Maria Theresia.
A fifth-tier mage who had supposedly come from the countryside.
In truth, she was a young dragon playing at being human.
She was roughly five hundred years old—an age when a dragon’s thirst for knowledge was at its fiercest.
And now, that dragon had taken a very serious interest in him.
“Student Ex. Think this through carefully. It’s incredibly rare for a first-year student to become an Assistant Professor. And once you graduate from the academy, do you honestly think you’ll be able to find a decent job? If you become my Assistant Professor, your future employment is practically guaranteed.”
Madness churned within Maria’s blue eyes.
No matter what happened, he had to reject her offer.
‘Circe is supposed to become her Assistant Professor!’
Even as terror gripped him, Ex steeled himself and resisted with everything he had.
“I’m sorry! I don’t have any talent for magic! I’m only taking this class for the credits, so I’m really not interested!”
“Is your inability to sense magic the problem? I can fix something like that. I could even remake your entire body into one composed purely of magic power.”
“P-Please spare me!”
What made it even more terrifying was that she wasn’t bluffing.
She truly could turn him into a being of pure magic power, something closer to a spirit than a human.
Maria frowned at Ex’s fierce resistance.
“You know, playing hard to get for too long won’t end well for you. I know plenty of ways to guide my students onto the proper path.”
“Eeeek…!”
She was saying she could knead his brain like dough and rewrite his mind.
Ex felt genuine, primal terror.
“I’m sorry!!”
He turned and fled.
In the face of an overwhelming terror he could never hope to resist, the only defiance available to a tiny, helpless creature was to look away and run.
“Ah… He left.”
Maria watched Ex disappear into the distance and smacked her lips in disappointment.
Then her expression turned puzzled, and she sank into thought.
“Why didn’t the mental magic work…?”
She carefully reviewed the spell, wondering whether she had made some mistake.
Finding nothing wrong only deepened her confusion.
After considering it for a while, she reached a single conclusion.
There was something unusual about Ex.
He was something she had never encountered before.
Curiosity pounded against her heart.
The thirst for the ‘unknown’ left her throat painfully dry.
“He’ll have to come back eventually… I suppose I can take my time with him.”
Almost unconsciously, Maria swallowed a quiet laugh.
She never noticed the pair of eyes secretly watching the entire exchange.
***
‘A student from Class F conducted research like this…?’
The girl with straight violet hair silently moved her pen across the paper.
Ordinarily, she would have dismissed something like this without a second thought.
Yet all the knowledge she had accumulated over two lifetimes told her that she couldn’t afford to ignore it.
What she had overheard that day had been that shocking.
‘He must have picked it up somewhere. There’s no chance this academy has a genuinely capable student. Especially not in Class F…’
The Reincarnated Sage, Circe Odyssey, released a long sigh.
A creeping sense of guilt rose within her for eavesdropping on someone else’s research, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the heavy disappointment already clouding her heart.
‘That’s right. There’s no chance this place has any worthwhile students.’
Circe had endured so many disappointments that she could no longer clear the darkness from her heart.
By now, she had almost resigned herself to it.
One hundred years ago, she had devoted her entire life to barely sealing away the Demon King.
When fortune allowed her to reincarnate, she had been overjoyed.
Her heart had swelled with pride at the knowledge that she had saved the world.
It hadn’t taken long for that pride to collapse.
The family she had been reborn into was a clan of appalling misers.
After Circe awakened her magic and entered the Magic Tower, their behavior had grown so unbearable that she had ultimately severed all ties with them.
‘Still, that didn’t matter. It was only a family problem.’
When Circe entered the Magic Tower, she had still possessed a small amount of hope.
She had believed that the mages of this era would have advanced beyond those of a century ago. She had expected their magical research to be more systematic, their accumulated knowledge deeper, and their passion for discovering the truth even stronger.
That was what she had sacrificed herself to protect.
‘But I was wrong.’
Humanity’s level had declined instead.
Magic had become nothing more than a stepping stone toward wealth and political power.
Mages and researchers obsessed over a handful of coins.
Those in power regarded magic as nothing more than another method of waging war.
Not one of them spared even a moment’s concern for the threat of the Demon King.
There was no genuine pursuit of truth.
No hunger for research or discovery.
Even after coming to Elyon Academy, the so-called repository of all knowledge, nothing changed.
