episode_0097

After the fight ended quicker than expected, we approached the center of the plaza. While Violet’s 1st Platoon, with Daphne at the center and Irene leading, moved towards the plaza, the other two platoons roamed the forest near the ruins, hunting remaining monsters.

“Grrr!”

“Die!”

Violet 219, walking through the forest, beheaded a Skrax that had sprung up from lying flat on the ground. These ferocious dwarves are everywhere. Truly amazing.

Once safety was secured, I decided to do what needed to be done. The two girls’ eyes sparkled with curiosity as they looked at the Aether Amplification Device placed in the center of the plaza.

“This strengthens our abilities, right? That’s amazing.”

“Growth would be a more appropriate term. So Violet, what’s the principle behind this device?”

I cleared my throat a few times, then slowly explained what this ruin device, which remained in my memory, was.

There are several ways for an Awakener to grow.

The first method is to kill a creature with aether in its body and absorb its magic power.

Usually, one hunts magic beasts, but strictly speaking, the target doesn’t necessarily have to be a magic beast. Magic beasts aren’t the only creatures with a certain amount of aether in their bodies. It’s just a method that cultured people don’t often choose.

The second is to repeatedly train in manipulating magic power to increase the internal aether. Aether, strangely enough, is a substance that reacts to human will, so if you train diligently, its quantity increases just like muscle growth. Besides these, there are also methods like training in specific locations or taking medicine and undergoing dangerous surgeries, but these are usually considered exceptions.

“If we use this, we can grow our power.”

“Really?”

As the name Aether Amplification Device suggests, this device amplifies the aether within an Awakener’s body, boosting their capabilities. In simple terms, it’s a machine that grants experience points. In the game, it gave a small amount of experience and money every time it was activated, but I don’t know how it will be here.

What’s certain is that there are no side effects. The only drawback is one: it’s single-use.

Once used, that’s it.

“How long does it take?”

“Immediately after activation!”

Irene, hearing my words, asked with a slightly worried voice.

“It’s safe, right?”

“It’s safe. Definitely! It won’t compare to anything like that! Trust me.”

My friends, hearing my earnest request, followed despite their skepticism. This isn’t like a quack doctor or a multi-level marketing scheme trying to sell something bad. We Violets would never do anything to harm our friends.

I fumbled through my memories and activated the device. You just had to inject magic power and then turn the three round handles attached to it, one by one, in clockwise order. Conveniently, there were arrows under the handles.

Once the activation procedure was complete, after a moment, a large yellow crystal began to glow and emit light. Magic power enveloped all of us, and something inside our bodies grew. It felt as if the volume of my very being was expanding from within, like a skilled potter delicately enlarging a vessel on a wheel.

“Oh…”

I marveled.

After about a minute, the crystal’s light gradually faded. The aether amplifier, having fulfilled its role, flickered a few times like a broken TV screen before turning off completely.

“How do you feel?”

I asked my friends.

“It reminds me of when I first learned to use magic power. My body feels a bit lighter.”

“It reminds me of when I previously mastered magic power.”

At first, Irene and Daphne seemed dubious as they checked their bodies, but gradually their expressions brightened.

Irene drew her spear and swung it through the air.

“I feel like I can try things I only thought about before. It’s beyond imagination. This power…”

The golden magic power radiating from the tip of her spear became even more powerful than before.

“I still can’t quite grasp it. It feels like the amount of magic power in my body and the magic power I can control at once have increased, though.”

Daphne still couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.

While my friends examined themselves, the Violets also cautiously checked the situation. They swung their weapons in the air or jumped in place a few times.

“The weapon feels lighter. Our power has increased!”

“My body feels faster too.”

It’s time to check the status window.

Name: Violet Dunhind Ruzilin Alias: Pest Controller Status: Polaris Academy 1st Year Student Lv: 33 HP: 4800/4800 MP: 44100/44100 …

My level increased by 3 all at once. Lately, my level hadn’t been increasing much even after catching low-level magic beasts, so this was a good result.

By the way, something curious occurred to me. There were many Violets around the aether amplifier, so would the amplifier’s effects apply to them multiple times?

“First off, the level of increased power is the same for everyone.”

“It seems this device treats our entire being as a single entity.”

The check confirmed it wasn’t. The aether amplifier’s effect only applied to the ‘existence’ of Violet. I don’t know how it works, but it’s amazing.

Now that I’d confirmed gaining experience, it was time to look around. In games, everything is given with a single click, but this is reality, so I had to search myself.

“It was somewhere around here.”

I saw a suspicious brick protruding just below the aether amplifier. It looked like it would go inward if pressed. When I touched it, there was a clunking sound, and a suspicious box popped out from the floor.

“What’s this?”

“Beats me, I don’t know either!”

My friends looked at the suddenly appearing box. I didn’t know either. What came out of the box was random.

Usually, it yields gold bars or valuable relics, and if you’re unlucky, junk items. If you’re lucky, relic equipment might pop out, but typically 3-star or 4-star weapons appear. 5-star items are rare.

“I’m opening it now.”

As I was about to open the box, Daphne cautiously stopped me.

“Wait a moment! It might be dangerous, you know?”

She said that and poked my body with her staff. Looking at the barrier, I thought, perhaps Daphne was too timid.

As I unlatched the box and opened the lid, a dazzling array of colorful light burst forth. I covered my face with my hand, blinded.

“Gah!”

“What is this?”

The surprised Violets whispered amongst themselves, looking at it.

“This light…!”

“It’s rainbow-colored!”

Rainbow light holds significant meaning in Crimson Academy. This is because 5-star characters or equipment appear with a rainbow glow in gacha. I don’t know why this light appeared in reality, but,

based on my intuition, it’s highly likely that a 5-star item is inside this box!

