A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 37: Exam (2)

"Get down!" Relin shouted in fury, his face turning red as if it might burst. He appeared even more agitated than Deculein.

Unable to watch any longer, Deculein stepped in to calm him and said, "Professor Relin, calm yourself."

"Sorry? Ah... but..."

Then, Deculein slowly walked over to face Epherene. Despite her earlier outburst, she still had doubts and asked with concern, "... Is this really okay?"

"I said you could choose anyone here, I didn't set any restrictions," Deculein said, striking his staff on the ground. The thud and vibration tousled Epherene's hair. "The time limit is still three minutes, but I'll give you a handicap. I won't use any magic to attack, and if you can make me drop the staff, you win."

Nodding, Epherene clenched her fist and said, "... Yes, sir."

Facing Deculein, her heart pounded wildly. This was the moment she had longed for, the scenario she had dreamed of. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, ready to seize this opportunity she had waited for so long.

"Begin," Deculein commanded. Instantly, a gust of wind swirled around Epherene, signaling the start of their challenge.

Epherene cast Haste, embodying the wind element, a powerful form of Pure Element magic. Contrary to popular belief, Haste enhanced both physical movement and the speed of casting spells, making magic quicker and more effortless.

Epherene gathered mana into her bracelet. Typically, mage battles relied on each mage's preferred elemental property. But Epherene was different. Her property wasn't an element but the bracelet itself, which acted as a catalyst. This special bracelet let her use all four primary elements without any penalties or loss in power.

“Hup!”

Epherene unleashed a blast of flames. It was an intermediate-level Pure Element magic spell called Firestorm. The flames spread wildly, enveloping Deculein in a swirling inferno, obscuring him from view.

Epherene then enhanced the flames with the earth element. She added coal particles to intensify the fire and generated a high concentration of oxygen within the blaze.

Whoosh!

Flames filled the arena. The blaze, combined with the magic's flammable dust and high-concentration oxygen, caused a chain reaction of oxidation and combustion, resulting in a dust explosion. The powerful blast surged through the air, repeatedly igniting the airborne dust and continuing the explosive chain reaction dozens of times.

Boom! Bang! Pow—!

Even Professor Relin was stunned by the catastrophic scene. The explosions were immense in both scale and intensity, leaving everyone in shock at the sheer destructive power unleashed in the arena.

Boooooom—!

Epherene had mastered a secret technique. She combined three attributes to enhance the destructive power of fire, the most devastating element, into a powerful bombardment spell.

“... Phew,” Epherene gasped, her exhaustion evident as she surveyed the scene.

The arena was nearly engulfed in flames, thick smoke obscuring Epherene's vision. She kept her guard up, not worrying about whether she had killed him, as a cold wind swept through, clearing the smoke. Beyond the flames, she saw a sphere of fire, shaped like an egg with a hard shell. It was a flawless demonstration of Telekinesis and Fire Control.

Crackle— crackle—

Through the gaps in the fiery shell, Epherene saw Deculein. His blue eyes shone through the flames as he stood there, unscathed and looking at her without any sign of distress. It was just as she had expected; Deculein's mastery of magic had protected him effortlessly.

Fssshhh—!

Suddenly, all the flames were extinguished. In an instant, the fire vanished, leaving Epherene confused about how it happened. She bit her lip and quickly launched another attack. Using the spell Arcane Barrage, she fired a series of magic projectiles, hoping to break through Deculein's defenses.

Ratatatatat—!

But the projectiles halted as soon as they entered Deculein's range. He took control of them, extinguishing them effortlessly without counterattacking. It was his promise not to attack. He was merely observing her, like a teacher guiding an inexperienced student. Seeing this, Epherene focused her magic, determined to break through his defenses.

Crackle—

But an error occurred during the casting process. The spell she was forming fizzled out with just a few sparks. Epherene quickly realized what had happened. Mana Interference was disrupting her magic.

Deculein's voice broke the silence and said, "Your magic has a habit."

He could see magic with his Sharp Eyesight, a unique attribute. However, analyzing and deconstructing magic in such a short time using Comprehension was nearly impossible due to the extreme mana consumption it required.

"The larger the spell, the more noticeable your habits become."

However, if he had experienced the caster's magic a few times and noticed a consistent habit, the mana consumption would have decreased significantly.

