Awakening to the Professor's Prank
My eyes snapped open. My heart pounded like it was about to burst. I gasped for breath. Tremors spread through my entire body. Muscles that had been rigidly stiff twisted in shock, and my forehead and back were drenched in cold sweat. Every sense was heightened. Amid that sharpened awareness, my very existence felt off—some profound misalignment. It was as if my body had been torn to shreds, every part feeling awkwardly foreign. Warm air brushed my skin. With it came a heavy mana that enveloped my whole form, reconstructing it. Guided by that mana, I slowly regained sensation in my body.
“Ugh…”
Clutching my head, I sat up. Where the hell was I? My skull throbbed like it was splitting open. I remembered escaping the 6th floor and heading to the 7th. Yeah, everything up to the 6th was crystal clear. I’d made it to the 7th, and then… The harder I tried to recall, the more my head screamed in pain. Don’t think about it. Just bury it all in the back of my mind. I forced myself to sort through the fog, deciding to seal it away.
I checked my body. A faint awkwardness lingered, like it wasn’t quite mine. Mana wouldn’t flow properly because of it. My Seedling had shrunk back deep into my chest, cowering. Why was this thing so terrified? It had to be tied to those missing memories.
I forcibly lifted my trembling eyelids. Where was this place? I’d never seen it before. A massive room. The first thing that caught my eye was a huge window showing the outside—clouds and mountains stretching endlessly beyond the wall-spanning glass. In front of it sat a wide desk. Rustling sounds came from someone there, but stacks of papers hid them from view.
I approached slowly. Grumbling drifted out.
“What the hell? Why dump this on me? No such crap for the last thousand years. Can’t stand seeing anyone else slack off, huh? Those old bastards—I swear I won’t let them get away with this…”
It was Irian’s voice. I cautiously navigated the paper mountain. She looked haggard, scribbling absently with a mana pen. Junk littered the area. Glancing past it, my eyes locked on one item—a fist-sized eyeball. It stared right at me. Our gazes met, and the headache flared back up. My Seedling spasmed, spewing mana in panic.
Eye… eye… what about the eye? The eye stares at me. The eye watches me and I melt away.
“At it again.”
A sharp jolt hit my head. The familiar agony shattered my unraveling thoughts. I collapsed, clutching my skull.
Eye. I remembered. On the 7th floor, I’d seen the eye. Through shaking fingers, I glimpsed Professor Irian. And that eye. It was still staring at me. My brain roiled; I slammed my eyes shut. Better for my sanity to see nothing.
“Mm. Don’t dwell on it. I didn’t expect that thing to be wandering around.”
Professor Irian spoke.
“I roughly sealed your memories and pieced your soul back together, but expect instability for about a week. You cleaned up to the 5th floor nicely. My oversight too, so cleaning duty ends here.”
With her words, the contract mana binding my Seedling returned to my wrist. Just cleaning, and this happened. Was she planning more of this crap?
The memory of shattering apart made me shudder. My head had calmed a bit; I cracked my eyes open. The eye still watched. Staring at the ceiling, I rose slowly. The prickling gaze persisted. I pointed at it.
“That… that eye. Is it the one I saw?”
“Oh, right—I left it out. No wonder you freaked.”
She sliced open space and tossed the eye in. The staring vanished. I sighed in relief and bowed to her.
“Sorry. I was too weak and blacked out.”
“Nah? My bad. Didn’t think anything from the treasure vault would slip out after just a century. Rare find from four hundred years back. If you’d had any mana left, you’d have melted on the spot.”
“That… is a treasure?”
I latched onto her words without thinking. I clamped my mouth shut, gauging her reaction. She ignored it, scribbling away.
“Got bored, dove deep into the ocean. Killed the beast there and fused its eyes into that. Show it to someone with mana? They end up like you.”
She glanced at me and clicked her tongue.
“You got hit because you’re weak. Infected by the law in its gaze. Build a solid mental barrier next time.”
I nodded blankly. Ocean, monster, law. Dreamlike nonsense. I didn’t grasp it fully, but one thing was clear: I’d faced something beyond me.
“Anyway, wipe it from your mind. Sealed it tight again.”
“Yes.”
She fell silent, infusing her pen with mana and slashing through the paper piles. I stood by, steadying myself. Silver lining? Seeing it toughened my Seedling a bit. A couple more growth spurts, and I could advance stages. Though I’d bolt if this repeated.
Finally, the papers vanished into a rift. Desk clear, she flopped onto it. Habit kicked in; I summoned a doll. The butler emerged from my spatial pouch, brewed tea, set a cup before her, and draped a light blanket over her. She sipped and smiled.
