Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: Arin in Crisis
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“…….”
“…….”
Both I and Silvia.
Stared at the scene before us with dumbfounded expressions.
This was.
No ordinary Fireball.
[Item: Sealed Spirit of the Seven Essences (4/7)]
[Grade: God-Slaying Grade]
[Type: Weapon]
[Description: A fragment of the Seven Essences that even the primordial gods feared. The seal will be released once all attribute essences are gathered. Currently contains the essences of Fire (火), Water (水), Wood (木), and Metal (金).]
[Effect 1: Transforms into any form the user desires.]
[Effect 2: Absolutely indestructible.]
[Effect 3: Utilizes the power of the collected essences.]
[Effect 4: Vitality +4,000.]
A Fireball empowered by the 'Effect 3' of a genuine God-Slaying Grade item.
‘Then…….’
Does this mean Water Bomb, Healing, and Sand Storm would have the same effect?
Since it has the essences of Water (水), Wood (木), and Metal (金).
“What the hell is this?”
Silvia demanded.
“I’ve never heard or seen a Fireball with this kind of power. Even elder-level mages can only handle advanced spells…… They can’t cast a Fireball with this much power!”
“Haha, is that so?”
“No……! Don’t just laugh it off!”
No.
What was I supposed to say?
I just used it, and this happened.
Honestly, even I was shocked.
This might be.
Better than awakening Boneau. Maybe I should focus on learning spells myself?
The performance was too good.
‘If basic magic is this strong…….’
What kind of power would much higher-level spells show?
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to replicate just by imitating.
But it was worth investing time to learn.
‘For now.’
One Fireball is enough to teach Arin.
Mastering that alone would let her jump straight to E Class.
After that.
I could figure it out when the time came.
I’d have to keep pushing until graduation.
“How was it?”
I asked with a smile.
“Does this mean I qualify as a professor?”
“…….”
Silvia stared at me like I’d said something ridiculous.
Fair enough.
That remark was a bit cocky.
She asked how I did it, and I didn’t give a proper answer.
“Whew.”
Silvia placed a hand on her chest and let out a deep breath, realizing I was dodging the question.
“Really…… What’s the point of explaining. Of course you qualify. It was just basic magic, but…… I’ve never seen a spell so beautiful and powerful in my life.”
She shook her head as if it still made no sense and continued.
“I’ll have to bring this up with the Elder. Professor Hoon absolutely doesn’t belong in F Class…….”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“Don’t do that.”
As long as Arin was in F Class.
I had no reason to move anywhere else.
“Let’s keep today’s events a secret between us.”
“Huh? Why bother…….”
“Jjapaghetti. Don’t you want any?”
“…….”
Silvia looked at me with an expression like [What the hell?]
Well, I guess it wasn’t easy to understand.
A skilled person turning down a promotion on purpose.
Then, soon enough.
“Well, if that’s how you want it. I’m sure Professor Hoon has his reasons.”
She nodded in agreement.
* * *
At that moment.
In the secret room of the 22nd-floor archive.
“…….”
The girl with snow-white skin, Arin—a noble of a prestigious family treated worse than commoners—fidgeted with the note.
[Don’t you hate the Magic Tower? Don’t you hate the world? Don’t you want revenge on your family?]
[Eat this.]
[Then I’ll help you.]
[-Sponsor-]
‘Sponsor…….’
Ever since that person appeared.
Arin had been living unprecedentedly happy days.
Twice a day.
The steadily arriving food filled her starving stomach and provided nutrients.
Over the past week.
Her skinny limbs had plumped up a bit.
Her sallow skin had regained its taut glow.
With the weight gain, her beauty—hidden by hunger—had fully revived.
On top of that.
The accumulating magic materials allowed her to conduct all sorts of experiments she couldn’t before.
Thanks to that, Arin could immerse herself in her studies with passion.
Without any tricks.
Without any rest, she read books and manipulated mana.
Her wariness hadn’t vanished.
But gratitude was there too.
‘If this is truly pure help…….’
She wanted to repay it somehow.
And in this world of magic, repaying someone meant.
‘You have to build strength no matter what.’
In her current state, she couldn’t help anyone.
She’d only be a burden.
Revenge on the Magic Tower.
Gratitude to the mysterious being.
These two forces drove Arin now.
And yet.
The reason she often fiddled with the sponsor’s note……
The reason her concentration kept breaking during reading……
‘Too curious.’
It was simple human instinct.
Curiosity.
‘Who could it be? Who’s helping me from the shadows?’
The sponsor met two conditions.
First, someone who could enter the archive.
Second, someone who knew the Magic Tower well enough to know about the secret room.
‘That means.’
Only elder-level professors, the heads of the four great families, or the Magic Tower Lord.
‘That doesn’t make sense.’
Arin was confused.
The head of the Eloise family looked at her like a bug.
No reason for another family’s head to sponsor Eloise.
Even if the four great families claimed to be equal pillars of the Magic Tower, rivalry for supremacy existed.
