Chapter 60

Chapter 60

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 60: Battle Preparations.

The Outer Gods have begun to move.

“Orchestra of Mud and Flesh.”

This figure wasn’t part of the original work, leaving me in the dark about his identity.

If I calmly speculate, the possibilities could be as follows:

Laplace’s Legion twisted causality. As a result, what should exist has vanished, and what shouldn’t exist has now appeared.

My existence has been added to this unpredictable mix.

A butterfly effect.

If an Outer God from the Laplace Legion had intervened, it wouldn’t be surprising for events to unfold in a completely different direction from the original.

How should I deal with this then?

“…….”

I’ve made my decision.

The paper will be published as planned.

A mere Outer God cannot stop my plans.

Thud!

As soon as I returned to the dorm, Sonia drop-kicked me.

“Where have you been wandering around until now?” she demanded.

The pain was so intense that I couldn’t even muster a scream. Groaning and clutching my back, I saw a dark shadow looming over me.

Sonia’s thick, blue bob cut and colorless eyes were unmistakable. She adjusted her headband, looking down at me with a stern expression.

“Take the beating like a champ.”

“Ah, Aak!” I yelped as a thrilling pain raced down my spine.

After she beat me like one would beat a dog on the street, Sonia pulled me up and dragged me straight to the kitchen. A feast was laid out on the neatly arranged dining table.

“Eat.”

“To think you beat someone up horribly and then tell them to eat…”

“E. A. T. It.” she spelled out, her ash-gray eyes glaring at me.

I quickly picked up a fork from the table and nibbled on the now cold Karaage chicken. Despite its temperature, it tasted delicious. Her cooking was exceptionally good.

“Is it right for you to run away when I’ve prepared a meal with care and even drawn a bath for you? Truly shameless. Next time, at least tell me where you’re going before you disappear.”

“Yes, yes,” I replied, trying to appease her.

“Don’t just say yes, yes. Apologize properly now.”

“I’m sorry…”

Keeping secrets was truly a difficult task. But what could be done?

Wouldn’t the Outer God be intrigued if a first-year high school student submitted a paper on Graviton Bullets as the first author?

Just the attempt to publish it had already caused a stir, with one persistent bastard keeping an eye on me.

Look there. A scalene polyhedron had suddenly appeared, hovering in the air and watching me.

It gleamed yellow, much like Ceti’s eyes.

“…….”

I had resolved not to panic even if I was discovered and my plan exposed, though avoiding detection was preferable.

I glared back at the scalene polyhedron.

The thought of wanting to touch it, the desire to become one with the Outer God, slowly bloomed in my mind.

It was a mental lure.

Of course, I didn’t touch it.

I’d already been fooled once; why would I be fooled a second time?

“You bug.”

A clear resonance seeped into my mind.

“Get lost. You’re not the kind of human who can handle this.”

The yellow irregular polyhedron, which had been pulling space toward itself, suddenly stopped.

Sssssh.

It began to move away again, trying to hide behind the curtain.

Just then, Sonia spotted it. She scrunched up her face and approached the irregular polyhedron.

“It seems like the cleaning wasn’t done properly. This is a once-in-a-lifetime oversight on my part as the android Sonia.”

“Ah, wait……”

“Excuse me for a moment, but I’ll throw it out the window.”

Sonia picked up the stone and tossed it outside.

Normally, it would reappear even after that.

“……”

Several minutes passed, but the golden scalene polyhedron did not return.

“……What.”

Why had it come?

The scalene polyhedron usually appeared only in front of those deemed to be possessed, but it had fled?

This, too, was a deviation from the original plot of the novel.

At the very least, it seemed clear that my existence was causing significant changes to the plot.

As I had resolved in my conversation with Cartesia in the past, the knowledge of ‘SOG’ was utterly unnecessary.

I decided to think about the topic of my next paper with ease.

“……”

I paused mid-bite, a gnawing sense of unease creeping over me.

Something wasn’t right.

I pushed my plate away and stood up.

“Where are you going now?” Sonia’s voice was tinged with exasperation as she hurried over.

“It’s okay. I’m not leaving the house this time,” I reassured her.

