NOVEL WEB Chapter 89
Left the classroom with Mira. The Mirror Bug smoothly took to the air and started displaying a screen.
On it was the Tooth Necklace. It clashed its teeth together, grinning at me. Hmm, that’s definitely a smile, right? It arranged the teeth neatly, forming a crescent moon.
People were gathered in the central hall on the second floor. The Shadow Dolls near them were naturally guiding them along. They stole glances at the dolls while chatting with each other.
I stood before them. The sound of teeth clashing echoing from the Mirror Bug gradually quieted them down. They all looked a bit tense, as if gearing up their magic.
I smiled and raised my right hand. My left wasn’t free since Mira was holding onto it. I faced them, palm out, and waved.
“No need to be so tense already. As I mentioned earlier, there’s still 30 minutes left.”
The Mirror Bug slowly circled around them. The Tooth Necklace surveyed each of them, clacking its teeth.
– “I’ll be watching you fight hard. No interference will occur, so just collapse when you fight! And when I say ‘collapse,’ I don’t mean just fall to the floor. I mean to die. I once faced someone like that, who suddenly pretended to be dead on the floor. It was absolutely ridiculous! I told him…”
Words from the Tooth Necklace burst forth in the Mirror Bug. The power contained formed sentences that wove through the air like threads. It poured down like rain, a dense paragraph that was nearly impossible to read all at once.
“Yes. You should all be able to see what the Tooth Necklace is saying, right? Future lectures will all be conducted this way. You just need to meet the conditions the treasure requires in any way possible. Fighting isn’t everything. This is just the taste of the Tooth Necklace.”
The people, dumbfoundedly staring at the words from the Tooth Necklace, began shifting their gaze to me. I met their eyes one by one. These were the ones I’d be spending the next five years with. Perhaps offering a bit of help wouldn’t hurt.
“You should think carefully about what they desire. If you understand how the treasure’s desires move, you can pretty easily earn their choice.”
I continued to watch the Mirror Bug pouring out words. The desire of the Tooth Necklace was quite clear.
“Always think from the perspective of the treasure. Then, they will gladly choose you.”
Those words were heartfelt. Mira giggled at what she heard. Looking down at her, she flashed me a playful smile. In a way, I too had been somewhat chosen by her.
However, it seemed my sincere words didn’t resonate with the students. They were just wearing puzzled expressions. I closed my eyes in disappointment at that.
These foolish humans. They were deeply immersed in that narrow-minded, mage-like thought of viewing treasures merely as objects. Just by looking at their faces, I could clearly see how much they would struggle ahead.
They needed to understand that treasures also have thoughts, desires, and their own happiness, and more importantly, that treasures have rights too. One must respect others to be respected in return. They needed to respect the treasures.
With that regret buried in my heart, I smiled again. I nodded my head toward them. If they were ignorant, they could learn. That’s how a mage should progress. Through this lecture, they would surely gain a deeper understanding of the treasures.
“The battlefield will encompass the entire second floor, excluding the infirmary and classroom. Those two areas will be closed off. After all, we can’t have those eliminated jumping back into the fray. You just need to fight freely here.”
At those words, they began to scan their surroundings with their magic. Watching their magic reach all the way to the far room, I continued speaking.
“You will have 12 hours. During that time, how you choose to fight is up to you. You can form organizations, negotiate, whatever you want. The choice is yours. You can even hide without fighting.”
All of that could serve as one singular strategy. I felt no need to restrict their potential. The freer they were, the more actions and thoughts they’d show.
“But remember, the reason you’re fighting is because of the Tooth Necklace and to gain its power. Now you can move freely. The bell will signal the start, so good luck to everyone.”
With those words, I waved goodbye to them. Having shared everything I needed to, there was nothing more left to say. It was now their turn. They’ll do just fine. They were all experts in fighting, after all.
They began to buzz with excitement. As observed in the classroom, they clustered together into defined groups and started talking amongst themselves. Gradually, they broke into smaller parties heading in different directions.
“Let me say it again, you must think from the perspective of the treasure!”
I shouted this after them. It was my last piece of advice. They glanced at me for a moment, but their faces were still filled with confusion. It seemed they didn’t quite get it. They moved farther away.
– “To think from the treasure’s perspective, how touching! A great touch! Well, it seems they don’t understand.”
