painting.

    ¡°This painting.¡±

    It was andscape. The brushstrokes, colorbination, andposition were all ''hers£º

    Even without an arm, a person''s painting style remains as unique as a fingerprint.

    ¡°Who painted this?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ it''s not for sale.¡±

    The sister smiled bitterly, scratching the back of her neck. I added in a low voice.

    ¡°That''s a shame. Its beautiful.¡±

    ¡°¡­lsn''t it? But¡­¡±

    She scanned me from head to toe. Beret, rimless sses, coat, and more. My current attire screamed ''art professional/

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    I handed her my business card.

    [Salvador Porsenati]

    My upation was Listed as an art critic. I had Grawl properly set up a website too.

    ¡°¡­An art critic. Wow.¡±

    She seemed to ponder for a moment, then gestured upstairs.

    ¡°Would you like to go up to the second floor? The person who painted it is up there¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­NO, that''s alright.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°lf it''s not for sale, then the painter must have her reasons. She would need to be prepared toe out. I wouldn''t want to disturb that.¡±

    This identity was a very polite elderly gentleman. To awaken Eceline''s talent and reintroduce her to the world as a ''painter''¡ª

    Yes, like a perfectly fitting mentor.

    Winter, a day when snow piled up thickly.

    Derek attended the courtroom. The previous preliminary hearing had been fruitless, but this time was going to be different because public opinion against Theia EsiL, who had arrested him, had turned decidedly hostile.

    Derek could certainly capitalize on this bacsh.

    ¡°¡­As I have stated repeatedly, the defendant received no reports concerning the artificial intelligence overwriting incident. He couldn''t even be held responsible.¡±

    Derek maintained a poker face as hiswyer spoke. He could not afford to show joy, sorrow, or panic.

    ¡°The currently fugitive Dr. Vito, Dr. Killian who was caught up in a terrorist incident and died, and several other researchers independently pursued this project out of personal greed, without any reporting to the defendant.¡±

    At this, the intiffs side raised a hand.

    ¡°Excuse me. We have the recording. How can you deny such clear evidence?¡±

    The defense attorney nodded as if he had been expecting this.

    ¡°We have quite a bit to say about that. Why do you think Dr. Killian prepared such documents? Merely as insurance? To bring down the defendant like an elusive Phantom in such a situation?¡±

    The prosecutor furrowed his brow in frustration.

    ¡°Whatever the reason, evidence is evidence!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Derek really disliked this guy. After thest hearing, the prosecutor had been changed to someone named ''Kaylee.''

    He was famously incorruptible.

    ¡°Yes, there is evidence. We have the recording.¡±

    The defense attorney pointed to a USB drive.

    ¡°A file recorded with only voices, no faces or videos.¡±

    ¡°You know? I thought you didnV¡±

    Prosecutor Kaylee crossed his arms and replied indifferently.

    ¡°The voice analysis of that recording matches the defendants voice by 99%. What exactly does the defense want to say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in that regard, we would like to call a witness.¡±

    The recording was the smoking gun Derek''s legal team had considered. Thus, they had prepared a solid countermeasure.

    A man trudged up and sat in the witness stand.

    ¡°¡­Hello.¡±

    ¡°Could you introduce yourself, please?¡±

    The defense attorney asked gently.

    ¡°Yes. My name is Giroth. I am a voice actor.¡±

    The mention of ''voice actor'' caused a murmur in the courtroom, and the prosecution bit their Lips.

    ¡°lt seems everyone has caught on to why we asked Mr. Giroth to attend as a witness. Defendant?¡±

    Thewyer pointed at Derek first.

    ¡°I would Like to ask you to introduce yourself to the judges, the prosecutor, and the jurors present here today.¡±

    It was a prepared situation. Derek nodded and recited a line.

    ¡°¡­I am Derek.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Next, Mr. Giroth?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ ahem.¡±

    Giroth cleared his throat, and as Derek and his legal team''s hearts pounded, the tension in the courtroom tightened.

    ¡°¡­I am Derek.¡±

    Everyone gasped.

    The voice came from Giroth. They weren''t Derek''s words, but Giroth''s.

    The timbre was strikingly simr.

    No, it was exactly the same.

    The defense attorney smirked.

    ¡°As you can see, voices can always be manipted. It doesn''t necessarily require a witness; a voice actor, or anyone with a voice-rted Spectrum, can manipte a recording thatcks video evidence.¡±

    Meanwhile, Prosecutor Kaylee''s expression crumpled.

    ¡°We would ept the charge of mismanagement of the organization, but the charges of overwriting the souls do not Lie with the defendant¡­¡±

    At the same time, Zia began to create cracks in Derek''s governance structure. It was a web-likeplex structure, but she had already figured out its in and outs.

    She quietly bought up shares with the massive cash influx from [Lithium].

    Since Derek''s manpower was almost entirely focused on the trial, they could only assume these buying pressures were from simple individuals or institutions.

    Just one month.

    After quietly buying for a month, a board meeting would roll all of Derek''s assets into Zia''s hands¡­

    However.

    Someone definitely noticed her malicious intent.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was Vito. He chuckled as he looked at his Laptop and fiddled with his gray hair.

    ¡°So, this is how it turns out. Eventually.¡±

    From his safety bunker, Vito had read Zia''s intentions. He understood the strategy and who was behind it.

    For Vito, it was bittersweet.

    He was someone captivated by ''Underdogma''. Thus, he had hoped that Derek, who had fiercely fought his way through, would win over a perfectly prepared sessor.

    ¡°H m m¡­¡±

    Vito sighed and picked up his phone.

    It wasn''t toote.

    Just one message to Derek could enable him to respond adequately. They could counterattack Zia with the bncers.

    However.

    ¡ªThe defendant believed that the "artificial intelligence1 Dr. Vito spoke of was merely a boon of civilization. He could never have imagined that it involved the inhumane act of overwriting souls.

    Looking at Derek in the trial now being broadcasted to the media, trying to shift all me onto himself.

    ¡ªThe real culprit is Vito. The currently fugitive¡­

    ¡ªPlease stick to the trial. Is this some kind of public manhunt broadcast?

    The defense attorney ignored the prosecutor''s interruption and continued.

    ¡ªDr. Vito is still at Large¡­

    Who would help such a detestable person?

    ¡°¡­You brought this upon yourself.¡±

    Vito closed his Laptop.

    Insults to himself were one thing, but he found it unbearable to see nders thrown even at the deceased Killian.

    He was like a soulmate he had met after a Long time, a mind capable of changing the world.

    Vito sat down in his chair and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Father. It seems¡­ I cannot ovee fate after all.¡±

    He muttered strangely and forced a bitter smile.

 Chapter 329: Flow â‘º

    Chapter 329: Flow ¢Ë

    Zia had been purchasing shares that made up Derek''s control structure under numerous aliases. She poured cash from behind the scenes and bought a lot of stock in the open market. As a result, the stock price inevitably soared, but Derek and most others interpreted this as a result of the trial going well.

    It was precisely why Zia had targeted the trial.

    Moreover, she established [Morpheus], a legitimate corporation under [Lithium], and filed a patent for an extreme mana stone dual circuit.

    [Morpheus] then received investments as if it had been waiting for this exact moment. Most of the money wasundered by Zia herself from the shadows.

    ¡ªI have received a response from Senator Ludeniel regarding defense.

    HR Manager Jean reported.

    The goal of [Morpheus] was Edsi''s national defense. With the overwhelming technology and cash umted at [Lithium], it wouldn''t be difficult.

    ¡ªSenator Ludeniel has naturally expressed a willingness to cooperate.

    However, national defense is a business that requires the approval of the parliament, so the intentions of the Senators are most important.¡ªWe have quite a few Senators that our hands can''t reach.

    The family that had been handling defense was ''Gezacht''.

    They couldn''t keep up with the technology of [Morpheus], but politics were necessary.

    ¡°l''ll ask Shion.¡±

    ¡ªYes. Ascal is trustworthy. We willmunicate and support.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Zia ended the call.

    She stretched while Looking up at the ceiling.

    Thus, she was climbing one step at a time.

    Afterpletely swallowing Derek, it was Johanna¡­ Originally it was Johana, but the current Johanna had somehow Lost her drive.

    Perhaps it was thanks to Shion Ascal''s strategy to ''revive her emotions1.

    However, even so, Johanna''s assets had to be hers. The bonds, including the Golden Casino, would pose a significant threat Later on.

    Shion had made Johanna vulnerable, but he hadn''tpletely taken her away.

    It was a mistake if one considered mistakes.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia thought about her ns as she left the room.

    She was about to go to the park for a walk when suddenly.

    Belingham Kantar appeared. The man with gray hair stood in the path as if he had been waiting for her.

    ¡°Miss Zia.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    Zia answered briefly. Belingham smiled faintly.

    ¡°ls everything going well?¡±

    It was a meaningful question, but Zia responded as usual.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That''s good to hear.¡±

    He sighed in relief.

    ¡°The head of the family always says Miss Zia is Like a sore thumb, but seeing you doing so well. He would surely be proud.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Zia just stared at him quietly.

    Belingham took a step closer.

    ¡°Congrattions. Thanks to finding a good card, it seems the continent will soon take notice of Miss Zia.¡±

    His voice was low, clearly meant as apliment, yet it carried a significant implication.

    ¡°Mr. Kantar¡­ it seems Like you always know everything.¡±

    ¡°There''s no need to worry. I don''t support any sessor. I only serve Lord Sherlock¡­ However.¡±

    Belingham shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°lt does seem like the time to choose is approaching.¡±

    He acknowledged that Shion Ascal was a threatening presence because the elders had turned to his side.

    The retired elders, appearing like they only wish to enjoy life like slippery snakes, be terrifyingly fierce if they sense a threat to their own safety. They are like venomous snakes, retired politicians.

    Belingham had no intention of bowing to those old men in the back room, and that''s why Shion Ascal was a threat.

    If he was a threat, then he needed to be checked.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    Belingham Looked into Zia''s eyes.

    Her irises were a deep blue, more Libra-like than anyone else''s, as if she embodied Libra from birth, simply beautiful.

    ¡°I could also stand by your side.¡±

    ¡ª¡ªAt that moment.

    Zia''s calctions were made instinctively.

    Belingham was a clear key force. Essentially, all of Sherlock''s bncers followed him. Different from Shion, no, currently superior to Shion, naturally superior-

    ¡°However¡­ a princess can''t have two knights.¡±

    He set a strange condition.

    Zia''s nose twitched slightly.

    ¡°Of course, even if you do not choose me, I will humbly ept it. I will not engage in any sabotage. But as you know.¡±

    Belingham ced his hand on Zia''s shoulder, gently brushing off the dust that had settled there.

    ¡°¡­Ability must take precedence over everything. All luck and ambition follow ability.¡±

    After removing his hand, he smiled deeply.

    ¡°Then, I shall take my leave.¡±

    Belingham departed politely, and Zia stood there.

    For quite a long time¡­ until the darkness outside the window awakened her.

    Art critics evaluate and discuss art. Its essentially a job done with words and a pen, and it takes time to build proper authority, but I don''t have that time.

    So, I had Grawl create a site for me.

    ¡°Salvador''s Page¡±

    Grawl made it Look like Salvador had been an active critic for a long time.

    Not Edsi, but a critic who traveled from kingdom to kingdom.

    In fact, I manipted several rted articles and distributed them, and even added ''Salvador'' as a critic on Wikipedia-like sites.

    Of course, if one were to investigate it, it could be exposed, but it doesnl matter since I''m not trying to deceive someone as significant as Jade. Its okay if it''s a bit sloppy.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked across at my counterpart. There was a one-armed painter in front of me.

    It was Eceline, Jade''s woman.

    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±

    Eceline gestured to her arm and smiled faintly.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°What''s there to be disappointed about? Artes from the soul, not the hand.¡±

    ¡°Still, you need a hand to express that souL¡±

    ¡°There are hands, there''s drawing, there''s speaking. Anything is enough if it can wield a brush.¡±

    She was a promising painter who lost her entire career because of Jade. Even more devastating since she was right-handed.

    ¡°Art is about expressing the mind.¡±

    I n to start encouraging her earnestly now.

    Of course, I don''t really know how talented she is. I don''t know much about the person Eceline herself either.

    Since Jade loved her, she must have been incredibly talented.

    ¡°¡­¡­MS. Eceline. What do you want? Why do you paint?¡±

    I asked Eceline.

    ¡°l''m not sure.¡±

    She looked at her right hand.

    ¡°I used to think my paintings could help someone¡­ and many people.¡±

    ''Someone£º

    A thought crossed my mind.

    ¡°Eventually, it all changed to how much this painting is, how much that painting is. I was painting, not making money. I was thinking of people, not riches and glory¡­¡±

    Did she also have feelings for Jade?

    A desire to be together?

    ¡°Critic Salvador, you''re quite famous. Tve read all your reviews. They seem to have a cold style but a warm heart, or so it seems?¡±

    It''s still unknown.

    ¡°Thats why¡­ I wanted to have a talk. What do you think, critic?¡±

    I nodded at her. I continued as gently as possible.

    ¡°Ms. Eceline''s art aligns with what I consider valuable. Ultimately, art is about people. The value of art lies in its ability to benefit others¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    I was involved in selecting the site for Jade''s art gallery. Jade had initially considered a very aristocratic location, the creme de creme ofnds, but I dissuaded him.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    I led him to a different site.

    A ce more approachable and closer to the people.

    I needed to make it appear as if Jade had changed significantly. That way, Eceline might give him a second chance.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡±

    Clearly, Jade was displeased.

    ¡°Why here?¡±

    ¡°Because it''s harmonious.¡±

    ¡°Harmony.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Lord Jade, what do you think art is?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Something beautiful to look at. Something precious and enduring that never fades with time.¡±

    That was Jade''s response.

    ¡°Yes. Lord Jade''s Cafe Bnce was the same. Not only the nobility, but also manymoners still cherish that ce.¡±

    I looked back at Jade.

    ¡°However, the satisfaction felt at that cafe is much greater among themoners than the nobility.¡±

    Jade looked at me too.

    ¡°Themoners who visit Cafe Bnce realize that their day has be more valuable than yesterday. They understand that the reason they have worked hard and Lived is to experience such art.¡±

    Suddenly, a faint smile spread across his Lips.

    ¡°Are you saying we should givemoners the opportunity to feel their days are precious too?¡±

    He had be much more amenable than before. This small change was surprising to me, and somewhat frightening.

    ¡°Yes, exactly. A day made precious remains as a memory forever. It never fades with time.¡±

    This was no Longer the Jade I knew.

    I could no longer predict his actions. I couldn''t manipte situations to make him act as I wished.

    So.

    If I made even one wrong step, it could mean death.

    ¡°I hope your art gallery will do the same. To make everyone''s day more precious, more valuable¡­¡±

    I cautiously finished my sentence.

    After a moment of waiting.

    ¡°¡­¡­That''s a good point.¡±

    An unexpectedly favorable response came from Jade.

    A good point.

    The simplicity of the phrase was astonishing.

    ¡°Let''s go with this location.¡±

    Jade had been persuaded by me. He even ced his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡±

    It was quite an overwhelmingpliment for me.

    As the years passed, the harsh winter winds grew stronger.

    Derek''s trial was progressing favorably day by day. During the third and fourth hearings, which were held a month apart, the defense Lawyers were in full swing.

    Theia watched the news from prison.

    The oue was predictable.

    There were no bereaved family members petitioning for severe punishment, and he himself was deeply remorseful, so it was merely a case of negligent management¡­ Deferred Force.

    She quietly closed her eyes.

    ¡°Visitor!¡±

    A guard called out to her in an excited voice. She knew who it was just from that.

    ¡°Professor! You have a visitor!¡±

    The guards1 faces were unusually bright. It seemed they were already salivating at the mouth.

    Theia turned off the heater and humidifier. She slipped off her slippers under the bed and walked out of her cell barefoot.

    She clinked her shackles as she headed to the visiting room.

    Sure enough, he was sitting there.

    ¡°¡­I heard your trial date has been set.¡±

    Shion AscaL His dry tone seemed to mock her.

    ¡°Have you seen Derek''s trial?¡±

    Theia sat down without a word.

    ¡°You must have. It must be interesting. Keep tracking the news.¡±

    The word ''interesting1 had a double meaning, but Theia was not yet aware of it.

    ¡°And¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Unable to bear it any longer, Theia silenced him.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    He actually flinched. His eyes widened like baseballs.

    ¡°lf you keeping to see me because of that.¡±

    In Theia''s mind, the damned reason he kept visiting her was because of ''Tei£» an ant crawling in his head.

    ¡°Let me tell you. Tei is a person who exists only in your head.¡±

    Now, more than tormenting him, Theia wanted to cut ties with him.

    ¡°¡­ln my head?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There was an error while you were taking the national university exam. A non-existent person, a memory that doesn''t even exist was mistakenly imnted in you.¡±

    Theia twisted her lips.

    ¡°But that person is a non-existent concept An unfindable memory, a nonexistent human.¡±

    Shion was silent.

    ¡°lf you understand, don''te here anymore.¡±

    Theia stood up abruptly.

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    From behind her, he muttered.

    ¡° trivial.¡±

    Before Leaving, Theia grabbed his lunchbox. She quickly picked it up, fearing someone might steal it.

    It was ridiculous, but she couldn''t help it. With this Lunchbox, she could ask the guards for quite a Lot.

    ¡°¡­Ah. Still.¡±

    He called out to her again.

    ¡°Keep watching the news. Don''t turn off the TV.¡±

    She didn''t even nce back at the man who was being a nuisance until the end.

    Theia left the visiting room.

    And so, Theia disappeared, but I remained seated alone in the visiting room, lost in strange thoughts for a long time.

    A rare friend of mine, merely because of a "manufactured memory?

    ¡°¡­Manufactured Memory.¡±

    A non-existent person. Manufactured Memory.

    A non-existent person. Manufactured Memory.

    A non-existent person. Manufactured Memory.

