Human beings are creatures of adaptation.
As Veris welcomed the weekend, he couldn't help but acknowledge that this saying, which usually didn't resonate with him, was undeniably true this time.
The peaceful weekend in the western district of the academy boasted an unusually quiet atmosphere today. The reason was simple. A grand festival was being held in the neighboring city of Hessen, known for its flowers, to celebrate the arrival of spring.
It was only natural for the young people to flock to enjoy the festival.
Of course, there were suggestions from other students to join them in the festivities, but Veris simply declined.
"This is what relaxation is."
A festival?
Certainly, the strangely festive atmosphere of the city had a magical power to uplift one's spirits, even without the bitter taste of alcohol in one's mouth. But while such festivals were enjoyable, lying still and soaking up the sun like this was, in a way, a form of rest too.
"Hmm."
Lying flat on the roof of the dormitory, Veris opened his status window for the first time in a while. His stats had grown remarkably since acquiring the skill 'Overgrowth' in the past.
Not only that, but he had also gained several additional skills, as a result of sheer luck.
< Stats >
Veris von Vitelbach
Strength: 130
Intelligence: 128
Mana: 130
Agility: 125
Charm: 137
The effect of the skill 'Overgrowth,' which increases acquired experience by a staggering five times, was truly remarkable. He had already surpassed the maximum growth limit of 100 long ago, and the speed of his growth was almost absurdly fast.
However, there was one disappointing aspect: the growth of his stats had slowed down at some point. One of the new pieces of information he had learned was that once a stat reached the 130s, growth became extremely difficult.
Strangely enough, his charm had grown effortlessly, but the issue lay with his other stats.
"I don't know."
Finding the key to growth was no easy task, so Veris waved his hand dismissively and closed the status window.
Even if he had hit a growth wall and was treading water, he had a passive skill, didn't he? < Skill List >
{ Passive Mastery (UR) (Unique) (Bound) (Mythic) }
{ Overgrowth (SSR) (Unique) (Legendary) }
{ Mana Master (SR) (Unique) (Rare) }
{ Basic Skill Proficiency (R) (Advanced) }
{ Mana Shield (SSR) (Legendary) }
Compared to the past, he had gained two additional passive skills. Of course, it wasn't that he had only acquired two skills over several years, but...
"Still, does it make sense to have useless skills like 'Good Digestion' or 'Drunken Fist'?"
He knew that he could only use passive skills, but there were far too many that were unexpectedly useless.
For example, 'Good Digestion,' which he had acquired just before entering the academy, was literally effective only in the bathroom. He had never had any issues in real life, so where on earth was he supposed to use that?
However, amidst all those countless trivial skills, there were indeed meaningful ones. The protagonists were 'Basic Skill Proficiency' and 'Mana Shield.'
[ Basic Skill Proficiency ]
─ Mighty, Kohen! You should train while squeezing juice here! A saying from an unknown swordsman.
Type: Passive Skill.
Effect: Increases the effect of basic attacks by 300%.
The passive skill 'Basic Skill Proficiency,' which literally enhances the effect of 'normal attacks,' had turned Veris's already absurd physical and magical power stats into something capable of piercing the heavens.
And.
[ Mana Shield ]
─ Pierce through. This is the difference in defense between you and me.
Type: Passive Skill.
Effect: Reduces physical and magical damage received by 50% until mana is depleted.
Unlike the skills focused on growth and attack he had acquired so far, the performance of 'Mana Shield,' which concentrated on defense, was comparable to that of a rare defensive artifact.
The difference between an artifact and the Mana Shield was clear.
While an artifact would turn into scrap metal once its mana was exhausted, the Mana Shield boasted infinite effectiveness as long as Veris had mana.
From a skill perspective, the growth was tremendous compared to when he first acquired Passive Mastery. He didn't know about other grades, but among the first-year students of this year, there was no one who could rival Veris, so what more could be said?
"Haah."
Was he lost in thoughts about his mana stats and skills?
Thanks to the warm spring sunlight, Veris began to feel drowsy. It was the weekend, and no one was likely to come looking for him.
Even if he had worries, their form was so vague that lying here pondering wouldn't yield immediate answers...
Veris closed his eyes. After all, a nap on a holiday was the best, wasn't it?
* * *
The event was approaching.
