Chapter 385
Chapter 385
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 385
Chapter Title: The Meaning of Survival (7)
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Alpheas wore a bitter smile.
“The vastness of the universe might be nothing more than a speck of dust to the beings outside. If so, what meaning do we have in this universe? That terrifying truth is the true meaning the Kalpa seeks to convey. Shirone has taken the first step toward that truth.”
The two were silent for a long while. They knew the scenes playing out in their minds were not so different.
“That child… how close did he get to the truth?”
Nineteen years ago, for the first time in the academy's history, a student passed the seventh stage of Survival.
It was an Un-locker who had realized the truth of the Scale, one who had transcended the essence of humanity.
“Adrias Miro. When I founded this academy, I hoped at least one genius would emerge who could surpass me. But when I saw Miro, what I felt was fear. Perhaps that child was someone who should never have been born into this world.”
Alpheas, too, had been a renowned genius in the kingdom in his youth, but Miro was different.
He was a student who possessed a strangeness and an anomaly that the word 'genius' could not fully encompass.
“Not long after the Survival Test, the Judgment of the Twenty took place. I can't say for certain that it wasn't influenced. Everyone wants to be a genius, but for Miro, it must have been a curse.”
Olivia’s eyes grew calm.
“He must resent me, won't he...?”
“It was a difficult situation. We all survived because of Miro's sacrifice. And now, after nineteen years, Shirone stands in this very place.”
That was why he felt anxious.
History doesn't repeat itself just because of a few similarities, but the Judgment of the Twenty was humanity's original sin—an event that must never, ever be repeated, not even in a similar form.
“Don't jump to conclusions. The 'Holy War' won't be set in motion just because he broke through the Kalpa. Back then, Miro was already a complete Scale magician. Even if he had been sent out into society as he was, he would have been among the world's best.”
“I suppose so. But in the end, skill is drawn to its zenith.”
His limits were not yet visible. If that was the case, there was no guarantee that the feared event would not occur.
The sight of Shirone smiling at his friends' praise resembled the pure image of Miro from nineteen years ago.
*'Miro held the lives of all humanity in his vessel. Shirone, what will you hold in that massive vessel of yours?'*
On the last day off of the fourth week, the Survival evaluation came to an end.
One-Man Team (1)
Week 5: Mental Agility evaluation.
The Mental Agility evaluation, which assessed the shape-shifting of the Spirit Zone, incorporated the advanced Four-Directional technique 'Joint' starting from week five, drastically increasing the difficulty.
As an element diametrically opposed to durability, Shirone, unlike on other days, was focusing his mind by calculating number sequences.
Of course, Shirone was quick-witted and rational in his thinking.
But to think of it as an event that evaluated such human-level tendencies was to ask for a rude awakening.
The mental fluidity of a magician specializing in Mental Agility was unparalleled.
For them, their only conviction was to have no conviction.
Their minds felt no hesitation in synchronizing with others, or even with monsters.
“Arian Shirone. You're next.”
At the instructor's call, Shirone entered the Image Zone.
The evaluation standard for the Spirit Zone was a diameter of 20 meters. The floor turned transparent, and a spherical manifestation of spirit appeared, centered on Shirone.
A signal sounded, and the first problem was presented.
It was a figure-eight-shaped filter, formed by two circles joined vertically.
The challenge for week five was to 'joint' specific sections of one's spirit to create a symmetrical Spirit Zone.
*'What the, this is pretty difficult.'*
When he had watched the others' evaluations, he thought there would be plenty of time, but experiencing it himself proved that to be a misjudgment.
Shirone desperately applied the Joint to his Spirit Zone. All the while, the filter was approaching impassively.
Ten meters. Five meters.
His heart pounded with every meter the distance closed.
With just one meter left, the center of his Spirit Zone constricted tightly, and the filter passed through him.
A green light, signaling a pass, lit up ahead.
*'Phew, that was really close.'*
The subsequent problems were variations of the figure-eight, tilted at different angles.
Unlike the first time, Shirone maneuvered his Spirit Zone with ease and passed through the filters.
