Ch.102Smart College Life (2)

# The long-awaited freshman orientation had begun.

I had only one goal at this freshman orientation. To find decent-looking future colleagues.

Since this was Stellarium College, I assumed everyone would have passed the intelligence test, and naturally, some would be aiming for graduate school.

Simply put, I was networking. If I became friends with several people, there would be no downside, right?

Dawn.

I arrived three hours early to secure a good spot. I planned to look around first, and if time permitted, explore the campus.

But there was already someone in the front row of the theater.

She had white hair and wore a white coat. She had on a fur hat, and her build was petite. Lastly, her scarf was black like mine.

The woman looked around and sat on a bench.

Then she stood up.

This time, she sat down in the seat right next to it.

After a few seconds, she repeated the same action countless times. Sitting, standing, sitting in the next seat… Wait, did she rent all these chairs?

I scratched my head and secretly approached. But somehow, the roundness of the back of her head seemed familiar.

“Zernya?”

“Eek!”

The woman nearly fell backward. I quickly reached out and pulled her back.

Our eyes met like two grapes.

It was indeed Zernya.

“You, what are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“That’s what I should be asking?”

I was the one who was confused. Why was a high schooler who should be relaxing at her dorm or home here at a university?

“Don’t tell me you’re touring the college?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Obviously, I’m here for early admission! Are you that slow-witted?”

I see. So she actually graduated early. That was a very Zernya-like solution.

“Did you miss me that much?”

“Shut up.”

“Why were you sitting down and standing up repeatedly?”

“You don’t need to know.”

No choice then. I’ll have to use my skill.

[Mental State: She was looking for a first-class seat where she could sit with you. She wanted to surprise you but ended up being surprised herself, which made her flustered.]

Ah, ahhh…

I must have trampled on the innocent heart of an eighteen-year-old girl. I felt unnecessarily sorry.

Zernya found a suitable spot and sat down, and I placed my behind next to hers. She glared at me with side-eyes and spoke.

“Move a bit further away.”

“Okay.”

“Ah.”

She sighed as if disappointed.

[Mental State: This isn’t what I meant.]

Does she want me to sit with her or not?

Pretending to give in, I moved back to the seat beside her.

Whoosh.

The chilly winter wind whipped around like a knife.

It’s too cold. Like entropy in reverse. Zernya must have felt the chill too, as she started to huddle closer.

That’s when I sensed something ominous.

[— The foreign god ‘Steel Flowing Like Earth’ is moving.]

Zernya and I reflexively turned around. For me, it was thanks to my status window, and for Zernya, although artificial, she had a constellation that made her sensitive to the foreign god’s aura.

Another woman was standing behind us.

Wearing a baseball cap pulled low, she had black hair and black eyes. Her expressionless face was intimidating in a different way from Zernya’s.

And this looking-down posture was not particularly welcome to the proud Zernya.

“Who are you?”

Zernya immediately confronted her. It happened so naturally, like breathing, that I couldn’t stop her.

“None of your business.”

The woman responded.

Hearing her voice, I recognized who she was.

Ireh Hazlen. Our protagonist.

So you’ve returned after running away.

***

I remind myself that “Foreign God Killer” is a cosmic horror novel.

While Ireh is the protagonist, she’s essentially more of a “main narrator.” In other words, she’s the primary storyteller in the novel.

This is different from overpowered web novels. In this genre, the person who suffers the longest is chosen as the narrator.

Simply put, only after witnessing the deaths of Rustila, Seti, and Zernya does one truly become the protagonist.

Ireh was perfect for that role.

She had a high Fron value capacity, and her background entity was related to “patience.”

Of course, she’s not completely weak, but not as strong as a foreign god.

Anyway, Ireh was looking down at Zernya and me with indifferent eyes, like we were roadside pebbles.

I can guess the reason.

Me, Eidel. A third-rate villain.

And Zernya, the college’s main boss.

[Mental State: She’s contemplating how to dispose of you and Zernya.]

Damn, she’s thinking about killing us if things go wrong.

So this is how terrifying big data from 800,000 iterations can be.

But damn it, this iteration is different!

Especially me—I’ve done everything for her! Right? I made her chicken porridge at the Spirit Sanctuary, reset her Fron value.

Plus, I prevented foreign gods from outside our galaxy from coming with two papers. You must have seen the news. Isn’t that carrying the team?

So why are you trying to kill me? Are you thinking straight? Are you being mentally induced by a foreign god? Damn, you really are! I’m sorry.

Having grasped the situation, I suggested gently.

“Excuse me, would you like to sit here?”

“…?”

“This is the best seat. You can see the lower area well, and it’s convenient when leaving.”

“…Sure.”

“Just a moment. Before you sit next to us, there’s something I need to do.”

I took out my calipers.

I should purify her first.

“Huh?”

Bang! Bang! Baang!

With three clear sounds, the protagonist collapsed.

“Y-you crazy bastard. What did you just do?”

“It was summer…”

I stood up, carrying the limp Ireh on my back.

Zernya’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

“Are you attempting murder or what? Even so, to suddenly do something like this…”

Here’s what happened.

To break the mental manipulation on Ireh, I needed a two-birds-with-one-stone approach. So I disciplined her with a Cartesian-flavored bat, and our protagonist fell unconscious.

The protagonist’s Fron value had risen by about 10,000. A bump was starting to form on her head.