    Why do I think of a person named ''Belingham Kantar'' when I hear Theia''s words?

    Is it because he believes he is a homunculus, living with a memory that doesn''t even exist?

    In that regard, I want to ask.

    The maniption of the soul and the maniption of memory.

    What is the difference between the two?

    If Belingham Kantar were ced in that capsule of the unconscious, what would happen?

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    I looked again at the exit through which Theia had left.

    ¡°lndeed¡­¡±

    I smiled unknowingly.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Today, I felt like I had received an unexpected hint from her.

    A hint about a question I had always pondered.

    ''¡­Where is Sherlock?''

    The answer would probably be in Belingham''s mind.

 Chapter 330: Flow (8)

    Chapter 330: Flow (8)

    Zia sat on a bench in the garden, gazing up at the stars in the night sky, her mind abyrinth of worries questioning each other.

    Worries about what had been done and what could be done in the future.

    Zia trusts Shion AscaL She does now, and she will in the future.

    The problem was greed.

    She could hide it, control it, endure it, but when it came to people, it wasn''t so easy.

    Couldn''t she have both?

    Belingham Kantar said, ''A princess can''t have two knights/ but why?

    Why can''t there be two?

    ¡°What are you thinking about so deeply?¡±A voice carried over like the wind. Zia looked up. It was Johanna.

    She walked heavily over and sat down beside her, then silently Looked up at the stars.

    The Aerial Garden touched the sky, making the stars seem Larger and brighter. What were the ancestors of Libra thinking when they created this ind?

    ¡°¡­Sister.¡±

    Zia called her softly. Johanna Looked down.

    Meeting her eyes, Zia asked,

    ¡°Do you Like Shion¡­?¡±

    Johanna closed her mouth. Instead, she cast a spell to create a thin barrier around them.

    ¡°¡­Someone might hear. Crazy sister.¡±

    Johanna''s harsh words meant they were true. Her expression was as distorted as a bulldog''s, surprisingly vivid for a sociopath who usually showed no emotion.

    Zia had thought it was merely possessiveness, but clearly, it was not.

    ¡°SO¡­ you wanted to have Shion¡­¡±

    Not just because she wanted to possess him, but because Johanna herself was aware of her feelings.

    Johanna smirked.

    ¡°I tried, but there were practical issues.¡±

    She continued in a somewhat bitter tone.

    ¡°Besides, he wants to serve only you. Just you. I think it''s a foolish reason.¡±

    He wants to serve only me.

    Johanna''s words pierced Zia''s heart like a needle.

    ¡°The reason is¡­ Shion''s father¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His father told him to serve you. He revered it as his father''s Last wish.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Johanna raised her eyebrows, sighed, and Lifted her face. Suddenly, the Milky Way streamed beside her profile.

    ¡°lts really simple. So simple.¡±

    Johanna seemed to be recalling something.

    Shion''s father, a loyal knight for Libra. Yet, a person sacrificed for Libra.

    It was a button wrongly done from the start.

    ¡°lf you be the sessor¡­ then I''ll speak well of Shion to you¡­ask him to be with you often¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Johannars gaze softened. She Looked intently at Zia''s face.

    Had she read something in her?

    ¡°¡­You know, Zia.¡±

    Johannaughed as if she found something amusing.

    ¡°I never had the desire to be something. I only ever wanted to possess.¡±

    Then she asked her,

    ¡°And what about you? What do you want?¡±

    What I want.

    Zia pondered quietly. There was only one answer that came to mind.

    ¡°I¡­ I want to Live.¡±

    Johanna''s face showed a hint of surprise, but she soon nodded quietly.

    That made sense to her.

    ¡°Of course. I almost forgot.¡±

    Ever since she first came to Libra, the three siblings had been trying to kill her.

    ¡°You''re a miracle just for being alive.¡±

    Impossible things are many. Things that cannot happen are numerous. But the fact that my memory was never supposed to exist, that it was ''not there/ is quite hard to ept.

    ¡°¡­lt''s dizzying.¡±

    In my mind, it still feels Like Tei is swimming around. Those memories are incredibly vivid.

    Even though I was told they were fake, they were hard to erase.

    As these thoughts lingered, dawn broke.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    I didn''t have time to copse. Perhaps now was just the beginning.

    I must continuously prove my abilities.

    There''s a dilemma known to small and medium-sized enterprises.

    As a small business grows and develops, the required abilities increase. The qualifications of new employees who join are infinitely higher than when it was a smallerpany. The talents scouted through headhunting are quite impressive.

    At that point, the ''founding employee1 faces a dilemma.

    Ultimately, there are only three choices.

    Leave on their own, be outpaced and drop out, or endlessly prove themselves.

    ¡°Grawl.¡±

    I contacted Grawl.

    ¡ªYes!

    ¡°The arrangement?¡±

    Tt''s done!

    The task Zia gave me was to grill Senators for the defense industry.

    I had already nted a Senator named Ludeniel as a loyalist, and had prepared a few others for the next election, but to secure the defense contract, I ultimately needed the cooperation of senior members.

    ¡°l''ll go right away.¡±

    I know the scandals of the Senators well. The underworld''s garbage dump constantly Leaks information about them.

    Using that information appropriately, the negotiation should be easy.

    ¡°¡­lt''s not usually allowed.¡±

    The Senator''s secretary said, trying to impress, as I, dressed in a suit, approached the office of the senior Senator.

    ¡°Senator Redondo, a guest.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Let him in.

    Senator Redondo''s indifferent voice called me in. As soon as I entered, I bowed deeply.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Senator Redondo.¡±

    Redondo. A three-term senior senator.

    He scanned me up and down with a Look of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°l''m Enek from Morpheus. First, here are the documents I''ve prepared.¡±

    Like any bureaucrat, I presented the numbers first.

    ¡°The efficiency of extreme mana stones and the weapons utilizing them¡ª¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say? Get to the point.¡±

    Redondo cut me off immediately.

    Forcing a smile, I ced my briefcase on the desk. It was significantly heavy.

    ¡°The main point is, choosing us will be a feather in Senator Redondo''s cap.¡±

    ¡°A feather in my cap?¡±

    He scoffed. His expression was quite insolent.

    I knew his weakness, but I had no intention of revealing it directly to him. I couldn''t afford to. This senator was known for his pride.

    Even before my regression, he was famous for many anecdotes.

    ¡°How dare you bring this to me.¡±

    Redondo opened the briefcase. Inside, it was filled with gold, worth dozens of times more than cash.

    ¡°1¡±

    Redondo seemed startled, thinking it was cash, but quickly pointed his finger at me again.

    ¡°What, what do you think this will aplish¡­ Not even half a penny''s worth.¡±

    I kept my smile firm.

    ¡°Ah, perhaps there was a misunderstanding inmunication. This is merely a gift. A gift for allowing this meeting. What we are trying to appeal with are these documents.¡±

    I extended another envelope of documents.

    ¡°Would you please take another look?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Redondo quietly closed the briefcase. Next, he opened the envelope and examined its contents.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Inside would be the scandals of Senator Berryon, the very rival Redondo found most troublesome.

    ¡°This¡­ This is that bastard Berion?¡±

    He Looked at me, lifting one corner of his mouth, and I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡­

    ¡°Yes. These documents are about Senator Redondo''s scandals.¡±

    I had made the same offer to Berion. To Berion, I offered Redondo''s scandals, and to Redondo, Berion''s.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    If one of them trusts me, I''ll pull one along.

    If both trust me, I can cut one off.

    If neither trusts me?

    Even better.

    I''ll see how things unfold, but either way, it was a beneficial proposal for me.

    ¡°Leave it here for now. I''ll think about it positively.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senator Berion. Thank you.¡±

    I rose from my seat and bowed deeply again.

    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡±

    Today, Derek''s visiting room was decorated quite luxuriously.

    A carpet on the floor, a chandelier on the ceiling, and a Long table filled with all kinds of delicacies and fine wines.

    Derek and the Legal team were gathered together to celebrate their victory.

    ¡°The Theia Esil trial? It''s a Lost cause. It''ll either be the death penalty or life imprisonm ent.¡±

    ¡°Thats Likely.¡±

    Derek sliced his steak with great satisfaction. It wasn''t as good as Shion Ascal''s Lunchbox, but it was decent enough.

    ¡°Also, themercial district and industry are still robust. It seems the directors who were considering selling their shares have changed their minds. Miss Zia has managed quite well.¡±

    It was ''Zeke'' from the legal team. He brushed back his blonde hair and took a sip of wine.

    ¡°¡­Zia?¡±

    Abruptly, Derek''s hand, which was cutting the steak, stiffened.

    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±

    Hisplexion darkened as if deep in thought.

    ¡°¡­Shares. We need to recover them quickly. Til have to speak about it tomorrow.¡±

    A sudden suspicion had arisen. No matter how capable Zia was, entrusting her with so much was not without its risks.

    ¡°Ah, Lord Derek. That might be premature.¡±

    Zeke from the Legal team interjected. Derek furrowed his brow.

    Zeke cleared his throat and continued.

    ¡°I say this with caution, but while your Deferred Force is definitive, the liability for damages is still uncertain. It might be wise to keep the shares with someone reliable until that risk is fully resoIved¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Damages. Right. I had forgotten about the damages. Thats unavoidable, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I apologize. Its a Legal issue. If you''re ufortable with Miss Zia, perhaps another bncer among¡±

    ¡°Enough. Don''t talk nonsense.¡±

    What kind of nonsense is it to entrust shares to a bncer?

    No matter how Loyal they are to him, they are ultimately strangers. Loyalty cannot be quantified, and they are not of his blood.

    Even Vito, a distant rtive, is betraying him.

    ¡°Keep it with Zia. But, make sure to monitor her more closely. The trial has

    Loosened up anyway.¡±

    After all, even if Zia has those two corporations, she can''t utilize them. Its Like hiding a handgun in a baby''s crib.

    ¡°Yes! I will do that.¡±

    Zeke grinned broadly as he sliced his steak.

    ¡­

    I created a fishing spot.

    A magical space made by Grawl himself to avoid tracking and surveince. Its inessible by ordinary means, and entry requires a special crystal, my own hideout.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    Today, the person who came to see me in that ce was ''Zeke'' from Derek''s legal team.

    He seemed a bit nervous as he fiddled with his blonde hair.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Here. Take this.¡±

    I gestured towards the suitcase near the Lake. It was a bag full of cash.

    ¡°The money''s been cleanly Laundered. You can use it without any trouble.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡±

    Zeke quickly picked up the bag and held it close. Wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, he said,

    ¡°Derek continues to entrust the corporations to Miss Zia. He seemed to have little suspicion.¡±

    Before and after the regression, there were many who bore ill will towards Derek. Zeke was one of those ''many''.

    ¡°That''s fortunate.¡±

    Even with continued sess, if the rewards are not fitting, people turn away.

    I heard that Derek has been dying bonus payments to the legal team? The victory in court is certain, but thepany is in a tough spot, so he''ll payter¡­

    Typical of his petty tactics.

    Of course, I''m still checking if Zeke might double-cross us, but as of now, he''s 99% cooperative with us.

    Once again, the Intelligence Agency is now in my grasp.

    ¡°Um¡­ if this job is over. Is there a spot for me in the legal team?¡±

    Zeke asked cautiously.

    ¡°Hm? You want to keep working?¡±

    I looked at Zeke as if surprised.

    ¡°After this is over, you''ll have more wealth than you could spend in a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha¡­¡±

    Zeke scratched the back of his neck and continued cautiously.

    ¡°Still, how can a person not work at all? If you say you can''t trust a Lawyer who has betrayed once, I can''t help it, but if you could trust me just this once¡­ I''m not without skills.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked at Zeke. His eyes and expression were servile, but sincerity was evident.

    ¡°Let''s see what you achieve in the future.¡±

    At my words, Zeke visibly shuddered.

    ¡°I believe in results, not people. Everything else is a secondary issue.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I will keep reporting. Please trust me!¡±

    Zeke eximed energetically, bowing deeply to me.

    Not to Derek, not to Zia, but to me.

    He was a human who had assisted Zia before the regression. In a way, a ''named'' character.

    ¡°¡­Yes. You may go now.¡±

    It was a moment I could never have imagined in my past.

    Perhaps, it was an addictive thrill.

 Chapter 331: Dream ï¼ˆ1ï¼‰

    Chapter 331: Dream £¨1£©

    ¡°The Central Court of Edsi will nowmence the first trial of the defendant, Theia Esil.¡±

    The formal trial of Theia Esil had begun. She sat in the defendants seat, and herwyer was her former colleague, RegeL He had taken on the defense of Theia, a task everyone else had shunned.

    ¡°The jury trial for Theia Esil, charged with murder and treason¡­¡±

    The judge spoke of the allegations of Holy Knight murder and membership in the Vancheon. Theia looked at the jury box. It was filled with people from all walks of Life, each ready to pass judgment upon her.

    ¡°Let us begin with the prosecution''s case¡­¡±

    The trial proceeded, but for Theia, the words seemed to barely register.

    She had no other recourse; her guilt was certain, for she had killed her own mentor.

    Her only chance for survival was to expose the true face of her deceased mentor¡­

    She quietly closed her eyes.¡­Theia.

    The still lingering voice was that of Holy Knight Athan''s humanity.

    ¡ªThe world is truly strange. There are so many¡­ differences between people.

    ¡ªDifferences? Are you talking about the gap between the rich and the poor?

    ¡ªNo. Its not that issue. Its about the things we are born with. Sometimes, I doubt whether we are even the same species. Some people¡­ yes, people Like us can crush others with just a flick of a finger.

    Athan was a beautiful person. Perhaps a seeker. A sage who looked upon providence and a philosopher who pursued ideals.

    ¡ªIf someone strong can eliminate another just because they are stronger, then someone stronger than them can also eliminate them. That''s the only Logic that prevents the strong from recklessly conquering the weak. I use society to protect myself from those stronger than me.

    The caste system is fundamentally precarious. Its about the "physical power1 that nobles cannot inherit.

    If they fail to maintain their talents, eventually amoner stronger than them will appear, and the entire system could be violently overturned.

    Thus, the nobles superficially abandoned the caste system. They advocated for a mere facade of equality.

    Thus, nobles became ns, andmoners became citizens.

    ¡ªThis society has operated in such a way. But it''s bound to be imperfect. Eventually, a strong individual transcending ss¡­ or a viin opposing providence will emerge.

    With that, Athan spoke of the need for heroes.

    ¡ª¡­I tried to be a hero.

    He Looked towards a distant ce, like someone who had seen something of the future. Hemented his own gradual aging on the voyage of life.

    ¡ªLeave it to me, master.

    Theia had offered to take the burden, but Athan only gave a faint smile.

    Looking back, he had trusted only himself. He believed that he alone must care for the pitiful continent.

    That belief, once reaching the limits of his lifespan, had morphed into a misguided conviction, and he ultimately chose artificial Life extension.

    Theia could not condone her mentor''s actions.

    He was meant to die a hero.

    ¡°I call Emilia, the daughter of Holy Knight Athan, as a witness.¡±

    At the prosecutor''s words, Theia''s attention snapped back. She looked at Emilia seated in the witness stand.

    ¡°¡­Miss Emilia.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The prosecutor questioned her.

    ¡°Miss Emilia, it has been said that in the visiting room, Theia Esil apologized to you. Is this true?¡±

    Emilia looked at Theia. Theia met her gaze.

    ¡°Yes, it''s true. Theia Esil definitely apologized to me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, you obtained a confession?¡±

    ¡°Objection!¡±

    Regel quickly stood up to object, but the judge dismissed it.

    That was just the beginning.

    A flood of witnesses followed.

    Unknown acquaintances of Holy Knight Athan, those iming to be his disciples though not officially recognized as such, and more¡­

    Theia was exhausted. She merely sat there, but the proceedings moved on without her.

    Then, she noticed the courfs guards.

    One of the two knights was Gerkhen. He stood at the courtroom door, d in the armor of the Parliamentary Knights, his back turned.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia looked at him, pondering. Her mentor hadn''t entrusted her with his dream, but she felt that she might be able to take it on.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Theia had not yet told the guards about the payment for her lunch.

    ''A single visit would be enough/

    I have been busying myself day by day. First, I recruited the architect ''Barbosa'' to build the art gallery. He was destined to be quite famous in the future.

    ¡°How do you find the blueprints from Lord Jade?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ They1 re beautiful. But it seems like the person isn''t familiar with the actual site. There are too many impossible structures.¡±

    Of course, Jade would be involved in the design. The architect would point out the unrealistic aspects of Jade''s ns, and I would mediate to find apromise.

    That was the n.

    ¡°Could I possibly meet and discuss this directly?¡±

    The architect seemed frustrated by this method, but I smiled faintly and shook my head.

    ¡°Trust me. This way is much better. For your safety as well.¡±

    ¡°My safety¡­¡±

    Barbosa''s face turned slightly pale.

    Not without reason, as this young architect wasn''t ustomed to the polite discourse expected by nobility.

    Without sufficient courtesy and protocol, he would surely offend Jade, and even a benign Jade might sever an arm or so.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Then, I''ll see you at the same time tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I''ll be there¡±

    ¡°No, Mr. Barbosa, you don''t need to move.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh?¡±

    Barbosa, Looking bewildered as he gathered his belongings, was a curly-haired young architect brimming with talent and passion but Lacking in money and space.

    ¡°From today, this ce will be Mr. Barbosa''s architectural office.¡±

    I spread my arms wide, showing him the space filled with all sorts of equipment for designing.

    ¡°This is a small gift from us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Barbosa was speechless, his mouth half-open, his twitching ears seemingly expressing his emotions.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. You can continue working here.¡±

    It felt somewhat good to help nurture young talent.

    Was this a vicarious satisfaction for my lost continuity?

    Well, it''s also a financially sound investment. He''ll soon be a big shot that money can''t buy.

