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After getting back to the academy, Arnold came to the library to help Lauran with her assignment as agreed upon by the terms of their deal.
There was no chitchat during it as the assignment she was given was very important. He noticed that during their session, she tried her best not to say what spell it is or what it was for. Most likely to avoid leaking it to the other Towers.
'What's up with the politics in the Magic Towers that the chairman of all of them doesn't want anyone else to know what the Second Magic Tower is up to?'
it's not that this strife didn't exist in the original story but he mostly ignored it since he wasn't ever involved in the conflict but he is now.
But how can you attempt to keep the spell a secret from the same guy who was the pinnacle of magic (in a game)? It might be a divine spell but it's not like he didn't encounter spells like these. All he needs is some time and a few clues to figure out what it actually is.
While he doesn't know the specific spell, he knows what kind of divine spell it is.
Judging by the runic formations Lauran was meant to study, he figured out that it's a containment spell of some sort, which doesn't answer much but when the spell needs this much time just to master it—even for the future Archmage—it's no ordinary containment spell.
It's probably a spell past the Tenth-Rank. That being said, that doesn't narrow it down much as there are like fifty different containment divine spells. Guinevere's special barrier skill—which is exclusive to demigods—was one of them, but the skill's arcane equivalent, which Freya uses to maintain the barrier, is Fifteenth-Rank.
"Lord Arnold? Are you listening?" Lauran's voice got louder as his thoughts slowly slipped away, "The solution to this formula—do you know it?"
"Huh? Oh, right. Give it here." He glanced down at it, making it look like he was deep in thought but it's really just the system giving him information.
'It's a bit worrying that Freya might be able to interfere with Ekterina's plan to trap the academy. I might need to go look for her to warn her of this.'
He wanted to avoid the possibility of yet another variable interfering with the game's original story. Valtraak and those unkillable monsters were troublesome enough. Freya probably worked on this spell somewhere in game but never completed it as she's never cast any divine spell he knows of.
He's not certain of it yet, but this spell might even be able to avoid another invasion.
But that can't be allowed. How will the Heroes grow if there isn't a threat that requires it?
He's not going to fight another Valtraak-level entity again. There's no telling if Guinevere and Sun Knight Lancelot will be there as his shields every time. To avoid that from happening, everything needs to go according to plan.
After finishing the steps needed to complete the formula so that she can follow it and giving it to Lauran, he noticed all the torn pages strewn across the table for the nth time.
None of these pages were filled with nonsense like what a bored delinquent would do to pass the time. Every page had notes, meaningful notes that required one's dedication to remember.
Lauran has an even better memory than him so it would be a piece of cake for her to memorize all this. If anyone can complete this complicated spell, which will no doubt bring disaster upon the demons, it's her.
"Phew…" she stretched her arms after putting the pen down, "Time for a break…"
Arnold glanced down at his watch and noticed it's been two hours since they began.
"Can I get you something to drink or eat, Lord Arnold?"
"I'll have whatever you're having."
"Strawberry cake and tea?"
"Get me chocolate."
"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."
'System, what spell do you think this is? Give a direct answer if you know. And how far along are we by this point?' A system window appeared that scanned the papers and the books she filled up with her notes, as well as the book she brought along to study.
--Scanning… Processing… Conclusion can't be reached but the spell seems to be 98% complete. A few lines of runic formula must be added to the magic circle.
That might sound like she's almost done but the hardest part is actually casting that spell. If you can't understand the formula and notes to create a working magic circle, what's the point of studying this much?
'It's outside my expertise and level so I'll leave it up to her. But it's a barrier spell, though, right?'
--Checking… Conclusion reached: Yes, but it also has properties of suppression.
'Like throwing water on a fire then? That doesn't really narrow it down… Basically any divine spell has that effect on demonic energy. What spells did the top-ranking players with Angel Ascension classes use again? Raw power was more important to them so it's probably not like the spells I'm thinking of.'
--Additional input: The spell seems to be from an ancient time. Most likely during the age of cultivation, when magic was still in its infancy stage in the World of Murim.
'Huh? There's more lore to the Murim era?'
