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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Simon attended Aaron’s Summoning class after a long while.
The topic of the lesson was “Restoration.”
The students were to dismantle the Island Ratman skeletons they had created in the previous class and then restore them.
“The greatest advantage of a skeleton is its restorative ability.”
Aaron, who had shown up in his usual attire of messy hair and shabby shorts, raised a finger.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Bones scattered throughout the classroom gathered in the air at an incredible speed.
In mere seconds, a skeleton assembled itself mid-air, landed on the floor, and even gave a stylish bow.
Cheers and applause erupted from the students.
“The principle of restoration isn’t difficult. Even if a skeleton is shattered by a strong impact, residual Jet Black remains on the bones.”
Aaron pulled out one of the skeleton’s bones.
“By activating this Jet Black, you can maximize the ‘attractive force’ that seeks to return the bones to their original form.”
He released his grip, and the bone flew back to its original position, snapping into place like a magnet.
“Alright, let’s begin the practical exercise.”
Since the lesson was about restoration, Simon had inadvertently done his homework in advance.
While other students practiced restoring the torso, arms, and legs separately, Simon successfully restored the entire skeleton in one go.
Not only Meilyn, but even Hector struggled with the restoration.
This was the realm of pure talent, something that couldn’t be achieved through practice and training alone.
When it came to skeleton restoration, Simon was unmatched in Class A.
Simon, usually struggling to keep up with the lessons, savored this rare moment of leisure.
He had time to spare even after helping Rick and Camibarez with their restorations, so he doodled in his textbook.
“Hey, are you sure you should be slacking off like that?”
Meilyn grumbled, seemingly annoyed.
Instead of answering, Simon waved his hand in the air.
The scattered bones on his desk snapped together, forming the skeleton’s torso.
“…Well, aren’t you good.”
Meilyn was speechless.
Rick, sitting behind them, chuckled, then quieted down under the gaze of a passing assistant.
“D-Don’t get cocky just because you’re good at restoration!”
Meilyn said, her competitive spirit ignited. She was the type who had to be first in everything.
“Didn’t you say you’d leave Kizen if you couldn’t beat my Summoning score next month? If you think I’ll go easy on you just because we’re in the same group…!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely beat you.”
Simon replied, resting his chin on his hand and flipping through his textbook.
Meilyn clenched her fists in frustration, but she couldn’t argue with Simon’s skill in this particular lesson.
“Ugh, if only I had solved question 20, I would have gotten a 90 in Summoning…”
Simon looked up at her muttering.
“Question 20? The one on the last page?”
“Yeah.”
“That one was easy.”
Meilyn frowned.
“…Hey. Why are you suddenly acting so arrogant? Are you better at Summoning than me?”
“No.”
“Then how did you solve question 20? Did you use the formula?”
“I don’t know any formulas.”
That was impossible.
Question 20 required the application of the Theron formula.
Meilyn, who had gotten it wrong, had even gone to Aaron to ask for the solution.
But Simon, who hadn’t even done any pre-studying, solved question 20 without knowing the Theron formula?
“What answer did you get?”
“1,200,146.”
Meilyn’s eyes widened.
The answer was 1,200,000, so he was essentially correct.
“Tell me! How did you solve it?!”
“I just combined the formulas I’ve learned in Kizen so far. Um, I don’t remember the exact question, so I can’t explain it.”
She bit her lip.
She decided to make a copy of the question later and have him solve it again.
With Meilyn quiet, Simon returned his attention to the textbook.
Summoning was full of fascinating topics.
Just browsing through the new undead and dark magic they would be learning made his heart race.
‘I want to create a Golem as soon as possible. Couldn’t I just self-study if I bought the materials from Rochester?’
“Simon Polentia.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Simon turned around.
“What are you doing?”
Aaron was looking down at him with a stern expression.
Simon’s face paled.
He had been caught slacking off!
He was on a completely different page from the other students; there was no excuse.
“Answer me.”
Aaron asked coldly.
He seemed genuinely angry, so Simon decided to be honest.
“I succeeded in the restoration, so I was looking ahead at the next lesson.”
“…….”
Of course, Aaron knew that.
Simon was the only student in the class who could achieve a complete restoration in under 10 seconds.
But despite that, Aaron’s expression was grim.
“Stay after class.”
Aaron turned and left without another word.
A deep fear gripped Simon.
“S-Simon… did you get in trouble?”
Rick muttered, his face pale.
Meilyn crossed her arms and pouted.
“See? I told you not to slack off.”
Despite her words, she couldn’t help but glance at Simon worriedly.
Simon, however, couldn’t hear his friends’ voices.
***
Summoning class ended.
It was time to have dinner and return to the dormitory, but Simon had to stay in the classroom.
As Simon anxiously waited, wondering what would happen, Aaron approached, hands in his pockets.
“Follow me.”
They left the classroom. Simon kept his head down as he followed.
‘…I should have just kept practicing restoration.’
Aaron didn’t say a word.
It was clearly Simon’s fault, and he was prepared for any reprimand, but Aaron was treating him as if he didn’t exist.
This silence was more agonizing for Simon.
