Chapter 8
.
.
.
"As we can see, the wingspan of mana-contaminated pigeons is about 1.8 meters, which is vastly different from their predecessors, which tended to be 20 cm long. That's almost a 10-fold increase in length."
The professor exclaimed excitedly as he stroked the enormous creature on the table.
You could hear in his voice that he was incredibly engrossed in the creature in front of him.
"After much research, we were able to find the cause of the pigeon's violent growth. As you all know, my team was responsible for finding out why monsters go berserk in the presence of mana."
I knew this because I wrote this part in the novel.
Professor Mouse finally took his eyes off the gigantic creature, took a good look at the class and asked.
"Now, can someone tell me why animals can't keep their sanity but humans can?"
Many hands went up because this is common knowledge. I didn't want to look different, so I raised my hand without thinking too much.
"You on the left."
"..."
He's looking at me, isn't he? Just to make sure, I looked behind me to see if anyone raised their hands.
I didn't want to end up in one of those awkward situations where someone waves at you, but it turns out they're actually waving at the person behind you. That would be too embarrassing.
"No don't look back, I'm talking to you, you idiot!"
"Me?"
"Yes, you! For God's sake!"
Damn, he was looking at me...
After a few seconds of hesitation
I started to say something with a few words in my mouth.
"Uh, uhm. Compared to us humans...uhm...animals' cortexes are not as developed as ours. Because mana stimulates our neurological system, we have to process it involuntarily. We can direct it to the right parts of the body so that it doesn't accumulate in a certain part of the body. We are able to form mana nuclei and prevent mana from accumulating elsewhere in our body, whereas animals cannot. Because we are different from animals, we have the ability to think and react to situations that animals are incapable of. Therefore, when confronted with an invading force, also known as mana, low intelligence monsters are unable to react to the situation and this causes the mana in their bodies to slowly build up inside them, especially in their brains, slowly driving them insane. this is known as mana poisoning"
"Impressive answer..."
Impressed by my answer, Professor Mouse asked me a question.
"So what should we do in this situation, or what can we do? My team has worked on this for a long time, but I would still like to hear your opinion."
I thought for a second or two before answering the question.
"Hmm, maybe we should let nature take its course and let the monsters develop slowly. The monstrous species will eventually become mana-sensitive."
"That's really..."
Impressed by his answer, Professor Mouse was about to applaud when he realized I hadn't finished speaking.
"Another method is to use direct external assistance to stimulate mana within animals. Simply put, they can't use their own brains, so why can't they use someone else's? If we were to transfer your mana into their bodies and force them to adapt, that would be the most effective method...."
I knew he was full of shit...
I responded in alarm when I saw his face appear in front of me, so close that his nose was inches from my face.
I looked around and realized that everyone was staring at me in shock, even Estelle, the smartest student in the class, stared at me for a few seconds.
What happened?
I'm sure I just read the normal information. Everyone should know about this...
"Stop right there!"
"What!"
"Rewind and repeat what you said!"
"... They don't have the same brain as us and..."
"No, not that part! It's the part where you say the cure."
The professor was locked on me, listening intently to every word I had to say.
"Sir.... You are very close. I don't know the method, it's just that mine was a pie-in-the-sky idea. It has no scientific basis."
The professor realized what he had done was inappropriate when he looked around his classroom. An outsider looking in would have thought he was crazy, which I thought he was.
"Ahem... Ahem... Please take your dreams elsewhere, this is a science center."
Fortunately, I knew Prof. Mouse's least favorite thing: if a speech didn't have a scientific basis, it didn't matter to Mouse. Fortunately, my speech ended here.
After the instructor left, I sighed deeply, wiping the sweat from his forehead, frightened by the idea that this was so close.
It was still too early to cure mana monsters. This was something that happened in the middle of the novel that shook the whole world. Because the animals living in the world that could go mad from mana at any moment would no longer be a problem. Instead, they could be domesticated or even used as food.
I almost stole all the credit from the person who came up with the theorem. Even if it didn't revolutionize the story, if it turned out that I was the one who came up with it, my chances of survival would drop to 0%. Those in league with the demons would have paid a few million credits for my head.
This was a mistake Arthur made at the beginning of the story. He stood out too much and the demons' headquarters (inferno) kept sending enemies for Arthur's head.
These enemies were weak at first, but as the novel progressed they became very annoying.
I'm sorry, but I have no ambition to become Arthur!
After classes were over, I went to my dormitory.