Moreover.
Elder-level professors and Tower Lord Gospelheim had no connection to her.
“…….”
Arin’s lips stopped as she chewed.
She knew it didn’t make sense, but her mind kept drifting to one person.
Someone she’d met only once, but who left an impression.
‘That new professor.’
The afterglow lingered.
He was the most recent person she’d met.
He’d even suggested a meeting.
“No, it can’t be.”
She shook her head vigorously.
Muttering as if chewing the words.
He wasn’t from one of the four great families.
He was from a provincial noble house.
According to the history of the magic world she’d read, black hair and black eyes were unique to the Orchen region.
Such a person couldn’t even obtain a mark of the four great families.
Let alone have ties to the Tower Lord.
‘Just…….’
Arin turned her gaze back to the book.
‘Focus on studying.’
When the time came.
He’d reveal himself.
Whether genuine or a scam.
* * *
The next day.
“Arghhh!”
Arin shot up and tore at her hair.
“No! I can’t do it……!”
Once the stray thoughts started, she couldn’t focus.
It wasn’t just focus—sleep evaded her too.
The sponsor.
And the new professor.
Their possible connection haunted her mind relentlessly.
A mage’s fate: unsolved curiosity meant no sleep.
‘But.’
Arin clenched her fist.
The outside world was scary.
Terrifying.
The malicious or pitying gazes directed at her.
The surrounding murmurs all sounded like curses aimed at her.
Pure laughter felt like mockery at her expense.
As if every being in the world pointed and laughed.
“…….”
Just thinking about it made her head throb and her stomach churn.
She felt like vomiting right then.
Her eyes wavered.
‘Maybe not……?’
* * *
Two more days passed.
Grit!
Finally, Arin ground her teeth.
Truth be told, during that time.
She’d shouted, “Who are you?”
“If you’re watching, come out.”
She’d searched too.
She’d even skipped a meal once.
But.
The sponsor never appeared.
He only delivered food and materials.
“As expected.”
Arin made her resolve.
“Just once.”
Over those two days.
She’d thought it through plenty, reaffirmed it plenty.
“Just meet once.”
Enduring the fear.
Gathering courage.
She’d go seek him out.
Arin wanted to see that new professor.
She didn’t know why.
But she felt one meeting would tell her if he was the sponsor or not.
She sprang to her feet and headed straight out of the archive.
No hesitation.
If she dawdled, she’d give up today too.
Step, step.
Feeling the archive floor’s texture for the first time in ages, the girl headed to the classroom.
‘It’s morning now.’
Joining class would let her see the professor in charge of her.
Gulp.
Arin swallowed.
The F Class classroom, just arrived at after leaving the archive, felt alien.
As always, few students attended.
Creak!
Opening the classroom door poured about ten gazes onto the girl.
Class hadn’t started yet.
Arin instinctively looked to the back row, frowning.
Fortunately.
The notorious delinquent.
Andrew Patrick, who tormented her for no reason, wasn’t there.
“Phew…….”
She sighed inwardly.
She’d cleared the first hurdle.
Just his absence brought relief.
“That’s…….”
“Isn’t that Arin? What’s she doing here?”
Ignoring the whispers as best she could, she sat in a random seat.
Creak, creak!
Students trickled in one by one.
“Ugh, that black-haired professor. Bet he skips the formulas again and just assigns self-study.”
“At least he demonstrates. He points out the issues roughly.”
“No way. He seems like a total quack no matter how you slice it. Did you see him use basic magic?”
“……Nah?”
“They couldn’t find an F Class professor, so they just grabbed anyone, right?”
As they badmouthed the new professor.
“…….”
Arin perked up her ears.
‘Just self-study?’
From the brief glimpse she remembered.
He seemed diligent enough.
“Huh, what?”
Then.
One of the group entering pointed at Arin.
“That’s Eloise Arin, right?”
“Yeah? What wind blew her into class?”
“Her vibe’s changed a bit? She used to be stick-thin, but now she’s got some meat on her. Oh, kinda pretty?”
“Keek, did she scavenge something? Stole from someone?”
“…….”
Arin bit her lip.
Humiliation and shame.
Words once whispered behind her back as an Eloise were now said openly.
They knew.
She was an empty shell of an Eloise.
No one in the family would step up if threatened.
“…….”
Growing anxious, Arin breathed shallowly.
‘Whatever.’
It’s just for today.
She tried to think.
But.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced, face flushed red.
Her classmates’ murmurs swelled like echoes, ringing in her ears.
Dizziness hit like anemia, vision darkening.
To top it off.
Creak!
The front door burst open roughly.
And the one who appeared was.
The person she least wanted to see outside.
“Wow, it’s noisier than usual, so I dropped by—jackpot! Event time! The archive ghost finally crawled out of hiding to here?”
The scion of the Patrick family.
“Keuk. What, did you miss me?”
Andrew Patrick smirked venomously.