Chapter 98: To Infinity (1)
0sbZadjViltor Arcane made a disgruntled face.YWoDB
Zktg“Hmph. Are you praising me? Even passing dogs would laugh.”37ET7S
ewM“Are you sure you’re alright? You might have restored your mental strength with Abyss Memory, but it’s merely an illusion of the brain. If you plan to exert yourself further, I cannot guarantee your life.”re96oof
MLqOhKThere’s no free lunch in magic. The mental strength restored by Abyss Memory was an equivalent exchange achieved at the risk of brain death.g0H3hW
aQDy“So what? You’re trying to stop me?”spH3
Hll“If you step back, we can end it here. Perhaps its your last chance. Since everyone’s still safe, I can make this offer. But if you can’t let go of your obsession, you’ll have to pay the price.”2Sz
rJS0jvV“Hahaha! As always, eloquent with your words. Pretending to care, but in the end, you only think of yourself. Do you think stepping back will cover up your past? It’s too late. Everyone here, and even those affected by Abyss Nova, are listening, so you can’t remain as the headmaster anymore.”BqZM4Y
x0XVvYShirone glanced at the students who had lost their memories. Once the magic is released, everything that happened here would be remembered. Even if the battle ended safely, it was undeniably a serious situation.6MhpmO1
qFCZ92“Ha! Now you realize the situation? How about killing everyone here? Then I might consider covering it up for you.”EF0Z02
h41Alpheas Myrhe slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.QcAD
KemNYf“What a joke.”Qtpva
vtmj“Then how about coming with me? I’m giving you your last chance. Shouldn’t you continue the legacy left by Erina? Look at what I’ve achieved. Behold, the magical creature Harvest!”GZxzD
ayANShirone and his companions looked where Arcane was pointing. Harvest lay on the ground, crumpled like a rag.cSaweX2
ixo“Well, it’s a bit unsightly now. But anyway, the experiment was a success. With your help, we could achieve even greater results. And that’s exactly what Erina truly wanted.”RtMge
Zl9PBlqHearing Erina’s name, Alpheas’s eyes flashed coldly.GLjeh
sGa“Master, please be sensible.”BJMoDVw
yTmhFinally, Arcane revealed his murderous intent. The seemingly casual conversation was, in fact, meaningless. From the beginning, they were doomed to be irreconcilable adversaries.i0Z33m5
oKHrTwX“Do you think you can beat me, headmaster? Don’t make me laugh. As smart as you are, you’ve always made foolish decisions, Alpheas.”pgEVP
O3vuMOThe mass of darkness in the sky again formed into a fist. Alpheas slowly raised his hands, preparing to cast his magic.10VY
BR88s“No, this is right. One foolish decision is enough.”ecGNS
F7KjdZxAlpheas compressed photons in his palms. Seeing the Photon Output, a basic light mage skill, Arcane snorted dismissively.1Im3p1
x8Nyc“You think you can stop me with that? You’ve weakened, Alpheas.”KWCNj0N
VcE44“Only trying will tell.”jPZ8vq
Zsyby“Haha! Weren’t your least favorite words, ‘try before knowing’? Where’s the Alpheas who used to say that, knowing everything in advance?”5BPRMH
jyJCbI“A mage lives in the future. Though my courage has waned, I’ve not only aged. Do you think I wouldn’t have calculated your 40 years?”mgP
35o9DA“Ho? You foresaw this day? And prepared nothing but Photon Output?”0YN
DBjp“Let’s end this.”B9Mlx
CvwgiAlpheas raised his hands to the sky, compressing the photon into an almost dust-sized particle. Meanwhile, Arcane swung his fist, and the massive Might of Darkness plummeted to the ground. This strike was to vent 40 years of frustration.RUZ33We
ej8Shirone and his companions watched in disbelief as the Might of Darkness descended with incredible speed. When viewed up close, it was much larger than expected.20I0
quzAs Alpheas’s arms slowly descended, they split into dozens of afterimages, puzzling those watching.XUD
mV9VmAH‘What’s this?’KxJ
