Chapter 102

Chapter 102

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 102: A Prudent College Life (2).

The long-awaited freshman orientation had finally arrived. My singular goal for this event was to identify potential future colleagues who seemed promising. At Stellarium College, intelligence is a given, and naturally, there would be peers aiming for graduate school. Simply put, this was all about networking. There’s no harm in getting to know a few people, right?

Dawn.

To secure a good spot, I arrived three hours early. I planned to explore the campus if I had extra time. However, I noticed someone in the front row of the theater.

This person had white hair and wore a white coat, topped off with a fur hat and a petite frame. The scarf she wore was black, just like mine. She looked around, sat on a bench, then stood up again moments later, only to sit in the adjacent seat. After a few more seconds, she repeated the same action countless times: sit down, stand up, and move to the next seat. Did she lease the chair?

I scratched my head and approached stealthily, but somehow, the round back of her head seemed familiar.

“Zelnya?”

“Kyaa!”

The woman almost toppled backward. I hurriedly reached out to steady her. Our grape-like eyes met.

“As expected, it was you, Zelnya.”

“You! What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“That’s what I should be asking,”

I was bewildered. Why would a high schooler, who should be stretching their legs at the dormitory or home, be at the university?

“Could it be a college tour?”

“No!”

“Then what is it?”

“Of course, it’s early admission! Don’t you ever think before asking?”

I see. So she graduated early. That’s very typical of Zelnya.

“Did you miss me that much?”

“Shut up.”

“Why were you standing up and sitting down?”

“You don’t need to know.”

I had no choice; I’d have to use a skill.

[Mental state]

I was looking for a first-class seat to sit with you. I wanted to surprise you, but I ended up being surprised myself and got flustered.

Oh no… I must have crushed the innocent dreams of an eighteen-year-old girl. I felt guilty. Zelnya found a suitable spot and settled down, and I took a seat next to her. She shot me a sideways glance, then opened her mouth.

“Move a bit further away.”

“Okay.”

“Ah.”

She sighed as if disappointed.

[Mental state]

This isn’t right.

Did she want me to sit with her or not? Pretending to be reluctant, I sat back down next to her again.

Whooong.

The chilly winter wind howled like a knife, biting through the air with a ferocity that felt almost unnatural. It was so cold that it seemed as if entropy itself was being reversed. Zelnya, sensing the drop in temperature, instinctively drew closer to me.

That’s when I felt it—a foreboding aura creeping in.

The Outer God ‘Steel Flowing Like the Earth’ is moving.

Zelnya and I exchanged a glance, our instincts kicking in. Thanks to my status window, I was aware of the danger, and Zelnya, despite having an artificial constellation, it made her acutely sensitive to the eerie presence of the Outer God.

Then, we saw her: another woman standing behind us. She wore a baseball cap pulled low over her face, her black hair and eyes blending into the shadows. Her stern expression radiated a fierceness that was distinctly different from Zelnya’s. The woman’s downward gaze was an unwelcome challenge to Zelnya’s pride.

“Who are you?” Zelnya demanded. The aggression rolled off her tongue, so naturally, it couldn’t be stopped.

“None of your business.”

At the sound of her voice, recognition hit me like a wave.

Ire Hazlen. Our protagonist. She had been running away, and now she was back.

Remember that ‘Surviving Outer Gods’ is a cosmic horror novel. Although Ire is the protagonist, she occupies a unique role as the ‘main protagonist’ of the novel. Unlike a typical munchkin web novel, where the strongest character often takes center stage, this genre chooses the narrator based on who suffers the longest. In this case, Ire witnesses the deaths of Rustila, Ceti, and Zelnya. She also possesses a high acceptance of the Pron value, and her sponsor is associated with ‘patience’. All that makes her perfectly suited for the role. While she isn’t weak, could she really stand against an Outer God?

Ire looked down at Zelnya and me with an air of indifference as if we were merely stones on the roadside. I could guess her reasoning: I, Aidel, a third-rate villain, and Zelnya, the main antagonist of the University arc.

[Mental state]

Contemplating how to dispose of you and Zelnya.

Damn, she’s seriously considering killing us if she gets annoyed. The data accumulated over 800,000 iterations is intimidating. But this iteration is different! I’ve done everything I could! I made chicken porridge at the Holy Spirit’s place and reset her Pron levels. Plus, I managed to hold back the Outer Gods from beyond our galaxy with just two pieces of paper. You must have seen the news—wasn’t that a hard carry?

So why is she trying to kill me? Is she even thinking straight? Is she being influenced mentally by an Outer God? Damn, she really is under their sway. I’m sorry.

I gently suggested, trying to defuse the situation.

“Um, if you don’t mind, would you like to sit here?”

“…?”

“This is the best seat. You can see everything well from here, and it’s easy to leave if you need to.”

“…Alright.”

“Just a moment. There’s something we need to do before you sit with us.”

I took out the calipers. Time to start with some purification.

“Huh?”

Bang! Bang! Baaang!

With three sharp sounds, the protagonist collapsed.

“You… you lunatic! What did you just do?”

“It was summer…”

I stood up, carrying the limp Ire on my back. Zelnya gaped at me like a fish out of water.

“Are you trying to commit attempted murder? No matter how you spin it, doing something like this out of nowhere…”

Let me explain how it went down. To break the mental manipulation on Ire, we needed to fight fire with fire. So, I resorted to a Cartesia-style bat, and our protagonist ended up in a coma. Sure, her Pron level shot up by about 10,000, but a nasty lump was also starting to form on her head.

“You idiot. This is too much!”

“Zelnya.”