    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±

    ¡°You''re wee.¡±

    I stepped out of the office, and Barbosa followed, continuously expressing his gratitude.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir Shion.¡±

    His eyes were almost ufortably grateful.

    In just six years, he would be a renowned architect, and in seven years, he would be gone to me¡­

    ¡°Please stay inside.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you!¡±

    I smiled and sent him back inside, then my gaze sharpened again.

    There was a tail.

    Someone had been following me for some time. Not just anybody, but a professional. In terms of skill, a master.

    And I hadn''t noticed.

    Grawl was the one who pointed it out to me. He told me a few weeks ago that someone had been tailing me.

    ''Grawl. Is he still following?''

    ''Yes!''

    ''Okay£º

    I calmly led him on. The trap was already set.

    The destination was a secluded ground-level parking lot. There was only one car and no cameras.

    I had deliberately created an opening.

    I held my phone to my ear with one hand and gripped the car door handle with the other.

    With both hands upied, now would be the perfect moment for an assassin to strike.

    A silent sword wind surged.

    Noiseless and with minimal presence, a highly concentrated sword strike.

    I raised my sword to block it.

    Chang¡ª!

    The impact was tremendous. My hand shook violently. The assant charged with the sword wind, swinging a deeply curved de.

    My sword shed with his. The air burst from the collision scraped my entire body, causing cuts everywhere. In that moment, I was bloodied.

    Crack¡­

    I engaged my Severing Sword while still in contact with his de.

    That is, I swung my sword while still shing with his.

    A maneuver impossible by natural Laws, made possible only by the Severing Sword, a technique of impossibilities.

    ¡°1¡±

    The startled assant quickly retreated, but my reinforcements appeared behind him.

    ¡°Ha-!¡±

    It was soliette. The assassin raised his sword against her, but she thoroughly dismantled his technique. In this open field, few swordsmen could match her standard.

    Such is the hallmark of Arkne swordsmanship.

    Aren, superior in one-on-one swordy to any other martial art.

    ng! ng!

    The assassin was pushed back as he parried with his sword. His arm was shed, his shoulder was shed, and his thigh was shed. Meanwhile, Soliette remained unscathed.

    ¡°Damn!¡±

    Realizing his defeat, the man quickly tried to flee, but I had already prepared a barrier.

    Thud!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    He collided with the edge of the barrier, falling over like a bird hitting a window.

    Soliette rushed forward, knocking his sword away with her own, then aimed the tip of her sword at his throat.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    I approached him and removed his mask first.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    A smirk escaped me at the sight of his face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He red at me, sighing in resignation.

    ¡°Kill me.¡±

    The assassin told me to kill him, but there was no way I was going to kill him.

    It had been a long time since I''d seen that face.

    Aren.

    The disciple of Theia and my colleague before the regression.

    As always, hot-headed and impulsive, a man of loyalty without foresight.

    ¡°¡­Why are you doing this?¡±

    I asked him. Aren chuckled bitterly.

    ¡°Are you asking me why I''m doing this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Doing this won''t help your master.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Aren flipped me off. Soliette furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Shion, who is this person? He''s quite rude.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey. Daughter of Arkne. Do you even know who you''re helping?¡±

    At Aren''s words, Soliette retorted with the same phrase.

    ¡°Fuck off. Asshole.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Aren blinked and then looked back at me. It seemed he thought it pointless to converse with soliette.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Just kill me already.¡±

    He urged his own death in a flustered tone. I shook my head.

    ¡°¡­I won''t kill you.¡±

    Aren looked at me bewilderedly, and I added another line.

    ¡°Also, your master won''t die either.¡±

    ¡°¡­What, what?!¡±

    Aren''s head shot up at my words.

    ¡°You''ll find out the reason soon.¡±

    I withdrew soliette''s sword tip. I deactivated the barrier. I gestured Aren to leave.

    ¡°G0. IHL overlook today*s incident.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Aren still looked confused, but he soon backed away from the parking Lot.

    Soliette puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°¡­ls it really okay to let him go? He seriously tried to kill you, Shion.¡±

    ¡°lt didn''t hurt much.¡±

    ¡°You look terribly hurt. Shion, you should Look in a mirror.¡±

    Soliette showed me her sword de. I saw my reflection in it. My face and body were covered in blood.

    ¡°This is his Spectrum. It doesn''t hurt much, th0ugh¡­¡±

    ¡¸Radiate¡¹-the sword wind spreads Like actual des. Essentially, my body had just been put through a blender.

    Still, it really didn''t hurt.

    I couldn''t use Magic Body, but thanks to my inherently tough body.

    ¡°¡­lt does look a bit bad.¡±

    Hmm. I wiped my face first with a handkerchief from my pocket.

    On a clear weekend afternoon, in the visiting room of Beros Detention Center.

    Theia saw Gerkhen who hade to visit her. Gerkhen was dressed in casual clothes, looking more mature than before, having Lost some of his baby fat.

    ¡°Professor. Here are the books you requested.¡±

    Gerkhen handed over three thick volumes of humanities texts that Theia had asked for.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    A bitter smile spread across Theia''s lips.

    Gerkhen asked her, concern evident in his voice.

    ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡±

    Considering his usually stoic demeanor, this Level of expression was not bad. In fact, it was almost touching.

    They had been together for about four years.

    It seemed they had grown quite fond of each other during that time.

    ¡°Gerkhen.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about memories?¡±

    Theia asked him. Gerkhen scratched his temple, appearing to think.

    ¡°You''ve said quite a Lot¡­ Which statement are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°¡­I did talk a lot.¡±

    She handed Gerkhen a piece of paper. He took it.

    ¡°There''s evidence there.¡±

    ¡°Evidence¡­ you mean?¡±

    Theia looked away silently for a moment. Her gaze was inscrutable. Gerkhen quickly grasped her intention.

    It meant there was ''surveince'' by Libra.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you wish for?¡±

    Gerkhen tucked the paper into his pocket.

    ¡°Find the evidence at the location written there¡­¡±

    Theia spoke softly.

    ¡°And destroy it.¡±

    Destroy.

    The ent on that word was strange. Gerkhen quietly looked at her. Theia met his gaze.

    Tick-tock¡ªtick-tock¡ª

    The second hand of the clock in the visiting room passed between them.

    ¡°¡­Didn''t I tell you before?¡±

    Theia subtly reminded him of the past.

    There was something she had once said to Gerkhen.

    ¡°lf I ever find myself in the worst possible situation¡­¡±

    That worst situation was ''now''.

    She was bound to lose in the trial. No matter how much she thought, deliberated, and agonized, she couldn''t confess her mentor''s crimes herself.

    She couldn''t tarnish him, the man who had helped continue her Life, the man who had shaped her current self.

    She couldn''t bring down the entire beautiful Life of a saint named Athan because of a very briefpse in herter years.

    ¡°¡­ril Leave the rest unsaid.¡±

    A simple smile appeared on her lips, and Gerkhen stiffened.

    Just then, the visiting time was over.

    ¡°Go now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia Esil Left first. She soon disappeared from Gerkhen''s sight.

    A bit btedly, Gerkhen stood up and turned around.

    Shuffling, staggering out of the visiting room, Theia Esirs voice echoed in his ears.

    ¡°lf I ever find myself in the worst possible situation¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, you''ll be able to be a Senator.¡±

 Chapter 332: Dream (2)

    Chapter 332: Dream (2)

    Gerkhen was born in a canyon in the desert, a ce untouched by the reach ofw enforcement. In fact, such concepts didn''t even exist there.

    The canyon was a vige where various tribes mingled. Although disputes among the tribes were frequent, there was also harmony. They shared amon culture in a society with hundreds of years of history.

    Gerkhen had parents. He wasn''t devoid of such rtionships. In fact, he belonged to a lineage considered noble¡ªhe was the son of a tribal chief.

    In the sandstorm-swept desert, they scraped out a living.

    Their life and customs were entirely different from the civilization of the continent, yet there was a unique mystique to their existence.

    It could have been a happy life, even if it was stagnant.

    Then, uninvited guests flooded into the canyon.

    Gerkhen was young at the time. All he could remember was that they were dressed in suits. He still didn''t know why they hade to the canyon.

    They simply killed his parents and kidnapped the children. Despite all the tribes uniting their strength, it was overwhelmingly insufficient.Gerkhen''s parents hid him beneath the sand. In the pitch-ck darkness and residual heat of the sand, Gerkhen felt the death of his parents.

    The canyon was thus destroyed, and Gerkhen was buried in the scorching sand.

    He slowly began to die. The thickyer of sand was something a child could not uncover.

    Had a day passed?

    Two days?

    Three days?

    Just when his soul seemed to shrivel up, a faint light seeped in. The oppressive sand was swept away, and soon, he felt hands lifting him up, as if he was being reborn.

    When he opened his eyes, he was in a hospital.

    It was a world entirely different from the canyon.

    Gerkhen felt more confusion than sorrow.

    ¡°You''re just like me.¡±

    Suddenly, a clear voice called out to him. Gerkhen turned towards it with a start.

    ¡°What''s your name?¡±

    At that time, he was too emaciated and couldn''t speak themonnguage of the continent. She couldn''t read thenguage of the desert either.

    ¡°Name. I''m talking about your name.¡±

    However, Gerkhen cleverly understood the meaning of the gesture pointing at him.

    ¡°Jelkin? That''s unusual.¡±

    Jelkin was the desert pronunciation.

    In themonnguage of the continent, it would be Gerkhen.

    ¡°My name is Theia.¡±

    Theia.

    Gerkhen remembered her name. She might not remember him from that time, but Gerkhen remembered her.

    Even now, he remembers.

    Gerkhen looked up at the sky and sighed deeply. A full moon, like those seen in the desert, was rising. It filled his eyespletely.

    Gerkhen let go of the note from Theia that was caught between his fingers. It fluttered away in the wind.

    He had already unraveled the coordinates. Gerkhen had found the ''evidence'' Theia had hidden.

    It was the relic of Holy Knight Athan, smeared with blood and magic.

    The evidence was clear.

    Gerkhen knew what Theia wanted with this. He also understood what she expected from him.

    However, he needed time to think.

    Theia might have forgotten Gerkhen''s past, but for him, those days felt as recent as Last night.

    Therefore, betraying Theia was not something he could do simply at her whim.

    Thus¡­

    ¡°¡­sigh.¡±

    With his head bowed, Gerkhen let out a sigh that resembled the sand.

    At the construction site of the museum, which was in full swing.

    ¡°lts troubling.¡±

    Jade chuckled as he watched the site.

    ¡°lf its going to be andmark building, it should have a proper name.¡±

    He had been muttering the word ndmark'' frequently these days. It was because the tone of the articles about Jade''s museum dered it andmark.

    ¡°Have you thought of anything?¡±

    He casually asked me.

    In truth, I had been waiting for this question.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ How about this?¡±

    I suggested a name for the museum to Jade, one that could help reconcile him and her.

    ¡°¡­What does it mean?¡±

    Jade asked about the meaning.

    It was time to persuade him with all my might.

    ¡­

    She, Eceline, showed me apleted canvas. It was a painting she had worked on all week.

    ¡° is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­lt''s beautiful.¡±

    I admired it honestly.

    She had a talent I was unaware of. At least, it was a talent that hadn''t stood out in the future before my death.

    Back then, she was simply known as a painter who had been exploited by Jade.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    But now.

    This canvas was truly art. The magic and soul imbued in the painting vividly affected me.

    If Jade had seen this painting, he probably would have thought simrly.

    ¡°lts ready to be exhibited right now.¡±

    I suddenly became curious.

    What had be of her before the regression?

    Had she fled from Jade, or had she continued only teaching students?

    I didn''t know her ultimate fate.

    There were too many things in this world that I didn''t know.

    From now on, such things would be plentiful.

    ¡°Will you exhibit it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eceline remained silent for a long time, seemingly hesitant.

    ¡°lt seems you''re not ready yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then let''s erase it.¡±

    I handed her a paint can. Eceline flinched and waved her arm.

    The sight of her waving just her arm was somewhat pitiful.

    ¡°Why, why? Why erase it?¡±

    ¡°Art is, of course, for others as well.¡±

    I extended the paint can to her hand.

    ¡°lts also for the soul of the artist,¡± I exined.

    Eceline''s expression turned curious. Blinking, she took the paint can from me.

    ¡°Try spraying it. With all your might. If this painting is truly one you want to show to others, if it''s a painting that reveals your imagination, then it shouldn''t be possible¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yah!¡±

    Before I could finish my sentence, Eceline had already sprayed the paint can.

    Swoosh!

    The entire canvas was smeared with paint.

    Perhaps a masterpiece that could have made history was ruined, but Eceline''s expression seemed rather relieved.

    I asked softly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is the first time I''ve done something like this¡­ but it feels good.¡±

    Eceline smiled brightly, a genuinely happy face.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    She looked at her now chaotic canvas.

    ¡°Until now¡­ I think I''ve been painting for the sake of painting. Just for others, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that might be true. If it really was a painting that expressed ''you£» it couldn''t have been destroyed like this.¡±

    Honestly, it was all nonsense to me. In simpler terms, it was just a clever response. Eceline was interpreting my words in a way that suited her.

    If she hadn''t been able to spray the paint, I would have had a different response ready.

    ¡°Eceline. Ultimately, you are the subject of your art. Just as you own yourself.¡±

    After all, artists don''t need others. Its a profession that reveals oneself, so one''s own mindset is the most important thing.

    ¡°Yes. I should continue to paint.¡±

    Eceline took a deep breath.

    I quietly turned around and unfolded a newspaper I had prepared earlier.

    ¡°Um, did you know? There''s a museum being built nearby.¡±

    ¡°A museum?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Jade of Libra is constructing it. Its getting quite a bit of attention in the art world.¡±

    Eceline paused for a moment, then stealthily came over to peek at my newspaper.

    ¡°The museum''s name is

 Chapter 333: Dream â‘¶

    Chapter 333: Dream ¢Ç

    [Redondo Senator''s Sexual Scandal¡­ Shocking¡­]

    Just when Redondo and Berion, the two Senators, felt at ease, I broke the news. The headline was so horrific it was almost spoken of in hushed tones.

    Indeed, it involved a child sex scandal.

    Both Senators initially suspected Morpheus, but Morpheus was innocent. I had ordered them to pretend to withdraw from Edsi.

    Consequently, Senator Redondo naturally began to suspect others, and eventually, it became clear there was only one likely suspect.

    That is, Senator Berion.

    In the current situation, the only person who knew about the source and dared to explosively expose a Senator was another Senator, Berion himself.

    As a result.

    [Suspicions of Bribery Involving Senator Berion¡­]Berion''s source was also exposed. It was a mutual sniping among the senior Senators.

    Having one of them on my side would have made things easier, but this situation wasn''t bad either.

    They would bleed fighting each other, and the moment there seemed to be a hint of reconciliation, I would continue to fuel the fire.

    ¡°lndeed¡­ these are remarkably efficient weapons.¡±

    Leaving those old men behind, I sought out the newer Senators. They were people who could be persuaded and reasoned with.

    ¡°But as you know, we don''t have enough influence to decide on a defense contractor.¡±

    ¡°Thats alright. Its only a partial bid after aLL¡±

    I gave them a gentle smile.

    The defense sector is diverse, ranging from simple guns and cannons to swords, shields, arrows, drones¡­ the variety is endless, depending on whether the target is a monster, a beast, or a human.

    For now, securing even a small part of it would suffice.

    ¡°lf we can gather strength and secure even a small part, it will be easier from there.¡±

    With two influential Senators busy fighting each other, their usual tactic of crushing the new sprouts is absent.

    The newer Senators could also cautiously raise their voices.

    ¡°¡­That sounds feasible.¡±

    Then, the mustached Senator who had been quietly listening to me spoke up.

    He was ''Senator Ludeniel£» one of our people.

    I smiled at him, and he smiled back at me.

    This defense contract isn''t just a scheme to make money. Its a strategy to establish a ''foundation'' for the newer Senators, including Ludeniel, who will be our people.

    ¡°You won''t regret this.¡±

    The Morpheus contract will undoubtedly be a political achievement for them.

    Objectively speaking, the quality of Morpheus'' weapons is far superior.

    [Morpheus will eventually take over the defense industry, but I needed to think about the uing battle situations.]

    Derek''s plunder had already progressed significantly. Realizing the situation he was in, Derek would naturally wage war.

    In other words, a strategy for armed conflict was necessary.

    ¡°Here we are.¡±

    The secretive depths of the Intelligence Agency. I visited the underground dungeon with sonya. The new team Leader, Chloe, guided us personally.

    ¡°l''ll open the door.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Go ahead, Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Chloe left, and the iron bars opened.

    Creeeeak¡ª

    From such a dark, empty ce, there emerged a presence. It wasn''t the appearance of someone ravaged by the ce; rather, he looked remarkably human.

    Even if he didn''t shave for a day, he would be covered in stubble, so we forced him to shave daily, and his hair was cut once a week.

    Even his nutritional status was decent. No, he Looked much healthier and fleshier than when we first met.

    It might have been the prime of his life by his standards.

    It was evidence that we hadn''t treated him harshly or tortured him unnecessarily.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    I called out to him. He turned to Look at me. In his hands, he held a novel.

    [The Most Beautiful Elf in the World Discovers Me in a Dungeon¡­]

    The book''s title was incredibly long.

    ¡°Webler.¡±

    I called his name.

    Webler.

    The werewolf who had killed me before my regression, who had kidnapped sonya, a distant rtive of the current Libra.

    ¡°Put on quite some weight, haven''t you?¡±

    Sonya seemed displeased by that. Indeed, he had grown quite plump. Looked like he could yield thirty portions if butchered.

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    I gestured for him toe outside. Webler hesitantly got up. Together, we left the Intelligence Agency.

    A hill where the night breeze gently blew.

    The three of us stood on that mound.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Webler seemed somewhat resigned. Perhaps he thought, after being imprisoned for so many years, now was the time he would be killed.

    He was mistaken.

    Click- Click-

    I unlocked his handcuffs with a key. I freed the chains binding his wrists and ankles.

