Chapter 212: Progress. (2)

An underground cavern made up of mana stone and crystal, with no clear sign of when or why it was made. Epherene continued down that passageway.

“Hoo… hoo…”

The deeper she went, the more out of breath she became. The concentration of mana was too high and Epherene’s mana sensitivity was too remarkable, so this type of side effect was unavoidable.

“…?”

As she went further down with sweat-slick on her brow, she suddenly arrived at a section of slippery ground. She felt something damp under her feet in the dark.

“…What is it?”

Epherene released her mana to produce light. Below her, slicking the blue walls, was a dark red fluid.

“…Blood?”

It was thick and clean, drawing rivulets across the stone. Epherene vacantly followed it to its source.

“…”

In the middle of the cavern was a chair. Her eyes gradually grew bigger as she examined it closer.

“Professor?”

Deculein was sitting in the chair like he was reading a book as usual. But, his complexion was completely different. The blood on the floor served as clear evidence. She couldn’t just leave Deculein like that.

*gulp*

After swallowing nervously, Epherene approached him from behind, shuffling to where she could see his face.

“…”

Her heart trembled. She held her breath.

“…Professor?”

Deculein held his eyes closed. Without any movement, in an upright position. His skin was pale, and his veins were turning blue.

“Oh…”

Epherene reached out her fingers. She placed her middle finger and index finger around his neck, trying to find a pulse.

…But then.

–I thought you were going to get my revenge.

The voice resonated from her chest and spread through the cavern.

Tak—

Epherene flopped down like a broken doll.

“…”

Her eyes turned blue. The world turned hazy, and her fingers seeped with mana. A flash of light gleamed from her fingertips. The moment she touched Deculein’s neck and made a small scratch-

Whiiiiiiiiiing!

The wood steel vibrated. Thanks to that, Epherene’s eyes became clear again. She came back to her senses.

“…Oh, Professor!”

Epherene placed her hand on Deculein’s shoulder without knowing what she had just done, what she was trying to do, or what phenomenon it was.

“Pro-“

“Epherene.”

“Oh my gosh!”

He was looking at her, his sunken blue eyes like a calm sea. Epherene stepped back, clenching her hands.

“…Are you alright?”

There was compassion in her voice that she wasn’t aware of. A strange feeling penetrated her head like a fog.

Deculein’s short remaining life. Of course, she knew the ending but watching the process was strangely lonesome.

“…”

Deculein looked at her quietly.

“I’m sorry. I was sleepy… by the way, what is that? It looks like animal blood. Are you researching chimeras in here…?”

Epherene quickly made something up. She didn’t want him to be embarrassed about being caught.

“…Professor?”

But even so, Deculein remained silent. Was it hard for him to talk? Was he seriously sick? Or…

“Epherene.”

“…Yes?”

“…”

Silence. Deculein pressed his mouth shut again and stared at her with fatigued eyes. Like he was trying to figure something out, or like he was trying to see through her. Then suddenly, he shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

“…”

Epherene bit her lip. She avoided his gaze and pointed to the blood on the floor.

“I’ll clean this up.”

Using the advanced magic Fiery Gaze, Epherene evaporated all the blood with a glance; then, she looked back at Deculein.

“Now… it’s done.”

Deculein closed his eyes again.

“…”

She approached him carefully and heard his faint breath. Fortunately, he wasn’t dead but seemed to be sleeping.

“Whew.”

Epherene sat down next to Deculein. She took off her robe and laid it down on the floor. Her hard breathing had adapted a little by now, so she laid down and tried to sleep, but she couldn’t. Instead, she looked up at Deculein again.

In her eyes, his future and present had overlapped.

“…”

Deculein’s death. If it came a year ago, she would have called it karma. She would have applauded and enjoyed the occasion.

“Haa.”

Her heart felt stuffy for some reason. She couldn’t stop the sighs flowing from her mouth. But it wasn’t her fault, and it wasn’t Deculein’s fault. Epherene spoke quietly what she wanted to say to Deculein, while he couldn’t hear.

“…Sleep well, Professor.”

*****

I opened my eyes. Underground, where the sun never shined, was dark as usual and quiet except for Epherene’s snoring. I looked over.