“Have you finished eating?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m going to use the computer,” I replied, stuffing the remaining nuggets into my mouth before heading to my desk.

I needed to send an email immediately.

If my hunch was correct, a really shitty situation was about to unfold during the finals.

“Honey, a student sent an email to you,” Naier called out.

“Right,” Isaac replied absentmindedly.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Naier frowned in frustration. How can the head of the household not properly read an important work email?

She kicked Isaac’s buttocks lightly. “Stop lazing around and sit up!”

“…Yes.”

Captured by a wife he married right after graduating college, Isaac had been mourning his lost freedom for a good eight years now.

“Look at this,” Naier insisted, showing him the email on the screen.

Isaac’s eyes widened in surprise. “This is… sent by student Aidel?”

“Do you know this student?”

Isaac nodded slowly.

The top-ranked inspectors, Isaac and Naier, had once mentored Aidel and Rustilla, respectively, during their training.

“He is at the top of the freshman class. Average with a sword, but he has a sharp mind.”

“Why did that student send you an email?” Naier asked.

“You’ll understand once you read it.”

After reading the email, the Clark couple was taken aback.

“There’s a high chance that an Outer God will appear during the final tests.”

“Quite direct in his words.”

“I understand what he’s saying. He’s asking for our help,” Isaac said, recalling the student named Aidel.

Isaac remembered sparring with Aidel day after day around the midterms. Though not particularly talented in swordsmanship, Aidel had a firm grasp of the basics and an average understanding. What set him apart was his resilience.

No matter how many times he was beaten, Aidel quickly got up, and his wounds healed fast. Moreover, the more he was hit, the tougher his body became.

“There’s something terrifying about this student,” Isaac said, his shoulders trembling faintly.

The atmosphere among the members of the ‘Sagittarius’ sponsor group was tense.

When Isaac first met Aidel, it seemed like a strange oddity. But occasionally, when he thought of Aidel, the constellations would vibrate madly—a phenomenon he couldn’t explain.

“Why is that?”

“The constellations are trembling again.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I don’t know. I need a moment to collect my thoughts.”

After taking a deep breath, Isaac spoke again. “Aidel is not like any ordinary student. This isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

Given the precarious state of the Ether Belt, the situation was clear.

The Ether Belt remained under investigation, still unrepaired.

If the Outer Gods were determined, they could exploit those gaps and cause a significant incident.

“We need to be fully alert,” Isaac said.

“Did you just realize that?” Naier retorted, tapping Isaac’s heel.

“Don’t forget why we’re here. It’s to subdue the Outer Gods. We need to take down at least one monster to save face before returning.”

“……Hmm.”

“Why are you just standing there? Get ready.”

Late that night, the two, now dressed in military uniforms with swords at their sides, left their quarters.

“What in the universe… is that thing?”

In the depths of a nameless, newborn black hole, far from the galaxy that the Raniakae Federation calls home, a young Outer God’s monster writhed in discomfort.

“Guys.”

Ssssh!

Four avatars materialized without being summoned.

“Oligos, Mayrem, Yoodles, Lyzlactia,” called Populus, a newborn Outer God of the Maxwell Legion.

“I have a task for you.”

Populus waved his hand, causing the space before him to ripple and a clear mirror to appear.

Reflected in the mirror was a life form: a Homo sapiens, a human with black hair and golden eyes.

“Go to the galaxy I have designated and kill the lowly life form that looks like this.”

“Isn’t the Primary Star coming as well?” one of them asked.

“I am overwhelmed with just expanding this region. There are too many enemies nearby for me to move.”

Even Outer Gods fight among themselves, battling to expand their territories and produce more legions as if they were manufacturing them in a factory.

Unfortunately for Populus, he was born in a wasteland surrounded by several black holes. Naturally, the Outer Gods around did not understand his plight.

There are ranks even among Outer Gods. The four summoned by Populus were from small black holes directly connected to him by blood. They were different from the low-grade, unintelligent phenomena that destroy everything indiscriminately. In other words, they wielded immense power.

Dispatching such powerful beings to a remote galaxy all at once seemed nonsensical.

“Primary Star. Why are we interested in such a remote place?”

