Chapter 16

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 16

Chapter Title: Paper Bird (2)

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"Alright~! The paper birds have flown out the window~"

The paper birds vanished into the distant sky. The seniors watched them go, their retinas tinged blue as they channeled mana into their optic nerves, trying to etch the birds' trails into their eyes.

Of course, I just sat there.

"There are a total of 100 birds, and these paper ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠birds were naturally made with mana spell formulas!"

Asilen tapped her wristwatch with a tok-tok.

"It's 9:25 now, so from 9:30 to 1:00, go catch them! Catch just one—no more, no less—and you'll get 1 CP. But depending on which bird you catch, you'll get bonus CP too!"

The difficulty levels of the birds were listed on the blackboard.

It seemed the smaller the size and the fainter the trail they left behind when flying, the higher the difficulty.

Here, "trail" meant the "mana trace." Everything made of mana inevitably left one behind.

"The seven hardest birds to catch give a 1.5 CP bonus. The next hardest down give bonuses of 1 CP or less!"

The seniors fidgeted in their seats, ready to stand.

"Listen to the end~ I still have to explain the second period."

They sat back down.

"For second period, from 1:10 to 3:00, you'll observe the mana spell formula of the paper bird you caught and write a report. Depending on the quality, you can get up to 3 CP! Got it?"

Asilen scanned the students' faces.

"...Um."

Someone timid-looking raised a hand. A guy with a shy vibe.

"There are, uh, 127 of us, ma'am."

"I know~"

"So, inevitably, some students won't catch a bird—"

"They fail, obviously."

Asilen cut him off sharply, her voice dripping with pity.

"127 is way too many. The College Board isn't about learning—it's about proving what you've learned."

She muttered coldly, then flashed a bright smile again.

"But! If you don't catch one, you can borrow someone else's~ I'll even allow stealing or snatching until 1:00! However, if two people submit the same paper bird's mana spell formula, only the one with the higher quality gets points."

In other words, if two people analyzed Bird A, only the better one gets points.

No bird meant automatic failure.

"Alright, it's 9:30 now!"

Asilen shouted cheerfully.

"Begin!"

At that moment, everyone bolted outside.

I got swept up in the rush too.

"...What am I supposed to do?"

I walked along, staring at the sky. It'd been about 30 minutes since I headed out, but not a single paper bird in sight.

Where the hell did they fly to in just 10 minutes?

"There were turkeys, right?"

Turkeys, pheasants, peacocks, pelicans—big ones like that were definitely mixed in.

"Can't find the damn nightingale."

I scratched the back of my neck.

This probably wasn't meant to be chased barehanded with just your eyes.

Paper birds ran on mana, obviously. The point was to detect that mana or track the mana paths left in their wake.

I couldn't do it.

I'd never been properly trained. Never done exercises to build mana affinity.

Mana-related stats required a ton of prerequisite learning.

"...Where do I even go?"

I wandered aimlessly and suddenly found myself outside Endex's main gate.

The street called the "mana marketplace." Shops packed with herbs, textbooks, artifacts, and more.

"Huh?"

Then, I stopped in front of a certain sign.

[Artifact Shop: Sevenfold Manaology].

Items and machines related to mana were called "artifacts," and this shop specialized in them.

I craned my neck to peer through the glass.

Mana spectrometers, analyzers, catalysts—plenty, but one monocular-looking device stood out.

Suddenly, Asilen's words echoed in my ears.

—Of course, you can use tools. But tools have their limits, right?

Tools.

I quietly opened the door.

"Um, anyone here?"

The owner emerged from behind the counter. An elderly man in a suit, but sturdy-built. He wiped a prism with a white handkerchief, raising an eyebrow.

I pointed at the monocular.

"What's this? A mana microscope?"

The owner shook his head.

"Much better. It's called a mana optics microscope—practically artifact-level. Model: SZX-9500."

Artifact-level. Tempting words.

"Can this see mana spell formulas?"

"Exaggerate a bit, and it can see mana particles."

"Hmm."

I nodded. With this, paper birds would be a cinch...

For a split second, electricity surged through my brain.

Zzt—my fingers twitched.

"...Mind if I touch it?"

The owner silently eyed my name tag.

"Sion Askal. Endex student?"

"Yes. In class right now. College Board."

"Hm. Same year as the young lady, then."

"Young lady...?"

"Miss Rae."

"..."

Only then did I notice the shop walls papered in Hilton family crests.

"This is a Hilton brand place."

"It is. Close with the young lady?"

"...Not really."

Rae was filthy rich before and after regression, but I had no desire to get chummy.

"Then no."

"We are. Nearly lost a finger to her."

The owner smiled faintly.

"Then handle with care. That little thing's 300,000 ren. Super sensitive artifacts like this break easy."

"...300,000."

300,000 ren.

Enough for a year of top-tier treatments like anticancer therapy, no worries.

Suddenly struck me how bullshit unfair the world was, but it always had been. Complaining changed nothing—just got you labeled a loser.

"Pricey."

Anyway, could I even Memorize something this expensive and complex?

Only one way to find out.

I placed the SZX-9500 Mana Optics Microscope in my palm and swallowed.

Murmured softly.

"...Memorize."

Suddenly, the muscles inside my chest clenched hard. My dantian nearly gave out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠completely. My back bent naturally.

"Kuh..."

Shivering, I opened the Notebook.

Capacity hit exactly 70 at 70%, mana over half gone, but somehow, it stuck.

I returned the mana optics microscope with a bow.

"...Thank you."

"Nothing to thank. You just touched it."

