Chapter 363
Chapter 363
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 363
Chapter Title: The Test
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Shirone continued his frenzied assault, swinging his blade blindly. As he calmly dodged each attack, the corner of Gauld’s mouth curled up.
‘Correct. You’ve answered the first question.’
Shirone wasn't saving his magic; he was unable to use it. Gauld had only one chance to attack. But that single chance would kill Shirone with a probability approaching one hundred percent.
‘No offensive magic! For now, I just have to block it, no matter what!’
If Gauld was serious, he wouldn't wait until Ataraxia was complete. He would surely die before then. Therefore, all his attacks were feints. Instead, he focused all his senses, watching Gauld's every reaction.
‘When? When is it going to be?’
Time-division could complete two schemas simultaneously, but aside from Ataraxia, he didn't have the luxury of loading something like a Photon Cannon into the remaining slot. He had to dodge the Air Gun. Failure meant only death.
‘...That's what he must be thinking.’
It was as if he could hear the gears turning in Shirone's head.
Of course, it was the best possible judgment. But if there was one miscalculation, it was the assumption that the Air Gun's power and speed would be the same as before.
‘Did you really think you could block it? If so, that's a bit of a shame.’
Gauld had no intention of going easy on Shirone. He had given him two chances and even set a rule allowing only a single counterattack. Having balanced the scales this much, the matter of life and death was now entirely up to Shirone. And if he still couldn't win? What else could happen but death?
Just before Ataraxia was complete, Gauld extended a finger.
‘Farewell, Shirone.’
Simultaneously, Armand, which had been waiting to react to only one specific response, struck the ground with its tentacles and retreated.
But that, too, was already within Gauld's expectations.
‘This will be on a different level.’
Gauld gave him none of the leeway from before, firing the Air Gun the instant he compressed the air. With a sound like shattering steel, the air bullet flew at an incredible speed.
Shirone couldn't see it, nor could he feel it. Such was the limit of a human who could not open their Schema. But he had another escape route: his imagination.
What he had designed in advance was a binary choice. If Gauld attacked before Ataraxia was complete, it meant he intended to kill him. Therefore, there was only one place to defend.
‘Dark Sphere!’
A black orb materialized in front of Shirone's face. A spell he couldn't have achieved even through Behemoth's forced rebound, yet by pushing himself past his limits with Mental Transcendence, he generated a small gravitational field.
The Air Gun, flying toward the space between his eyebrows, was sucked into the darkness with a whoosh.
It had once devoured a ton of plants in Kazura, but Gauld's Air Gun was on another level. Unable to handle the energy, the black orb exploded before Shirone's eyes, creating a shockwave.
“Keuk!”
Armand's robe hardened in an instant, protecting its master. Sent flying by the impact, Shirone stabbed his tentacles into the ground and leaped sideways. Ataraxia, now complete, was emitting a brilliant light.
‘Mana Amplification!’
Shirone held out his hands and focused his mind on the two mana amplification orbs on his palms. A powerful Photon Cannon formed, creating small, water-droplet-like bubbles of light around it.
‘Now, Immortal Function!’
The Photon Cannon expanded rapidly, pushing aside the surrounding air. As the golden light vibrated erratically, it burned afterimages onto the retinas of those watching.
‘Mental Transcendence!’
As he imbued it with mass up to its limit, the torso-sized mass of photons began to shake so violently it was visible to the naked eye. The noise from the mass's turbulent rotation was louder than thunder.
Flu's face turned pale.
By the rules, Gauld could no longer attack Shirone. Conversely, Shirone's Photon Cannon was incomparably more powerful than his first attempt.
‘How can he compress light to that degree?’
Shirone, still not satisfied, scowled even more deeply.
‘A little more! Just a little more…!’
Gauld couldn't attack him anyway. He would either dodge or block it. One of the two. In that case, he just had to make it impossible to dodge.
“Uaaaaaagh!”
As he poured everything he had into it, a white sphere reminiscent of a supernova was born. It was then amplified to an extreme degree through Ataraxia. The entire bunker would likely be filled with energy.
Gauld muttered with a bitter smile.
“Well, I'll be damned...”
Flash!
A massive wave of light pushed out in all directions.
Even Kangnan and the others standing behind Ataraxia had to turn their heads from the flash, which was bright enough to burn their retinas. It was so bright that shapes were visible even with their eyes closed.
But Shirone could see.
Thanks to Armand, which blocked ninety-eight percent of the light entering its master's eyes.
Then, a scene like déjà vu unfolded before him. The edges of the light quickly constricted as an unimaginable atmospheric pressure trapped the Photon Cannon's energy within a Vacuum Press.
“Krrrrrrgh!”
Gauld's face contorted as he tightened the Vacuum Press even further. Finally, the energy stabilized, converging into a sphere of light smaller than his palm.
Shirone was dumbfounded.
‘That man… is he really human?’
Gauld was bent over like a beast, his arms dangling. His hair had been bleached completely white, without a single strand of its original color left. He clenched his fist, and the Vacuum Press burst, extinguishing the Photon Cannon.
“Hoo. That was a close one.”
Shirone wasn't the only one who was surprised. Neither Flu nor even Gando had ever seen Gauld's hair get bleached while assisting him.
Gauld remained bent over for a long while. Then, he turned to Shirone and smiled with his eyes.
“...You pass.”
“He's already passed out.”
Kangnan adjusted his glasses and walked into the center of the bunker.
Shirone lay on the floor as if dead. He no longer lost consciousness just from using Ataraxia, but anyone could see that this demonstration had been his absolute best shot.
“Keke, he really squeezed everything out. Well, good.”