“We can gather a significant amount of enthalpy. Galaxies with life contain plenty of useful energy.”

“Even so, it’s too far from us.”

Several billion light-years far, to be exact. Even if they warped with all their might, it would take a week to reach.

“But we must do this,” Populus insisted, waving his tentacles.

“Graviton bullet.”

“Graviton bullet?”

“That boy is trying to cultivate a power capable of annihilating us, which is not suitable for his civilization level or status.”

The Outer God fell silent. That was reason enough. Eliminating potential threats as soon as possible was prudent.

“But, Oh, Primary Star. If we are at the mission site, who will protect you?”

“I’ll take care of myself,” Populus replied, shaking his head. His antennae trembled like a snail’s.

“Besides, that silver mine is useful, and the others haven’t found it yet. It’s far, but it’s a valuable resource for us.”

“Ah.”

Populus’s gaze returned to the mirror, focusing on a boy with black hair and golden eyes—Aidel von Reinhardt.

“There is currently another Outer God residing in this being.”

“……!”

“But it’s not strong. Most of its abilities are related to mind manipulation.”

“So you mean its physical strength is lacking.”

“Right. It has been confirmed that it doesn’t communicate with other black holes around. In short, it’s an isolated God.”

Sometimes, Outer Gods inhabit the empty black holes on the outskirts of galaxies. Without any notice, they firmly take their place and act as the rulers of these galactic alleys. However, they do not expand beyond these confines. This is evidence of their inherent weakness.

The Outer Gods nodded their heads and began to speak, one after another.

“Oh, Primary Star.”

“We will kill that life and erase the stigma of that fool who has taken control of the human.”

“If we expel them, oh, Primary Star; you may move your residence to that place now!”

“Ah, there are many cruel beings here. It’s better to deal with them quickly and flee from this place…”

Populus waved his hand, and the Outer Gods vanished at once.

Alone inside the black hole, the Outer God was lost in thought.

‘Get lost. This guy is not a human you can handle.’

Laughter erupted from him.

Was that supposed to be a warning?

Rather than fearing the local big shot, Populus was afraid of the boy with black hair and golden eyes.

Populus lifted a bead filled with the flow of time. Stored within it was the entropy accumulated over a certain period.

“Ah, I need to write a thesis.”

The disorder of space-time created by a boy who decided to develop a Graviton Bullet was being reversed with the power of Maxwell’s monsters. The once murky bead became clear again, and the boy’s mouth returned to its original position.

At this moment, a new possibility had formed. Even in a hypothetical scenario, the boy remained the same.

“Ah, I need to write a thesis.”

Vowing to create a weapon that would defeat them all. An indescribable madness was felt.

Populus once again split the timeline.

“Ah, I need to write a thesis.”

Rewinding, rewinding, and rewinding again.

“Ah ah ah, I need to write, I need to write, I need to write, thesis, thesis, thesis…”

So, it was rewound billions of times.

“…”

He finally gave up.

“Ah, I need to write a thesis!!!!”

It seemed an immutable fixed point had been established. This universe, at the very least, was one where the boy was certain of his intention to develop Graviton bullets at all costs.

Graviton bullets.

A single word so terrifying it made an Outer God sense their own death. Feeling such an unfamiliar sensation intensely, the Outer God Populus soon wore a cunning smile.

It’s just a pipe dream, after all. What’s the use in making it?

“Heh, hehe.”

The human will cross a path of madness from which he can never return.

And so, Populus decided to at least pray for the human’s soul.

“…Farewell, inferior being.”

After all, he considered himself a superior life form who understood what a funeral was.

“Is Oligos there?”

Tsk tsk tsk!

“Did you call for me?”

“What could be the reason I called you here alone?”

“……”

“Because I trust you the most. Now…”

A crystallized jewel appeared in Populus’s hand. A gold scalene polyhedron. It was Maxwell’s possession stone.

“If it’s difficult to kill the person I’ve targeted, wait for the right moment and use this on someone close to him.”

“…Possession stone. What do you plan to do?”

“I will personally parasitize his brain.”

Populus chuckled.

Family, lover, or friend.

If he loses someone close to him, that young fool will also break his baseless beliefs and crumble.