    ¡°You''re released.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    Webler trembled slightly, surprised.

    ¡°Four years, right? It''s been a Long time.¡±

    I smirked slightly at his reaction.

    ¡°I could have released you earlier, but I only gained this much power recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Webler swallowed. He alternately Looked at his wrists and ankles and then asked.

    ¡°Can I really¡­ go?¡±

    His voice was very deep. Truly, it was a charismatic voice.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders, gesturing vaguely into the distance.

    ¡°However, I have a proposal for you. From now on, it''s your choice. We need some people on our side.¡±

    The night sky was devoid of a full moon tonight. The clouds hadpletely swallowed it, and even if the moon were to reappear, it would only be a crescent.

    ¡°You''re free to leave now and Live freely with your tribe.¡±

    I had chosen this night deliberately.

    It would be a disaster if he turned into a wolf while walking away.

    ¡°But if you can help us,¡± I continued.

    Webler looked at me. I did not shy away from his wo If-1 ike gaze.

    ¡°Come find us with your tribe.¡±

    Werewolves had been persecuted and oppressed for centuries.

    Yet, they were distinctly human.

    Not monsters, not beasts, just humans with a unique Spectrum passed down called [BeastificationJ .

    ¡°l''ll build a vige for you. A vige where your people can live peacefully, to mingle with humans.¡±

    Webler''s eyes widened. He stared at me with eyes as big as moons.

    ¡°This might be thest chance for your tribe. Of course, it''s a risk for me too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can persuade the lord.¡±

    Here, ''the lord* refers to ''Zia.''

    Subtly, I was saying that the person who would help them wasn''t Zia, but ''me.''

    ¡°lf you trust me,e back¡­¡±

    I exhaled softly, clenching my fists.

    You probably don''t understand what kind of courage this takes for me.

    ¡°lf you can''t,¡±

    Releasing the man who had killed me and embracing him as an ally was the sentiment.

    ¡°At least we won''t bother your tribe, so live quietly.¡±

    Still, this Level of forgiveness wasn''t hard.

    You and I, after all, are both victims of Libra.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Webler stared at me nkly for a moment before turning around. He shuffled his feet a few times and then¡ªrustle-rustle-rustle!

    He disappeared over the hill.

    ¡°ls it really okay to Let him go Like that?¡±

    Sonya asked next to me.

    ¡°Yes. He''lle back.¡±

    He had done so before.

    ¡°But even if hees back, how will you manage him?¡±

    ¡°l''ll handle it.¡±

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    ¡°W ½Ð¡±

    I stroked my chin, murmuring.

    ¡°Just make sure no civilians are killed, and try to keep the infighting to a minimum, right?¡±

    The werewolves would be used against Derek''s bncers and eventually against Sherlock.

    Maybe even to kill Zia.

    Sonya chuckled softly.

    ¡°lnteresting.¡±

    I watched sonya quietly for a moment before murmuring.

    ¡°MS. Sonya.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You''ve been through a lot.¡±

    Sonya then looked at me quietly. It must have been quite a while since she received any praise.

    Derek and Zia were usually quite stingy with theirpliments towards her.

    Her eyebrows twitched as if surprised.

    ¡°I only assisted. I never imagined Zia would be such a capable direct descendant. Of course, it wouldn''t have been possible without you or Zia.¡±

    I smiled faintly.

    Suddenly, a question popped into my head.

    ¡°Ms. Sonya, do you know anything about Lord Sherlock?¡±

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    She fiddled with her cheek.

    ¡°l''ve only seen him once¡­ He''s not easy to describe. I don''t know much.¡±

    Sonya, who had Lived in the Aerial Garden for over 30 years, had only seen the Lord once.

    There must be something about him.

    ¡°By the way, are you sure you don''t need any assistive devices?¡±

    I looked at sonya''s leg. She was still limping.

    ¡°lts okay. This leg should remain as evidence.¡±

    ¡°¡­Evidence?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Evidence that I was betrayed by that bastard Derek.¡±

    Sonya spat the words out bitterly.

    As time passed, Sonya''s resentment towards Derek grew so much that cursing him had be as natural as breathing.

    ¡°ln that case¡­ I guess celebrations are in order soon.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Ah~¡±

    Realizing what I meant, Sonya burst into a broad smile.

    On a spring day when the frozen river breaks and sprouts begin to emerge.

    ¡°¡­Officially.¡±

    Zia had prepared a modest celebration party.

    ¡°lts mine now.¡±

    I easily understood her words.

    Through consistent buying and backdoor deals, securing stocks, and the shares of [Industry] and [Commercial District] that Derek had handed over, plus lobbying a few board members.

    We hadpletely swallowed Derek''s governance structure.

    Now, even after his trial ends, Derek won''t be able to return to hispany.

    No, it''s no Longer "hispany/

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    I poured wine for her. Zia sipped her ss with a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ When should we reveal it?¡±

    ¡°lts best to dy as Long as possible. We need to build up our strength in case of e m e rgen cies.¡±

    Honestly, my heart has been flutteringtely. I''m a bit nervous.

    It''s not for no reason; the werewolves haven''te back yet.

    I might have been too generous in letting them go without knowing where their new hideout is.

    ¡°Also, Morpheus has secured a portion of the defense business rights.¡±

    ¡°¡­A portion?¡±

    Zia asked with a somewhat meaningful tone.

    ¡°Yes. Our pie will continue to grow, and so will the influence of the Senators we support.¡±

    ¡°Mmm~¡±

    Zia quickly grasped my meaning. It was far better in the long run to increase the influence in the parliament than to swallow the entire defense industry at once.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    She called me.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Whether there was sincerity in her thanks, or if it was merely a tactic to reassure me, I couldn''t yet tell.

    But I simply responded like her loyal servant.

    ¡°There''s still more to be done. Should Derek somehow catch wind of this, I''ll inform you immediately, so please stay hidden.¡±

    ¡°Because there might be a war¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Just in case, I had prepared a separate hideout. Zia Looked at me and took another sip of her wine.

    Two sips.

    Just that was enough to flush her cheeks.

    ¡°Shion¡­¡±

    Her voice trailed off slightly.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ could you show me the Severing Sword?¡±

    The Severing Sword she referred to was probably the ''Severing Sword£» but it was an unexpected request.

    ¡°lts possible, but here?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Without any fuss, I drew the sword. I executed the simplest form of Severing Sword-Draw. In an instant, the air distorted, and the space seemed to warp.

    Zia''s eyes widened. She had noticed the ''change in space.''

    ¡°lt looks like you sliced through space¡­ How does that work¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don''t really know myself.¡±

    The reason I could replicate the Severing Sword was due to ¡¸Memory¡¹¡ö [NotepadJ saved the memory.

    Before the regression, I merely reminisced and imitated soliette''s technique.

    ¡°Shion¡­ can it also cut through things that are not visible¡­?¡±

    Zia''s speech was quite slurred.

    Was she really tipsy after just two sses, or was it an act?

    She was a person I didn''t know. The hardest person to understand.

    ¡°Yes. It should be possible.¡±

    Before the regression, Soliette had indeed cut through naturalws with the Severing Sword.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Zia staggered. She wobbled on her legs and then lunged into my chest.

    Thump.

    Her forehead rested against my chest.

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    I found myself holding her unexpectedly. In that state, Zia fell asleep, and I momentarily stiffened.

    Softly.

    A pleasant scent rose from her head. It was soft, somehow swirling with a hint of red, like the fragrance of roses.

    Then.

    Knock-knock¡ª

    A sudden knock sounded.

    And,

    Before I could respond,

    ¡ª¡ªBang!

    The door opened.

 Chapter 334: Dream (4)

    Chapter 334: Dream (4)

    ¡ª¡ªThat night.

    Johanna caught onto something. Recently, for various reasons, she had almostpletely abandoned her duties. No, she had lost interest and drive, but her instincts were still sharp, and today she had detected an unusual flow of funds.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Johanna silently scrutinized the documents. They were cleverly disguised, but suspicious enough to warrant doubt.

    A scheme so well hidden that even she couldn''t be certain.

    Perhaps it was just a desperate attempt by that guy who had once said he simply ''wanted to live.''

    Johanna scanned the papers with emotionless eyes.

    In the past, she might have been somewhat angry. But now, she was merely intrigued, not feeling betrayed.

    Perhaps because the victim was Derek.

    ¡°¡­¡­ lnteresting.¡±

    Derek was a disgrace to Libra. Besides his goddamn overwriting souls antics, he always pursued shortsighted profits and screwed things up more than once.

    Hopefully, he wouldn''t get caught this time, as he was currently unting his face everywhere in the most mboyant way possible.

    Stupidly, wisely, or regrettably, Derek had entrusted Zia with the shares of [Industry] and [Commercial District].

    And this was the result.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Johanna had quite a few questions. Most of all, it was about the cash reserves.

    Zia''s operation was, to put it simply, brutishly straightforward. As straightforward as it was difficult to detect, and as straightforward as it required a massive amount of cash¡­

    Well, she could just ask directly.

    Johanna clenched the documents and walked out into the hallway. She knocked on Zia''s door.

    Knock-knock¡ª

    At that moment, she wasn''t sure what she was thinking.

    But when she swung the door open.

    Her mind went nk for a moment.

    Because of the shocking scene before her.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    In the middle of the Living room stood Shion.

    Zia was tightly embraced against his chest.

    Johanna quietly observed the two, who seemed as if they might merge bodies if left alone. The vivid scene was etched into her retina and iris.

    Her face hardened. It stiffened as if all moisture had been sucked out of her face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡±

    A hollowugh escaped her. It was a sneer she didn''t even realize she had made.

    Johanna immediately turned around and closed the door.

    Crash¡ª!

    Something shattered. It seemed she had broken the door unintentionally, but it didn''t matter.

    It was better than breaking the bodies of those bastards.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Johanna came and went, and in the aftermath, the door was smashed to pieces, with fragments scattered around the room as if an earthquake had urred.

    Meanwhile, Zia was still asleep.

    Iid her on the sofa. She seemed to be dreaming peacefully, her face innocent like a child''s. I stared intently at her.

    Was she really asleep, or just pretending to be?

    Either way, I couldn''t be sure with her, but time was running short.

    In the current situation, there was only one thing I needed to do.

    I went outside to chase after Johanna. I ran down the hallway and stopped in front of her room.

    ¡ª¡ªKnock-knock.

    I knocked.

    There was no response.

    ¡ª¡ªKnock-knock.

    I knocked again and spoke.

    ¡°Lady Johanna.¡±

    Still, there was no answer.

    ¡ª¡ªKnock-knock.

    ¡°May Ie in?¡±

    She didn''t say anything, but.

    ¡°l''ming in.¡±

    I opened the door on my own.

    Creeeak¡­

    Johanna was standing in the middle of her vast bedroom, shrouded in darkness, the air she breathed, sharp.

    ¡°Lady Johanna.¡±

    I called out to her. Soon, her piercing blue eyes shed ominously.

    ¡°¡­Does Zia desire session?¡±

    It was a rather direct question.

    Apparently, Johanna had already grasped Zia''s intentions.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    She let out a hollow Laugh.

    ¡°But, I really don''t understand.¡±

    She looked at me as if analyzing. Her pupils flickered withplex emotions.

    ¡°I really don''t get it.¡±

    Her voice trembled with a mix of anger, confusion, and sorrow.

    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±

    She seemed to have misunderstood the situation earlier, but making excuses was the most pointless thing to do. It was the very thing she hated, the very thing that should not be done to her.

    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±

    Perhaps she already knew it was a misunderstanding.

    Maybe it was just the explosion of some emotions that had been building up over time.

    ¡°You im to love me, yet you stay by Zia''s side? You show me such things from her side?¡±

    ¡­Either way, I don''t know her now, so I shouldn''t make excuses.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    She urged me. Her words were edged like a de.

    It was a crossroads for me.

    A wrong choice here could turn all my efforts to dust, and the old Johanna might revive.

    Therefore, I must do what ''Johanna'' likes best.

    I must honestly convey my feelings¡­

    ¡­

    Tick-tock¡ª tick-tock¡ª

    Only the loud ticking of the clock in the eerily silent room where Ziay motionless on the sofa, the doorpletely shattered.

    Then outside the door, the rushing air seemed cold, making her curl up like a shrimp. Her brow furrowed slightly.

    Tick-tock¡ª tick-tock¡ª

    Soon, she settled her breathing with a child-like face.

    The ticking of the second hand and the sound of breathing filled the room Like a metronome.

    Tick-tock¡ª tick-tock¡ª

    Ziay there, peacefully asleep.

    ¡­

    Tick-tock¡ª tick-tock¡ª

    The room was filled with the sound of a grand clock, ornately decorated with all sorts of jewels, somewhat imposing.

    ¡°I just can''t understand it. No matter how much I think about it, even if I try to force myself to understand.¡±

    Johanna was furious. Her anger was directed at me, and at herself.

    ¡°lf its about session, it could be me instead of Zia.¡±

    She was as subdued as ashes.

    ¡°No, perhaps it would be better for both you and me if it were me.¡±

    With those words, she red at me.

    ¡°lf you really love me.¡±

    ¡­

    I met her gaze head-on, not avoiding it at all. It was an anger that should not be avoided.

    ¡°You talk about your father''s legacy, but to me, it feels like an excuse.¡±

    Johanna let out a long breath. Her fists were clenched tight.

    ¡°So tell me. Your heart.¡±

    At hermand, I took a step forward.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I bowed my head slightly in guilt, then raised it again to look at her.

    ¡°I will confess now.¡±

    There was only one purpose.

    Her ambition must not be revived. She must be thoroughly broken down, reduced to an ordinary person.

    ¡°I do not wish for Lady Johanna to be the sessor.¡±

    It was a bted honesty.

    Johanna''s eyes sharpened, and magic surged beside her shoulders. She felt betrayed.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I stepped towards her. She was within ten paces of me.

    ¡°The position of head of the family. Lady Johanna, ascending to that isted pinnacle¡­¡±

    One step.

    Another step.

    I moved closer to her.

    ¡°lt seems lonely. You, at the apex of Libra.¡±

    At that moment, Johanna''s body shook violently.

    The way one addresses another can change emotions. The title ''you'' might be a greater act of courage for both her and me than calling her by name.

    I calmly continued.

    ¡°T00 lonely.¡±

    Then, Johanna''s feet, which had seemed rooted to the floor, lifted.

    I moved towards her, but she stepped back.

    Perhaps, an act she had never performed in her Life as Johanna.

    ¡°Because it seems unhappy.¡±

    However, her steps back were slower than my steps forward, making it easy for me to follow, to catch up.

    ¡°I wish for you to be ordinary.¡±

    I conveyed my honesty right in front of her, our breaths mingling.

    ¡°Ordinary.¡±

    She murmured. Her faint breath touched my chest.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    At times, I had asked myself this question. It was a self-mocking inquiry.

    I wondered how much of myself I could sell for my revenge.

    Perhaps, everything.

    ¡°l''m sorry.¡±

    That''s why I apologized to her. I needed to apologize for what I had done.

    ¡°I couldn''t bear it any longer.¡±

    I ced my hands on her cheeks. My palms gently enveloped her face, slowly pulling her closer to me.

    Our lips met.

    In the Aerial Garden, the moonlight seeped through the window. The pale light illuminated her.

    ¡°¡­1¡±

    Her eyes widened suddenly. Her trembling transmitted to me. The pounding of her heart felt like it would burst through her entire body.

    I mimicked that too.

    Johanna is inherently a person of faint emotions. After a fiery passion sweeps through her, she might doubt my normal heartbeat.

    So, I made my heart beat too.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    My trembling seemed to calm her, and she quietly closed her eyes. She exhaled deeply and let her arms fall.

    I focused on this moment.

    It wasn''t difficult.

    Just Like expressing love to a Loved one, just like conveying Love to a Loved one.

    All it took was acting.

    ¡­How long had it been?

    The ticking of the clock sounded dozens of times, and as the moonlight shifted away.

    I detached my lips. I looked at her with eyes full of sin. Johanna looked back at me simrly. Her eyes were profoundly sorrowful.

    I gave her a sad smile.

    ¡°l''m really sorry.¡±

    I apologized once more. I moved again. I stretched out my arms and embraced her. A breathless sound escaped Johanna''s lips.

    However, I couldn''t give her myself all at once.

    Even if I were to sell my soul, it would be more effective to do it in parts.

    Now, another act was needed.

    In fact, it hardly needed to be called acting.

    From a certain point, pain was growing inside my body, and by focusing on that pain, that was all it took.

    I closed my eyes.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    I let out a rough groan and closed my eyes. Before Johanna could even express her confusion, I had lost consciousness. I leaned my entire body against her as I embraced her.

    ¡°¡­Shion?¡±

    She called my name in a bewildered voice, but my vision was already pitch ck.

    I couldn''t see anything.

    The best way to fake fainting is to actually fainting.

    ¡­

    Outside, faint noises could be heard. Someone whispered urgently to fix the door. Soon, the same door was reattached to her room, and the slight breeze that had beening in stopped.

    Had the ''incident'' concluded?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Even then, Zia, who had been Lying on the sofa, slowly opened her eyes.

    She carefully sat up. She looked around the room and poured herself a cup of water.

    Chrrrr.

    Just a single sip.

    With that, the drunkenness that had overtaken her body vanished, and her flushed cheeks paled.

    Zia cleared her throat with a cough and sat down in her office chair. She Lifted herptop and checked several documents.

    Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

    She began typing on the keyboard, resuming her work.

    Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

    There was much to do.

    She preferred tomunicate hermands through text.

    Tap-tap. Tap-ta¡­

    However, at some point, her fingers stopped moving.

    A strange curiosity arose. An unnecessary concern upied her mind.

    What had Shion and her sister done? How had Shion chided her sister?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zia quickly turned her head. It was a curiosity uncharacteristic of her.

    She had left her sister in Shion''s hands, and she shouldn''t have been curious beyond that.