Zzzz… zzzz…

I didn’t know if she had rolled around in her sleep, but her hair had become messy. Her robe that was spread out like a sheet, was already lying far away. Why did she lay it down if she was going to be like that? She currently resembled a mountain beast.

I recalled the air current that suddenly appeared last night.

“…Death variable.”

Epherene tried to kill me and created a very dense death variable. It was dozens of times stronger than any threat that I’d faced before. For this kid, there was still such an intense ability to kill me.

“…”

But, I was determined. If I had been afraid of revenge in the first place, I wouldn’t have kept her by my side.

“I… kill…”

Epherene talked in her sleep. It was a meaningful dream, but I shook my head.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if you surpass me someday-“

“Roahawk… come here, you chubby….”

“…”

I checked my body first, confirming I had completed enhancing the quality of my mana to level 3. I certainly felt it. The flow of mana inside my body had become clearer, and the speed had greatly increased. If it was a regular cable before, it was now an optical fiber.

Of course, the pain hadn’t disappeared yet because it was an instant reconstruction. Whenever I used my mana, there was a severe pain like my bones were breaking or my organs were on fire, but this much was tolerable.

“…Let’s see.”

Next was the magic output check. I tested it with a very basic Psychokinesis on the wall made of crystal and mana stone. I stretched my hand out.

Gooooooo…

A haze swept across my hands, and the air around me shifted. It was on a different level from the basic Psychokinesis, its power unmasked. Its generating capacity was difficult to control even for me, who used it like it were one of my limbs-

Clang-!

A section of the wall was pulled out and moved into my grasp.

“…”

I looked at the blue fragment a little vacantly, then up to the damaged wall. Then, I looked at the blue fragment again. High-grade crystals and mana stones usually had high resistance to magic, but it was like a giant had ripped it free…

“That scared me!”

Maybe because it was too loud, Epherene woke up.

“…”

‘What… what? Who’s der!”

She looked around with eyes stopped up with mucus.

“…Get up.”

Her pathetic expression remained, but questions arrived belatedly. Was the Epherene I saw last night Epherene?

“Epherene, who told you that you can come in here as you please?”

“…You always say that when I sleep-”

“Get rid of your eye boogers.”

“Oh.”

Epherene used Cleanse to wipe her face.

“I should always sleep beside the Professor-“

“Get out.”

“…”

I walked out of the cave with Epherene.

“Haaaaaaa…”

Epherene, stumbling after me, was her usual self. Foolish as usual and looking pitiful while yawning with her mouth wide open.

“Huh? It’s raining.”

Drip, drip—

When we came out of the cavern, it was raining, just like she said. A damp wind brushed past us in the dark hours of the early morning. The rain always pulled up the smell of the ground, so the garden today was full of the scent of flowers, grass, and the earth.

“Hmm~.”

Epherene closed her eyes and raised her head. She smiled as the rain touched her face and the cozy scent reached her nose. I called the idiot’s name as usual.

“Epherene.”

“Yes?”

Then, she opened her eyes wide and looked back at me.

“Why?”

I met her gaze. Her eyes were clear, transparent, and without a single shadow. The Epherene that I knew couldn’t lie. She was as honest as she was stupid, and her expressions and her words were the truth. Therefore, the Epherene that I saw yesterday was a question to be resolved.

“…I’ll ask you one thing.”

“Huh?”

Epherene tilted her head. I continued, without hesitation, without beating around the bush.

“How much do you hate me?”

Epherene’s eyes trembled a little. Maybe it was too sudden as she fiddled with her hands and licked her lips.

“Oh… that…”

She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth; then, she lowered her head before letting out a small sigh.

Drip, drip—

The cold rain wet her hair and shoulders.

“…Can I ask you first?”

She finally spoke.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Then, Epherene raised her head. As if to match the rhythm of the rain, she trembled.

“Does… the Professor hate me?”

Not the amount of hatred, but its existence. I looked at her without showing any kind of emotion.

“No.”

I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t like her. Deculein’s emotions weren’t designed so simply. His love toward Julie, his respect toward the Emperor, his hate toward demons, Kim Woo-jin’s emotions for his little sister Yeriel, the contempt and disgust for dirty people. Between those, there wasn’t much left for Epherene.

“The you right now is not worth it.”

“…”

However, Epherene didn’t seem to understand. As expected, a clear answer must be given.