My room was a dormitory for students ranked between 600-900 like me. In the Dome, depending on your current ranking, you received privileges and with these privileges, your dormitory location changed.
I glanced around the room and looked at the clock. I was in a relatively simple room, almost 20 m2. It consisted of a bed, a small closet and a desk.
Well, thank God for that. Compared to the previous place I stayed, it was a notch better. Although the room and the furniture were inadequate, it was obvious that they were top quality.
It was around six in the afternoon when I finished unpacking.
"Grrrr.
"I think I'll go to the canteen first, then I'll go to the gym."
Seeing how my stomach was growling from hunger, I decided to go to the canteen to get something to eat before going to the gym. I packed my bag, grabbed the keys and quickly left the room.
-Click.
The door closed with a click and I left for the canteen.
I must say that the food in the canteen was amazing. It really tasted the same now as I remembered it back then. I had a hamburger and it tasted the same as in my old world. It was the same with the cola. No matter how you look at it, I still couldn't get used to it, this was the world I was living in now.
If I wanted to taste something I had never tried before, what would I get, the taste of my imagination or the taste of reality?
I knew there were many different fruits in the areas where the elves lived.
I made a mental note to try it next time.
As I took a superhuman bite of my hamburger, I saw a girl sitting alone in the cafeteria.
Pheniyet..
[Eye of truth] in use
Her name was written above her head.
She wore a long leather jacket with a gray blouse and black pants.
She looked more like a businesswoman than a student. Perhaps she came from outside the Dome.
Even though the students studied inside the dome, they could use the teleportation gateways three times a month until Grade 2. Since her family was a rich bourgeoisie, it was possible that she had gone to live with them.
Pheniyet's talent was nature magic, and being a Spreader, it was very difficult to control her talent.
In addition, nature magic was both rare and difficult to use. Humanity had not learned much about this type of magic in 400 years. Except for a few sources from the Elves, magic was saturated with obscurity. The sources were protected by the Council.
So what is he doing in the cafeteria?
I thought to myself.
Pheniyet was a first year student. In the novel, he was a skilled mage, but it wasn't until the end of the second year that he was able to use his talent effectively. In the novel, he was looking for a source on how to use magic. Sitting alone in the communal cafeteria seemed awkward, given that he was a rich man.
I never gave Pheniyet enough credit in the novel I wrote, it wasn't fair that he had to survive in a place like the Dome for two years with no ability.
After eating my burger, I took out a napkin and started wiping my mouth.
Pheniyet was looking for a source on how to use magic in the novel.
Maybe I should help her.
I thought.
I took a clean napkin and started to draw a circle with the ketchup dripping from my hamburger.
The shapes I drew on the napkin were the runes that elves use when they use nature magic.
After 3 minutes of coloring, I held up the napkin.
"It looks pretty good. He just needs to practice on this shape."
Even if Pheniyet doesn't use nature magic now, he is a character who will be quite powerful in the future.
"I could use it."
I took the napkin and went to the girl.
Her depressed look was even more evident up close.
"What do you want?"
The girl with the slices of uneaten pizza in front of her didn't look up.
I pulled the chair across from her and sat on it upside down.
"Hi Pheniyet, how are you?"
"Do I know you?"
"No."
I said and took one of the slices of pizza she hadn't eaten and started eating it.
"Look! I'm not in the mood for jokes. Whatever you want, go to someone else."
So he couldn't find anything again.
"Did you find a clue to use your magic?"
Pheniyet's eyes flashed with anger when I said that.
"How do you know?"
"That you can't use your magic? Of course I watched you practicing."
This was of course a lie. Pheniyet and I were not even in the same class.
"All you do is make pure mana attacks, but unfortunately the elemental predisposition of a spreader like you is nature magic."
"How...."
I put my hand to her mouth and made the hush sign.
"What... How.... Why... Why... If you're done with these questions, beautiful. As your Santa Claus, I'm here to help you. Take this."
Pheniyet looked at me with a puzzled look as I handed her the napkin.
"After drawing this octagon, try to heal a broken branch. This circle will help you control Nature magic better. Besides, the basis of nature magic is healing."
"Nonsense."
"Well... The decision is up to you. You can throw the napkin in the trash if you want. Or you can try it and see the results for yourself."
I quietly got up from my seat and left the cafeteria.
After that, it was up to Pheniyet.
Either she would try what I said and find a different path, or she would wait until Arthur brought her the scroll from the Council.
.
.
.