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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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In Elena’s lab, a blue light pulsed from a research table.
Intricate geometric patterns, an ancient formula, glowed with an ethereal luminescence.
Elena with her chin resting on her hand, pondered its complexities.
The activation speed, the power output, the spatial dominance – all three factors that determined a formula’s strength were off the charts.
The ancients wielded formulas far more complex and powerful than anything known today.
“How could such an advanced civilization collapse…?”
The legendary Black Empire, despite its technological prowess, had vanished, leaving behind only monster-infested wastelands.
What had happened?
“Perhaps…”
The answer might lie in the ancient formulas scattered across the world.
Each formula contained symbolic characters, which could potentially form a hidden message.
Deciphering that message might reveal the truth behind their demise, easing the unsettling premonition that had plagued her – the fear that this world, too, might be doomed.
“I’ll be busy.”
Elena began formulating a plan to discover more ancient formulas.
The first step: exploring the “magical anomaly zones.”
Her recent research suggested a connection between these zones and the ancient formulas.
“Hmm. I need a team…”
Exploring these zones was dangerous.
Only three had been officially documented.
Entering them was difficult; escaping, even more so.
Experienced explorers considered them no-go zones.
The few survivors who had managed to escape and share their knowledge had done so through sheer luck.
“…But it’s not impossible.”
Elena had a powerful ally: the Imperial Princess.
And a compelling reason: her recent discovery that Emerald Mana Stones originated from these anomaly zones.
This discovery had improved relations with the Dwarven Allied Kingdom.
If she proposed an expedition to mine these valuable resources, she could secure Imperial backing.
The Emperor, eager to conquer the wastelands, would undoubtedly support a venture that could aid his efforts.
“Sephi.”
Elena called out to the Princess, who was lounging on the sofa.
Sephilia’s listless eyes lit up and her ears perked up.
“Want to go on an exciting adventure?”
Adventure?
Sephilia sat up, intrigued.
Anything to break the monotony of her life.
“Yes! Anywhere with you! When are we going? Where are we going?”
She rushed over and sat beside Elena.
Elena chuckled and stroked Sephilia’s hair.
She pointed to a spot on the world map spread across the table.
“Here.”
“……”
Sephilia followed her finger and her excitement faded as she recognized the location.
“This is…”
“Yes. One of the world’s three great magical anomaly zones. The Sea Wall.”
The Sea Wall.
A colossal wall of water in the middle of the ocean, a frozen wave reaching 200 meters high.
“Are we going inside the wall?”
“Yes.”
The Sea Wall was said to inspire awe and terror in equal measure.
Sephilia remembered a childhood story about the wall.
To reach it, one had to navigate the treacherous Magenta Strait, where the world’s fiercest waves converged.
At the strait’s center, the waves would calm, and the water would become shallow.
After days of sailing through the still waters, a massive, hazy shape would appear on the horizon, a towering wave reaching the sky.
This was the Sea Wall, said to protect the palace of the Sea God, a divine realm inaccessible to humans.
“That sounds exciting!”
Sephilia’s heart pounded.
Born with the curse of the Demon Eyes, she craved novelty and excitement.
The Sea Wall, one of the world’s greatest mysteries, was the perfect distraction.
“I just need to get approval, right?”
She knew exactly what Elena wanted.
Only someone of her status could propose such a daring expedition.
“Yes. Can you do that?”
Sephilia smiled, her expression clearly saying, “What’s in it for me?”
Elena sighed.
“I’ll grant you one wish. Anything you want.”
A wish.
Sephilia smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Things were about to get interesting.
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Monday, second period.
“Origins and History of Formulas.”
The classroom buzzed with excitement.
A striking woman with vibrant green curls and golden eyes entered, her presence commanding attention.
– Who is she?
– Was she always in this class?
– She’s gorgeous!
Her beauty rivaled Enya and Isabella.
The students speculated about her identity.
She walked directly towards Ed.
Was she a noble lady, here to ask him on a date?
Such occurrences were becoming commonplace.
“Charlotte, you look lovely today.”
Ed’s words stunned the classroom.
Charlotte?
The shy, awkward girl who always lingered near Ed?
This stunning beauty?
“R-Really? I… I’m glad… I was… a little worried… it was too… different…”
But it was her.
The hesitant speech, the fidgeting hands, the averted gaze – it was Charlotte.
– Wow, maybe I should ask her out?
– If she looked like that, I would have treated her better.
– She was a hidden gem.
Now that her identity was confirmed, the whispers intensified.
The male students eyed her with newfound interest, while some female students gossiped, their words laced with envy.
“Damn, she’s hot! I thought she was a lost cause, but she’s definitely dateable now.”
Among the onlookers was Charlotte’s first love, the aristocratic bully who had triggered her insecurities.
He was the eldest son of Count Kratz and had held a grudge against Charlotte for breaking up with him.
He had been the subject of ridicule after she, a plain girl from a declining family, had dumped him.
‘Hahaha! You said you could have her anytime. What happened?’
‘Cardmos, you’re finished. Dumped by that girl.’
