The classroom fell silent.
The students who confidently created the glowing sticks were in a state of confusion.
So…
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Just transfer the condensed mana from the stick to the mana stone. It’s simpler than you think.”
I extracted the mana from the mana stone again in response to Yena’s question and sent it back once more.
It looked as easy as flipping a switch at first glance.
[???: Why can’t I do this easy thing?]
[Oh, I can do it easily, lol.]
[Why doesn’t it work even with skills?]
[Hahahahaha!]
I handed each student a mana stone that had turned to stone in front of them.
The students received the mana stones with reluctant expressions.
Everyone tried with a sense of doubt, but sadly, no one succeeded on the first try.
“Oops.”
Even Leo, who was full of hope, couldn’t manage to succeed.
“Think of it as transferring water from one glass to another. Just pick the water as it is. No, I’m not saying to tilt it.”
“Isn’t this it?”
When I mentioned a water glass, Yena was actually tilting the stick into the mana stone.
“It’s a metaphor. It’s not a real water glass.”
“Oh….”
[Hahahahaha!]
[Yena is super cute today, lol!]
[For real, lol.]
[Yena gets it right!]
[So cute, hahahaha!]
[Look at her tilting that stick, lol.]
[Hahahahaha!]
[Kawaii!]
Despite all this, the attempts continued.
Even while scratching their heads, no one gave up, but there wasn’t much effect.
It was the same back then.
Waiting patiently for the struggling students to figure it out.
When they asked how to do it, I replied like this.
“The stone mana stone basically has a high conductivity since it has absorbed mana once. If you keep trying, even a little might flow, and once it flows, it becomes much easier.”
“…….”
“If one doesn’t work, using two mana cores is perfectly fine. To pour water into a glass with a narrow opening, bringing in more water is one way to do it. However, you need the stamina, physical strength, and amount of mana to do that…”
[Hahaha!]
[Lily’s a rapper?]
[Lily talks a lot now, lol!]
[Hirit!]
[But she’s seriously explaining it, though.]
[Lily’s nice.]
[For real, lol.]
[But even with all that talking, she hasn’t actually said how to do it, right?]
[No, that’s not true.]
[She’s explaining it well, what are you talking about, lol?]
[Ah, haha, she says you have to figure it out yourself.]
[Learning to walk = Walking well.]
[Wonder who’s gonna try first.]
■
Beriard has abilities similar to a ranker but is not one.
Riad has abilities on par with rankers, but he is not one.
He’s not even listed on the rank war leaderboard where rewards pour in just by signing up, nor is he registered in job rankings or level rankings.
The reason is that he uses a secret system to hide all his rankings, reputation, and achievements.
An ‘unofficial’ ranker not registered anywhere.
In Deoen, there are some reclusive knights who prefer not to make themselves known like this.
Whether it’s a concept or just a natural tendency, it varies.
Beriard was in the latter category.
He didn’t particularly like to stick his neck out in reality, and he wasn’t keen on being in the limelight in Deoen either, a tendency that aligned perfectly with a hidden trait he accidentally discovered.
“A trait that grows stronger the closer you are to darkness.”
It included not only aesthetic darkness but also dark tendencies, relationships, and personality traits.
Because of this, he grew stronger than dozens of top-ranked rankers in no time but never revealed himself in front of many people.
…He didn’t think it was lonely.
After all, this was the life he had chosen, and living like this wasn’t bad at all.
The game must have given him the familiar trait of darkness looking at someone like him, right?
‘…What on earth is this?’
A massive wave of change was approaching him.
While roaming the hunting grounds in search of prey, he accidentally spotted someone.
She was a gigantic boss monster, dozens of times bigger than him, being ravaged by a spear-like weapon.
Lily.
Her figure sparkled as if born from light, capturing his attention without him even realizing it.
The spear in her fingertips twisted and pierced through the monster’s heart with some formless something.
His left eye, which detected enemies, flinched.
This was more than just a skill; it had a depth to it.
It was faster than magic and strange for spear techniques.
He got curious.
So he looked into it.
As expected from someone shining with light, he quickly found out.
A new rookie who had started in Deoen less than a month ago.
A skilled individual who defeated a single-digit ranker, despite the odds being unclear even to himself.
A user like a bug who freely manipulated mana and skills.
Lastly, she was gaining fame due to her extraordinary appearance.
‘The opposite of me.’
She was the complete opposite of him, who wandered alone, always alongside darkness.
Beriard erased everything he had discovered and closed the window.
She was someone unrelated to him.
‘I’m interested in her abilities though.’
If he got involved with that woman, it would inevitably dilute his darkness.
