Certified by a Unicorn... (3)
Certified by a Unicorn... (3)
We followed Professor Alida out.
The cadets moved in orderly fashion behind her.
I floated along using wind, trailing the professor.
"I said 'outside,' but there's actually plenty to show you inside as well."
Professor Alida, leading the group, spoke up. She seemed intent on providing explanations along the way so no one would get bored before we arrived.
"This is a monster research facility built within Siyoram. We also conduct breeding programs to ensure smooth acquisition of data and specimens... Now, a question."
The professor, her heels clicking steadily, suddenly raised a single finger.
"How many years ago did the Great Cataclysm occur?"
"Exactly two hundred years ago!"
The answer came the instant the question ended. The professor smiled and wagged her finger.
"A quick response and the correct answer—excellent. Cadet, your name?"
"Cheongmyeong Class, Bella Aletova!"
"I'll remember that for a bonus point. Was that too old-fashioned? My apologies. Still, this approach is surprisingly effective at prompting answers."
Professor Alida laughed sheepishly and continued.
"Returning to the question: the Great Cataclysm refers to the worldwide chain rampage of dungeons that occurred two hundred years ago."
The Great Cataclysm. A term that appears in every history book you open. It's also the primary reason the world ended up in its current sorry state.
Dungeon chain rampage—the phrase tacked onto the end. My expression crumpled at that passage.
The dungeon rampages I'd personally experienced: Sipnaha, and the two in China.
At Sipnaha, Aerus beat me like a dog and nearly killed me. In China, I got poisoned by the Twin-headed Poison Dragon and almost crossed the Sanzu River.
None of them were good memories. The Twin-headed Poison Dragon especially—it was recent, so it left a particularly bad taste.
Unrelated to my mood, the professor's explanation continued.
"Most history books describe it something like this."
With the Great Cataclysm, dungeons appeared all over the world, and the monsters that poured out when those dungeons rampaged caused immense suffering for humanity at the time...
"...or so they say. It's not wrong, but strictly speaking, it isn't entirely accurate either. Cadet Bella Aletova, do you happen to know why?"
"Uh... I don't know!"
The cadet, who'd been rolling her eyes back and forth for a moment, gave a hesitant answer.
At the dramatically deflated energy compared to before, Professor Alida giggled and responded.
"In the official historical record, the very first monsters were documented before the Great Cataclysm."
"What?"
"To be precise, they were flora and fauna that became monsters under the influence of mana."
Many cadets' eyes went wide. Pleased with the openly admiring reaction, Professor Alida nodded.
"The first monster ever recorded was a mouse that discharged electricity. The next was a gorilla that manipulated mounds of earth and wore them like armor."
The mouse had probably manifested a Unique Ability along the lines of 'Lightning Discharge,' and the gorilla something like 'Earth Manipulation.'
"A dog that spewed fire from its mouth, a cat that launched slashing gusts of wind from its claws, and so on... Creatures utterly incomprehensible by pre-Cataclysm standards."
Strange creatures, monsters, demon beasts... The term 'monster' was what the nations with the strongest influence at the time started haphazardly calling them.
"To summarize: mana existed before the Great Cataclysm, and there were flora and fauna that became monsters through its influence. In academic circles, this category is called Primordial Species."
Professor Alida paused there and turned to look back at the cadets following her.
Some had their eyes rounded as if they'd heard something astonishing. Others maintained a composed demeanor, as if they already knew.
Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek A-rin were among the composed ones. They must have learned this during their heir training.
Ellia looked intrigued, like it was news to her, but only enough to file it away as 'huh, interesting.'
Professor Alida's gaze, sweeping over the cadets' expressions, landed on me.
She studied my indifferent expression, clicked her tongue as if disappointed, and turned back around.
"I've rambled on long enough. So, what's the conclusion...?"
- Step.
Professor Alida's footsteps came to a halt. She glanced around briefly, then turned her head to face the cadets.
In an odd silence, the professor spoke her conclusion with a rather serious look.
"In some respects, monster research is a truly meaningless endeavor."
"Huh?"
A dumbfounded voice slipped from one of the cadets. The conclusion had come out of nowhere.
"Ahaha. Was that too abrupt? Allow me to elaborate."
As if she'd anticipated that reaction, the professor shrugged and gestured around her.
The cadets' gazes followed her pointing finger... to the glass walls.
