-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The power of telekinesis trying to pull the wooden plank clashed intensely with the plank's desire to stay put, as nature intended.
Though it was intense, it was still at a level that would be easily nullified if someone simply picked it up, so there was no real danger yet.
However, the danger lay in...
Luna, determined to lift the wooden plank, was struggling and manipulating her mana in various ways.
Then, at one moment.
Luna's mana accidentally created a mana acceleration.
Bang!
The wooden plank, struck by the mana acceleration at close range, exploded without warning.
"Eek!"
The wooden plank was utterly destroyed, turning into dust.
At the same time, small nails embedded in the plank were shot out like bullets.
The nails flew rapidly towards Luna's body.
At a speed Luna couldn't possibly perceive.
She would only realize what had happened after they had pierced her.
However.
Davian, with the inner strength of a 7-star swordsman, clearly saw the nails flying.
The nails were aimed directly at Luna's neck.
Davian quickly stretched out his palm to block them.
The nails were flying with such force that they pierced through Davian's hand and emerged from the back.
Only after bringing his remaining hand to bear could he prevent the nails from piercing Luna's neck.
"Whew..."
It wasn't that Davian couldn't handle even this much, but...
The distance was too short.
The nails almost pierced Luna's neck.
"Kyaa!"
Luna's belated scream finally erupted.
"Davian! Your... hand! Your hand!"
A nail had completely pierced his right hand and was deeply embedded in his left.
"Ah, it's nothing serious."
Davian casually pulled the nail out of his left hand with his right.
"Your hand! Give me your hand! I'll heal it... huh?"
Luna's eyes widened.
She was so shocked that she hadn't even cast a healing spell yet.
The holes in Davian's palm.
They were closing on their own.
"What... is this?"
It was exactly like the healing magic she had learned, practiced, and rehearsed countless times.
The healing magic was repairing the wounds.
The only differences were.
The characteristic blue light of healing magic wasn't enveloping Davian's hand, and.
No one was casting healing magic on Davian's hand.
"You know, I'm a bit of a special case."
"Oh? Oh... I know. You're amazing, Davian..."
"It's not exactly a secret, but don't go around telling everyone."
"Oh? Okay... I understand."
"And keep a close eye on it."
"On what?"
While she was saying that, Davian's palm was almost completely healed.
"Later, when we have to make choices and focus. Take my body's condition into account. Then you can save more comrades instead of me."
"But..."
"It's not like you should abandon me altogether. Just prioritize me a little lower, and I'll be healing myself like this."
"U-huh..."
Davian clenched and unclenched both fists and shook off the wooden plank dust from his clothes.
"Okay, let's practice again."
"Okay!"
Student cafeteria.
"What? Luna used mana acceleration? That's amazing?"
"Ah... it's not like that. It was an accident. I did it by accident. I was practicing linked magic with Davian."
Liber clapped his hands.
"Luna's finally starting to take an interest in magic other than healing magic? I'm so proud of her?"
Bellum pointed a finger at Liber.
"You should focus on yourself, Liber. I heard you can only do mental magic? The rumors are everywhere."
"Already?"
"Everyone knew last year."
"Really? Hmm... The rumors spread fast."
The friends shook their heads.
Liber looked at Latia.
"By the way, Latia. Hasn't Professor Billian Disipulus been acting a little strange lately?"
"How so?"
"I don't know... He seems less enthusiastic about classes... and he looks tired..."
Latia looked up to the left and thought for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, he does seem a bit like that."
"I don't think so. Doesn't he chuckle to himself during class?"
"Oh, that's true. Maybe he's writing a new thesis or something. That's why he's tired."
"Maybe?"
Latia and Liber were the only ones in Davian's group taking mental magic.
Davian, who was listening to their conversation, chimed in.
"Billian Disipulus is acting strange?"
"Ah... it's not like he's super strange. He's just been more interested in other things lately. And his dark circles are down to his chin."
Billian Disipulus.
The mental magic professor at Elton Academy.
In the first semester of the third year, he helps the lich become his teacher and causes a huge incident.
And yet.
He's already starting to show signs.
"Tell me more. He's not interested in class and chuckles to himself?"
"Yeah. He's been like that since last week? Or the week before? Today, he just told us to study on our own? Right, Latia?"
Latia nodded.
'If not only Liber, but also Latia felt that way...'
Compared to the previous playthrough, the story progression is accelerating overall.
Solvere Linea, who was originally supposed to appear during the 5th-year quest, has already appeared and is now imprisoned in the Marquis Espin's dungeon.
The 'Lich's Mental Magic' incident, which was a major quest in the first semester of the third year, could easily start right now.
Davian gestured for his friends to come closer.
"You guys know what a lich is, right?"
Lich.
A lich is a mage who, on the verge of death, cannot let go of their attachments to life and revives by imbuing their accumulated mana with resentment.
A vague being that is neither human, monster, nor mindless undead.
Its existence is ambiguous, but its power is not.
Moreover.
Because their soul is altered as it merges with mana, they exhibit entirely new tendencies, regardless of their personality and beliefs in life.
