The Gambit That Broke the Mad Mage
Another week had passed since the group match was announced. I had a very specific reason why I absolutely had to achieve a high rank in this upcoming event. It was to catch the eye of a certain individual.
One of the pillars of the Empire, and someone who would heavily influence the scenario later on.
He will definitely show up for this group match.
Therefore, I had to get results, no matter what.
"Senior, your stamina has improved a lot lately."
Early morning. Aisha, jogging alongside me, praised my physical endurance. Just as she said, my stamina was still on the rise. **Vikaman**'s potential was truly bottomless. The rate at which my physical stats were growing was astonishing, even to myself.
"It's all thanks to you, Aisha."
"Oh, please. It's because you worked so hard, Senior."
Aisha always had a lovely way of speaking.
"Still, it's not enough."
It was true that both my stamina and skills had grown exponentially in a short period. That was undoubtedly the fruit of my labor. Yet, even with all this, it was still insufficient to secure a top spot in the group match.
Is it about time?
Following **Steel Skin** and **Magic Engraving**, it was time to find a new card to navigate the upcoming scenario. Lucas could push through everything with just the **Flame of Fighting Spirit**, but for me, who lacked that flame, it was impossible.
"You seem lost in thought again."
Perhaps because I often fell into deep contemplation in front of her, she quickly noticed that I was spacing out while running.
"Senior, it's dangerous to lose yourself in thought while running. Should we take a short break instead?"
"No, I'm fine. Maybe it's because I run every day, but now it feels weirder when I'm *not* running."
A body that had grown so accustomed to running. Even I found it bizarre how much my physical constitution had changed.
Aisha smiled. She seemed genuinely pleased that I had adapted to this routine. Aisha had always wanted someone to run and train with. Perhaps because I filled that void, she held me in high regard.
"Aisha, what do you think the odds are of a person getting struck by lightning in their lifetime?"
Because of our bond, even when I asked her such an out-of-the-left-field question, she pondered it seriously.
"Hmm, extremely rare, right? At least, I've never met anyone around me who's been struck by lightning."
"Exactly. But there was once a man who lived his life practically carrying lightning with him."
"There was such a person?"
"Yes. A man born under an ill-fated star, in more ways than one."
Aisha looked puzzled, but to me, he was an indispensable figure for what was to come.
The only problem is...
He was already dead, having been struck by lightning one last time.
Lightning. An electrical discharge occurring between a cloud and the earth. The odds of being struck by lightning are about one in 280,000. It is a statistic that safely categorizes anyone struck as incredibly unfortunate.
Yet, in this world, there existed a man who had been struck. Not just once, but a total of one hundred and eight times in his life.
The **Lightning Caller**. That was the name given to him.
He had eventually met his end upon being struck by his hundred and seventh bolt. The final, hundred and eighth lightning strike... fell upon his grave after he had already been buried.
A man of whom no one knew whether he was loved or hated by the heavens. That was the **Lightning Caller**.
But he was dead. So how on earth was I supposed to find him?
The answer lay in the Special Department.
Special Studies. A department established for those who mastered diverse disciplines that could not be neatly categorized into martial arts or magic. While some students in the Special Department were suited for combat, others wielded powers entirely unrelated to fighting.
Among them was a second-year student known by a peculiar nickname. He was an individual whom even his fellow department peers found unsettling.
His nickname was the **Little Ossuary**.
Born with a literal skull for a head, he was singled out as one of the most bizarre characters even in the *Flame Butterfly Chapter*. One day, he would suddenly set up a table of food on the academy rooftop and talk to thin air; on another, he would set fires in the nearby forests and cause a ruckus. In the *Flame Butterfly Chapter*, his antics often served as the catalyst for horror-themed events. As it turned out, all the ghost stories circulating around the academy were caused by the **Little Ossuary**.
To meet this **Little Ossuary**, I packed a bag after classes ended today and headed up to the Special Studies building. I was still annoyed by how Card had teased me earlier because of the item inside this bag.
Bastard. I'll have to smack him upside the head next time I see him.
Sighing, I looked up. The Special Studies building came fully into view. Perhaps to respect the diversity of its students, the building was decorated with all sorts of oddities. From weapons of unknown origins to bizarre ornaments and glass crafts. It was a hodgepodge of the strange and unusual, making me feel as though I had stepped into a dusty antique shop.
There weren't many students in the hallways. Even after classes ended, students of the Special Department often stayed behind to study their respective fields. As I walked past the classrooms, I could see groups of them huddled together. Some of them looked like they were researching highly dangerous subjects, so I quietly walked past without making eye contact. The Special Department was full of eccentrics whom it was best not to get involved with.
After walking for a while, the hallway began to feel eerie. An inexplicable chill brushed past my skin. It was the kind of coldness one only felt when stepping into a graveyard. Yet, this was just a hallway in the Special Department. Under normal circumstances, such a chill shouldn't be felt here.
I didn't stop my steps despite the cold. Continuing forward, a classroom finally came into view. Although no one was standing by the door, I could faintly sense multiple presences lingering around. Ignoring them, I raised my hand and knocked twice on the door.