    She moved her fingers again.

    Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

    In the silent room, only the sound of the keyboard tapping quietly echoed.

 Chapter 335: Price(1)

    Chapter 335: Price(1)

    On a night bathed in moonlight.

    Johanna gazed at Shion, whoy on the bed. Her body and mind seemed drained, still caught in the aftermath. Her fingertips trembled, her breathing was ragged, and her hair was a disheveled mess, as if she had been struck by a bomb.

    Had she ever experienced such turmoil in her life?

    Certainly not.

    ¡ª¡­I wish for you to be ordinary.

    The audacious murmur of this insolent man still echoed in her ears. He had burst her heart open and now Lay there, alone, peacefully asleep¡­ no, unconscious.

    ¡°I wish for you to be ordinary.¡±

    To her, who was born far too special, Shion had dared to utter such a presumptuous wish.

    Had it been ten years earlier, would she have exploded his head? Or torn him limb from limb?Yet, Johanna felt she understood his intention.

    I wish for you to be ordinary.

    Her Life had been anything but ordinary. It was not a human life. It was filled only with obsession, greed, and desire.

    But Living that way, she could not grasp everything. She couldn''t forcibly hold on to it all. Her arms were not long enough for that.

    ¡°¡­ ludicrous.¡±

    Johanna had once desired to be the heir.

    It was not an ordinary position. It was immensely high and profoundly Lonely.

    Even bing such an heir, one could not possess everything.

    The more she possessed, the more endless loneliness ensued. Only boundless emptiness awaited.

    Her arms are not long. Her embrace is not wide.

    She can only carry, perhaps, one person.

    Tonight, She realized that.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Johanna''s cheeks flushed.

    She swallowed. Her hand, still trembling, she ced on Shion''s forehead. He was somewhat stable now, but still as hot as ever.

    There was no need to call a doctor. She already knew that no doctor could help. His condition was beyond the reach of modern medicine.

    Suddenly, she felt a deep mncholy. It was a heart-wrenching sadness, so intense that she momentarily couldn''t breathe.

    ¡°¡­That''s why.¡±

    Suddenly, the chests that had touched each other came to mind. The tremors that had affected him weren''t false.

    ¡°You asked me to stay away from you.¡±

    Thats what Shion had requested. But he had shattered it himself.

    Like Shion had said today, she simply couldn''t bear it.

    ¡°Zia¡­¡±

    Johanna thought of Zia. Unbeknownst to anyone, she had been building her power. Shion knew this and had secretly cooperated.

    Not for Zia, but for herself.

    ¡°This son of a¡­¡±

    Johanna stroked the audacious traitor''s hair. She gently fiddled with it and then Looked up at the sky.

    Thinking about it.

    Perhaps it would be better to be Zia than a madman Like Derek, or a lunatic like Jade.

    If Zia achieves her goal without dy, Shion might be able to spend his remaining days with her.

    If everything ends, even if it''s just for a short time, being together wouldn''t be such a bad conclusion.

    Johanna smiled faintly, but soon her expression sobered.

    Every action requires meticulous investigation. No bridge should be crossed hastily.

    For herself, and for Shion.

    Johanna rose from her seat. It was time to Leave. After the events of today, waking up together would be too awkward.

    ¡°¡­lfs good that you''re back, but you''re spouting nonsense.¡±

    The werewolf n''s hideout was deep underground, carved out of a mountain, a space that no one could ever discover. It perfectly suited the secretive life of the werewolf tribe.

    ¡°lts not nonsense.¡±

    Webler faced the n elder as he spoke.

    ¡°How long must we continue to live in hiding?¡±

    ¡°¡­We live well enough.¡±

    ¡°We don''t even see the sunlight. If we stagnate Like this, we''ll perish.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that would be better.¡±

    ¡°What, huh?¡±

    Webler furrowed his brow at the elder''s words.

    Humans need to live among other humans. A mere few dozen members of our n Living hidden away like this, unable to marry, will naturally die out.

    ¡°lts fortunate that you look healthy.¡±

    To the elder, Webler appeared much healthier than he had four years ago.

    ¡°Stop with the absurd talk of abandoning the hideout to build a vige. You don''t understand the hostility people have towards us. Do you know how many Legends and myths there are about werewolves?¡±

    Werewolves have been a longstanding subject of fear across the continent.

    If it were revealed that their n actually exists, the council might very wellmit genocide.

    ¡°l''m telling you there''s someone who can solve this. It was his suggestion that we use this hideout in the first ce.¡±

    Shion AscaL

    Now a Bncer, he had cooperated with the n to provide this hideout.

    ¡°¡­A hideout and a vige are different issues. They can''t solve everyth ing.¡±

    The elder was stubborn. Webler clenched his teeth.

    A prison would have been better. At least there was some freedom there. He could interact with other inmates, not just his n.

    They could talk, y card games, discuss novels, politics, and the continent.

    ¡°Elder, this is a prison. The ce where I was Locked up wasn''t a prison.¡±

    At Webler''s words, the elder''s brow furrowed, his nose elongating and transforming into that of a wolf.

    Webler was not intimidated in the slightest.

    ¡°The problem is the moon. If we can just avoid the full moon, we can certainly¡­ Live under the sunlight.¡±

    Werewolves are greatly affected by their natural environment, primarily due to the unavoidable influence of the full moon.

    ¡°So, Libra is going to help us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Bncer AscaL said so.¡±

    Webler''s respectful address of ''Bncer'' irked the elder.

    ¡°Don''t you watch the news?¡±

    ¡°How could I, locked up in prison?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ahem.¡±

    The elder coughed awkwardly and handed over a few newspapers to him.

    ¡°There are factions within Libra too. Currently, Derek is the most likely sessor. Go see the mess he''s made. Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°The one Bncer Ascal serves is not Derek.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Webler tossed the newspaper aside as he spoke.

    ¡°lt means that their kindness is not unterally bestowed. Bncer Ascal also needs our help to some extent.¡±

    The next day.

    A contact request came from the werewolves. It kept my spirits high all day.

    Of course, I could have asked Grawl to find out the location of the hideout, but initiating contact is always a positive sign.

    However, there were things to do before that.

    ¡° is it¡­?¡±

    Eceline. In the cramped studio, she Looked up at the painting she had created with an uncertain expression.

    ¡°ls there a problem?¡±

    To me, it seemed perfect, but Eceline appeared somewhat unsatisfied, or perhaps fearful.

    ¡°l''m not sure.¡±

    She leaned against the easel with her body.

    ¡°How people will perceive this painting¡­¡±

    I looked at the painting again.

    A night sky filled with stars. Yellow starlight entwined in a blue breeze, the colors shing intensely, with impressive brush strokes in every corner of the space. It was as if the light of the world was captured brilliantly.

    However, I was a bit concerned about the use of blue hues. Why did Eceline insist on using shades of blue?

    Even the stars, the theme of the canvas, were swallowed up in blue, ethereal.

    ¡°Even though it''s a painting you''re making for me¡­¡±

    The significance of the blue color is that it is the symbolic color of Libra.

    ¡°Still, art only gains meaning when people see it.¡±

    Eceline seemed not without ambition. Indeed, it was her ambition that Led her to give up art the moment she lost an arm.

    Unable to produce a satisfactory result due to her own desires.

    ¡°Then, lets submit it to a gallery.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? No!¡±

    Eceline turned to me in shock.

    ¡°I don''t have the confidence to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let''s use a pseudonym and see the reaction.¡±

    ¡°ln my view, this painting will definitely resonate. Not only for its artistic value but also for the ''magical value'' it holds within.¡±

    ¡°lt makes the space feel cool and clear, like a night breeze.¡±

    ¡°lts like a natural air conditioner and air purifier.¡±

    ¡°lf its a pseud0nym¡­ it means you''re hiding me.¡±

    ¡°ls there a problem?¡±

    Right now, Eceline is a coward. She''s afraid to show her painting, afraid of the criticism she might receive.

    ¡°lf so, just hide the name.¡±

    ¡°There''s no rule saying you can''t hide yourself in art.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eceline looked at me with contemtive eyes.

    ¡°Let''s submit it first and think Later. Artists sometimes fear more than necessary, not realizing that this fear gnaws at their souL¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    She held her face with one hand, deep in thought, and eventually nodded.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I''ll do that.¡±

    ¡°Thats good.¡±

    I smiled faintly and looked at the painting again.

    Pretending not to know, I floated a question.

    ¡°However, I notice that blue colors often appear in your paintings?¡±

    ¡°1¡±

    Eceline flinched.

    Not just this painting, but almost all of her unfinished works predominantly use blue.

    It''s probably because of Jade.

    A person who remains a bittersweet memory for her.

    ¡°lf it''s due to some trauma or mental image,let''s try to express the subject directly, rather than just the color.¡±

    ¡°The subject?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    My n is to draw out the person ''Jade'' from her through the medium of art.

    ¡°Whether it''s fear, terror, or any other emotion, to ovee it, you eventually have to face it.¡±

    If Eceline paints a portrait of Jade, and if by chance Jade sees it.

    There could be no more beautiful conclusion.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Eceline fidgeted with her fingers as she responded.

    ¡°l''ll keep trying. But first¡­ lets see how my painting is received.¡±

    In the solitary cell of Edsi Prison.

    Derek stared intently into Vern''s eyes.

    Once his rival, the CEO of the Leadingpany Everett. Always arrogant and annoying, a real piece of trash.

    Now, he was trapped in a solitary cell for a crime simr to Derek''s, with his neck in a noose.

    ¡°Gurgle, gurgling¡­¡±

    He wasn''t dead yet. He was still alive.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Derek smiled as he Looked at him.

    The sight of him iling his short legs in an attempt to Live, reaching out his hands aimlessly, was so delightfully undignified that Derek couldn''t help but smirk.

    ¡°Vern, why kill yourself? It''s such a pity.¡±

    Vern didn''t seem to want to die at all now, but it will still be considered a suicide.

    ¡°The board of Everett abandoned you, didn''t they? I would have wanted to die too.¡±

    Derek Laughed out loud.

    ¡°Why trust people? What were they? Loyalrades?¡±

    The governance structure of Everett that Vern had boasted about was easily ended by the betrayal of its directors. They pinned all the crimes of illegally using souls squarely on Vern.

    As a result, thepany survived, and the head¡ª

    ¡°Gah¡­¡±

    Foaming at the mouth.

    Derek flinched back, wary of the foam reaching him.

    ¡°Filthy bastard. Thats what you get for biting off more than you can chew.¡±

    ¡°Choke, choking¡­¡±

    Vern seemed to be full of regret now.

    So full of regret that he was even losing control of his bodily functions.

    ¡°Gurgle, gurgling¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Foaming blood from his mouth, spewing all manner of filth behind him as he died.

    To Derek, it was nothing short of a masterpiece.

    ¡°Choke, choking.¡±

    ¡°Rest in peace.¡±

    ¡°Choke, choking¡­¡±

    Derek watched until Vern''s breathing ceased. Only after confirming that his body had slumped and his neck waspletely broken did he leave the solitary cell.

    Suddenly, a bncer disguised as a guard approached him and whispered urgently.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Derek''s eyes widened. It wasn''t a surprise or shock, but rather something akin to ecstasy.

    ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A man named Gerkhen from the Knights of the Assembly, regarding Theia Esil¡­¡±

    The bncer whispered.

    Someone had captured crucial evidence rted to a murder charge against Theia Esil.

    ¡°Where is he now? Send someone immediately.¡±

    ¡°Belingham Kantar has already gone to meet him.¡±

    Belingham Kantar. Derek''s brow furrowed menacingly.

    ¡°Then you follow too.¡±

    Belingham was one of his father, Sherlock''s men. They were not entirely trustworthy.

    Especially Belingham, that inscrutable snake.

    ¡°Yes. I''ll pursue immediately.¡±

    ¡°Bring it back no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After sending the bncer off, Derek returned to the solitary cell.

    He sat quietly on the luxurious bed and smiled.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    When it rains, it pours. Good thingse in waves.

    Derek was feeling an emotion hard to believe.

    This moment, crushing all those who dared oppose him, was dozens of times more enjoyable than any of his numerous business sesses.

    It was ecstasy, almost at its peak.

    ¡°Ha ha¡­!¡±

    Derek surrendered himself to the overwhelming emotions.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha-

    -I¡±

    He burst into a monstrous Laughter.

    His loud Laughter filled the Lavished solitary cell.

 Chapter 336: Priceï¼ˆ2ï¼‰

    Chapter 336: Price£¨2£©

    [Breaking news. Former CEO of Everett, Vern, has reportedly taken his own life in prison¡­]

    It was a morning that the news of Vern''s suicide buzzed across the continent.

    [His suicide note stated that he takes all responsibility and apologizes to all associates of Erzebet¡­]

    I sat on the sofa in Zia''s room, watching the screen. There were many testimonies from those close to Vern, saying he had been struggling greatly, and his suicide note was disyed.

    It seemed Derek''s side had prepared thoroughly.

    ¡°Werewolves¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Zia, sitting at the dining table, muttered.

    I reported to her about the werewolf tribe.

    ¡°WiLL it work?¡±She blinked while eating.

    ¡°Yes. If they cooperate, they can build a vige.¡±

    Werewolves should not be considered merely as individuals. As a ''tribe£º they have enough power to fight on equal footing with Derek''s bncers.

    ¡°We need to build them a vige¡­¡±

    ¡°A vige without moonlight can certainly be built.¡±

    Zia pondered this, chewing her Lip before nodding.

    ¡°Okay¡­ I''ll trust you, Shion.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Being with her, I''vee to understand a lot of Zia''s expressions. Among them, 4I trust you'' often means it''s a n she herself isn''t fully confident about.

    Integrating werewolves into society is a challenging task.

    ¡°I will definitely make it seed.¡±

    I don''t know how she managed to win over the tribe before her regression, but I will use my own methods.

    ¡°Shion. How is brother Derek?¡±

    Zia asked about Derek.

    ¡°There''s increasing suspicion. It seems he''s not ready to reim his shares yet, considering the ongoing Lawsuits including ims from the bereaved, but most of the requests from the Intelligence Agency are directed towards Miss Zia.¡±

    Derek and his bncers continue to request the Intelligence Agency to monitor Zia.

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They1 re only getting responses that everything is normaL¡±

    The Intelligence Agency has already be privatized.

    Of course, there are Chasers Loyal to Derek inside, and there''s exactly one team Leader. Its all to avoid suspicion.

    ¡°Good¡­¡±

    A few of Derek''s loyalists inside aren''t a problem. The information they receive is already being blocked.

    ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡±

    Zia yawned contentedly and then smiled, pointing at the dishes on her dining table.

    ¡°Shion. It was delicious, as always¡­¡±

    ¡°l''m d to hear that.¡±

    I looked at Zia''s dining table. The dishes were all cleaned out.

    In the past, Libra''s Zia was known as a Light eater but a gourmet. The daily feasts were varied, and she was so picky that there were many foods she couldn''t eat.

    Now, she''s satisfied with my cooking. More precisely, her taste is being tamed.

    From these small things, I''m making her dependent on me¡­

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    I stood up and bowed to Zia.

    ¡°l''ll take my Leave now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I am facing the Leader of the werewolves. His appearance is quite ordinary. His body is a bit, no, quite hairy, and his features are sharp and robust, Looking Like a healthy man in his 70s.

    ¡°¡­Webler is not here.¡±

    ¡°I couldn''t bring a child to negotiate.¡±

    His voice is quite resonant. Truly befitting a chieftain leading a tribe.

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°They call me Zebet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zebet. Let me start with what we want to discuss: mutual cooperati 0 n .¡±

    ¡°¡­Mutual cooperation.¡±

    The elder asked in a Low voice.

    ¡°Do you mean to ask us to fight on your side?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There will eventually be a civil war within our family. If you support us then, we will build a vige for your people.¡±

    Elder Zebet then looked into my eyes, as if trying to discern my true intentions. His wo If-like eyes were deep and sharp.

    He soon let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Young man. I have lived nearly a hundred years.¡±

    ¡°A hundred years?¡±

    I was startled. Zebet nodded.

    ¡°103 years old. Anyway¡ª¡±

    ¡°You look remarkably young.¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    His face suggests he''s in his 70s, and his muscr body seems even younger, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

    It''s genuinely astonishing. A gic trait that many nobles would envy.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. Ahem.¡±

    Zebet cleared his throat with a snort.

    He quickly became serious again.

    ¡°Throughout the century of my life, do you think you''re the first person to speak to me this way?¡±

    ¡°There must have been many.¡±

    ¡°And how many times do you think we''ve been exploited?¡±

    ¡°We are not the ones who have exploited you.¡±

    I stated the principle. A new wrinkle formed between the elder''s brows.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°lts not rational to project the wounds from a former lover onto a new one.¡±

    ¡°¡­H uh.¡±

    The elder chuckled dryly. Then, as if he thought it was futile to continue talking, he began to stand.

    ¡°We will build it first.¡±

    ¡°¡­7¡±

    Encouraged by a senior mage, Elise quickly picked it up and answered.

    ¡°l''m in a meeting.¡±

    ¡ªOh, really?

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    She was startled by the overly familiar voice. Elise nced back at the phone screen.

    [Shion]

    It was Shion.

    Shion AscaL

    ¡ªI''ll call back Later then.

    ¡°¡­lt just ended.¡±

    Elise whispered softly and Looked around the conference room.

    ¡°There''s an urgent matter, may I take this call first?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure, go ahead.¡±

    Everyone understood.

    Probably because Elise was Elise. The only famous doctor in the Magic Tower, the brightest talent, the supernova illuminating the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Yes. Sorry.¡±

    Elise quickly left the conference room.

    Leaning against the wall, she grinned and asked.

    ¡°What? Whafs up?¡±

    ¡ªAh, nothing much. Are you interested in buying a painting?

    ¡°¡­A painting?¡±

    A painting?

    ¡ªYeah. A painting.

    ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±

    After such a Long time without contact, he''s not selling insurance but asking her to buy a painting?