If darkness disappears, so does the meaning of existence that supported him.
‘Lily Elbrite.’
Elbrite.’
You shouldn’t meet this woman.
■
“……”
Soon after that
▶Lily Elbrite
-Congratulations! This is a gift for ‘Beriard’ who always loves my broadcast. ‘Beriard’ has watched a total of ’37 hours and 34 minutes’. Those who can convert the condensed stone into a stone within a week will be invited to the next class.
Good luck with your challenge!
“I was definitely going to watch for just one hour…”
How did it come to this?
This is fake. There’s no way I could receive this.
It’s impossible that I, who usually never watched anyone’s broadcast, ended up like this.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WE83WnhqbmRkVmFBelZMWWxOUi9nRUswZ1NVaVZMZlViaVhvend6akgxZA
“Dammit…”
But before long, I found myself watching Lily’s broadcast without even hunting.
Beriard, while denying that he had fallen for Lily, pressed on Lily’s channel with his hand.
Finding her broadcast schedule as if it was second nature, he sighed and grabbed the condensed stone.
Next class.
If I could just figure this out, I’d be able to… no. I’d just get to meet Lily.
Not just meeting her, but maybe I could even learn about that technique he was curious about from the start.
But.
[Spirit of Darkness influence decreases by 0.6%.]
[Light influence increases by 0.6%.]
[Darkness 87.2% / Light 13.8%]
[All stats decrease by 0.6% due to decreased influence of Darkness.]
[Attack power of Darkness attribute skills decreases by 2.4% due to decreased influence of Darkness.]
Before watching Lily’s broadcast, I had maintained about 98% influence from Darkness, but in just a few days, it dropped by 11%.
At this rate, I was bound to fall below 50%, suffering from all sorts of penalties.
It was evident since the moment I dropped below 50%, plummeting from Ranker to Apprentice Mage level.
Below that, the penalties would get so severe that combat play would become impossible.
“This won’t do. I can’t go.”
I could watch her broadcast, but this is something I really shouldn’t do.
‘Absolutely!’
■
“So, the teleportation of mana is basically the control of mana within your body. Just think of it as flowing out…”
“……”
[The influence of Darkness decreases by 7%.]
[The influence of Light increases by 7%.]
[Darkness 64.7% / Light 35.3%]
[All stats decrease by 7% due to decreased influence of Darkness.]
[Attack power of Darkness attribute skills decreases by 28%.]
[The power decreases and the attack power of darkness attribute skills decreases by 28%.]
[The influence of darkness sharply diminishes, causing the casting time, mana consumption, and cooldown time of all darkness attribute skills to increase by 30%.]
Oh no, I’m screwed.
■
“So, what happened…?”
While I was eagerly continuing my explanation, I suddenly turned my head at the drastic mana distortion phenomenon.
Beriard was desperately moving the now much-diminished mana.
Just looking at the state of the mana feels ominous.
It’s an unsettling situation, like it could extinguish at any moment.
As I approached Beriard, his dark face flinched.
“Is something wrong? The mana seems off.”
Beriard shakes his head firmly.
“…Nothing’s wrong—”
Huh?
[?]
[Why?]
[?]
[Did I do something wrong?]
[Does that guy have some penalty or something? LOL]
[Lily Academy is definitely not normal, LOL]
The already thin mana is rapidly deteriorating even more.
Beriard, who had been quiet so far, starts to tremble slightly.
‘Why is it dropping more?’
Curiosity piqued, as I leaned in for a better look, the mana grew even thinner.
“Is there maybe some strange penalty?”
“…No. So stay away.”
“Hmm?”
It seems like there is something.
[Are you seriously talking back?]
[Does he want me to come closer?]
[HAHAHAHAHAHA]
[Clearly he’s hiding a penalty under that robe, LOL]
“Stay away? HAHAHAHAHA”]
“What a brat.”
Right now, I’m a professor.
Perhaps outside, it might be ramen, but if I came here to study as a student, at least I should maintain some basic manners.
Ignoring his words to move back, I just sat right next to him.
A startled Beriard pushed his chair back with a clatter.
His darkness completely dissipated, revealing his face.
“There it is. Why are you lying?”
“……”
[HAHAHAHAHAHA]
[Was it an exam that you couldn’t pass if you weren’t normal?]
[One is a baby, another is a magical girl, and this guy is a hikikomori? LOL]
[The only normal one is Yena, whoa whoa whoa]
[Yena’s reevaluation, whoa]
[Normal?]
[Yena’s not really normal either, LOL]
[I acknowledge Yena]
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