Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Changing Future
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(1)
1.
April 30th, Friday.
The dim light of dawn settled in.
A lone figure made his way through the corridors of the academy's research building, heading to his lab. It was Direk Orminu, the professor in charge of Mana Detection lectures.
How much time passed like that?
Direk's footsteps halted after a long walk. He had arrived at his research lab. Striding inside, he promptly sat down at his desk.
Whoosh!
A candle ignited, brightly illuminating the previously dim room. Leaning back in his chair, Direk silently opened a desk drawer.
What he pulled out was a single letter.
The envelope bore an exceedingly ornate seal. It was the seal of none other than Dermore Count, Direk's brother-in-law and one of the great nobles.
"......"
Direk stared at it wordlessly.
He recalled an event from three days prior, on Tuesday. It was when he had received an invitation to a dinner with Dermore Count, the sender of the letter.
'An invitation I couldn't refuse.'
Dermore Count was his patron, funding the research Direk needed. So, without protest, he headed to the appointed location at the count's estate.
After the dinner concluded.
The count revealed the purpose of the invitation.
"I have an urgent request for you. There are two items I wish to obtain, and no matter how I thought about it, you're the only one I could ask."
The reason Dermore Count sponsored Direk wasn't simply because he was a professor at Arsen Academy.
Direk was well aware of this fact.
Thus, the items the count sought must be something only an Arsen Academy professor could acquire.
Not long after, his guess proved correct.
'Mana Spring, Zone 3.'
The location where the count said the items could be found.
As the count had implied, no one was more suited for this task than Direk. He could enter Zone 3 under the pretext of research.
Anyway, after getting to the point.
The count revealed the identity of the items.
"I'll be direct. What I want is 'Light-Drawing Stone' and 'Deep Crevice Water'."
Light-Drawing Stone.
This was a unique stone found only in Zone 3, characterized by its steel-like hardness.
And one more thing.
It had a special property unique to Light-Drawing Stone.
'When light shines on it, it glows and attracts nearby ores, fusing into a single mass.'
As if it had always been one piece.
Due to its property of emitting light while drawing things in, it was named Light-Drawing Stone.
'Next......'
Deep Crevice Water.
This referred to the water flowing from the depths of the Mana Spring. It had a thick green hue like algae and was characterized by its high concentration of dissolved mana.
Like the Light-Drawing Stone, it could only be obtained in Mana Spring, Zone 3.
Because the moment Deep Crevice Water touched the fog at the Zone 2 boundary, it lost all its properties and turned into ordinary water.
'Neither is particularly hard to obtain.'
Light-Drawing Stones were plentiful enough to trip over, and Deep Crevice Water was easily gathered at the water's edge. Up to that point, he had been willing to accept readily.
But there was one problem.
The quantity of materials required.
【Light-Drawing Stone: 8kg】
【Deep Crevice Water: 35L】
Even at a glance, it was more than one person could transport. Moreover, such amounts couldn't evade the eyes of the golems guarding the spring's boundaries.
All items in the Mana Spring were strictly prohibited from being taken outside. If caught, he could lose his professorship.
So at first, he refused.
The risk was too high.
In response, Dermore Count, as if anticipating Direk's refusal, offered a solution.
'He said he'd provide an assistant.'
The assistant was an academy student.
And this assistant supposedly had the ability to easily transport that much material.
'So my job is......'
To enter Zone 3 with the assistant.
Then secure the Light-Drawing Stone and Deep Crevice Water, hand them over on the spot, and that would be the end of it.
And one more thing.
The count added an extraordinary condition regarding the compensation for completing the task successfully.
"If you successfully complete this request, I promise stable research funding until your research succeeds."
The moment he heard that.
Direk immediately accepted the count's request.
His research was on the verge of success but stalled due to lack of funds.
'If only the money issue is resolved......!'
Direk's research would succeed.
Then he could finally obtain the 'magical talent' he had so desperately desired. The mere thought filled him with happiness, and Direk grinned broadly.
It was then.
Knock knock!
A sound shattered his reverie.
A polite knock.
"Excuse me."
The door opened with a youthful voice.
Following was a girl with ash-gray hair.
Seeing her, Direk tilted his head.
It was a face he'd never seen before.
"And you are......?"
"I was referred by Dermore Count."
At that moment, Direk realized.
This girl was the assistant Dermore Count had mentioned. Meanwhile, the girl who had come to the lab gave a brief, polite introduction.
"I'm Silpi Rudhina, who will accompany you to the Mana Spring today as your assistant."
With the girl's self-introduction concluded.
The last day of midterms dawned.
2.
Soon, full morning light broke.
Ullan snapped his eyes open.
The first thing he saw was a pristine white ceiling.
Next came the hard feel of the floor. He had fallen asleep on the floor despite having a perfectly good bed.
"Right, while reading the book......"
His mind had overloaded, causing him to pass out.
Along with the memory, Ullan grinned.
A smile brimming with a strong sense of accomplishment.
The reason was simple.
"Now I've read them all."
A whopping 70-page textbook.
Over the past ten days, he had successfully memorized every bit of it. This was an achievement even his past life couldn't boast.
It was only natural to feel proud.
'Now only one thing remains.'
To take on the written exam and emerge victorious.
He didn't feel even a hint of anxiety.
His preparations were already perfect. As he stretched his stiff body, his eyes fell on a clock.
"Time to get ready."
It was 7 a.m.
The exam would start in one hour.
This was the final exam of midterms.
The 'Mana Detection' exam.
And this exam was uniquely to be held inside the 'Mana Spring'.
