Chapter 110: The Visit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: The Visit
After Mela left, silence returned to the hospital room.
Muen stared blankly at the spot where she had vanished, his eyes wide and round, like a frog seeing a swan fly over its well for the first time.
"Holy... crap..."
A long moment passed before those two words finally tumbled out of his mouth.
What did that powerhouse say her name was?
Mela Domir?
Which Mela? Which Do? Which Mir?
Could it be that Mela Domir? The one from the title page of the Magic Basic Theory textbook? The one who had a massive section dedicated to her biography, and whose theories accounted for a third of the entire book? The Origin-Tier Grand Magister from a thousand years ago?
A shared name?
A coincidence?
No, no.
A top-tier powerhouse like that wouldn't have someone "clashing" names with her.
Which meant...
"This is insane... She's not just any powerhouse; she's a legend."
Muen’s throat felt dry.
Although he had deduced that Professor Mela was the one who drove back the Evil God, he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, so he hadn't truly grasped the sheer scale of her might.
He had assumed she was just a particularly powerful Crown Bearer who relied on the Academy’s Grand Ritual to...
But now it seemed he was still too young, too naive. Relying on the Grand Ritual? She probably built the damn thing herself!
An Origin-Tier from a thousand years ago!
What did that even mean?
In this world, people didn't just live for thousands or tens of thousands of years like they did in cultivation novels. Before breaking through to the Coronation Level, becoming a Crown Bearer, and undergoing a sublimation of their life essence, it was extremely difficult for anyone to surpass the theoretical human lifespan of one hundred and twenty years.
Even after becoming a Crown Bearer, one’s lifespan only extended to about two or three hundred years. As far as Muen knew, the longest-living person mentioned in the original novel was the Pope of the Life Church.
And even he, with the blessing of the Goddess of Life, was only in his four-hundreds.
That wasn't even half of a thousand!
Furthermore, being an "Origin-Tier from a thousand years ago" didn't mean she had only lived for a thousand years—it meant she was already at the Origin-Tier a thousand years ago!
Her actual age... was unknown.
The textbook’s biography didn't mention a single thing about her life before she became a Grand Magister.
"A legend like that offered to make me her disciple, and I actually hesitated?"
Muen desperately wished he could travel back ten minutes and immediately glue himself to Professor Mela’s leg.
With a "thigh" that thick to cling to, what could possibly threaten his life unless an Evil God showed up in person?
The Crown Bearers under the Love God were nothing! Could they even compare to the fair, slender leg he was currently metaphorically hugging?
So what if the protagonist had a bunch of cheats? So what if she had a "Miss Fairy" hiding in her ring? Could they even reach the ankle of this legendary master?
As Professor Mela’s disciple, as long as he didn't actively seek death, couldn't he live as recklessly as he wanted?
—But that was just a fleeting thought.
Muen quickly calmed down, and a sliver of dread began to surface.
If even Mela Domir herself wasn't certain about that "path," was it really the right choice for a yellow-haired villain like him—someone without a shred of Protagonist Aura—to blindly step onto it?
"But... at this point, I have no choice but to keep moving forward."
Muen slapped his cheeks to pull himself together.
The prophetic dreams from the Black Book were like a blade pressed against his throat; he never knew when they would come true and claim his life.
So, he had to struggle.
Before the malice of fate struck again, he had to seize everything within reach and struggle with everything he had!
Even if the direction he was struggling toward turned out to be true hell.
*
"But... someone save me..."
Not even two minutes after psyching himself up, Muen was rolling around in his blankets again, letting out the pathetic wail of a dying salted fish.
Because no matter how he looked at it...
Professor Mela’s requirement was too harsh.
Pass the Magic Basic Theory exam in one month!
In one month, he had to learn what others took a year and a month to master!
This wasn't like a college student going back to look at elementary school textbooks, where a few glances would suffice. In the realm of magic, he was currently an elementary schooler.
At best, he was a first-grader. And Professor Mela wanted him to take a second-grade exam in a month—and pass!
It was practically mission impossible.
Yet, Muen also knew her request was perfectly reasonable. For the profound depths of magic, an idiot who scored a three on a basic theory exam truly didn't even have the right to enter the field.
"But it's still so hard! Isn't there a way to gain knowledge without studying?! Aaaah!" Muen twisted into a strange posture, praying to the heavens for an all-powerful Dora*mon to descend.
"Has the Evil God's corruption finally affected your brain, Muen Campbell?"
A cool, crisp voice suddenly echoed in the small hospital room.
"Erk."
Muen’s wailing stopped instantly, as if someone had hit a pause button.
He slowly poked his head out from under the covers, his face slightly flushed, and looked at the silver-haired figure. He gave an awkward smile.
"Ce... Celicia. What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed?"
Celicia was still wearing her red Student Council uniform, which made her snowy skin look even more radiant.
She placed the fruit she had brought on the nightstand, tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear, and glanced at Muen out of the corner of her eye.
"Or would you rather see the doctor right now?"
"No, no, no. My brain is fine. Absolutely fine."
Muen shook his head vigorously and sat up straight in bed. He smoothed out his messy hospital gown, looking like a miserable office worker facing a domineering CEO.
"Is everything okay with the Student Council? You must be pretty busy lately."
"It's alright. Although the incident had a far-reaching impact, no students actually died in the chaos. The Student Council is mostly handling follow-up paperwork. The ones who are truly overwhelmed right now are the professors and the Dean."
Celicia sat down in the chair that had already been occupied by two other beauties earlier.
"Want an apple?"
Even as she asked, she already had an apple and a paring knife in hand.
Muen could only weakly add, "Yes, please."
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm completely recovered."
"When are you returning to class?"
"The doctor said I can be discharged tomorrow."
"And your mental state?"
"Excellent. I've got a great appetite."
"..."
Celicia lowered her head to peel the apple. Her hands were incredibly steady; the peel spiraled down from her palm in a single, continuous ribbon of uniform thickness.
Once finished, she placed it on a fruit plate. Holding the knife, she gave the apple a light tap. Muen saw a flash of light so fast it was almost invisible, and the apple was instantly divided into eight perfect slices.
Then, she carefully poked a toothpick into each piece and held the plate out to Muen.
As expected of Celicia. Even peeling an apple is elegant, Muen thought to himself. He took a piece and popped it into his mouth.
It was sweet and crisp.
"Speaking of which, has anything happened at the Academy lately?" Muen asked after finishing a slice.
After being stuck in the hospital for days, his only source of information was the occasional sound of girls laughing outside his window. The professors and doctors all had such stern faces that he didn't dare ask them for gossip.
"Nothing much. Because the response was timely, the Evil God's intrusion didn't cause any substantial losses to the Academy. Classes have mostly resumed."
Celicia also picked up a slice and took small, graceful bites, her crystalline red lips moving elegantly.
"However, if you're talking about what the students are buzzing about...
That would probably be the mysterious blonde beauty who vanished that night."