The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 117
What exactly is the energy of negativity?
It encompasses greed, despair, jealousy, envy, hatred, and so on.
The casino was filled with it.
Thanks to that, even with my mana sealed, I was able to gather the fragments of negativity floating around the casino to cast a curse.
So, what is a curse?
‘Converting the energy of negativity into malice to affect the opponent.’
In essence, the duel of curses is a battle of malice.
Then, how can we say which malice is stronger?
‘It’s not simply about the magnitude of the emotion of hating the opponent. In fact, as the level of the curse increases, personal emotions must be completely excluded.’
The magnitude of malice extracted from the energy of negativity.
The quality of malice.
The technique of handling malice.
And so on.
Many factors played a role.
I found it hard to claim superiority in any of these aspects against my opponent.
But, there was just one thing.
Something worth betting on.
‘The height of dignity.’
Blessings and curses differ in nature from other kinds of magic.
That is, the ‘dignity’ of the caster reflects on the power of the magic.
‘Normally, even if the caster’s Level differs, if the spell is cast with equivalent energy, technique, and understanding, it should produce the same power.’
But blessings and curses are different.
A spell cast by a higher-level caster is more powerful than one by a lower-level caster.
Even if cast in perfectly the same way.
Because the ‘dignity’ of the caster is reflected in blessings and curses.
That’s why blessings of a saintly level can produce effects akin to miracles.
‘That guy is at least in the master class at Level 7. His dignity is also considerably high.’
However,
‘My dignity is even higher. It might be a bit of a cheat, though.’
I gently closed my eyes.
I imagined, as I had done many times before.
Not this insignificant form of mine, but rather, my form ascending to the heavens.
And at that moment.
Flash!
The dignity, the ego of my other trait, ‘The Incomplete Ascendant,’ manifested.
‘It doesn’t feel out of place.’
Every time I do it, imagining myself as an ascendant doesn’t feel alien at all.
Rather, my original form at a lower state feels fake, and this feels like the real me.
That was why.
I was filled with one certainty.
There was no way I could lose.
‘I was half in doubt about whether it would succeed originally.’
A master class?
A true monster from the Dark Prestige Family?
Surely impressive.
But that was all.
‘After all, it’s just the greatness of a mortal.’
A preposterous thought.
Yet, it was sincere.
I felt a wild sense of superiority, as if looking down upon beings on the earth from the sky above.
The odds calculator also said this:
<Curse Duel Win Rate Against the Dark Prestige Family’s Elder>
The difference in skill is so great that calling this a duel is impractical.
Ghoooo
The energy of negativity filling the casino responded to my ‘dignity.’
In fact, if this were not a casino, I wouldn’t have been able to use this method.
There wouldn’t have been enough energy of negativity to match the dignity of an ascendant.
It was only possible to attempt this method here because the casino was filled with the energy of negativity.
I deliberately calmed the energy of negativity.
A sight that would perplex other dark mages.
Normally, one would have to fan the flames of the energy of negativity to its maximum and convert it into malice, but I did the opposite, like spraying coolant while casting a fire spell.
There were a few reasons for this.
‘Some are already feeling that something’s amiss. The quieter I cast it, the less likely others will notice.’
More importantly.
‘I’m afraid of what might happen if I use all my strength.’
Imperfect, yet the dignity of an ascendant.
The energy of negativity filling the casino capable of matching that dignity.
And I, a master of magic.
What result would these three produce?
It wouldn’t be an ordinary event.
‘This is enough.’
Yes.
There was no need to use all my strength.
I shifted my gaze.
To the dark mage of the Dark Prestige Family who must be observing me remotely from somewhere.
“You’re lucky.”
A natural arrogance flowed out.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so watch closely. This is the ultimate form of the curse your Dark Prestige Family strives for.”
And then, I unleashed the curse.
“…….”
I broke out in a cold sweat in an instant.
Realizing I had caused a mess.
Though I tried to suppress its power as much as I could, a ‘miraculous curse’ had been unleashed.
Of Level 9.
* * *
“Keuggh!!!”
Bail Baymont, a master-class dark mage from the Dark Prestige Family, vomited a torrent of black blood.
“What is this?! What curse is this? A monster…! No, it’s beyond that level!”
Completely panicked and babbling, he was oblivious to the fact that he was vomiting blood.
“This is truly utopia…! Ahh!! To see such a curse before I die?! But, it’s impossible for a mortal to cast such a curse, could it be? Could I reach even the tip of its power if I exert all my strength? No, impossible! Ahh! It’s as if a god of darkness has descended?! How beautiful!”
“Are… are you going insane?”
Senin frowned.
After all that arrogance from being of the Dark Prestige Family, what kind of disgrace is this after losing?
“Keke, you should be running to that person… no, to that being right now, ready to kneel.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Kneel for what?”
“Keke, ignorance does breed bravery, indeed. I’m trembling non-stop just from catching a glimpse of the essence of that curse. Ah.”
Bail’s eyes flickered madly.
A mix of fear, awe, and envy.
“The target of that curse was this casino, no, your corporation. The nature of the curse is ‘misfortune’. I can’t even imagine what kind of misfortune will befall this business now.”
“It’s just a curse.”
Senin scowled deeply.
If a dark magic curse could harm a guild to such an extent, anyone in the upper realms would hire a dark mage.
But then.
“There’s trouble! Urgent news!!”
The door burst open, and a pale-faced employee rushed in.
