23rd floor of the Magic Tower, Professor Louina's office.
The night was already deep, but she was still writing the verification plan for Deculein's thesis.
Crack!
Her fountain pen broke.
Drip— drip—
Only then did she notice the blood dripping from her nose to the document.
"…"
Louina stared blankly at the stains each drop left. Nausea enveloped her, and her heart pounded as if it was hammering against her chest.
At the bottom of her consciousness, a bizarre feeling soared, causing her to look out the window involuntarily, where she found the moon swallowed up by gray clouds outside.
The world had been engulfed in darkness, much like the strange woman reflected in the glass pane.
"…?"
Her eyes were dyed red.
Did the drops of blood come in the form of tears? She thought for certain it was a nosebleed.
Whooosh…
As she pondered about it, unidentified particles rose from her shoulder, creating a smoky atmosphere where ashes seemed to be scattering.
"!"
Louina hurriedly looked over at her shoulder, but she found nothing out of the ordinary.
Her surroundings were completely normal.
"Am I going crazy…" Louina sighed.
Well, she had been through a lot lately.
Deculein kidnapped her and wasn't fed anything for almost a week as his captive. She was on the verge of starving to death when she finally agreed to take a humiliating oath.
It was quite a miracle, her mind still being intact.
"I should go home and rest."
Tap— Tap—
Louina organized the pile of documents she had created and put them in her bag. She then turned off the lights, closed the door to her office, and left the tower.
Wriggle—
Amid the darkness, an unknown pulse continued.
* * *
Wednesday, 2 PM.
Epherene and her group were working on the group project in the tower's study room. However, since it was already in its final stages, they decided to slow down their pace a little.
"One Card!"
"Damn! You're fucking mean!"
Eurozan, Dane, and Zeppel.
The three guys played a card game, Sylvia closed her eyes, still preoccupied with the project, and Epherene read a letter.
[To Epherene Luna.
I got your letter.
I believe in your talent, and I hope that you will as well. Always remember to walk not on the self-righteous path but the strong and unwavering one.
If you put all your heart into it and spare no effort, good results will surely await you.]
"It's five lines."
Although it was short compared to the ten-page letter she sent, she still appreciated his reply.
No matter how much she thought about it, she shouldn't have written her promise to become the best wizard, just like how Roahawk was the best meat.
Epherene was still satisfied, though, and kept the letter.
"Huh?!"
Only a few seconds passed when she screamed and pulled out a handkerchief from her robe's inner pocket, suddenly coming to a realization.
It was the fine handkerchief that a gentleman gave her while she was wailing at the last university festival due to a play called 'Portrait of a Sad Day.'
"Wait a minute."
The pattern embroidered on the handkerchief and the pattern engraved in the corner of the letter…
"They're similar."
Epherene's pupils reflected the logo.
It didn't seem to be a family insignia, but it did look like a high-end brand. Either way, she thought it definitely wasn't a coincidence.
"Ah, wait a minute…" Epherene grabbed her head and thought.
She couldn't even remember what that person looked like. She was crying so hard she couldn't dare look him in the eye.
"… No way."
Was he really watching?
'Is he literally watching my talents?'
"Hmmmm… If so…"
She felt excitement boiling within her after so long, finding this situation fun.
Epherene felt a shiver run up her spine as she gently stroked her chin.
At that moment, a sharp voice pierced through her wonderment.
"Be quiet. Stupid Epherene."
Sylvia was staring at her with fierce eyes. Her concentration had been broken.
"I'm sorry~"
Epherene apologized brightly and shut her mouth, and Sylvia closed her eyes to try and focus on the project again.
But her ears and eyelids kept pricking up as if she was listening and looking at two different subjects.
The corner of her mouth kept twisting upward as well.
"Oh, right. did you hear the rumors about Rohakan?"
"…!"
The male members of their group suddenly changed the subject.
Epherene corrected her posture out of guilt. She didn't just hear about him.
She was right there with him.
"Rohakan? Even my dad won't tell me anything about the issue. All I heard is that it's confidential."
