Chapter 89: The Nature of Magicians

I left the lecture hall with Mira.

The mirror bug naturally took flight and began projecting a screen.

Within it was the Tooth Necklace.

He clacked his teeth together loudly and grinned at me.

Well, I assume that was a grin.

The teeth formed a neat arc, shaping a crescent.

People were gathered in the central hall on the second floor.

The shadow puppets beside them had naturally guided them there.

They cast quick glances at the puppets while exchanging words with one another.

I stepped in front of them.

The clacking of teeth echoed from the mirror bug, and gradually, the chatter died down.

Everyone seemed a little tense.

They were brimming with magic, ready to be unleashed.

Smiling, I raised my right hand.

My left was still caught in Mira’s grasp, so I couldn’t lift it.

I faced my palm toward them and waved lightly.

“You don’t have to be so nervous already. As I mentioned earlier, you still have thirty minutes left.”

The mirror bug slowly circled around them.

The Tooth Necklace inside observed each of them, clicking sharply as it did.

[I’ll be watching how fiercely you all fight. I won’t interfere, so just fight until you collapse! Oh, and when I say collapse, I don’t mean just falling to the floor. I mean die. I once fought someone who just flopped onto the ground and pretended to be dead—how ridiculous! I told them…]

The Tooth Necklace’s words emerged from the mirror bug as written text, its magic inscribing them in midair.

The letters rained down densely like a storm, too many to read properly.

“Yes, I trust you can all see what Mr. Tooth Necklace is saying. From now on, all lectures will proceed in this manner. You simply need to meet the conditions the treasure demands, whatever form that takes. Fighting isn’t the only way. This is just Mr. Tooth Necklace’s personal preference.”

The people who had been staring blankly at the words from the Tooth Necklace started shifting their gazes toward me.

I met their eyes one by one.

These were the people I’d be spending the next five years with.

Helping them a little wouldn’t be so bad.

“You should think carefully about what they want. If you understand the desires that drive the treasure, you’ll find it much easier to be chosen by them.”

I looked at the mirror bug, still spewing text.

The Tooth Necklace’s desires were crystal clear.

“Always consider things from the treasure’s perspective. If you do, they’ll willingly choose you.”

That was my sincere advice.

Mira chuckled softly at my words.

When I glanced down at her, she gave me a light smile.

In a way, I had also been chosen by her.

But my heartfelt words didn’t seem to reach the students.

They only looked at me with blank expressions.

I closed my eyes in disappointment.

‘These foolish humans.’

They viewed treasures as mere objects, their minds completely trapped in the narrow perspective of a magician.

Judging by their expressions, I could already tell how much they were going to struggle.

They needed to learn that treasures had thoughts, desires, and even their own sense of happiness.

More than that, treasures had rights.

Respect must be mutual.

Only by respecting the treasures could they hope to receive respect in return.

Burying my disappointment deep within, I smiled again and nodded at them.

‘If they didn’t know, they could learn.’

That was the path of a magician.

Through this lecture, they would come to understand treasures on a deeper level.

“The combat zone will be the entire second floor, except for the infirmary and the lecture hall. Those two areas will be closed off. We can’t have eliminated participants rejoining the fight.”

At those words, they began scanning their surroundings with magic.

I watched as their magic extended far into the rooms beyond, then continued speaking.

“You’ll have twelve hours. How you use that time is entirely up to you. You can form alliances, negotiate, or—if you prefer—you can hide without fighting at all.”

That, too, was a strategy.

I saw no reason to limit their options.

The more freedom they had, the more they would reveal about themselves through their choices.

“But remember, you’re fighting for Mr. Tooth Necklace, and this is all to gain his power. Now, you may move freely. The bell will signal the start, so do your best.”

I waved them off.

That was all I needed to say.

The rest was up to them.

They would figure things out on their own—they were experts in combat, after all.

Murmurs spread among the students.

Just as I had observed in the lecture hall, they naturally formed into small groups, talking amongst themselves.

Gradually, they split into different factions, each heading in a different direction.

“One last time—think from the treasure’s perspective!”

I called after them, my final piece of advice.

A few turned to glance at me, but their faces were still filled with confusion.

They hadn’t grasped the meaning yet.

They disappeared from view.

[Thinking from the treasure’s perspective? I’m touched! So deeply moved! Not that they understand, of course.]