ZmdmFThe afterimages of Alpheas moved excruciatingly slow. The photon, once compressed in his palm, disappeared in an instant. During this time, the Might of Darkness had not yet covered half the distance.pX4n
FaAShirone couldn’t move a finger, let alone breathe. Time was moving slowly. Only a tiny photon was moving at the speed of light.Xqm
pw9lR62The photon plunged into the vast darkness. Like a ripple in water, the wave slowly expanded in the slowed time.SGanckF
K7wGAnd then, in the next moment.RbXwC8
Z2soFlash!HfkgU4
Z1Z5mA powerful explosion of light obliterated everything. The Might of Darkness was torn to shreds, spreading throughout the Magic Academy. The brightness diminished from the center, eventually dissipating like a ring.oweW
CZfZ4ypAs time returned to normal, Shirone and his group looked up at the sky in astonishment. The pale moon hung in the night sky where even the clouds had vanished.YdqAVc
8Q6‘What kind of magic was this?’gjK7rCT
LkUzIt was neither a physical force like Photon Canon nor a persistent effect like Shining. It was a spell designed to explode with the strongest light at a moment’s notice.j6r2aT
iXSr3Arcane’s expression twisted.a92AQeB
UsH9Rz“Alpheas”9eMO
WMUZZ“Big Bang. A spell I’m hesitant to report to the Association, but fitting as a parting gift, I believe.”C6aP
VU7mAKu“Indeed You haven’t just been running away for 40 years.”1qIo8
kWk5boArcane realized Alpheas’s intention. It wasn’t a counter to dark magic, nor to surpass him. Alpheas had honed Big Bang for this moment, this situation, for 40 years.xrh0
lGF4J“Not bad, for someone like you.”z97E
vFFyArcane’s knees hit the ground with a thud. The aftermath of Abyss Memory had severely diminished his brain function.FGeLTD
vyRfOEt“Lucky you, Alpheas. A 50-year bet paid off. Defeating the great Viltor Arcane will surely raise your fame. Do you aspire to become an archmage?”RBBleP
I4j9Alpheas shook his head. Even in such a moment, Arcane clung to his pride, the driving force behind today’s Arcane, yet it also seemed pitiful.HveS6h
KLF9“Master, you’re no longer an archmage. That title belonged to you 50 years ago. It’s been enough time for a 10th-grade novice to become a 2nd-grade archmage. Our era has ended. The world has changed, and we’re too old for ambitions. How can you not see that?”SZ3c
Y7PahtArcane’s temples throbbed with veins. Even though he had lost, he wasn’t prepared to be lectured by his disciple.kI2JO
b6D“Why do you think you’re the arrogant Alpheas? You probably think you’re caught in unfortunate circumstances. Let me tell you the truth. You’re not a genius. You’re just a half-witted mage who runs away from misfortune.”KPTJlz
lmZMArcane forced himself to stand on trembling legs.dYjLNO
lMlkLJG“Old? I became an archmage at your age. Be honest. You lack confidence. You’re just making excuses because you can’t climb any higher, right?”NJw2sgb
IUG“Climbing up isn’t the only thing that matters. With age should come the right reflection. But Master, even now, you chase after sweet ambitions like a boy.”e1Tz
kHrdS“Hahaha! Foolish Alpheas! What are you so afraid of? Take a step back and look. There are no absolute imperatives in this world!”ZSWZE
WhuvZvArcane’s body erupted with a terrifying aura again. Realizing he had erased his memory again with Abyss Magic, Alpheas’s eyes widened in shock. One use of Abyss Memory might be bearable for the brain, but a second was almost certainly fatal.cEnxc
x8yU“Foolish old man! Are you intent on dying?”tBAJa8
MeIiArcane responded with a sneer and cast Might of Darkness. The shadows under his feet expanded to cover the grounds, lifting the amnesiac students into the air and moving them towards the cliff.6bNk
1BTdUAlpheas couldn’t help but feel terrified this time.X3aDP
YPEhN“Stop it! It’s just meaningless slaughter! What do you gain from this?”pLaYZ5o
ISzt“The satisfaction of victory.”uvP
q1f7BAF“Fool! At your age, you still want to win! Do you think you’ll always remain a boy?”tKku8g
BUD“Foolish Alpheas. Listen well.”kw9KFn6