"I heard there are rumors that he fought with Professor Deculein."
"Really? Still, his opponent was Rohakan. There's probably a huge level difference between him and the Head Professor."
Fortunately, they seemed to know nothing.
"Our class will start soon. We should get going."
"Epherene. Sylvia. You coming?"
The trio turned around.
Just then, Sylvia opened her eyes again.
"I am."
They stored their scrolls in the study room's safe, then went out and rode the elevator together.
Sylvia whispered, "You know what happened that day is a secret, right?"
"Why are you asking something so obvious? Do you really think I'm stupid?"
"Yeah."
"…"
Ding—
They arrived on the 3rd floor, but Epherene got out of the elevator a little later because the noble wizards waiting near the hallway rushed to Sylvia.
'What is she, an idol?'
"Sylvia! I heard! They said you broke through Rohakan's barrier this time!"
"You're awesome~ Teach us later—"
'What? Broke through his barrier? All she did was eat my fish skewers.'
Grunting, Epherene opened the door and entered the classroom.
"I think we're doing something today too."
As soon as she entered, she found an unusual view. Looking around, she realized she was on a university campus.
All campus buildings, such as cafes, gymnasiums, classrooms, gardens, alleys, shops, restaurants, were implemented, the only exception being the magic tower.
"Wow… Huh?"
Looking back without much thought, Epherene was surprised.
The door she came in had disappeared. An empty garden took its place.
An eerie feeling ran across her nape.
"Are we having a ghost-themed class today? What does this have to do with pure elements, though…"
'Ghosts are actually pure elements,' he would say.
—Ah, ah. Can you hear me?
Assistant professor Allen's voice came from the sky.
—It's already 3 o'clock, so let's start the class. If there is a debutante who couldn't enter, then they're already disqualified for being late.
If they were even 1 second late, they were removed from today's class. Deculein clearly set that rule.
Epherene's ears pricked.
—Today's class is a practicum to test out your skills. Think of this place as a virtual barrier, and you are currently locked in it. Your goal is to escape within 180 minutes.
"Hmm."
It was quite an interesting class.
—Be advised that there are monsters created by the barrier scattered all over its interior. Additionally, Head Professor Deculein won't serve as your ally and protector. Today, he will be roaming the area, trying to eliminate you.
"Deculein?!"
Hearing this, Epherene felt rather thrilled. She had yet another opportunity to legally challenge Deculein.
—Since Professor Deculein and other professors are monitoring this class, you will never be in real danger. However, please keep in mind that the moment you're found in any situation that would normally be considered deadly outside the educational setting, you will be deemed 'eliminated.' Your performance in this activity will be reflected in your grades.
Awwooo—!
His explanation wasn't even over yet, but a howl had already echoed its way to where she was.
Epherene looked around, finding a wild, red-eyed dog. Ashes drooled out of its mouth.
—I look forward to witnessing your practical use of magic. Now, let the class begin!
As soon as the assistant professor finished his monologue, Epherene imbued her bracelet with her mana.
Grrrrr—!
Not long after, she fired magic, a combination of 'wind' and 'water' elements, against the rabid beast making its way to her.
Splaaash—
The water she ejected was condensed into an extremely high pressured crescent-shaped projectile bolting through space at a speed of over 500 m/s.
Although it had a short range, its melee and cutting power was comparable to any sword because of the destruction series used with its pure elemental magic.
This was the "Water Moon" that Deculein taught her.
Crrrr.
The wild dog's body was divided into quarters.
"Huhu."
Epherene shrugged.
"Ahhhhh—!"
As she did, however, she heard a scream echoing from not far away.
"Where are you?!"
Epherene ran towards the source right away.
She applied the 'wind' element to her body, allowing her to move at quick speeds while creating minimal noise.
She arrived swiftly, but it seemed she was too late.
Instead of a person, she found a note.
[Celie has been eliminated.]
"I'm sorry. I wish I had reached you sooner."
It was a shame.
Clicking her tongue, Epherene put the note in her pocket and moved.
