Chapter 340 – Darkmtl

Chapter 340



Jiang knows the reality of assassin training.

Because he has grown up receiving such education himself.

Emotion is a weakness that kills oneself.

The more an assassin dismisses the expectations tied to emotions and erases them from their heart, the stronger they become.

Oknodie was an ideal assassin in that regard.

He didn’t know many emotions to the point of understanding something stronger than himself.

Not just fear.

He didn’t understand social norms or the human heart either.

Yet this child suddenly awakens to attachment.

“Not me, I wouldn’t do that.”

“Really?”

Jiang spoke more sternly to Oknodie, who was getting a little too caught up.

“Jiang likes Titosso too.”

“That’s different.”

How could a friend’s love and a lover’s love be the same?

“How old is the other person anyway?”

“Umm… 18 years old?”

“Oknodie is 11, right?”

“Dunno. Maybe?”

“…”

A child who doesn’t even know their own age.

A completed assassination weapon who has never even experienced true attachment to their parents.

Such a child gains a weakness.

It’s no wonder it feels unsettling.

“If Oknodie starts to like someone, that person will be the target of the harsh gazes of the public.”

“Why should I care about others’ eyes?”

“They’ll even feel the gaze of Oknodie’s Papa.”

“Ah. That’s a bit much.”

“If Papa doesn’t allow someone weaker than himself, what will you do when he shows up with a hit?”

“Honestly, it’s tough right now!”

“See? Assassin mentors are all like that. Friends might be fine on the edge, but if you let those feelings in, you’ll definitely die.”

The small flower on the stem of the Howling Mandragora drooped like a scared child.

“Don’t forget, Oknodie. You might be fine, but the person who receives your heart will definitely die.”

*

In fact, I never hated the foundation that much.

A global crime organization.

An openly suspicious dark shadow organization.

The Wahyhiemhai Foundation, which has only special revelations in this chapter, although it hasn’t appeared in previous ones.

A massive evil organization operated by the Leader of the Organization, one of the Three Great Evils.

I didn’t particularly care about that fact.

What I saw was Papa’s rich initial support.

The enormous service given even during the Summer Vacation.

Honestly, I thought of him as a top-tier papa with a 0.1% chance of appearing in a random papa event.

If Papa wasn’t the Director of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation and the Leader of the Organization, this kind of growth would’ve taken at least six months to a year longer!

So far, they have been a help rather than a hindrance, accumulating favorable impressions, but after Jiang’s advice, my thoughts radically changed.

During my days of 230cm, it was natural to see the possibility of completely new events, a romance event with male characters that I’d never witnessed before.

New food.

New collectibles.

But anything new was something that a veteran player couldn’t resist!

“If the foundation interferes with my event, that’s where things change.”

Papa had also given me a warning before parting.

“Remember. Once you reject kindness, my Prank could be directed at you all. For example, dear Sing might frequently encounter an unusually strong assassin from the Eastern Region…”

He said he would make them regret if they didn’t fully follow his directives.

But Sing had already crossed the line.

With the assassination already at hand, what’s the difference if I start to flirt?

━━━

Tuesday Thursday, first period from 9 AM to 11 AM.

Professor Diogenes’ required class for upper class.

Upper Class Mana Improvement lecture.

━━━

It was time for the upper-class students to gather and train in Mana Flow Technique and Mana Refinement Technique, efficiently building mana within their bodies.

Of course, I had already passed the basics, so I stealthily approached Sing to avoid Professor Diogenes’ gaze.

“Sing. Your mana flow technique is incorrect. Let me help you!”

“Interfering while cultivating is like gripping someone’s heart in your hands and being able to blow it up anytime. Are you telling me to trust you with my life?”

“Ehh. I would never do something so extreme!”

“…I see. If that was your intention, you’d have already intervened at the Director’s Mansion.”

Sing simply closed his eyes and entrusted himself.

Having learned the unique Eastern mana flow technique, Inner Energy Method, Sing’s mana technique quality was quite high.

It wasn’t a standard method that slowly stacks energy throughout the body; instead, it was an established method from a prestigious family that slightly lowered purity while drastically increasing the speed of energy accumulation.

‘It might put a bit of a strain on the veins, and every time a big fight happens, the safety of my energy will wear down, especially if I keep engaging in violent actions… that’s a body perfect for a short life, huh?’

But I didn’t really care originally.

As long as the students are alive by graduation, that’s good, right?

In fact, there was even a trend back in the day to lure my comrades’ techniques into more destructive moves to form a time-limited party to increase DPS in boss battles.