    ¡ªrm trying to make you some money.

    ¡°¡­You''re phishing, aren''t you.¡±

    -What?

    Elise looked at the screen again.

    It was indeed Shion AscaL

    ¡°So what is it?¡±

    ¡ªReally, I''m trying to make you some money. Just buy a painting, Let it age a bit, then submit it to a gallery. You could make ten times, no, maybe even a hundred times your investment.¡±

    Elise puffed her cheeks.

    After months of no contact, he suddenly calls to tell me to buy a painting, saying it''ll increase tenfold, maybe a hundredfold.

    It''s a bit disappointing, but¡­

    ¡°¡­A hundredfold?¡±

    She wasn''tpletely uninterested.

    ¡°Really? It''ll actually increase a hundred times?¡±

    Elise, whose family support hadpletely stopped, needed money. Although she was covering her Magic Tower tuition with schrships and earning her Living expenses through medicine, her expenses were just too high.

    The cost of magical books and journal subscriptions skyrocketed as her grade increased, and she even had to produce and sell Bianca merchandise.

    ¡ªYeah. A hundredfold.

    Of all things, the biggest deficit was from Bianca merchandise.

    Due to the economic downturn, the merchandise wasn''t selling well. Of course, she kept trying, believing that someday everyone would recognize Bianca''s cuteness¡­

    ¡ªIt might even increase more.

    ¡°How much is that painting?¡±

    ¡ªWell, it should be a few hundred thousand Elnes at least.

    ¡°A few hundred thousand¡­ What if its not?¡±

    ¡ªThen it''s not.

    ¡°What? Are you crazy? Is a few hundred thousand your dog''s name?¡±

    ¡ªI have a cat.

    ¡°Ah, jeez!¡±

    Elise couldn''t help but revert to her old way of speaking from when she was younger.

    Shion AscaL is always like this, pulling out the most direct desires from his heart.

    ¡ªBut it''s almost certain. Almost a sure thing. ItlL definitely rise. 99%. Its such a perfect painting that I''m giving you this opportunity on purpose.

    A perfect painting. A perfect opportunity.

    No matter how you think about it, Shion isn''t someone to speak carelessly.

    ¡°Whose painting is it?¡±

    ¡ªOkay. Write this down.

    There''s no reason to refuse an opportunity to make money.

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    ¡ªDo you have your notebook?

    ¡°Yes. Til write it down.¡±

    In reality, she didn''t need to write it down. Her mind was like a Notepad, and once she heard a name, she could [maizej it to ensure she never forgot.

    ¡ªThe name is ''Lynsie''. It''s going to be auctioned at a small gallery near Lorca Art Center. You must buy that artists painting.

    ¡°Lynsie¡­ is that for real?¡±

    Elise, who had firmly memorized the name, asked doubtfully.

    ¡°Is it really?¡±

    ¡ªYeah. Its definitely going to skyrocket, so just buy it.

    ¡°Or else you''re dead.¡±

    ¡ªGo ahead an kill me. I''m hanging up now.

    ¡°¡­Alright. Take care.¡±

    Click-

    The call ended.

    Elise smirked slightly as she re-entered the conference room.

    ¡°Ah, you''re back. Shall we resume the meeting?¡±

    The senior mage¡­ actually, more of a grand senior. A top-ranked mage in his 40s, highly respected in the Magic Tower and the Likely next vice tower master.

    Elise had already reached a position where she was in meetings with such senior figures.

    ¡°Yes, let''s get right to it.¡±

    She started the PowerPoint presentation. The screen disyed images of a person whose Limbs had been severed and killed, and a video that seemed to manifest the magic used in the murder.

    ¡°First, here''s the process of Raquel Dra''s [Chimera MagicJ being manifested. The movement of all magical energy is quite unique. Its both structured and amorpho US¡­¡±

    Raquel Dra.

    His crimes continued steadily. In every moment not covered by the media, he was killing quite a few people.

    ¡°The development of the magic and magical energy is very strange. But, because of that¡­¡±

    Elise snapped her fingers with a winner''s smile.

    ¡°We can now track him with certainty.¡±

    A new magic appeared on the PPT. It involved a somewhatplex structure using mana stones, but Elise''s smile was confident.

    ¡°lrve named this magic¡­ ''Sky Network.''¡±

    Elise and the Magic Tower had been tracking Raquel Dra.

    Soon, they would catch him.

    Hello, this is SereneTrantions. Releases will now be once a week, say a big thanks to webnovelpub.pro for allowing me this change of schedule, that once used to be 5 times a week. Hope you enjoyed the mass releases in order to catch up.

 Chapter 337: Priceï¼ˆ3ï¼‰

    Chapter 337: Price£¨3£©

    Gerkhen suddenly looked at the person who hade to find him.

    A man with neatly groomed gray hair, a high nose bridge, and horn-rimmed sses.

    Belingham Kantar, a senior at Endex and a bncer at Libra.

    ¡°lt should be an easy decision.¡±

    He made an offer. For Gerkhen, it was anything but easy.

    ¡°l''ve seen various resumes rted to Mr. Gerkhen. At Endex, at the university, even in the Parliamentary Knights.¡±

    Belingham smiled faintly.

    ¡°You''ve consistently harbored the ambition to be a Senator, haven''t you?¡±

    Gerkhen remained silent the whole time. Since Belingham''s arrival, he hadn''t uttered a single word.¡°Don''t overthink it. We only want one thing.¡±

    Belingham continued. Without any sign of hurt feelings, not seeming coercive, as if he was proposing something truly beneficial for him.

    ¡°lf Mr. Gerkhen, or someone close to Mr. Gerkhen, has evidence rted to Theia EsiL¡±

    Belingham''s gaze sharpened for a moment.

    ¡°Make a deration of conscience.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Deration of conscience.

    The phrase tugged at Gerkhen''s heart. It would have been more fitting to call it a deration of no conscience.

    ¡°We will awaiting your resposne.¡±

    Belingham ced a blue business card on the desk. Gerkhen looked at the name and title written on it.

    [Libra, Belingham Kantar: Bncer]

    ¡°lf you ept the offer.¡±

    Gerkhen lifted his head. Belingham''s calm gray eyes curved gently.

    ¡°Mr. Gerkhen will have what he most desires.¡±

    What he most desires.

    It was simr to something Theia had once said to him, but the weight it carried was entirely different.

    ¡°lts time for the council to change, isn''t it?¡±

    They could easily create a Senator. The youngest, amoner-born Senator as well.

    They had that kind of power.

    Therefore, if he agreed, he could be a Senator.

    ¡°Then. I''ll see you again.¡±

    Perhaps reading his inner thoughts, Belingham stood up with a warm smile.

    Gerkhen picked up the business card he had left behind.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    He Looked at it for a long time, as if observing it.

    ¡­

    Outside, Belingham paused as he was about to get into his car. Someone emerged from the darkness, walking steadily.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    It was Bncer Smith. Once, a senior bncer like Belingham.

    ¡°I made the offer.¡±

    He is Derek''s confidant. Although his physical strength is exceptional, unfortunately, his senses are not as sharp.

    ¡°An offer? You made an offer?¡±

    He furrowed his brow. Belingham nodded.

    ¡°Yes. Do you think he won''t ept it?¡±

    ¡°Think he''ll ept it, my ass. Just an offer? This is a golden opportunity to bring down Theia.¡±

    ¡°¡­SO, what should have been done?¡±

    Belingham found Smith amusing.

    While he was utterly loyal to Derek, he failed to grasp the most crucial intentions of Zia.

    Of course, Zia''s strategy was cunning enough¡­

    But internal enemies were probably the biggest problem.

    Ultimately, it was Derek''s Lack of virtue.

    He treated people too carelessly.

    Those who treat people carelessly fail to treat the right people properly, and those who fail to treat people properly lose the trust of those who are not treated properly.

    This vicious cycle seemed to pose no problem while Derek reigned as emperor, but it was bound to crumble like a sandcastle when a much more meticulous and charismaticpetitor appeared.

    ¡°You should have brought evidence. Even if by force. Waiting for that bastard to give up the evidence? Stupid move. Its a blessing if they haven''t destroyed it yet¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean to reveal that we''ve been wiretapping and monitoring.¡±

    Smith''s brow twitched violently, and deep wrinkles formed on his face.

    Belingham calmed him down.

    ¡°Don''t be Like that. There''s no need to turn this guy into an enemy. He''s still of use to US.¡±

    ¡°The use you''re thinking of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave that to me. I gathered the information first. You understand, right?¡±

    They were at an impasse.

    Belingham got into the car. Just as he was about to drive away, Smith grabbed the window frame.

    Crunch!

    The body of the car dented as much as his grip. Belingham''s face turned visibly shocked.

    ¡°Ah¡­ this is a limited edition.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Do you think you''re always right?¡±

    Smith asked with a forced smile. Belingham met his rather vicious gaze.

    ¡°¡­ H mm.¡±

    Pretending to ponder, he stroked his chin for a moment.

    ¡°Yes. Not everything, but I believe I''m right most of the time.¡±

    He continued in a Low voice.

    ¡°Trust me, senior. I was the one who discovered Bncer AscaL I always act in Libra''s best interest.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Smith''s anger was visible, but he soon burst into genuineughter and let go of his hand.

    ¡°Ha¡­ I look forward to the day you be the sessor.¡±

    Belingham was momentarily lost for words.

    Then, smiling, he nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I hope so too.¡±

    ¡°GO.¡±

    Smith released his hand, and Belingham''s car sped away as if catapulted. The speed was indeed worthy of a Limited edition.

    ¡°¡­Fucking idiot.¡±

    Smith muttered as he red at the rear bumper.

    ¡ªMeow.

    A cat cried out. It was a kitten by the roadside.

    ¡°¡­Get lost.¡±

    Smith waved his hand dismissively and walked away.

    On a bright weekend afternoon, the small gallery at Lorca Art Center¡ª¡¸Loronoa¡¹.

    ¡°Hmm~¡±

    Elise attended the auction. She clumsily disguised her identity with a elegant hat and sunsses, and she was well-prepared financially.

    ¡°¡­ H m m~¡±

    Her gestures as she perused the gallery were practiced, having frequented art museums since her childhood. Though smaller in scalepared to those she had visited before, her purpose here was not mere observation.

    In the center of the gallery, an auction was set up.

    ¡°Wee, esteemed guests.¡±

    Elise was there today.

    ¡°Works by several emerging artists have been submitted. There are many young artists eagerly awaiting your patronage.¡±

    The auctioneer spoke more of patronage than the auction itself.

    Probably because the works of the emerging artists weren''t of significant value.

    ¡°¡­We will now begin. The first item is ''The Path of Georf by artist Verimant from Orlennes. The starting bid is 10,000 Ren. Bids will increase in increments of 500 Ren.¡±

    The auction had started.

    The first item closed at 30,000 Ren. It seemed to be worth just that.

    ¡°Yes. Next from Ortus¡­¡±

    Elise waited patiently.

    The name Shion had mentioned, Lynsie. She waited for that person''s work to appear.

    ¡°Sold for 50,000 Ren!¡±

    50,000 Ren seemed a bit much.

    Elise raised her eyebrows and scanned the surroundings.

    After about five rounds,

    ¡°The first work by the emerging artist Lynsie. ''Stars, Wind, and Sky.''¡±

    Lynsie''s work was presented.

    At that moment, Elise''s eyes widened. The piece was striking at first nce. The canvas was filled with andscape where the wind and stars mingled in blue.

    ¡°The starting bid is 10,000 Ren. Bids will increase in increments of 500 Ren.¡±

    Elise was the first to raise her paddle.

    ¡°Yes. Customer number 105. 10,000 Ren. Ah, immediately 10,500 Ren! Oh! This is getting interesting. Quickly to 11,000 Ren¡­¡±

    The price kept rising.

    The pace was somewhat abnormal.

    10,000 Ren quickly became 50,000 Ren, then 100,000 Ren, and then 150,000 Ren, and finally 200,000 Ren.

    Elise pondered.

    Investing hundreds of thousands of Ren in an unknown artist was not a prudent decision. However, there seemed to be a magical effect emanating from the painting. It was hard to feel it fully as the entire frame was encased in acrylic.

    ¡°300,000 Ren!¡±

    ¡°1¡±

    At that moment, the bidding exceeded Elise''s limit. Her entire fortune in her bank ount was 300,000 Ren.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    But there was not necessarily no way out.

    After all, her status as a mage was almost invincible. Simply on her name alone, banks would be willing to Lend her millions of Ren.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Elise agonized intensely.

    No matter what, going into debt to buy a painting by an unknown artist? And spending more than 300,000 Ren at that? Thats enough to buy two high-grade magic books.

    It felt irrational, and indeed it was.

    ¡°¡­100 times.¡±

    100 times.

    100 times.

    100 times.

    Shion''s words about ''100 times* kept echoing in her mind.

    ¡°¡­lf it doesn''t go up, you''ll be responsible.¡±

    Elise gritted her teeth and raised her paddle.

    ¡°Yes, customer number 105I¡±

    ¡°600,000 Ren.¡±

    600,000 Ren. A deliberately high bid to avoid any squabble with others.

    The gallery buzzed, and in this small gallery, there was no one else willing to pay over 600,000 Ren for a neer''s work.

    ¡°Yes! Sold to customer number 1051¡±

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The sound of the hammer striking the wood.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Elise momentarily zoned out.

    All her focus and immersion, fueled by the impulse of ''100 times'', seemed to unravel, Leaving her feeling as though she had made a monumental mistake.

    ¡­

    ¡°What? Six hundred, 600,000 Ren?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Eceline covered her mouth with her hand, shocked.

    ¡°lfs 600,000 Ren.¡±

    Elise had won the painting for 600,000 Ren. It was a bit more expensive than expected, but she was set to see at least 50 times the profit.

    ¡°I suppose congrattions are in order.¡±

    It was a birthday gift for Elise.

    If my acquaintance can live well off Libra''s money, then it''s like stealing from Libra.

    ¡°Ah, but still, 600,000 Ren¡­¡±

    ¡°lt means many artists highly value you, so let''s have some confidence now.¡±

    600,000 Ren is a significant achievement. As a neer artist, it''s enough to attract at least Jade''s interest.

    After all, the value of a painter is half art, half the price of the paintings.

    ¡°Let''s keep painting.¡±

    I handed Eceline the check. After deducting the auction fees, taxes, and whatnot, 250,000 Ren remained.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Eceline epted it with a profoundly moved expression. Curious, I asked her,

    ¡°What will you use the check for?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I''d like to use it for schrships. There are many students at our academy who want to go to college.¡±

    It was a solid use of the funds.

    I smiled faintly and nodded.

    With such a good heart, I have no choice but to help her make more money¡­

    Recently, Belingham has been contemting his creator.

    In the deepest recesses of Libra, behind the most tightly sealed door, He who still slumbers awaits the day of awakening.

    Belingham is gauging that moment, eagerly anticipating the day when the perfect bnce will be restored.

    ¡­Knock, knock.

    He raised his hand and knocked, but there was no response.

    Thus, He remains locked away. To sustain Himself, for the sake of the Libra Lineage.

    ¡°¡­I shall see youter.¡±

    Muttering, Belingham retraced his steps through the dark path.

    This ce, the heart of the family head, was essible only to Belingham and the direct lineage. However, at the entrance, Belingham noticed someone.

    A pacing bluedy.

    ¡°Miss Zia?¡±

    Zia turned to face Belingham.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Belingham.¡±

    She held a flower in her hand.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°¡­lfs soon my father''s birthday.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ thats right.¡±

    Belingham grimaced slightly and extended his hand.

    ¡°He''s still asleep, but I will deliver it on your behalf.¡±

    Silently, Zia nodded and handed him the flower.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    As Belingham brushed past her, he whispered in her ear.

    ¡ªMy feelings remain unchanged.

    Zia didn''t respond, but Belingham was confident that eventually, she would choose him.

    It was only natural. After all, he was created to be such a man.

    A pir of bnce, devoted solely to Libra.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Belingham Left Zia behind. Yet, at the corner of the corridor, he was stopped again.

    ¡°¡­Hey. Where are you going?¡±

    This time, it was Johanna. Belingham paused and looked at her silently.

    A direct descendant Long estranged from session.

    Did she realize that she had been disqualified?

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Belingham forced a wry smile.

    ¡°These days, you look particrly beautiful¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap.¡±

    Johanna frowned.

    ¡°Have you seen father?¡±

    ¡°¡­NO. He is still sleeping.¡±

    Probably both Zia and Johanna had followed him here after spotting him. Their senses were indeed sharp.

    ¡°He''s been sleeping for quite a long time.¡±

    ¡°lt seems he has been quite tiredtely.¡±

    At Belingham''s words, Johanna snickered.

    ¡°Derek has been causing some trouble.¡±

    It wasn''t just Derek. Johanna herself must be a significant issue from his perspective.

    ¡°Well, that''s all then. Go on. When he wakes up, pass on my regards.¡±

    Johanna waved her hand dismissively.

    ¡°Yes. I will do that.¡±

    Belingham smiled and bowed slightly. As usual, he passed by her shoulder.

    However¡­

    The expression on Johanna''s face as she watched his back was tinted coldly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She had just seen Belingham Kantar and Zia together. She had noticed the strange tension between them.

    If there was something between them, Belingham Kantar was a threat to Shion Ascal.

    Belingham''s intentions were still unclear, but she couldn''t allow this snake-like man to threaten Shion.

    With that thought hidden in her chest, Johanna returned to her quarters.

 Chapter 338: Price (4)

    Chapter 338: Price (4)

    Elise''s days had be a blur. Ever since she had spent 600,000 Ren in one go, she couldn''t quite remember how she had moved forward from that moment.

    First, she secured a loan from the bank to pay the auction price. Her hand trembled terribly as she handed over the check.

    After Leaving the gallery, Elise returned to the Magic Tower, overwhelmed with all sorts of thoughts.

    Could it be a scam?