"Is anyone inside?"
I asked along with the knock and waited. But no answer came from within. Left with no choice, I slid the door open.
*Whoosh!*
An even sharper chill swept over my body. It felt as though something that had been hovering inside the room had just rushed past me to escape.
"Ah, they left."
A voice tinged with regret echoed. The room was dark, draped in blackout curtains. In the center of this dim space sat a man with a skull for a head. On the desk in front of him lay a Ouija board used for communicating with spirits. Having been talking to god-knows-who, he clattered his teeth together. Then, he slowly turned his head to look at me. Inside his hollow eye sockets, a faint light flickered.
"Isn't it bad manners to enter when no one answered your knock?"
"That's strange. I could've sworn I heard someone answer."
It was a blatant lie, of course. Hearing my lie, he tilted his head. He quickly caught on to my bluff and reacted.
"Heheheh. I never expected someone to try a ghost lie on me."
I knew he'd appreciate the humor. The **Little Ossuary**. Second-year Special Department student, **Grantoni**. He possessed the class known as a **Soul Mage**.
"Second-year, Hanon Airey."
Before I could even introduce myself, he uttered my name.
"Heheheh. I've heard a lot about you."
I didn't have any friends who would have told him my name. It was obvious where he had heard it. He must have heard it from the ghosts wandering all over **Jerion Academy**.
"And how did they introduce me?"
"Congratulations. They said you're a rare breed of lunatic! It seems they've all taken quite a liking to you!"
I had no idea what part of me they liked, but fortunately, **Grantoni** viewed me in a positive light.
"And they said they're grateful to you for harboring the Empress."
I knew exactly who he meant by "the Empress." The Mystery, the **Empress of Steel**. She was the original owner of the Mystery I possessed, **Steel Skin**. Mysteries were corrupt entities that had failed to become gods. In a way, they shared some commonalities with ghosts. Ghosts were also beings who lingered in this world, unable to fade away due to some lingering power. Perhaps that was why seeing the **Empress of Steel** depart had left an impression on them.
"I'm glad they think well of me."
"Heheheh. That's why you're so popular among the ghosts. Want me to introduce you to one?"
"If you're offering, do you mind if I make a request?"
At my bold response, **Grantoni** burst into a rattling laughter. Almost everyone who met **Grantoni** reacted with fear or disgust. He associated with the dead rather than the living. From that point on, he walked a path that could never align with the living. In such circumstances, my attitude as a living person was incredibly novel to him.
"Hahahah! Fine. Who is it?"
Although no system window appeared, I could feel **Grantoni**'s favorability rising.
"The **Lightning Caller**."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box. It was an item I had secured a long time ago, around the same time I obtained the **Bandage of the Veil**. Specifically, it was an item I had barely managed to snatch from the Mad Mage, **Vinesha**, risking my life in the process.
*Slide.*
I opened the lid of the box. Inside lay a tiny pendant.
*Freeze.*
Recognizing the contents of the box, **Grantoni**'s skull head stiffened. It was only natural. The Mad Mage was the object of **Grantoni**'s deep resentment. The Mad Mage—she was the one who had murdered **Grantoni**'s master. And the box I had just produced contained the very item **Vinesha** had stolen after killing his master.
"You can ask your master yourself."
After all, his deceased master's spirit was still lingering by his side.
*Snap.*
I closed the lid. Before coming to **Jerion Academy** to clear the *Flame Butterfly Chapter*, I had prepared everything I possibly could. This was one of the essential items prepared for the ending.
**Grantoni** fell into a heavy silence. It was because he had been confronted with something entirely unexpected. After a long pause, **Grantoni** slowly raised his head. No emotion could be read from his pitch-black eye sockets.
"**Vinesha**... How did you get this from that woman? She always keeps it close to her chest. It couldn't have been easy."
**Vinesha** was a mid-game boss. Specifically, a boss who appeared in Act 4. She was an enemy that a normal player could never hope to handle. How had I managed to retrieve this pendant from her? The answer was simple.
"I seduced her."
I could sense **Grantoni** blinking, even though he had no eyes to speak of.
"Once I seduced her, she gave me whatever I wanted."
Love blinds people. So, I seduced **Vinesha**. It wasn't for nothing that **Vikaman** had once worked as a host, seducing wealthy women to make a living. A natural-born talent in the looks department—I made full use of that talent. After all, **Vinesha** had a thing for younger guys.
**Grantoni** stared at me blankly.
"He... Heheheh, hahahahaha!"
Then, unable to hold it in any longer, he burst into a roaring laughter. He laughed for a long time, even clapping his hands, before wiping his tearless eye sockets.
"That was a completely unexpected answer. Hilarious. Whether it's a lie or the truth, you brought it to me, so I'll believe you."
But it was the truth. If I were in **Vikaman**'s original form, he would have understood immediately.
"Heheheh, fine."
He lightly lifted himself from his seat and stood up.
"I'll call the ghost you want."
The deal was struck.