Chapter 14
Chapter 14
14
EP7 - Bone!(1)
┃ Task Complete: [Class]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 1
┃ Task Complete: [Pop Quiz]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 1
┃ Task Complete: [Supplementary Class]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 1
< Star Fragments Owned: 17 >
⋮
One. One. One….
They give it like the tears of a mouse who sees an oasis shimmering from thirst while crossing the desert.
At this rate, when will I ever gather 800-1,000 to learn a new Lv.9 Superpower?
‘To survive, I absolutely must gather [Star Fragments]….’
I don’t have the ability to write a research paper or thesis yet.
I could write about [Illusion Magic], but if attention is focused on me, the [Taboo] might be exposed.
‘The problem is that the level is too high.’
My current level of [Illusion Magic] is magnificent.
To what extent?
Let me explain in detail.
In this world, there is something called ‘Warrior Rank.’
The star called 「Systematicity⧉」 updates it every month.
The order of the ranks is as follows:
── Tier 3 ──
Iron - Bronze - Silver - Gold
────────
Up to here are ordinary warriors.
Even a Gold Rank Badge is in the top 20% of warriors.
They can receive good treatment anywhere.
── Tier 2 ──
Platinum - Emerald - Diamond
────────
From here on are high-level warriors.
High-level warriors in the top 10%, 4%, and 1%.
Beyond receiving good treatment, they are used as core forces in each organization.
The minimum requirement for a professor is also a ‘Diamond’ rank.
‘I’m far from enough.’
If you only consider overall combat power, I’m around [Platinum].
Next.
── Tier 1 ──
Master (9,999) - Grandmaster (999) - Challenger (200)
- Shadowless Star (33)
────────
From here on, ‘Rankings’ are attached.
A realm like a dream for all warriors.
Among the 15,000,000 warriors on the entire continent, those from 9,999th place onward will be greeted with ‘wow’ wherever they go.
Among professors, they are classified as ‘Senior Professors’ and are overwhelmingly superior to other professors.
For reference, there are 3 ranks for professors.
───
Regular Professor – Senior Professor – Head Professor
───
I guess the Hidden Dragon Society are mostly [Diamond] rank.
Or maybe a little higher, around the [Master] borderline.
And they are only teenagers to early twenties.
To explain again.
My level of [Illusion Magic] is surprisingly [Challenger] level.
And among them, the highest level.
In other words, I would be in the top 80 in the world rankings.
Probably 1st or 2nd in the entire Hiaka Kingdom.
That’s why I can’t write a thesis on [Illusion Magic].
‘It’s better to be careful when there is no safety net. Since the level itself is revealed, attention will pour in from all over the continent.’
The moment the [Taboo] is exposed, it’s a bad ending.
Then, the only remaining method is to build [Relationship Stat] with the ‘Hidden Dragon Society.’
But this was not something to rush either.
I’m not yet free from the threat of professor assassination.
* * *
It was a cool day.
I was preparing for supplementary class in the lab as usual.
When a public announcement came on.
- All new Neutral Professors are requested to attend the Head Professor's forum at 5 PM today.
Forum.
A time when Head Professors often nag their junior professors.
Normally, there would be no reason to participate.
┃ Task Generated: [Neutral Professor Forum]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 5
5 was a different story.
“Adele. Postpone the supplementary class to tomorrow.”
“Okay~”
I canceled the pre-arranged supplementary class and was preparing to go to the forum.
When suddenly, the forum was canceled.
- We apologize. The forum has been canceled due to the Head Professor's absence.
┃ Task Canceled: [Neutral Professor Forum]
At the same time, the task quest was also canceled.
“Oh my, not again…….”
Adele clicked her tongue.
“Does this happen often?”
“Right? Honestly, it’s not a one- or two-day thing. The Neutral Professors are…. Sorry to say, but many of them are listless.”
“…….”
I also know the setting. Unlike the Black Path and White Path, the Neutral Professors are strangely lukewarm.
Anyway, the forum was canceled, and I was about to go home, but the weather was nice. I decided to go out for the first time in a while.
‘Shall I go to the park?’
Students were gathered in groups of twos and threes in the park, playing.
Throwing throwing stars at trees and running around with guns on their backs was a slightly strange sight, but……. Everyone looked happy.
There, I began to train various [Illusion Magic].
Training to blow up balloons with [Illusion Magic].
If I say it like this, you might think, is blowing up balloons training?
If you want to make balloons easily, you can make them too easily. You can realize them just by imagining them.
But what I am making now is a [Semi-Permanent Phantasm]. A Phantasm that does not break from impact and is formed similarly to matter. A level that actual majors would be horrified by. [Illusion Magic] that can only be done when you reach the realm of God.