'So I need to arrive at the Mana Spring by......'
8 a.m. at the latest. There was no time to dawdle.
Clearing his mind of all distractions.
Ullan quickly prepared.
As he was about to leave the dormitory, he encountered an unexpected person at the entrance.
"Noa?"
Jet-black hair and blue eyes.
A slender girl.
She had been waiting for Ullan all along and approached him with quick steps upon seeing him.
"You look unwell."
"Yes, actually......"
"That dream you mentioned before again?"
"......"
Noa clamped her mouth shut.
Then nodded with a stiff expression.
Two days ago.
She had suddenly said something ominous.
That she had the exact same dream for three nights straight.
It was an extension of the dream from ten days ago, where a monster emerged from the Mana Spring.
This was no ordinary omen.
Since Noa saw the future through her dreams.
In other words, her dream might become reality today during the Mana Spring visit.
"It's fine. Preparations are perfect."
On the other hand, Ullan didn't particularly mind.
He was fully prepared. The pair of axes at his waist proved it.
But Noa's expression remained stiff.
"......But today's dream was a bit different."
"How so?"
"You were in the dream, Ullan."
"Me?"
"Yes, and while fighting the monster, you found its vital points one by one."
The monster had three vital points in total.
Head, waist, and hips, respectively.
She added that unless these were destroyed first, it would regenerate endlessly.
"And while searching for them, I saw you get badly hurt. So......"
She couldn't rest easy.
That was what Noa intended to say. But Ullan spoke first.
"Don't worry."
A large hand patted her head.
Ullan then grinned.
"Fighting with prior knowledge of the enemy's weakness means I won't get hurt."
In his past life, struggling against the Abyss Lords had been due to the time it took to find their weaknesses.
If he knew the weaknesses and vitals in advance, it changed everything. Ullan replied confidently with a grin.
"I'll win."
A response filled with strong confidence.
Did Noa sense it too?
Her stiff expression softened bit by bit. Then Ullan suddenly bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you."
"Huh? What's that out of the blue?"
"I always benefit from your foresight."
Just look at the recent Abyss Worshipper attack. And Noa's prophecy would surely help this time too.
Knowing a monster's—especially a magic beast's—vitals before battle was a huge advantage.
"Nah, it's nothing."
Meanwhile, Noa waved it off as if it were no big deal in response to Ullan's thanks.
"You help me a lot too, Ullan."
"Me? When?"
"You protected me the whole way from the plains to the academy, and if something dangerous happens today, you'll protect me too, right?"
The last part sounded a bit peculiar.
As if requesting protection in case of trouble. But Ullan nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. I'll protect you."
"Hehe, that's all I need."
Was she pleased with his immediate answer?
Noa beamed. Then she grabbed Ullan's hand and tugged.
"Come on, let's hurry. We don't want to be late for the exam."
Now only 30 minutes remained.
Ullan and Noa hurried toward the exam site.
The Mana Spring.
3.
7:50 a.m.
Ten minutes before the exam start.
The two arrived at the Mana Spring entrance.
Noa stretched her stiff body while recalling the conversation she'd just had with Ullan.
'I've passed on all the necessary info.'
From the monster's appearance to its weaknesses.
Plus, she'd firmly appealed for protection if danger arose.
'Now all that's left is......'
To slay the monster-transformed Professor Direk and claim the reward. That's what she thought until arriving at the Mana Spring.
'But......'
A new problem arose.
A variable not present in the original story had intervened. And a fairly large one at that.
'......Why is she here?'
Noa eyed Ullan with narrowed gaze.
More precisely, the silver-haired girl occupying the spot beside him.
It was Dilia Arpen.
At first, she thought Dilia had just come to see Ullan, but overhearing their talk disproved that.
'Make-up exam.'
Due to unavoidable circumstances, she hadn't taken one exam, so it was being substituted with the 'Mana Detection exam'.
'Probably because of that incident.'
The Abyss Worshipper attack.
Dilia had been hospitalized for a full ten days due to it.
She missed an exam during that time, and the Mana Detection exam was chosen as the substitute.
'But......'
This hadn't happened in the original.
In the story, only Professor Direk and the Mana Detection class students entered the Mana Spring on the last day of midterms.
Hence, it was a variable.
'Still, it's fine for now.'
She was briefly flustered by Dilia's sudden appearance, but it wouldn't change the outcome.
If anything, adding a named character made suppressing Professor Direk even easier. Dilia was on the cusp of archmage level.
As she barely regained her composure.
Finally, 8 a.m. sharp arrived.
"Seems everyone's here."
A dry voice rang out simultaneously.
It was Professor Direk Orminu, in charge of Mana Detection and proctor for this exam.
Direk appeared with five presumed assistant proctors, male and female, and lightly scanned the huddled students before speaking.
"Then we enter the Mana Spring now."
With those words signaling the exam's start.
The assistant proctors sprang into action.
"Everyone, form lines!"
"Lines by attendance number!"
"Make-up examinees to the back!"
Ullan and Noa were near the front.
Dilia, conversely, was at the very end.
She pouted her lips, as if displeased with the arrangement.
But defying the proctor's orders was impossible, so she reluctantly parted from Ullan.
"Ullan, see you later."
Dilia, swallowing her regret, moved to the rear.
The moment she separated from Ullan, her beaming face turned expressionless, as if the smile had never been.
Not long after.
Once the students' lines were set, the assistants moved to their assigned positions.
"Then we depart."
With all preparations complete.
Led by Professor Direk, twenty-six students in total entered the Mana Spring.
Chapter 22. Changing Future