Episode 16. Mental Training (1)

“You got the research funds?”

The shabby lab looked like it could collapse any moment.

Professor Jade’s wrinkled eyes widened.

“Yes, as you said, 1 million gold. I got it.”

“…Huh.”

Professor Jade looked at me with a bewildered expression.

Well.

What kind of candidate would bring 1 million gold to participate in a professor’s research?

Especially to a professor conducting what the Holy Kingdom calls an unforgivable ‘forbidden research.’

“Are you… in your right mind?”

I never thought I’d hear such words from Professor Jade.

“Didn’t you say we needed at least 1 million gold to start the research?”

“…I did say that.”

He clearly didn’t expect me to actually get it.

“By the way, I thought you were attending school with tuition support from the Republic… How did you get this 1 million gold?”

“Did you investigate me?”

“Just answer the question.”

Professor Jade frowned, his wrinkled eyes narrowing.

I shrugged and answered nonchalantly.

“I borrowed it from a friend.”

“Borrowed? 1 million gold?”

“Have you heard of Juliet Kang?”

“First time hearing that name.”

“He’s the son of one of the top five wealthiest families in the Republic, and he’s my friend.”

“Hmm.”

Even for a wealthy heir, lending 1 million gold to someone as a candidate isn’t something easily done.

“What’s the reason you want to research Holy Marks so badly?”

“There’s something I want you to create for me.”

“Something you want me to create?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

I spoke softly to Professor Jade, who was looking at me with curiosity.

“Holy Mark Amplifier.”

“Holy Mark Amplifier?”

“Simply put, it’s a drug that artificially induces a Holy Mark’s rampage to increase magic power.”

For someone like me, who always suffered from a lack of magic power, it was like rain in a drought.

Of course, the magic power increase is temporary, but the amount generated by a Holy Mark’s rampage far exceeds that of most elixirs or spirit herbs.

‘If I had taken the Holy Mark Amplifier, the outcome of my duel with Professor Lucas would have been different.’

Perhaps it would have been Professor Lucas, not me, who ended up crashing through the wall.

The amount of magic power increased by the Holy Mark Amplifier was that immense.

Of course.

With great effects come great consequences.

“Artificially inducing a Holy Mark’s rampage… Huh, huhuhuhu!”

Professor Jade laughed like a madman, his shoulders shaking.

An unpleasant, grating laugh escaped his lips.

“You… have no idea what happens when you artificially induce a Holy Mark’s rampage, do you?”

“I do.”

“You know and still say such things?”

Professor Jade’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

“A Holy Mark is a vessel for magic power, a kind of heart that spreads magic power throughout the body. And you want to artificially induce its rampage?”

Even though he had conducted many insane researches, the Holy Mark Amplifier was on a whole other level of madness.

“If a Holy Mark rampages, the body’s energy channels will twist, and soon after, the internal organs will rupture, leading to a painful death.”

It’s called a Holy Mark Amplifier, but it’s practically poison.

“Well… maybe through research, we could create something that allows one to survive at least once. But even then, taking it more than twice would be too much for the body to handle.”

“There’s no need to endure.”

“…What?”

“If the effect is certain, even if I die after taking it once, it doesn’t matter.”

“…Hah.”

A low sigh escaped Professor Jade’s lips.

He waved his hand as if there was no point in arguing further.

“Get out of my lab right now.”

A firm expulsion.

Professor Jade’s face showed clear displeasure as he turned away.

‘Well, it’s a natural reaction.’

If I were in his position, I’d probably kick out such a lunatic too.

‘No choice.’

To convince the professor to research the Holy Mark Amplifier, I couldn’t keep my cards hidden any longer.

Swoosh.

I drew the sword from my waist.

Seeing the sharp blade, Professor Jade let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Are you seriously threatening me with that?”

“Do you think such threats would work on someone who’s stubbornly continued Holy Mark research despite the Holy Kingdom’s pressure?”

“Then?”

“Showing is faster than explaining.”

I brought the sharp blade to my neck.

And slashed.

Splat!

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

My severed head rolled on the floor.

“W-what the…!”

Professor Jade jumped up from his chair in shock.

As he flailed, drenched in blood.

“…Huh?”

The blood that had poured over him turned into gray ash and fell to the floor.

And then.

“Do you understand now? Why I said it doesn’t matter.”

“Gasp…!”

Professor Jade stepped back, his mouth agape, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Y-you… what just…?”