With a sturdy 230cm body, it was an excellent medium for experimenting with all sorts of crazy things, directly learning and improving practical mana techniques.

As time passes, past hardships become memories, and I too have quite pleasant memories left.

“!!”

There are often taboos in mana flow techniques.

Never go against the flow.

As mana roads and energy get damaged, the stability and lifespan as a mana user decrease.

Acting against the flow of mana is the quickest way to reduce lifespan as a magician or swordsman.

I casually committed the taboo known as reverse-flow energy technique.

Even with my eyes closed, I could feel Sing’s shock, but hey, I already entrusted myself, right?

Now this body is mine.

Hehe.

I can never go back to ordinary mana methods!

I need to make sure I’m sturdy enough to survive when Papa sends assassins and bothers me!

[Reverse Flow]

By reversing a part of the energy flow, causing an energy crash just like a massive collision, mana began to wildly flail around in confusion.

If an inexperienced player tried this, they would crash headfirst into the energy flow, vomit blood, and end up with bruises and cuts, suffering permanent stat losses or penalties.

But thanks to my guidance as a seasoned mentor, Sing’s energy split into three paths, differentiated between the way forward and the return, rotating while amplifying power and heading toward the next stage.

With 10 powers moving along unexpectedly boosted to 20, instead of colliding and causing internal damage, they rotated along a regulated path and pushed through to the next section with 50 power.

Just like how a roller coaster speeds up and travels farther by riding down a steep slope!

“Stop flinching. I’m guiding you, so trust me and let yourself go. You won’t die!”

Sing looked like he wanted to say a ton, but I kept amplifying the circuit, not letting him say a word.

[Sing’s Inner Energy Method acquires Explosion Core Technique.]

[Sing’s Inner Energy Method acquires 2nd Stage Explosion Core Technique.]

[Sing’s Inner Energy Method acquires Multi-Stage Explosion Core Technique.]

[The stability of Sing’s Inner Energy Method decreases.]

[The explosive power of Sing’s Inner Energy Method skyrockets.]

[An adaptation period forms for Sing’s Inner Energy Method.]

[If the paths established during the adaptation period aren’t solidified through consistent practice, they will scatter and revert to the original Inner Energy Method.]

[If the adaptation period is successfully completed, the grade and performance of the Inner Energy Method will improve.]

Sing barely completed the flow, staring at me with a face that looked like he had just survived death.

“Are you angry?”

“Wouldn’t I be? Such a dangerous method…”

Well, anyone would get mad if someone else put them at risk. No matter the result, taking risks like that is bound to annoy someone.

Especially if they didn’t even ask for it, it wouldn’t be strange if they insulted me for being a meddler.

But if a solution is clearly provided alongside the risks, instead of being a busybody or a meddler, you become a benefactor!

“Now that it’s done, eat this!”

“What is this? This charred black dish that practically reeks of smoke?”

“It’s a dish that increases the resistance of your organs, blood vessels, and energy, making them tougher!”

“!!”

“It’s super rare! I only have one and haven’t collected it yet, but since I got it for free from Papa, I’m giving it to you!”

Honestly, it’s a dish that’s hard to give up.

While it’s rated rare, for those using amplification circuits or explosion core techniques, it’s even more effective than unique dishes.

It’s like custom-grade tonic!

But Sing isn’t just anyone, right?

He’s a suspicious character that could lead to new events.

To see those new events, Sing must grow strong enough to survive Papa’s interference, so nurturing him heavily becomes a prerequisite for those events.

“Is this your Director’s doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did the Director teach you this lethal technique, this mana flow technique?”

However, newbies really can’t handle such matters.

If it were me, I’d gobble it down without complaint.

“Does it matter? Eating this boosts output without decreasing lifespan at zero risk…”

As I passionately began to explain the rare dish Rare Dark Matter, Sing’s hand blocked my mouth with his sword sheath.

“It matters.”

“!”

“The injustice you would have faced with that body. The pain you would experience under your family’s will. To me, that’s far more important,” he said.

This person.

Was he always like this?

That serious expression keeps leaving people dumbfounded.

“Uh, well… even though the taste is a complete landmine food, it’s really effective, so… if you don’t like it, I can find something similar…”

He picked up the charred food despite not fully understanding why he was acting cautious.

What looked like a heavily burnt dish.

Though it clearly looks harmful to the body, Sing chewed and swallowed the crunchy Rare Dark Matter.

As if he couldn’t taste it at all.

As if numb to a pain greater than a culinary torture.

Seeing that sight, I thought.

‘It seems somehow better than it looks. I should cook one for the mob later!’

Perhaps it was a thought that popped up in a fleeting panic.