“What!”

“I’m really touched that you said that.”

“Has he actually lost it?”

It was tough to explain the whole situation. How could I even begin to describe the Calipers of Wisdom? So, I made up an excuse about physical therapy. Naturally, Zelnya let loose a barrage of curses.

I pulled up the message window, sent a quick text, and then turned to Zelnya. “There’s a reason. Do you trust me?”

“Trust you?”

“Can you understand without needing to know why I did this?”

“…….”

How long did she ponder that? Finally, Zelnya nodded. Perhaps her artificial constellations sensed it too—the presence of an Outer God emanating from Ire Hazlen. She realized Ire was being partially controlled and that we needed to rush to the Sacred Spirit’s abode for treatment.

“Well, you’re as smart as I am.”

I responded to Zelnya’s consideration with a gentle smile.

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Alright. I get it, so just go quickly…”

Suddenly, Zelnya stopped talking and stood up.

“I’m going too.”

“What?”

“I’m a freshman, but I’m in the pre-med program. There’s a sick person, and not following them would be a complete failure as a doctor.”

Wow, this was touching. Is this really the same Zelnya who used to be so rude? What a significant improvement.

I nodded and started running with her.

Moments before freshman orientation. At the Southern Front, the air crackled with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

“It’s over…”

One of the surviving soldiers shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. “It’s overrrrrr!!”

“We’ve stopped the queen!”

“Honey, I survived! I really did! I’ll buy a souvenir and come back, so make sure the bed is ready!”

For decades, the forces of the Darwinian Outer Gods had relentlessly invaded, their incursions thwarted only by the Ether Belt. This barrier had held strong until now. Until this moment, there had been no way to address a breach in the Ether Belt; the best anyone could do was hope for nature to miraculously repair itself.

But scientists have overcome that limitation. They developed theories, brought them to life through simulations, validated them with experiments, and ultimately transformed them into groundbreaking technology.

“Doctor Reinhardt, you’ve worked hard,”

At that moment, Arnold, the head of the Reinhardt family, felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

“Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the soldiers at the front line. On behalf of the military, I extend our gratitude.”

“No, I did nothing,” Arnold replied, shaking his head.

“You don’t need to be modest. Besides, isn’t it thanks to your third son that this war might come to an end? That kid is truly blessed, haha!”

Arnold’s lips twitched into a smile.

“By the way, Stellarium Academy has sent a proposal to hire you as a professor in their medical school. Did you see the email?”

“No, I’ve been too busy to check…”

“If you’re interested, you should consider applying right away. Someone like you, who has performed countless surgeries for the Federation at such a low cost, deserves such a position.”

Arnold nodded thoughtfully. “Let’s do that.”

At that moment, he embraced the idea of becoming a professor. Afterward, he focused on wrapping up his work on the southern front while drafting a quick email to his third son. The message was simple: I will come to see you soon. He decided to keep his new position a secret, planning to reveal it as a surprise to Ceti and Aidel.

Meanwhile, he stayed informed about Aidel’s progress through regular reports from Sonia. The changes in his third son were unmistakable. While it was encouraging to see Aidel thrive, it also stirred a mix of pride and concern. Aidel had achieved remarkable accomplishments at a much younger age than his two older brothers.

‘End of the Southern Front War’

With that announcement, it was all over. Outside the barracks, soldiers erupted in cheers, singing praises for Aidel. It was only natural that his older brothers would feel a twinge of annoyance.

“Father, you can never be too careful with Aidel. Don’t trust him too easily,” the eldest son, Brian, adjusted his glasses as he offered his unsolicited advice.

“Have you forgotten your brother’s thesis?”

“That’s because he probably threatened the professor to ghostwrite it. With Aidel’s character, anything is possible. Father, this is just another act in his ongoing scam to avoid being kicked out of the family.”

“Brian, stop badmouthing your brother.”

“No, it doesn’t make sense. How could that idiot write a thesis? When I graduated from medical school, I struggled for months to barely complete one. But he churned out two in three months, and in …”

“Fine. If you’re so suspicious, come with me to Stellarium. It’s best to confront your brother directly about his thesis there. Does that work for you?”

Brian fell silent. In truth, he was afraid that Aidel’s rapid rise would threaten his own position as head of the family. Inheriting the Reinhardt estate was at stake, and he could not afford to yield.

“Where is your mother?”

“I have only one mother.”

“I told you to treat Rejane as your mother.”

“How can she be my mother when we share no blood? Honestly, I still don’t understand the council’s decision.”

“Enough. Don’t speak anymore,”

“…She will probably stay here for a while.”

Arnold nodded as if he understood.

A month later, Arnold arrived at Stellarium. As he wandered through the deserted halls of the Reinhardt ship and entered the college, an overwhelming sense of loneliness washed over him.

Wooooong.

“?”

Wooooong. Wooooong. Wooooong. Wooooong…

Ceti: Dad

Da d

Help

Help

He lp

Heeelp

Please help!!!!

Hurr y

Me: What’s going on?

Ceti: The third brother is at the Holy Spirit Hospital right now.

Someone he knows got attacked by an Outer God.

She’s on the brink of death.

Dad, you’re near home right now.

Me: How did you know I’m in Stellarium?

Ceti: I tracked your account number.

By controlling the GPS like hacking.

No, this isn’t the time to explain.

Please help.

Please go to the Southern Sanctuary.

Arnold didn’t fully grasp the situation, but it was his daughter’s plea. He had time on his side, so there was no reason to hesitate.

Me: Okay.

With that, Arnold closed the message window and set off toward the Holy Spirit Hospital.