‘I may not be able to make large-scale things semi-permanent……. But anyway.’
Complete.
I created a plump balloon.
< Understanding of detailed elements of Superpower increases: 『Semi-Permanent Phantasm』, 『Expansion of Matter』, 『Structure of Joints』, 『Fixing the Coordinate System of Form』, 『Fluid Mechanics』, 『Rubber Texture』… >
< Proficiency of 『World Fabrication』: 86.56% (▲0.01%) >
While making several [Illusion Magic] balloons like that, I blankly thought about the worldview I was in.
Where am I now?
→ Hiaka Kingdom
A mediocre developed country. In this worldview, it is a developed country like Korea or Italy, but it is a country that has to be aware of its surroundings.
→ Hiaka Academy
A place like Seoul National University. Because it is an academy run by the royal family. But now it is being pushed back by the University of Tokyo and Peking University.
‘What an ambiguous academy.’
For the past few days, while working as a professor, Rebecca's lines kept swirling in my head.
- I don't trust the professors.
- Everyone is unmotivated, and they don't like us very much.
As you can see from the cancellation of the forum earlier.
The professors here are unmotivated. Especially the Neutral Professors like me.
In particular, their passion for teaching students is dead because there is no reason to be desperate.
Everyone is only focused on taking care of their salaries and research funds. Even so, it was the only prestigious academy in the country, so they had become complacent.
There is a big problem here.
‘This background is connected to a quite difficult main story.’
The game [Hiaka Academy] is famous for its diverse developments.
Among them, the most difficult main story is the development that starts with the academy's level and reputation falling day by day, and a traitor already selling the academy's secrets to foreign countries.
Originally, the fun of that development was that the gamer directly overturned the public's reputation and showed good results in the fallen academy…….
Well, whatever the game company's intention may be. I didn't like it. Because it's difficult.
But I had no intention of blaming the professors.
In a place where there is less pressure to perform because it is already number one. If you see assassins following you around all day, anyone would be careful.
Like now.
“Come out.”
Something startles in the air.
Then, the shape of a person begins to appear.
“Was I caught?”
“You were.”
“Hehe.”
Light pink hair. Light pink eyes. A Hidden Dragon Society female Student who looks like a smiling Golden Retriever.
● Hidden Dragon Society 1st year Elise
I've seen her often in class recently and have become a little closer.
She smiled brightly and approached me.
“What were you doing, Professor?”
“As you can see, blowing up balloons.”
“Why balloons?”
“Because I wanted to. What brings you here?”
“Ah, I happened to see you while wandering around. I like wandering around.”
Elise smiled brightly and came closer, sitting next to me on the bench.
What suddenly came to mind was Kaiser's message from before.
- Kaiser: Elise is one of the strongest in the Hidden Dragon Society.
She stared intently at the balloon blowing.
“……Are you going to keep watching?”
“Yes.”
“Looks like you have nothing to do.”
“That’s right.”
I silently blew up a balloon.
But with a spectator, I felt like I had to do something.
I crumpled a long balloon and made a dog.
“What is this?”
“A dog.”
“A dog, that? Hmm. It’s weird.”
Unlike those words, Elise liked the dog.
She probably thought it looked fun.
“Give me one too.”
So, I made one with [Illusion Magic].
“Hoo boo boob….”
Elise blew the balloon hard, but it didn't inflate.
“Hoo boob boob…. Hmm….”
I was training alone.
But she kept doing that next to me for a long time, so I was bothered.
“Looks like it’s not working well.”
“It’s difficult.”
“Close your mouth a little more and blow.”
“Like this? Woob…. Woo woob….”
“No, if you close it too much, air won’t go in.”
“Umm then…. Heub boob boob….”
“No, close it a little more.”
“Hoo euub oob ook ook….”
“No, no, why are you biting it? Why are you using your teeth to blow up a balloon―”
After struggling for several minutes like that.
Several holes appeared in the [Illusion Magic] balloon.
I shook my head.
“You’re really bad at it.”
“Huh? That’s too much.”
“What’s too much is your mouth.”
“Honestly, it’s not that I’m bad, it’s that blowing up balloons is difficult.”
“It’s not.”
“It is.”
Hoo, I took a breath and showed her.
“Is this difficult? This?”
“It’s difficult.”
“What’s difficult?”
“But, Professor, you’re a Professor.”
I ignored her and made a flower to show her.
“How is it? It’s a flower.”
“It’s ugly.”
“It’s prettier than you.”
“That’s too much.”
Like that, there was a time of bickering for a while.
Still, when I made swords, butterflies, and giraffes, Elise liked them very much. Shaking the balloons she was holding was just like a dog. The person herself felt very peaceful.
