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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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When I forfeited in the Evolution Chamber, Cynatis’s expression was easy to read.
Granted, her default was a blank stare, but her gaze definitely held an unspoken plea:
“Krun, I won, praise me.”
If Krun were still alive, he’d probably ruffle her hair affectionately.
Anyway, as she had predicted, I failed Trial 2.
‘But I have a plan.’
I had only failed Trial 2-A.
I still had a chance with Trial 2-B.
And I had to clear Trial 2, no matter what, to level up Wind Archery.
As a constant reminder, Chamber B was designed for magic users.
The moment you stepped inside Chamber B, a magic fog filled the room.
In gaming terms,
this fog was a curse-type debuff.
As it stacked on the player, it inflicted suffocating pain, eventually forcing them to forfeit.
It was essentially an enhanced version of a gas chamber.
There were several strategies for clearing it.
The curse debuff level of Trial 2 was probably 4.
Therefore, you could either increase your status ailment resistance to become immune,
or endure it by spamming mana with purification magic.
Alternatively, you could create a physical magic barrier to prevent inhaling the fog.
Lastly, you could push your mental strength to its absolute limit and endure it through sheer willpower.
Frankly, all these methods were out of reach for me.
I hadn’t started farming resistance, my mana pool was abysmal, and my magic power was equally pitiful.
Attempting to endure through sheer mental fortitude would be foolish.
‘Reincarnation Academy’ explicitly stated that no student had ever cleared it using the fourth method.
“There’s only one way…”
I had to exploit the system.
I boarded the express train and headed to the Magic Department student council room, Lilith’s domain.
Lilith La Rochelle, the main antagonist of the early chapters.
For this exploit, I needed her, or rather, her black magic.
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-You don’t have any personal feelings for him, do you?
Selena’s question wasn’t intended to be malicious.
Regardless of Aria’s feelings, it was clear that Lev Denec had shown interest in Selena.
Although she wasn’t interested in him,
‘Humans like holding hands, do they not?’
He had certainly tried to prolong their handshake.
It didn’t take long for Aria to understand the meaning behind Selena’s question.
‘Personal feelings’ implied a romantic connection.
In other words, was she romantically interested in him?
“…That’s absurd.”
Aria answered without hesitation.
Her relationship with Lev Denec was purely that of an observer and the observed.
That explanation was sufficient.
Though thoughts of him stirred confusing emotions within her, she attributed it to his sudden personality change, his unusual behavior, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding him.
“If you don’t have any feelings for him, why do you keep getting involved?”
“What about you, Selena?”
“Well… that’s… not something I can discuss right now.”
“It’s the same for me. I can’t tell you at the moment.”
Aria couldn’t reveal her suspicion that he might be connected to the Great Demon Andras.
Sharing unconfirmed information was against her nature.
Sensing the seriousness in Aria’s gaze, Selena’s tone softened as she warned,
“Aria, I’m truly concerned about you. Be careful around him.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“…And Lev Denec, he… towards me…”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing.”
Selena stopped mid-sentence, nodded curtly, and left.
‘What happened between them?’
Aria was left with another unanswered question.
Just a few days ago, they had been training partners without any issues.
For Selena’s attitude to change so drastically, something must have happened.
‘Was it during the duel?’
Perhaps he had acted inappropriately, violating her during the fight.
‘But I haven’t heard anything like that…’
Aria, who had planned to return to her dormitory and study after class, changed her mind.
“…”
Come to think of it, she had never asked him about his preferences for party members.
She felt a pang of embarrassment for rejecting Selena’s request so abruptly and for jumping to conclusions, especially since, as Selena had pointed out, she harbored no romantic feelings for him.
“First, I need to…”
A sense of urgency washed over Aria.
She had to talk to Lev Denec.
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Student Council Room, Clarice Academy.
-Slap.
-Get a grip, girl.
Lilith La Rochelle caressed her cheek where his hand had struck her.
The memory of that day, the stinging sensation as if ice water had been splashed on her face, was still vivid.
But Lev Denec had rejected her.
She had offered him everything.
Had anyone ever treated her with such disdain?
Lilith was a powerful mage, a contender for the top spot in her year, and as student council president, she enjoyed a position of influence and prestige within the academy.
Yet, it had been a week since that incident.
-You’re barking up the wrong tree. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way. And let me know if you need compensation.
Those had been his parting words, and since then, she had been completely ignored…
But she hadn’t been sitting idly by!
“Junior…” she whispered, a sinister glint in her eyes.
She hadn’t given up.
Initially, she had considered reporting his assault and having him expelled for violating academy rules, but
she couldn’t do that.
She was convinced that Lev Denec had ties to the demons.
