Chapter 390: Assistant Professor’s Qualifications (1)

“The biggest problem with partially deploying a self-contained domain is the difficulty in arbitrarily applying barrier magic to one’s Mind Imprint.”

Flutter, flutter.

Inside the lab, sheets of paper rustled without cease. A fox pup leaped among them, rubbing its back against the pages.

“The mana and mental energy consumed in separating the kaleidoscope that projects my Mind Imprint with barrier magic, and then re-structuring each domain, is too immense.”

Lennok ignored Davi scurrying around him and focused on solving the problem at hand.

“Considering that the kaleidoscope, which naturally partially deployed in the Hanghasa Labyrinth, only works in conjunction with the Mystic Eye’s ability, it doesn’t seem impossible to overcome with sheer mana volume…”

[Are you saying it’s simply due to insufficient mana volume?]

In the process of inheriting the memories of barrier magic through his conversation with Jindun, Lennok also took over the operational authority of the Hanghasa Labyrinth and some of its mana.

Even as the residual mana disappeared from Lennok’s body, he assimilated a portion into his own, increasing his maximum mana capacity. Still, it fell short of the temporary doped state he had reached at that time.

“Unless I use the Papyrus Argenteus, it’s impossible to significantly boost my mana. The problem is, even with the Papyrus, it’s hard to maintain that state for long.”

The Papyrus Argenteus, which stored the control codes for the Labyrinth’s artifacts, was primarily a top-tier artifact used to record and preserve barrier magic, formations, and high-dimensional spells. However, it could also simply store mana and be used to extract it separately.

Lennok knew that using the item he now possessed could temporarily boost his mana significantly, but he also understood that maintaining that heightened state while continuing his research was difficult in itself.

“The best solution would be an innovative method or spell combination to reduce the cost itself, but there’s no telling how long that would take…”

He scribbled new barrier formations between the papers, lost in thought.

Without even conscious effort, Lennok’s hand, gripping the pen, meticulously filled a large circle with patterns and shapes.

Barrier magic is a spell that physically imprints its form onto reality, arbitrarily mimicking frameworks and order.

Therefore, simply drawing a virtual barrier formation on a display isn’t very helpful.

It’s far more preferable to directly draw the formations and patterns on paper, verifying each piece of knowledge stored in his mind.

Lennok had been practicing precisely this reproduction of barrier spells every single day since returning to the city, without missing a single one.

[No, Master, even if you practice like this, the circle isn’t drawing correctly, so the barrier magic isn’t working.]

“No, it’s actually better. Anyway, in a real fight, I plan to materialize the barrier formation by shaping my will with mana.”

He replied without taking his eyes off the pen and paper.

“If you think positively, isn’t it good that I can focus on practice without the spell accidentally activating?”

[…Master, you might need to re-learn the meaning of the word ‘positive’.]

“Does it seem that way?”

At Davi’s slightly worried question, Lennok burst into laughter and leaned back in his chair.

“Well, it’s true I haven’t had enough time to research magic like this. And when I hold a pen like this, old memories resurface… memories of a time I can no longer return to.”

[…]

At Lennok’s monologue, as if looking far away, the digital spirit also fell silent.

Davi knew that there were still secrets even the spirit, born from Lennok’s own hands and contemplating many mysteries closest to him, didn’t know.

The spirit recognized that this sorcerer, so unpretentious as if he hid nothing and had no secrets, was more mysterious and peculiar than any human Davi had ever known.

Perhaps because he served such a sorcerer, Davi didn’t bother trying to remember the names of other humans.

“I’m running out of paper. I need to order more.”

[I already ordered 5,000 more sheets from the auction. But the owner sent a personal message asking if it’s being used for criminal purposes. How should I respond?]

“…Now that you mention it, with this quality, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were used for counterfeit bills. It probably does look suspicious.”

The papers piled up here, used for practicing barrier magic, were all top-grade products, excellent in texture, durability, and feel.

With a little modification and refinement, they could be used perfectly with a banknote image overlaid. In this massive city rife with all sorts of crimes, it wasn’t an unfounded worry.

