Chapter 87

Chapter 87

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 87: The Protagonist (1).

The void space—a realm of impenetrable darkness and unfathomable madness, reserved solely for the Outer Gods.

In this abyss, Cartesia, the master of this domain, sat atop Populus, meticulously tracking the passage of time.

“It’s tough,” she murmured to herself.

The concentration of Ether in Alcatraz was staggering, nearly unbearable to withstand for extended periods. Cartesia was forced to make a choice: sever her contract with Aidel and escape or manipulate other Outer Gods to acquire more Pron. Consequently, Populus had transformed into a relentless Pron dispensing entity.

“Give me more,” she demanded.

“Aaaagh!”

But it was still insufficient. She needed to forge additional alliances with other Outer Gods to ensure she could remain at Aidel’s side.

Cartesia, previously seated with her eyes shut in contemplation, now stood. Her gaze fixed on a new target—prisoner number 888887, a girl who was single-handedly confronting nearly twenty adversaries. This girl bore a resemblance to Aidel, yet there was something distinctly different about her. The safe threshold for Pron was approximately 300,000, and she was perilously close, with about 290,000 already accumulated. At this rate, the girl’s demise was imminent.

Cartesia, without a hint of mercy, decided to extract several weaker Outer Gods from the girl’s mind, converting them into her minions using her skill. Each Outer God she touched let out a scream and morphed into a girl. She managed to capture about five and implanted them into Aidel’s brain. Despite this, Aidel’s Pron count remained at NULL. The supply count, however, increased from one to six, and the supply volume naturally expanded sixfold. Finally, there was some breathing room.

“Hey, do you want to die?”

The voice belonged to Safaul. His face, resembling a monitor, appeared in Cartesia’s virtual space, radiating fierce hostility. Cartesia smirked and stepped back slightly.

“I have to make a living too. Don’t you agree?”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?”

Behind Safaul, crimson wires emerged, tensing the air with the promise of a fierce confrontation. Safaul scanned the stats of the outsiders Cartesia had captured and transformed into slaves. Each was notably weak. In this realm, weakness was a sin, unworthy of sympathy. Conversely, Cartesia’s forces within their home territory were considerably stronger. After assessing the situation, Safaul withdrew his tendrils.

“If this wasn’t your exile, you would have been finished.”

With those words, he vanished. The galaxy containing the Alcatraz planetary system served as both a refuge and a prison for Cartesia. As an isolated Outer God, escape was impossible. However, this confinement also granted them significant power and control within this galaxy. Despite Safaul’s high rank, Cartesia knew that with a home-ground advantage, she could potentially defeat him in a direct confrontation. It was almost as if he was daring her, testing his limits within his own domain.

Aidel yawned, breaking the silence. “The third thesis… we should proceed with constructing the graviton bomb.”

He had received an intriguing email: As soon as it’s out, I will make you a graduate student, no questions asked. Just focus on calming the madness. It was all a ruse crafted by Aidel, a defiance against the laws of the country and the destiny imposed upon him. Cartesia found this rebellion fascinating. However, remaining static was not an option. They had a mission: Leave Alcatraz by the end of the month. Success would bring a reward of 500 Pron. Failure had a bizarre consequence: pregnancy.

“Isn’t this a bit too harsh?” Populus complained. Now a ‘she’ that had become a maid adorned with ribbons due to .

“Shut up,” Cartesia snapped, giving a sharp tug on Populus’s leash. It was a reminder of her new reality ever since she had begun assisting a human named Aidel.

“Just looking at it, it doesn’t seem like the work of an Outer God, but rather—urk, ugh.”

“I told you to shut up.” Cartesia’s tone was icy, leaving no room for argument. Populus, constrained by the bond, could only comply.

As Cartesia continued her vigil over Aidel, something unexpected occurred. A coin dropped out of nowhere, landing with a soft clink on the ground before her. It wasn’t just any coin, but a golden one, a blessing from a constellation and sustenance for Outer Gods. A token of divine intervention.

The God of ‘Wealth and Investment’ has sponsored you with 2000 coins.

Cartesia blinked, her expression blank. The situation was so sudden, so utterly absurd. Who would dare? Was someone sponsoring her?

“Ahaha! It’s a coin, a coin!”

The Outer Gods, including Populus, rose to their feet. Despite their appearances as shabby human maids with trailing ribbons, they were still formidable Outer Gods.

“Give us the coin!”

“When I regain my power, you will be nothing!”

“Goodbye, half-wit!”

But they were unaware of the true power at play. The produced by the Descartes legion of Outer Gods was stronger and more brutal than anything else.

“Stay still.”

With a single command, the Outer Gods who had been surging forward suddenly slammed their heads into the ground in a deep bow. Their thoughts, actions, and tones completely transformed.