"High-ranked mages conceal their habits. In fact, they eliminate them entirely."

His Comprehension attribute had fully mastered Epherene's magic, allowing him to read the Core Circuits of her spells effortlessly.

"But you are not," Deculein said.

Deculein's tone was like a teacher scolding a struggling student. Epherene continued trying to form her spells, desperately attempting to recall the ones she had memorized. But nothing worked. All she heard was the repetitive crackle of her failed magic.

"You won't be able to cast magic in front of me."

"Dang it..." Epherene muttered, clenching her fists in frustration.

Epherene had to give up on casting magic, but she didn’t abandon the fight. She had one last strategy left. She wouldn't give him any distance or time. If she could break through and close the gap, she could unleash her magic right in front of him.

At that close proximity, Deculein wouldn’t have time to deconstruct or interfere with her spells. She felt confident. Epherene had not neglected her physical training. In fact, strength training and body exercises were one of her hobbies.

"Hup!" Epherene exclaimed as she charged forward.

Enhanced by Haste, she swiftly closed the distance to Deculein and prepared to cast her spell. But it was instantly deconstructed. Then, she noticed his middle finger, bent and ready to flick her.

Thwack—!

The flicking sound marked the end of the three-minute time limit. The pain was intense. Epherene staggered back, clutching her forehead, and collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the sharp, sudden pain radiating from where Deculein's finger had struck.

"... But," Deculein's voice rang out, breaking the silence.

He stood straight, looking down at her, his right hand still holding the staff. Epherene slowly lifted her gaze to his face, and her eyes widened in surprise. Deculein, the usually detestable professor, was smiling. It was a clear, satisfied smile she had never seen before, radiating an unexpected approval.

"It was not bad."

It was high praise. Deculein was pleased with his staff. Unaware of this, Epherene stared at his face, then fully collapsed, wondering if that had been a form of recognition. Her friends rushed to carry her unconscious body off the arena.

"Next."

"Um, Professor, the arena is damaged," Relin began to say, his voice filled with concern. "Shouldn't we take a short break—"

Deculein restored the arena. Using Telekinesis, he raised the earth, and with Ductility and Reformation, he created new tiles, making the arena cleaner than before. Although it wasn’t a difficult spell, the speed and elegance of its execution were impressive, showcasing magic befitting a noble.

"Next, Lucia."

The class continued without further issues. However, the duel between Deculein and Epherene replayed in the minds of the mages. They now saw Epherene in a new light and gained a deeper understanding of Deculein's true prowess, the Head Professor who had once stopped a train with Telekinesis.

The difference in their skills was like night and day; the gap between them was immense. This stark contrast left a lasting impression on everyone present, highlighting the extraordinary abilities of their professor.

***

The following Monday marked the first day of midterms.

"... Hmm, so this is how it works?"

"... Yes, that's correct. You've got it."

After finishing her first exam, Epherene woke up from a nap in the club room, stirred by the sound of conversation. Still sprawled on the sofa, she lifted her head slightly, trying to focus on the voices.

"Ah, this was really confusing. Thank you so much for your help."

"It's no problem. Feel free to ask me anytime."

It was Julia, accompanied by a friendly-looking, handsome senior.

Are they dating? Epherene wondered.

She wiped the drool from her mouth with a Cleanse spell and slowly got up, feeling a bit disoriented from her nap.

"Oh, Ephie, you're awake? You know Ephie, right?" Julia asked, turning to the senior beside her.

The senior turned to look at Epherene and said, "Of course, how could I not? She challenged Professor Deculein."

It was Drent, a senior who had passed the promotion exam last year and achieved the rank of Solda. Renowned for his good looks and abilities, and being the son of a famous mage, he was quite popular among the commoner mages for his lack of discrimination based on status.

"You're that girl, right?" Drent asked.

"Ah... yes."

"Hey, Ephie, I was just asking Senior Drent for help with Deculein's assignment. We have about five days left, don't we?"

"Huh? Yeah, about five days..." Epherene replied, scratching her head. She suddenly noticed her own pile of assignments on the desk and remembered falling asleep while working on them. She wondered if they had peeked at it, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Noticing her glance, Drent smiled and said, "I didn't read it. That would be rude, wouldn’t it?"