After consulting with Davi, Lennok decided to split his future paper orders among several companies and then turned his gaze back to the stack of papers on his workbench.

“If I could just replicate the partial deployment of the kaleidoscope that I experienced in the Labyrinth a few times, I think I’d get the hang of it, but the demonstration itself is impossible.”

[Are you saying it’s difficult even with Master’s current mana and artifacts?]

“I need a facility that can perfectly store temporarily augmented mana and accelerate it in that state. The problem is, such large-scale particle accelerator facilities are hard to find unless it’s an exceptionally large research institute.”

Lennok slowly shook his head and stood up.

“Always back to the same problem… Sitting here won’t give me answers, so perhaps I should take care of my pending tasks first.”

Lennok picked one of the messages piled on his phone, opened it, and grabbed his coat.

“There’s a place I need to visit, if only to secure research materials.”

External advisor to the Agents. Business consultant to Dyke Corp. Outside director of the Cartel.

Adamant Thunder, Van, the wizard of Sector 49 who has successfully completed only assignments of unrealistic difficulty, was gradually rumored to be actively cooperating with the Cartel’s leadership.

Confirmation through a registered director directly under headquarters, a secret meeting with Director Virgil. Even the current publicly tumultuous situation.

Rumors began to spread that Adamant Thunder, who had once refused the director position, was now finally ready to become a member of the new directorship.

It didn’t take long for that news to stir the other directors from their complacent positions.

“Virgil!!”

Bang!!

The director’s office, located on the top floor of the headquarters.

The one who burst through the door of that vast space occupied by Virgil was a young man with a refined appearance.

“Virgil, are you in?!”

“You don’t need to shout so loudly, Ayoon, I can hear you perfectly well.”

Virgil replied expressionlessly, gesturing.

“Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

“Hmph…”

The young man, Ayoon, who sat opposite the vampire, had an appearance quite alien to the city’s atmosphere.

Distinct white streaks through his black hair.

Two eyes, cleanly divided into black and white. And a neat suit perfectly matching his monochrome appearance.

Though his shirt was disheveled as if he’d just exercised, the power emanating from his body was astounding.

Ayoon gulped down the hot coffee placed before him like water and scowled.

“People in this city really love this bitter stuff. Instead, bring me a drink.”

“I prefer not to drink while working.”

“It’s right here, what are you talking about?”

“…”

Ayoon casually opened a display case next to the office, took out a whiskey, uncapped it with one hand, and drank.

“Cough… The conveniences of civilization are truly great. The taste of alcohol is definitely much cleaner than in the countryside.”

“Stop the pointless chatter and listen to the main point.”

Virgil’s red eyes glinted sharply.

“Unless you want to hear how much that whiskey you just chugged costs, that is.”

“It’s money that can be handled by my salary anyway. Don’t get so angry.”

Ayoon picked his teeth with an indifferent expression and chuckled.

“If it weren’t for my connection to my aunt, I wouldn’t be here shooting the breeze either.”

“…Did you just call the Chairman ‘Aunt’?”

Crack…!!

The glass Virgil was holding crumpled like paper.

A bizarre phenomenon where the glass crumpled instead of shattering under his immense grip. The young man subtly recoiled at the sight.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down… You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I extended you a courtesy because I heard you were a relative of the Chairman’s acquaintance, but you’d do well to watch your mouth.”

Virgil said, his face hardening coldly.

“Ignoring the hierarchical order according to the company’s organizational chart and trampling on regulations will never be tolerated, even for a director.”

At Virgil’s cold assertion, Ayoon’s lips began to twist instead.

“No, if you’re going to say that… shouldn’t you also stop the subordinates from trying to compare themselves to me?”

“What?”

“I’ve been hearing strange things lately.”

Ayoon subtly cleared his throat and mumbled, averting his gaze.

“Rumor has it that one of the directors is eyeing my position.”

“…”

“Isn’t that outrageous? Someone, not just anyone, but someone eyeing my position, which I got with the Chairman’s recommendation. This all seems to be due to poor management down below, so you should really—”

“No, there’s no need for that. It’s not a rumor.”