We had descended underground before we knew it.
The underground level was a long grid structure, and inside the glass walls installed in each block were various types of monsters.
"There are so many kinds of monsters, and they change for all sorts of reasons. Some are born as variants, some undergo physical restructuring under a dungeon's influence, some differ in individual anatomy due to their Unique Abilities, some change structure again as they grow..."
Variants, dungeon backups, Unique Abilities, physical growth...
"Either way, for countless reasons, years of accumulated research data can become completely useless at the critical moment. But! Even so, the researchers—myself included—are diligently studying monsters at this very moment, hoping to figure something out."
- Clap!
The professor, whose energy had been flagging, raised her voice and clapped her hands.
"This course, 'Monster Taming and Response,' is designed to study the information we've gathered and to gain hands-on practice against monsters. You'll also learn breeding methods concurrently."
"May I ask a question?"
"Yes, of course. Cadet, your name?"
"Usu Class... ..."
"... ..."
The broad overview was finished. Cadets who'd developed an interest in the course began firing off questions.
The professor, seemingly delighted, answered each one diligently.
Hong Yeon-hwa, though, didn't seem particularly interested. She'd listened attentively to the explanation, but apparently not enough to ask questions.
"Hwaaahm..."
She even let out a quiet yawn. Still mindful enough not to do it openly, she turned her head and covered her mouth with her hand.
Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head—and our eyes met.
I had my eyes open and was looking her way, so it was possible.
"......"
Her gem-like, beautiful eyes flew wide open.
Then the corners of her eyes trembled, and heat rose to her earlobes and cheeks.
Since I was floating at eye level using wind,
Hong Yeon-hwa's changes were vividly visible to the naked eye.
"Uh, um..."
Hong Yeon-hwa's voice quivered pathetically.
A reaction brimming with bewilderment and mortification.
I tilted my head and leaned in slightly.
—Peck.
A soft, embarrassing sound escaped. A gentle sensation brushed my lips. The warmth was palpable.
A fragrant scent grew stronger.
I withdrew my lips after the brief contact.
The pleasant sensation receded, and I felt a pang of regret.
At the same time, a fluttery embarrassment tickled the pit of my stomach.
My body felt oddly warm, too.
Not a bad feeling, all in all.
I pursed my lips with idle regret and observed Hong Yeon-hwa.
"......"
Hong Yeon-hwa stood frozen stiff as stone, mouth hanging open blankly.
"Heh heh."
The sight was so absurdly funny that a soft laugh slipped out.
I covered my mouth with my hand and giggled.
"...Ngh, haah..."
Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly let out a pained groan and squeezed her eyes shut.
Startled by her abruptly gasping for breath, I latched onto her.
"Yeon-hwa... does it hurt?"
I grabbed her arm and shook it, peering up at her.
Just as I readied myself to manifest Homogenization, Hong Yeon-hwa's tightly shut eyes cracked open.
Half-lidded red eyes gazed down at me.
"This is... hard..."
"Huh?"
Whoosh... The flames inside Hong Yeon-hwa surged.
They'd been quiet lately, but now they flared up sticky and intense again. I tilted my head.
"Yeon-hwa, Yeon-hwa? What's gotten into you all of a sudd— Whoa, whoa, hold on."
Baek A-rin, who'd been watching us with an odd look, suddenly recoiled and reached out.
She placed a hand on Hong Yeon-hwa's back and poured out a full stream of Azure Sea energy.
Sssss... Azure Sea cascaded over the Calamity Flame, which was flickering thick and sticky.
The Calamity Flame still burned tenaciously, but under Azure Sea's suppression, it gradually regained its original character.
I blinked at the sudden situation and discreetly scanned the surroundings with Observation.
The small commotion had drawn some attention this way.
The professor's gaze was among them.
"Ah, my sides are aching."
Professor Alida, round glasses perched on her face, wore an indescribable expression.
.
.
.
Even after the commotion subsided, the professor's lecture continued.
- Grrrrk...
A mass of something squirmed. A strange sound reached my ears.
Something long suddenly jutted out from the mass.
Rough gray skin protruding from a lump of black.
Legs extended from all sides to support its body, and a neck stretched out long from the front.
"A turtle?"
A cadet muttered. As if responding, its eyelids opened and a yellow mana gleam flashed.
"Correct. This is a Black Iron Turtle, classified at Standard 6th Rank."