* * *
… 40 minutes had passed.
Despite the threats scattered around her, Sylvia walked proudly. She didn't even try to hide or be silent.
Instead, she only revealed her dignity without hesitation.
Those retaken by her graceful light bared their teeth and brandished their claws, but the consequences of daring to challenge the sun herself were horrendous.
All of them were scorched by the heat of her magic, oxidizing them as they desperately struggled to survive.
"Sylvia?"
Soon after, she heard someone call out her name.
Following its source, she found Lucia, Jupern, and Beck, a group of aristocrats that seemed to be glued together.
Lucia asked, "Do you want to escape the barrier with us?"
"…"
Sylvia shook her head.
"Yeah, well. Be strong, then."
As if Lucia just asked her out of formality, they swiftly passed by after she answered. No, they passed by, then soon started running away in the opposite direction.
Sylvia soon found out why.
On the horizon stood a nobleman who radiated a powerful and crushing aura.
Head Professor Deculein.
Now that he had become an enemy, he became a more fearsome opponent than anyone she could think of. Suppressed by his domineering presence, Sylvia immediately closed her eyes.
Rumbling—!
For a moment, she turned the very ground she stood on into water and submerged herself in it, holding her breath in that state.
"…"
The sound of footsteps echoed above her head.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Shortly after that, she heard a scream.
He had probably caught Lucia's gang.
Those guys were idiotic for thinking the professor's steel could be avoided by running.
She didn't know the details of its mechanism, but once under its radar, they could no longer escape its pursuit unless they went underground, which was exactly what she did.
Sylvia burrowed, waiting quietly.
Soon enough, she heard another voice. It was familiar and silly at the same time.
No, it was very stupid.
"Stop!"
"… Epherene. a head-on confrontation is foolish."
"This is not a head-on confrontation. We have the advantage in numbers… Huh?! Where are you going? Come back!"
From what she heard, the people Epherene rescued seemed to have run away.
Not long after, a sharp noise rang out, sounding like sparks hitting metal.
Epherene seemingly tried to manifest magic, but…
"Aah! Aaahh! Wait! Ahh! Aaaahhh!"
… She didn't call her stupid for no reason.
Sylvia suppressed her laughter as she listened to Epherene's scream, surprisingly managing to endure through it.
* * *
… 120 minutes had passed.
"Still… I have no regrets."
Epherene, barely managing to escape, sighed as she rubbed her throbbing body.
Lucia and the others ran away after she saved them, which she found ridiculous.
She thought they could've taken him on since there were four on their side and only one in his.
"Be patient. Be patient."
Epherene suppressed her anger as she explored and analyzed the barrier. Her method of escaping was to break it.
"The types of beasts in here are golems, wild dogs, bats… bats?"
She looked up at the sky, finding a swarm of bats roaming the air.
"…."
Her gaze narrowed at them.
"Their orbit takes a certain path."
She released mana through the air, attaching it to a bat. It fluttered along with its vessel, conveying useful information to Epherene.
Its job was most likely to search for enemies and transmit their location to Deculein, but they were circling erratically.
However, since every orbit had a 'center,' she could predict their movements based on the trajectory of their rotation.
Epherene closed her eyes and recalled the scenery around her. She then looked up, calculating the bat swarm's collective wingspan.
The result was…
Creak—
"Ahh! Who's there?!"
Epherene panicked.
A silhouette came out of the corner.
"Epherene. So you're not dead."
Sylvia.
She sighed and placed her hand on her chest. "Sigh… Even if we get eliminated, we won't get killed. Anyway, you came at the right time. Sit."
She pointed to the floor next to where she was sitting. Sylvia, however, made a chair that was about 1m high through magic instead.
Sitting on it, she looked down at Epherene.
"… Aren't you coming down from there?"
"Just say it."
"Will you grow up already?"
"Say it."
"… Sigh. Anyway, I think we have to break this barrier to escape. But to do—"
"Gym." Sylvia interrupted Ephrene, who nodded anyway.
