New Instructor
Rion sat in his chair, manipulating mana, and bit his lip.
Was there a problem with the mana flow? Had his mana level dropped lower than expected?
No. No, no. Or rather, maybe that was the problem.
'Why does his body's power keep leaking out too?'
He was trying to use the high-density mana accumulated in his body, but his own power kept intruding unnoticed.
He had to suppress it. But it was hard.
Suppressing power also suppressed mana.
When using mana properly, power also burst out.
If the power was very weak, he wouldn't worry much, but no matter how he looked, the leaking power wasn't weak at all.
It was like advertising 'BOSS MONSTER HERE!'
'They said there was a restriction on power, and it weakens when far from the tower!'
The restriction was good for hiding his identity.
But what happened? Instead of weakening, his power was more out of control than usual.
The moment he relaxed even a little, the Tower Master's aura would spread everywhere.
"Going insane..."
From Rion's perspective, it was a terrible situation where his head was spinning.
But the real horror was just beginning.
Knock knock—
Suddenly, a knock sounded, Rion tilted his head.
No one would come. Even if there was, no reason to meet like this.
Thinking something was up, he stood and approached the door—
'Ah, again.'
With a small sigh, he pressed his forehead.
The one waiting for an answer beyond this door was none other than Enril.
'My head is still spinning.'
He thought about pretending not to be there, but since they'd meet again tomorrow anyway.
Pretending wouldn't help.
So, Rion grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and peeked out.
"Ah, Instructor. You were in the dormitory?"
"Enril. What brings you to my room suddenly?"
"I have something to say. Are you okay?"
Not at all. Not okay at all. I wish you'd just go.
"Whatever."
It was awkward to let her in. But Rion decided to let her in anyway.
This way, he might reduce suspicion later.
If he felt guilty, he wouldn't let anyone into his space.
"Why did you come to my room?"
"Actually, I wanted to apologize."
With Enril's words, Rion let out a sigh "Hmm?"
Why apologize? Apology is for the one who did wrong.
"Hey, Enril. There's no need for you to apologize. There's someone else who should apologize."
"Actually, that person went to submit a resignation letter earlier."
Resignation? What sudden talk is this.
Rion tilted his head, and Enril continued.
"As a hero candidate, she feels guilty for not being able to control her own mind. She also feels disappointed in herself, so she decided to quit."
"..."
Forget about whether to accept the resignation.
She was a grateful friend he turned away, why quit.
Rion pressed his forehead and let out a long sigh.
"Where is that person?"
"Eh? Um... I saw them downstairs earlier..."
"Wait a second."
Rion said, and quickly went out of the room.
It happened so suddenly that Enril didn't have time to stop him.
"Eh..."
Left alone in Rion's room, Enril.
The only thing she could do was blink her eyes.
'Why did he suddenly do that?'
If I knew this, I should have followed him immediately?
She was restless, so she sat in a corner.
If she waited quietly, Rion would come eventually.
"..."
As she waited, the room's scenery naturally came into view.
She also realized she was alone in a man's room.
'Even so, is it okay?'
She knew well about monsters and heroes.
But because of that, she knew nothing about the opposite sex. Nothing at all.
For Enril, who had no time, reason, or heart for that.
Suddenly left alone in the opposite sex's space was very confusing.
It was also strange to stand outside.
So, she decided to endure the embarrassment and wait.
'I thought it would be... a bit different...'
In a man's room, there should be some messy, pungent smell.
She had imagined such a scene from what some female students said.
'But it's not like that at all.'
The room was very clean and tidy. Perfect organization.
Even the hanging clothes were neatly laid without a single wrinkle.
Compared to her own room, it seemed much cleaner.
Enril's gaze wandered to the desk.
Tens of sheets of pure white paper, filled with written letters.
Feeling a strange attraction, Enril stood up.
And without knowing, she approached and looked at the contents.
