Ch.341341 – Villains Not in the Original Work

<341 – Villains Not in the Original>

Professor Diogenes received rare praise from Professor Platton, who had taught the advanced class in the first semester.

“How are the 981st batch first-years? Hmph. They’re quite tenacious youngsters. They generally follow instructions well. I should have pushed them harder and covered the second-year curriculum too, but I regret that I couldn’t.”

Every year there were complaints about how today’s first-years are slacking off, how things weren’t like this back in my day, and how today’s kids are just lazy—but here was Platton’s positive assessment!

Since Professor Platton was usually stingy with praise, Professor Diogenes couldn’t help but raise his expectations.

“The 980th batch students also showed decent unity and cooperation… Indeed. I can see why Professor Platton rated them higher than the 980th batch.”

Their level was high. The upper limits of the entire advanced class were visibly superior compared to other years.

For those aiming for the Knight Department, students from other batches wouldn’t have been this desperate to practice mana cultivation techniques.

They still had room to improve their abilities through training, could grow significantly by attending lectures, and generally weren’t desperate because they still had growth potential remaining.

This 981st batch was different.

Whether they had trained extremely hard during the first semester or felt their inadequacies and trained fiercely during the break, they all had reached a level of desperation equivalent to second-year students.

‘The frustration of physical training no longer increasing your abilities, the level of prior learning and academic enthusiasm that leaves no room for easy insights from lectures. At this stagnant level, there are only two ways to pursue growth.’

Either overcome the stagnation by accumulating titles, achievements, and rewards through high-intensity real combat.

Or compress and refine the body through mana refinement techniques and increase the total amount and usage efficiency of mana through mana cultivation methods.

“The latter is essentially the same thing. Mana refinement techniques are ultimately methods of handling mana. Without increasing mana, there are limits to the body’s compression and enhancement rates.”

Several students flinched noticeably at the word “enhancement,” but Professor Diogenes, not imagining that any first-year would already be reaching for the enhancement techniques forbidden in the Empire, simply thought fondly that these first-years must have really trained hard enough to reach the limits of mana refinement techniques.

“So, circling back, this <Advanced Mana Enhancement> class becomes crucial. Increasing your mana amount is the only means to accelerate your growth when you’ve hit a plateau.”

The students’ eyes filled with enthusiasm.

Their expressions showed they properly understood that this class was essential for their growth.

“Now, I’ll tell you how to increase your mana.”

The professor plopped down on the dirt floor.

“The fastest way to gain mana is through imitation. Species with abundant mana all naturally increase their natural mana reserves through their unique ways of life.”

Unlike the hesitant 980th batch students who cautiously sat down on the ground while checking others’ reactions, the 981st batch students sat down without hesitation, thinking that a little dirt was nothing if it meant increasing their mana!

“For instance, dog beastkin acquire natural mana from the earth by covering themselves in soil and playing on the ground. This is a natural mana enhancement phenomenon that occurs by breathing in and absorbing through the skin the mana that has seeped between soil particles settled on the ground.”

Sensing something off, the students began to stir.

“Cover ourselves in soil…?”

“Is that right?”

To the confused students, Professor Diogenes smiled smugly and presented the harsh reality.

“Spend time on the soil until the end of this class. I’ve given you a hint, so find your own way to absorb mana. This is the introductory task of <Naturalism Mana Studies> that I, Diogenes, established, and the first step of <Advanced Mana Enhancement>.”

The students wandered around the dirt with dejected expressions.

They were told that covering themselves with soil would increase mana, but… how exactly should they do this?

Some students awkwardly dug through dirt piles and sprinkled soil on their knees, but they instinctively felt that this level of playing with dirt wouldn’t be enough.

The Frontier Faction students boldly rolled their bodies on the soil.

“Ah, since I’m already dirty, I might as well go all the way!”

“Ptooey! Son Ocheon, you jerk, you’re kicking up all the dust!”

“Hahaha! It’s not dust. It’s mana!”

Sister Niche from the Thunderbolt Heavenly God Church, who got sprinkled with dirt from the side, pulled out her mace with a stern face.

“If you like dirt so much, I’ll help you eat your fill with this holy mace.”

With her attacks smashing the ground and dirt flying everywhere, the Frontier students’ training turned from mana cultivation into a dirt-feeding battle as they took splash damage from each other!

The Imperial students couldn’t bring themselves to join such chaos and reached an unspoken compromise not to bother each other.

“So basically, the important part is the process of tilling the earth, right~? Then if we dig deep into the ground and perform mana cultivation techniques inside, the gathered mana should increase♡”

“Ohh. As expected, Princess Massgakki’s wisdom surpasses our Three Great Loyal Families. I’m amazed at how you came up with such a brilliant idea.”

Seizing the opportunity to flatter, Honer FriedChicken quickly sucked up to Princess Massgakki, who giggled and urged him on.

“What are you doing~?”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t just talk, act♡ Hurry up and dig♡”

“…”

“I’ll cheer you on?”

The dirt-play faction of the Frontier and the live-burial faction of the Empire.

Surprisingly, Professor Diogenes viewed them favorably.

‘Whether they know what they’re doing or are just acting thoughtlessly, they’ve all grasped the right point.’

The dog beastkin’s mana enhancement training method emphasizes two things: tilling the earth and absorbing the earth’s energy.

