Chapter 128
After placing my hand on the black iron door.
When I came to my senses, it was morning.
The Chancellor had explained that time didn’t flow in that space, yet it seems flowing was just as unrelated.
Interestingly, unlike when I ascended to the rank of comprehension, I don’t feel anything special.
There’s no overwhelming sense of liberation or surging mana; I just feel refreshed.
It’s like the feeling when you wake up after getting all the sleep you want.
Beyond that, I can’t tell the difference.
In this novel, only the Chancellor and I have reached the total mana threshold.
I definitely felt some satisfaction when I saw the door in that mysterious space, but not now.
Instead of feeling pride over my high achievement, I’ve actually become more solemn.
Transcendence is not the end.
It’s merely a new starting point.
If until now I was sailing along a clear route, now I must venture into the vast sea without any islands or compasses.
There’s no such thing as a wrong direction on this voyage.
Each must move forward in their own way and at their own pace.
This is a truth of academia and a privilege of those who have reached transcendence.
However, I’m not in a place to be so carefree.
Right now, I need to “live well” more than anyone else.
I must annihilate Altife, who is currently gathering forces.
…To do that, I need a comparable opponent and a point of reference.
“In three days, there will be the Student Council President election, the first round of selections. …Competing against each other is fine, but I hope it becomes an occasion that brings joy to all students.”
Students from first to fourth year, along with professors, are gathered in the auditorium.
I was just one of the many.
On the podium in front, an elderly man with a relaxed, kind demeanor held a microphone.
His back was hunched, his white hair lifeless, and his hands showed the marks of time.
He was Gulemashia, the Chancellor of Academia.
The one who presumably helped me when I reached the level of total mana.
And someone who arrived there long before I did.
“You are all precious beings. Each one possesses equal rights and significance. …I hope you keep this in mind while participating in this Student Council President election.”
He always referred to students as precious beings during his speeches.
He habitually said that it was a precious existence.
A being that loves peace and people.
An old man who seems perfectly aligned with the concept of a Saint.
Not that he’s a Saint or anything…
But now, I can clearly recognize the greatness of that Grand Magician.
Even if we exclude his character and history.
Now that he has transcended in one field.
‘So far away… How much longer until I can reach there?’
Even if we belong to the same transcendence in one field, peeling back the layers reveals they are completely different.
As I’ve said before, transcendence is a new beginning.
Going further into a world where the end isn’t visible until death.
In that vast ocean, the Chancellor has become my only compass.
Though there lies a sprawling world behind him, a tremendous gap exists between him and me.
How did that old man get so far…?
It’s astonishing.
『I’ve babbled on for a long time. Let’s wrap it up with just one last remark…』
Gulemashia cleared his throat, desiring hydration, and spoke close to his magic tool again.
『The Academia exists for people, and you are part of that. Please do not forget that fact…』
With that, he stepped down from the podium.
Even though we never made eye contact, that line peeked into my mind.
At that moment, I felt that the Chancellor present here was the same person who stood there.
It was a line I would delete anyway, but right now, that’s how it felt. Whether to call it fascinating or peculiar.
That old man is indeed mysterious.
*
After finishing the ceremony in the auditorium and attending lectures, lunch hour had come.
Dining in the Academia isn’t like a school lunch in South Korea, but rather a restaurant format where one can choose the food they desire.
The menu changes daily, making it somewhat similar to a university.
…The quality of food is vastly different, but the format is the same.
Not feeling particularly hungry, I chose a balanced meal and sat down.
Everyone around me took their seats as well.
Just as the meal was about to begin.
After taking a bite, I steered away from noble etiquette and initiated a conversation.
“Erica. I heard you’ve been showing a pretty high Mana resonance with Alicia.”
I’m sitting at a four-person table in the dining hall.
Next to me is Alicia.
Across from me are Erica and Diphelia.
This was my first time eating like this, but with the first election not far off, I felt the need to discuss various matters.
Erica, attempting to take a small bite of a neatly stacked sandwich with vegetables and meat, paused and shot me a glare.
“You brought this up intentionally, didn’t you?”
“Of course not. The timing just happened to align.”
“……”
Casting suspicious eyes, Erica set her sandwich back on her plate.
Due to noble dining etiquette, one cannot speak with food in their mouth.
Alicia and Diphelia seemed to pick up on the tension, chewing quickly and swallowing their food.
Erica spoke.
“It’s not the best topic for a meal, but since we were together in that horrific pit for six days, I’ve also been receiving intensive training from Senior Alexeria and Senior Bracchium since then.”
“Though it’s not something to say in public, we spent six days together in that dreadful pit. Since then, I’ve also received intense training from Senior Alexeria and Senior Bracchium.”
Just a few days ago, the mana of the two, which was not in sync at all and about to bounce back, has now settled down significantly.
After finishing all the training in the Scavenger Bug pit, I had checked the state of the two with me in the middle, and they were stabilized in every aspect.