They passed through the building and entered an empty clearing.
It was a spacious area surrounded by trees, devoid of any other people.
“There are a few things I can’t stand.”
Aaron pulled a worn cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth.
With a snap of his fingers, a spark ignited the tip of the cigar.
After taking a puff, Aaron’s gaze turned serious.
Simon shrank back further and lowered his head.
“A student who, despite having the will, fails to learn in my class.”
“…What?”
“Summon your skeleton.”
What did he mean?
Simon was confused but did as he was told, summoning his skeleton from his subspace.
“Restore it in front of me.”
Aaron flicked his free hand, and the skeleton exploded.
Simon felt a sharp headache as the connection was severed, but he instinctively extended his right arm.
‘Restore!’
The bones gathered around the fallen skull like magnets, quickly reforming the skeleton.
“…Alright. I understand you excel in restoration. Now, I’ll teach you an advanced restoration technique.”
Simon’s eyes widened.
“Y-You’re not going to punish me?”
“This is an extra lesson.”
Aaron said, holding the cigar between his fingers.
“Just in case you misunderstand, it’s also a professor’s duty to provide additional lessons to students who exceed the achievements of the regular curriculum.”
Simon’s eyes welled up with gratitude.
“…Professor Aaron!”
“Hurry up and get ready. Don’t waste any more of my time.”
“Yes, sir!”
Simon’s face brightened as he focused.
Aaron summoned a skeleton from his own subspace.
‘Wow.’
It was much larger and more elaborate than Simon’s.
The bones were black, and the number and complexity of the bones used far surpassed those of the Island Ratman.
It wore a red cape and carried various weapons.
“This skeleton is made from demon bones.”
“It’s amazing!”
A magnificent sword. Ornate armor. A beautiful steed.
Simon, usually indifferent to material possessions, felt an overwhelming desire to own this skeleton.
“I won’t show you this twice, so pay attention.”
Aaron snapped his fingers, dismantling the skeleton.
He then raised his arm and pointed to a nearby tree.
Rustle! Rustle!
The scattered bones on the ground twitched and shot into the air.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hundreds of bones pierced the tree like skewers.
“An offensive technique using restoration. Bone Piercing.”
A squirrel, which had been nibbling on a nut nearby, startled and ran away.
Aaron’s slender arm flicked, pointing at the squirrel.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Bones flew like rays of light, forming a cage around the squirrel.
“A binding technique using restoration. Bone Prison.”
Aaron raised his index finger, and the cage lifted and dispersed, allowing the squirrel to escape.
“Finally.”
Aaron clenched his fist.
The scattered skeleton bones flew towards him.
Clack!
Click!
The bones covered Aaron’s body, as if he were putting on a suit of bone.
The joints clicked into place, Jet Black flowed out like fibers to fill the gaps between the bones, and a red cape settled on his back.
Finally, the skeleton’s skull covered Aaron’s head like a helmet.
“A defensive technique using restoration. Bone Armor.”
“Wow…!”
Simon shivered with awe.
Aaron, clad in the skeleton armor, looked magnificent.
‘So cool!’
Aaron extended his right arm.
The armor peeled away like living cloth, returning to the form of a kneeling skeleton.
“A skeleton can be a weapon, a prison, or armor, depending on the necromancer’s skill. These are all dark magic techniques utilizing restoration. Do you understand?”
Simon nodded vigorously.
“Of course, these restoration techniques are taught in the second year… but you excel in restoration. I’ll teach you a modified version that you can use.”
“T-Thank you!”
“For now, Bone Piercing is the only technique you can imitate. Get ready.”
Aaron had Simon perform another restoration and analyzed it.
“You’re centering your restoration around the skull.”
“Yes.”
“Break that habit from now on. The key is to guide the skeleton to your desired location. I’ll give you a tip.”
Having trained his will with Pier’s help, Simon quickly understood Aaron’s explanation.
‘Gather before me!’
After a few attempts, the scattered skeleton bones gathered in front of Simon.
The speed of the other bones depended on the speed of the skull, the core of the skeleton, but being able to perform long-range restoration was a significant achievement.
“Restoration and Bone Piercing are different. Think of them as separate techniques, even though they utilize the same restorative ability.”
“Get into the habit of tilting the bones sideways when gathering them with restoration. This way, the sharp edges can pierce the enemy’s flesh.”
“By concentrating the Jet Black residing in the bones in one direction, you can make them like sharp blades. For bones without sharp edges, just have them attach to the target’s body. That alone can significantly restrict their movement.”
Simon absorbed Aaron’s teachings like a sponge.
They moved on to practical training.
Clatter! Clatter!
The skeleton bones attached themselves to a nearby bamboo stalk.
The sharp edges dug into the bamboo, while other bones stuck to it like magnets.
‘Restore!’
Simon clenched his fist, and the bones tightened their grip on the bamboo.
And finally,
Crack!
He succeeded in breaking the bamboo.
“Yes!”
Simon pumped his fists and let out a triumphant yell.
He had acquired a new skill in just a few hours.
‘This is amazing!’
An immense sense of accomplishment sent shivers down his spine.
It was truly an addictive feeling.
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