If anything, the truth only became more obvious.
‘Everything we sacrificed was meaningless.’
Yet the threat posed by the Demon King and the Demon Realm had not disappeared.
She would have to endure the same hellish life she had suffered in her previous incarnation.
Only this time, she would have to do it alone.
‘At least Professor Maria is better than the rest.’
Maria was a mage who genuinely sought the truth.
Even the light in her eyes existed on a completely different level from that of other mages.
She might only be considered fifth-tier at present, but one day, she might surpass Circe and become an eighth-tier mage.
Perhaps she was already a grand mage who had simply been concealing her true abilities.
‘…Get a hold of yourself. Maybe having a younger body really has made my thoughts more childish…’
And then there was that boy named Ex, the one who had captured Maria’s attention.
He couldn’t even answer Maria’s questions properly.
Yet he had drawn attention to himself by claiming to be conducting independent research.
Because of him, Circe had lost her opportunity to study under Maria.
Ex had accepted Maria’s offer to become her Assistant Professor.
‘I refuse to accept this.’
Riiip—
Circe unconsciously tightened her grip on the pen, tearing through the paper.
She paid it no attention and remained lost in thought.
Before she realized it, the direction of those thoughts had gradually shifted toward one particular question.
How should she get rid of him?
She knew perfectly well that it was nothing more than the petty jealousy of a child.
Even so, she couldn’t stop herself.
***
The Arcane Truth Studies class, which Ex had believed would become his sole refuge, had transformed into the open jaws of a dragon.
The terror that had crawled up his spine remained branded into his mind as the days passed mercilessly by.
On the morning of the fifth day, Roxwell delivered his final warning during homeroom, his expression dripping with malice.
“It hasn’t even been a full week, yet you’ve already received seventeen Fs. Honestly, I can’t think of anything to say except that it’s impressive.”
Ex hadn’t skipped a single class.
The professors’ standards were simply far too high.
Of course, there was no one willing to listen to his excuses.
“Remember this. If you receive three more Fs, a disciplinary committee will be convened. They’ll decide whether you should be expelled. Naturally, unless some sort of miracle occurs, you will be expelled. Do you understand?”
“Yeees…”
His reply was utterly lifeless.
He knew there was no other way.
In the end, he had no choice but to use that method.
‘This is my only option. I’ll start by buying these.’
Later, during lunch, after all his required classes had ended, he found a secluded location and opened the Talent Shop.
He immediately purchased ‘Basic Swordsmanship’ and the ‘Basic Cultivation Method.’
A massive flood of information poured directly into his mind.
“Ghhh… It feels like someone’s hammering it straight into my skull…”
His brain churned so violently that the dazed groan escaped him before he could stop it.
After some time passed, the information finally settled into place.
『The Path of the Swordsman! You have stepped through the first gate on your journey to becoming a swordsman.』
『Title [Third-Rate Swordsman] acquired.』
『New Title Acquired
Third-Rate Swordsman (F): Grants an additional correction while training in swordsmanship.』
‘I can use it.’
He was certain.
Ex picked up a random stick from nearby and performed Basic Swordsmanship.
A vertical slash.
A horizontal slash.
A thrust.
They were truly the most basic movements possible, yet his body executed them naturally, as though he had practiced them for years.
It was only after completing the sequence that he realized the truth.
‘This is just the Three Talents Sword Art! Don’t scam me!’
A bitter lament escaped him.
Then again, what had he expected from an F-rank talent that only cost five hundred points?
Once more, he was painfully reminded that he possessed no absurdly overpowered ability.
‘I don’t have time to examine the Basic Cultivation Method… My next class is Introduction to Cultivation Methods, so I’ll test it there.’
The moment he entered the lecture hall, he was greeted by the heavy stink of sweat from the many martial artists inside.
They frowned the instant they noticed Ex.
Hostile complaints immediately reached his ears.
“He’s taking Introduction to Cultivation Methods too?”
“What the hell is he even trying to accomplish?”
“Can he even use a cultivation method?”
The reaction had become so familiar that it was almost comforting.
Ex casually ignored them.
‘There he is. Leon, the Reincarnated Hero and the protagonist of the original story.’
He glanced toward a corner where a large crowd of students had gathered.