His mental fluidity was lacking, but he had another weapon: outstanding insight. Once he grasped the core concept, his ability to apply it was a mark of genius that no one could match.
Shirone passed all ten problems and earned 5 points, but his expression was not bright as he descended from the Image Zone.
Five weeks had passed, yet not a single student had received a score of 4.
The high skill level of the students was one factor, but it was also because Mental Agility was a category that could be improved through training.
Class Two consisted of students who had already gone through the 30-week evaluation once, so they would have been well-versed in the difficulty of week five.
But that fact offered little comfort. There were incredibly skilled students in Class Three as well.
“Next, Arin. Please come up to the Image Zone.”
The students who had been chatting fell silent.
The chance to see a demonstration by a mental-type magician who also possessed the weapon of 'Super-Sensation' was rare, even out in society.
The lights of the Image Zone dimmed, and Arin's Spirit Zone materialized, glowing with a blue light.
Among the five patterns prepared for week five, the same figure-eight filter Shirone had faced appeared again.
But Arin took no action.
Even when the filter was a mere five meters away, she simply watched it approach.
“What's wrong with her?”
The moment the filter was right in front of her, Arin's Spirit Zone rippled like water, and its center instantly constricted.
“Whoa…”
Gasps of admiration came from Class One. Even Shirone, who was well aware of Arin's skills, was left speechless.
*'No way. How can a human mind change like that?'*
To Arin, the world was filled only with feelings.
The murky desires emanating from all kinds of people.
If the very essence of her thoughts had not been as free as water, she would have long since gone mad, buried under the anger, lust, and hostility directed at her.
That was why Arcane had also evaluated Arin as the greatest talent in the mental arts.
After the acrobatic demonstration, the display panel showed a figure: Filter Volumetric Efficiency, 99.9 percent.
It meant she had shaped her spirit into the form proposed by the Image Zone without the slightest error.
*'The graduating class is no joke, as expected.'*
And so, the evaluations for all the students concluded.
As expected, there wasn't much differentiation through week five, with almost everyone earning 5 points. Only Eider missed two problems.
The first student to score 4 points in Mental Agility this year. To Shirone, that dishonor didn't feel like someone else's problem.
*'Looks like he has a similar disposition to me.'*
Despite his young age, Eider had displayed formidable durability in the Survival evaluation, reaching the fifth stage, the Insect King. He could be seen as having a similar disposition to Shirone.
The only difference was that he lacked Shirone's insight.
*'Still, he's young. If he trains for another year or two, he might actually be able to graduate.'*
Eider descended from the Image Zone, looking dejected. Then he saw Shirone and gave a pitiful smile.
“Man, that was really hard.”
“That was a close one. It would have been better if you'd applied the Joint a little faster.”
Eider sighed.
“If it were that easy, I would've done it already. I'm not a total super genius like you, you know.”
The implication that he was a *moderately* super genius was likely the youngest's wit. And in truth, he wasn't a bad student at all.
“What are you talking about? You're the youngest student in the graduating class. That's proof enough that you can stand shoulder to shoulder with us. Besides, Mental Agility is something you can get better at with training.”
“Honestly, I thought so too, until last year. But seeing the new Class Three students who came up this year, that thought completely vanished. Arin is one thing, but everyone is incredibly skilled.”
In Shirone's opinion, the current Class Three squad wouldn't lose out to any of the kingdom's prestigious academies.
“Plus, my major is the Air element. It's the most common one, you know. They even say it's what people without talent choose.”
Elemental affinity was closely related to omnipotence. But nothing was ever absolute.
“That's not true. There are so many powerful Air-type users. Sabina is strong, and also…”
Shirone closed his mouth.
To boost Eider's spirits, the example of Gaold, the head of the Magic Association, would have been perfect, but he didn't want to risk leaking even a hint of confidential information.
“Hey, Eider! What are you doing over there? Get your butt over here!”
Screamer shouted from a distance. He was already annoyed about losing 20 points, and seeing Eider chatting with Shirone made his blood boil.
