Ch.395395 – Stalker

<395 – Stalker>

The teaching assistant did a great job.

Professor Redmountain confirmed that the signal was captured by the mana board’s control formula.

This time, he was determined to use the rainbow herb to spy on Oknodie and uncover her weaknesses.

That was Professor Redmountain’s resolution before activating the concealment formula.

“Hmm? This… beyond the herb case, there’s an even larger mana reaction enveloping the surroundings.”

Though the academy has many formidable knights, this reaction indicates an artifact of considerable caliber.

This is different from treasures that random people might accidentally acquire during a once-in-a-millennium opportunity—this is a terrible relic that could curse or instantly kill unqualified holders.

An enormous mana reaction that could only emanate from such a relic was being detected.

‘Skills worthy of a third-year student already. Indeed, a first-year who deserves as much attention as the hero.’

As evident from teaching the <Developing Discernment> course, she’s a genius worthy of being the prized disciple of the fastidious Professor Bronze.

However, Gift Academy’s professors are individuals who have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields.

The realm of genius is by no means unfamiliar to them.

An artifact of this caliber?

They’ve seen them many times.

Some they possess, others they’ve faced in enemy hands.

“Hehe. This will be entertaining for a change.”

Professor Redmountain’s eyes emitted a wicked magical light.

Sight Eye. Search Eye.

This technique, classified as a basic visual art, has a next level.

When blocked by a barrier that obstructs sight.

The technique to penetrate beyond it.

Observation Eye. Pierce Eye.

The power to see through the true nature of objects penetrated the barrier and spied into the interior of the backpack.

The structure felt like 100 compartments.

Ten across, ten down.

Within each equally sized compartment were numerous backpacks.

Surprisingly, all those backpacks were also of relic grade.

Considering that one person can’t handle many relics, an alarmingly large number of relics are dormant in a single backpack.

Oknodie, this audacious little one, is enduring an enormous quantity of artifacts in her small body, like a sword master, tower master, or guild master.

“An ordinary professor would have reached their limit here.”

Remotely deploying Observation Eye to observe the interior of an artifact is no easy task.

Doing so covertly without being detected by the target is even more challenging.

But Professor Redmountain once ruled as the master of the Thousand Spirit Mountain Range connecting east and west.

Unlike ordinary professors, she is a longevity species who has obtained a thousand-year lifespan beyond human limits.

Even the training accumulated during her laziness surpasses a human lifetime, and when combined with her genius talent, she can reach realms that ordinary professors couldn’t even dream of.

Must-Read Eye. Read Eye.

A technique that can clearly read the true nature of a target, transcending all limitations.

This forbidden secret technique unfolds, which for those who haven’t accumulated sufficient causality, would burn all their karma just by the act of reading, bringing misfortune.

━━━

<Backpack Backpack #2 (Relic (+12 enhancement), Bound)>

Grade – Rare Level 3

Description – A backpack created by enhancing accumulated backpacks from the Training Tower. Only backpacks can be stored in this backpack. Growth stops during wear due to the backpack’s curse.

Effect 1 – Capacity Expansion (100 slots)

Effect 2 – Maximum Storage Weight Expansion (10 tons)

Effect 3 – Protection against Physical Damage below 4th tier

Effect 4 – Protection against Magical Damage below 4th tier

Effect 5 – Protection against status effects like submersion, corrosion, etc.

Effect 6 – Complete weight reduction for items inside the backpack

Effect 7 – Search function allows searching and importing contents

Effect 8 – Only backpacks can be stored in this backpack

Effect 9 – While wearing this backpack, height and weight do not increase

Appraisal Value – 10,000 gold coins, 1,000,000 points

━━━

Currently Stored Backpack List (32)

Backpack Backpack #1, Weapon Backpack, Armor Backpack…

━━━

As Professor Redmountain’s gaze intensely focused on the backpack list, numerous windows appeared in succession below.

Weapon Backpack.

Armor Backpack.

Accessory Backpack.

Wood Backpack.

Ore Backpack.

Some backpacks had vast spaces where over 10,000 different collectibles could be stored.

Some backpacks had 100 slots where the same type of material could be stacked up to a certain weight.

Backpacks operating in different ways depending on how space was divided, separated, and combined.

However, all these backpacks had a common role.

Collect.

Professor Redmountain suddenly recalled her days in the Thousand Spirit Mountain Range.

Under her rule as the mountain’s master were numerous subspecies and monsters who owned portions of the forest.

Just as not all people possess equal strength, some among them were exceptionally strong, and strangely, they all shared one habit.

That was collection.

