Chapter 109: A Grand Gamble
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109: A Grand Gamble
"By the way, are your injuries alright now?"
Once the dejected Pink Bear had left to attend the inquiry meeting, Glen dismissed the other teachers. He turned to Professor Prang and asked, "Wounds caused by a Holy Sword shouldn't be that easy to heal, right?"
"About a third of the Holy Light remains in my body, undispelled. My chest still aches," Professor Prang replied, lowering his head and lightly stroking the right side of his chest. "But full recovery is only a matter of time. Though I am old, I won't collapse from something of this level."
"Ho, your body is sturdier than I imagined." Professor Glen raised an eyebrow. "That was one of the five Holy Swords of the Life Church, after all. I thought you’d be bedridden for at least ten days or a fortnight. I didn't expect you to be up and about so soon."
"It is not that my body is sturdier than imagined, but that the Holy Sword was weaker," Professor Prang said softly. "That sword has been in a sealed state the entire time."
"What?" Professor Glen was slightly stunned.
"Berena... before she was completely controlled by the Love God, she sealed the Holy Sword." A complex expression flickered across Professor Prang’s aged face. "It was a trigger-based magical seal. If anyone tried to break it by force, the Holy Sword would have been destroyed from the inside. Even the Love God was helpless and was forced to use the sword with most of its power sealed."
"Taking advantage of the fact that the Love God doesn't understand magic, eh?" Professor Glen sighed with emotion. "You have a good student, Prang."
"Indeed, I do." Professor Prang turned his head. It was as if he could see her again—the girl who, after a brief greeting, had disappeared with a smile, now waving to him. "She has always been a student I am proud of."
*
"Speaking of which, it seems Grand Magister Mela Domir hasn't been seen since then." Professor Glen placed a cup of tea he had brewed himself in front of Professor Prang. "Opportunities like this are rare; I wanted to ask her a few questions regarding ancient potions."
"Don't go disturbing Grand Magister Mela Domir. She is very busy right now." Professor Prang sighed. "Immediately after the Evil God incident was resolved, she asked me for the detailed information of all current students."
"Student information? Could it be..."
"Most likely." Professor Prang picked up his teacup and took a sip. "That is, after all, the Grand Magister’s lifelong pursuit. She won't give up on it. It’s just... her sudden haste this time makes me a little uneasy."
"Did awakening her early really have an effect on her?"
"Let’s not speak of such discouraging things now. If the Grand Magister heard you, she would be displeased." Professor Glen rolled his eyes, then said excitedly, "What I’m more curious about is who will be the lucky one chosen by the Grand Magister?"
"The lucky one? That remains to be seen." Professor Prang stared at the tea stalk floating in his cup and smiled bitterly. "That is an incredibly mad path. If an ordinary person steps onto it, they will likely end up with nothing left of them, not even their bones."
*
"I feel like... things have suddenly become peaceful."
In the quiet infirmary, Muen turned his head and looked out the window through the pale curtains.
The sun was bright.
From time to time, youthful laughter drifted in from not far away. The entire Academy seemed to have emerged from the shadow of the previous events, regaining its vitality.
"Has it really been that many days already?"
After the incident ended, Muen had been sent to this ward for treatment and "quarantine" due to his injuries and his close contact with the monster corrupted by the Love God.
At the time, Professor Glen’s treatment had only been a rough application of magic. Since a Crown Bearer had personally intervened, the Academy had conducted a series of physical examinations on him to ensure there were no lasting side effects.
To Muen’s relief, other than that white-haired loli powerhouse, no one seemed able to detect the "Divine Blessing" of the Withered King on his person.
It made sense. Compared to a deity’s simple and direct gift of power, a Divine Blessing—which was an incarnation of a portion of a deity's authority—was naturally harder to detect. Otherwise, An, a fellow Divine Blessing recipient, wouldn't have stayed in the Duke’s estate for ten years without his "convenient father" ever noticing anything amiss.
The fact that the white-haired loli could see through him at a glance was the anomaly; it should be considered an isolated case.
Otherwise, Muen wouldn't be facing a beautiful woman with a mature temperament right now, but rather the Empire’s specialized organization for dealing with Evil God incidents: the Silencers.
Those gloomy fellows who hid in black robes all day wouldn't care about his status as a Duke’s son. Once he fell into their hands, Muen certainly wouldn't have a good time.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario hadn't happened.