“Ah, I should get going. It's the youngest's survival strategy, as you know.”
“Haha! Right, hurry along.”
Eider turned and scurried away. Since his skills were still lacking, he was trying to gain an advantage by at least managing his relationships well.
In a way, it was opportunistic, but his honest admission wasn't entirely unlikable.
*'Keep up the good work, Eider.'*
***
After the evaluation, the students headed to the dining hall.
The graduating class had flexible meal times depending on their schedule, so the food was prepared buffet-style.
His friends sat across from and next to Shirone, and Nade continued the story he had been telling since he walked in.
“And then he got a cramp in his calf. It hurt so much he curled up into a ball, but he strained so hard that he let out a fart.”
“Keke, that must have been awkward. So what happened?”
“His leg was killing him, but he couldn't stop laughing. So he ended up crying while laughing! Puhahaha!”
Shirone clutched his stomach, stomping his feet with laughter.
“I think I know what you mean. Ah, a situation like that would really bring you to tears.”
“Ugh, hey! Do you have to talk about that while we're eating?”
Despite her feigned disgust, a smile played on Amy's lips. She had found more peace of mind since Shirone's group joined the graduating class compared to last year.
“Hi. Would it be okay if I joined you?”
Maya from Class Two approached, holding a tray.
“Ah, of course.”
Nade pulled out a chair next to him, and Maya gave a slight bow before sitting down.
“Thanks. You all looked like you were having so much fun, I thought I'd listen in.”
Iruki said.
“You're better off not listening. Nade's sense of humor is far from table-appropriate.”
“Hohoho! It's fine. I have a pretty strong stomach myself. What is it? What is it?”
Shirone stared at Maya, who was blending in naturally with his friends with her characteristic friendliness.
Her uncommon brown skin. Other than the fact that she always placed last in the graduation exam, he realized he knew nothing about her.
Sensing Shirone's gaze, Maya turned her head.
“Oh? Why are you staring at another woman? Especially when your girlfriend is right next to you?”
“Huh? No, I was just…”
As Shirone stammered, Amy snorted.
“Hmph, girlfriend, my foot.”
Maya gave Amy a playful glare and cut a large piece of meat, putting it in her mouth. Then she gulped down the water she had poured beside her.
Shirone's group simultaneously stopped cutting their food and stared at her. It looked less like she was savoring the taste and more like she was forcing it down.
Realizing everyone was staring, Maya quickly said.
“Ah, sorry. That probably didn't look very good, did it?”
Shirone waved his hand.
“No, not at all. It was just a little unusual. You can't really taste the meat if you eat it with water like that.”
Maya nodded bitterly.
“You're right. But I can't help it. I have to eat to maintain this body. I have the type of constitution that doesn't gain weight easily.”
Nade asked.
“Is there a reason you have to gain weight?”
“Of course. My major is sound magic, right? The buffing type. If my vocal volume increases, the effective range widens and efficiency goes up.”
Iruki, who was nibbling on vegetables with his front teeth, asked.
“Gaining weight doesn't necessarily increase your vocal volume, does it?”
“That might be true. But in my case, it seems to have some effect. The truth is, I just don't have the talent. That's why I'm desperately trying to build up my body.”
Understanding her reasoning, Shirone thought nothing of it and poked at the salad on his tray with his fork as he spoke.
“I bet you'd be really pretty if you lost weight.”
At that, everyone's attention turned to Shirone.
Seeing his friends' shocked expressions, Shirone realized his mistake and hastily tried to explain.
“Ah, no, I mean, you're pretty now, of course, but I just thought you'd be even prettier if you lost weight... That's what I meant.”
Maya, who had been staring blankly at Shirone, soon changed her expression to a pleased smile.
“Thank you. You're really kind, Shirone. Amy is so lucky.”
“Hmph, lucky my foot. You'll find out soon enough. How frustrating his personality can be.”
Maya smiled with her eyes and went back to cutting her meat.
“Hehe, is that so? I think it's nice…”
Caught between Maya's carrot and Amy's stick, the three boys could only bury their faces in their trays.