"So you figured that out already too. I think the core of the barrier is in there."
Epherene pointed to the gym that appeared across the alley.
"…"
"…"
Keeping their silence, they communicated through body language, agreeing to walk to the gym together.
Moving carefully so as not to be seen by wild dogs and bats, they reached their destination safely and clung to its wall.
Epherene peeked into a window first, immediately finding the 'final boss' in the middle of the building.
"Shh. It's Deculein."
Deculein was with dozens and hundreds of beasts. Upon keener inspection, it looked like he was reading a book.
Sylvia narrowed her eyes.
"Arrogant Epherene."
"Come on. He's our enemy right now."
"…"
Epherene looked inside again.
Its interior was quite spacious, being an open field. The core of the barrier was floating in the middle of the air, positioned in such a place that would allow their professor to easily protect it.
They were conducting a practical rehearsal that Allen put great effort into, according to Deculein's design.
There was no way it would be easy.
"I think one of us needs to get his attention. I'll do it."
"No." Sylvia shook her head. "I'll do it."
"… You? Will you be okay?" Epherene's eyes widened. She thought, of course, that she was only trying to gain a high grade for herself.
"You can't draw his attention since you're stupid."
"… Gosh. Okay. What are you going to do? How will you get his attention in that gym? Look. Its four sides are open. He knows that too, so he put the core there."
"You and I are different."
Sylvia pulled out her brush and drew a square and a handle on the ground.
It soon materialized as a noble substance.
"Go down in there. I connected it to the gym."
"… What if it's blocked along the way?"
"Are you doubting me?" Sylvia's eyebrows twitched.
"No, it's not that~" Epherene opened the lid, revealing what looked like an underground bunker.
"This is… amazing. I admit."
In admiration, she stretched out her palm for a high-five.
However, Sylvia only looked at her hand. "Arrogant Epherene."
"Huh? What? You don't know what this is?"
"Don't overreact."
"…"
"Just go in. Figure out when to come out yourself."
"Okay."
Epherene entered the aisle, and Sylvia opened the gym door.
As expected, Deculein stood on the other side of it. The ashen beasts showed hostility toward her.
"Are you done discussing things over?" Deculein asked, still reading.
Sylvia nodded.
"I see."
He closed his book. As if taking it as a signal, his minions in the gym charged at her.
"…"
Sylvia closed her eyes and released the three primary colors.
Whoooosh–
Originating from her power supply, they dyed the world around her, transforming the ordinary gym interior as she 'drew' over it.
Red, Green, Blue. Those three lines of paint blended to form all other colors, slowly engulfing the battlefield with them.
There were no monsters in her newly drawn landscape.
They were all decimated without even being able to resist her painting.
Hence, the ashes faded as the building turned into a fresh grassy field.
It was the fruit of the inspiration she got from Deculein, the magic that embodied her talent, and the emotion she felt during the midterm exams.
"I can do whatever I want in this world."
Deculein scanned the area, his eyes looking for a certain 'intermediary.'
"I didn't use a mana stone to help me with this. I did it all on my own." Sylvia placed her hand on her chest as she stared at him, standing bravely before him.
"I'm Sylvia."
"…"
"You know who I am."
Her voice seemed filled with confidence, showing unbridled trust with her faith and pride in herself. Such were the traits someone as powerful and noble as her should display.
Deculein seemed satisfied.
"Good. Magically, this is perfect."
However, the moment Sylvia closed her eyes and opened them, Deculein had already reached her.
"However, you shouldn't leave your body vulnerable."
The Baron of the Ashes amplified his own physical and magical skills through parasites, which made the players struggle not only against his magic but also against his physical prowess.
Player wizards would just up their stats, but 'NPC' wizards, unlike players, needed to train their bodies.
"You're eliminated."
Deculein reached out his finger and tapped Sylvia's forehead. She looked up at him without blinking.
"No." She proudly responded as she shook her head. "Before that…"
"I got it!"
He heard a shout from far behind him, his reaction to which seemed to say he already knew who it was without even looking back.