“I don’t hate you.”

“!”

Epherene’s body shook and she looked at me with an odd expression. There was a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes were on the verge of tears.

“…Th-then! Then, I’ll be going nooooow-!”

She suddenly screamed and sprinted through the garden without looking back.

“…”

I frowned as I watched her go. Why did she run away after only she received her answer? Was it because her origin was of some random noble?

“You still need proper education….”

I walked through the garden with a sigh.

***

Three days later, at the Imperial Palace.

“…Are you going to the college entrance ceremony, Your Majesty?”

Sophien nodded at Ahan.

“I will.”

“I apologize for not understanding… however, you are not only attending the entrance ceremony?”

“I will be going to college myself. I’m thinking of seeing a class or a lecture.”

“…”

Ahan’s mouth fell open. This was completely different from Sophien’s usual idleness.

“Why are you so surprised? Even the late Emperor has attended university before. I will hide my identity and experience the lives of the citizens at the university.”

“Yes, that is right… Your Majesty has already ascended the throne….”

“It doesn’t matter. If I want to do it, I’ll do it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ahan didn’t ask again but instead bowed. Sophien liked it, though not as much as Deculein, who never spoke back. Sophien smiled with her hand resting against her chin.

“By the way, where is Deculein right now?”

“The Professor is in Barahal.”

“Barahal.”

“Yes. According to the rumors… it’s quite horrible.”

“Horrible?”

“Yes.”

Ahan took out the report that she received just before coming to the palace. Knowing that Ahan was favored these days, the Imperial lieges pushed her to report in their place.

“The Demon Blood’s resistance… was met with an explosion.”

“Explosion?”

Sophien frowned and snatched up the report. She snickered as soon as she read the first page.

“…Ha. How much anger does this guy have against the Demon Blood?”

Death by explosion. There was a picture of a body with torn flesh and muscles and crushed organs, hardly recognizable as a person anymore. It was like a bomb exploded inside their body.

“The Professor is your loyal subject… the Professor, whom Your Majesty hates. The Professor also defended the Demon Blood at Bercht, then betrayed their trust-“

“So, you know it well.”

When Ahan reported the information that she received, Sophien wore her surprise.

“Yes, I am studying hard.”

“Anyhow, the Professor will take care of Barahal, so in that time, you can prepare my identity.”

“Identity…”

“I can’t use my actual identity, and if I ask the lieges to do it, that information will spread, so you go and find me an identity that I can use to enter the university.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do that…”

It was her first actual order issued by Her Majesty. She was determined to complete it to perfection, so Ahan bowed her head.

***

…Barahal, the battleground reached by the Emperor’s royal guards. It was a place filled with the stench of blood, where the sky and the ground were tainted red.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue as I took off my leather gloves and threw them on the ground like they were garbage.

“It’s been stained with blood.”

Blood soaked the ground. I hadn’t yet adapted to my mana since the output of Psychokinesis had risen significantly. Just like in the past, it was quite difficult to use it meticulously on the battlefield.

“…Is it a problem if your gloves have blood on them?”

Ihelm was dumbfounded as I looked at him. He was speechless, and the knights that were looking at me from behind were terrified. The Demon Blood captives almost wet their pants.

Bleghhhhh-!

A few nauseous knights not too far away weren’t able to hold onto their stomachs.

“It doesn’t seem to be a big problem.”

As soon as we entered Barahal, the Demon Blood, the Altar’s informants, attacked us. I had only responded to their surprise attack. In other words, almost all of them were killed.

“Even so, aren’t you too much to these people?”

But, was my process the problem? Even Ihelm scowled and shook his head.

“…I didn’t want this either.”

To be precise, I wasn’t able to control my power. Since the wood steel still lacked in conciseness, I used only Psychokinesis, but the people who were hit by it burst like fireworks.

“They deserved to die anyway. It can be considered an example of their punishment.”

“Example… okay. Do what you want~. I’ll just follow my partner.”

Ihelm shrugged. I looked at the knights behind us. As soon as they met my eyes, they quickly straightened up.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Just like that, we marched toward the heart of Barahal.

“…”

Suddenly, I felt a gaze upon us. It quickly disappeared, but somehow I knew who it was. We had been together for a long time, so I naturally knew.

Allen. No, Ellie. That kid was here.