"Mana Cultivation Technique... If you start with homogeneous mana, in the end, the one who refines it..."
I see. So this was what the instructor wanted to tell me.
The method that gave me defeat even in this mana-rich world.
Enril read the rest with more focus.
Although there were many parts very difficult for her to understand easily.
As she read on, she understood more clearly.
That the instructor named Rion was not an ordinary person.
"This part is..."
"Ah. That part might be hard to understand alone. The theory gets twisted from there."
"I see... Hwa?!"
Startled, Enril turned around hurriedly.
Behind her, Rion was looking at her, not knowing when he had come.
"Eh, when did you come?!"
"A little while ago."
A little while ago, but I didn't feel any presence? Is that possible?!
'... the expression on my face shows it, doesn't it.'
To put it bluntly, it is possible. This side is the boss that the hero must defeat.
But because it's too boring, I can't endure it and am out for a walk.
"How is it? I did a pre-study on the things I'll teach you from now on. It looks good?"
"Eh? Ah... Yeah. It seems... a bit ingenious."
"You can say it honestly. A little. Or, is it not too absurd?"
Claiming a mana cultivation technique in a world overflowing with mana.
At first glance, it might seem like a useless thing, wasting time and effort.
A cultivation technique is not something easy to learn in a day or two.
Rather, it requires much more effort than what you've been doing so far.
Decisively, even after doing the cultivation technique once, it's not over.
Whenever you have time, you have to keep circulating the mana in your body, polishing it again and again.
Otherwise, the refined mana will become turbid again.
That was why the academy people shook their heads.
"...When I first saw it, I thought of that. But, I remembered the instructor's words. Whether mana can be handled in this way even in a different environment. At that time, there must have been another method, but wouldn't it be beneficial to learn it in advance?"
Not bad. As expected, the only hero who entered the boss room.
Rion felt again that his choice was not wrong.
"Hey, but. Instructor. The one you went out just now was..."
"Yeah. That student. The guy who suddenly slapped my face in the afternoon. I met him earlier. He apologized, said he wasn't qualified, and talked about quitting or whatever. I told him to do training instead of saying useless things."
It was true that his face was hit, but it didn't hurt much. If it was Enril's fist, who knows.
And thanks to that, his mind was distracted, and no worst accident happened.
From Rion's perspective, he had no intention of making it an issue.
"Does that mean... you forgive her?"
"After hearing the story, she seems to admire you a lot. Being shocked that a black-haired foreigner defeated you. I warned her not to do it twice, so it won't happen again."
Rion gave a vague reason and went back to talking about the mana cultivation technique.
It might look easy now, but it will become very difficult later.
He tried hard to persuade Enril not to say anything else when she came.
"..."
Enril, hearing that, was distracted by other thoughts.
'Good person. Someone who knows how to forgive mistakes.'
It was a very embarrassing situation for Rion.
It was a natural situation for someone to get angry.
But he let it go as if it was nothing.
In fact, he even went to find that student and told her to stay.
Instead of getting angry and saying what she did.
"Enril."
"..."
"Enril!"
"Ah, ah! Y-yes?!"
"Are you really okay with this? This is a much more difficult and troublesome thing than it looks."
No matter what Enril thought or what impression she had.
Rion just wanted to teach the mana cultivation technique as soon as possible.
Even though he was already going crazy with frustration.
A very tragic news came just now.
'The hero's aura that was active inside the tower disappeared.'
It seemed to have come quite high, but it scattered like smoke earlier.
This case means only one thing. Failing to overcome the trial at some floor.
That is, failing again and facing death.
In the game days, they gave random situations to add tension.
In the current reality, it makes even Enril's advice as a survivor useless.
It was drawing an inescapable hell where once you enter, you can't survive.
"You can do it, Enril. You can do it."
Please do it. Do it! The boss monster cheering for the hero.
"..."
The hero looking at the demon cheering for herself with a strange gaze.
It was ridiculous.