Well, it’s a natural reaction for a first-timer.

“Are you using illusion magic on me…?”

“The Warrior Department doesn’t use illusion magic.”

Though I did learn a bit from Senior Sophia.

“This is thanks to the ‘Blessing of Resurrection.'”

“…Blessing of Resurrection?”

“Yes. It’s a blessing that regenerates the body from fatal injuries.”

“Huh.”

Professor Jade looked at me with disbelief.

I brought the sword to my neck again and asked.

“If you don’t believe me, should I cut it again?”

“N-no, that’s not necessary!”

Professor Jade shook his head in panic.

Whew.

Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, the professor spoke in a slightly calmer voice.

“So, because of this Blessing of Resurrection, any injury regenerates immediately?”

“It’s a bit different, but… yeah, you can think of it that way.”

“…So that’s why you asked me to develop this insane Holy Mark Amplifier.”

Even if a Holy Mark’s rampage twists the body’s energy channels, if it can be regenerated through the ‘Blessing of Resurrection,’ there’s no need to worry about the side effects.

In other words.

At least for ‘Dale Han,’ the Holy Mark Amplifier becomes a perfect elixir with no side effects.

“But even with the blessing, there must be a limit to the body’s regeneration, right?”

“Limit…”

A bitter smile formed on my lips.

If there were such a limit.

I wouldn’t have spent hundreds, thousands of years wandering alone, yearning only for death.

“At least, it’s enough to heal the side effects of the Holy Mark Amplifier.”

“Hmm.”

Well.

After seeing a severed head regenerate instantly right before his eyes, there’s no room to doubt the regenerative power of the ‘Blessing of Resurrection.’

‘If I have a blessing that instantly regenerates even fatal injuries.’

Gulp.

Professor Jade swallowed hard.

A hot sensation spread through his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

‘We can make explosive progress in Holy Mark research, which has been stagnant until now.’

Why is Holy Mark research so taboo?

Of course, there are religious reasons, but more than that, it’s because tampering with the delicate organ that is the ‘Holy Mark’ is extremely dangerous.

But if there’s someone who can nullify that risk and assist in the research?

‘…Perhaps.’

He might be able to realize the ‘dream’ he’s longed for.

‘Oscar.’

A cheerful young man with red hair, whose smile suited him so well.

As the face of his former student naturally came to mind, Professor Jade tightly closed his eyes.

A suffocating guilt tightened his chest.

The more he remembered his student, the more it felt like someone was strangling him.

“Professor?”

“Ah… sorry.”

Professor Jade shook his head as if to dispel the thoughts.

“So, you’re saying there’s no side effect for you, so you want me to make the Holy Mark Amplifier?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Holy Mark Amplifier…”

Creating something that induces a Holy Mark’s rampage to temporarily gain explosive magic power.

“…It shouldn’t be too hard to make.”

“Wow.”

“Well, there are already several researched methods to induce a Holy Mark’s rampage. The problem is ensuring the rampage leads to a temporary increase in magic power… That’ll need more research.”

“I’ll help with the research.”

“Kehkehkeh! You’ll help with the research?”

Professor Jade shook his head as if I was talking nonsense.

“You’re from the Warrior Department, right? You haven’t even taken magic or alchemy classes, so how…?”

“I know a bit of the theory.”

“Huh. Well then… solve this problem.”

Professor Jade handed me one of the messy piles of paper on the table.

The contents were related to three unsolved problems left by his distant ancestor, the ‘Great Sage.’

Problems so difficult that even Magic Department professors couldn’t solve, let alone understand.

He probably handed it to me, a Warrior Department candidate who knows nothing about magic, just to mess with me.

“Solved.”

“What?”

Solved?

Just by glancing at the paper?

Sigh.

Professor Jade let out a deep sigh and took the paper.

“You might not know, but these aren’t the kind of problems you can guess and get right… Huh?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“N-no. H-how…? This can’t be… This can’t be.”

Professor Jade’s hand holding the paper trembled.

“Y-you…”

Flames ignited in Professor Jade’s eyes as he looked at Dale.

His breathing grew rough, as if he had just met his first love.

The professor stepped closer and grabbed Dale’s shoulders roughly.

“You…! How about transferring to the Magic Department?!”

“Huh?”

“After graduation, join my lab! I’ll support you under the name of ‘Bastian’!”

“No thanks.”

That’s a bit…