Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 74

"...What do you mean?"

Losing emotions.

Even though I had played [Demon Fantasy] for over 10 years, this was the first time I had heard of this.

I had never even heard of the fact that there were side effects to secret techniques, let alone that they could affect emotions.

However, the dean seemed to be serious as he said,

"The Vilgef clan's secret technique has the side effect of eating away at human emotions. The more you indulge in that power, the more your emotions wear down."

"Then, if you fully inherit the secret technique..."

"You become an empty shell that can barely feel any emotions. ...Tsk, I brought him to the academy to prevent that..."

Hearing those words, I recalled the scene from earlier.

When he was launching the ice spear at Kayla, overflowing with killing intent.

Roan's face, which was expressionless and dry, without any agitation.

'...Yes, there was definitely something strange.'

Until then, Roan and Kayla had no connection.

In other words, they were complete strangers.

Well, he might have heard something about her being my companion, but that couldn't be the reason why Roan tried to kill Kayla.

Then...

-It's been a while since I've had a duel, so I seem to have... lost control of my strength.

Perhaps he launched that threatening ice spear to experience his changed power?

Without any regard for the opponent's safety.

It was a truly psychopathic idea, but if his emotions were already wearing down from inheriting the secret technique, it was quite possible.

"That arrogant noble will become like an empty can...? Dean, shouldn't we try to stop this somehow?"

Thompson, who had been listening silently, said with an urgent expression.

However, the dean shook his head.

"Thompson. This isn't something we can do anything about. It's something Roan chose himself."

"He chose it himself...? You mean he did it knowing the side effects?"

"He knew about the side effects before he even entered the academy."

"But why on earth would he..."

"Perhaps he considered increasing his power more important than the emotions he would lose as a side effect."

I had a rough idea about this.

I had been wondering about the day he invited me to the academy and disappeared without a word.

Right after I succeeded in attribute combination.

'Competitive spirit, sense of deprivation... Was it that kind of emotion?'

Perhaps my success in attribute combination was what made him decide to inherit the secret technique.

No, from what I saw, it was almost certain.

Roan was the type who hated falling behind anyone.

'...I unintentionally became the cause.'

I couldn't say it was my fault, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But as the dean said, this was something Roan chose himself.

There was nothing else I could do.

I could only pray that he would become as strong as he wanted.

Perhaps sensing the gloomy atmosphere, the dean cleared his throat and said,

"I've decided to talk to Roan separately, so don't worry too much. ...Well, now that we're all gathered here, how about we go see Kayla?"

"...Yes, I'd like that, Dean."

"Are you going too, Dean?"

"Of course. I also want to properly check Kayla's magic. And I need to deliver the news of her admission."

Indeed, the duel ended so quickly that Kayla couldn't demonstrate her true skills.

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"Alright. I'll lead the way."

With that, the three of us headed to the auditorium.

As soon as we approached the auditorium, we started hearing explosion sounds.

Bang! Bang! Boooom!

The intense explosion sounds continued endlessly.

"...This is no joke, is it, Mr. First Place?"

"I agree."

It was clear that they were still in the middle of intense training.

So, had Kayla changed?

I opened the auditorium door with anticipation.

Click. Whoosh!

A wave of hot air greeted us as if welcoming us.

The first thing that caught my eye was Professor Ziren sitting in the middle of the auditorium.

"Ah, you've arrived."

She, who was sitting on a chair with one leg crossed, spotted the dean and bowed in greeting.

She looked as relaxed as she did in the duel arena.

On the other hand...

"Gasp...! Gasp...!"

Kayla was practically dying.

Lying on the charred floor of the auditorium, she gasped for breath.

Thompson approached her with a worried look.

"Y-young lady, are you alright...?"

"...Gasp. Ah, mister. Yes, I-I'm alri...Ugh!"

Kayla suddenly sat up and started retching.

Soon, vomit poured out.

"Blegh—!"

I knew this feeling well, having experienced it myself a few times.

It was a phenomenon that often occurred when you pushed your mana to its limits during training.

Of course, most people here, besides me, would know this.

However.

Whoosh!

"Now. You've rested enough, shall we start again?"

Professor Ziren incinerated Kayla's vomit with fire magic and resumed the training.

"A-al-already? I just laid down..."

"The more comfortable your body gets, the less efficient the training becomes. This is enough."

It was like she was a demon, not even giving her proper time to catch her breath...

Watching this, a question came to mind.

"Dean, is Professor Ziren from a prestigious clan by any chance?"

"She is, but why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if Professor Ziren also inherited a secret technique from her clan. Something that erodes emotions or..."

"...No. Professor Ziren is perfectly normal."

"I see."

That was a relief.

It meant she wouldn't kill Kayla.

Well, she seemed to be pushing her to the brink of death, though.

'As long as she's alive.'

This harsh training was something I welcomed.

Kayla and Thompson.

The reason I brought them here in the first place was to narrow the growth gap between us.

From that perspective, choosing the academy was a stroke of genius.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Gasp...! Gasp...!"

Kayla's explosions, which I witnessed with my own eyes, were completely different from just a few hours ago.

"The range of the explosion has widened considerably. The power too... seems to have doubled."

It wasn't just the explosions.

Fwoosh!

She consecutively cast pillars of fire and fireballs.

Not to mention her casting speed had increased, the firepower had also risen to the point where it had a faint blue hue.

Even with the help of Professor Ziren, a 7th circle mage, it was honestly hard to believe.

It was incomparably more efficient than the two weeks of hunting I had put effort into.

"You seem surprised."

"...Yes. How is this possible?"

"Originally, the concentration of mana increases every time you exhaust it. That's why such a rapid change in a short time is possible."

The dean stroked his rough beard and continued his explanation.

"Above all, Kayla's understanding of the fire attribute must have increased. No one can match Ziren when it comes to theory."

"No one can match her?"

"Yes, at least not in Asternon."

It seemed like Professor Ziren was an even more remarkable figure than I had thought.

For the dean to say such a thing.

"Of course, this is only possible if Kayla has a certain level of talent to back it up. It seems the young lady is more talented than she looks."

"Ah... she's not bad."

Indeed, Kayla had [Ardent Desire], a Heroic-tier trait.

Heroic-tier wasn't as outstanding as Roan's or mine, but it was a talent that could easily surpass most mages.

With the addition of Professor Ziren, the best theorist in Asternon, it seemed this result was achieved.

By the way.

"It's amazing that the concentration of mana increases as you repeatedly exhaust it."

Personally, this was the most interesting part.

This was information I couldn't have known from the game.

"You really didn't know?"

The dean tilted his head.

He looked even more surprised than I was.

"Your mana concentration is quite dense, Yuhan. I thought you would have known this information and trained accordingly."

"Ah, that's..."

Now that I heard it, it was understandable for the dean to misunderstand.

It wasn't like I had only exhausted my mana once or twice.

When I fought Ollie, when I closed the cracks in Aldeon, when I hunted outside the borders, and so on...

I had been in a state of mana exhaustion several times unintentionally.

After briefly explaining that, the dean let out a hearty laugh.

"Well, aren't you incredibly lucky?"

"...Is that so?"

He seemed to think this situation was lucky.

Of course, I didn't think so.

'Lucky, my ass.'

Having my mana depleted unintentionally meant that I had been in many life-or-death situations.

I couldn't consider it lucky that the density of my mana had increased in exchange for risking my life.

Well, anyway.

With this, Kayla's growth, and even Thompson's growth, were resolved in one go.

Now all that remained was my own growth.

With that thought, I asked the dean,

"What about my mana circuit? What should I do about it?"

"Ah, that's right. I've been thinking about that."

Swoosh.

Mana gathered on the dean's old wand.

And then a square shape was created.

'So you can use mana like this too.'

It was a model with a large door on the front, covered by numerous chains.

"What is this?"

"It's a space in the basement of the dean's office, and it doesn't have an official name, but... we call it the Room of Time and Mind."

"...Room of Time and Mind?"

"Yes."

The dean nodded and added that anyone who entered this room couldn't leave until they achieved their goal.

The most surprising thing was the unique mechanism this room had.

"Time flows slower inside...?

"Yes, exactly ten times slower than normal time."

In other words, one hour for others was ten hours inside this room.

I had never seen or heard of such a structure before.

'...Why are there so many new things?'

The side effects of the secret technique, this Room of Time and Mind.

It was full of things I didn't know.

Of course, the existence of such a place was a positive thing for me.

"Honestly, I don't know the principle either. There are only rumors that someone from 100 years ago created this."

"Someone from 100 years ago? Who?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have said ‘someone’. No one knows the identity of that person. That's what makes this room even more mysterious."

100 years ago could have overlapped with the setting of the game I played.

However.

'There wasn't anyone like that.'

Time was still a power in an unreachable realm.

If there was someone with that kind of power, I should be able to make some guesses, but no one came to mind.

It was truly a mystery.

Well, that wasn't important right now.

"So, what do you want me to do inside?"

"What else? Untangle your circuit. There's no better way to untangle a circuit as twisted as yours. Or are you okay with untangling it when you're old?"

"...Of course not."

Anyway, the dean was telling me to enter this room and untangle my circuit, but there was one thing that bothered me.

It was the explanation that anyone who entered this room couldn't leave until they achieved their goal.

Untangling a circuit wasn't something just anyone could do, and what if... what if...

"What if I can't untangle my circuit?"

What would happen if I couldn't achieve that goal?

The dean's answer to this was simple.

"You'll be trapped forever."

"..."

Eternal imprisonment.

Experiencing that would be more painful than death.

Did this guy even realize that?

"Will you do it?"

He asked casually with an indifferent face.

A psycho no less than Roan.

Of course, there was only one answer I could give.

"I will."

Perhaps this crisis could be an opportunity for me to leap forward in an instant.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]