“M-Master.”

“Please bestow a coin upon us, your insignificant servants.”

“Sorry…”

They clung to Cartesia, pleading desperately. Betrayal? Revenge? Those concepts seemed distant now. Cartesia clicked her tongue in annoyance as the bodies of the Outer Gods, now tainted with a slave mentality, writhed on the ground.

“Master, don’t abandon us.”

“Give us coins, coins!”

Their drooling, dog-like demeanor was pitiful and even repulsive. These were Outer Gods, reduced to this state. Would she become like them if she fell under ? The thought was momentarily distracting, but her heart—or whatever organ served its purpose—pounded loudly. This was the first time she had experienced such a sensation.

Shush shush.

Brushing her hands through the heap of golden coins, Cartesia activated her unique skill, , sifting through her memories. She soon realized the source of this unexpected gift.

“…….”

It was from Aidel’s younger sister. Not only had she awoken, but she had also awakened her constellation and even donated money. This turn of events was both surprising and unforeseen. Receiving such a gift obligated Cartesia to reciprocate; this was a cardinal rule she always followed.

Rustle.

Clutching the pile of gold coins close, Cartesia cast a glance at Aidel.

Cartesia had given me only a fortnight. It was time to escape Alcatraz before then. Besides, the second semester was looming, and Rusti had already returned. The professors were convening to decide my academic fate.

We will handle Aidel’s admission to graduate school. Once he is released from prison, he will be treated as if he has obtained a college degree.

They were prepared to make me a graduate student. The legality was murky, but that didn’t matter. I had done all I could here. Lingering any longer would only tarnish my reputation. Knowing when to retreat is as crucial as knowing when to fight.

I started packing and organizing everything, including the computer. Suddenly, the door burst open.

“It’s me, young master,” Sonia announced as she entered.

“Are you planning to move out soon?”

“Yes.”

“I thought as much. Let me help you.”

Together, we tidied up and prepared everything for the courier.

“This reminds me of that day,” Sonia remarked.

“The day after father scolded me?”

“Yes. You spontaneously decided to clean your room and organize all your collections.”

Sonia gave me a faint, natural smile—so genuine she almost seemed human.

“You’ve changed a lot since then,” she observed, her voice calm and soothing, comforting in its familiarity.

“Life is unpredictable. I’ve certainly learned that. Still, I wish you’d maintain a bit more decorum. That’s my only concern.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Go on, please.”

“If I were perfect, you’d be out of a job,” I retorted with a shrug.

Sonia chuckled. “Then I’ll rephrase. Please, just continue being yourself.”

“…”

“Alright, that’s it. All the luggage is packed now.”

“Yes, it looks like we’re done.”

I dusted off my hands and checked my email. There, a message from Professor Feynman awaited.

Student Aidel, this is Professor Feynman. After discussions with government agencies, it has been agreed that you will be welcomed into the graduate program once your condition is managed.

A surprising turn of events. A smile crept across my face as I read The Professor’s wishes for my health and recovery.

“Young master, let’s return. Miss Ceti and Miss Rustila are awaiting us.”

It was time to bid farewell to Alcatraz. Had it been about three months? Brief, yet long enough to grow fond of the place.

“Student, are you departing at last?”

Warden Weisel approached with the guard, both here to see me off. I mustered a smile.

“Yes, it appears I am fully recovered.”

“Good, please take care of yourself as you leave.”

“I will.”

“The restoration of the Ether Belt is complete. There will be no further invasions by Outer Gods or relapses into madness. Student Aidel, you have done well. This is our final goodbye.”

Both men looked worn, their expressions gaunt as if they, too, had been touched by the Outer Gods. Their burden must have been heavy but perhaps lightened during my stay, as I had taken on much of the challenging administrative work.

“Safe travels!”

“It was a pleasure, and let’s hope our paths don’t cross again!”

“You won’t go far, Aidel von Reinhardt!”

A lump formed in my throat at their farewell, but I left Alcatraz with confidence.

Then, a voice called out.

“Hey, you over there.”

A woman with black hair and piercing eyes approached me. She was the same one who had captured the attention of many during our morning runs. She stopped in front of me.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Aidel von Reinhardt.”

During our imprisonment, we were known only by our inmate numbers, not names. This was the first time I had shared my name with another inmate.

“Aidel, Aidel…”

She repeated my name, her brow furrowing as she peered intently into my eyes as if searching for something. A sense of unease washed over me. This woman was no mere background character. The disparity between her bouts of madness and lucidity was jarring, almost as if she toggled it on and off at will.

“No, this doesn’t make sense.”

Her eyes dimmed. At that moment, the guards readied their batons, anticipating trouble. I quickly paid 100 Pron and accessed the parameter window, just in case.