Ch.373373 – The Professor’s Laboratory

<373 – Professor’s Research Lab>

The professor’s research lab.

Zhang had expected a laboratory with specialized equipment where experiments would take place, bustling with teaching assistants and instructors.

Contrary to her expectations, Professor Warerd’s research lab was an enormous botanical garden.

“Why join a plant club? This place is already a botanical garden. Couldn’t you just be Professor Warerd’s assistant?”

“Clubs are something you join because you want to, but being an assistant might mean getting kidnapped into it?”

“You get kidnapped by seniors for clubs too. According to the contract, you’re forced to work regularly or pay penalties with points.”

Zhang’s observation was sharp.

Oknodie seemed to know the answer, but as always, he just gave an awkward smile, looking like he was wondering if he should tell her.

“Never mind. I don’t need to know that badly. So where in this botanical garden is Professor Warerd?”

“Oveeeer there!”

When they first entered, it wasn’t this impressive, but now the ceiling soared over 100 meters high, with an enormous tree standing at the center of the botanical garden.

There was a large knothole that could only be reached by climbing up tree stairs that protruded from the trunk like circular stone steps carved from rock.

From there came an ear-splitting chirping sound that made Zhang turn to look at Oknodie.

“We have to go there?”

Just from the volume, it was clearly the cry of an enormous bird, enough to frighten even third-year students, let alone first-years.

“That’s the main entrance, but there’s a side door!”

Enhancing her eyes with magic, her vision improved like a telescope, magnifying objects.

Upon closer inspection, she could see a small rectangular mark between the tree bark that looked like a door.

There were even people—students or instructors, she couldn’t tell—occasionally running up and down those treacherous tree stairs, busily carrying things.

“Want to race to see who gets up first?”

“Sure.”

Befitting a professor’s research lab, there were several security measures along the way.

Vine traps that wrapped around ankles, beehives positioned along the path, sticky platforms coated with adhesive, leaf platforms that crumbled when stepped on…

Forgetting they were in a race, Zhang couldn’t help but ask:

“Oknodie. Does Professor Warerd want his assistants to fall to their deaths here?”

“I don’t think so! These must be devices to repel spies or intruders sent by other professors!”

“How do the assistants get in and out of here?”

“I guess they either learn through experience or from seniors?”

“I’m definitely never becoming an assistant.”

“Hehe. Everyone says that! Before they get the points.”

“…Is being an assistant that lucrative?”

“Pretty good, they say! It’s more profitable to be an assistant during the semester than to take a leave of absence and become an instructor!”

I see. I was wondering what the difference was between assistants and instructors since their jobs seemed oddly similar, but it’s about being enrolled versus taking a leave of absence.

While gathering information that wouldn’t hurt to know, Zhang shot out sticky threads from her hands and climbed up the tree wall.

“Ah, that’s cheating!”

“There’s no rule saying we have to follow the path.”

Zhang smiled slightly, pleased with her one-upmanship as she forged a shortcut.

Oknodie had been leaping at tremendous speed, jumping over several wooden platforms at once, but ultimately couldn’t overcome Zhang’s vertical climbing speed and arrived late.

“You used flying magic at the sports festival. Why not use it now?”

“If a flying object above a certain size is detected, the chirper comes out of its nest!”

“…That enormous presence from earlier?”

“Yes!”

“The professor really has bad taste. Giving such a lame name to a giant monster.”

If one said they were attacked by a giant monster nesting in a massive tree, it would sound like a veteran adventurer’s tale of failure, but being attacked by a “chirper” sounds more like a bumbling third-rate adventurer’s misadventure.

But thinking about it, it could be a deception tactic to prevent intruders from properly recognizing the dangers of Professor Warerd’s research lab.

Who wouldn’t let their guard down with such a silly name for a guardian?

“Anyway, a bet is a bet. Grant me one wish.”

“Alright. One kiss will do, right?”

“Not a chance. I’ll ask for something expensive later.”

“Hmph.”

Pushing open the side door, they entered a passageway filled with clear, refreshing air that cleared their sinuses.

Beyond the corridor were various laboratories with different magical protections lined up on both sides, one of which had its door slightly ajar.

“Hehehe, this girl’s body is so tender. It was worth raising her with such care.”

“Urgh, help me here. She’s struggling too much.”

“Kekeke. If you don’t eat what your big brothers offer you nicely, we’ll put a gag in your mouth!”

“There, now you can’t move. Stop being difficult and just eat what we give you!”

The content of the conversation was impossible to ignore. Were they committing crimes against female assistants in the blind spot of the professor’s lab?

‘Hmm. How convenient.’

Zhang was pleased.

It had been a while since she’d found meat sacks she could stab to death without consequences.