The preparations for the barrier were all complete, and due to the weekend and the festival being held in the nearby territory, the number of students in the dormitory had drastically decreased. Thus, Professor Theon had no choice but to hastily revise his plans. His target was now all the dormitories in the western district.
It had been a long span of several decades. After such a long time, Theon had finally set foot on the threshold of the Twelve Black Seats, so how could his body not tremble?
"To the one who devours all!"
Deep in the underground of the western district, Theon shouted towards the sky in front of the barrier stone.
The barrier he had prepared required a complex series of tasks. It was a blend of defensive spells that blocked both the inside and outside of the barrier and a curse that prevented the use of mana within the barrier.
Perhaps the old-timers of the academy still did not realize how deeply versed he was in barrier magic.
"Hehehe!"
Theon grinned with a sinister smile. Nearly hundreds of his followers had already infiltrated the western district under false identities. This meant there was no longer anything to hold back.
─ Wooooo!
As Theon began to infuse mana into the barrier stone, it started to tremble with a dark energy. But this was just the beginning.
The scenario he had drawn was only just beginning.
He would gather all the students remaining in the dormitory in one place and slowly classify the candidates for 'items.' And those who could not become items would surely block their future paths, so he intended to behead them all.
While he could not rule out the possibility of unforeseen variables, he had the demon on his side, so what was there to worry about?
He had already inscribed the spell to break free from the mana restrictions onto his subordinates. This meant that there would be no one in the soon-tobe-unfolded barrier who could stop them.
* * *
─── Kugugege...
The students remaining in the dormitory had no choice but to rush out of the building due to the sudden occurrence.
It was a strange flow of mana. This flow not only blocked contact between the outside and inside but also hindered the use of their proud abilities.
"W-What the hell is this...!"
"President!"
A massive wave of fear began to sweep through the students in an instant.
It was the weekend, and many students had left the academy to enjoy the festival. What did the appearance of a massive dome-shaped barrier mean in such a situation?
"This is..."
"A barrier, an incredibly powerful barrier. It also suppresses the use of mana, making it difficult to exert our strength!"
The student council president, Valten, gritted his teeth at the voice of another student.
A barrier? This was the dormitory of the western district where the academy's students resided.
Since living standards were divided by class, it was unlikely that such a wide-area barrier would be deployed here without any thought.
This meant that the purpose of this barrier was not merely to fend off external intrusions but to hunt. Who on earth was the target of this hunt?
"First, we need to gather all the students. Let's move quickly!"
"W-Where are we supposed to gather the students?"
"...To the auditorium. Evacuate to the main auditorium!"
"Y-Yes, understood!"
Seeing the panicked students, the student council president Valten responded calmly.
His legs were trembling, and his mind was becoming hazy. He didn't know who had instigated this incident, but it was clear they wouldn't have tried to detain them with innocent intentions.
"What on earth is going on!"
But they say that even when the sky falls, there is a hole to escape through.
"Professor!"
In such an unusual situation, a professor well-versed in mana was inside the barrier! Wasn't he a reliable ally just by his presence?
Moreover, the professor was someone Valten also knew. He was the professor of the "Understanding and Mastery of Mana" course, responsible for the first-year students, and despite his eccentric personality, he was a well-respected figure in the academy due to his outstanding skills.
"Have you grasped the exact situation?"
"Not yet. But I plan to evacuate the students to the auditorium as I don't know what will happen."
"Hmm, good choice!"
"Then what about you, Professor...?"
Valten trailed off at the end of his sentence.
He had no idea how the situation would unfold, but the opponent was a professor from the academy. Worrying about him was like a cat worrying about a tiger.
"Let's go to the auditorium together. I must protect the students there."
As the professor spoke with a heavy expression, Valten couldn't help but clench his fists at that reassuring sight.
He had no idea who dared to commit such a heinous act for their own gain at the academy. However, they had a small group of students led by the student council president and a professor on their side.
"Professor Theon. The auditorium is this way!"
Valten hurried on.
The student council members had already begun to move to evacuate the students remaining inside the barrier. If they could hold out in the auditorium, the fiend would likely find it difficult to stop them!
"Yes. Hurry up. We must remember that meaningless lives could be sacrificed!"
"Understood!"
With Theon's reassuring shout, Valten strengthened his legs even more.