The Tooth Necklace clacked its teeth beyond the mirror bug’s screen.

I glanced at him.

Beyond the display, the sky stretched pale and white—the inside of the warehouse.

He was still bound inside.

The illusion in the lecture hall had merely recreated his surroundings.

To keep him from feeling too trapped, I had prepared plenty of mirror bugs.

Right now, dozens of them floated before him, displaying different parts of the second floor and capturing the students’ movements.

And he wasn’t the only one watching.

Other treasures using the bulletin board could also observe the footage.

They, too, would be keeping an eye out for potential candidates.

[Now, let’s see a battle so fierce it makes my teeth ache! This is going to be fun! Kekeke!]

The students spread out, claiming different areas and preparing their spells.

Soon, a bell rang through the second floor, marking the beginning of the battle.

***

I returned to the lecture hall.

Getting caught up in their fights would be a hassle.

The Tooth Necklace had gone off to observe their progress.

An hour passed.

No one had been eliminated.

No fights had broken out.

Instead, everyone had retreated into rooms, cautiously watching each other.

It was expected.

None of them knew much about their opponents, and without confidence in their chances of victory, ‘who would be foolish enough to act first?’

Mira sat beside me, quietly sipping her tea.

She watched the second floor through a mirror bug floating before her.

A few more hovered in front of me as well.

I pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

As I focused my intent, the mirror bugs adjusted their view, showing a particular person—a slender woman engaged in conversation with a few others.

Time to organize information on this one.

I remembered her.

Luciella, if I recalled correctly.

She had purchased her spot in this class.

Her skills were impressive—she had been on the third floor for quite some time.

She would likely be one of the top students in this lecture.

That meant I should place her above average.

Around 70 points for each category should be a reasonable starting estimate.

As I reviewed the information, I refined the scores with subtle adjustments.

“What have you been doing all this time?”

Mira set down her teacup and asked.

I put down my magic pen and looked at her.

She seemed a little bored.

“I’m organizing information on the students. Cross-referencing the data from the shadow puppets with what the mirror bugs observe.”

Beyond the mirror bugs, the shadow puppets attended to the students, smiling as they served them.

Pouring tea, casting small spells—doing their best to accommodate them.

They gathered everything they saw and heard, transmitting it to me through intent.

I compiled all of it into notes.

Their preferences, movements, even where their eyes lingered—no detail was too small.

Piecing everything together, I could sketch a rough profile of each student.

“Is it really necessary to do that now? Just like last time, they’ll naturally reveal themselves if we wait.”

Mira rested her chin on her hands, watching me.

She was clearly growing restless from the lack of action.

And she wasn’t wrong.

This information would accumulate over time regardless.

But that was after time had passed.

And I couldn’t be certain that what I gathered later would be the full picture.

“This isn’t for my benefit, nor for the treasures. It’s for the students. They need to be prepared for the dangers ahead.”

That piqued her interest.

She flipped through the dozens of sheets before her.

The information was still rough, incomplete.

It would need continuous refinement.

But some profiles were already clear.

She picked up one such page, read it, and smiled lightly.

“Aha, this one. I remember him.”

‘Did Mira take interest in someone?’ I glanced at the paper in her hand.

Seeing the name, I gave a small nod.

‘If it was that person, I could understand her reaction.’

Surprisingly, quite a few students from my previous lecture had reapplied for this one.

Even after receiving such low scores.

They must have noticed how my lectures had changed.

The one she was looking at was one of them.

That was why the information on him was so detailed—I had already gathered plenty about him.

His name was Hao.

Mira flipped through the pages with sparkling eyes.

“He had such a strong scent. Every time I looked at him, I couldn’t help but feel like I wanted to eat him.”

To be honest, he was probably the weakest among all the students here.

In the last lecture, he had finished around 160th place.

Others at his level had been eliminated in the application process.

But I had accepted him for one reason.

As Mira just mentioned, Hao had a rather peculiar trait.

He attracted the attention of non-human entities.

The false tree embedded in Subject 0’s chest had caused occasional disturbances in the past—a sort of ghostly jailbreak, if you will.

Strangely enough, those spirits always gathered around Hao’s mirror bug.

It was the same during the lectures.

He was frequently attacked by monsters.

Just as Mira had said, it was because of that “scent.”

I had found it fascinating and had kept a close eye on him.