The company leader, having regained his composure, asked.
“What’s the matter?”
“Our merchant ship docked at Kaman Harbor has sunk!!”
“!!”
The company leader’s face turned deathly pale.
A disaster incomparable to the casino’s losses.
“Why would a ship that was simply docked suddenly…?”
“The corroded part of the bottom just collapsed, they say.”
“No way a ship would sink just like that?!”
But that wasn’t all.
“Urgent news! A fire suddenly broke out at the logistics warehouse on the outskirts of the city! It’s currently being extinguished, but the flames are fierce, and there’s a risk of it being completely burnt down.”
The company leader slumped to the floor, his face ashen.
Senin looked similarly pale.
Only Bail from the Dark Prestige Family laughed as if he found it amusing.
“Didn’t I say? It would be wise for you to go to that person, Van Legend, even now and beg for mercy. That’s the only way for you to survive.”
Bail shouted again, filled with madness.
“Ah! How marvelous. How could we refer to that person with a mere title like ‘legend’? Even ‘Van the Great Legend’ would not suffice! Haha!”
* * *
‘Ugh, this is a huge mess.’
I rubbed my head, recalling the newspaper content.
All sorts of disasters were befalling the Pfyssen Corporation.
‘I need to be careful using the power of the incomplete ascendant.’
Of course, this was a special case.
If it weren’t for the abundance of negativity in the casino, this would have been absolutely impossible.
‘There’s no need to feel sorry for the Pfyssen Corporation. Even before Senin, it was a company that belonged on the side of evil people.’
My worry was elsewhere.
‘What if the Dark Prestige Family starts bothering me because of this incident?’
The Dark Prestige Family wasn’t actually bad.
No, dark magic wasn’t inherently ‘evil’ to begin with.
‘It’s just a lot of people who wield dark magic that are bad, not the dark magic itself. It’s just another branch of magic.’
Just as not all holy mages who handle blessings are good, the same goes for dark mages.
However, with dark mages, there’s a higher proportion of bad ones because many of them make contracts with demons.
Especially the Dark Prestige Family, which indulged in dark magic but strictly prohibited committing evil deeds.
The Dark Tower, filled with all sorts of villains, managed to maintain some level of decency thanks to the internal discipline of the Dark Prestige Family, its mainstay.
‘So they might not harm me directly, but there’s a high chance they’ll trouble me in other ways.’
It seemed like something to keep an eye on.
‘Let’s finish up with Senin’s business first. He won’t just sit idly by.’
“Are you okay, Angel? I can stand guard for you. Aren’t you in poor condition?”
Amanda, aware of the conflict between Senin and me, asked with concern.
As a side note, I’m suffering from a backlash due to casting a miraculous spell.
This time, it was a different kind of backlash, and it was quite severe, with this punishment.
A week-long magic seal.
Meaning, I was completely defenseless right now.
“Actually… I’ve received a request from someone. To assassinate you.”
“You’re still doing assassin jobs?”
“It’s a side job. The cost of living in the free city is too high for my salary to cover… .”
It’s shocking how meager a temporary professor’s salary is.
But that’s not the point, the point is that Senin is targeting me.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It’s actually good.”
“Angel?”
“I have something in mind, so don’t worry.”
After parting with Amanda, I moved on.
The house I had acquired was in Zone 4.
It was a commoners’ district, but not entirely safe, with creepy alleys here and there.
A perfect spot for mugging.
“Stop right there, Van Ecclesia.”
Shady figures emerged from the darkness.
They weren’t muggers.
They were assassins targeting me.
Senin was there too.
“What’s this about?”
“Ha! What’s this about? If you don’t want to die, stop the curse you’ve cast right now!”
Senin shouted with bloodshot eyes.
Clearly cornered.
‘Still, the fact that he’s trying to solve this with threats means he’s hesitant to commit murder. Is that commendable in its own way?’
Of course, what happens if the threats fail remains to be seen.
If Senin goes down the ‘corruption’ route, he’ll become a villainous merchant far worse than any Duke Volman.
It was a crisis, but.
“Do you remember what I told you before? That I would provide you an education. It seems the time has come.”
“Nonsense! Kneel first!”
The assassins advanced.
Quick! Move… away! I’ll… protect…!
Mari fluttered up but failed to intimidate the assailants.
Still, I remained calm, and it was when Senin frowned in confusion that it happened.
Click!
The flash of a camera burst forth.
“I’m a journalist from the Gossip Daily! Lord Senin, caught red-handed trying to assassinate Professor Van, how do you feel about being discovered in the act?!”
“!!”
And that wasn’t all.
Swwiish.
Knights from the guard who had been hiding appeared.
Indeed.
Sending Amanda away was a feint.
I had prepared all the traps in advance.
“Lord Senin, you are under arrest for the attempted assassination of Young Van and for using magic to manipulate the outcomes in the casino.”
“Manipulation? What evidence do you have?!”
“I have the evidence. You damn fool of a child.”
Senin’s eyes widened.
A portly middle-aged man.
He was the company leader of the Pfyssen Corporation!
He knelt before me and then pointed angrily at Senin.
“It was all the doing of this damned child! I will testify to everything!”
It was over.
t/n – For those who are confused about the Pfyssen Corporation, it is a corporation that holds other companies like the Paradise Casino. Just think of it as a big company that has brands in it. For example, nestle; it is the world’s largest food and beverages company with over 2000 brands in its name.