As the light soon faded, the people around peered into the box, their eyes full of anticipation.

“A glove?”

At the bottom of the box was a brass gauntlet. At first glance, it looked like a glove a giant had dropped. Up to the wrist, it was a normal size, but the hand part was extremely large. The brass hand, engraved with intricate patterns above and below, was excessively large and unbalanced.

Thinking it might be a salable relic, I picked it up. As I brought up the status window, a twinkling star appeared.

[Hand of Fate ☆☆☆☆☆] A relic left behind by an unknown civilization from another dimension. The lost aether technology used in this relic focused on magic power release. Therefore, wicked ones, stand aside before this hand. Beware the power of light, lest the will of power cleave the darkness. * Every 24 hours, you can unleash three small attacks or one powerful magic power beam by expending some or all of your current magic power. …

The moment I saw the description, I doubted my eyes. It was a 5-star item. And a unique weapon that wasn’t even in the game!

“On the surface, it just looks like a decorative gauntlet…”

“There’s a unique condition attached! To be able to unleash a beam by expending all of one’s magic power.”

Considering our magic power reserves, its destructive power wouldn’t be small. Besides the Blazing Blade, we now had another trump card.

I said to my friends.

“Can I! Can I have this?”

My friends replied.

“Then do as you please. It’s customary for relics found in dungeons to belong to the first person who discovers them, unless there’s a special agreement. And you brought us to this place, Violet. So it’s only right that everything obtained here is yours.”

“I think so too. But, Violet. Is that a toy?”

“No! It’s a relic weapon.”

Irene tilted her head, examining the Hand of Fate. She seemed to be pondering what value this needlessly large glove could possibly have as a weapon.

“Ah… if you want to sell it later, I can find someone for you.”

“There’s no need.”

They’ll be surprised when I show them the power of this weapon later.

“Violet, our work here is done, right?”

“Yeah, we found everything.”

“Then let’s go out!”

We dusted our hands off and returned through the passage we came from.

It was time to go back.

***

It took some time doing odd jobs inside the ruins. When we came out, it was a little past 1 PM.

We cautiously emerged, worried someone might see us. I de-spawned the clones, returning them to magic power. There were too many to bring them out.

The surroundings were a bit noisy. Other student parties participating in the experiential learning had already arrived here and were frantically searching the area. Everyone was busy looking for the fake relics that the instructors had hidden beforehand.

Our team had nothing left to do here. We had already picked up the fake relic for the assignment long before entering the ruin’s basement.

The students’ party compositions varied. Few had formed teams of three like us. Most consisted of 4 to 5 members, and occasionally there were teams of 6.

First, there was a female witch party wandering around with composite material staffs.

“Is it here? Not on the tree?”

An archer unit, all carrying a bow.

“It’s hot. So hot… I want to finish quickly and go home…”

Even medieval compositions, seemingly out of place in this futuristic world, were visible.

One male student with a sword and a one-handed shield, followed by a female support mage student with a staff.

A male student with a crossbow and a dagger.

A male student with a large shield and an axe.

One female combat mage student wearing gloves with magic circles etched into them and equipped with auxiliary magic gear.

“Wow! I’ve seen that combination somewhere before.”

“Isn’t that a hero party?”

It’s a composition of Hero, Saintess, Rogue, Warrior, Mage.

Although they wore tech-wear style outfits made of functional fabrics and were armed with modern swords and bows, at their core, they were a classic hero party straight out of a fantasy novel.

“There were demon lords in other dimensions, but I didn’t expect to see a combination like that.”

“It’s classic.”

Party compositions with clear offense and defense roles are considered old-fashioned in the academy city. This is because magic beasts are so nimble and can appear from anywhere, blurring the distinction between front and rear lines.

The comment by Instructor Frederick or Professor Albert about our party being ‘classic but old-fashioned’ was similar.

Well, we secured flexibility with our numbers, though.

In this harsh world, even support roles and ranged attackers eventually needed to know how to fight in close combat.

“Well, they’ll fight well on their own.”

“It’s just surprising.”

Well, besides that party, there were many other interesting students. Things like heavy armor parties, phalanxes, or academy city versions of Viking compositions.

As I walked among the students towards the resting area, I ran into a blue-haired male student I recognized. It was Lucian. A 4-star mage character.

I met him again after tricking him and running away last time when he suddenly started talking about a duel.

Uniquely, behind him, a black-haired girl with pigtails and a bulky male student were also visible.

“Oh, it’s Levi.”

“And that’s Granite behind him.”

I’m seeing friends here whom I met during ‘food torture’ and often take classes with. I didn’t know they were in today’s departure group.

“To think they’d form a party with that mage friend.”

Uniquely, that combination also consists of three people.

I gave a quick nod to the people I knew and passed by.

As I walked, Lucian suddenly called out to me from behind.

“Wait, you! You!”

“…”

When I turned around, his expression filled with certainty as he saw me.

“Just as I thought, it was you. Violet, to meet you again here!”

He suddenly pointed a finger at me.

“You! How dare you trick me and run away?”

“Ah, that’s right. I did, didn’t I?”

“What?! You forgot about it?!”

When I replied with an expression of just remembering, he got agitated and bounced around. Irene, seeing his reaction, interjected into our conversation with a look of confusion.

“It’s Lucian. Were you acquainted with Violet?”

“So you were here. First-year representative. It’s been a while. More importantly…”

Lucian looked at our party. His head moved once towards Irene, then once towards me. After examining the two of us, he muttered something in disbelief.

“This is unbelievable…”

As he muttered, I asked.

“What’s unbelievable?”

Lucian replied.

“How can someone as goofy-looking as you be on the same team as someone like Irene?”

Upon hearing his reply, our party members’ expressions crumpled.

That chuunibyou light novel protagonist, what’s he picking a fight for?