The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 228
Given your personality, Brother, you must have a way to escape. Don’t do anything risky and just escape while you still can.
I swallowed hard.
‘Indeed, escaping might not be that difficult right now.’
Earlier, when Roshran was fully focused, it might have been impossible, but now he’s preoccupied with fighting the Demon King and likely won’t notice me.
However,
‘I can’t do that.’
The Demon King had claimed it was her duty to clean up after her own, but I wasn’t so naive as to not see that she was doing it for my sake.
‘Even if that weren’t the case, if something happens to the Demon King here, we won’t be able to stop the apocalypse. I can’t just leave her.’
With my decision made, I spoke to Leona.
“Thank you. I’ll repay you for this later.”
I’ve warned you, so do as you please.
The connection cut off abruptly.
I focused on interpreting Leona’s words.
‘The moonlight refers to the hidden side of the world? And tempering means to complete oneself?’
Just from this, it was still unclear.
‘I need to figure it out.’
I recalled Leona’s words that giving more information would be a hindrance.
‘The process of establishing this concept might be what’s necessary for ascension.’
I asked myself another question.
What is ascension?
It’s touching the heavens.
What does it mean to touch the heavens?
Seekers strive so hard to reach the heavens, but why can’t they?
What’s the difference between a seeker and an ascendant?
These are questions countless individuals have asked.
‘No one has ever answered these questions.’
I thought I knew the reason.
‘It’s because there’s no single answer. Every ascendant touches the heavens in their own unique way.’
Among the 16 protagonists, those who become ascendants each do so through different methods.
However, there was one commonality.
During the ascension process, they confront their own ‘essence.’
‘What is my essence?’
It was a question not easily answered.
It’s not about the name on my ID card or the credentials on a job application.
Who am I?
Rather, what kind of existence am I?
‘The hidden side might be the place where I confront my essence.’
The moment I thought that,
Flash!
Something changed.
The scenery remained the same.
This was still the ancient temple, and the Demon King and Roshran were still fiercely clashing swords in front of me.
Except for one thing.
‘…Have I disappeared alone?’
Everything was the same, but I alone had vanished!
Papa! Papa?! Where did you go?!
Mari, left behind, called out for me.
Only then did I understand what the hidden side meant, and I swallowed hard.
‘The hidden side is another facet of the world. I’m existing alone on a different plane.’
This was the secret of the ancient sanctuary that aids in ascension.
However, there was a problem.
‘If I fail to establish my existence and ascend, I won’t be able to return to the original world. I’ll slowly be erased, as if I never existed.’
A fate worse than death.
I clenched my fist.
‘Let’s do this. I can do it.’
Contemplation.
It’s seeing the essence without any bias.
Before challenging ascension, one must first reach the state of a seeker.
Seekers, who pursue the truth, can unwaveringly and purely delve into their essence.
Being trapped in the hidden side and erased from the world allowed me to objectively contemplate myself.
‘What kind of existence am I?’
I looked back at the past.
Strangely, it wasn’t my life on Earth that surfaced, but Van’s past.
Simultaneously,
You are no different from me.
!!
‘Me,’ or rather, ‘Van.’
No, I didn’t know who it was.
Was it ‘me,’ or ‘Van’?
In any case, an unknown presence appeared and spoke.
What do you mean we are not different?
You already suspect it. You and I are actually one.
!!
I swallowed hard.
It was a fact I had vaguely sensed.
Van and I were not different.
We were the same existence.
But it’s something I can’t accept.
If Van of this world and I are the same, then what does that make the ‘me’ from Earth?
That’s not important. What matters is your heart. So, do you have the confidence?
Confidence in what?
The courage to become the true Van.
I fell silent.
That question made me realize something I hadn’t known about myself.
‘I’ve been acting like an outsider, using the excuse that I’m not the real Van.’
Because I wanted to take it easy.
Because it would be troublesome if I stayed passive.
Until now, whenever I got involved in various matters, I had made excuses.
Subconsciously, I had drawn a line, thinking it wasn’t my responsibility.
But if I accept that I am Van, I become a true member of this world.
Everything that happens from now on will genuinely be ‘my’ business.
More importantly,
‘I must also face my family sincerely.’
While I was happy with the new family I had gained, I had hesitated to get too close.
I was afraid of getting hurt if we became a real family.
But
There’s no need for courage or a choice. I’m already here with everyone, whether as Van or as myself.
I recalled my conversation with Leona just now.
I also remembered the conversations I had with the other family members.
Not only that.
Papa…! Papa…! You’re not gone, right?! I’ll find you…!
Mari’s desperate cries for me.
I thought of the other children as well.
Yes.
Does it really matter if I am Van or not?
I already exist here as myself, with everyone.
The moment I defined my own existence,
Click.
It felt as if a key had turned.