“…What?”

Virgil replied, looking directly at Ayoon, who blinked his eyes.

“While it’s not yet officially decided, it is true that one of the outside directors has shown interest in the director position. We plan to hold a shareholders’ meeting soon to review the matter.”

Only then did Ayoon’s expression contort fiercely as he grasped Virgil’s words.

“Are you… insane?! So you’re telling me to step down from this position for that guy?!!”

“Is there a problem?”

“More than enough!! I came here to help you guys because of my connection to the Chairman! Shouldn’t it be obvious that Merlida, that animal, or the fifth director who came up from the board, should be replaced, not me?!”

“All Cartel operations, excluding the Chairman’s agenda, are strictly performance-based.”

Virgil secretly swallowed a smile and leaned back in his chair.

Hadn’t he consistently leaked information to Ayoon’s close associates precisely to see this reaction?

“And among our directors, the one with the most insufficient performance is you, the third director.”

“You…”

“After living a life lost in hedonism, ignorant of how the companies you took over are running, do you have any excuses left now?”

Virgil’s cold gaze lingered on Ayoon’s shirt.

“A shirt soaked in alcohol and drugs. Lipstick ground into your shoe sole. The smell of blood from your belt. You’ve probably enjoyed alcohol, drugs, women, and even killed a few people, haven’t you?”

“…”

“I don’t care whether you enjoy Vulcan’s pleasures or not… but the director position is too much for someone who has no intention of working. Furthermore, the new candidate to replace you is someone who has recently earned a widespread reputation as the most capable person in our organization.”

Seeing Ayoon speechless, Virgil drove the nail in.

“The Chairman herself tried to promote that person to the director position before you. The seat you’re sitting in now wouldn’t have gone to you from the start if that friend hadn’t declined the director position. Do you understand?”

Bang!!

The table in front of Virgil split in half and sank.

Ayoon, who had jumped up, had shattered the massive stone table with one hand.

“Name him.”

Ayoon mumbled, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.

“I’ll show the Chairman right now who’s better, me or that bastard.”

“I’ll prepare the stage for you even if you don’t ask, so just wait a little longer.”

Virgil, realizing his provocation had landed perfectly, faintly twisted the corner of his lips.

“We’ll show everyone, with all employees watching, who truly deserves to be the new director.”

“Assistant Professor Evan!”

Lennok composed his expression and turned at the sound of someone calling him.

A female student with striking bluish hair was looking up at Lennok.

“Priscilla. Long time no see.”

“I was worried because you hadn’t been coming to school for a while…!”

She said with a slightly guilty expression.

“Uh, I was afraid you might be uncomfortable because of what happened last time…”

“…”

Lennok listened quietly to her words, then recalled the last time he saw her and nodded.

Hadn’t he dealt with Walter Martinez, the cult’s missionary, while tracking Priscilla’s friend?

He remembered taking leave to follow the trail leading to Palgung Fortress and heading there.

Even after dealing with Walter, who had transformed into an Apostle, he continued his research steadily with Aris, but the Defense Force incident broke out, and he ultimately couldn’t return to school.

It was not strange for Priscilla to be worried about Lennok.

Lennok smiled and nodded.

“It wasn’t just because of the cult’s issue. I had personal business to attend to. Thank you for your concern.”

“But Professor Aris suddenly announced she was taking a sabbatical… and the lab atmosphere doesn’t seem that great either…”

“Hmm…”

Students entered the empty lecture hall, listening in on their conversation.

At this rate, he might have to come up with a plausible excuse in front of hundreds of people.

Before that happened, Lennok decided to take drastic measures.

[Master?]

He pulled Davi from his pocket and placed him directly on Priscilla’s head.

As the plump belly of the fox pup peeked out from Priscilla’s hair, the other students gasped in admiration.

“So cute!!”

“He’s gotten so fat in the meantime?”

“The assistant professor must have fed him a lot of good things!”

Female students exclaimed in admiration and crowded around.

“…No, he seems to have gotten much stronger.”

“What kind of spirit mana… Can you beat him?”