“You idiot. You’ve crossed the line!”

“Zernya.”

“What!”

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

“Are you seriously out of your mind?”

It was awkward to explain the whole situation from my position. How could I explain the Calipers of Wisdom? So I just vaguely said it was physical therapy. Naturally, Zernya gave me the finger.

I sent a text message and then asked Zernya.

“There are circumstances. Do you trust me?”

“Trust you?”

“I’m asking if you can understand why I did this without questioning me.”

“…”

After a few seconds of contemplation.

Zernya nodded.

Her artificial constellations probably sensed it too.

The foreign god’s presence detected in Ireh Hazlen. That she was partially being controlled. That she needed to be rushed to the Spirit Sanctuary for treatment.

“Well, you’re as smart as I am.”

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

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Fine. I understand, so just hurry up and go…”

She stopped mid-sentence and stood up.

“I want to go too.”

“What?”

“I may be a freshman, but I’m in pre-med. When someone’s sick, not following would be a complete failure as a doctor.”

Wow, that was touching.

Is this the same ill-mannered Zernya? She’s made tremendous progress.

I nodded and started running with her.

***

Shortly before the freshman orientation.

Southern Front.

“…It’s over.”

One of the surviving soldiers shouted.

“It’s over!!!”

“We’ve stopped the Queen!”

“Honey, I survived! I survived! Yes, I’ll buy souvenirs and come back, so prepare the bed well!”

For at least several decades.

The Darwin system foreign gods, who had repeatedly invaded with high frequency, were completely blocked by the Aether Belt.

Until now, there was no way to deal with holes in the Aether Belt. The best they could do was hope for nature to miraculously restore the belt.

Scientists had overcome that limitation.

They created theories, concretized them through simulations, verified them through experiments, and sublimated them into technology.

“Medical Officer Rheinland, thank you for your hard work.”

It was a moment when a burden was lifted from the shoulders of Arnold, the head of the Rheinland family.

“On behalf of the military, I express my gratitude for your efforts for the frontline soldiers.”

“Not at all. I didn’t do anything.”

“You don’t need to be modest. Besides, isn’t it thanks to your third son that the war could end this time? You’re truly blessed with good children, haha!”

“Hmm…”

Arnold’s lips twitched upward.

“So, Stellarium Academy has proposed to hire you as a professor at the medical school. Have you seen the email?”

“No. I’ve been too busy…”

“If you’re interested, I suggest you apply now. Someone like you, who has performed countless surgeries for the federation at a bargain price, deserves such a position.”

Arnold naturally nodded.

“I will.”

That was the moment he became a professor at a school.

Afterward, Arnold finished his remaining work on the southern front and sent an email to his third son.

The content was simple.

I’ll come to see you soon.

He kept the fact that he had become a professor a secret. He planned to surprise Seti and Eidel with it in person.

Meanwhile.

Having received regular reports about Eidel’s changes from Sonia, he knew. His third son had definitely changed.

It was good news but also bad news. Because Eidel had achieved such outstanding accomplishments, and earlier than his two older brothers.

‘End of the Southern Front.’

That alone was enough.

Outside the barracks, soldiers were already cheering and praising Eidel. Naturally, his two older brothers couldn’t help but feel resentful.

“Father, Eidel is unpredictable. You should never trust him easily.”

The first son, Brian.

He adjusted his glasses and offered unsolicited advice.

“You fool. Can you still say that after seeing the paper your brother wrote?”

“He might have blackmailed a professor to ghostwrite it. With Eidel’s character, that’s entirely possible. Father, this is just an extension of his fraud to avoid being expelled from the family.”

“Brian, stop slandering your brother.”

“No, it doesn’t make sense. How could that idiot write a paper? Even I struggled for months to write just one when I graduated from medical school. But he wrote two in three months, and in ‘Universe’ no less…”

“Fine. If you’re so suspicious, come with me to Stellarium. We’ll ask your brother to explain the content of his paper directly. How’s that?”

Brian couldn’t continue.

In truth, the first son was afraid.

Afraid that the rapidly rising third son might overthrow his secure position as the future head of the family.

As the head would inherit most of the Rheinland family’s assets, he couldn’t afford to give it up.

“Where’s your mother?”

“I have only one mother.”

“I told you to treat Rezein as your mother too.”

“How can someone with no blood relation be my mother? Honestly, I still don’t understand the council of elders’ decision.”

“Enough, let’s drop it.”

“…She’ll probably stay here for a while.”

Arnold nodded in understanding.

A month later, Arnold came down to Stellarium. The feeling of entering the college after briefly looking around the empty Rheinland ship alone was indescribably lonely.

Woong.

“?”

Woong. Woong. Woong. Woong…

[Seti: Dad]

[Da d]

[Help]

[Help]

[Helpp]

[Heeeelp]

[Pleeeease!!!]

[Quiick]

[Me: What’s wrong?]

[Seti: Third brother is at the Southern Spirit Sanctuary now]

[Someone brother knows was attacked by a foreign god]

[It’s urgent]

[Dad you’re near home right now]

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

[Seti: Tracked your account number]

[If you control GPS like hacking]

[No this isn’t the time to explain]

[Please help]

[Go to the Southern Spirit Sanctuary]

I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s my daughter’s request. Now that I have plenty of time, there’s no reason to refuse.

[Me: k.]

Arnold closed the message window and headed to the Spirit Sanctuary.