The World Is Doomed
This is a bit serious.
Is the world really going to end? What happens to me if that does?
I thought it was just talk about the world ending or being conquered, but it turns out it’s becoming reality?
“The ones who can go to the Tower are only the Heroes who have graduated. But Enril, how did you enter the Tower if you hadn’t graduated?”
“It’s nothing special. I sneaked in.”
“...Sneaked in?”
“Yes. But somehow, I ended up reaching the top floor. It was good luck.”
The conversations after Enril were nothing but nightmares.
So, to summarize, a Hero Candidate who secretly entered the Tower.
She somehow pierced through all floors and stood before him, and even after that, she reached it multiple times.
It turns out she hadn’t graduated, and all the ones who had graduated died in the process.
Suppressing her frustration, she asked something else.
If she could survive in the Tower, she should have graduated, right?
Then Enril answered in a voice that said “of course you would ask that.”
“All the graduated Hero seniors went to the Tower, and they died honorably there. In a way that befits the name Hero, without shame to that title.”
“...”
“For those who graduate from the Academy, there are only two paths. To live and destroy the Tower, or to die and become the Tower’s grudge. Since I couldn’t do either, graduating doesn’t make sense. So I keep going to the Tower. To end it myself, or to meet my end there.”
At those words, Rion couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
They keep sending him back alive, urging him to die honorably, instead of letting him die.
Enril’s will is completely excluded, only according to what Rion wants.
From her perspective, it’s enough to feel humiliated.
This is like playing with a toy.
Being at the mercy of an uncontrollable existence, one’s fate being swung around like this—
'Damn it, it’s exactly like me.'
The time I had to become the Tower’s boss monster without knowing why.
When will I be able to return? Now, I don’t even know who I am anymore.
Being destroyed by some great being, and treating others the same.
“...Fuck.”
As expected, I have to do my best.
Teach Enril and the other trainees how to get stronger.
And among those Heroes, it would be better if it was Enril.
To face the end as the boss monster and let everyone find peace.
*Thud*
When Rion returned to the dorm, the first thing he did was check the Mana Cultivation Technique.
He would be able to use mana right away when he went to the Hero Academy tomorrow.
Even after 100 years, he hadn’t forgotten one of the past fragments.
He knows this world well. He knows how to get stronger.
Because he was a player who played the ‘game’ that is the original of this world.
Even though everything in front of him is not a game but reality.
But since the root doesn’t change, there’s no harm in saying it’s beneficial.
The Hero Academy also has the Mana Cultivation Technique.
But his is a little more useful.
He knows all the training-related info. It’s correct.
“Next time I face him, I want him to be stronger. And the next time, I want to land a valid hit. And at some point. Really at some point...”
The sharp blade that pierces the boss monster should become the holy sword that saves the world.
“Damn it, really. Are you kidding?”
On the day he officially became an instructor and entered the Academy for the first time.
Rion sincerely wanted to overturn the entire Academy, whether it was Enril or whatever.
The Hero Academy. From the name alone, it’s ridiculously grand.
In the game, it was just a character training place—
But in this world, in this empire, it’s the place where Hero Candidates prepare to save the world.
That’s why Rion thought there must be something special there.
Hero Candidates with differentiated skills and mana manipulation abilities.
The strong ones who teach them, who are not Heroes but similar level.
Finally, the best training and Mana Cultivation Techniques they possess...
“Mana Cultivation Technique... What is that?”
“I’ve never heard of it. Isn’t mana just pulling things that exist in the world?”
“I’ve been a mage for a long time, but I’ve never heard such a thought. Hehe.”
“Instructor. I don’t know what kind of world you lived in, but here, there’s no need for that. With so much mana, what more can you do?”
Yes. This was exactly why Rion wanted to overturn the Academy.
There is no Mana Cultivation Technique. Instead, they ask why it’s necessary.
Not only those who use swords but even mages were busy tilting their heads.
While asking indirect questions like “why do such stupid things.”
“Endure it. Endure it. Yeah, I can understand. This world is full of mana. You just pull it. Why bring some weird method to explain... I understand... damn it. Bullshit!”
There’s overflowing mana! Good. Yeah, I’ll accept that.
