Chapter 162 — Even After Escaping Slavery, Still a Slave

1

It was truly strange.

Persuasion?

Hell no, don’t even try.

He had seen countless times what happens to those who break the law at the academy.

Professor Trevor was an idealist.

He was newly appointed—what power, what influence did he have to protect anyone?

So he ran.

Even if he fell from a great height, there would be some way to survive.

“…Where am I?”

As he opened the window to escape, he felt something was off about the world.

Lush green plants had overtaken the academy tower, wrapping around it tightly.

It looked as though this place had long been abandoned by humans, overgrown with bizarre plants.

After safely landing through various spells, Chesthip slowly looked around.

There was no sign of life.

The academy, which should have been bustling, was eerily quiet.

“Has a place like this always existed in the academy?”

[■■■■■■]

What did Professor Trevor say again?

He couldn’t remember well, but one thing was certain: he needed to get out of here.

He moved quickly, aiming to escape the academy.

Everything felt strange.

The grass had grown up to his ankles, and the towering walls…

“What the hell is this? Damn it.”

The academy’s round outer walls.

Chesthip was horrified as he approached them, intent on escaping.

The clear sky that should have been visible beyond the fortress wall was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, his view was filled with a massive tree.

A colossal, dark brown tree, like something out of Jack and the Beanstalk, stretched into the sky.

The once-solid wall that had protected them was now a prison in this dreary green world.

The tree’s enormous trunk filled the entire space beyond the wall.

Chesthip, as if drawn in by some unseen force, approached the tree.

He placed his hand on the wall.

[Come closer, new gardener.]

“…Who are you?”

[I am the keeper of the garden. Become my gardener and fend off the intruders.]

“Screw you. Why the hell should I care about being your gardener?”

[The one you hate has also entered my garden to cause harm.]

“…”

[I will give you the power to defeat him. No one will dare look down on you.]

“And why should I believe you?”

[That’s the way life is, isn’t it? A constant path of doubt and struggle.]

What a pitiful life this is.

A mocking voice rang out.

Shrrrk.

A small crystal appeared before his eyes, moving on its own, extended to him by the tree branches.

Inside the crystal, immense mana could be felt.

Mages live their lives endlessly seeking ways to enhance their mana.

Potions, meditation, and countless other methods.

[Accept this gift. My small token of sincerity.]

“Hah…”

The amount of mana within the crystal nearly matched all the mana Chesthip had accumulated thus far.

If he could absorb it all, he would not only be able to scale the wall, but also reach greater heights of power.

Carefully holding the magic stone, he began to absorb the mana.

It was slow but undeniable.

The mana that would take years to accumulate flooded into him in mere minutes.

His entire body buzzed with a euphoric sense of fulfillment.

With each breath, the scent of mana wafted from deep within him.

“Haaaaa-.”

Taking a deep breath, Chesthip circulated the mana within himself.

Ah, yes, this was it.

This was the power he had wanted.

Not the life of a slave under that damn professor, but the ability to grow stronger—quickly.

“…Can I leave this place?”

[If you capture the intruder, I will make you a hero in this world.]

“How strong can I become?”

[As strong as you wish.]

Srrrk.

Another magic stone appeared.

Chesthip grasped it and said,

“Alright. Where do I go?”

2

A strange room.

Black and White had a special guest today.

They had lived in isolation, bound to the tower for years, with only each other for company.

Now, two outsiders had arrived.

Every time they had visitors, the two couldn’t hide their joy.

Manus used to visit often, but this time, a small girl appeared alone.

Black stood up to greet her.

“Welcome. You’ve come alone today. Your name is…?”

“It’s Kael.”

“You look quite different, Kael.”

Kael smiled awkwardly.

Black politely guided her to a seat.

As always, they were in the middle of a board game, a chess match where the pieces moved by mana.

“A guest? Oh, it’s a girl today?”

“Hello.”

“So, little one, what brings you here today? Where’s Senior Manus?”

Kael smiled softly.

She spoke in a confident, commanding tone.

Senior Manus won’t always handle everything for them.

This time, she was the one responsible for securing the necessary supplies for the party.

That’s why she hadn’t absorbed the magic stones she had gathered during the last expedition.

Clatter, clatter-.

Magic stones poured out of her pocket dimension.

“You gathered all this?”

“Yes. If it’s not enough, I can get more, even on credit.”

“Hahahaha! This is incredible!”

White laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

Manus was quite something, but Kael was an even bigger surprise.

Magic stones.

They were both a blessing and a curse from the tower.

They could boost mana instantly, but they also dragged people into the depths of their desires.

The land ruled by the God of Death.

The stones left behind by the people who perished there were nothing but the manifestation of greed and selfishness.

But what about this girl?

“Magic stones are truly mysterious objects, aren’t they?”

“They are a means of becoming stronger, but they can also lead to one’s downfall. They fuel jealousy, selfishness, and the desire for power.”