"... Sorry? Oh, ha ha, ha ha... well, it’s not really a big deal," Epherene said as she quickly put her assignments into her bag. She knew she shouldn't be leaving them around. With only three to four hours of sleep each night for the past two weeks, she was feeling a bit out of sorts and forgetful.

Drent chuckled and extended his hand, saying, "Epherene, would you like me to review yours as well?"

"Sorry?"

"Let me see it. I'll review it for you."

Epherene knew Drent's reputation well. He was a well-rounded mage, having mastered six branches of magic equally.

Despite knowing his reputation, Epherene smiled awkwardly, shaking her head and said, "No, it's okay. I'm fine."

"Hmm? No, really, it's fine. I was just reviewing Julia's assignment," Drent insisted.

"No, no. I didn't write it well enough to show anyone."

Julia, feeling a bit uncomfortable watching the two, suddenly stood up and used the time as an excuse and said, "Oh! It's almost 4 o'clock! We have another exam, so we need to go! Thanks, Drent!"

"Huh? Oh... okay. See you later~"

The two left the club room. As they walked down the hallway, Julia nudged Epherene, trying to gauge her reaction, and asked, "Don't you think Senior Drent is handsome?"

Epherene shook her head and said, "Not really."

"Why not? What's wrong with him?"

"He seems like he'd be nice to any girl."

"Oh, that's true. Anyway, I heard Senior Drent will be attending the Thesis Colloquium this time."

"The T-Col?"

"Yes, that."

A week after midterms, a Thesis Colloquium would take place. Seniors who had been promoted from Debutant to Solda would present their magical theses and receive evaluations from the Mage Tower’s professors. To remain as mages of the Mage Tower of the University, Epherene and Julia would also have to undergo this process someday.

Epherene muttered, "That's so cool. We still have at least a year left, right?"

"Yes, at least. But Sylvia might be able to do it in half a year."

"... How?"

"She takes a lot of classes. I think she only has Sundays off. She's completely obsessed with magic."

At that moment, the Mage Tower’s elevator arrived. They pressed the buttons for their respective exam floors, with Julia going to the 4th floor and Epherene to the 11th.

Ding—

The elevator reached the 4th floor first, and Julia waved as she stepped out and said, "I'll go now! Good luck on your exam, Ephie!"

"Yeah. You too. Good luck."

Yawning, Epherene heard the elevator ding open on the 6th floor. She was startled to see Sylvia standing there, expressionless. Sylvia stepped in without a word, her face unreadable.

They stood side by side in silence until Epherene, feeling awkward, finally spoke to break the tension, "Did you, um, do well on your exam?"

Sylvia simply nodded.

There was nothing more to say. Feeling the awkwardness, Epherene began reading the names of the floors listed on the wall.

77th floor: Head Professor Deculein's Office / Deculein’s Laboratory.

Ding—

The elevator dinged again as it reached the 10th floor.

Epherene was about to wave goodbye when Sylvia stepped out and sharply said, "Next time, don't mess with the professor. You were lucky not to die that day."

Her languid yet cold voice lingered in the elevator.

Ding—

The elevator doors closed again, and Epherene stared at them in a daze and said, "... What's her problem?"

***

On the 77th floor, in Head Professor Deculein's laboratory, I analyzed a research paper. Having already submitted the exam questions, this was my last task at the Mage Tower.

“This should be...”

The vague and distant outline of the thesis gradually became clearer. The idea behind the paper was excellent. Initially, the constant references to trees, fire, charcoal, pencils, and diamonds confused me, but after a long period of Comprehension, I realized the concept was related to carbon.

The potential of the carbon element was enormous, so if one succeeded in establishing it, they could potentially found a new department of Carbonics or something similar. Of course, this didn’t mean using the carbon element itself.

Rather, it involved integrating the unique properties and nature of carbon, specifically its allotropes and nearly infinite bonding possibilities, to grant magic tremendous flexibility and potential.

However, it would be difficult for me to master. To memorize and implement the magic created based on this thesis, one would need talent in almost all properties. Otherwise, the mana consumption would be severe.

This distinction between Magic Development and Practical Acquisition was quite common. In modern scientific terms, it was like the separation between a theoretical physicist and an experimental physicist.