“Oknodie. Let’s go in.”

“Huh? Do we have to?”

Zhang forcibly dragged in the indifferent Oknodie, who acted like it wasn’t his business.

Having barged in thinking of a fragile victim surrounded by men, naked with something inappropriate forced into her mouth, Zhang was extremely confused.

There were no women in sight, just male assistants clustered around a carnivorous plant with tentacles, pouring food into it.

“Kuhehe. Look at these magnificent tentacles. It was worth carefully combining the culture medium to grow it!”

“Stop talking nonsense and hold the vines properly so they don’t come loose! The thorny vines are hitting my back and it hurts like hell, you crazy bastard!”

“…”

Zhang was devastated by the scene that was so different from what she had expected.

As she quietly walked out, Oknodie asked her:

“Were you that eager to see a carnivorous plant eating? Zhang, you have such strange hobbies.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I went in thinking of something else.”

“Fire flowers? Ice flowers?”

“I thought they were people and went in to help. And maybe satisfy some personal desires along the way.”

But there was an unresolved question.

“Why are they raising such strange giant plant monsters in the research lab?”

“Probably teaching materials.”

“They’re not planning to use them for first-years, are they…?”

“Maybe?”

The research lab plaque Oknodie pointed to had the characters F4L3 engraved on it.

“It’s a lab for low-risk specimens that first and second-years can handle, so it should be fine even for first-years, right?”

“…Just out of curiosity, what’s the danger level of this tree we entered?”

“B1U5.”

“In plain terms?”

“A first-year can enter alone, but it’s a dangerous facility that would require the power of five novice professors somewhere inside!”

“…Now I understand why there are seniors who’ve gone slightly mad. Let’s just find Dobby quickly and leave.”

Whatever was more dangerous than a plant that whips people with vines when it doesn’t want to eat, Zhang had no desire to encounter it.

“But Dobby is a first-year, so he must be doing something less dangerous than those seniors getting beaten by tentacled plants, right?”

“Yes! Getting hit by spirits should hurt less than that!”

Searching only the corridors for rooms tagged with B1, the lowest difficulty level in Professor Warerd’s research lab (which by Zhang’s standards could easily be classified as a dungeon), they quickly found their destination.

There was Dobby, crouched in the middle of the room with his arms covering his head, being beaten mercilessly by about ten angry spirits surrounding him.

“…Who said it hurts less?”

“…The damage should be lower! He just can’t block it.”

“Is it okay to attack those spirits?”

“Hmm… I think it’s better not to!”

Seeing Oknodie, who normally acted first and thought later, backing away, Zhang quietly put away the shuriken she had pulled from her sleeve.

“Spirits. I think he’s been hit enough. Can we take our friend now?”

The furious spirits protested loudly.

“Not a chance!”

“He didn’t bring the offerings he promised for waking us up.”

“He didn’t say ‘Good morning, princess’ either!”

“And he didn’t bring any fairy tales!”

“Such a bad boy deserves to be hit!”

Their reasons for being angry are so childish!?

“Hitting him won’t get you what you want. The world doesn’t work that way. Why not ask Dobby to promise to bring fairy tales to read to you later?”

“Lies! Humans always deceive spirits. If you want our trust, pay the price!”

“If he doesn’t bring them, I’ll come for Dobby’s head. That’s how assassins make promises.”

The spirits’ eyes dangerously sparkled.

“His life…?”

“Yes. It would be satisfying to just kill him.”

“Death to liars!”

Dobby, with a black eye, trembled pitifully.

“Do you really have to make that kind of promise…? I wasn’t even the one who promised to read fairy tales…”

“You don’t have to.”

“Really?”

To the hopeful-eyed Dobby, Zhang coldly replied:

“You can just keep getting beaten. Want me to close the door on my way out?”

“No, no… I’ll do it…”

“You don’t have to force yourself. Promises need sincerity for the other party to believe them.”

“I said I’ll do it… *sob*”

Through the Good Morning Fairy Tale Gift Agreement with the spirits, Dobby was able to gain his freedom.

“Why did you come here in the first place? It’s common knowledge that a professor’s research lab is more dangerous than a wild dungeon.”

“I didn’t want to come either… But Professor Warerd said he had documents to deliver to the principal and told me I seemed smarter and more capable than I looked, then kidnapped me… *sob sob sob*”

“Ah…”

“But the professor isn’t bad… He said I could go once I woke up the spirits. He even gave me 1000 points. It was my fault for not knowing how to get hit without pain.”

This kid has lost his mind in such a short time.

Zhang shook her head.

She would bet Titosoga’s illumination squad that this fool, blinded by points, would soon voluntarily return to the research lab.