The Tooth Necklace clicked its teeth beyond the Mirror Bug. I glanced at it briefly. On the other side of the screen, a bright white sky could be seen. It was a warehouse landscape.
It was still tied up inside the warehouse. The illusion in the classroom was merely an implementation of what was inside.
To avoid its frustration, I had prepared plenty of Mirror Bugs. Right in front of it, dozens of Mirror Bugs floated up. They reflected the scene around the second floor, capturing the students’ images.
And this footage couldn’t be simply viewed by just one. Other treasures using the bulletin board would also be able to observe it. They would likely pick out some favorites ahead of time.
– “Now, a fight fierce enough to be tooth-numbingly competitive awaits. This is going to be fun! Hehe!”
The students claimed the areas they liked and began laying down their magic. Soon, the sound of a bell echoed throughout the second floor—a ringing that heralded the start of combat.
I returned to the classroom. I might get entangled in their fights after all. The Tooth Necklace claimed it would observe their actions.
And an hour passed.
No one had been eliminated.
During that time, no fights had occurred. Everyone was just sneaking glances at each other inside their rooms.
This was expected. Who would be foolish enough to make the first move when they knew nothing about each other and had no confidence in winning? Time passed, leading us to this moment.
Mira sat quietly beside me, sipping her tea. She was observing the second floor via a floating Mirror Bug. Several others floated in front of me too.
Seeing that, I took out a new sheet of paper. As I focused, the Mirror Bugs revealed a new person. A slender woman was conversing with those around her.
This time, I thought I might summarize this person. I recognized her. Wasn’t her name Luciela? She was the one who bought a seat from me.
Her skills were impressive too. She had been on the third floor for quite a while, so she would likely rank among the top students in our lecture.
So, I figured I needed to position her above the average score. About 70 points for each category might do for starters. I adjusted the scores meticulously while reviewing the information.
“What have you been up to since a while ago?”
Mira asked as she set down her teacup. I put down my magical pen briefly to look at her. There was a hint of boredom in her eyes.
“I’m just summarizing the information about the students. Checking the info sent by the Shadow Dolls assigned to them and the Mirror Bugs.”
Beyond the Mirror Bug, the Shadow Dolls attended to the individuals chatting. The dolls smiled as they assisted those nearby, pouring tea and performing simple magic to enhance their convenience.
They were compiling everything they saw and heard around them, sending it all over to me as will. I was meticulously writing it down on paper.
Their preferences, movements, gazes, etc. Even the tiniest details mattered. I needed to thread it all together to create a rough sketch of each person.
“Is there really a need to do this right now? They could just naturally gather together like last time if we wait.” Mira rested her chin on her hands and asked. She seemed a bit bored with the long wait.
She was right about that too. This would eventually accumulate as information over time. But that’s only after time had passed. I wasn’t convinced that what stacked up would represent their true information.
“Gathering this isn’t for my benefit, nor is it for the treasures. It’s solely for them, the students. We need to prepare against their dangers.”
Perhaps intrigued by my words, she began rummaging through the dozens of papers laid out in front of me. These were a somewhat vague collection of information, not yet fully refined. I would have to keep observing and revising them.
But amongst them were a few sheets with very clear writings. She picked one such paper, looked at it, and chuckled lightly.
“Ah-ha, I remember this friend.”
Was there someone that would catch Mira’s interest? I peeked at the paper. Seeing the name, I vaguely nodded my head. It made sense that she’d react to this person.
In fact, among the previous students who attended, a surprisingly large number re-enrolled, despite me giving them low scores. They must have noticed that my classes had changed.
The person she was looking at was one of those. That’s why it had clearer information; I’d gathered enough data on them. His name was Hao, and Mira was now flipping through the paper with sparkling eyes.
“He had a profoundly rich scent. I just feel like I want to consume him whenever I look at him.”
In truth, his skills were the weakest among all these students. He had wrapped up the last class in 160th place.
All mages of similar caliber had been eliminated from consideration. Still, the reason I kept him was singular. As Mira pointed out, Hao had a rather unusual characteristic.
He attracted the attention of non-human entities. Now, the fake wood dangling from Unit 0 used to cause a stir sometimes. Something like a ghostly escape act, perhaps. Interestingly, those spirits gathered solely around Hao’s Mirror Bug.