Along with the desire for 'strength' that all mages possess, only the desires for 'destruction' and 'domination' control the lich's body and mind.
"Lich? You mean a revived mage?"
"Yeah."
"But why suddenly a lich?"
"There's a lich at our academy."
Liber asked in surprise.
"A lich?"
"Yeah, a lich."
"Oh my god, a lich. But how do you know that, Davian?"
"Well..."
As he briefly pondered what to say this time.
Bonita answered instead.
"Have you only known Davian for a month or two? If Davian says so, it must be true."
Luna quickly added.
"That's right! Davian has never been wrong!"
Realizing that she had spoken too loudly.
Luna looked around at her friends and lowered her head.
Latia and Bellum also nodded, agreeing with Bonita's opinion.
Only Karin glanced slightly at Davian.
Nuves.
Had no particular thoughts.
Liber spoke again.
"Well, yeah, that's true. But what crazy mage became a lich? And in our academy of all places?"
This time, Bellum asked.
"Wouldn't that be a big deal? I heard that a lich has much stronger mana than when they were a living mage?"
Karin answered.
"That's true, and to even attempt to become a lich, you have to already be an incredibly powerful mage."
"So an incredible mage has come back to life with even greater power?"
"Yeah. Plus, their personality from when they were alive disappears, and they become a monster controlled by desire."
"What? Then it's not even a proper resurrection? So why would they want to become a lich?"
"Mages are people who spend their lives accumulating mana and researching magic. When they reach the end, death. Everyone is swept up by the desire to become even stronger at least once."
This time, Nuves asked in surprise.
"Eek! Everyone who's a mage? Does that mean that when you guys are about to die, you'll want to become a lich too?"
Liber answered.
"Are you crazy? I'm just saying that we might be swayed by that desire at least once. A mage with their head on straight would never do something like that. The moment you become a lich, you're no longer yourself."
This time, Latia asked Davian.
"But who is it? This lich in our academy. And how can things be so quiet when there's a lich? Shouldn't a lich already be rampaging without any reason? When you become a lich, you only have the desire to show off your power, right?"
"It's a somewhat unusual lich."
"An unusual lich?"
"A lich who spent their whole life researching mental magic."
"Mental magic? ...Ah? So that's why it's so quiet even though there's a lich?"
"Yeah. Like a mental magic lich, they're preparing something else huge."
"What?"
The friends leaned even closer to Davian.
"A large-scale area-of-effect mental magic."
"Area-of-effect mental magic? What's that?"
"What a mage famous for mental magic does when they become a lich."
Elton Academy is divided into 8 sections.
Each section is separated by high walls, making it impossible to travel between them without special permission.
Each section is used as space for students from the 1st to 7th grade, as well as common areas.
The common areas are located in the center of the 8 sections.
Elton Academy's common area.
Billian Disipulus, the mental magic professor, entered the old student council building, which is no longer in use.
A building that is not being used due to the risk of collapse.
He passed through the old underground staircase.
He went down to the deepest part of the underground.
"Yes, Master."
"Almost everything is ready."
An eerie laughter was heard from the dark space.
The time is approaching to reveal that mental magic is the most excellent magic.
"Yes, Master."
What need is there for the 4 elemental magic or telekinesis? You can just use mental magic to control 4 elemental mages and telekinetic mages.
"Um... Master. As I said before, how about going to the Magic Tower and carrying out this plan? There are still too many young students here..."
Has your heart weakened? You've become weak. That's why mental magic is treated insignificantly.
"That's not it..."
Shut up. We will conquer the Magic Tower soon as well. As a start, there is no place like Elton Academy.
A skinny, withered palm stretched out from the darkness.
"Kkyaaaaah!"
Billian Disipulus grabbed his head and collapsed.
Didn't you hand over control to me yourself? What happened to the passion and determination you had then?
"I'm... I'm sorry. Master."
Sss sss sss.
Professor Britton, once known as a master of mental magic, emerged from the darkness.
His skin was rotten and ghastly.
All the fat and muscle in his body had been lost, leaving only skin and bones.
Due to his overflowing mana, he can float in the air without walking separately.
It is not easy to walk even if you try because almost no muscles remain.
It is thanks to the power of overflowing mana that he can hold his body upright.
The installation of the equipment is all finished, right.
A voice flows out even though he doesn't open his mouth.
Professor Billian, who had regained his composure, replied.
His expression became calm.
But somehow, the light in his eyes became dim.
"Yes, Master."
Then, on the night of the full moon. The night when mana fluctuates the most. Let's start the great work on that day.
"Yes, Master."
The next day.
On the weekend, Davian's group gathered at Davian's residence.
"So what's the plan, Davian? The plan to stop that huge incident."
Davian faced his friends who were looking at him.
Actually.
He's never stopped it before it happened, so he can't estimate the possibility of success.
Therefore.
He devised a strategy divided into several stages to overcome this quest with minimal damage.
"First, we're going to find and eliminate the devices that cause the widespread mental magic to activate."
Comments
Post a Comment