‘The reason I couldn’t fully reach the heavens despite mimicking the status of an Ascendant was that I hadn’t fully defined myself. But now, everything that was lacking has been filled.’
Flash!
My consciousness soared high into the sky.
It was different from when I was merely ‘imitating.’
Back then, I just went ‘high,’ merely close enough to think I touched the heavens.
Now, my essence truly touched the heavens.
‘This is the state of an Ascendant.’
I swallowed hard.
However, there’s something that mustn’t be misunderstood.
While my essence had elevated, my mana insensitivity remained unchanged.
In other words, I hadn’t gained omnipotent power like other Ascendants.
‘I’m in a state similar to the Demon King. She also has the status of a celestial being but lacks the full power to match.’
At that moment, Roshran looked at me.
The Demon King had already exhausted most of her strength and was at her limit.
“You?”
Realizing my state, Roshran’s eyes widened.
“I cannot let you live. I’ll kill you first.”
Swish!
He unleashed a powerful energy, shaking off the Demon King, and approached me.
A sense of imminent danger surged.
‘…I’ve obtained the status of an Ascendant, but why doesn’t it feel like anything’s changed?’
No, there had been some change.
<Winning odds against an extremist super-powerful demon>
Fighting with Lv. 3 mana: 4.3%
A whole 4.3%!
Excluding Ascendants, he was one of the strongest beings in this world.
Yet, there was a chance I could win even with just Lv. 3 mana.
Even if it meant I would lose 95 out of 100 times.
‘The mere possibility of winning against him head-on might mean I’ve joined the ranks of the strongest in this world’s lore.’
Anyway, this was no time to be idle.
I racked my brain.
As always, the win rate analyzer held hidden hints if examined closely.
‘What if I fought with more than Lv. 3 mana?’
Swish.
The gambler updated.
Fighting with Lv. 4 mana: 50.5%
Fighting with Lv. 5 mana: 100%
An astonishing evaluation.
Even with Lv. 4 mana, the odds were over 50%, and with Lv. 5 mana, it was a guaranteed victory.
‘…The problem is that even Lv. 4 mana is an unattainable level for me.’
Reaching Lv. 2 was difficult enough, but attaining Lv. 3 was exponentially harder.
Lv. 4 and Lv. 5 seemed like distant dreams.
However,
‘It’s okay. I have a workaround.’
I approached the Moonstone Altar.
Inside, an immense amount of energy was accumulated.
Roshran sneered at me.
“The malfunctioning Moonstone Altar doesn’t refine the moon’s energy properly, making it unusable. At best, it’s as powerful as a mid-level demon’s strength….”
“Ah, that’s more than enough.”
The mid-level demons he mentioned are roughly at Lv. 5 or Lv. 6.
In my case, converting the moon’s energy into ‘mana’ would cause additional losses, bringing it down to about Lv. 4.
So.
‘A 50% win rate is enough.’
Flash!
I drew upon the energy from the Moonstone Altar.
As Roshran had said, most of the energy was unusable.
But there was so much that I could convert a portion into mana.
As I guessed, it amounted to around Lv. 4.
I extended my hand towards him.
One spell came to mind automatically.
Celestial Punishment.
Flash.
A bolt of lightning struck down.
This wasn’t ordinary lightning magic.
As its name implied, it was a punishment from the heavens.
Impossible to dodge or block, it was a decree of fate.
‘This is completely different from the fake miraculous magic I’ve used before.’
Roshran, struck directly by the Celestial Punishment, fell to his knees.
“Gahhhhh!!”
Amazingly, he didn’t collapse.
He trembled, barely holding on.
“I’ll… I’ll kill you, human. You must be out of power after casting such a miracle.”
He gritted his teeth.
He used his sword to steady himself as he stood up.
A moment of life and death.
Then.
I will protect Papa…! [Stop!]
Mari used the Dragon’s Speech.
Normally, it wouldn’t have worked, but he hesitated for a moment.
And then.
“I will finish you myself.”
“!!”
The Demon King approached.
Roshran’s eyes widened, but it was too late.
The Demon King’s sword flashed, and Roshran’s head flew into the air.
‘It’s done! It’s over!’
We had achieved what seemed impossible!
But I hesitated.
Even though we had won, a chilling sense of tension remained.
‘No, it’s even worse?’
It meant an even greater threat was approaching.
‘More dangerous than Roshran, a Lv. 8 seeker? Is that even possible?’
Actually, there was one kind.
I swallowed hard.
At the same time.
Welcome to the heavens, new Ascendant.
“!!”
Before I realized it, someone had appeared.
Their entire body was covered by a robe, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female.
The only thing clear was that they were not human.
Radiant black shadow wings extended from their back.
‘A demon? Who?’
Then, beside me, the Demon King spoke in a trembling voice.
“…Master?”
“!!”
Only then did I realize who this being was.
“…The Hermit.”
The other Ascendant of the Demon Realm.