The same was true in class. He was often targeted by monsters. As Mira said, it was due to that scent. I had observed him a bit more out of curiosity.
The reason for bringing him aboard was to concentrate the treasure’s attention on him. He was a noteworthy existance among the treasures, just as Mira was acknowledging now.
Hao would continue to attract the treasures’ gaze and influence. All of this would be relayed back to me. He was essentially a specimen for this lecture.
“Hmm, and what are the numbers beneath? 29, 90, 33?”
“It’s a sort of threshold. Once they surpass these numbers, I anticipate something will change.”
Life was composed of three elements: body, mind, and soul. These three together formed life. What I had jotted down was the score regarding the life held by each student.
Of course, many theories existed. Some included magic in those considerations, while others posited various different elements were at play. It seems we still couldn’t definitively grasp the concept of life yet.
Still, everyone acknowledged that these three basic elements were included. Therefore, this triad of life was the most widely accepted theory in magic. I also used it to assign scores.
The reason Hao had a high score for his mental aspect was that his trait stemmed from the observations I had made. His body was ordinary, and as the score suggested, his soul wasn’t anything special.
However, the potent waves of his strong mind were palpable enough for me to notice occasionally. That must have attracted non-human entities. Thus, I assigned him a very high score for his mental grasp.
“Aha, I think I understand what you’re considering. You’re wary of the treasures.”
She chuckled. I nodded silently at her statement.
To hand over power. How sweet those words are. Just as the students had gathered around, any mage would surely be tempted by that. But is it really as easy as it sounds?
Treasures essentially had a nature of engulfing their targets. That’s why they were called treasures. If weeds were to see them, they might just dissolve right on the spot.
Of course, those managing magic were less affected by such treasures. But if they overly abused that power, they too could be engulfed by the treasures. Such situations arose when the gap in power became too vast.
I recalled when I met that strange gaze on the seventh floor. Just by looking, I felt like I might shatter into twelve pieces and go mad. Treasures scattered their pollution seamlessly around them.
What might happen if the students were to absorb such power?
Certainly, the students knew the treasures well. Most would surely utilize the granted powers well. They were, after all, concerned about protecting their own bodies.
But the mage’s greed always invites folly. The treasures would also directly intervene with them.
During that process, they could undergo strangely bizarre transformations, perhaps becoming biological terminals of the treasures.
As the lecturer, I had to preemptively safeguard against that risk. That act would infringe upon the students’ basic rights. The professor surely wouldn’t let me off light.
Thus, it was necessary to observe their initial forms. Their state of being pure humans. I casually explained this to Mira, who then smiled at me with her eyes crinkling.
“Hehe, this is fun.”
Satisfied, Mira placed the papers back down and resumed watching the Mirror Bugs. The central hall was reflected there. And beyond that, I could see the tightly shut doors—rooms where the students were gathered.
“When do you think the fighting will start? It’s just too boring right now. That friend over there seems to feel the same way.”
She pointed to the screen. Beyond it, a Mirror Bug was pouring words while surveying the rooms. I chuckled softly and shook my head.
“They’ll fight soon. You just need to wait a little longer.”
I told her with certainty. She gave me a slightly dubious look as if she were taken aback.
“I trust the mages. When the opportunity presents itself, they will act without hesitation.”
“You can’t trust people, and mages even less. Didn’t you say that?”
She tilted her head, asking. Hmm, did I actually say that? I felt a bit embarrassed and scratched my cheek.
“Well, what I believe is that I can’t trust the untrustworthiness of mages. Their intense selfishness and desires.”
She blinked in surprise. I barely bowed my head toward her, committing to write down more information. Data was continuously pouring in. I needed to jot it all down quickly.
And it unfolded just as I expected.
The first battle broke out roughly ten minutes after our discussion. It was the outcome of those who had previously attended my class banding together. They swooped in on the group of individual mages, swiftly eliminating them.
That would be better described as a raid rather than a battle. They took out over twenty people in under three minutes.
They capitalized on the enemies’ distracted state and took them all out in one fell swoop. It was a situation they couldn’t help but be lax in. After all, they were allies.
They probably formed alliances just to carve out an opening. If there was something to chew on, they would devour it. If they saw a gap, they’d pounce. That’s how mages operate.