The Inner World
Unlike other ability users who generally conformed to the laws of the world, dark magic was fundamentally a discipline that defied those very laws. They were the rebels of an era that dreamed of defying the heavens. From the moment they first stepped into the field until the day they died, dark mages were beings who endlessly repeated a turbulent adolescence, a storm of passion and chaos. That was why they caused far more incidents and accidents than those who studied other disciplines.
It wasn't so much the fault of the discipline itself, but rather that it tended to attract those who were emotionally immature. As such, its entry barrier was relatively simple compared to other fields.
"Unlike other disciplines that focus on developing mana control to minimize waste, dark magic is built on the premise of waste from the very beginning."
You could burn through mana without any need for restraint. What better merit could there be for drastically lowering the initial entry barrier?
"Of course, that means the early-stage performance of a dark mage is absolutely abysmal."
By wasting mana, one imprints their own personal rules onto the world. It sounded incredibly cool, but overcoming the world through sheer personal will was hardly an easy feat. Even at the same stellar rank, a beginner dark mage who didn't know how to do anything properly had no choice but to get beaten senseless when fighting other ability users. It was only after reaching at least the level of a 5-star expert that they could begin to match or surpass others.
This was precisely why the 3-star dark mage who had attacked the Grant Department Store had been so desperate for mana that he'd rushed straight to the artifact shop before his terror could even begin. The spell had been personally crafted by the Death King, which was the only reason it performed as well as it did. Without it, his best possible future would likely have been getting thoroughly beaten by the department store guards and slapped into restraints.
"Anyway, while those who first step into dark magic are weak, the situation completely reverses as they progress."
And that wasn't all. High-ranking dark mages were beings that other ability users actively avoided fighting. That was because the Inner World was an incredibly difficult phenomenon to deal with.
"There are no set rules. No regulations, and nothing that flows according to any absolute determination."
There was something called Divine Rule. It referred to the personal laws a dark mage established when creating their Inner World. Even among dark mages, these Divine Rules varied wildly from person to person, and asking about someone else's Divine Rule — which could potentially become a weakness — was considered a strict taboo.
"For reference, I have absolutely no intention of revealing what my own Divine Rule is."
Professor Karlsen said this with a bright smile. Then he clapped his hands sharply, snapping the students gathered on the training field back to attention.
"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here today."
This was the first joint class for all first-years of the academic year. Every first-year student, dressed in their gym uniforms, waited for the next words to leave Professor Karlsen's mouth.
"Do you remember what I said at the beginning of the semester? That if the opportunity arose, I would show you my Inner World. I've gathered you all here to fulfill that promise."
The students' eyes widened in shock at Professor Karlsen's following statement.
"The terrifying thing about the Inner World isn't limited to just the Divine Rule."
In simple terms, the Inner World was the dark mage's own mental landscape. It was a world belonging solely to them that no one else could intrude upon, and at the same time, its very existence granted the user the ultimate buff.
For example, the mana wasted in creating the Inner World could be moved as freely as one's own limbs. Or it could cling to opponents like a persistent curse, continuously applying debuffs. A buff to the user, a debuff to the enemy. Even setting aside the Divine Rule, its mere existence was akin to a natural disaster.
"What's even more frightening is that this natural disaster can distinguish between friend and foe. There's a rumor, for instance, that when the Death King activates his Inner World, anyone within the domain whom he decides to kill dies instantly."
It was possible to selectively kill only those he wished to kill. Complete control over wasted mana. In the end, it reached the same conclusion as a mage's ultimate ideal — perfectly efficient mana operation with zero waste. It was the return of all things to their origin.
"Those who encounter the Inner World for the first time often become rigid in the face of the unique wasted mana of dark mages — commonly called 'minus mana' or 'negative-dimensional mana' — and can only wield a fraction of their usual ability."
It was fundamentally a type of mana with completely different properties from what other ability users employed. Therefore, experiencing it even once beforehand was an invaluable opportunity that couldn't be traded for any amount of money.
I hadn't originally planned to show it this early.
According to Professor Karlsen's original schedule, he had intended to let them experience the Inner World at the end of the first semester or during the second. Rushing things wasn't necessarily better. An excessively strong shock delivered before one was ready could shatter them completely before they could build any adaptation or resistance.
He had planned to gradually introduce them to what curses were, allowing them to adapt step by step before revealing the Inner World. However, the possibility that a dark mage might be present at the academy had completely overturned those plans.
If Professor Magnus's prediction was correct, the opponent was at minimum a high-ranking dark mage capable of wielding an Inner World. It would be far better to let the children experience it in a relatively safe environment beforehand than to have them encounter it unexpectedly and lose their lives. That was the conclusion he had reached.
"You don't need to worry at all about any problems arising or accidents occurring. I've specifically asked Professor Clara for help in case of such situations!"
"Hello everyone~ I'm Professor Clara, in charge of the infirmary and emergency treatment classes~"
With a languid voice and a charming smile that reached her drooping eyes, Professor Clara waved lightly at the students.
"Everyone, just trust in Professor Clara and feel free to collapse! As long as you don't die, I'll heal you all!"
"I'd be in trouble if anyone gets too badly hurt, you know~"
"Then please prepare yourselves mentally. I'll be opening the Inner World shortly."
"Um~ Can you not hear me~?"
Professor Clara diligently patted Professor Karlsen's shoulder while he desperately ignored her calls, claiming he trusted only her. Leaving behind the rather comical comedy routine the two professors were performing, Marily turned to Arina with an intrigued smile.
"This should be fun. An Inner World, no less."
