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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Three months had passed.
“Focus, everyone. This is the
inscription.”
I stood in the peaceful classroom, teaching as usual.
The failing students were no longer deserving of that label; they had become quite competent, and their attitude towards learning had noticeably improved.
However, they still seemed to struggle to keep up with my lessons.
Each of them clutched their heads, their eyes bloodshot as they stared at me.
“Haah.”
I sighed involuntarily.
Was there another professor in this academy who prepared for their lectures more diligently than I?
I doubted it.
I had combed through every relevant text, refining and verifying the material repeatedly with Demeri’s help.
Yet, the students’ level hadn’t quite caught up, and I felt a twinge of frustration.
“I’ll explain it again, from the beginning, slowly.”
They couldn’t remain at the basic level of conjuring simple flames forever.
I intended to elevate their skills today.
To do so, they first needed to improve their proficiency, and second, internalize the knowledge.
They had to learn it with their bodies, not just their minds.
But these students hadn’t even grasped the concepts mentally yet.
I had no choice but to demonstrate the inscription, step by step.
I picked up a piece of chalk and illustrated the process of drawing the inscription, painstakingly slow.
I had to spoon-feed them; there was no other way.
“You’ll need to be much faster, of course. But the stroke order must be precise. Observe carefully and memorize it.”
Next, I wrote on the board about the principles and applications of integrating elements into the appropriate systems.
Some students always struggled with chalk-and-talk explanations, so I diligently used five different colors to illustrate the concepts.
“Don’t despair if you don’t understand immediately. Just memorize it by the end of the day. Understanding will come eventually.”
The lecture lasted a grueling three hours.
“That’s all.”
I murmured, but the students didn’t react.
Few were even looking at me.
They seemed engrossed in taking notes.
“Demeri will test you this evening. Memorize everything by then.”
I quickly left the classroom.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Michelle headed straight for the library as soon as the lecture ended.
She had expected a relaxing day, a chance to rest, but the lecture’s complexity left her with no choice but to review the material.
“Changyeom…”
Gifted with telekinesis, she found elemental magic particularly challenging.
What Adrian had explained today, pushing the fire element to its limits, was exceptionally difficult.
“This is killing me.”
She had memorized Adrian’s inscriptions almost instantly, but it was just written memorization.
She longed for true understanding, but it was beyond her current abilities.
In these initial forays into magical unknowns, logic was paramount… She would have to consult relevant texts.
She studied and studied, and before she knew it, it was late.
It was nearly midnight, and Michelle was the only one left in the library’s study area.
She heard whispers.
This wouldn’t do.
Silence was a cardinal rule in the library.
“…?”
She was about to reprimand them, but the words she overheard were too disturbing to ignore.
“…is it true that students have been disappearing?”
“Two are already missing. Two might not seem like much, but the fact that they disappeared within the academy grounds is alarming. We need to address this quickly.”
The whisperers were professors, not students.
Michelle held her breath and strained to hear more.
“What’s going on? Has that gate we’ve been worried about opened again?”
“Quiet! Keep your voice down! What if someone hears us?”
A gate and disappearances.
These two keywords were enough to shock Michelle.
Her eyes widened.
“The academy festival is approaching. It won’t do for this news to spread now.”
“I agree. The professors need to resolve this quickly… The academy profits immensely from the festival; we can’t afford to cancel it.”
As soon as the professors left, Michelle exhaled.
“Disappearances…? A gate?”
Even Michelle knew about gates.
Weren’t they passages to the malevolent demon realm?
Had one opened within the academy?
Was that why students were vanishing?
“What should I do?”
She shook her head, trying to dispel the unsettling thoughts.
Even the professors were only human.
They might have been overreacting.
The details were still unclear.
“No. It can’t be.”
Michelle shook her head again and returned to her dormitory.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The next day, the academy festival began with great fanfare.
Lively music filled the air, and students, dressed in vibrant attire, wandered the grounds.
Food stalls and attractions lined the pathways.
I, too, intended to enjoy the festivities, but…
A system message suddenly appeared.
›The Wulfen have begun to move.
›A death flag has been triggered for all students.
“What…?”
I reread the message.
Twice.
Thrice.
It remained unchanged.
It clearly stated that a death flag had been triggered for all students.
Just then, someone approached me.
“Excuse me, Jekkiel.”
It was Demeri.
I nodded in response, a silent invitation to speak.
“Um… Jekkiel! It’s an emergency! It seems a gate has opened somewhere within the academy. The problem is, the Wulfen are involved.”
“I know.”
“Oh? Really? Well, I suppose you’re more informed than I am…”
Demeri scratched her head.
But there were things I didn’t know.
I asked.
“Do we know why the Wulfen are acting? What’s their motive?”
“We’ll need more information. So far, two students have disappeared, and the Wulfen haven’t shown themselves directly. We’ve only sensed their presence.”
“I see.”
I nodded.
“Investigate further. Report to me once a day. I’ll conduct my own investigation as well.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Most students were reveling in the festive atmosphere, staying up all night, but there were exceptions.
Charlotte was one of them.
“Ugh…”
She had fallen asleep as soon as class ended and was now jolted awake by the music outside.
The festival.
She had forgotten.
She had promised to meet her friends.
She quickly changed clothes and hurried outside.
“Charlotte. You’re finally awake.”
She ran into Lotten.
She had expected him to be either adjusting his glasses or holding a plate piled high with food, but he was doing neither.
His face was drenched in sweat, and he looked distraught.
“It’s a good thing you were in your dorm. It’s… better this way.”
“What? What happened?”
“It’s… it’s better if you see for yourself. Follow me.”
Charlotte followed Lotten, and what she saw shocked her to her core.
“What…?”
The academy building, where the classrooms were located, was enveloped in a dark, crimson barrier.
During the festival, the classrooms were used as club booths.
It seemed many students were trapped inside.
“What’s going on?!”
Other professors began to arrive, assessing the situation.
“Where’s the Headmaster? We need to summon her!”
“She’s away on business in Luigh Kiran. She won’t be back today.”
“Damn it! Someone needs to do something!”
The professors hesitated to approach the barrier.
Its nature was unknown, and the ominous energy emanating from it warned of danger.
The gathered students looked to the professors, but none stepped forward.
“Is there… is there anyone we can call?”
Someone shouted, and Charlotte swallowed hard.
In situations like this, only one person came to mind.
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[so i guess theres not gonna be any werewolf dommy mommies then…]
