Chapter 2: Bing (2)

“Those f*cking old geezers.”

The headmaster of Eterna Academy, the witch Stella, cursed as she soared through the sky.

“Seriously, this is bullsh*t!”

Those idiots who’ve never had a lick of real combat experience dare to interfere with my teaching methods?
Her skin trembled with anger as the rage boiled up inside her.

“Ha!”

But flipping out like that felt oddly refreshing.
As expected, brute force is the best means of communication.
There’s nothing like a good show of strength to make those shitheads with shit for brains understand.

“Huh? What’s that?”

A surge of powerful mana prickled her skin from below.
Even if the Raut Great Forest was considered a demonic territory, this was undoubtedly an abnormal phenomenon.

Part of Stella’s duty as headmaster was to periodically clean up the demonic areas before they escalated.
Letting out a sigh, she changed direction.

“A demon?”

Upon arriving at the location, she found a man confronting a demon.
What the hell is that fearless idiot doing here in the middle of the night?
She heightened her mana, channeling it into her eyes, and her hazy vision cleared.

Black hair like the night sky, piercing blue eyes as chilling as ice.
His well-sculpted face momentarily caught her off guard.
But her surprise didn’t last long, as she soon noticed the familiar outfit he was wearing.

The academy uniform.
No doubt about it—he was a new student at the academy.

Boom—!
The demon, mid-confrontation, slammed its foot down, channeling mana throughout its entire body.
Without warning, complex magical formations filled the sky.

A state where will itself manifests as magic.
There was no doubt—it was a high-ranking demon.

“F*cking hell.”

Annoying, but there was no other choice.
She would have to step in herself.

But just as she was about to move, the guy suddenly collapsed, losing consciousness.
And then, something unbelievable unfolded right before her eyes.

“……Huh?”

The guy, who had fallen in an awkward position, suddenly got up as if the scene had played in reverse.
The movements were unnatural, as if rewinding time.

Stella, who had been staring blankly at his movements, suddenly felt a chill run through her.

“No way…?”

The magical formations that covered the sky began to distort.
Like a calm surface of water shattered by a stone.

Stella shuddered.
This wasn’t some kind of Dispel.
It was simply that the overflow of mana from his body disrupted the formations.

“Well, well…”

This was impossible.
A mere human couldn’t possibly stand against a demon.

Humans are inherently weak.
There’s no particular reason for their weakness—it’s simply a natural limitation of their species.

Throughout the history of Eterna Academy, Stella had seen countless talents.
She had trained them personally, even investing all sorts of resources into their growth.
And yet, human limitations remained evident.

Though generations passed, and the boundaries of human potential blurred,
ultimately, they failed to break through that final ‘wall’ and crumbled.

“So, they did exist!”

Perhaps, just maybe, someone who didn’t break through the wall but shattered it altogether.

“Haha…!”

Mana itself cannot possess a will.
It’s merely a divine byproduct manifested through intent.

But sometimes, anomalies appear.
Those who twist common sense and nonchalantly establish new standards.

Stella’s eyes widened in fascination.
It was as if his mana wasn’t enough—he was absorbing even the residual mana from the disrupted formations.

“The nature of Devour…”

It’s certain.
That guy has taken a step into the realm of transcendence.

A powerful being hiding his strength for some reason.
A cliché so overused it’s almost boring, yet Stella’s heart pounded for the first time in centuries.

Before long, he stretched out his hand.
Between his outstretched fingers, faint smoke seeped out.

The moment his concentrated mana emitted a bluish glow—
Dozens of electric arcs spiraled out, sweeping the surroundings with a deafening roar.

A flawless, clean strike.

“Ahahaha!!”

Stella clutched her stomach and rolled on the dirt floor, laughing uproariously.

“Finally, an interesting one has shown up!”

It’s true—living long enough really pays off.

“Ugh…”

A stifled groan slipped through my barely parted lips.
My body shuddered as if waking from anesthesia.

“Huh, you finally woke up?”

Through the haze, I heard a voice.
It was a clear and warm tone.
I forced my heavy eyelids to open.

“Over here.”

I turned my head toward the voice.
With half-open eyes, I saw a woman.

A massive witch hat that looked like something out of Halloween.
Wavy purple hair cascading down to her waist.
Fiery red eyes, flickering as if flames danced within them.

[Lv ???]

