Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Mana Surge
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I fled back to the dormitory and buried my face in the toilet, spewing out some inexplicable emotions. The dark, sticky lumps of feeling were converted into clear stomach acid and gushed out of my mouth.
"Ugh... blegh..."
I heaved up all the boiling, wet emotions until there was nothing left.
After dumping everything into the toilet and collapsing exhausted onto the bed, the hallucinations and auditory delusions tormented me once more.
I tried to vomit it all out again, but unfortunately, with my stomach completely emptied—not even stomach acid remaining—it only induced dry heaves. It refused to let me use the toilet as an emotional trash bin any longer.
"Kek... ugh, sob..."
When nothing came from my mouth, it poured from my eyes next. I wept endlessly. Eventually, I couldn't even remember why I was crying.
Only after purging every last emotion from Saturday dawn until Sunday evening did I finally fall into a peaceful sleep.
The weather was clear. Sunlight cautiously slid across the transparent windowpane.
I barely managed to prop up my listless body and sit upright. Having eaten nothing in the meantime, my physical condition was wrecked, but my mind felt a bit clearer.
After spending the whole day venting emotions from every fiber of my being, I felt a little better. They say people need to express themselves to live properly—and that wasn't wrong.
I guess I've gotten used to it. Humans adapt to pain, whether physical or mental, without discrimination.
Not broken yet.
Probably.
I ignored the hallucination and checked the time on my phone.
"...Fuck."
Today brought its own troubles. Plenty of them. I was a person burdened with sins and worries aplenty.
But there was no time to explain each one in detail right now.
"...I'm late."
The emergence of an upper-class magic beast led to hundreds dying overnight, sparking a procession of mourners. Mostly family and colleagues of the deceased.
It was an event that heightened vigilance among heroes and ordinary citizens alike. The entire city seemed shrouded in grief.
Han U-sol's heart was troubled as well. Having witnessed the mountain of corpses firsthand, it was only natural. But his low mood wasn't solely due to that.
'...Anis.'
Han U-sol bit his lip, recalling the events of that weekend night.
Her disheveled hair. Faint tear stains around her eyes. Limbs trembling faintly.
Anis, who had desperately run toward him, looked as if she might collapse at any moment.
"......"
What on earth had happened?
The smell.
That acrid odor wafting from afar even before Anis entered his sight.
It was unmistakably the stench of a magic beast.
And the smell grew stronger the closer Anis approached him.
At first, he denied it. It couldn't be. Must be a mistake.
But when Anis stopped in front of him, panting, Han U-sol had to admit it. He had no choice.
Anis reeked of a magic beast.
"Anis... why?"
Magic beasts.
Otherworldly beings summoned by demons.
Han U-sol was confused as to why Anis smelled like one.
And terrified.
It was all so sudden and incomprehensible.
That's probably why he instinctively pinched his nose and failed to control his expression.
How had his reaction appeared to Anis?
What expression had he made to make her look like that?
Han U-sol stared blankly at Anis's retreating back as she turned and fled, then snapped out of it and called her. No answer.
How many times had he called after that? Anis didn't pick up all weekend.
Han U-sol sat on his bed, head bowed. Normally, he'd be training at the training grounds, but he just couldn't muster the mood.
"......"
The image of Anis's eyes, gazing at him in fear, lingered relentlessly in his mind.
Monday arrived after the weekend.
Han U-sol had come to school early and was sitting in one corner of the classroom. Sleepless nights had left dark circles under his eyes.
As time passed, students trickled in through the door and took empty seats. Yoon Na-rin entered ten minutes before class started.
"...Hi."
"...What happened Saturday?"
Anis hasn't been answering calls, Yoon Na-rin added.
Han U-sol hesitated, glancing around, then spoke softly so no one else could hear.
"Well..."
Han U-sol slowly explained. An alarm had sounded in the city, and while heading to Sector C to help evacuate civilians, he'd seen the pile of corpses left by the chimera.
Among them was even the body of a citizen who had come to express thanks at Anis's medal ceremony.
He skimmed over the events of that dawn. He didn't want to carelessly share it with just anyone.
"......I see."
As Han U-sol finished, Yoon Na-rin's long eyelashes trembled faintly.