Professor Alida nodded and tapped the glass wall.
- Grraaah...
The Black Iron Turtle's snout slowly parted, emitting a dull, heavy cry.
Its shell glittered under the light. Deep black with a luster to it—the shell, shaped like a rugged mountain of spikes, radiated a rather menacing air.
"Now, as I mentioned, this monster is a Black Iron Turtle. Similar specimens are collectively referred to as Black Iron Turtles."
Black Iron Turtle. I felt an odd sense of fondness. I'd hunted so many of them in the original work.
"The reason it's called 'Black Iron' is because that coarse shell is composed of Black Iron ore."
Black Iron (黑鐵).
One of the mana-infused ores discovered after the Great Cataclysm—named Black Iron because it resembles iron steeped in deep black.
"Thanks to its boastfully high Black Iron content, it's essentially carrying a sturdy fortress on its back."
Black Iron is used extensively in armaments.
It's not a difficult material to work with, either—just melt it, hammer it, and harden it to produce serviceable equipment.
Not quite Indestructibility, but it becomes reasonably tough and accepts mana decently well.
Black Iron is also relatively easy to obtain.
The Black Iron Turtle population isn't small. Around the world, dungeons where Black Iron Turtles appear are operated as official farms.
Black Iron is mined from regular mines too. That means supply is generous—if you want it, you can get it easily.
In short, it's a budget material.
Decently hard, takes mana well. The price isn't burdensome, so you can comfortably craft multiple pieces and stash them for emergencies.
The 2nd Iteration especially, who mastered every kind of weapon, processed Black Iron directly and used it for armaments.
The 2nd Iteration was an extreme anti-personnel combat character.
You could say he wielded every weapon a human could handle. But he couldn't outfit all of them with high-grade artifacts.
So he compromised and forged his own weapons, centering on Black Iron, and kept them stocked.
"Would anyone like to try facing one directly?"
After finishing her brief explanation of the Black Iron Turtle, the professor suddenly asked.
"Huh? Is that allowed? What if we accidentally subjugate it...?"
"We keep plenty of Black Iron Turtles, so it's fine. This one isn't even a special specimen, so subjugating it outright wouldn't be a problem."
At the abrupt suggestion to beat up a research monster, a cadet asked back in bewilderment, and the professor answered nonchalantly.
"The truly important specimens are under very strict protection, so don't worry."
At the professor's explanation, several cadets fell into thought.
The caretaker herself said it was fine, and safety was guaranteed—it was tempting.
[I'd like to experience it firsthand]
"Yes, yes, very good. Cadet, your surna— name... is..."
[I'm Lee Ha-yul]
"Ah, er... Yes, Cadet Lee Ha-yul. Come this way."
I was among them.
I'd subjugated plenty of Black Iron Turtles in the original work, but never in person.
From the explanation, this one was an average specimen—it would be easy to compare with the original work's information.
I raised my hand and volunteered.
The professor's words trailed off oddly for some reason, but the request was accepted.
At the blunt, flat voice characteristic of the Confession Necklace, the cadets turned to look at me.
Their gazes were deeply strange.
Eyes filled with worry and unease.
It was honestly a little ridiculous.
Sure, I'd come back looking like this, but wasn't I still the superhuman who killed the Twin-headed Poison Dragon?
Fine, it was closer to a lizard, but it was still a dragonkind with an enormous base weight class.
It was undead, so it was weakened, and its unstable state weakened it drastically, but... it was still a high-rank monster.
So what was with these looks? What was with these looks of concern, like they were watching a little kid throw himself at a monster...?
I pouted and observed my own condition.
Short and stubby limbs. Pure white, flawless skin that looked like it had never known hardship. A small frame that seemed like it ought to be cradled in a guardian's arms...
...Fine, I did look the part for causing worry, but considering my actual strength, I wasn't someone who needed concern.
"Ha-yul, you're going to try it yourself?"
"Are you sure you're all right? In your current state..."
"Even if you do it, maybe a little later would be better?"
[Don't worry]
[I absolutely won't get hurt]
"You. The last time you said that, what kind of shape did you come back in?"
[Sorry...]
Even Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, and Ellia—who should know my level well—were worried...
But I genuinely wanted to try it firsthand, so I stepped forward confidently.
The professor rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a bracelet.
I observed it—an artifact with a built-in protective function.