Someone collected invaders’ bones by type.

Someone collected creatures of different races as minions.

Someone collected all types of ingredients native to the Thousand Spirit Mountain Range, all accessible mysterious magic, and currencies of various colors.

Those who collected rare items or amassed many things definitely became stronger than others.

The ignorant were quick to criticize it as the luxury of the rich, but in reality, that very luxury made them stronger—this was the principle of the world.

‘At the age of thirty-two, I grasped this principle when I took control of the entire Thousand Spirit Mountain Range.’

Professor Redmountain realized that even her own strength came from the fact that everything in the mountain range was “collected” as her possession when she took control of it.

And when she encountered the being who enjoyed the greatest game in the world, “collecting” the entire world under his own rules, she realized she could never defeat him.

The world’s greatest collector, Redmountain, addressed him with reverence:

“Interesting Principal. This little one resembles that fearsome dragon more than the righteous thief, doesn’t she?”

There’s no limit to the types of collectibles.

Greedily collecting all collectibles in the world.

As if trying to contain the world in a backpack.

“Hmm~ This is quite tempting.”

Stealing a collector’s collection doesn’t necessarily apply collection judgment.

However, some collections allow collection judgment.

<Unique> collections that are one-of-a-kind in the world are like that.

Treasure. Relic. Unique. Legendary. Mythical.

All items classified as Unique or above in the five-tier item classification system are one-of-a-kind in the world.

Unless it’s a replica imitating the original, how could items from legends and myths with grand stories exist more than once in the world?

The mana reactions emanating from such valuable collections were abundantly felt in each backpack.

However, an espionage artifact can only be used for espionage.

It’s impossible to arbitrarily teleport items from the backpack to a random location.

Having already consumed many resources just to peek into the backpack, she limited herself to identifying the nature of a few Unique-grade items inside.

Soon, the formula embedded in the badge exhausted its power and dissolved itself, preventing her eyes from reaching inside the backpack.

During the set period while the badge’s formula recovers its strength, she cannot peek inside.

“Hmm~ What an amusing child. Amusing foundation too.”

That child possesses a collection of Unique-grade or higher artifacts comparable to those held by sword masters, tower masters, or guild masters, but her personal power doesn’t match up.

Now Professor Redmountain has a choice.

Should she pretend not to have seen this amazing fact?

Or should she seize the opportunity to lightly acquire the chance that has come before her eyes?

“Unless one is a fool, one should create opportunities even where none exist.”

Professor Redmountain began plotting her scheme.

* * *

The faint energy emanating from the badge disappeared.

The peeking seems to have ended.

“Ugh, I hate this. So this is how unpleasant it feels to be stalked.”

“Engae.”

“Engae, you shouldn’t learn from this, okay? Someone who gives a stalking item to someone they like is really asking for trouble!”

Engae the mandragora, as always, cried “engae engae” while grooming the fuzz on its rootlets.

But Engae seems to have grown quite a bit from the cultivation fluid, as it now looks somewhat cramped in a single water bottle.

“Huh? Engae. You’ve grown a bit, haven’t you?”

“Uh, engae!”

Engae shook its head desperately.

It’s as if it’s saying it’s not time to be eaten yet.

I even have a reasonable suspicion that it might be able to say words other than “engae” but is deliberately only saying “engae.”

Staaaare.

No matter how intently I looked, Engae’s intentions remained hidden.

[Observation ability is above 200.]

[You have already chosen specialization.]

[Special effect <Auto Analysis> activates.]

†Engae (Young Mandragora/Fighter/Belonging to Oknodie’s Water Bottle)

The auto-analysis result is the same.

Unable to shake off the suspicious feeling, I was circling around Engae, observing from various angles.

“Oknodie.”

“Yes?”

The Second Mad Hatter spoke.

“Stop bothering that poor mandragora and come in. Someone peeked at the items in your backpack.”

“Oh? How do you know that, Mad Hatter?”

“I can wander inside walls full of academy security formulas, so why wouldn’t I be able to look inside a backpack? I sensed a gaze peeking at what I was already peeking at.”

Aha.

So there was an original stalker!

“Would you like separate rooms starting tomorrow?”

“Bear with me. In exchange, I’ll tell you about the final encounter with the butler.”

“Is this story worth having a 24/7 stalker by my side?”

“You’re interested in <Collection>, right? Then you’ll definitely need my help. I’ve been watching from inside the walls where students have hidden things all over the academy.”

“!”

“You’ve found many things, but there are many more you haven’t found. Interested now?”

I stand corrected.

The Second Mad Hatter has evolved from stalker to opportunity finder.