Chapter 151 — Doubts Growing Like Mold

1

Elena couldn’t regain her composure.

She had heard such words in the Eagle Class before.

There are times when you need to be more cautious of allied mages than the enemy.

When a mage deliberately casts magic, it is a catastrophe in itself.

So, they advised her to be extremely careful and to avoid going anywhere near where the mage was looking.

She had scoffed at that.

How powerful could a mage be anyway?

‘What is this?’

Rumble—

The completed spell, by its mere presence, incinerated the regular Blood Slimes.

These Blood Slimes, which multiplied by splitting from the Queen, emitted such intense heat that they couldn’t even perform the act of splitting.

It was reckless to use a 4th-Class spell like that.

Since she wasn’t entirely ignorant of magic, she could recognize what was happening.

The [Altus] spell was a lifeline for students who couldn’t advance further.

‘But…’

How many times did Manus layer the Altus spell to produce such power?

Manus’s sleeves were completely burned away.

His trembling arms indicated just how extraordinary the magic he was holding was.

If he didn’t raise his shield, it seemed like he would melt from the heat.

The intense heat filling the space made it hard to breathe.

Aden, too, braced herself and withstood the heat with a grim resolve.

“Hey—! Hurry and finish it! At this rate, I’m going to be forced to retire!”

“-Understood.”

[Ignis]

[Altus] x 5

A spell he tried as an experiment.

The result was a level of destruction that sent chills down one’s spine.

He already knew from the original work that the [Altus] spell was an incredibly efficient spell.

Casting it three times creates a special spell, and casting it four times strengthens that spell further.

So what about five times?

Manus’s experiment was successful.

Indeed, magic was a discipline filled with infinite possibilities.

Manus unleashed the miracle he had achieved.

A message appeared before his eyes, and he read the text.

The spell had already left his hands, and at the same time, the entire Queen’s Nest turned into a fiery inferno.

[Great Achievement!]

[This will have a significant impact on the timeline.]

[The effective use of the Altus spell has formed a new skill.]

[Skill: Yugosus Creation]

[Effect: Possesses the power equivalent to Altus Spell x 3.]

The magic circle transformed into a new shape, birthing an entirely different magic circle.

Originally a 4th-Class spell, the strengthened [Ignis] spell now matched the power of a 5th-Class spell infused with Altus.

It was as if a demon that commanded fire had descended, burning everything to ashes.

The heat was so intense that the barriers of the safety devices worn by the three of them were on the verge of disappearing.

Since they had hardly taken any damage until now, the chill was all the more intense.

The Queen of the Blood Slimes?

All three of her cores were completely burned away, leaving no trace of materials behind.

“Ugh-. You can send us back anytime now?!”

“Stop complaining and hold on!”

Aden gritted her teeth and endured.

Meanwhile, Manus, consumed by his own mana, was forced to retire.

The safety device was shattered, and he was immediately expelled from the artificial island.

Elena watched Manus’s final moments with a mix of shock and pity.

‘What the…?’

He was smiling, wasn’t he?

In any case, he was ejected before they could even confirm that the dungeon had been fully cleared.

It would likely result in a significant point deduction.

Yet, he was still smiling—could it be that those from great families have such magnanimous hearts?

These were the very nobles who couldn’t stand even a speck of dust on their grades.

Education is a frightening thing, as it greatly influences the formation of a person’s values.

He was rumored to be a scoundrel, but could it be that he actually had a free-thinking mindset?

‘Anyway.’

Elena looked ahead.

The flames died down, revealing a devastated scene.

Doing something like this in a normal dungeon would likely get them a lot of criticism.

One of the reasons for going into a dungeon was to obtain materials from monsters.

In particular, the slime from the Blood Slime was a precious ingredient in alchemy and artifacts.

The Queen’s slime and cores were so valuable and luxurious that they could fetch any price.

Yet, he had burned all of it away, leaving nothing behind—how much had they lost?

“Whew—. It’s over. I really thought I was going to die.”

“Though the conclusion is a bit unsatisfying, what can we do? He said he had something to experiment with… if this were real, it would have been disastrous.”

“I’m sure he’ll handle it. We got our evaluation for free this time.”

Elena sighed with a hint of exhaustion in her laugh.

Aden looked at his melted shield and shook his head.

The safety devices worn by the two of them glowed.

They were enveloped in light and summoned back to the academy.

They were smiling as they looked at each other, unaware that what awaited them was not applause, but eyes filled with doubt and suspicion.

2

When even the first years had entered the dungeon.

Someone furrowed their brows as they watched Manus’s feats.

Magic is a discipline that defies common sense, but on the other hand, it is also a discipline with strict rules and structures.

Isn’t it ironic?

It’s a field that makes the impossible possible, but at the same time, miracles can only be performed if approached with meticulous theories.

That’s the nature of magic, and thus, fixed notions are deeply ingrained in it.