Since then, they have continued their training relentlessly, so they have likely made even more progress by now.
Erica finished saying all she wanted to say, and as the conversation paused, she raised the sandwich in both hands, getting ready to eat.
After hearing the report, I nodded and asked an additional question.
“By the day of the first selection, which is three days later, will I be able to get it to a level where I don’t need to stabilize it?”
“…….”
Erica’s eyes narrowed, and she placed the sandwich back on the plate.
Then she pushed the plate away entirely and replied.
“Not completely, but to some extent.… But is it really necessary to go that far? It won’t increase the output, will it?”
“It’s necessary.”
“Why? You could just do it as you did last time. You were so proud about it.”
The moment Erica mentioned refers to the day they finished their training in the pit.
Without making physical contact, I had controlled the somewhat resonated mana they created, which resulted in my ‘invisible’ mana being projected outward.
The undeniable presence of the external mana not being recognized by the human eye was evidence that the total amount of mana was at a transcendent level.
Erica and Diphelia, who were unaware of this, were greatly surprised, while Alicia, who knew, seemed unperturbed.
I hadn’t flaunted that I had reached a new level publicly, so there were hardly any people aware of it.
The expressions that Erica and Diphelia made at that time were quite amusing.
I shook my head and replied to Erica’s question.
“I can’t adjust your mana as easily as I did back then.”
“What do you mean? You did it just a few days ago, and now you can’t?”
I scanned Erica, who was expressing confusion, and Alicia and Diphelia, who were focused, and said.
“I am currently undergoing a ‘trial’ for the unique spell.”
“What?”
“Young Master, a trial…? What do you mean by that?”
Alicia also looked flustered, clearly not knowing this fact.
It’s understandable since I intended to share it when everyone was gathered to minimize hassle.
“It’s exactly what I said. I’m in the process of establishing the first unique spell. There’s a trial involved in that process.”
“Schugenharz. Explain exactly what you mean. You need a trial to research a unique spell? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Erica’s sharp gaze pierced through me.
Indeed, from a general perspective, it might be hard to grasp.
However, I knew that the unique spell researched by Vargan was among the more malignant types of curse magic.
To acquire it, the caster’s perseverance is required.
“During the trial period, I can only use about half of the mana I normally can.”
“…Huh?”
“So, it’s not as easy for you to fully integrate your manas like before.”
“I mean I can’t do it.”
Even if I’m in a transcended state and can still output and accumulate a level comparable to any student at Academia, it’s clearly lacking compared to before.
I’m currently in a situation where I’ve cursed myself.
To put it simply, think about the training with the relic that Helion gave me.
Of course, my mana situation is much better than back then, but unlike that time, I’m not experiencing rapid growth.
Since I cursed myself, there’s no way that would happen.
Erica, unable to hide her fluster from my sudden statement, lets out a breath, looking bewildered, then calms herself and asks, “When do I have to endure this trial?”
“About six months should do.”
“……Hah, seriously.”
As Erica stumbles over her words, Diphelia, who had been silently watching, starts asking in succession.
Worry begins to crease around her closed eyes.
“Vargan, that unique spell… is it really okay?”
Diphelia had seen the incomplete unique spell that Vargan used through a prophecy in the past.
She witnessed the scene where heroes and students were falling.
The sight of Vargan self-destructing.
There was a lot of meaning behind the Saint’s question.
I waved my hand to brush off her various emotions regarding this.
“Saint, if it weren’t okay, I wouldn’t have anything to do. It’s just a necessary step.”
The original Vargan only faced trials for two months in a limited time and used an incomplete unique spell.
“It’s just a bit unique in method, but it doesn’t stray far from the research process of others’ unique spells.”
I know what path he walked.
I won’t repeat the same mistakes.
“However, the problem is that the area I can control this time is limited. That’s why I need you two even more.”
I looked at Alicia and Erica in turn.
Alicia seemed calm but with hidden worry.
Erica looked as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.
These two are the main stones for this selection.
With a slight smile, I lowered my head and gazed at the soup that was losing warmth.
It might be better to eat it before it gets colder.
“Well, it seems we’ve covered everything that needed to be discussed. Let’s continue with the meal we haven’t finished.”
I scooped some soup with my spoon.
Ingredients rolled around in my mouth, and the lukewarm soup enveloped my tongue, sticky yet smooth in texture.
And the scent and taste were…
⎯Ah, now that I think about it.
The curse I placed on myself for the trial wasn’t just about controlling mana.
If it were that simple, it wouldn’t balance out.
…But, there’s no need to tell them.
They would only make a fuss over something trivial.
“…….”
I pushed the soup down my throat.
It entered my mouth, passed my tongue, and fully went down.
During that process.
I felt the lukewarm warmth and the lumpy sensation of the vegetables, but.
Something most important was missing, leaving it feeling empty.
…
Thus, the remaining three days flew by quickly amidst all the training.
The day of the first selection dawns.
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