Chapter 75

When I confronted the exam set by Professor Albert, I felt as if the breath was caught in my throat.

How on earth was I supposed to solve that 3D puzzle called a magic formula?

I’m terrible with numbers!

“That was a really tricky barrier.”

“At least bombs work on it, right?”

I didn’t know how it worked, but that barrier absorbed or blocked all magical power.

Since he told me to “use any means necessary,” I first tried to release my magical power to create a clone beyond the barrier.

However, the clone was generated outside as if it bounced off. After dozens of trial and error, I realized the nature of the barrier, surrounded by Violets everywhere.

Next, I also tried to hit it with tools. With my enhanced body and sword energy, I attempted to demolish it.

I even called up other Violets nearby and crashed a car into it. It didn’t work.

“Our car!”

“It was a used one. Don’t be too disappointed. One was even a flood-damaged vehicle.”

At this point, I was losing my sanity. In a fit of rage, I went around to the back of the unseen park and called for the manpower from the workshop.

“Bomb! Do we have any completed ones?”

“This is all we have… got it! I’ll get it to you right now!”

The number of makeshift explosives created at the workshop was more than I expected. I had gradually acquired fertilizer through various routes and modified it.

In conclusion, we succeeded in breaking the barrier.

“The performance is solid!”

“It will even work against Awakened Ones.”

However, after experiencing Professor Albert’s fierce reaction, we returned to reality like someone doused in cold water after waking up.

“What the hell was that bomb? What are you doing?!”

“Hehe…”

“You’re laughing? Are you seriously laughing right now?! You crazy bastard! Can’t you see the mess around you?”

The enraged Professor Albert pointed his staff at me. At the tip of the staff, flames of highly condensed magical power blazed fiercely.

I scrambled to come up with excuses as fast as I could.

“I made it to hunt monsters!”

“Honestly, why not just say you wanted to blow up the academy? In all my life, I’ve never seen a student create a homemade bomb!”

The professor’s words inadvertently struck a nerve. How did he know? Indeed, being a distinguished senior and lifelong professor was no joke.

While the professor was scolding me fiercely, I could hear sirens approaching in the distance.

I focused my eyesight in the direction of the sound. Police cars were closing in.

“Strange. I set up soundproof and recognition interference barriers… Damn it, your bomb blew them all away.”

“Let’s get out of here!”

“Before that, I need to handle this first.”

The professor hurriedly waved his hand and drew various complex shapes and equations on the ground with his staff.

The dirt in the park, which had been wrecked by the explosion, began to move and fill in the holes. Prints like stamps were repeatedly struck on the ground.

“With this, we can disguise it as a monster’s rampage. The Rustroom police are lazy pigs. They’ll probably dismiss this without even investigating. What about the car?”

“I can get two out, but one’s engine is gone!”

“Then, take off the license plate… already did. What’s that?”

What else can it be but a Termite!

Without even waiting for the professor’s order, I had already removed the license plates and any identifying evidence and placed a container of Termites in the car. If I ignite this…

A brilliant flame erupted, consuming the vehicle greedily. We quickly escaped the park. Fortunately, the police didn’t pursue us.

Shortly after, I arrived at Professor Albert’s house. It felt familiar since I had visited it with Irene before. The hallway of the house was still dark.

“…that bastard Bercher, did he hit his head and go nuts? How did he end up sending me such a crazy girl…”

The professor grumbled and sat down on the sofa, pulling out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth.

“…What, are you dissatisfied? This is my house.”

“No, not at all! More importantly, I passed the exam, so you’ll teach me magic, right?”

Albert adjusted his glasses and exhaled smoke.

“That bomb, unique ability and all… well, it seems you have your own circumstances, so I won’t ask anymore. But,”

As he gestured lightly, a large hand emerged from the floor, pulling me forward.

“Yikes!”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t act thoughtlessly like today next time. Got it?”

“Yes!”

“It’s late today, so head back. Classes start tomorrow. The class hours are up to me. I won’t tolerate tardiness. Now go!”

*

The next day, some Violets shot up into the sky after being hit by Irene’s spear. Another Violet accidentally got struck by an instructor’s attack while practicing Ether Protection and curled up on the ground.

Others experienced minor mishaps, like setting themselves on fire while making rocket candy in the workshop or getting knocked out after recklessly charging at Kalia.

I, Violet 107, arrived at Professor Albert’s house, enjoying the calm while all that happened.

“By the way, isn’t Albert no longer a professor?”

“He wants to be called that.”

In the living room, there was a big blackboard set up.

“I wanted to know who the magic professor in charge of you first years was, turns out it’s some unheard-of fool. Before we start the class, I have one question. What is magic?”

It seemed the professor wanted to break the preconceived notion that I learned it at school. Unfortunately, I had been asleep during that lesson and knew nothing.

Instead, I recited the setting mentioned in the main game.

“Manipulating physical laws using Ether?”

“That’s half right. If that’s the case, then all actions that utilize Ether should be called magic, don’t you think?”

As Albert snapped his fingers, beams of light made of magical power appeared before my eyes. The lights wove together to create a white and yellow illusion. A human figure holding a sword was visible.

“That’s an overly broad concept. Body enhancement and magical energy release provide powers that transcend human biological limits. Is it biologically possible for an ordinary person to run 100 meters in a few seconds or lift objects of ton weight?”

The illusion displaying the human figure changed into a factory spewing smoke and gears.

“Or let’s discuss something a bit different. As you know, the miraculous power of Ether is also utilized in industry. That’s Etherium harvested from grinding monsters. Not to mention the energy industry, when processing or creating industrial materials, even a novice can achieve properties they could only dream of by simply tossing in some seasoning like a chef.

