Chapter 99: To Infinity (2)
DKxV1X“Foolish… really foolish…!”EXg
LawPwbShe had come to him first, offered him a coffee, but then harshly shook off his hand and left. Trying to ignore the scenes filled with regret, Amy tightly closed her eyes. And then she screamed with all her might.wxp
q9aNqn“Shirone!”MYqgs
G1IeShirone smiled. It was a relief that Amy had regained her memory. At least, in his final moments, he could leave as a Shirone remembered by someone.dy5Ev6x
EqG“Thank you, Amy.”BCtbh
Iea8oShirone’s tears fell on Amy’s cheeks.qrXazyW
EGYGOY‘Why are you crying, Shirone?’4adwQ
UasMAmy felt anxious. Something was wrong. Then, the moment she saw the will to live fading from Shirone’s eyes, she realized.t82
vmt“Shirone! No!”ENjpYu
g3O“I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep the promise.”0eO
l3mDLIEmbracing Amy, Shirone fully opened the Immortal Function. His consciousness expanded infinitely, and his self began to dissolve like a substance in water.tAhsa
fOR‘Goodbye to all…’tedr
wSLFather, mother, the members of the Ogent family, friends at the academy. Having received the love of many, Shirone could smile. A massive light filled the area beneath the cliff. The falling students, along with Yiruki, Nade, and Thadd, were engulfed in the radiance.AiHV
KvrFkAThe next moment, a huge flash of light soared upwards.PBe
dXydekIt was a Mass Teleport, moving as many as 400 people at once.hpO
ee4odt‘Ah, I see.’HVoNk
LiXlWLying on the ground, Viltor Arcane watched the flash of light rising above the cliff split into dozens of streams. Only in his final moment did he become certain. Where he had been and what a magnificent life he had lived.5cCQMO
IPUBb22‘It was a playground worth playing in all my life, wasn’t it, Alpheas?’R2zhVk
BTcoEThus, the legendary archmage Viltor Arcane left the world.dYqFZ3
NJkszt“Master?”pva
SG7IsDIn front of Arcane’s corpse, Canis was stunned. Wasn’t he a disciple after all? But Arcane left without leaving any last words, having done only what he wanted until the end.fJu4Etp
kLmG5“Was it really nothing? Were we just tools?”g3q
Fm2My8Canis rushed to Arcane and shook him.VFmNC
tdv1“Wake up! How can this happen! It would be better if I died! Why do you leave me alone!”hsCUA
pBd13Arin approached Canis with sad eyes. Reflected in the twilight, his figure was made of murky liquid. The shape kept spreading like a liquid and rising again in human form.RqU0WqG
GWdmATu“No, Canis. It’s not your fault. He used us. Hes a villain.”OUS
HgyV51“Hahaha, how is he not? You’re only realizing it now.”SqygBho
UzRqTeHarvest spoke in a hoarse voice.Ildd
SOF4Mfo“Yes, Canis. It’s all because of you. Arcane, me, and eventually Arin will die too.”253H5
URMMK9Arin, glaring at Harvest, hurriedly turned to Canis. Shocked, his figure collapsed and melted into a sticky liquid on the ground.4XQVtj
lapf1BL“Why? What did I do? Because I survived in Radum? Because I’m a jinx?”1FFxCuA
8CCwq“Because you’re weak.”5DC98X
Fy2Harvest’s conclusion was simple.LG6Hg
haU“How long will you live just hoping for others’ recognition? There is no such thing as ‘should live like this’ or ‘should die like this.’ Arcane lived his life his way.”1kTbt
2vxXArcane lost his life upholding his belief in evil. Harvest chose self-destruction to fulfill his contract as a magical biobeing.4u3
j1tWP‘What was I trying to die for?’8sPneO
rwiHe found nothing. He was nothing but a blind colt, prancing around. His life was nothing but an empty shell.doBR
bZU“Like the master…”7bp
1dg61ML“Yes, and like that boy.”kK6c
Wc4In the midst of the sprawled 400 students, Shirone lay fallen. He had said he wouldn’t hurt anyone. And he kept his belief to the end.4fRl
kdfVShCanis approached Harvest to check his condition.oDbE
5S0Pm“How are you feeling?”Q1jo
Otff4ad“What does it matter? I’ll die anyway. I can’t live without parasitizing a life.”3WhCJ
CjkVrGArin spoke.NyJ7NMr
mrw5tqK“You can make a master-servant contract with me. Canis won’t last with his depleted mental strength.”dat
5CdMeK6Harvest shook his head.hV49Zu
rp3“Sorry, but I can’t.”lcoV
h8X299“What? Why? You’ll just disappear like this!”OhgoH3