“He looks stronger than me now, isn’t he like an elder brother?”

“Davi was a male?”

Male students made disgruntled expressions.

[Hmm, enjoying this kind of pleasure after a long time isn’t so bad.]

Davi, too, seemed to enjoy the sudden outpouring of praise and attention, coiling on Priscilla’s head and smiling contentedly.

A happy ending where everyone was satisfied. Lennok smiled with a proud expression, and Priscilla looked up at him with a puzzled look.

Lennok lightly clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention and said,

“Alright, alright, enjoy the sight, but when it’s lecture time, please go upstairs. Today, after all, I’ve only come to greet the new professor…”

Even though Aris had declared a sabbatical and returned to the Magic Tower, Lennok still maintained his assistant professor position.

Being affiliated with Rebatenon University, a magic education institution directly under the City Government, seemed to have more benefits than drawbacks, no matter how he thought about it.

Not only did it lend credibility to his identity as Evan Vylun, but he could also access various documents and archives by borrowing Rebatenon’s name.

From Lennok’s perspective, who needed to consult as many different materials and theses as possible in the process of creating a new magic system, Rebatenon University of Magic was a place he frequently needed to utilize.

However, to freely enter the university, he would have to handle the assistant professor duties he had been postponing.

As Aris began her sabbatical, a temporary professor was assigned to teach Elemental Magic Studies for a year, so he intended to show his face.

‘Peaceful. It feels like a lie…’

Lennok, silently watching the boisterous students beside him, raised his gaze.

Unlike the turbulent landscape outside the city, the inside of the lecture hall was utterly serene, as if time had stopped.

People chatting idly and the distant, faint sound of a bell ringing.

The rustle of quickly turning pages and footsteps echoing in the corridor.

All those sounds ringing in Lennok’s ears felt incredibly loose and warm.

Lennok could understand why the leader of Pandemonium and the Lighthouse Keeper of the Eyes of Blue were so desperately trying to protect this world.

A world where people lived. This incomparably peaceful and relaxed time.

They had long known that all of it was a miracle established on an unfounded belief and certainty that a future existed.

The despairing assumption that there is no ‘after’. The struggle of mortals to break through that line of defense and find the next way forward.

Only those who understood the preciousness of life could face death and open a path to the next.

That’s why they had consistently wished for and sought out Lennok, without faltering for a single moment.

Because Lennok, precisely, was one of those who knew better than anyone how precious every living moment was.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps Evan…?”

As Lennok was lost in thought, a cautious voice came from behind him.

A woman with a sharp, clear-cut impression was looking at him with wide eyes.

Somewhat familiar ash-gray hair. And a mana signature that remained even more vividly in his memory.

A name escaped Lennok’s lips as he frowned.

“Kassia?”

“It really is you!”

“…”

Her face brightening, she grabbed Lennok’s hand and shook it vigorously.

Lennok hadn’t expected to see her again here either.

Kassia Rubenyl.

A talented sorceress, serving as a second-rank researcher at the Carlyle Research Institute, which is supported by the City Council.

And wasn’t she the sorceress who had accompanied Lennok on the train when he first went to the Pilenom Autonomous Region?

He remembered preventing her from getting caught up in the drug lord’s plans midway, as she moved to acquire necessary ingredients in the autonomous region, famous for rare herbs.

As his thoughts reached that point, Lennok sharply turned his head.

Kassia was a talented sorceress, but not enough to take over a professorship in place of Aris.

The fact that she was here must surely mean…

“I didn’t expect you to still be playing assistant professor.”

A sharp-featured middle-aged woman, who was the last to walk into the lecture hall, fixed her piercing gaze on Lennok.

“What brings you to my lecture hall?”

The director of the Carlyle Research Institute and Aris’s acquaintance.

It was none other than Vaila, the research director, who had temporarily taken over the professorship in Aris’s stead.

But despite Vaila’s sharp gaze, Lennok murmured as if something had just occurred to him.

“Research institute?”

The colossal particle accelerator facility that could only exist in a considerably large research institute.

Precisely the method to utilize that facility was walking right in front of Lennok’s eyes.