White and Black each added their thoughts.

Kael took their words to heart.

Selfishness and desire.

Those were the emotions that Senior Manus had always warned her to be wary of.

Kael didn’t have much attachment to the magic stones yet.

She had no complaints because she shared them fairly and grew stronger along with her comrades.

Her party members were the kind who would likely give her a bit more of the stones, knowing she was the one making the tools.

“It’s fine. For now.”

“Haha, that’s why I like you. So, guest, what do you need?”

“Show me the items I can craft.”

Kael had come to this place on her own and was now creating items with her own ideas.

A potion to boost their lacking damage output.

Nails, holy water, and oil to respond to the monsters’ sudden actions.

Even a cursed doll to block enemy attacks.

Kael used all the magic stones she had gathered to craft the items.

She felt a sense of pride well up within her.

Once the items were distributed properly, they’d be fully prepared.

She could already imagine the look of appreciation and excitement on her comrades’ faces.

[Interference detected.]

[Reward: Item effects increased by 10%.]

[Item penalties reduced by 50%.]

Meanwhile, Manus watched Kael as she approached from a distance, noting the changes in her.

Her face was filled with responsibility.

She had set aside her own needs to provide for her comrades.

“Kael! You’re here!”

“Yeah, did I keep you waiting long?”

“No, I was just wondering what you were preparing… So this is what it was?”

Kael nodded.

She then carefully distributed the items, ensuring they’d be ready for any emergencies.

After explaining everything she had learned from Black, she looked at the group with satisfaction and said,

“This should be enough, right?”

“But, did you buy all this?”

Melanie asked suddenly.

Kael shook her head and explained where she had acquired the items.

She had learned that it was better to share their feelings and be honest with each other, rather than keep secrets among comrades.

It would avoid complications later.

“I bought it with magic stones. Want me to show you how?”

“Oh, really? Then… all of these?”

“It’s no big deal.”

Although Kael said that, the looks in her comrades’ eyes said otherwise.

They knew, too.

They understood what magic stones from the Demon could mean.

Anais looked at the items Kael handed out and said,

“Looks like we should increase Kael’s share a bit.”

“Agreed. How about this? We give some of the magic stones to Kael, and she handles our requests. How about it?”

“I’m in.”

“Agreed! Agreed! We place orders, right? Can you handle it, Kael?”

She smiled brightly and nodded.

She would take care of her party members.

For Kael, who had no real ties, it was truly rewarding and meaningful.

“Manus, don’t we get something like that too?”

“We rely on skill alone.”

“Wow, that’s harsh.”

“You’re a third-year, surely you won’t lose to a first-year, right?”

Nia’s brow furrowed, and her jaw clenched, making her cheeks puff out in frustration. It was quite amusing.

Manus chuckled and quietly opened his pocket dimension.

He had prepared plenty of items whenever he had free time.

Two vials of holy water spun through the air, landing in the hands of Nia and Guillermo.

“If you need anything, I’ll give it to you when the time comes. Now, let’s move out.”

[Mewww-!]

With Albion’s cry, they stepped into the garden.

3

Manus, Nia, and Guillermo thoroughly searched from the first to the fourth floor.

Four hours had already passed out of their twelve-hour window, but there had been no news.

Manus had [Dux], but he hadn’t used it on purpose.

Their goal this time was to farm the Panzer artifact.

In the game, it should’ve dropped several times by now.

Had the difficulty increased, or was someone’s luck just miserably bad?

They spent four hours farming, and all they got was a shield for Guillermo.

“Phew—this is exhausting. Manus, shouldn’t we move up soon?”

“If we go up now, we won’t be able to withstand the enemy’s attacks.”

“But Guillermo’s here, right? Isn’t that enough?”

Manus nodded.

New items had appeared, and accordingly, the enemies’ strength had also been adjusted.

This was the fate of RPG games—the system.

The garden’s guardians were killers, with attacks so strong they could tear characters apart like paper.

Many players had screamed in despair, watching their characters shredded to bits, imagining the developers laughing at them.

For that reason, this farming was crucial.

“We absolutely cannot. I value the lives of the two of you.”

“Ugh… fine. But do you think the other team is okay?”

There was no need to worry about them.

Melanie’s Panzer was rather special.

It could probably withstand most attacks, just thinking about it filled him with confidence.

Manus firmly said, “They’ll be fine,” and then began walking again.

Judging by the fact that they were now cracking jokes, it seemed like they had gotten used to the atmosphere of the garden and the demons.

So it was time to get serious about farming.

If their luck was poor, they’d just have to increase it.

In a completely legitimate way.

[Dux]

A faint light led the group forward.

This light was a guide, leading Manus in the direction he most desired.

Come to think of it, around this time, wasn’t there a friend who awakened [Dux]?

Manus’s steps were light and confident as he pressed forward.

What he wanted most at this moment…

It would surely be found where that faint light led.

–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt