Chapter 65 (1/2)

[However, Epherene gets a penalty point.]

“…”

Epherene stared blankly at the sentence, forgetting the extremely dire situation around her for a brief moment. Her number of penalty points appeared in the air.

-14 points.

One more point, and she’d be assigned to cleaning duty every day for the dirtiest comfort room.

If she accumulated more than 25 points, her dormitory scholarship benefit would be canceled. The expected amount she’d lose would be 50,000 Elnes… per semester.

She quickly picked up the chalk.

[Epherene wasn’t the one who wrote ‘Deculein, you fool.’]

A reply arrived quickly.

[Who did it?]

“…”

After hesitating and contemplating, she wrote, [Sylv]

“What’s going on?”

Sylvia approached her before she could finish it, causing her to rattle like a wagon caught in a stony path.

“Uh? Uh, um, this! this!”

She said, erasing the letters with her robe sleeve.

“I think this blackboard is connected to Professor Deculein!”

“…?”

Fortunately, Sylvia looked at the blackboard, seemingly unaware of her plot.

“What’s going on? Why the blackboard again?”

“Ifi, what’s going on?”

Lucia and Julia soon approached her as well. The other wizards couldn’t afford to pay attention to it.

────!

Another powerful shock made the classroom tremble. Epherene wrote another message quickly.

[Now’s not the time for this. The classroom is on the verge of being destroyed, and we don’t know the barrier’s code.]

Tak— Tak— Tak Tak—

A formula consisting of circles and lines began to be written on the blackboard.

CRRRKKK─!

The wall rumbled once more against yet another devastating blow. With the damage it had accumulated, they knew it wouldn’t last much longer.

Some wizards had already fainted, and many were terrified, but Epherene, Sylvia, and Lucia looked only at what was being written.

CRRRRRKKK─!

Their opponents had already delivered lethal attacks against their only line of defense dozens of times.

However, right before the wall collapsed…

[Initiate the spell.]

The formula was completed.

Sylvia moved first, releasing mana and drawing a magic formula on the floor.

Grrrrrr…

Their classroom’s floor and ceiling were made entirely of mana stones. Inscribing them with a code, she activated the crystal ball, the source of their mana, unlocking and activating the barrier.

Boom…

The sounds of ruination subsided, and the space around them changed in an instant.

A peaceful meadow swallowed the ashes’ darkness.

Such was the greatness of their classroom that cost 10 million Elnes to build.

“Phew…”

Epherene plopped down and placed her hand against her pounding chest.

“…”

Sylvia also breathed out and looked at the blackboard. Letters were still appearing in it.

[Don’t panic. Calm down and focus on the situation. You’re no longer in class. Welcome to reality.]

“Ask him when the rescue will come,” Lucia said.

Deculein had already answered it before they could even ask, however.

[Hundreds of debutantes are being held hostage, so it is impossible for us to enter right now.]

[The best course of action here is for you to solve it yourself.]

“No. Isn’t that too irresponsible of them?”

Sylvia fiercely glared at her, causing Lucia to shrug in surprise.

[According to an external analysis of the different mana concentrations, the source of this disaster is hypothesized to be on the 23rd floor. ]

“Who’s on the 23rd floor?” Epherene asked, looking at them.

Lucia answered with her arms crossed.

“Well. There is one external professor’s office on that floor, but I don’t know who occupies it.”

•••••••.

The 23rd floor, engulfed in ashes, had been turned into a huge nest. A large cocoon pulsated at its center, and a spider web that stretched out in all directions fed it.

─Listen…

Louina heard a dry, crumbling voice within the cocoon.

─Complete erosion is required…

Complete erosion meant to devour the brains of the debutantes dominated by the ashes. They would absorb all mana and nutrients, eliminating any chances of them being revived.

─Complete erosion is required…

“No.”

Louina refused. Even though she allowed the Ashes’ parasitism, her most primal personality was still strong. Her beliefs and convictions held her instincts together.

─Complete erosion is required…

Louina opened her eyes, her black pupil dawning upon the cocoon’s skin. The world was dark, but her mana felt infinite.

─Complete erosion…

Pow!

Louina hit the cocoon with her fist. The loud voice stopped, but the anger she felt grew stronger.

In the shattered consciousness, only one person’s face came to mind.

She recited his name.

“Deculein…”

* * *

Epherene laid out their food supply on the table.

Three chocolates. Two big cans of drinks. Two squids. One gummy candy. Five bags of chips. Two cream pies. A pack of gum. Five tangerines.

If there were only five of them, it could be considered ample enough, but…

“How many of us are here?”

No one answered. More than half of them had fallen asleep.

“…”

That was understandable. They had just been through terrible suffering, after all.

Sylvia replied, “51 people.”

The biggest hindrance to their survival was the amount of food they had.

The basal metabolic rate of a wizard with magical powers in his body was comparable to that of a strong farmer.

“…Sigh.”

Reluctantly, Epherene sent a message to Deculein.

[I don’t think we’ll last long in this place. We’re running out of food. I’m thinking of going to the basement canteen…]

A reply arrived quickly.

[Look at the toolbox at the back of the classroom.]

Epherene did as instructed. The space changed due to the barrier, but the toolbox and other equipment were still where they were before.

She ran and opened the door.

“Whoa!”

Stocks of frozen meat, water, canned goods, and many other sources of nutrients were revealed. If they ate sparingly, they could last for about two days.

Epherene muttered in admiration.

“How did the professor know when to do this…”

“He must have prepared it in advance, you idiot. The tower’s a common target for terrorism. Anyway, go make food already.” Lucia laughed in disdain and ruffled Epherene’s hair, causing her to bite her lip as she glared at her.

“What are you looking at? Do you want me to do it? I don’t know how to cook!”

“… You’re useless even in this kind of situation, huh?”

Feeling pissed off, Epherene rolled up her sleeves but soon saw more messages coming in.

[Rest for now. I’m trying to figure out a way to fix this externally.]

[If any of you fight while you’re in there, I’ll be giving penalty points later based on the witnesses’ stories.]

“…”

‘How did he know?’

Epherene reluctantly prepared a meal. Grumbling, she used magic to create fire, which she then used to roast meat and cook soup. She then put both dishes on the table.

One by one, the wizards who caught a whiff of her cooking’s delicious scent began to wake up.

* * *

I went directly to the Yukline mansion’s warehouse as soon as I left the imperial palace.

[We just ate. We’re resting now. ]

[These monsters took possession of our colleagues, so we can’t use violence against them. Moreover, on the 23rd floor, there is an office of an external professor.]

“… Louina.” Standing up, I stared at the blackboard.

Of course, the Baron of Ashes parasitizing her was a huge problem, but it was also quite questionable.

Louina had to be a Named character with a mana rating of ‘3’.

“Is it because of our contract?”

Did it affect her mana rating?

Or was it because the way I tormented her made her mental fortitude weaker?

Regardless, it wasn’t just a bad situation. The ‘Baron of Ashes,’ whose mana rating was lower than hers, shouldn’t be able to completely encroach on Louina.

Knock, knock—

Just then, Roy came in.

“Master. Everyone has arrived.”

“Tell them to come in.”

“Yes.”

Roy returned with the professors I had called.

I was about to greet them, but I frowned.

“… Head Professor. We’re here.”

Those who were talking up front were the tenured professors such as Relin and Ciare. The younger professors, including Kelodan, whom I had been looking for, squatted behind them.