YkOE“My master is Canis.”EKv5ZGf
Url3FZQHarvest’s words pierced Canis’s heart. It was time for him to raise the banner of his own belief. Could he really endure it? If he made a mistake, they both might lose their lives.VM5ljE
XjoU“Harvest. I accept you as a subordinate. But I will not forgive a second betrayal.”HRLie
69B“Hahaha. Understood, my master.”jmX
U1wMP0Q“Canis! It’s too dangerous! If something goes wrong!”1OTz
bH8cHNqArin stopped speaking. The shape of Canis, made of liquid, was hardening as mud seeped into it. Would he one day acquire an unwavering heart, like the one she had seen in Shirone during her first awakening?SqV
ZC6TbCanis reached out his hand to Harvest. As the Contract of Subjugation proceeded, the little life force he had left began to be drained by Harvest. His consciousness fading into darkness, Canis’s eyes slowly closed.O5e
XkTxqStanding apart from Canis’s group, Alpheas stood solemnly. Though he had managed to save the students by the skin of his teeth, the loss was too great.fTnvq4
puNS“Headmaster.”j5nS
5JeEthella shared the same sentiment. From today onwards, there would be significant changes in the magic academy. The students, having regained their memories, would fall into chaos, and the mistake Alpheas made 40 years ago would resurface.q3i
erSmD“Ethella, I am a sinner.”jo6op
TWNPNZ“Don’t be too hard on yourself. If a life where even mistakes aren’t allowed exists, then the very existence of humanity is a sin.”SiknRf
Y63aAlpheas shook his head. Everyone makes mistakes, but with every action comes responsibility. Like Arcane, he had no intention of running away.zaVc
W3ko“The person who elevated dark magic to the ranks of great magic. Harvest could be said to be an innovation in the field of memory transference. Abyss Nova will be registered as a standard magic in the Magic Association.”X6FOs
ZwkIn front of Arcane’s corpse, Alpheas clasped his hands and mourned the death.K5K214
MxvyySe“Archmage Arcane, always a boy at heart. The path of magic you walked will be passed down to future generations.”CpAxX
TV0sekAlpheas, having opened his eyes, seemed unburdened. Ethella, on the other hand, still looked worried. This was an incident where the entire academy’s lives were threatened, not something that could be settled within the academy.TE5D75F
bpjzG“Headmaster, what do you plan to do now?”TaKA
7NE8no“What else can I say? I am also waiting for my fate. The issue of punishment should be left to the experts, but perhaps we should celebrate today’s heroes instead?”leFSFA
rnOPhn3Alpheas looked around for Shirone. The more he saw him, the more he realized the boy had a knack for surprising people. Even he couldn’t confidently say if he could teleport 400 people simultaneously.0wiXod
Rarm“Somebody please help!”hsS9AR
pcbVAmy was sobbing near where Shirone had collapsed.iPOgSr9
dR9PYAlpheas and Ethella hurried over, sensing the seriousness of the situation. From afar, Yiruki and Nade were running towards them.8i2D
S2qBut before they arrived, Amy shouted first.WNTn
PFDgL1“Shirone isn’t breathing!”Mxo
6laShirone expanded massively and also became fainter. He was permeating everything, having even forgotten his worldly attachments. Then, a powerful force pulled him to a single point. If there is something beyond life for humans, this event could be aptly named the hijacking of the soul.kRa5
G3ZaK“Ugh! Ugh!”1Bu
rEq2vDJShirone’s consciousness reassembled, recalling memories from before he tried the Immortal Function. Trembling briefly with the fear of death, he took ragged breaths and checked his condition. Except for being unclothed, there seemed to be no abnormalities.ivqZ
2lbqci9“Where is this?”lKG
QewIt was a space filled with white. In this monochromatic landscape that stretched infinitely, it was impossible to sense distance. He tried moving slowly, but couldn’t feel any progress.Xv03fd
qH2Q‘It’s very strange. It’s as if all my senses are paralyzed.’Gvukh
drhqEShirone had a sudden unique thought. As an experiment, he slowly bent his knees and then stepped forward as if climbing stairs. Surprisingly, his body rose.GYeglM