The same is true for the famous Linnel sect in this world. Linnel, a prominent figure in magic studies, was not as adept at wielding the destructive magic he invented as his disciples were. Despite his groundbreaking discoveries, his students often surpassed him in the practical application of his theories.

"Although the insight was remarkable..."

In a world lacking scientific knowledge, Epherene’s father discovered that charcoal, pencils, and diamonds were actually the same element. He then conceived the idea of using their properties in magic.

"Did he abandon the research in its early stages?"

He hadn't even completed half of the process. There were many mistakes and gaps, and much of it was based on intuition. Typically, a mage’s thesis is about 70 to 80% intuition and 20 to 30% theory, which is usually sufficient for understanding the thesis and practicing the magic.

Anyway, back to the main point, one mage came to mind who would suit this magic well.

“... Epherene.”

The audacious mage from the last class, the one who used a bracelet as a catalyst to master all four elements. As I pondered these matters, my curiosity about Epherene’s father grew. I retrieved a pendant from the corner of my lab drawer that held a picture of a young Epherene.

The fact that her father’s face was cut out of the photo seemed too strange to accept as merely a coincidence. I stared at the pendant for a long time before leaving the laboratory. When I returned to my office, I pulled out a book, intending to read and recover my mana. Just as I was about to start, I felt a gaze pierce my consciousness and quickly turned around.

It was a hawk, perched on the windowsill of the Mage Tower, staring at me. I stared back at it, curious. The hawk tilted its head, seemingly wondering what I was looking at. I tilted my head slightly in response, mirroring its confusion.

Flap flap— whoosh—

The hawk, trembling as if it had been scolded, suddenly flew away.

“Perhaps it’s a hawk with an owner.”

Its well-groomed feathers and oddly cute appearance suggested it had an owner. I drew the curtains over the window, shutting out the view and returning to my work.

***

To the west of the Empire, in the coastal city of Lucan within Yukline territory, the Red Garnet Adventure Team waited at the harbor. Lucan, famous for its clear and warm weather year-round, is a renowned resort destination in the Empire. Today, a child was arriving from the Archipelago.

“Is that the ship?” Ganesha asked, shading her eyes with her hand as she pointed to a ship in the distance.

“Yes, it is.”

For the time being, only one girl was arriving. The child's two relatives had stayed behind in the Archipelago.

“That ship is really slow.”

“Or maybe, Captain, you're just impatient?”

“You’ve been picking arguments a lot lately.”

“It’s not an argument, just stating a fact.”

While they bickered, the ship arrived, and at last, the child disembarked.

As soon as Ganesha saw the adorable figure, she waved her hand and shook her hair, calling out, “Here. Over here.”

Seeing Ganesha's red hair fluttering like wings, the child smiled brightly. “Ganesha, long time no see.”

They had met many children in the Archipelago, and three of them had exceptional talents. But among those three, this child was particularly dear to Ganesha’s heart. All of the children were precious, but this one held a special place in her heart, someone she worried about the most.

“Ria~ didn’t you miss me?

Ria was a mature child with black hair and brown eyes. Wise beyond her years, she possessed immense talent and knew what needed to be done and how to do it. However, her extreme maturity meant she rarely acted like a child. This made her seem like a poor child in need of extra care, which only increased Ganesha's concern and desire to look after her.

“I didn’t miss you that mu— ow!”

Ganesha hugged Ria tightly.

“Ow, ow! This is child abuse, you know. God...”

“Hehe.”

The sight of her chubby, steamed-bun-like face peeking out from Ganesha's embrace was too adorable to resist.

“You know you’re no longer legally considered a child in the Empire now that your birthday has passed~”

“That doesn’t mean you can just— Ow, it hurts! Let go, you silly!”

Her maturity made her even more adorable.

“Let her go, Captain. She says it hurts,” Rohan suggested.

“Let go of me... Let go...”

“Oh, sorry,” Ganesha said, finally letting go of her hug.

Ria glared at her with feigned resentment and said, “Seriously... What’s wrong with you? You’re so silly! I almost passed out!”

“I’m sorry. Shall we go? I'll buy you something tasty.”

“... What will you buy?”

Watching this child grow and seeing how far she would go seemed like it would be a delightful hobby for Ganesha in the future.