The person commanding all their attention stood at the center.
“Leon, come on! At least tell us what cultivation method you learned!”
“Sorry, it’s a unique cultivation method, so I can’t really teach it to anyone else. I can still help you with your training, though.”
“I’m seriously glad you enrolled in this class. I’ve been stuck at a wall for ages.”
“It’s nothing that impressive. I just got lucky.”
His naturally tousled, light-brown wolf cut perfectly suited his cheerful personality, while his bright blue eyes possessed a magnetic charm that drew people toward him.
He was handsome enough to have a Charm stat of at least 5.0.
The protagonist of the original novel, the Reincarnated Hero Leon Brave.
He was also Ex’s only lifeline.
‘Thank goodness he’s always surrounded by students like this. Please grow strong, crush the coming apocalypse, and bring the novel to an end.’
The bell signaling the start of class rang, and the lecture began.
The professor teaching Introduction to Cultivation Methods looked like an immortal hermit who had descended from some remote mountain.
The elderly man entered with his hands clasped behind his back, his white hair and beard groomed with meticulous care.
‘According to the setting, he was a master who came from the distant East, wasn’t he? He was openly modeled after a martial arts master.’
The old man stood behind the lectern and swept his profound gaze over the students.
Then he introduced himself and began the class.
“I am Hao Lung. I am responsible for teaching Introduction to Cultivation Methods.”
As soon as he spoke, the pieces of chalk behind him rose into the air simultaneously.
Moving as though they possessed wills of their own, they began drawing the structure of the human body and writing lines of text across the blackboard.
Lung still had both hands clasped behind his back.
The students stared at the bizarre spectacle in open amazement.
‘Telekinesis… Well, of course an eight-star martial artist can use it. In martial arts terms, he’s a master of the Transcendent Realm.’ (TL Note: In Wuxia, Ranks go as follow: 3rd/2nd/1st Rate, Peak, Profound, Transcendent, Immortal. In most Wuxia, Immortal's are merely a myth.)
Later in the story, Lung would recognize the Reincarnated Hero Leon’s talent and offer him guidance.
He was also the crucial figure who would eventually allow Leon to wield internal energy and magic power simultaneously.
As the chalk continued racing across the blackboard, Lung began his explanation in earnest.
“I dare say that not one of you accurately understands the true nature of internal energy. Most of you likely believe it is merely a power derived from the physical body. Then allow me to ask you this. Can the strength of the body move a piece of chalk without touching it?”
The students answered his question with silence.
That silence was a clear denial.
“In this class, you will learn the true nature of the internal energy you have accumulated without thought. We will also study internal energy itself, exploring both its theory and the methods by which it may be cultivated. If you came here hoping to learn a superior cultivation method, abandon that hope now. There is no such thing as a superior cultivation method in this world.”
The chalk stopped moving.
Before anyone had noticed, the entire blackboard had been filled.
“Then let us begin the lesson in earnest.”
***
Lung’s teaching methods were thoroughly orthodox.
He first taught them the fundamental principles of cultivation methods and internal energy. Then, using that knowledge as a foundation, he evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each student’s personal cultivation method.
“Your cultivation method is extraordinarily unusual, Student Leon. Your internal energy possesses remarkable harmony. It is also exceptionally pure.”
Naturally, Lung showed interest in the Reincarnated Hero, Leon.
He had probably noticed one of the defining characteristics of Leon’s unique cultivation method, the Protego Cultivation Method.
It harmoniously accumulated any form of power.
Leon himself was likely unaware of that fact.
“To have already reached the five-star realm before turning twenty… Your talent is exceptional. I see that your title as Freshman Representative was well deserved.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“Good. Continue to devote yourself to your training.”
The next student was Crown Prince Darius.
Lung examined Darius’s internal energy and furrowed his brow.
“Hmm. What tremendously arrogant internal energy. It is tyrannical and destructive, suited to domination and absolute rule.”
“We are an Imperial Prince of the empire. Our internal energy is likewise a power meant to claim the throne. It is only natural.”
“Good. If it reaches the heavens, even that may become the pinnacle of martial achievement. Your tyrannical path is likely what allowed you to reach the five-star realm. Continue your training.”
Countless students gazed at Darius with envy.
Darius merely swept his lofty gaze over them.