And a mysterious level indicator floating above her head.

There was no mistake.
She was a transcendent being, one of the strongest in the official lore.
A popular heroine who never failed to rank in the polls.

The Witch of the End, Stella.
The headmaster of Eterna Academy, looking at me with a bright, resonant smile.

It seems like Stella arrived just in time to save me.

“Is it possible you can’t hear me?”

Gulp—
My throat bobbed at her gaze.

Her eyes held an undeniable sense of goodwill toward me.
It was like the look of a teacher gazing fondly at a student.
But that’s only comforting if you don’t know her true nature.

Eterna Academy exists as an independent territory, free from the influence of any nation.
The reason a mere academy can act like a sovereign state—
It’s entirely because of Stella’s presence.

“I can hear you clearly, Headmaster.”
“Oh? How did you know I’m the headmaster?”
“It would be harder to find someone who doesn’t know who you are.”
“Ahaha! You’re well-informed, huh?”

Never, ever provoke her.
She’s unpredictable enough as it is, and her temper is explosive.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.

“So, what’s your purpose for coming to the academy?”
“…Obviously, I came to seek knowledge?”
“What? Knowledge?”

Stella shot me a cold, piercing gaze.
What’s wrong? Did I say something off?

“Are you seriously expecting me to believe that nonsense?”
“Well…”

I was dumbfounded.
What kind of answer does she want, exactly?

“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
“Why are you so tense? Relax. Straighten your shoulders.”

Hold it together. Just endure.
As long as she’s still talking to me, that’s already a good sign.
Stella’s personality is such that she wouldn’t bother exchanging words with someone who doesn’t interest her.

“Alright, I get it. You’ve got some complicated situation you can’t explain, right?”
“……”
“Okay! I’ll let it slide this time. But listen, no matter how generous I am, I can’t stand it if an irregular like you runs wild out of my sight. You get that, right?”

Irregular or not, I just nodded weakly.
Saying more would only drag out the conversation.
She seemed satisfied with my compliance, as her eyes curved into a pleasant arc.

“That means I’ll overlook it for now. Let me tell you, it’s the first time I’ve ever shown such special treatment to a human. You should feel honored.”
“Yeah, it’s truly an honor.”

Fine, keep talking.
Flattering her isn’t that hard.

“You know the entrance exam is about to begin, right?”
“Entrance exam?”
“Yeah. Just make sure you don’t cause any trouble during it. Cleaning up after a mess is a pain, and I don’t want to see those old geezers’ faces.”
“I assure you, nothing like that will happen.”

How could a Level 1 character even cause trouble?
Just being transmigrated into this sh*tty game itself is trouble enough.

“One more thing.”

Stella’s voice dropped to a lower tone.
Her gaze scanned me with a cold, piercing look.

“If you ever ignore my warning… I’ll squeeze you dry while you’re still alive.”
“I’ll make sure to remember that.”
“Good! Now get out.”

F*ck, it’s finally over.
I gave a quick nod and left the headmaster’s office without looking back.

Somehow, I made it out.

“It wasn’t a dream after all.”

It’s time to accept it.
I’ve really been transmigrated into the game.

“Sigh.”

Since I’m stuck in Honor Mode, the academy route is inevitable.
But for now, I don’t need to worry too much.
There aren’t many places safer than this one under Stella’s protection.

The problem is…
Stella is destined to die soon.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue in irritation.
Clenching my teeth, I bit back my frustration at the grim situation.

To prepare for the upcoming episodes, I need to steadily build my strength.
But Honor Mode isn’t a difficulty that can be cleared by brute force alone.

From now on, I have to focus on conquering the essential heroines.
I need to seize the necessary fortuitous encounters early and allocate them wisely.
It’s a basic strategy, but given my current situation, it’s the best I can do.

“Could this work too?”

I turned my head and glanced around.
After making sure the hallway was empty, I mumbled quietly.

“Status window.”

————————————————————–

[ Status ]

Name: Luke Richter
Lv: 23
Gender: Male
Mana: 3,000

< Synchronization Rate: 1.3% >

————————————————————-

“Level 23…?”

I muttered the number with trembling eyes.
Thinking I might have seen it wrong, I checked again—but it was correct.

Why did the level of a Level 1 character suddenly jump?
And what’s with that synchronization rate?
There are too many things bothering me.

“……”

What the hell happened while I was unconscious?