Gauld shook his tingling arm a couple of times, then picked up the coat that had fallen to the floor and draped it over his shoulder.
Kangnan stared intently at Gauld's now-white hair. This Vacuum Press meant that Gauld, too, had given it his all. And that's why he passed.
“You should dye your hair. You already look old, and now you look even older.”
“Leave it. It'll grow back. Isn't bleaching hair in style these days?”
“So I've heard. But your face isn't in style, President.”
“Khahahaha!”
Throwing his head back with a hearty laugh, Gauld headed for the elevator.
After pressing the button, he turned to Flu and said.
“Hey, kid.”
“Yes, sir!”
Flu, tense, snapped to attention and answered.
She thought she had gotten to know Gauld well over the past two years, but she was mistaken. The Gauld she had known until now was not the real him.
Gauld gestured toward the fallen Shirone with his chin and said.
“Take him and put him to bed. When he wakes up, bring him to my room.”
“Yes! Understood!”
That was the extent of the interest Gauld showed Flu.
Flu watched him with sad eyes.
She had cried, snot and tears streaming down her face, shouting her respect for him. It was the bravest she had ever been in her life. But it seemed to have evoked no emotion in Gauld whatsoever. No, perhaps he had already erased it from his memory.
“Flu.”
Gando said, placing a hand on Flu's shoulder.
“I'll take Shirone.”
“Oh, no. Of course, I should do it.”
“A man is heavy. And you can't use magic once you get to the first floor.”
Gando entered the bunker, slung Shirone's arm over his shoulder, and pulled him up. Then he skillfully turned him around and hoisted him onto his back.
After watching for a long moment, Gando's voice reached Flu's ears.
“That was impressive, Flu.”
It didn't take long for her to understand Gando's words. A faint smile formed on Flu's lips as she looked at Gando with teary eyes.
“Thank you.”
The Worst Project (1)
Shirone opened his eyes. His head throbbed for a moment, but it was followed by a feeling of clarity.
He was lying in the recovery room of the Magic Association. It was a capsule large enough for an adult, with a glass canopy and a comfortable cushion.
After Shirone blinked a few times, the glass canopy slid aside with a soft thud. Flu's weary face appeared in his narrow field of vision.
“How are you? Feeling better?”
“Ah, yes. What happened?”
“You lost consciousness in the bunker. That's what happens when you cast magic so recklessly. Next time, even if you have to reduce the Spirit Zone, increase its density. It'll prevent your brain from overloading.”
Flu's voice was gentle, unlike before. It was awkward for Shirone, but he didn't let it show, as he could read the sadness in her eyes.
“Yes, thank you.”
Shirone sat up.
Capsules identical to the one he had been lying in were lined up in rows. Most had their glass canopies open, but someone was sleeping in one in the corner.
Flu glanced in that direction and said.
“That's the staff on duty. The sleep capsules enhance mental activity. Still, don't overdo it. They're not a cure-all.”
Shirone climbed out of the capsule and stretched. His head felt as clear as if he'd had a deep sleep.
“How much time has passed?”
“Two hours. Your recovery is surprisingly fast. I expected it to take about six.”
Shirone, who was confident in his mental endurance, stretched his body with satisfaction. Then he discreetly turned his gaze to study Flu. Unlike a few hours ago, he felt an unexplainable distance between them.
“Um...”
“Follow me. The President is looking for you.”
Before he could even finish, Flu walked toward the exit. Shirone followed her to the elevator platform. While waiting for the elevator, she checked the floor number and said.
“In case you didn't hear, you passed.”
He had passed out right after casting the Photon Cannon, so he hadn't had a chance to hear Gauld's words. But seeing Flu's dejected expression, he had more or less expected it.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. You're the one who gets to go to heaven with the President.”
Flu said it as if it were a simple fact.
After all, Shirone was about to be privy to top-level secrets she could never access. There was no longer any need to watch her words.
“And we'll be the ones left behind. It's expected for me, but even Gando won't be able to assist Gauld directly. That's how massive this operation must be.”
Flu looked back at Shirone.
“I don't know exactly what he's planning. But Gauld said it's a project he's prepared for his entire life. If he has collaborators, they'll be the best mages, a small, elite group. And you're now part of it.”
Realizing what Flu was trying to say, Shirone felt a pang of guilt. To be able to work on something with a powerhouse like Gauld was the highest honor for a mage.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”
Ataraxia was a secret art Shirone had risked his life to master. But the world was full of mages who would gladly throw their lives away if it meant raising their level. That was why he couldn't just think he was special.
Flu smiled and shook her head.
Honestly, she had looked down on Shirone for the same reason. The idea that he had been chosen by Gauld using magic he'd gotten from someone else was a blow to her pride.
But her opinion changed after seeing him face Gauld in the bunker. Flu, too, could die for Gauld at any time, but she didn't have the guts to charge in with her life on the line like Shirone did.
“Don't think that. You deserve the President's acknowledgment.”
Hearing those words from Flu felt different than hearing them from anyone else. Though it was a short time, the moments they had bickered as senior and junior flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Feeling Shirone's saccharine gaze, Flu recoiled with a look of disgust. Hastily reverting to her old self, she jabbed a finger at him as if striking an enemy who had breached her defenses.
“But you're still a long way off! I'll admit Ataraxia is powerful, but you need to refine it more to compensate for the risks. A real mage has to be able to respond to countless irregular situations.”
Shirone didn't take her words lightly. Flu's skill in subduing the vampire in Gold City was certainly outstanding enough to earn her a Magic Association staff ID.
“Yes. I'll work hard, senior.”
“Hmph!”
The elevator doors opened with a clear electronic chime.