But just because there’s a lot of mana, it’s not everything, right?
Metaphorically, the mana floating in the world is like a silver vein.
And people mine that silver vein infinitely and use the silver.
There might be some impurities mixed in, but anyway, it’s silver.
Conversely, monsters and things inside the Tower are like “vampires”.
Beings that take big damage from silver. That is, “pure mana”.
Whether quality or quantity, since they’re weak to silver, by pouring it on them, you can reduce damage.
That’s why this world seems focused on “quantity over quality”.
Since there’s overflowing silver, maybe they thought no need to remove impurities and shave them—
“No, damn it. When was that method discontinued? Instead of dealing 5 damage with 10, bringing the prepared 5 and dealing 5 damage is more beneficial! Even beginners know that quantity over quality is best...”
Ah.
One important fact popped into Rion’s mind while venting.
The “quantity over quality” mana theory was created by users to deal with monsters.
By that training method, all characters were raised and the strategy succeeded.
But here. There is no user in this world to present that method.
This was a game, but now it’s not a place. A world that is reality itself.
Without user intervention, no change, no development.
Still, this world is quantity over quality, just a lot of mana is enough. They were immersed in it!
“Whew...”
Living, living, and now the boss monster is teaching the Heroes the Mana Cultivation Technique.
*
“I’m really sorry, Enril. Can I borrow the proctor position for a bit?”
It started from something extremely trivial.
A proctor who had personal issues asked him to take his place as a substitute.
Since he couldn’t refuse, he agreed and went instead.
“Uuuk!”
I didn’t know there was a crazy guy who would shit in his pants there.
Thanks to that, Enril, who had to vomit, hurriedly left the proctor’s office.
When she returned to the proctor’s office, there was a black-haired man sitting there.
“He’s really amazing. He suits the instructor position!”
“It’s a pity. If he were an imperial citizen, the Sacred Relic might have chosen him.”
What kind of thing did he do? All four proctors passed him.
They were the ones who had insight into teaching, even though they weren’t Heroes.
So Enril decided to follow their opinions without rebutting.
Even in her view, the man named Rion was different.
“...Strange person.”
In a word, it was strange. To explain the reason, well, I don’t know.
It might sound strange, but it was really like that. I don’t know, but it was strange.
A person she definitely hadn’t seen before. And he says he came from across the sea.
Why, how is it that this feels so familiar.
“Must be crazy.”
*Clap clap*
Enril hit her own cheek hard twice, then lightly caught her breath.
And then swung her sword at the monster rushing towards her in front.
*Crack!* *Swoosh!*
The huge monster split into two and fell to the sides.
Clean, no-frills movements. Mana that doesn’t waver at all. Ruthless handwork.
It was literally everything a Hero who saves the world should have.
The soldiers around her immediately cheered and called her name.
“Eleonore! Eleonore! Eleonore Celestine!!”
If it was before, when she was just a newly graduated Hero Candidate, she would have been happy.
But now, it’s not. Now, she can’t be happy about such things.
“Eleonore Celestine.”
A voice that doesn’t rejoice even after defeating a Hero, nor mocks.
Rather, there’s a hint of slight regret and pity.
The man who kept sending her back alive, the one who should be killed.
Thanks to him, she failed to destroy the Tower and survived.
She had to chew on the bone-deep sense of defeat, humiliation, and shame.
And finally, a slight question arose about why he didn’t harm her.
“Why. Why are you doing that.”
At first, it was the sense of duty as a Hero. The mission to save the world.
Now, another reason has been added.
To definitely defeat the Tower Master, the final boss.
And at the very last moment, to find out why.
“Definitely. Definitely.”
For that, she needs to become stronger than now. Much stronger.
The man named Rion she met today was quite strong.
If she’s lucky, she might learn methods to get stronger from him.
The current Hero Academy is like a stagnant pond.
No matter how clean the water is, a pond is a pond.
No change. If there’s no change, it becomes nothing.
That’s why they call in outsiders who are not Heroes to take the instructor exam.
After 100 years, because they couldn’t erase the Tower completely.
Hoping this small change will help the Hero Candidates, the future Heroes.
“I’ll be waiting. Tower Master. Next time, definitely. I’ll win for sure!”