The way he had effortlessly crushed her enhanced Patchwork monster,
and his swift victory in the duel against an upperclassman, was no coincidence.
Her obsession might have been bordering on madness, but she had a plan.
First, she was a second-year student and would be participating in the upcoming Dungeon Exploration Practice as an Elder, leading a team of freshmen.
Given his abrasive personality and his blatant disrespect for even upperclassmen, as witnessed in the duel and fueled by rumors, it was unlikely any Elder would choose Lev Denec for their team.
“…This is my chance to be his savior.”
Offering him a helping hand at a time like this…
Wouldn’t that make for a compelling narrative?
She, of all people, would become his trusted ally.
Her plan didn’t end there.
The Dungeon Exploration Practice, unlike the ranking matches, took place outside the academy grounds, making it difficult for the professors to monitor every detail.
It was the perfect setting for her to enact her scheme.
“Hehehe… I’m so excited.”
On her desk lay a black magic grimoire.
It was a forbidden text detailing ‘Mind Control’, a magic so dangerous that even mages were prohibited from practicing it.
It was a spell that allowed the caster to manipulate another person’s mind at will,
a specialty of demons, who relished manipulating humans.
True to her reputation as the second-best student in her year,
Lilith had mastered this difficult magic in a short period.
‘Ah… I’m almost there…’
With this black magic, her dream could become a reality.
She yearned for Lev Denec to turn her into a demon.
By controlling his mind and becoming his subordinate, she could finally shed her human skin and embrace her demonic aspirations.
She would be free from her tedious demon worship and her role as a pawn for the demons at this academy.
Her past, her repulsive and filthy human existence, would be erased.
“And… for Junior’s sake… I need to eliminate that pesky girl.”
She had tasked her underlings with investigating, and they reported that a female student was constantly shadowing Lev.
Her name was…
“Aria Bluebell.”
That girl, oblivious to her place, dared to observe Lev Denec, attempting to unravel the secrets of a great demon.
Lilith wanted to see tears streaming down that usually composed face.
She craved the sight of her begging, her submission…
“Ha… just the thought…”
The mere thought sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, a jolt of electricity through her body.
If the anticipation was this intense,
how exhilarating would the real thing be?
“The problem is…”
This magic had one major drawback. It required a circuit to be implanted in the target beforehand.
This meant either etching a runic inscription on him or having him wear a special artifact ring known as the ‘Ring of Domination’.
It was similar to the prerequisite for the ‘Demon Whisper,’ which tried to bind him to a monster through a mark.
Had he still been that pathetic weakling, he would have eagerly accepted and worn it…
‘But how…’
As Lilith was agonizing over this dilemma,
the door to the student council room burst open.
For a moment, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
‘Is this a dream…?’
He stood before her, the one she had only dared to summon in her fantasies.
“It’s been a while.”
“J-Junior?!”
Lev Denec had come to her.
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“Professor Cynatis! I heard Lev Denec forfeited Trial 2!”
Chief Professor Diena Ashkar hurried to the Evolution Chamber as soon as her lecture ended.
Though she maintained a calm and collected, even ruthless demeanor when teaching, she had been secretly concerned upon hearing that Lev had attempted the Trial.
-Yes, that’s correct.
“As expected of you, Professor. Unyielding and impartial.”
-Of course.
This was the best possible outcome for Diena.
‘To think he’d try it right after our wager… truly…’
She had been foolish to worry, thinking he might possess some hidden potential beneath his reputation as a troublemaker.
Her intuition, honed through years of purifying sanctuaries, was sharp.
His abilities weren’t enough to clear Trial 2, or even Trial 1, for that matter.
That was the objective assessment of Lev Denec.
The Chamber’s rules were absolute; re-attempts were prohibited.
The bet was practically over.
As Diena was inwardly celebrating,
-!!
Lev Denec reappeared.
“Good to see you again, Professor.”
Maintaining her composure, Diena replied with a graceful smile,
“Cadet Lev? The cooldown period for the Trial is seven days…”
“Yes, a week, right?”
“That’s correct. So, it’s a shame. You were rather bold in your attempt, but…”
“I’d like to challenge the Trial.”
“What? As I said, it’s once a week.”
He walked past Diena and stood before Cynatis.
“I’d like to attempt 2-B.”
-…
“What?!”
What audacity.
Accepting defeat gracefully was also a valued virtue at Clarice Academy.
For him, who had switched to archery due to his abysmal magic and mana, to challenge Chamber B…
“Cadet Lev? You’re an aspiring archer, are you not?”
“I was also an aspiring mage.”
In principle, those without inherent magical ability were barred from entering Chamber 2-B,
but technically, he met the requirement.
Barely.
“May I enter?”
Lev Denec smiled at them both.
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So many stalkers it became a problem