Yoon Na-rin closed her eyes, worrying about Anis's mental state and pondering how to comfort and care for her.
The morning bell rang before long, but Anis still didn't show.
"Anis. ...Has Anis not come?"
Silbi Bell, taking roll call, looked for Anis.
"Ah, Teacher. About that..."
As Yoon Na-rin and Reisi Hearts stood and approached the podium, Silbi Bell raised a hand to stop them, her face full of regret.
"...No need. I already heard from the principal, so I know. You don't have to explain."
"...Okay."
"I'll mark Anis absent due to illness for now."
Homeroom ended, time passed, and fourth period arrived—Rockbell's class.
"Anis Harper... isn't here, huh."
Was it because of Saturday's incident? Rockbell, who usually berated students harshly, went easy on them this time.
"...Finally, we'll do a quick mana measurement to wrap up class."
Rockbell pulled a mana measuring device from his pocket.
As students took turns measuring their mana, the door to the training hall building opened, and one person entered.
"...Hello."
...It was Anis.
Entering the training hall drew everyone's gazes. But unlike before, they weren't sharp needles piercing me—they were soft with concern.
Probably because of my haggard appearance from starving all weekend. Even that foul-tempered baldhead, whom I'd expected to chew me out for being late, looked at me with pity.
...Not getting scolded was nice, but the stares were burdensome. Sharp or soft, I was the petty type who hated lots of attention.
"...Right. Come on in, Anis Harper."
...Good lord. Who knew that baldhead could say "hurry up and come in." I seriously wondered if he'd eaten something bad.
I moved to blend in among the students. They were taking turns measuring mana.
"...Anis, you okay?"
"...Yeah."
Yoon Na-rin and Reisi Hearts approached, expressing worry. They seemed pretty shocked by my state.
As I reassured the two, Han U-sol timidly spoke up, careful.
"...Anis. Um... you okay?"
His face, asking out of concern, pretended at calm, as if trying to ignore that dawn's events.
"......"
Facing Han U-sol overlapped with that moment, tightening my chest.
Han U-sol staring at me, nose pinched with his arm.
That expression, those eyes. Eyes terrified of a demon.
Why?
Why look at me like that? Words rose to the tip of my tongue.
It pissed me off. Scared me.
As if he'd pierced my true nature, my contradictions.
As if he'd uncovered that I'm from another world.
The sudden unpleasant aura from the dagger played a part too.
The object that had brought me peace and safety flipped 180 degrees in an instant.
Into something evoking disgust and revulsion.
As if it were condemning me.
As if everyone was turning away, accusing me of the deaths.
I got scared.
So I ran.
"......"
I lowered my gaze slightly.
The dagger still hung at Han U-sol's neck. Unpleasant.
From the moment I entered the training hall, a visceral revulsion coursed through my body.
"...Put away the dagger."
The cold words slipped out unbidden.
"......Anis?"
Not just Han U-sol, but Yoon Na-rin tilted her head too. They knew how I'd obsessed over the dagger's effects, so their confusion was natural.
"......Got it."
Han U-sol touched the dagger briefly, and it unsummoned, vanishing. The disgust flowing through my body faded.
"Next! Anis Harper!"
As an awkward atmosphere hung between Han U-sol and me, the baldhead called my name just in time.
I stepped forward and stood before him. No real expectations anymore. Probably the same as always.
Thinking that, I placed my hand on the mana-measuring orb.
Sure enough, the orb's color brightened briefly before returning to normal, displaying a number.
...Huh?
What?
"......?"
"4... 4640!!"
The baldhead got excited. Not a strange reaction. My mana had doubled over the weekend. Enough to make anyone fall over in shock.
All the students gawked at the number in stunned silence.
'...What is this? Did all the training backlog hit at once?'
Han U-sol was around 4200, right? Somehow, without knowing, I'd surpassed him in mana capacity.
"Hah, outstanding!! Anis Harper!!"
The baldhead slapped my back repeatedly, yelling.
"Finally!! Your efforts are paying off!! That tenacity, never giving up!! Splendid!! Absolutely splendid!!"
Veins bulging in his eyes, spittle flying—guy's lost it.
Smack! Smack!
...Ow, you bastard.