2sSMQIn his final moment, Arcane spoke with a confident smile.J6URrFH
ZED“A mage is… an eternal boy.”jpvvq
Vxt604The 400 students caught in the Might of Darkness were flung out over the cliff like scooping water with a ladle. Alpheas couldn’t comprehend it. Using the mental strength exchanged for his life for such foolishness.IcCsZum
AW8Uhv‘What drives you? What has this senseless belief brought you?’R8F
jbgRegardless, now was not the time to worry about Arcane. Having expended all his energy on the Big Bang spell, Alpheas quickly turned and shouted.AhCH9
IUg“Save the students!”oj5FbgU
H4PhAs soon as the order was given, Thadd transformed into a flash of light and flew off. Shirone followed, with Nade and Yiruki using Teleportation to reach the cliff. There were 400 of them. It was impossible to save everyone, but even thinking such was a luxury in this dire situation.H2w
zyzMidway down the cliff, Thadd created a wall of air with his magic. But to cover at least 50 square meters, the wall had to be thin.WHrk
jWYdfEventually, the weaker parts of the wall gave way, and students began to fall.qn9x6m
fyb3iBelow Thadd, Yiruki and Nade were active. However, it was too late to turn the situation around. From young children to graduating adults, many were falling. Tears welled up in their eyes.tJ2hLg
q0Jgj“Damn it! Damn, damn!”83LnbRw
MuLwtsThrough his blurred vision, Yiruki looked up at the sky. A star in the night sky twinkled, then a streak of light descended vertically.1w3BjP
BAz“Shirone!”2gCx
0NhF5ygThe light passed even Yiruki, continuing downward. In Shirone’s eyes, a girl with red hair came into view.18kLEya
uz3g6I“Amy!”wFTvnC
mHKQQraHearing Shirone’s voice, Amy turned her head. Such a response should have been impossible under the influence of Abyss Nova, but Shirone called out again, holding onto a sliver of hope.WLEq
V364“Amy! Snap out of it!”2Cyj
8kk‘Snap?’oli
VCi2Humans are thinking beings. Not thinking is harder than thinking. But under Abyss Nova, which blocks memories, the source of thought isn’t provided.ZUOdn
W742r“Amy! Amy!”4VrOK
cEykYet Amy could think.90s1A
yvRNBecause she was Amy Karmis.bQXkdu
Znx8Ny“Amy! Wake up!”3LON
B4QPCf‘Annoying. Please stop.’CLx8Vl3
rTZUIg“It’s me! Shirone!”RWZZB
9Dkm5z‘Shirone?’VORhxJf
jwRAkWhat did that mean? It was an unknown word. But Amy couldn’t let go of the three-syllable word tickling her brain.aAk
W32W‘What is it, what is it? What was it? So curious.’d70FI
eEOT3AAmy kept thinking. Electricity spread across her cerebral cortex, searching for information. Suddenly, one pattern sparked, and the meaning of Shirone surged through her.DET8Pku
iocF‘Ah, right. Shirone! It was Shirone.’vis1
1sSRAmy sighed as if suffocating, relieved. Simultaneously, her eyes ignited with a red glow, activating the power of Red Eyes. Abyss Nova burnt away in an instant, and memories flooded in.Mnd
fJd5x‘Im such an idiot! What am I doing right now?’lcs
l2V2qKgHer trait was Red Eyes, academically known as Autographic Memory.1v80ue
QZ7TFThe Karmis family, when their red eyes manifest, can revert to a specific state.P9ri
wsrvZ3OFor example, they could store the action of swinging a sword and infinitely repeat it with no deviation. Moreover, like Schema, being in the realm of feeling allows for immediate error correction.cL4M
Qs0GWN‘One mistake is the seed of growth; two mistakes, a disgrace to the family’ this adage confidently reflected their belief.jhOZ4r
JL20dF‘What’s my current state?’ZkRPs
bAC0Using her Autographic Memory, Amy analyzed the discrepancy at a neural level. She was under the influence of gravitational acceleration. Her body was tilted at an angle of 87.6 degrees, and her heart rate was 1.6 times faster.OaHqpZ
XA4‘I’m falling.’eqAwJ
uPrEOThat didn’t particularly bother her. Shirone was descending in a streak of light. Recollections involving him surfaced. How could she have forgotten Shirone?RQz
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