The era was mentioned here and there. it dates back before the invasion of demons and even the Valkyries living amongst humans. The earliest mention was during the time Luke is about to learn his martial art, which he found in a relic tomb he discovered in the middle of a school trip.
His martial art came from an extinct sect which ruled the world back in the day.
'If it's from ancient times, it must be the kind that were more effective against spirits since those were so rampant back then.'
Maybe it can seal the souls of demons? That would be pretty overpowered since it would stop demon lords from reviving or reincarnating to become thorns in their sides in the future.
That demon lord with multiple lives will also be easier to deal with since his clan are like the Hydras of the demon species, possessing multiple lives.
'My interest grows more and more. If only my intelligent stat was high enough to handle this! Dammit, Elora is so fucking lucky since she can bypass every restriction besides mana requirement.' He sulked. What's so great about being able to use Aether as mana if you don't have your old strength back?
Then again, once Lauran's assignment is complete and the SDC business is over, he can focus on working on his intelligent stat and looking for more ways to expand his internal energy reserves.
'I wonder how the genius alchemist Lian is doing… I should make sure to go see her. She's now an important person in the elven nation.'
Arnold turned his attention to Fallene for a moment. He can get more information out of Freya later.
'I imprinted the person who handed the drugs to Fallene but he's walking in circles, thinking he's being followed. What a paranoid fodder. Dammit, if I could get close to him, I could just read his mind to check who gave him the instructions to hand the shipment to Fallene. Maybe it's better to use a guard.'
Thinking so, he activated the Halo and grabbed a random guard passing by and imprinted him with the Halo.
'Done. Now to find a security room. Hopefully, a high-ranking officer is there so that I can use it on them as well.'
He heard footsteps approach so his vision turned back to normal but he left the suggestion to imprint a high-ranking official in the guard's mind.
Lauran put down his cup of tea and the sealed container with the chocolate cake.
"By the way, I noticed you've been doing a lot of work in your own time." He gestured to the dozens of torn pages strewn across the table, "That can't be healthy. Have you even slept?"
He doesn't want to overwork her as he needs her for the teleportation project. She has to deal with that, on top of school and this assignment.
Her exotic red hair seemed dry at a glance and there was dirt under her nails, and she had chapped lips.
"I don't have time to rest for more than a few hours. A field trip is coming up for the holiday week so I'm doing all this work now instead of leaving it for later."
"Oh, right, next week we have the whole week off so they're churning double the amount of work we need to do within these two weeks to make up for it."
This field trip needs to go over smoothly for the future Hero Party. It will be the start of their dynamic, after all.
He'll leave it at that.
"It's not a field trip to just go rest, though, is it?"
You would think it's for recreational purposes but it's just more work, which is a bit more practical than what they do at the academy. That said, field trips aren't like knight recruit camps so it's not like they'll be forced to follow routines and whatnot. They'll get even more rest than being at home since there won't be homework.
"…Yes, we're going to study a Closed Dungeon and stay in a facility in the mountains. But I wouldn't have to worry about the assignment if I just put in all the work now. I can feel that I'm close to finishing it."
"Alright, let me teach you a spell to help you then."
It's a cheat skill for magicians who want to pull all-nighters. Though, the kickback is severe at the end, it won't be life threatening.
"What do you mean?"
"Just sit still." He placed a hand on her head, making her go "Eep!"
Fourth-Rank - [Perfect Rejuvenation]
"!" eyes widened Lauran's complexion began to change, as the paleness was slowly fading away as color returned to both her face and eyes. It wasn't a cleanliness spell so she still needs to shower but the "refreshment buff" should help her feel refreshed, as if she took a shower already.
"W-What is that? My drowsiness is gone!"
"It's a Fourth-Rank spell built for studying. It should be easy to cast if you study the spell's magic circle formation." He quickly drew the magic circle from memory (it was quite simple), making sure to write down the phrases of each runic formation in the circle in bullet points then gave the piece of paper to her.
It was formerly a Third-Rank spell but wasn't efficient enough for getting rid of his in-game character's drowsiness during important rituals or studying so it was perfected by yours truly, he withheld that brag.