    After all, she had only heard Shion Ascal''s voice; she had never seen his face.

    A new kind of voice phishing with voice modtion?

    She urgently called Shion.

    ¡ªStop calling. Its real.

    Shion Ascal insisted it wasn''t a scam, but Elise spent the next few days in a state of deep suspicion, like a wary animal.¡°Yes, Mage Elise. Please sign here.¡±

    And today, she finally received the painting.

    The round object was covered in all sorts of protective packaging. When she unwrapped it, a framed painting emerged.

    Elise hung it in her room at the Magic Tower.

    ¡°lts pretty, I suppose.¡±

    It was beautiful.

    However, she wasn''t deeply knowledgeable about art. Although people often assumed she would be interested in art because of her outstanding appearance and artistic nature, in reality, she had little interest. It was a hobby that didn''t aid her personal growth.

    Yet, even to her ordinary eyes, this canvas was quite striking.

    ¡°lf its worth 100 times¡­ that''s 60 million Ren.¡±

    The problem was, the value of the canvas wasn''t determined merely by its aesthetic appeal.

    It was clearly a well-painted picture, but assessing its actual value was another matter.

    Could it really be worth tens of millions of Ren, as Shion had said?

    Honestly, Elise still wasn''t sure.

    ¡°H m m¡­¡±

    She tilted her head, sniffing the canvas. Somehow, it seemed to carry the scent of fresh air, as if a cool night breeze was flowing through.

    ¡°¡­Magic.¡±

    She had learned in her magic textbooks that when a painter diligently works on a painting, their soul permeates as the result.

    However, the effect wasn''t dramatically magical.

    Could this really be worth 60 million Ren?

    To Elise, it certainly didn''t seem so.

    She hung the painting next to the window and stepped back to sit on her bed.

    Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at it. It was better than nothing.

    Strangely, it also made her feel better. Perhaps it was a sense of stability.

    Elise closed her eyes for a moment.

    ¡­Whooooo.

    Soon, her hair began to float. Everything in her room levitated.

    This always happened when she took a deep breath, a form of meditation, a way to gather her fMaism J .

    While her f Maism J continued to grow,tely, strange side effects had begun to ur.

    Crack¡ª!

    Sparks flew, and peculiar memories surged.

    Memories she had never experienced, yet felt as if she had, both sad and lovely¡­

    Memories of being with ''someone''.

    Elise opened her eyes. The objects in the room settled down.

    The painting faced her.

    ¡°¡­Not bad.¡±

    She looked at it and cracked a slight smile.

    ¡° is it?¡±

    The machine I had ordered from Grawl was finallyplete.

    ¡°lt looks good.¡±

    I nodded in satisfaction as I looked at the device ced in the middle of Grawl''sb.

    ¡°WiLL it work?¡±

    It''s a machine designed to explore the subconscious.

    The same machine Theia Esil mentioned, the one that had imnted the entity ''Tae'' into my mind.

    The goal is to get Belingham seated here.

    -Yes. I think I still need to learn a bit more about how to use it¡­ How are you nning to get him to sit here?

    Grawl asked, his tail swishing curiously.

    ¡°l''ll figure it out somehow.¡±

    Belingham is a formidable enemy. His abilities might be on par with Theia EsiTs, and hemands a significant number of bncers under him.

    ¡°There isnft apleteck of methods.

    Fortunately, he has an unexpected weakness.

    His self-importance. Its grown sorge that he deludes himself into thinking he''s the most important person in Libra.

    But he doesn''t know.

    No matter how smart he is, or perhaps because he is too smart, there''s one fact he''spletely oblivious to:

    That I am a regressor.

    My greatest weapon is this asymmetry of information.

    -And, I''ve found a ce. It''s an abandoned library.

    ¡°¡­A records room?¡±

    -Yes. I thought it was just the basement of the abandoned library, but it seems to be rted to Libra.

    Grawl disyed the screen. It looked like apletely deserted library.

    ¡°There''s something in the basement?¡±

    -Yes. Libra-rted figures visit a few times a year. Even the fearless Special Forces cats don''t want to go down there, which makes it obvious.

    ¡°Then we should check it out.¡±

    I immediately contacted soliette.

    -Right now?

    ¡°No. After visiting someone.¡±

    Beros Detention Center''s visitation room.

    Theia Esil had now somewhat adapted to the environment there. She fully understood the saying that humans are creatures of adaptation. She was newly aware of how strong her body was.

    At the same time, she was prepared for death.

    The only way out¡ªshe could not bring herself to betray the humanity of her mentor, Athan.

    She couldn''t trample on the Legacy of a man who had been a hero of the continent, shining light on the world and bing the dream and hero of countless people.

    ¡°Professor, you have a visitor.¡±

    Today, once again, a visitation was scheduled.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that moment, Theia was warming herself by the stove. She blinked and looked at the guard, whose expression was faintly bright.

    Thanks to that, she immediately knew who the visitor was.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    As expected, that bastard was sitting in the visitation room.

    ¡°You''re here.¡±

    Shion AscaL Just seeing his face made her grind her teeth.

    Theia walked reluctantly and sat down in front of him.

    ¡°You seem to be in quite good condition.¡±

    He immediately offered a lunchbox.

    ¡°Persistent, aren''t you? I thought I wouldn''t have to see you again.¡±

    Shion smiled faintly and nodded.

    ¡°Yes. It seems that today will probably be myst visitation.¡±

    Thest visitation.

    Probably so.

    Gerkhen would soon fulfill Theia''s wishes, and the trial would definitelye to a conclusion.

    ¡°Why don''t you just make it a suicide?¡±

    Theia smiled. Vern''s death couldn''t have been a suicide.

    The Vern she knew wasn''t the kind of person who had the resolve to take his own Life.

    ¡°No, that won''t happen.¡±

    Bncer Ascal still responded calmly.

    ¡°That''s a pity.¡±

    Theia leaned back in her chair. She had no regrets left now.

    The moment she resolved herself, everything was decided. She had lost to Libra, and she alone would take responsibility for the defeat.

    Gerkhen would make adjustments to ensure that her disciples wouldn''t suffer any harm.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Suddenly, Shion looked at her with a strange expression. It was an inexplicable change, like a stream flowing. Theia''s brow furrowed slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a rather puzzling look.

    It was simr to the face Gerkhen had made during a previous visitation.

    The look of a disciple¡­ looking at a mentor.

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    He then handed her a small lunchbox.

    A lunchbox slightly different from the Large ones, seemingly prepared just for Theia.

    ¡°You are more valuable alive.¡±

    Shion stood up. There were still five minutes left in the visitation time, but he left just like that.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Theia silently looked at the Lunchbox. A small lunchbox and next to it, arge lump of lunchboxes.

    She held them tightly in her arms as she left the visitation room.

    ¡°Oh, are you done already?¡±

    The guards rushed in like hyenas. Theia handed over therge lunchbox.

    ¡°¡­This one is mine.¡±

    She managed to protect thest one.

    Late at night.

    Candy and I were dispatched to the abandoned library. It had been quite a while since west teamed up for a duo mission.

    ¡°ls it something big?¡±

    Soliette widened her eyes as she surveyed the entirety of the library.

    ¡°I thought it would be smaller since it''s a library.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Lets go inside.¡±

    The abandoned library. This area isn''t even a slum. Its practically uninhabitable.

    Decades ago, it was a city, but after being designated as a monster appearance zone, the poption dwindled, and it eventually died off.

    This library was built over several decades ago.

    ¡°Shi¡ªno, Candy. Did you bring a lunchbox?¡±

    As we entered the library, Soliette asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She clenched her fist tightly. I nced at her and chuckled quietly.

    We proceeded down the library corridor.

    Rustle¡ªrustle¡ª

    The floor was covered in debris. The sound of us stepping on it felt natural.

    ¡°¡­Shion.¡±

    Soliette called me in a very low tone.

    ¡°What¡±

    ¡°lt smells like shit, it smells like shit.¡±

    Soliette urgently babbled about the smell, and I understood her.

    ¡°I know, I smell it too.¡±

    ¡°No, it''s like diarrhea. Worse than shit.¡±

    ¡°¡­You''re right.¡±

    The foul smell was incredibly strong. It wasn''t just a simple smell of feces.

    It was as if feces, diarrhea, and a buried corpse were mixed together, a smell with actual destructive power.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ it''s torturous.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Its perfect for driving away outsiders.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Soliette seemed to realize it too.

    The smell, in a way, was the easiest method to block ess to the ce.

    cing guards arouses unnecessary suspicion, and

    releasing monsters bes a hassle when allies arrive.

    ¡°¡­Ugh. These bastards are tough. How can they stand this smell¡­¡±

    Soliette was sweating profusely. Droplets formed on her temples and the tip of her nose.

    ¡°Hey Candy. How''s work beentely?¡±

    I deliberately threw a casual question.

    ¡°lts bearable, cough!¡±

    Soliette groaned.

    ¡°Hey. Are you oka¡±

    ¡°Coughhhhh! Ugh!¡±

    Soliette almost vomited. Seeing her gag made me feel nauseous too.

    ¡°Hey, are you air¡ªugh!¡±

    ¡°Ughhh!¡±

    ¡°rghh!¡±

    After a while, I managed to stop vomitting. Having spat it out nearly a dozen times, I wiped my mouth and muttered,

    ¡°¡­Should''ve brought a gas mask.¡±

    ¡°¡­lt''s not toote now, Candy.¡±

    At that, I looked at soliette. She was gasping for breath, her face more strained than after any battle, all in just 15 minutes.

    ¡ªLooks like we''ll make it.

    Eventually, we managed to get some gas masks. Akane had a few. I quickly brought them over.

    ¡ªShould''ve done this earlier. No need to upset our stomachs.

    With the masks, we advanced through the library much more easily.

    ¡ªCandy. This seems to be the ce.

    Suddenly, Soliette spotted a staircase leading underground. I examined the area with my [SZX-9500J .

    There was a firmly sealed door at the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡­lt''s a magic space.

    ¡ªMagic space?

    ¡ªYeah. Something''s hidden inside.

    ¡­Hmm.

    Soliette looked at me. I looked back at her.

    We nodded at each other and went down the stairs to shake the doorknob.

    ¡ªIt won''t open.

    ¡ªYes. Candy, step back.

    ¡ªOkay, Jelly. Go ahead.

    I stepped back. Soliette drew her sword from her waist and shed at it.

    However, there was no loud aftermath. It simply dismantled the ''magical mechanism'' locking the door.

    Her use of the Severing Sword had be astonishingly skilled.

    ¡ªLet''s go.

    ¡ªYeah.

    I walked on, hiding my surprise.

    Honestly, I was incredibly shocked.

    But broadly speaking, since I am the mentor of her Severing Sword technique, a mentor''s mindset should not be surprised by the progress of a disciple.

    Especially when such an extraordinary person is a disciple, it''s healthier for one''s mental state to always embrace their growth with joy¡­

    ¡­Doesn''t seem like there''s much here?

    Soliette said. I looked around.

    ¡ªNo.

    It seemed like there was nothing. Broken, shattered bookshelves with torn books underneath them, all seemingly meaningless.

    But still.

    I picked up a book.

    To the naked eye, it was no different from trash. A book almost burnt to ashes.

    However, when I infused it with magic¡­

    Whooooosh-

    It emitted a sound like the wind blowing and restored itself to its original state, as clean as new data.

    ¡ªWow, Candy! How did you do that?

    ¡ªI already said. Its a magic space.

    I pointed to my eyes.

    ¡ªParticles are clinging to the books.

    Right now, with the SZX-9500 activated in my retina, I could see the particles sticking to the books.

    ¡ªWhen you remove these particles, this is what happens.

    -Oh¡­

    Thats when it happened.

    Soliette suddenly gripped her sword. She thrust it behind my shoulder, slicing through the air.

    ¡­What, what are you doing?

    ¡ªCandy. There was something just now.

    ¡ªWhat was it?

    ¡ªA shadow.

    I scanned the area again with the SZX-9500.

    It was not visible. Perhaps it had disappeared quickly.

    Or¡­

    ¡ªWait.

    I stopped soliette as she was about to swing her sword again.

    ¡ªA shadow?

    ¡­Yes.

    Suddenly, a chilling thought struck me.

    The shadow.

    In my memory, in the records of the future, there is one known as ''Libra''s Shadow£º

    No, not a ''one£º

    It''s a ''phenomenon£º

    Suddenly darkness fell. The space around us was engulfed in darkness. Soliette became invisible, and even the features of the library were erased in an instant.

    It had swallowed me.

    ¡°Ah¡­ this.¡±

    I gritted my teeth.

    ¡°This is going to be tough.¡±

    A nervousugh,den with cold sweat, escaped me.

 Chapter 339: Price (5)

    Chapter 339: Price (5)

    In the past, Libra was rife with abnormal energies. Perhaps they were the result of bizarre experiments conducted by those creatures.

    "The Shadow1 was a particrly new phenomenon among them. It coiled itself around a stronghold, trapping any approaching beings in darkness.

    In essence, it was a real shadow. A part of the shadow had developed something akin to consciousness, a phenomenon close to nature.

    Even Libra couldn''t fully control it; they could only manage to utilize it to some extent.

    Because it''s a phenomenon, it''s beyond human control.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I looked around. The space was already filled with darkness, but there were quite a few things underfoot.

    Things swallowed by the shadow.

    ¡°Shion. Where are we?¡±Suddenly, Soliette''s voice flowed from beside me.

    ¡°What, you got caught too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems so.¡±

    Soliette blinked and responded.

    ¡°¡­¡­Damn.¡±

    Whether inside or out, there wasn''t much difference.

    ¡°Shion. Do you know something?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know much either. Kve never been inside before.¡±

    Those who have entered have nevere out. That''s why there''s no information avable.

    ¡°Is there anybody there!¡±

    I shouted Loudly.

    Soliette also created a hand-held sound amplifier and followed suit.

    ¡°Is anyone there¡ª¡ª1¡±

    No response came back to the fading voices.

    ¡°¡­¡­Let''s go.¡±

    We moved forward to anywhere.

    Every direction looked the same, but the fNotepadJ is a natural navigator. If you draw the path you walked like a map, you won''t get lost. The problem is that the path might be meaningless.

    For me, it''s a race against time.

    If I don''t show up for work for three days, or rather two, suspicion will inevitably arise.

    ¡°Shion. Can''t we just cut out? With the Severing Sword.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Would that work?¡±

    I turned to Look at soliette.

    ¡°l''ll try.¡±

    Soliette drew her sword and swung it.

    The magic-infused de cut through the air, but nothing changed. It was still too weak to split the space itself.

    ¡°¡­¡­Master should try.¡±

    Soliette Looked back at me.

    ¡°Alright. The master will give it a shot.¡±

    I drew my sword with a bit of humor.

    ¡°Kraaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Wha!¡±

    Soliette flinched at the scream I let out.

    I swung with all my might, but again, to no effect.

    ¡°lt didn''t work.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Master, you''re really loud.¡±

    Soliette pouted. I coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Uh, Shion. Look there!¡±

    She pointed. There was some form there. I checked first with the SZX-9500.

    It looked like a dead person.

    ¡°¡­¡­Looks Like a corpse?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    We approached the spot.

    In the darkness, a corpse d in mercenary attirey emaciated.

    ¡°lt seems he was a mercenary.¡±

    Light leather armor. Pockets aplenty, filled with wires, knives, and much more.

    I picked up a notebook protruding from an inner pocket and flipped open the first page.

    [Day 3: I''ve drifted into a strange ce. Its nothing but darkness. But I''ve faced worse than this. If therefs nothing, thafs almost a relief. I n to keep a diary to maintain my sanity.]

    The handwriting exuded confidence despite the sudden phenomenon.

    [Day 8£º I''ve decided to keep track of how far I walk. There must be an end somewhere.]

    [Day 13£º No matter how much I walk, I see no end. There''s no answer. I see nothing.]

    [Day 18: It seems something has gone wrong.]

    [Day 20: I found people! Three others in the same predicament as me.]

    Day 20. No pages followed. If there were people, they could talk together. No need to keep a diary just to maintain sanity.

    But then¡­

    After flipping through about twenty pages.

    [Day 109£º I need to start writing in the diary again. Just staring. Its sad. Haha.]

    From Day 109, everything began to deteriorate.

    [It''s day 121. The sky was clear. Today seems like it might bring some good things. Bugs are flying around. Hmm. I think I''m a bit off.]

    [Ah, right. I remembered what I need to do today. The person next door keeps bothering me. The noise between floors is too much. I should call the police.]

    The writing was hard to decipher. The sentences were disjointed. Pages filled with bloodstains and spit marks continued until Day 209.

    [I found food!!!!!!!!!]

    ¡°¡­¡­1¡±

    I quickly drew my sword. At that moment, the eyes of what I thought was a corpse widened. Knives sprayed from its entire body.

    Ching, ching, ching, ching¡ª¡ª!

    I deflected them all, and soliette sliced its throat.

    ¡°GurgLe!¡±

    The creature made a beast-like sound as it died.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    We were momentarily stunned. It looked unmistakably like a corpse. Could a FSpectrumJ even pretend to be dead?

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Thump¡ª!

    I closed the notebook with a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­This person was trapped here for 210 days.¡±

    ¡°What? 210 days? Is that even possible?¡±

    Soliette tilted her head.

    ¡°How could anyone survive 210 days without food?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I silently looked at soliette. It was a look that contemted food.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah .¡±

    Soon, Soliette seemed to understand and her expression turned solemn.

    Food might be replenished. Just like we were caught here.

    ¡°Let''s not resort to eating each other.¡±

    Outside the abandoned library, Bncers and Chasers began to arrive in droves due to the summoning order issued by Belingham Kantar.

    ¡°lt seems we are trapped in shadows. How long should we wait?¡±

    SheLock''s Bncer, Garek, asked Belingham. Belingham, gazing distantly at the abandoned library, responded.