Living as a princess of the Ellemental Kingdom, she had rarely seen a high-ranking dark mage in person, and there certainly hadn't been anyone bold enough among them to unfold their Inner World toward a princess. In other words, this would be her first experience. And as always, the words "first experience" made her heart flutter with excitement.
"It's much better than Professor Scape's class. I like it."
Just how poorly did she think of Professor Scape? At this point, Arina almost felt sorry for the man. All he had done was teach his classes diligently like the other professors.
"Haha..."
Unable to bring herself to agree with Marily's words, Arina could only let out a vague laugh. Noticing her friend's state and seemingly trying to change the subject, Marily quickly spoke up again.
"Negative-dimensional mana, huh... I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like. From what I've heard, people supposedly faint or even worse."
It could knock people unconscious, or in extreme cases, stop their hearts and kill them like the Death King. It was hard to get a sense of what it would feel like. At best, she could roughly guess it might be the ultimate form of the creepy sensation one got while watching a horror movie.
"Oh, and while I haven't mentioned it yet, the assignment I'm giving you all is to write a personal reflection on negative-dimensional mana. If your writing is creative or detailed, you'll naturally receive bonus points. In that sense, this experience should be very helpful for completing the assignment."
Arina wanted to shout that he should have said something like that sooner! The students, who had been relatively relaxed until Professor Karlsen's belated announcement, saw their expressions flip 180 degrees. The possibility of suffering severe mental damage from experiencing the Inner World? Compared to the unknown terror of what might happen, the immediate assignment staring them in the face felt far more concrete and threatening.
And as if he'd planned for exactly this reaction, Professor Karlsen smiled darkly while looking at the now completely serious faces of the students.
"Then let's begin."
At the signal to start, Arina blinked, thinking nothing seemed different — only to find herself staring at air dyed a vivid, bloody red. The sky flowed down like blood. A chilling goosebumps that seemed to freeze her skin ran from the tips of her arms down her spine, and only then did her brain fully register that the world had changed, pushing her body's tension to its absolute limit.
This is dangerous.
This place was dangerous. Mana that felt completely different from the kind she usually sensed in daily life surged and flowed through the air. It was negative-dimensional mana, filtered through Karlsen's body and wasted. Thick with his thoughts and ideology, it clung to Arina's skin like chewed and discarded gum — sticky and viscous.
"......"
Yet the only sensation Arina felt was that. Even though she recognized that Karlsen was controlling the situation, her instincts screamed that this place was so dangerous she wanted to flee immediately. Still, she didn't feel like this was particularly new or special. If anything, it felt familiar. As if she'd experienced it somewhere before.
"This feels somehow familiar."
At the same time, Marily's words from beside her made her flinch. Marily looked like she was struggling more than Arina, but she was still holding up remarkably well. It was a stark contrast to the students who had already collapsed from the negative-dimensional mana.
Marily had an excellent mind, but she couldn't exactly be called talented as an ability user. The fact that she was lasting longer than the other children was the first strange thing. The second was her statement itself. "Somewhere familiar." It was an unusually vague answer for someone who never forgot anything she had seen once.
And Arina knew the reason. It was because Marily had felt this same sense of déjà vu when her memories had been intentionally erased.
The Grant Department Store.
That was the only time Marily's memories had been wiped. Realizing this, Arina understood. The mana that had flowed around her uncle — the one who had saved her right before she lost consciousness — had felt exactly like this.
"Haa!"
The moment she realized it, the Inner World Professor Karlsen had unfolded vanished. In terms of time, it had lasted roughly ten seconds.
"Hmm, better than I expected. Seven people are still standing."
But only seven students had managed to endure that short duration completely. Of those, four including Marily were on the verge of collapse, meaning only three had fully withstood Professor Karlsen's Inner World.
Arina, who had experienced an Inner World before. Togun Masao, who as a mana rejector couldn't absorb the negative-dimensional mana into his body and simply let it flow past him. And finally, the boy from Class B who had entered Benedict Academy as second place right behind Arina — Jeon Raydel.
"Now then, Professor Clara. It's time for you to shine."
"This is too much, you know~"
She had been asked to help because students might get hurt during class. That was what she'd been told when she came. But she had certainly not been informed that most of the students would collapse from exhaustion. At least it seemed Professor Karlsen had controlled things so no one had actually lost consciousness, but even this was excessive in Clara's eyes as she glared at him.
"Haa~"
Letting out a long sigh, she reached her hand toward the empty air.
"This is a continuation of the class~ What is the most basic method for treating people who have been acutely poisoned by negative-dimensional mana~?"
It was to rapidly replenish them with fresh mana of the opposing nature. As Professor Clara spoke, a light breeze began to blow around her. The mana released on that wind quickly enveloped the students, just like the Inner World from earlier.
"Oh, so this is spirit magic? This is my first time seeing it in person too."
Spirit magic. Along with regular magic, it was a discipline that manifested in accordance with the laws of the world. Professor Karlsen's eyes sparkled at the display as he spoke to the students, who now looked somewhat more comfortable.
"You all are quite lucky. Not only did you experience an Inner World, but now you're seeing spirit magic with your own eyes."
"......"
"Well, everyone must be exhausted, so we'll end today's class here. Please rest sufficiently and prepare for your next class. Don't forget that the assignment is due by the end of the first semester."
Their minds had calmed, but the shock remained. He spoke with his usual smile, but to the students' eyes, Professor Karlsen looked like the devil himself. The impact of the Inner World he had shown them was that intense. As a result, until the moment he walked away, the majority of the students could only stare silently at his retreating back without saying a word.