dXbERLT“Huh?”dehsQSI
ak2Shirone kept climbing the endless stairs. Pausing to look around, he was at a loss for words.wsx
BScs“……”4HQhM
w05gHe didn’t feel like he had ascended high. No matter where he moved, the landscape remained the same white scene.6Wg
5pEbHX7“There is no distance.”CFi3U
VehrenIf it cannot be measured, then space does not exist. To test his hypothesis, Shirone then tried descending. His assumption was correct. No matter where he moved, it was as if he hadn’t moved at all.AGc9
qgtk0kEWhen he was about to give up on moving further, a woman’s voice was heard.g1G
E1fqR“Impressive. To grasp the meaning of space. You indeed deserve to be here.”UNLE
b0FryRShirone did not turn around. In this place, the concept of direction did not exist.ED7Jfmd
DwwA1“Who are you? Am I dead?”t7DOFN
KMCA beautiful woman emerged from the white landscape. As the feeling of distance emerged, the scenery rapidly changed. An enormous temple, like nothing he had seen before, loomed over him.HsIeH
xN5kb“Wow…”OHNMqpE
0Y5fThe scale was unimaginable. Even ancient temples were not this big. Hundreds of pillars supported the ceiling, each about 2 kilometers high.4Bd
kBnMK“Where is this exactly…”FglWL
pGZDe0Q“Welcome, Shirone. I’ve been waiting for you.”RB1R0y
JVtfEB1The woman, with aquamarine hair flowing down to her ankles, was the most beautiful woman Shirone had ever seen. It wasn’t about her looks. It was about the value of her existence. Like a man in love thinks his lover is the most beautiful in the world, her value here was absolute.RHcb
BH9“Oops!”NF0LNN
PI5Shirone quickly covered himself, realizing he was completely naked.rhtxWEN
mjNrF0“Hehe. There’s no need to be shy. This is not your world. Your body still remains in the original world.”0oO14
XLmpZBEWith a wave of her hand, clothes were instantly on Shirone. He gazed at himself dumbfounded, then gave up trying to make sense of it. One question came to mind.IuqYjR
veks7“Is this the afterlife?”VUqT
gAF6“No. It’s not the afterlife. Its just a different spot from where you lived.”fL9
HkNShirone was puzzled. A spot is a 1-dimensional space without space. A spot moves to become a line, a line moves to become a plane, and a plane moves to finally create a 3-dimensional space.WII
apM35dQ“Could it be…?”aQt0i
qsNuHe recalled the white space he had been in before.qnfeW
Uwq“Correct. That’s the spot. It’s not that there’s no space, but that it’s infinitely compressed.”ArkO
ybPIf what she said was true, it made sense that he couldn’t feel distance. But even trapped in 1-dimension, his body was 3-dimensional. If he could measure the distance between his right and left arms, doesn’t space exist?gjh
baD5“Aha. So, a 3-dimensional space is within 1-dimension.”37deoK
Qj40y6“Exactly. Your insight is remarkable. That’s the essence of space-time. No matter how vast a world, from afar it’s just a dot. Conversely, even the smallest dot can unfold into an infinite world when you enter it.”t4b
8DKUShirone finally felt at ease. If logical conversation was possible, even if it was the afterlife, there was no need to fear.QdS4m
JgU“Then who are you?”gl0W
P7ycKThe woman laughed innocently. It felt eerie, but to Shirone, even that was beautiful. She was the most valuable existence here.SW1H7qM
q8M“I am a god.”D5yC
nInThe magic academy was in a state of chaos.Jxx
4VXgks9It took a full 8 hours just to gather Arcane’s body and send the students back to their dormitories.rHdxT
tyLCpPThe students were still blocked from their memories, lying in their rooms. The teaching staff regaining their memories would speed up the process, but the turmoil that would arise when all the students awoke was a headache.3m4
KCEU1To make matters worse, Canis and Arin, the suspects in the incident, had disappeared, leaving only Nade, Yiruki, and Amy to care for Shirone, who had been moved to the infirmary.Uk43ST
5Sz8rIn truth, “caring” was not the right word. Shirone was not breathing, and his heart had stopped. But no one dared to utter the word “death.”G25l
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