    ¡°Wait about a week. As I said, kill any stray cats on sight.¡±

    Recently, Belingham had detected a strange phenomenon. Cats were gathering around the abandoned library.

    The presence of cats in such a ce was ''unusual£» and Belingham anticipated that where there was something unusual, something even more unusual might ur.

    As a result, he managed to capture a duo Bncer assassins named Jelly and Candy.

    ¡°lt must be their Spectrum.¡±

    Though he had never heard of a Spectrum that controlled cats, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

    Belingham swiftly scanned the surroundings.

    ¡°However, I don''t see Bncer Ascal?¡±

    He had called Shion Ascal for this mission. There was no special reason; he simply wanted to work with a senior colleague.

    ¡°Yes, it seems he has not responded.¡±

    It''s understandable if someone is too busy toe, but Shion hadn''t even replied.

    Was it already a form of rivalry, or perhaps¡­

    ¡°Should we keep trying to contact him?¡±

    ¡°¡­NO, it''s fine. He probably doesn''t want to get close.¡±

    Belingham smiled faintly.

    ¡°Report if you detect any significant situations. I''Ll be leaving now.¡±

    Leaving three Bncers and neen Chasers behind, a total of twenty-two, Belingham departed from the library.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Soliette''s exmation echoed. The sound of her sword cleaving the air resounded.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    For hours, Soliette had been diligently practicing her sword swings.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Knowing her talent, it was hard to deem her efforts meaningless.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    It might be possible in about a month, but by then, all my ns would have ended. My life would be over.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Zia would recruit Belingham in my stead, Jade would fail to meet Eceline, and Theia Esil would not escape execution.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    ¡°¡­Soliette.¡±

    I called out to soliette. There was still something left to discuss before everything fell apart.

    Soliette turned to look at me.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ about what exactly?¡±

    ¡°About the mastermind behind Knightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette''s expression hardened momentarily. After exhaling a faint breath, she came over and flopped down beside me.

    ¡°T''d rather ask Shion. Who do you think is behind all this, Shion?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I stared at the ceiling, which was nothing but darkness, and spoke into the void.

    ¡°Arkne is definitely one of the culprits. They must have sought to gain something by using Knightmare.¡±

    It was likely something soliette had anticipated. A bitter smile spread across her lips.

    ¡°SO¡­ what exactly did my family want?¡±

    Soliette mused, wiping the sweat from her face.

    ¡°What did they want so badly¡­ that they killed my brother and Felix?¡±

    I didn''t want to answer. I turned my head, trying to avoid her gaze. However, Soliette grabbed my wrist.

    Tightly.

    ¡°Please answer me, Shion. You know, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I know.

    Actually, I don''t know. Its just a guess.

    How could this somewhat reasonable guess be of any help to soliette now?

    ¡°You.¡±

    I started with a single word, and soliette''s eyes trembled.

    ¡°You have a talent that will be remembered in your family lineage.¡±

    Arkne''s principle is primogeniture. Thats the rule. The family''s principles aren''t easilypromised. Once a principle solidifies into tradition, it bes a rule more unbreakable than anything else, a rule that should not be broken.

    ¡°No. Not just the family, but a talent that will be remembered in the history of the continent.¡±

    Felix and Jared were obstacles to soliette. One distracted her heart, and the other, simply because he was born first, took the ce that should have been hers.

    That''s probably what the Arkne ''family'' thought.

    ¡°So, maybe they used the power of Knightmare.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Soliette silently lowered her head. After staring at the ground for a long time, she murmured softly.

    ¡°lt feels like you''ve looked into the darkness in my heart.¡±

    There was no sign of surprise. Rather, she epted it calmly.

    After all, she hadn''tpletely ruled out such suspicions.

    ¡°So, I should take revenge on my family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her self-mocking words pierced my heart. I suddenly felt uneasy.

    ¡°lf you must take revenge.¡±

    I quickly ced my hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    I asked her in a bewildered tone, without even realizing it. She faced me. There was no answer. For a long time, there was no answer. Her trembling lips were frustrating.

    So, I broke the silence first.

    ¡°Suicide?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Shion.¡±

    The atmosphere instantly lightened. Soliette chuckled and lightly hit my shoulder.

    ¡°I would never do that, such a thing.¡±

    Her response was as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    Was she always like this, or did I change her?

    I looked at her and asked again.

    ¡°Even five years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Her response was immediate, as if the thought of it never existed.

    ¡°Why would Imit suicide?¡±

    Her challenging reply was overwhelming for me.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Because before the regression, you didmit suicide. You left alone after saying it was for my sake.

    Such words surged to the tip of my tongue.

    I thought I had forgotten, but it seemed I was still not over her suicide.

    ¡°Lets think of a way out first, Shion.¡±

    Soliette stood up again, gripping her sword.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I watched her as she repeated her usual slicing motions. I saw her eyes, nose, mouth, shoulders, hands, arms, legs, and ankles.

    Suddenly, an idea struck me.

    I turned on the ¡°SZX-9500.¡± The shadow was thick with magical particles.

    They were particles from the ''Magic Space.''

    The shadows were also inhabiting the ''Magic Space'' that makes up the library.

    If that''s the case.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    What is the nature of this Magic Space?

    I gathered mana particles in my palm. Then, I took out a notebook from a person who had just died. I blew the particles into it.

    Ssshhh¡­

    The pages of the notebook began to turn, starting to look new again. All records were erased, returning to their pristine, original state.

    Was it rewinding time, or restoring it to its original form?

    I wasn''t sure which it was.

    But, the thought I had while looking at this¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I looked at soliette.

    If my idea works, the current soliette might temporarily die. The ''past'' could take her ce.

    However, this is a Magic Space.

    The mana inside the Magic Space loses its effect the moment it flows outside.

    Meaning, the restoration is limited only within this Magic Space. Once we escape, she will revert back to the current soliette.

    So, it''s worth a try.

    No, I must seed for her sake.

    Otherwise, we''U die.

    ¡°lf cutting is an extreme, then connecting is not much different.¡±

    A phrase the past soliette once told me.

    The current soliette looked back at me.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Soliette.¡±

    I called her name.

    What I am about to do is to bring back her distant past self.

    ¡°Can you trust me?¡±

    Before the regression¡­ an act of summoning the First Sword of the Continent, a figure who will be remembered in history.

 Chapter 340: Price (6)

    Chapter 340: Price (6)

    In the past, Soliette had etched herself into the continent with just a single war. It was a heroic stage known as the ''Monster Front?

    At some point, the monsters that had been nurtured by the association began to overflow, as if they had been waiting for Theia''s death. They surged out of the underworld and spread across the entire continent.

    Despite La¡ªM''s desperate efforts, Trick City was the first to be upied, and the monsters became a gue throughout Edsi.

    Thafs when the swordsman named soliette stepped forward.

    She resolved the war single-handedly. For her, resolution meant annihtion.

    She calmly advanced to the front and sliced through countless monsters like nothing. In just one night, she killed thousands of monsters. Chopped flesh and dark red blood formed an ocean, and soliette herself sat atop a mountain of corpses, whistling¡­

    It was a legendary true story.

    Her localized wars continued afterward, but no one truly witnessed them. They took ce in battlefields filled with monsters and ended in moments.

    Soliette cut through every space swallowed by monsters. Eventually, the monsters hid from just one person, Soliette, like mice into holes.Thus, she became known as the First Sword of the Continent.

    It was a very natural title.

    However, historians felt that this alone was insufficient and added the modifier ''ancient and modern* in front of it.

    The Greatest Sword.

    The best across both past and present.

    In other words, there was a ''consensus* that the swordsman named soliette was the pinnacle in human history, in the world of humans.

    Therefore, after soliette''s suicide, the people of the continent thought they would never again witness a single person, a single human, transcend an entire species.

    Until, just half a yearter, someone else caused a simr shock, not with a sword but with bare fists.

    ¡°¡­ShouLd I just keep standing?¡±

    Soliette, with a puzzled face, asked.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. Just keep standing.¡±

    Still within the shadows, I continued to ce magical particles on soliette''s head, like scooping up clouds.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    I kept calling her name, trying to reach the soliette from before the regression.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Answer me.¡±

    ¡°I did answer.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Well, it''s not working.

    I stared at the magical particles ced on soliette''s essence and shouted.

    ¡°Answer!¡±

    ¡°7¡±

    Soliette blinked and tilted her head.

    ¡°Answer me.¡±

    I continued to move the magical particles.

    Through the SZX-9500, it Looked like her head was piled high with snow-Like magical particles.

    ¡°Soliette. Try answering.¡±

    ¡°¡­''Answer.''¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Shion. I''m asking because I''m worried, but have you gone mad?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    I sighed and slumped to the ground.

    Honestly, I thought it would work, but it was a shaky n from the start.

    Analyzing the properties of magical particles without any equipment and just guessing by eye to ovey them on soliette''s head to bring back the soliette of the past?

    What a load of bullshit.

    Thinking about it now, it seems pretty stupid.

    I pulled a tent out of my bag.

    ¡°¡­Let''s take a break.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Shion. You brought a tent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And not just a tent.¡±

    An expansion backpack I carry around just in case of that 1% chance. Inside, there''s not only a tent but also emergency rations, cooking equipment, and other survival essentials. It means I could survive for more than a month without resorting to cannibalism.

    ¡°Let''s eat something.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That sounds good.¡±

    I set up the tent. I ced a burner on the ground and Lit a fire. Then, I put a pot on it and started cooking stew.

    As the bubbles boiled, Soliette licked her lips.

    ¡°lt''s ready.¡±

    I served the food on a te and handed it to soliette. As soon as she took a bite, her face lit up with amazement.

    ¡°Wow. This is delicious. How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°Everything tastes good when you''re hungry.¡±

    She devoured her food greedily. I wasn''t particrly hungry, but I ate anyway.

    After finishing the stew, we went inside the tent.

    As I was spreading out two sleeping bags, Soliette suddenly asked.

    ¡°¡­Shion. Can we get out of here?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    My assertion seemed to puzzle soliette, but I was more confident.

    ¡°I trust you. With a week, or at most a month of practice, you''U be able to slice through shadows. Your talent is limitless Like the sky.¡±

    The only problem is time.

    Soliette smiled at me.

    ¡°Thank you for believing in me.¡±

    ¡°Let''s get some sleep now. I''m tired.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I crawled into my sleeping bag. Soliettey down too. We both became like caterpirs, and soon, the sound of soliette snoring filled the air.

    I, too, fell into a deep sleep like soliette.

    ¡ª¡ªSoliette had a dream.

    It was a strange dream.

    It was today yet not today, the past yet not the past, the past and today, today and the past.

    In a confused state of mind, she stood in front of a bathroom mirror.

    There she was.

    Soliette Arkne with red hair. Her face and body marked with scars, herself.

    She was there.

    Buttely, the world seemed ck and white to her. It felt as if many parts were fragmented and disconnected. She had been sensing this strange feeling for some time now.

    Soliette closed her eyes.

    ¡ª¡ªSoliette.

    A voice calling her.

    ¡ª¡ªAnswer.

    A demanding echo. A familiar tone.

    Shion AscaL

    Soliette opened her eyes and gripped the sink. It broke under her grasp. It was her own bare hands that had snapped it.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    As she muttered, a breeze seemed to whisper in her ear.

    ¡ª¡ªRespond.

    A dream-like reality. A reality-like dream.

    She thought of this as ''the phenomenon of her consciousness severing itself.'' She considered it a process of bing a phenomenon herself.

    But then.

    ¡ª¡ªSoliette!

    At that loud shout, Soliette closed and then opened her eyes.

    In an instant, the space around her shifted.

    She was inside a sleeping bag, and right next to her was Shion AscaL

    Again, a reality-like dream.

    I woke up. I looked groggily beside me, but soliette was not there.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I scratched my messy hair and got up.

    Soliette was standing outside the tent, staring up at the sky as if counting the shadows.

    ¡°When did you get up?¡±

    No reply.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    I approached her. I Looked where she was looking. There was nothing. Just the same shadows.

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°lt''s the shadows.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Of course, they''re shadows.¡±

    I yawned. My mind was still foggy with sleep.

    But then.

    ¡°lt feels like a dream.¡±

    Her voice had changed significantly, and my ears perked up.

    ¡°Tt''s hard to distinguish this moment.¡±

    I looked at her btedly. Her expression was foreign. Her face was soliette''s, but the soul contained within was different.

    ¡°Soliette?¡±

    I called her name. Soliette casually raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Had my call reached her?

    I was about to grab her sleeve but hesitated.

    ¡°Did you hear my voice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was loud.¡±

    I checked her essence with the ''SZX-9500.'' The magical particles had already dispersed.

    ¡°Tt''s not just once or twice. I always hear your voice.¡±

    ¡°Always?¡±

    Soliette continued softly.

    ¡°Yes. Like dreaming.¡±

    A fireball seemed to roll through my mind. A shiver ran down my spine. A hypothesis spread like a web.

    This meeting might not just be because of the magic space.

    ¡°Dreams¡­¡±

    Soliette, the swordsman, a person who severs everything.

    Perhaps, a person who has severed everything.

    Paradoxically, a person connected to everything.

    The only being who could sever and connect my regressions.

    ¡°Shion.¡±

    Soliette called me.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to leave this ce?¡±

    I swallowed hard and asked back.

    ¡°Is it possible?¡±

    Soliette silently extended her hand. With a somewhat overwhelmed heart, I grabbed it.

    ¡°No1¡±

    She pped my hand away and frowned.

    ¡°Sword.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I need a better sword.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    I handed her my sword, the renowned de thered with ''Gether'' that Grawl had gathered.

    It was a treasure that even soliette covertly coveted.

    ¡°I''U go right away.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡±

    Before I could even respond, the sword shot up. To me, it seemed as if mountains were being carved into the air.

    Thick sword strokes. It split the shadows straight through. The split shadows vomited out all its contents.

    Kururururu¡ª¡ª

    Within the breaking shadows, I took a step back.

    And then, it was the outside.

    The external library.

    ¡°Shion. Its not over yet.¡±

    ¡°Not over yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The current soliette knew things I did not, saw things I could not.

    Tadadadada¡ª¡ª

    Following that, the presence of more enemies intensified. They arrived emitting a sinister magical power.

    I saw their murderous intent through the doors that flung wide open. Most were Chasers, but a few were Bncers.

    Powers that that current me, and soliette, could never match.

    Soliette swung her sword.

    A straight line tore through space. A part of reality was severed. A three-dimensional reality was destroyed by an overly t line. Dozens of Chasers and Bncers touched it and were simply split. Their upper and Lower bodies separated and they died.

    It was over.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The ttening of dimensions.

    Staring dumbly at the absurd Severing Sword, I btedly turned to look at soliette.

    After finishing the job, Soliette covered her mouth. Cough. She coughed a few times, then stood up straight.

    ¡°Ptoo¡ª1¡±

    She spat out a thick clot of blood. Stepping on it, Soliette spoke,

    ¡°Shion. If this is reality, then there shouldn''t be many asions to call upon me in the future.¡±

    I looked at her.

    ¡°This body is still too inferiorpared to me, and aLso¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Because you''ll end up killing soliette?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Soliette quietly nodded.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then she smirked from one corner of her mouth. It was the smirk I used to see often.

    ¡°As you know, I am a fragmented person.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡±

    ¡°Just. It feels Like I''ve summoned you too forcefully.¡±

    This ident was entirely my fault.

    Because of my greed, I was trapped in the shadows, and due to the pressing time, I had done wrong by both the current and the past soliette.

    ¡°Don''t talk nonsense. There''s absolutely no need to be sorry.¡±

    Yet, she casually smiled from the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°We are close enough for this.¡±

    With those words, she closed her eyes. Then quietly, she leaned toward me.

    She had fainted.

    I held her in my arms.

    Soliette woke up.

    When was I¡­ Where had I been?

    She muttered nkly as she got up. She Looked in the mirror in front of the bathroom.

    Soliette was still there.

    Soliette Arkne, with her red hair. Her face and body riddled with scars, herself.

    The memories that seemed real in her dreams quickly became ethereal again.

    She had been with Shion, that much was clear, but the content of their conversation were blurry, like a broken thread.

    Ding-ding-

    Just then, her phone rang. She opened it.

    ¡ªYes. Shion.

    Shion AscaL

    To him, who existed here and there, Soliette asked.

    ¡ªAre you okay?

    She was worried about his physical condition.

    Soliette woke up, tossing and turning, then yawned, but suddenly felt a jolting sensation.

    Her body was bouncing up and down.

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    She looked around curiously and realized she was inside a truck. There was a stranger in the driver''s seat.

    Soliette quickly shouted.

    ¡°Who are you!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­lt''s me, damn it.¡±

    Shion turned to look at her.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Embarrassed, Soliette casually looked out the window.

    Not inside the shadows, but outside, in the world.

    ¡°What¡­ What happened?¡±

    ¡°lt''s over.¡±

    ¡°Over?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We escaped. It''s probably chaotic in Libra now.¡±

    The duo who destroyed the shadows and massacred the Bncers and Chasers.

    It is unknown what Libra will think. A huge ripple effect is likely.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then soliette looked at me anew. I asked her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I didn''t do much.¡±

    ¡°You did a lot.¡±

    Shion drove on an unpaved road.

    The truck rattled, but they easily bypassed the encirclement. Or rather, there was no encirclement at all.

    Thanks to Libra not anticipating that the Bncers and Chasers would be massacred.

    ¡°Shion. I''m sorry. While I was asleep¡­¡±

    Soliette scratched the back of her neck and muttered. Shion chuckled.

    ¡°Hey. We don''t need to be sorry. No need to be thankful either.¡±

    I said, looking back at her in the rear seat.

    ¡°We''re that close, aren''t we?¡±

    That close.

    At his generous heart, Soliette smiled contentedly.

    ¡°Yes. You''re right. No, it''s much more than that¡­ Ouch!¡±

    Thump!

    She hit her head because of the rising truck body.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    Shionughed at her own situation, and soliette yfully red at him andughed along.

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