During this period, no outsiders were allowed to contact Muen, except for doctors and professors from the Academy who came to ask questions. This near-total solitude and quiet environment allowed Muen to organize his thoughts.
His conversation with the Black Book still felt as if it had happened just moments ago.
"So, in the end, is it still because I’m too weak?"
Having learned new martial techniques and defeated Ryan, a standout among the second-year students, Muen had thought everything was heading in a good direction. He thought he could finally escape his miserable fate as a cannon-fodder yellow-haired villain.
But now, it seemed he had been overthinking it.
If the Black Book hadn't used the Evil God to forcibly push the world's fate toward an unknown path away from the original plot, he would have faced a certain-death ending.
"To think I have to mess up the fate of the entire world just to avoid a death flag... just how much malice does this world hold for me?" Muen murmured, looking at his hands.
"And in the end, was the solution still that simple and crude?"
Not strong enough.
That was the crux of why he could only let fate toy with him. If he could be stronger—as strong as the protagonist Ariel, or even stronger—then even if he faced the Saintess controlled by the Love God in the original timeline, he would be able to survive.
But that was only an "if."
Muen knew that for his current self, gaining that much power in just one year was simply impossible.
Ariel was already miles ahead of him. She had the Protagonist Aura, she had cheats, and she even had a mysterious "big sister" in her ring teaching her ancient magic. On the path to becoming stronger, she was a literal "second-generation rich kid." How could a "penniless scrub" like him—who had nothing and could only get beaten up inside the Black Book every night—ever catch up?
The Black Book knew it was impossible too, which was why it chose to interfere with fate itself.
However, Muen knew very well that interference of this magnitude couldn't happen a second time. When the next wave of malice from fate arrived, he would have to rely entirely on himself.
And that time probably wasn't far off.
Hadn't the second prophetic dream already given the answer? One day in the future, he would die with his heart ripped out.
So...
"Is there any way for me to get stronger faster?" Muen couldn't help but let out the wail of a dying salted fish.
"Oh? Do you desire power, young man?"
A cold voice rang out. On the chair beside Muen’s bed, where Hathaway had been sitting just moments ago, a petite girl with white hair and red eyes had appeared out of nowhere.
"Huh?"
Muen was startled. But when he recognized the visitor's identity, he froze for a moment before immediately putting on a slightly flattering smile. "Big Boss? What are you doing here?"
"Can't I come to see you?" The girl twirled a strand of her pure white hair with her finger, her expression somewhat lazy, as if she had just woken up from a nap.
"Of course you can, of course... it’s just..." Muen scratched his head, choosing his words carefully. "I don't think I have the qualifications to have a Big Boss like you visit me in person."
Muen didn't think that just because he had woken her up and pinched her face earlier, this loli-sized powerhouse would suddenly become close to him. This wasn't some harem light novel where every female character threw themselves at the lead.
Her arrival definitely had a purpose.
"Smarter than I thought." The girl’s eyes, clear as amber and seemingly able to see through a person completely, flicked toward Muen. Then, the corners of her mouth curled up as she asked, "So, as I just said—do you desire power, young man?"
"Eh?"
"I happen to need a last disciple recently. I will grant the person who becomes my disciple power and knowledge—selflessly. How about it? Interested, young man?"
"Last... disciple."
Mulling over the true meaning of the girl's words, Muen was momentarily stunned.
The loli-sized girl before him wasn't just a girl; she was a top-tier powerhouse who had slept for an unknown amount of time in the Academy's special space and could even repel an Evil God. In the original plot, she shouldn't have appeared until much later, but because the Black Book had disturbed the world's fate, she had been forced to enter the stage early.
If he could cling to the thighs of such a powerhouse, it would be the most perfect development for Muen, with nothing but benefits. Perhaps it would even allow him to escape his predetermined tragic fate.
But...
How could he, Muen Campbell, receive a gift from fate so easily?
"So... why?" Muen snapped back to reality, his lake-blue eyes staring intently at the white-haired girl. "Why choose me? Because of the power of the Withered King inside me?"
"The Withered King? Hmm... that’s part of the reason."
"Part of it? Then the other part..."
"Hehe..."
The girl suddenly broke into a smile.
But that smile made Muen’s skin crawl. She suddenly raised her hand and pointed a finger at him.
In an instant, a sense of dread washed over him.
A powerful sense of crisis, accompanied by a sickening death warning, relentlessly attacked Muen’s consciousness. Before he knew it, the world had turned blood-red. In Muen’s eyes, there was only the girl, suddenly as hideous as a demon, and the incredibly real killing intent in her eyes.