The professor strode over.
She seemed about to put the bracelet on me.
"Here, it's a protective artifact. There's no chance it'll fall off, so don't wor—ry..."
My left sleeve and arm sleeve were pushed up, revealing a glimpse of the silver prosthetic arm. The professor's eyes trembled.
"So... I hope you'll approach the practice with confidence."
The professor calmly fastened the bracelet and pulled the sleeve back down.
I nodded, feeling a bit awkward.
.
.
.
Bzzzt... A small entrance opened in the center of the large glass wall. I stepped through, and it sealed shut behind me.
- Grrrrr...
As an outsider invaded its territory, the Black Iron Turtle bared its teeth.
Heat haze shimmered around tusks so massive and vicious a wild boar wouldn't even compare.
Turtles supposedly have tremendous jaw strength. An average person caught in those would be torn in half.
I activated Observation and examined the Black Iron Turtle in meticulous detail.
The mana flowing across its outer skin, the Black Iron-infused shell, the tough musculature, the bizarrely contorted skeletal structure, the unexpectedly large brain, the internal organs missing several essential components.
The blood vessels carrying blood and the circuit pathways flowing with mana, the location and intensity of the mana crystal serving as its core...
Countless pieces of information crammed into my mind. It was by no means overwhelming. I accepted it all and methodically analyzed it.
Analysis complete.
It wasn't a burden, but operating at this level of detail did leave my head a little sore.
I shook it off and roused my mana.
Mana surged from my core. After cycling through my circuits, it discharged outside my body.
Pure white mana shimmered for a moment like a lion's mane. Admiring reactions followed from beyond the glass wall.
Among them were Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, and Ellia—the ones who'd been worrying about me.
I felt a strange swell of pride.
Arrogance is the express lane to death, but it wasn't a bad feeling.
I controlled the corners of my lips, which were threatening to rise, and began manipulating my mana—
- Wooooong...!
'?'
My body flinched. Through mana detection, not Observation, a blatant presence surged from far away.
'What's that about?'
It wasn't as pure as mine, but a white, immaculate energy heaved wildly.
A unicorn's presence, felt from a great distance.
It suddenly swelled like mad.
- Boom!
A faint sound reached my ears. The sound of something crashing and breaking.
- ...! ...escaped...! That way... ...!
"Wha— What's coming?"
A faint voice came from the professor too. I'd picked up a sliver of the communication from her smartwatch.
'Escaped, coming, white energy?'
The presence was drawing closer.
No—the distance was closing at an incredible speed.
The faint presence swelled in magnitude.
- CRAAAAASH!
An explosion rang out. Not from afar. A hole had been punched straight through the ceiling directly above.
The research wing was bathed in red. Sirens blared obnoxiously, thick with a sense of alarm.
In that brief moment, something pure white dropped from the ceiling.
No landing sound followed.
It landed gracefully, without a thud—the unicorn—and looked this way.
'Ohhh...'
I forgot the situation for a moment and marveled.
Its form was that of a horse. But it was massive, easily two or three times the size of an ordinary horse.
A pure white coat worthy of the word immaculate.
Its long legs stood straight and firm upon the ground, and a luxuriant mane streamed elegantly down its neck.
And above all, that horn—the unicorn's most defining feature.
So enormous that even if ten of me stood in a line, it could skewer us all and keep walking.
'Similar.'
Its mana nature was also exceedingly clean. Comparable to mine at the start of the semester.
The words pure and innocent sprang to mind immediately.
Feeling another being's mana like this, those words surfaced instinctively. Now I understood why Professor Liana had said such things.
Then it happened. The unicorn extended a leg. The long limb approached without a sound.
I tilted my head calmly.
There was no hostility. If anything, those gentle, docile eyes were brimming with inexplicable fondness and goodwill.
The unicorn, having drawn close, suddenly stretched its face forward.
At the mystical sight, even the people who'd been flustered by the emergency situation stared blankly, transfixed.
I instinctively reached out a hand.
And then...
- Snort.
[Huh?]
The unicorn bit the scruff of my neck. It didn't hurt.
I was lifted with the utmost care, as if handling something precious.
For some reason, all the strength drained from my body.
Exactly like a cat carrying a kitten by the scruff.
As if its business here was done, the unicorn sprang without hesitation through the hole in the ceiling.
'?'
A question mark floated above my head.