At last, Lung turned toward Ex.
The instant he saw him, he released a sigh.
“I clearly stated that I would not teach anyone a cultivation method. Why has a child without even a trace of internal energy come to this class?”
It was only natural for him to react that way.
Ex had never practiced a cultivation method before, so there was no chance he possessed any internal energy.
As the other students snickered around him, Ex slowly explained himself.
“I recently learned a cultivation method, but it’s unfamiliar to me. I wanted an expert like you to analyze it, Professor. I was worried that it might be dangerous.”
“Hmm. From what you say, it must be an unusual cultivation method. Your concern is a sensible one. An incorrect cultivation method will inevitably tighten around its practitioner’s throat. Perform one Full Circulation.”
Ex immediately recalled the cultivation method that had been implanted into his mind.
He settled into position and slowly guided his energy according to its principles.
The impurities within the energy separated.
The turbid energy sank downward, while the pure energy rose.
The method did not accumulate anything.
It merely circulated the energy through his body once.
The cultivation method soon reached its conclusion.
When Ex opened his eyes, he found Lung staring at him in astonishment.
‘Did something go wrong again?’
Lung remained silent for a moment.
Then he released a long breath.
“Haaah. To think I would see this cultivation method again in this land. But of all things… Why did it have to be this one? The heavens can be merciless indeed…”
“…Is it a dangerous cultivation method?”
It was a cultivation method given to him by the status window that seemed intent on tormenting him.
For all he knew, the internal energy it produced might have the unfortunate tendency to make his entire body explode.
When Ex looked at Lung with that fear in mind, the old man shook his head.
“No. If we are speaking of danger… then this is the safest cultivation method in the world. No matter what you do, it will never cause Qi Deviation. It is so safe that one could call it harmless.”
“…Then is it a good cultivation method?”
Judging from the pity in Lung’s expression, that didn’t seem likely.
Lung released another deep sigh before explaining.
“…In my homeland, that cultivation method was a third-rate technique taught to anyone in the marketplace. It is called the Three Talents Cultivation Method. It was designed more for personal discipline than for the pursuit of martial power.”
When Lung finished his explanation, the lecture hall briefly fell silent.
That silence was soon broken by muffled snickers.
“Pfft—Pwahahaha!! He learned a cultivation method from a marketplace!”
“Kghh—Kahahahaha! A third-rate cultivation method!”
“Hahaha! Did you come to the academy to practice meditation?”
The lecture hall erupted with laughter.
Leon looked at Ex with sympathy.
Darius stared at him as though he were an insect.
Ex quickly accepted reality.
‘I’m screwed.’
Five hundred points for a third-rate sword art.
Five hundred points for a third-rate cultivation method.
A total of one thousand points had just evaporated into thin air.
‘It’s over. I don’t have any other options.’
Nothing in his life ever went his way.
His vision darkened.
***
When class ended, Ex left the lecture hall with his shoulders weighed down.
Fortunately, he had managed to avoid receiving an F for class participation.
The rope he had believed would save him turned out to be rotten.
His thoughts were in complete turmoil.
‘There’s no other choice. I’ll put this aside and find another way…’
He was about to shuffle away when someone called out to him.
“Student Ex. Come here for a moment.”
Lung stood with his hands still clasped behind his back, looking directly at Ex.
Puzzled, Ex walked over to him.
Was he planning to change Ex’s class participation grade because of the cultivation method?
“Did I do something wrong…?”
“You seem to have fallen into despair after learning that your cultivation method was third-rate.”
“Ah, well… Yes…”
“Have you learned any swordsmanship?”
“That’s also… something similar.”
“Show me.”
Without warning, a sword shot through the air and came to a stop directly in front of Ex.
Ex caught it and performed the Three Talents Sword Art.
A vertical slash.
A horizontal slash.
A thrust.
That was all.
Lung released a thoughtful hum.
“The Three Talents Sword Art. This technique as well…”
“It’s a third-rate sword art they teach in marketplaces, right?”
Lung shrugged.
A sigh escaped Ex.
The apocalypse was approaching, yet every technique he had learned was third-rate.
It was practically an order to struggle helplessly until he died.
“Thank you for letting me use the sword. It’s an incredible weapon.”
When Ex tried to return it, Lung shook his head.
Instead, he handed Ex the scabbard as well.