The Frontier students led by Son Ocheon immediately grasped the former, while the Imperial students led by Princess Massgakki grasped the latter and began training.

Neither could be considered superior or inferior to the other.

The mana that leaks out while tilling the earth is abundant, and performing cultivation in deeply dug ground increases mana absorption efficiency—they were simply different training methods.

Rather, they all deserved praise for instinctively finding methods that suited them.

‘The ones who are struggling are over there.’

The Group C students, led by Cassia, who were researching in their own way without joining the commotion.

Students who didn’t want to be swept up in factional trends also gathered near Group C and quietly began their training.

Oknodie and Sing.

They belonged to that category too.

From eccentrics who buried themselves in dirt piles and blinked their eyes as if they were at the beach, to those who just lay face down on the dirt floor, flailing their limbs while looking up at the sky.

Among the unpredictable Group C students, Cassia stared at the dirt for 3 seconds, glanced at Oknodie for 3 seconds, and after much hesitation, put soil in her mouth.

“Ptooey!”

…What on earth was she trying to do?

Even for Diogenes, who encouraged training methods that followed one’s nature, the Group C students might need guidance to find their training path.

While making a list of students who couldn’t keep up with the progress, he noticed Oknodie and Sing sitting apart from others.

‘Hmm?’

Sing sat in the Eastern meditation posture called lotus position, placing his hands on his knees and closing his eyes.

Instead of forcibly tilling the ground or going underground, he emanated a strong collecting force that greedily absorbed the energy spread around him.

‘The inner cultivation method known as Eastern mana cultivation is indeed unique.’

Unlike students who guided mana to themselves through actions or condensed earth energy in special places, Sing indiscriminately drew in surrounding mana.

He built a massive soil foundation within himself, making earth mana gather naturally.

He honestly admired the concept of earth-absorption technique that transcended dog beastkin to become the earth itself, and the idea of inner cultivation.

But when Oknodie placed her hand on him, his admiration turned to shock.

‘No, such a crazy thing!?’

Diogenes was horrified and spread a mana barrier around the two.

Placing a hand on someone during cultivation, connecting pathways, and interfering with another’s cultivation.

This dangerous act could cause heterogeneous energy to seep into the body, damaging meridians and even destroying vital internal organs.

Even in the Magic Tower, this was only attempted between master and disciple who practiced the same school, or among knights who trained under the same master with the same methods—yet here it was happening between Oknodie and Sing.

Forcibly stopping this could lead to a fatal accident if mishandled.

‘East and West. Inner cultivation and mana cultivation. Students with nothing in common trying to mesh heterogeneous energies!’

While watching tensely, Diogenes witnessed a strange sight.

The mana flow from Sing became rougher and more ferocious, coursing through his entire body.

But paradoxically, the energy flow was more stable than when it was slower.

Like the difference in stability between driving 50km/h on an unpaved road versus 120km/h on a paved road—the fluctuation of energy itself had decreased!

Of course, an accident at 120km/h would be more severe, but Sing’s control wasn’t poor enough to allow such accidents.

Above all, Oknodie’s guidance was excellent, and Sing’s trust in her was remarkable.

‘Just who are these students?’

Though Professor Diogenes had a policy of judging students as he saw them without looking at their records, this time he couldn’t contain his curiosity.

━━━

Sing (Student Record)

○School Reputation

-Dangerous Eastern swordsman. Draws a line and mercilessly swings his sword at those who enter his space.

-Foundation scholarship candidate. The only student who didn’t return for a week after the second semester started, staying at the Chairman’s mansion with Oknodie. Very high possibility of being recruited by the Foundation.

-Dangerous pedophile. Over 100 reports exist of him lurking around female students at least 5 years younger than himself.

━━━

“…”

His gaze toward students with remarkable trust changed to one looking at a vicious pedophile.

“Now that’s an exemplary naturalist.”

For someone who values training methods that follow one’s nature, dating younger students isn’t taboo.

But even so, 11 years old was too much.

Oknodie must be more dangerous than Sing.

Approaching a child who’s ostracized by other students to the point of being nicknamed the Dark Princess, trying to fulfill his desires.

What a creepy, disgusting fellow.

Oknodie must have disliked such a Sing quite a bit, as she took out food that looked like nothing more than thoroughly burnt coal from her bag.

There’s no way eating something like that would increase explosion resistance.

She must be telling him to eat this and get lost.

Crunch, crunch.

But this man actually ate it.

Moreover, the stability of his cultivation method actually improved.

Witnessing this, Diogenes had an absurd realization.

‘It was my prejudice to think that burnt food was just garbage!’

Just as there are mana enhancement hints in the dirty play of dog beastkin digging and covering themselves with soil, there might be some hidden secret in consuming burnt food.

‘Perhaps even approaching young children?’

Could even Sing’s trashy sexual preference for touching children younger than himself hide some mana enhancement hint that he himself doesn’t know about?

“No way.”

Diogenes considered it a mere coincidence.

No matter what, that couldn’t be it.

Unless there really was some hidden efficacy in burnt food, how could this happen?

‘I should test the effects by feeding them burnt food first.’

Of course, I should feed the teaching assistants first.

No, if that leads to poor professor evaluations, I’ll be the only one who suffers.

I should leak this information so that teaching assistants in other professors’ labs eat burnt food instead.

I definitely heard rumors about a crazy professor who feeds stones to students.

Was that professor’s name Professor Warerd?