Of course, that’s just the feeling.
She might have stabbed someone in the neck with a knife the day before yesterday.
“Is there anything else?”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, yes. Something I haven’t seen anywhere else.”
So, this time, I made a white balloon with [Illusion Magic] and made it this way and that.
It took a little longer.
Because it was the first attempt at something I hadn’t done before.
Then, Elise, who had been staring blankly for several minutes, began to chatter.
“These days.”
“Uh-huh.”
“The professors.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Don’t spar with me in assassination duels very often.”
“Looks like you won?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“All of them.”
“Excellent.”
I heard that she had even won against Senior Professors, not just regular professors.
She wouldn't be a match for the Head Professors, but even so, she can be said to be a genius.
“If it’s assassination, you should learn it from your family, why did you come to the academy?”
Her father, 「Shadowless Star○」, is the strongest assassin in the Hiaka Kingdom, ranked 24th.
“Um, but my family is ruined.”
“…….”
Then, <Synchronized> information floats in my head.
That's right. The Cshikos Count family is ruined. Why?
First, I try to fix it.
“Even if the family is ruined, you can learn from your father, who is excellent at [Stealth].”
…Ah, it was because of 「Shadowless Star○」’s disappearance.
No, damn it. Why is that coming to mind now.
“Huh? My father is missing?”
“…I apologize.”
“It’s okay. Hmm, maybe he was bored at home.”
Elise said with a smile.
“My father was really good at [Stealth]. So, I still believe that he is in [Stealth] for a long time. He’s watching over me somewhere.”
“…I was wrong.”
“Hey. It’s okay. I also sometimes accidentally talk about family to Gray.”
This time, <Synchronized> information blooms. Gray is also from a prestigious Black Path assassination family, but there was a big trouble within the family.
Only then did one of Rebecca's words resonate with me.
‘When drawing still life, we turn the rotten parts around.’
Talent or origin itself is great.
But the situation is rotten everywhere.
That is the current state of the Hidden Dragon Society.
“Here.”
Anyway, it was complete.
What I made with a white balloon.
“What is it?”
“What does it look like.”
Long, with blunt ends.
Exactly what dogs like.
“A bone…???”
That’s right.
As she recognized the large bone balloon, urgency began to spread in Elise's pink eyes.
“Give it to me.”
Elise held out both hands.
As expected, she likes it.
This is a desire that originated from her family.
But there were still parts to organize, so I was touching it up.
Then, she suddenly came closer and tried to grab it.
“Elise. Stay.”
“Quickly.”
“I said stay. I’ll give it to you when I finish it a little more.”
“Give it to me. Bone. Quickly….”
I dodged because it was still not finished.
Then, she clung to me and tried to take it away.
“Wait.”
A command that I reflexively blurted out.
Her body flinched.
【 Hidden Dragon Society 1st year Elise: ‘Wait……??’ 】
Elise blinked her eyes and pondered for a moment.
Whether to listen or not.
Then, she quietly took her hand away and began to wait.
In a very, very good posture.
……I was half-doubting, but I didn't expect this to actually work.
“Good job.”
When I handed it over, Elise liked it with a much brighter expression.
“Looks like you like it.”
“I like it so much. Hmm….”
I’m glad she likes it. It’s boring to train [Illusion Magic] alone, but it’s fun to make it because she likes everything I make.
At that time. Elise said to me while hugging the bone.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange.”
“What is.”
“I’ve liked bones since a long time ago. I didn’t like that they were thrown away even after eating all the meat.”
“…….”
“Why? Why do I like bones so much…???”
It was an interesting question.
She probably doesn't know. The fact that her family, 'Cshikos,' is a descendant of the ancient 'Dog Beastman Clan.'
The tails and ears have disappeared over the generations. But the blood of the Dog Beastmen still remains thick in her blood.
That was why I deliberately made the bone.
This Dog Beastman Clan listens to the commands of humans they acknowledge. That is why that monster family was loyal to the royal family.
In other words, the situation where ‘wait’ worked just now meant that Elise instinctively acknowledged me.
This is called 「Command」.
‘I’m lucky. Not just anyone receives the recognition of the Cshikos family.’
Only those who are strong. Overwhelming. And yet, those who are drawn to them are limitedly recognized by the Beastmen.
Originally, it had to be someone with high combat power and intimacy, or a member of the royal family. It seemed like it was thanks to me being mistaken for a strong person.
“Make me a few more.”
“No.”
“That’s too much….”
I was kidding.
And so, I made five bones.
“Bone-y…♪”
Elise liked it very much.
⋮
┃ Relationship Stat Increase: Elise [5] (▲5)
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 5