'Amazing… I knew Lord Arnold can even cast spells but to have such a variety of them and even some that exceed humanity's established limit—Third Rank… Is he really the same person from… last year?' she knew he was a genius but even a genius is limited by what they can do, as you are either born with mana or aura or Ki. All of them can lead on a warrior path (magic swordsmen and spearmen also exist), but only those born with mana can cast spells.
He was able to develop his own martial art, reach "Six Stars" rank in the Academic Knighthood category, reach the top three in academics consecutively, became the empire's hero and he can cast magic.
Is there anyone like him out there?
Watching him eat his cake, make a mess on his fingers and drink the coffee made it seem like he's just as human as the rest of them.
Recalling all those times she had to endure his beatings felt like a cold splash of water in her face. But that same person freed her from the slavery he forced upon her, and even helped her family's business. She's not sure what to believe… Did he change? Yes. But why? Did someone take over his body?
It might be strange to think about, but she's a bit sad she's not wanted anymore. He used to treat her like a valued treasure and got angry when she interacted with other men.
Back when he told off that Kyle von Moonstear, she felt the same as back when she was his slave.
It was like she was his property again—but this is such a strange thought to have… Is it the lack of sleep getting to her? Maybe she should see a therapist to understand what's going on with her.
And speaking of Kyle, he's been wanting to meet up with her a lot, even using his cousin Felicia, to persuade her to go out with him or just meet up. Lauran appreciated Felicia for wanting to be her friend but she doesn't like that her cousin is using her to get close to Lauran.
At least he's not as insistent as a certain someone… He's been respecting her but still sends letters every day to ask how it's going.
He's clearly interested in Lauran. It's nice to be wanted but she doesn't feel the same way about him—she barely knows him and has no interest in romance whatsoever.
And bookworms aren't her type… even if she's a bookworm herself. Rather…
She glanced at Arnold who was glancing through the notes and writing stuff down for her.
Even though he's quite lean, he has such thick arms and a well-built body. Those powerful arms went toe-to-toe with a former Demon King…
Those same arms… held Lauran down… while his powerful hips slammed down with deadly force. Oftentimes it felt like she would break but the pleasure made her brain so numb to the pain that she could barely remember it—
"Mmph!" she buried her face in her hands and turned away from him—her entire face flushed red. He didn't seem to notice that and just minded his own business.
"?" he glanced at her in confusion.
'What are these thoughts!? Get out of my head! I'm not a slut!' try as she might, she remembered the taste in her mouth as she pleasured him orally, the hardness of his muscles as she swayed her hips and used his chest to balance herself, the pleasure that made her go blank every time he inserted himself deep inside her.
She felt herself getting moist. Why are these thoughts coming out all at once!? Is it because he's right here and she can smell him? Studying made her forget the world around her but now she's aware of everything again, including him.
She's never had these thoughts before, even when alone so it must be him. But he's just sitting there, not seducing her in the slightest.
While Lauran was squeezing her legs tightly together due to a certain itch, Arnold was doing his best to focus on the work but a certain someone's status window kept sparkling like a popup ad.
-Condition: Desire
'I'm pretty sure that rejuvenation spell doesn't have an aphrodisiac effect. Getting horny in the middle of working is really weird.'
But being weird is what Lauran The Archmage will be known for due to her strange and unhealthy obsessions with magic. Look how far she's already willing to go for a goal.
Sleepless nights will be the "healthiest" bad habits compared to what she gets up to to achieve her goals later on.
A gust of wind swept by the two.
"—I was hoping to find you here alone, Student Lauran but what a surprise it is to find you here as well, Arnold." A familiar voice came from on top of the table when a gust of wind swept by, "But that saves me some time as I don't have to go look for you."
Freya appeared right on top of the table, levitating and looking down at them.
"T-The Archmage?" Lauran flew up in surprise.
Freya levitated down to the side of the table then began to speak, "My apologies for interrupting your work. This won't take long."
"If this is about your Hero Party, I'm not joining." Arnold said it before she could offer it, "If I ever intend to fight the demons, I will do so for my own reasons and on my own terms."
Freya looked at him silently for a moment, thinking of what to say, "…Despite not having the intention of asking, it's still a disappointment to hear you say that. But I'm not here for that."
"Huh?"