Anti-gravity devices for airships, room-temperature superconductors, various ultra-high-strength alloys, regenerative medicine—these are miraculous products that couldn’t even be imagined before the first dimensional invasion. Now, should these also be considered magic? What about the relics in dungeons?”

As the professor waved his hand, the image of light transformed into the shape of a human brain.

“No! Those are ‘magical things.’ True magic refers to the process of manipulating Ether through one’s own cognitive activities and calculations to twist physical laws. The action process of a person itself. To really discuss the concept of ‘magic’ academically, we’d have to look into historical, cultural, and societal traditions as well…”

Ah, I had come across something I knew. The setting was that traditional shamanistic and magical customs from hundreds of years ago influenced the current magic before the monsters invaded.

“…It’s not history class, so we don’t need to go that far. Now you should understand the definition of magic, right? Then let’s start with practical exercises.”

After a brief introduction, we entered the earnest practical exercises. I began to operate my magical power as the professor directed.

“First, let’s start with the simplest light magic.”

This, I knew.

In the game, it was the most basic level of magic. It was a spell to create small floating orbs of light that could hover in the air or stick around you.

“It’s not working well. I tried hard to wish ‘become!’ but…”

“Do you think magic is some kind of genie that grants wishes? Ether doesn’t move according to your desires. You must steady your will and guide it as if you’re putting a leash on something that’s standing still.

If you keep at it, you’ll ‘awaken.'”

‘Awaken’? What does that even mean?

I continued to channel my magical power while picturing the shape of the light orb.

At some moment, in front of me appeared a complexly intertwined small abacus made of sparkling jewels, similar to the magic formula the professor showed in front of that barrier yesterday.

This was a sort of puzzle. It felt like a toy cube that you twist to fit together, but the weight of it was substantial.

I realized what this abacus was, what this magic formula represented. The magic before my eyes was a metaphor, a way for a person to understand the principles of a complex world. Part of the principles that constitute the world revealed itself in front of me on the stage of magical power.

Noticing my slight flinch, the professor spoke.

“What do you see?”

“I see jewels and something that looks like an abacus.”

“You’ve succeeded in awakening.”

“Is this what magic is? Where are the mysterious runes or incantations?”

“Uwaah! This is coding!”

I calmed my racing mind and carefully examined the magic formula. As I spent time on it, I could partially grasp what these things were.

If I were to compare it to a computer, this would be akin to a console window. Each of those jewels acting as abacus beads represents the physical elements of this room. I don’t know exactly what they are—molecules, electromagnetic fields? Atoms? Maybe gravity? It could be another force altogether.

As I focused harder on the formula, I felt an intense pressure. Facing something incomprehensible made me dizzy.

Even trying to move just one of those abacus beads required immense mental strength. My mind instinctively began counting numbers and performing calculations without even being prompted to.

For now, I focused on deciphering the magic formula. My head throbbed. It was tough!

If I could move those jewels to the correct positions, I would get the results I wanted. But how should I move them?

The professor calmly offered me advice.

“The abilities of Awakened Ones are based on the imagery each individual possesses. I don’t know precisely what form it is for you, but what you’re seeing right now is the magic formula.

If the term magic formula feels distant, think of it like a password lock, a math equation, or a program’s source code. If you enter the correct values, magic will operate…”

“Ah… what does this magic formula look like to you, professor?”

“Me? I see a line of clockwork devices laid out before me. And don’t exert yourself too much. You just started learning magic today. I didn’t expect you to succeed.”

I was trying to follow along, but it was way too hard.

That puzzle before me, while working to solve the magic formula, after five minutes of concentration I could just barely move one jewel to the correct spot.

In the process, my magical power drained as well as my mental fatigue piled on.

This calculation level was like I had to solve multiplication of more than ten digits even just to nudge a jewel the size of a fingernail. The term multiplication was a euphemism; I was effectively hammering away at some formula that I didn’t even understand.

It was way too burdensome to tackle alone. It would be great if I could offload some of it to someone else…

“Shall we do it together?”

Right! Couldn’t I pass off the burden of that operation to other Violets before me? Like passing the red jewel to Unit 15 and the blue one to Unit 74. If we could distribute the calculations, the burden would lessen. The speed would surely increase as well.

We swiftly applied this idea.

“Got it! Each person will take one jewel!”

“Okay, let’s start the calculations!”

There were a total of five jewels needing movement in front of the magic formula.

Since each of us took one each, the burden from calculations was reduced, and the formula began to operate smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

Magical power flowed to the right places, and the previously vague shapes began to materialize.

The jewels slowly started moving. Our power to share thoughts could be applied to the magic calculations as well.

“Let’s increase the number of people!”

“Those standing still now! Quickly help out!”

Calculations are tough? Just shove in numbers until it breaks through! If your head feels heavy, use more heads. More Violets means more computational power!

And so, the stuck magic formula flowed like water. It works. Now I could see a path opening up.

“Honestly, this might be asking too much right now. That’s it for today…”

Just as Professor Albert was about to slowly end today’s lesson, a light orb appeared before my eyes.

“I… I did it.”

The professor’s eyes behind his glasses widened. Albert tried to maintain his composure, but it was evident to me that he was trembling.

My idea succeeded. If it’s tough alone, it can be done together!

“I did it!”

After pondering for a moment, the professor brought over several thick books and placed them in front of me.

“What is this?”

“That’s the Book of Magic.”

“Wow!”

“Don’t celebrate too soon. Those over there are workbooks. They contain various mathematical knowledge necessary for magic use and calculations. Don’t forget to check those reference books too. Did you think you could use magic without any knowledge? Magic doesn’t come for free. Study all the marked parts. By tomorrow.”

“Uwaah!”

It seemed that success in my first spell only meant starting a new pile of work.

Nothing in this world is easy.