The reason I brought him in was to focus the treasures’ attention on him.

He was someone who naturally stood out to them.

Just as Mira had remembered him now.

Hao would continue to draw their interest and be affected by them.

And everything that happened to him would be relayed back to me.

He was the benchmark for this lecture.

A living specimen for observation.

“Hmm, what are these numbers down here? 29, 90, 33?”

“They represent thresholds. I determined that if he surpasses those values, something significant will change.”

Life consisted of three fundamental components—body, mind, and soul.

Together, they formed a living being.

The scores I had written down reflected how much of each the students possessed.

Of course, there were other theories.

Some suggested magic should be included.

Others argued for additional factors.

After all, we still didn’t fully understand life itself.

But at the very least, these three components were widely accepted.

This theory was the most comprehensive one in the field of magic, which was why I used it to assign scores.

Hao’s high mental score was no coincidence.

My observations had shown that his unique trait was rooted in his mind.

His physical ability was average, and his soul, as reflected in the score, was nothing extraordinary.

But the powerful mental waves radiating from him were strong enough that even I could perceive them at times.

That must be what drew non-human entities to him.

That was why I had assigned him such a high score in that category.

“Aha, I see what you’re thinking,” Mira said with a smirk. “You’re keeping an eye on the treasures.”

She chuckled, and I nodded silently.

Receiving power.

Such a sweet temptation.

Just like the students gathered here today, any magician would be drawn to that offer.

‘But was it truly as simple as it sounded?’

Treasures had an inherent tendency to erode those who wielded them.

That was part of what made them “treasures.”

If something as fragile as a weed came into contact with them, it would dissolve on the spot.

Of course, magicians, being attuned to magic, were somewhat resistant.

But if they overused that power, even they could be consumed by it.

The same thing could happen if the power gap between them and the treasure was too great.

I recalled the moment I had locked eyes with that bizarre gaze on the seventh floor.

Just by looking at it, my mind had nearly fractured into twelve separate pieces.

That was how treasures naturally spread their contamination.

So, what would happen when the students took their power into themselves?

Most of them were aware of the risks.

They would likely wield the granted power wisely.

After all, they cherished their own lives as much as anyone.

But a magician’s greed always led to overreach.

And the treasures wouldn’t just sit idly by—they would interfere directly.

Through that process, some of the students might change in strange ways.

They could even become biological terminals for the treasures.

As the instructor, it was my responsibility to prevent such dangers in advance.

Otherwise, it would be a violation of their basic rights.

The professor wouldn’t let me off the hook if I failed in that regard.

That was why I needed to observe their original states—their purest human forms.

I roughly explained this to Mira.

She listened, then flashed me a playful smile.

“Hmm, interesting.”

Satisfied, she placed the paper back down and turned her attention to the mirror bug again.

The central hall was being displayed.

Beyond it, tightly shut doors could be seen—the rooms where the students had taken refuge.

“So, when do you think the fighting will start?” she asked. “This is getting way too boring. That one seems to feel the same way.”

She pointed at the screen.

A mirror bug was flitting about, scanning the rooms, spewing out lines of text in every direction.

I chuckled lightly and shook my head.

“They’ll start soon. Just wait a little longer.”

I spoke with certainty.

Mira looked at me, a bit skeptical.

“I believe in magicians,” I told her. “When the opportunity arises, they will act without hesitation.”

She tilted her head.

“I could’ve sworn you always say, ‘People can’t be trusted. Magicians even less so.’”

‘Oh. Had I actually said that out loud before?’

I scratched my cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Well, I trust in their untrustworthiness. In their intense selfishness and desires.”

She blinked at me.

I gave her a slight nod and turned back to my papers, continuing to jot down notes.

Information was pouring in, and I needed to document it quickly.

***

And just as I had predicted—

The first battle broke out about ten minutes later.

It was the result of a group that had taken my lecture before.

They had banded together and ambushed a group of independent magicians, eliminating them completely.

It wasn’t even a battle—it was an outright assault.

It hadn’t even taken three minutes to wipe out more than twenty people.

They had struck while their targets were off guard, dispatching them all in an instant.

Not that they were hard to catch off guard.

After all, they had been allies.

That alliance had likely been formed just to create an opening for betrayal.

If they could consume, they would consume.

If they saw an opening, they would tear it apart.

That was the way of magicians.