What’s going on? Does she really want to kill me after all?
The thought appeared for only a split second before he was forced to ignore it. Because that slender finger had already arrived.
It felt like a mountain pressing down; Muen felt a pressure that seemed ready to crush him into paste.
"Cough, cough..."
His body instantly sustained severe injuries. Muen coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and bits of internal organs.
Death was imminent.
It was then that he felt a cold sensation in his palm. It felt like a knife.
Then, without any hesitation, Muen gripped the familiar short blade in his hand and slashed at the demonically hideous white-haired girl.
"Overestimating yourself." The girl let out a disdainful sneer. "Do you really think you have a chance of surviving?"
Before the blade could reach her, Muen felt his arm go light. He stared blankly; his arm from the elbow down had vanished.
But this time, it wasn't decomposed like a toy. It had exploded.
Yes, exploded. Muen’s arm, hand, and fingers had burst into a cloud of blood mist in an instant.
Intense pain surged.
Muen’s face suddenly contorted. He ignored the agony that would have caused an ordinary person to faint instantly; having been ravaged countless times within the Black Book, he had long since grown accustomed to such pain.
He quickly reached out with his other hand and caught the falling short blade.
Then, he slashed again!
Bang!
Without any surprise, the arm below the elbow exploded into blood mist once more.
"Why resist?" The girl’s expression was full of pity. "If you just gave up, I could let you die without any pain."
Why resist?
Why not just die?
Looking at the girl’s pitying expression, a volcano-like rage suddenly erupted in Muen’s chest.
He had struggled for so long. He had experienced death so many times in the Black Book. He was used to death, used to pain, and thought about getting stronger every waking moment.
Wasn't it all just to—
—Avoid walking down that path to true death?
And you want me to give up?
You want me to just die?
Go—to—hell!
Even if you’re a Big Boss, even if you’re strong, you don't have the right!
Muen suddenly lunged forward like a wild beast, biting the hilt of the short blade. His eyes were bloodshot, and a low roar escaped his throat. Without any hesitation, he pounced at the enemy he couldn't possibly defeat.
Even if I die, I’ll...
In an instant.
The world cleared.
The blood-red world and the girl’s demonic face suddenly vanished, like a brief nightmare. Bright sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains, the spots of light shining on Muen’s still-contorted face, making him squint.
"This is..."
The short blade in his mouth was gone, and his hands were still intact. It was as if none of those terrifying scenes had ever happened.
Muen remained in his lunging posture, but with the action frozen, he didn't look like a predatory beast. Instead, he looked like... some kind of lolicon degenerate about to commit an indecent act against a minor.
"Yes, exactly like that."
The girl didn't seem to mind the intrusive nature of Muen’s posture. Instead, she cupped Muen’s face, gazing at the lingering ferocity in his expression with a look of satisfaction, as if admiring a work of art.
"This ferocity and ruthlessness that seeps from your bones despite your sheep-like exterior... this fearlessness and madness that makes you look like you’re used to death even though you cherish life so much... this is exactly what I want. Only with this can that be completed."
"Eh?" Muen was still a bit dazed.
But he seemed to have realized something. The killing intent the girl had shown him just now was just a deliberately created illusion; she was just trying to test something.
But even if you’re a Big Boss, you shouldn't toy with me like that!
Muen was furious. "What exactly do you want?"
"Hehe, are you angry? That’s only natural." The girl said with a smile. "But since you’ve asked, I’m not one for beating around the bush, so I’ll be direct. I want to use you, Muen Campbell."
"What?" Muen was stunned again.
The girl’s bluntness... was a bit too blunt.
"So, the reason you want me to be your disciple is also because..." Muen’s mouth twitched.
"Correct. As my disciple, I will do everything a teacher should do. But at the same time, you will become my experimental subject, used by me to achieve a certain long-cherished wish."
A fervor that completely contrasted with her appearance surfaced in the girl’s eyes. "A certain... wish I have pursued my entire life."
"I feel like..." Looking at the girl who seemed like a different person, Muen narrowed his eyes and asked, "You’re going to treat me like a lab rat."
"Hmm, a lab rat? A very apt metaphor. But unlike a simple lab rat, although the process is a tiny bit dangerous, as long as it succeeds—" The girl chuckled. "Muen Campbell, you will obtain the power you’ve been dreaming of!"