“Urgent stuff done. Tower’s clean to the 5th—your tasks end here.”
“Professor, I have something to say.”
She eyed me curiously. I tensed.
“Rooms with torn space on the 2nd and 5th floors. Beyond my skill to fix…”
“Fixed ’em. Caught one escapee from the 6th warehouse too.”
“Sorry. Should’ve handled it.”
I bowed. She chuckled, shaking her head.
“Didn’t expect much past the 6th. That’s my treasure vault—mess with stuff beyond your level, and you go mad like earlier.”
She grinned.
“What you saw was tame. Meet something from the 8th or 9th? Soul melts too.”
I shivered. Her sincerity chilled me. Stronger than that eye? The slum nickname flashed—Explorer. Before our contract, she’d bragged about treasures. If she’d hunted endlessly, this tower held horrors unimaginable.
“Anyway, story’s over. Time to fulfill the contract.”
She showed her wrist, marked like mine. I checked mine: Pass the university entrance with Irian’s aid, serve Irian until graduation. I’d felt its grip climbing here. It bound my Seedling, pressuring obedience. That’s what dragged me to the eye. I shuddered. Even stabilized, the aftereffects lingered—a week’s rest needed.
Straightening, I recalled a year ago: her offer—aid entry, serve after. Inscribed on my wrist. But why teach a drifter like me? A transcendent mage investing a year—what for? I’d guessed vaguely, too scared to ask. Now admitted, I was hers to command.
Tense, I awaited her words. She sipped tea.
“When we contracted, I had zero expectations. Figured a dropout like you couldn’t survive to graduate. Thought your lifespan was maybe two hundred years—use you as a servant till then.”
True enough. Pre-Irian: ten failures, stalled growth, mounting impatience. Graduation? Doubtful. I nodded mutely.
“But teaching you changed my mind.”
She clapped, beaming. Talent? Hope flickered, then died. I knew myself.
“You’re better at servant work than I thought.”
There it is. She caught my disappointment, frowning. Her mana stirred. I forced a smile.
“Bit quirky with random thoughts, but you finish tasks. That servant grit shines—love it. Grew more than expected too.”
She sipped leisurely.
“So, I’m handing you this tower.”
I blanked. Aftereffects? Bad hearing? Joke? Mouth agape.
“Pardon?”
I blurted. She waved her teacup, griping.
“Too annoying. Busy treasure-hunting—why tie myself teaching?”
Her face screamed hassle, voice irritation. Mana churned. She glanced, pondered, then pulled a scroll from a rift and tossed it.
“You need to know. Read.”
I caught it reverently, unrolled. Top: WARNING in bold. Dense text below. Reading sank in her plight—or shocked me. Professors had this freedom?
No classes held for the past millennium.
Henceforth, conduct classes continuously for the next century.
Failure to comply will result in revocation of professorial privileges and tower residency.
Summary: No classes in a thousand years—teach for a hundred now. Explained dragging me here: needed a slave for the hassle. But suddenly dumping the tower on me?
I eyed her questioningly. She smirked amid the annoyance.
“Hired you as servant for the term. You’re more capable than thought?”
Her finger pointed. Smile deepened—mischief, interest. Dread hit.
“Changed plans. Why bother myself?”
She rose, approached, patted my shoulder laughing.
“You handle it.”
Speechless. Beyond grasp. Servant? Expected. Guessed to ease her laziness—I’d observed. But this?
“You plan lessons, grade exams, manage the tower. I relax here. Genius idea, really.”
Shock nearly blacked me out. Better face the eye. No reality to it. What the hell?
Injustice flooded my face as I stared. She twinkled playfully.
“So… you want me to teach your classes?”
Cautious. She nodded firmly.
“Yep.”
“And grade them?”
“Yup.”
Head in hands. Body and mind rebelled in pain. What madness? Not my script.
She roared laughing.
“Let’s set lectures now. Submit syllabus by week’s end!”
Beaming shout. I clutched my head.
“I know nothing about the university.”
Deflated. She sparkled.
“Fine! I don’t either! Did zilch since becoming professor.”
Mind unraveled further. Really okay? Analysis turned resignation. No refusal possible. Accept, enjoy? I owed her entry—repay. Tougher the path, better prove loyalty. Same here.
Rationalizing, her eyes narrowed. Mana pressed hard. Forced grin, vigorous nod.
“I’ll do my best!”
Shoulders back, confident shout. Inside: blood tears. From contract signing, one choice only. What horrors awaited? Unimaginable.