“This is a bit strange.”

Someone’s remark started it all.

“No matter how strongly he inherited the Caesar bloodline, his growth rate and the magic he uses are abnormal.”

“Are you aware that such statements can be very dangerous?”

A professor well-versed in magic nodded.

They bore the title of ‘professor,’ after all.

Their pride and confidence in their knowledge were immense.

Those who couldn’t trust their own knowledge and experience could never become professors.

Even in the eyes of such people, something about Manus’s magic seemed off.

No matter how much of a Caesar he was, hadn’t he been effortlessly performing feats he hadn’t shown before?

To those who knew nothing about the system and passive skills, it was merely an irrational sight.

“No human should be able to use such magic based on my knowledge.”

“In that case, this might be the first instance.”

“Magic is a highly rational discipline. But this… this completely defies rationality. It’s almost as if—”

“Enough.”

The eldest professor, Chandler, halted the increasingly heated discussion.

The gentle smile that usually adorned his face was gone, replaced by the stern visage of a veteran who had guarded Mythos Academy for many years.

Barbaros’s gaze sharpened.

No one underestimated that small creature.

If that tiny lizard were to grow, Mythos Academy would pay a heavy price.

Even the esteemed Professor Jennifer couldn’t guarantee victory against that creature in a direct confrontation.

“If you find it suspicious, you can verify it yourself. Let’s keep an eye on him. Throughout history, the most brilliant stars have always emerged.”

“-Understood.”

Doubts had sprouted from a single word and began to spread like mold.

Noxious malice caught wind of the stench and slowly gathered.

Those harboring malice spread the rumors.

Caesar.

There was something off about the heir of that great family.

The incident occurred the very next day.

It happened when Manus mercilessly burned the Blood Slimes.

“What is this?”

“This was found in Manus’s room. The maid who was cleaning discovered it this morning.”

“…This is.”

The professors had gathered for evaluations, and it was the perfect opportunity for Assistant Chesthip to bring this to light.

Of course, this wouldn’t be enough to bring down the Caesar family.

But the label attached to Manus would follow him for the rest of his life.

That was enough.

He had known for a long time that he couldn’t bring down such a great family with his own power.

It would even be possible to make him disappear quietly.

‘But, from now on, you’re going to have a hard time in this academy.’

Heh heh—.

Suppressing his inner laughter, he carefully displayed the bottle handed to him by the maid.

[Black Rum]

Also known as Mana Enhancer.

It was a prohibited substance with severe side effects, strictly forbidden.

There was no way that those proficient in magic wouldn’t recognize it.

Rumble—!

At that moment, as if to confirm it, a massive spell filled the screen.

“Heugh—.”

“That’s definitely…”

“Could it be, that Caesar used this?”

Sighs, disbelief, and a touch of pity.

Their eyes, filled with confusion, darted between the screen and the Black Rum.

Unable to conceal their confusion, they watched Manus’s downfall.

Ironically, the scene where he failed to control his mana and got swept away convinced many.

What is the basic duty of a mage?

To ensure that the magic one casts doesn’t harm their allies.

And also to prevent one’s comrades from getting caught up in it, isn’t that right?

‘Manus. Could it be that you…’

Professor Jennifer clenched her fists tightly and stared at the screen.

She had seen Manus’s radiant talent.

Indeed, he had the potential to reach the pinnacle of magical studies.

His will to learn was far superior to others.

Who would have thought that a noble’s son would have such determination?

But all of that…

‘It can’t be. The boy I saw didn’t have such eyes.’

Several professors quickly left their seats.

Manus would return.

The tyrant who was once praised.

He had suddenly become a criminal.

The disappointment was immeasurable.

If he truly used a forbidden substance to awaken his talents, he would likely live in regret for the rest of his life.

At the very least, I thought I had a good eye for people.

“I suppose I must go.”

“Professors from the Snake Class, let’s all go. I leave the rest to the remaining professors.”

“I’ll stay. I need to check the magic circle until the end.”

Professor Kaiser raised her hand.

Professor Trail nodded.

As the professors filed out one by one, she spoke to her assistant, Chesthip.

“You go instead. I’m curious about what happened.”

“-Yes, understood.”

She recalled the Manus she had observed over the past week.

Overwhelming physical prowess, overwhelming judgment, and overwhelming magical ability.

Were all of those artificially created?

‘That wasn’t the case.’

It wasn’t the kind of talent that could bloom in just a few years.

Simply enhancing the power of spells might be possible with such substances.

However, fighting like a seasoned warrior was not something that could be achieved with drugs.

Professor Kaiser clicked her tongue in regret.

Indeed, there were doubts, but there could still be a twist.

The fact that all the evidence pointed to Manus was actually suspicious.

“…Hang in there, great family.”

She muttered to herself as she watched the screen.

Whether Manus would prove to be a talent worthy of his great family would become even clearer through how he handled this situation.

–TL Notes–
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