"The power I’ve been dreaming of..."
Muen swallowed hard. Those words were indeed incredibly attractive to him. And Muen believed that given this Big Boss’s status, she definitely wouldn't lie to him.
Only...
"If I may ask, what is the probability of success for this... lifelong pursuit of yours?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Because what I want to complete is unprecedented. There is no prior experience for me to reference. Therefore, the probability of success could be one hundred percent, or it could be zero." The girl looked at Muen and said seriously, "Until everything is finished, even I don't know if this path is viable."
"In other words..." Muen was a bit speechless.
"Yes, this is a grand gamble. For me, the stakes are the path I have been pursuing and whether you, the one I’ve chosen, have the capacity to carry it. For you, the stakes are whether I am reliable and whether the outcome is good or bad. So—"
The girl reached out her hand toward Muen. In those clear red eyes, a fire that didn't belong to an ancient being burned, full of passion. "Will you join this grand gamble, young man?"
"..."
Facing the girl’s invitation, Muen fell into deep thought.
He didn't think this Big Boss was simply trying to harm him. If she had malicious intent, she could have crushed him with a single finger back in the flower sea.
So.
As she said, this was a grand gamble where even she couldn't see the path clearly. She valued him simply because he was suitable.
So, should he agree? Agree to this gamble toward an unknown fate where the path was obscured?
Muen thought for a moment and then found the answer. Because the Black Book had already told him what to do.
He was an existence that didn't belong to the conventional fate. To break the shackles of that conventional fate, he had to walk an unconventional path.
And, just as the girl said, he really, really, really, really dreamed of—obtaining power.
That brief illusion just now had made him even more certain of his own powerlessness. So there was nothing to hesitate about.
It was called a choice, but from the moment the white-haired girl appeared and threw out those baits one by one, Muen had no room to refuse. Like a moth lost in the dark that sees a flame, even knowing it might not represent salvation, he would still plunge toward it without looking back.
"I’m willing to join... huh?"
Muen reached out his hand, but he grabbed only air. The girl had already withdrawn her palm and was wearing a meaningful smile.
"I’m glad you feel that way. But I’m sorry, young man, I don't teach idiots."
"Ha?"
Muen was shocked by the girl’s sudden insult. It was like he was playing with a cute cat at home, only to have the cat suddenly hit him with a fierce uppercut. His brain was left reeling from the sneak attack.
"I... Idiot? What do you mean?"
"Before I came here, I checked your grades. Your score on the last Magic Basic Theory exam was only three points, wasn't it?" The girl’s gaze turned cold, as if she were looking at trash. "Truly, if you had just stepped on the test paper, the footprint would have filled in more correct answers than that."
"That... that was just because I was a bit playful last semester." Muen awkwardly looked away. "As long as I work hard from now on, I’ll definitely be able to catch up slowly."
"I believe you can do it, but I can't wait for you to catch up slowly. I don't have as much time as you think. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so impatient as to seek you out myself." The girl glanced at her own youthful hands and sighed. "So, I can only give you one month. In the monthly exam one month from now, your Magic Basic Theory score must be a passing grade. That is the foundation of everything."
"One month?" Muen’s expression froze. "The first-year monthly exam?"
"The second-year monthly exam," the girl said expressionlessly.
"But how is that possible?" Muen’s eyes widened. "Learning a year’s worth—no, a year and a month’s worth of material in one month? No matter how you look at it, that’s extremely difficult!"
"That is your problem. I can only say... good luck, young man."
The girl stood up and looked to the side. Her gaze pierced through the layers of walls, seeing another flat-chested girl who had been wrapped up like a mummy a few days ago but was now lively and playing around with her childhood sweetheart.
In her vision, that flat-chested girl also exuded an extremely unusual aura.
"You are special, but you are not the only special one. I cannot pin my lifelong pursuit on you alone. So to me, you are just one of the choices."
The girl turned back, her gaze returning to its usual coldness.
"One month from now, give me your answer with your actual results, Muen Campbell. This is also my test for you."
The girl turned around, seemingly preparing to leave.
"Wait." Muen called out to her. "What about your name? I can't just keep calling you Big Boss."
"My name?" The white-haired girl’s face showed a hint of melancholy as she sighed. "That sort of thing was tossed into the river of time long ago. As for how to address me—"
"Mela Domir. That is my surname. You can call me... Teacher Mela. Yes, Teacher Mela. I’m tired of hearing the word 'Grand Magister.'"