“Carry that sword with you for a while. It was forged for the purpose of self-discipline. Consider it payment for allowing me to experience the nostalgia of my homeland after so long.”
“What? But even so, I can’t accept something this valuable…”
Ex knew almost nothing about swords, yet even after swinging it only a few times, he could tell that it was more than worthy of being called a masterwork.
And Lung was simply giving it away.
“I have so many cheap iron swords like that lying around that I practically trip over them. Think of it as something I was going to throw away and take it.”
“…Thank you.”
“Walk with me for a moment.”
Ex sheathed the sword and followed Lung.
He had to walk briskly just to keep pace with the old man’s immortal-like steps.
Lung moved with an easy yet astonishingly swift gait as he spoke.
“What is martial power? Answer me.”
“Martial power is… simply strength.”
“Correct. Martial power is nothing more than strength. No matter what form it takes, if it allows one to exert power, then it is all part of the martial path.”
Before Ex realized it, they had arrived somewhere else.
They stood at the edge of a hill overlooking a vast landscape of distant mountain ridges.
When had they come all the way out here?
It felt as though he had been led astray by a ghost.
“Thus, martial power is lonely when it exists only for itself. What meaning is there in merely possessing strength?”
“…It’s still better than not having any. Without strength, people who do have it will take things from you. Whether that’s your possessions or your life.”
“Correct. Only then does martial power reveal its true value.”
Lung raised one hand.
The sky rippled.
A violent gale immediately descended upon them.
The wind was so powerful that Ex could barely remain standing.
He felt as though he might be swept away.
Then, just as suddenly, the wind stopped.
An old, weathered sword had appeared in Lung’s hand.
“Watch carefully. This is the goal you must reach.”
Lung assumed a stance and swung the sword.
“Mount Tai Descends.”
A vertical slash.
The tremendous force seemed to crush the mountain itself into the earth.
“Sweeping Away a Thousand Armies.”
A horizontal slash.
Every tree across the mountain ridge was swept aside at once.
“Storms from Eight Directions.”
A thrust.
Violent winds converged from every direction before shooting forward in a single devastating torrent.
Ex stared at the scene in a daze.
The mere swing of a sword had shaken heaven and earth.
Was this the power of a master who had reached the Transcendent Realm?
Overwhelmed by shock, Ex barely managed to speak.
“Was that… the Three Talents Sword Art? How can a third-rate sword art accomplish something like this…?”
“If the one wielding it is third-rate, then even the finest martial art becomes third-rate. By the same principle, if the one wielding it is a master, then even a third-rate martial art becomes a supreme technique.”
Lung turned to face Ex.
“You are but a small child, yet you carry an immense burden upon your shoulders. It is painful to see you believe that what you have learned is too insignificant to bear that burden.”
“But they’re still nothing more than third-rate techniques…”
“It is your own belief that you are insignificant which makes you so. Do you understand?”
“Ah…”
“The Three Talents Sword Art and Three Talents Cultivation Method you learned possess long histories. They have served as the foundation and starting point for countless martial artists. You believe you learned the wrong techniques, but you have instead encountered a precious opportunity. I wished to make you understand that.”
Lung stamped one foot against the ground.
The landscape changed in an instant.
Ex found himself standing in the middle of the academy once again.
Lung clasped his hands behind his back and began walking away.
He left Ex with a single sentence.
“Continue your training.”
Then he departed, moving like an immortal wandering off beyond the mortal world.
Ex stared blankly at the old man’s retreating back.
His heart swelled with an emotion he couldn’t contain.
He joined his fist and palm in a martial salute and bowed his head.
‘Thank you…!’
“Hoho! It seems you have picked up quite a few things from somewhere.”
How had Lung known he was saluting without even looking back?
The old man’s laughter echoed through the empty corridor.
Ex steadied his heart.
‘It’s still too early to give up.’
He would find a way.
Fortunately, he possessed the knowledge necessary to search for that way.
Ex searched through the settings preserved in his memories and recalled everything he knew about the professor teaching his next class.
‘I’ll cling on until my fingers bleed.’
If becoming a clown was what it took to survive, then he would gladly become one.
He had three lives remaining.
Three more Fs for class participation.
No matter what it took, he would escape the threat of expulsion.
–TL Notes–
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