True enough.

I stepped back into the street.

Chest still ached a bit, but no time to rest.

I slowly looked up. Closed my eyes while gazing at the sky.

"Haa..."

Deep breaths, relaxing my whole body.

Then, I summoned the SZX-9500 into my vision.

[——Recall]

A burning heat flared across my eyelids, like a cold needle pricking my dantian repeatedly.

I opened my eyes again.

"..."

For a moment, I was speechless.

This wasn't the world I knew.

The Memory I'd called into my eyes had turned my vision into a microscope.

Everything sharpened, and things invisible before came into view.

"...That must be it."

Strands of mana stitched across the high sky. Traces left by the hundred paper birds etched onto my retinas.

Each with distinct colors, textures, clarity—faint, thick, warm, blue, white, black.

Among them, one particularly thin, pure-white ribbon, like it'd crumble at a touch.

I followed it.

Circling Endex's mana marketplace, up the sloped streets, until I reached the back mountain of the Endex grounds.

I stood at the entrance, surveying. Zoomed in on where the "ribbon" led.

The SZX-9500 magnified hundreds of times in an instant, piercing the distance with ultra-wide vision.

"Found it."

On ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a massive tree's myriad twigs perched a tiny paper bird. A titmouse-like thing.

I held my breath.

Crouching low, I advanced silently.

...After dozens of minutes creeping up the mountain path like a shadow.

—Chirp chirp.

The titmouse chirped from the now-nearby tree. Visible to the naked eye, well within range.

This was it.

I picked up a pebble from the ground.

Chirp chirp—

As it chirped and flapped, I hurled the stone in the opening.

Thwack.

Hit on the head, it fainted and tumbled to the base of the tree.

"Phew."

Nearly an hour later, I straightened up. Rubbing my sore back, I approached and picked up the titmouse.

"...Easy."

Surprisingly so. Dantian nearly empty of mana, sweating buckets from stealth, borderline dehydrated.

Clutching the paper bird, I turned to head back.

Just as I started ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down the path I'd climbed.

—You sure it's up here?

—I said yes, so follow.

Some guys approached from below.

A gang all too familiar.

"...Huh? What's that guy?"

They spotted me from the foot of the path, looking up. I looked down at them.

Leading the pack, blocking my way—somehow Elise again. Kain and Esher flanked her like bodyguards.

"That bastard..."

Kain eyed me. More precisely, the titmouse in my hand.

"Here for this?"

I held it up and asked. Elise didn't answer. Instead, Esher stepped forward.

"Yeah, yeah. Quion, right? Came for that, and no one's around."

He grinned. Crack—twisting his neck side to side, he added,

"The proctor said snatching or stealing's fine. You heard."

"Yeah. I did."

"Good."

Anything went in College Board. Rumor had it students died competing every year.

"..."

I just glanced at Elise. She remained serene, gazing at me with impassive eyes hiding contempt.

Tough call.

Fight?

Or run?

Either impossible. Mana bone-dry.

"What? Scared? Why just stand there?"

Esher sneered.

Then, an idea sparked.

"...Hmm."

Pretty brilliant, if it worked.

I fixed my eyes on the paper bird in my palm. Squeezed out the last dregs of mana to recall the SZX-9500.

"Ngh."

Pain accompanied the brief vision shift.

The mana spell formula etched into the titmouse revealed itself. Tiny, but packed with tangled mana lines and shapes.

I Memorized it perfectly. Every minute detail of the formula, the mana flows cycling the circuits—like a photo straight into the Notebook.

"What'll it be? Wanna get beat, or just hand it over?"

Esher jeered. I ignored him. He was just muscle. The real noble was elsewhere in the pack.

Elise.

I looked at her and started down the path.

"Hey, buddy~ What's wrong~ I hate beating kids~"

"Whoa~ This punk's really gonna fight."

Esher and Kain loosened up. Cracking necks, shoulders, fingers; shedding jackets, unwinding watches, the whole prep routine.

"You do it."

I held the paper bird out to Elise.

Let's keep it peaceful.

"...?"

Elise furrowed her brow slightly. Kain and Esher blinked in confusion.

"Take it. What're you waiting for."

Even as I urged, Elise just stared silently. Suspicious or something?

"What? You were gonna rob me anyway. Just take it."

I tried placing it in her palm directly—

"This crazy fuck."

Kain lunged, grabbing my collar. My body lifted off the ground; the bird dropped. Insane strength.

Breath caught.

No, fucking choked.

"Baldy thinks he can touch—"

"Enough. He's giving it. Not fake. No idea how trash like you found it."

Elise emotionlessly twisted her lips. Kain released instantly.

"Gah."

Feet hit dirt; I coughed involuntarily. Kain shoved my shoulder.

"Hey, you piece of shit. Know your place from now on. Before you end up crippled."

"Neck hurts."

I rubbed it, eyeing Elise. The bird was in her hand now.

"You use that one. It's for you."

I implored her sincerely. Hoping she'd keep it.

But the bitch didn't thank me—instead, she scowled like it was pathetic.

"Mental victory. Pathetic. So you."

Then she pirouetted gracefully. Like waltzing.

"Aw~ Too bad. Was gonna wreck Sion after so long."

"You live thanks to Elise."

Esher and Kain chattered as they followed.

"...Those guys are her lackeys, past and future."

I smirked at their backs.

I'd told Elise to use it, but honestly, who submitted it didn't matter.

Whoever did would get zero.

No matter how good their eyes, they couldn't beat my Mana Optics Microscope: SZX-9500.