He had bragged about having her, only to be dumped the next day.
He hadn’t forgotten the humiliation.
He had wanted to torment her, to put her in her place.
– Ed…! Please take care of me!
But Charlotte had Edgar Fix, the rising star, by her side, along with the daughters of Grand Dukes vying for his attention.
He had bided his time, waiting for Charlotte to be discarded.
“Well, that won’t be necessary now.”
Charlotte’s transformation had changed his mind.
She was beautiful enough to be his concubine.
As a daughter of a declining family, her family would welcome the alliance with the wealthy Kratz family.
‘There’s just one thing…’
He still wondered why she had dumped him.
The atmosphere had been perfect; she had clearly been into him.
‘…Who cares?’
It didn’t matter.
He could easily win her over again with compliments and charm.
Perhaps she would even welcome him back.
“…I… have something for you.”
Suddenly, Charlotte’s demeanor changed.
As she presented Ed with a carefully wrapped journal, she exuded a newfound confidence.
[Hoping it will be filled with successful inventions.]
Ed smiled as he read the note tucked inside.
Fix had told him about Charlotte peeking at his research journal.
He didn’t understand why she had done that, but her transformation and this thoughtful gift suggested a change in her perspective.
“I’ll cherish it. It smells lovely.”
He accepted the gift.
Charlotte beamed, while Isabella looked on with a nervous expression on her face as she remembered the doll she had given him.
‘W-Why…!’
Enya was perplexed.
Ed seemed more pleased with this gift than he had been with the limited-edition Quickdraw poster.
Perhaps, as a scholar, he preferred practical gifts?
She had thought he would appreciate the poster, a symbol of unwavering determination!
At that moment.
Whoosh!
Elena, their professor, materialized at the lectern, her signature “Spatial Displacement” formula bringing her instantly to class.
A puff of blue smoke, a ripple in space, and she appeared.
A dramatic entrance, befitting an Archmage.
“Hey everyone, am I late?”
Her appearance, however, was less than impressive.
Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were tired.
She had clearly been working late, snatching a few hours of sleep before rushing to class.
“Yawn. Start reviewing for 30 minutes. The TA will hand out the materials.”
She vanished again, reappearing moments later with a bewildered-looking TA, who had clearly been teleported against his will.
“TA, please explain today’s lesson, as we discussed. See you later.”
Whoosh!
She disappeared, leaving the stunned TA to sigh and address the class.
“You heard her. I’ll distribute the handouts. Someone from the front row, come collect them.”
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When Elena reappeared, she looked refreshed, having caught up on sleep and used a cleansing spell.
Her lecture, as rumored, was excellent.
She explained the complexities of ancient formulas in a clear and engaging manner.
“As you can see, the formulas of the Black Empire, the ancient formulas, far surpass modern formulas. Their activation speed, power output, and spatial dominance are all superior.”
She illustrated her point by drawing images in the air, effortlessly using the complex “Virtual Space Projection” formula.
“This is an ancient formula, and this is a modern one. See the difference?”
Her visual aids made the concepts easy to grasp.
“Now, let’s look at the next formula.”
She continued, dissecting the mechanics of each ancient formula she had discovered.
Towards the end of the class…
“I’ve recently made a fascinating discovery.”
She revealed the highlight of her research: the link between ancient formulas and magical anomaly zones.
“…And so, I’m assembling an expedition team. As students, you won’t be directly involved in the exploration, but you can observe.”
She was offering 20 academy students the opportunity to witness the expedition firsthand, a valuable learning experience for future formula users.
“Magical anomaly zones…!”
The students were thrilled, some by the academic implications, others by the prospect of participating in such a prestigious expedition.
“I can see the excitement. But think carefully. This expedition is dangerous. You could die.”
Elena emphasized the risks, detailing the number of explorers lost in these zones and the dangerous monsters that inhabited them.
As the excitement subsided, she continued.
“If you’re still interested, raise your hand. Who wants to join the expedition?”
Despite her warning, most of the students raised their hands, including Ed and his followers.
“…Hmm. With so many applicants, we’ll need a selection process.”
With 80% of the class volunteering, a competition was necessary.
“You’ll need parental consent. Bring the signed forms. The first and second rounds of the selection process will be held in one week and two weeks, respectively. Be prepared.”
She concluded with a Q&A session.
When asked about the rules of the selection process, she simply replied, “No limits.”
They were to use any means necessary to demonstrate their abilities.
“See you in a week.”
Whoosh!
She vanished in a puff of blue smoke.
Ed stared at the empty lectern, lost in thought.
The “magical anomaly zone expedition” was an unexpected event, never triggered in his previous playthroughs.
He had never been able to uncover the secrets of the Emerald Mana Stones or the link between the ancient formulas and the anomaly zones.
‘The future is changing.’
A new timeline was being created, branching off from his previous experiences.
Was this the best path?
‘I’ll make it the best.’
He didn’t need to overthink it.
He would do his best, as always.
He stood up, a new idea forming in his mind: adding a submersible function to his suit.
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