Epherene.
"We've seized the core of the barrier!"
She raised her hand, holding the barrier's core as if asking him to look in her direction.
The bracelet on her right wrist then trembled as she imbued her mana into it.
"… Whew!"
Ordinary debutantes wouldn't be able to destroy the core she held and dismantle the barrier.
But Epherene was no ordinary debutante.
Whooong-!
When her mana swirled from her bracelet and permeated around the core, the entire barrier began to shake.
Rumble…
The ground vibrated as well, almost as if they were experiencing an earthquake, causing dust and cement powder to fall from the gym's ceiling.
A crack appeared in the sky, and not long after, space itself split apart.
Clank—!
Tssusususu…
The barrier shattered like a glass dome, its fragments scattering indefinitely.
Under its rain, basking in its fragments…
"… Hahaha."
Deculein laughed, seemingly proud of them. They felt as if he was telling them that they had become incredibly reliable individuals.
"…"
Sylvia and Epherene stared blankly at their professor. That was the first time they had ever seen him smile.
"… Okay." After a while, he declared, "You won."
"…!"
Epherene felt a rapture rising from deep within her. In her head, fireworks resounded loudly as an unbearable ecstasy surged.
"Epherene, Sylvia. You two got perfect scores."
Their surroundings returned to their original state, revealing their usual classroom.
"Your cooperative attitude was perfect."
Not long after, the door to the classroom opened, and those eliminated earlier on came inside as instructed by Allen. Epherene found Lucia among them.
She tried to help them, but that coward just ran away.
"Humpf."
Lucia, in return, just glared back at her with a venomous gaze as if saying, 'So what?'
"Sit down."
Deculein still seemed to have something left to say.
Epherene looked at the clock. It was already past 6 o'clock.
He was acting strange.
"Never forget the barrier that enveloped the dormitory during the recent incident. This class was conducted to prepare you all in case something like it happens again. Of course, it's still a class. Someday, you'll experience this situation in a real setting."
Deculain glanced at Allen, who then brought a box full of gas masks.
"If this happens again, always keep in mind that the key to your survival is your cooperation with others. Moreover, make sure you always carry this magic gas mask with you at all times."
Deculein distributed the items through [Psychokinesis].
Epherene smiled as she looked at it, only to be surprised so much it caused her eyes to widen unknowingly.
"…!"
She thought it was just one of the common gas masks, but it was top-notch.
'Isn't this very expensive?'
"Great work, everyone. For those who were eliminated today, reflect on what happened, what you did wrong. Assistant professor Allen will provide you with more detailed insights about it if you so wish. All you'd need to do is ask him. This concludes our class for today."
With those words, Deculein left the classroom.
The debutantes who got eliminated early in the activity immediately left as well, mumbling to themselves. Epherene, however, remained in the classroom and enjoyed her afterglow brought by their victory.
'Is this how wizards grow?'
Her happiness reached a completely different league.
'You won.'
Deculein sounded satisfied.
When she heard it, huge adrenaline rushed through her head!
Of course, Professor Deculein most likely let some things slide, considering he didn't even command the wood steel he so cherished.
Regardless, she knew it would be difficult to feel the emotion that roped around her heart again.
"Huhu."
Epherene reorganized her thoughts.
She wasn't happy because he praised her. She was happy because she defeated him.
"… Great."
Epherene clenched her fists.
Using her victory as justification, she decided to have a nice meal today.
"My dinner for tonight will be Roahawk!"
*****
Everyone had already left, and it was already dark outside, but Deculein remained behind, writing on Class A's blackboard.
──[Four things to keep in mind]──
1. Break through the core of the barrier.
2. Avoid charging head-on and focus on cooperating with each other.
3. Survive.
4. Never forget that this board serves as the only link between you guys and me.
─────────
Afterward, Deculein cast [Midas's Hand] on it. Magic rose from his fingers and covered its surface.
In preparation for when the 'Baron of the Ashes' would appear without warning, he left his students a few more pieces of advice.