The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 99
Hearing Hans’s explanation, I felt a surge of dismay.
‘Oh no, damn it. The condition of the barrier is much worse than I thought.’
It wasn’t simply because Hans was incompetent.
‘It’s a flaw that requires at least a Level 6 magical tool expert to fix.’
Of course, if I were there, I could have solved it.
‘I can sort of see the solution now, but it’s beyond Hans’s capacity to fix.’
As I just mentioned, Level 6 expertise was needed.
Then, there was only one answer.
I urgently began to speak.
“I will give you an assignment. You have 3 minutes to complete it.”
An assignment?
“What is the essence of your magic? Summarize it and answer within 3 minutes.”
Young master?
A voice filled with panic.
Understandably so.
Are you telling me to ascend to Level 6 within 3 minutes?!
Exactly.
Level 6 is the realm of the ‘Holder’, where one establishes their own world.
It was an unreasonable demand, but it had to be met.
‘For Hans to activate the barrier, he has no choice but to reach Level 6.’
How do you see me?! It’s impossible!
“Why is it impossible?”
Why is it impossible? Is that even a question? I’m not you, young master!
“You’ve spent over 10 years striving to reach Level 6. You even abandoned everything for enlightenment, following me, the so-called trash of Ecclesia. If you can’t do it, then who can?”
That, that is…
Hans fell silent.
‘Hans is not simply a Level 5.’
By the way, at the end of each Level, there’s a special title given.
The end of Level 9 is known as Heavenly.
The end of Level 8 is Enlightened One.
The end of Level 7 is Master.
The end of Level 6 is Holder.
And the end of Level 5 is Expert.
‘Hans had already reached the level of an Expert quite a while ago. It seems he himself hasn’t realized it due to his low self-esteem.’
“3 minutes… no, 30 seconds have passed. If you can’t do it in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, you’ll never be able to. That’s how surpassing your current state works.”
!!
“What do you desire? Do you want to stay in your current position forever?”
I could hear Hans swallowing hard over the communicator.
…Can I, can I really do it?
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Because I, Van Ecclesia, will guide you.”
!!
I couldn’t see the expression Hans was making right now.
But I could guess.
After all, Hans was the person who had been with me the longest since I became ‘Van’.
We had been inseparably close.
More than anyone else.
That’s why.
That’s why I came up with this idea.
“Hans, close your eyes.”
Young master?
“From now on, I will give you the clues to reach Level 6.”
!!
Even for someone as exceptional as me, it was an absurd proposition.
Each mage’s enlightenment is different. The clues I offered could potentially be harmful rather than helpful.
But Hans was an exception.
I knew everything about Hans.
“Don’t think about anything, clear your mind, and just listen to what I say.”
There was no reply.
He must be trusting me and following my words obediently.
I also closed my eyes.
‘If I were in Hans’s position, what enlightenment would I need?’
I ‘assumed’ I was Hans.
Not just talking about the magical level.
The sense of defeat weighing down on Hans.
And the wounded pride and the passion for magic that he himself had been avoiding, deep in his heart.
‘He may always seem frivolous, but that’s just a mechanism to hide his own powerlessness. In truth, Hans is not a frivolous person.’
This wasn’t about being a master of magic.
The life on Earth, meeting countless people and the experiences I had allowed me to understand this.
It was crucial.
Level 6 is about holding one’s own world.
Meaning, one must embody their inner self.
After synthesizing all that, a flash of enlightenment came to me.
The enlightenment Hans needed was as follows:
“Hans, be honest with yourself.”
!!
I lifted the corners of my mouth.
“Your essence is that of a greedy mage. Seize everything, grab hold of anything. As long as you don’t give up, it will all be yours. Even if it’s the sun.”
That was the moment the words ended.
Silence fell over the other end of the communicator.
After a moment,
A change occurred.
The world trembled.
* * *
You can do it.
Hans chuckled wryly.
‘I’m not the young master. What can someone like me possibly…’
But then.
Because I, Van Ecclesia, will guide you.
It was strange.
Normally, what Van says sounds like bragging and exaggeration, but at times like this, his words carried an undeniable power.
Regardless of how unrealistic, you end up believing it.
And,
Your essence is that of a greedy mage. Seize everything, grab hold of anything.
It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer.
He had always suppressed himself, thinking he was a failure and it wouldn’t work out.
Despite being more greedy than anyone.
‘I won’t give up anymore.’
The realm of Level 6.
Wealth like a mountain.
And the ‘dream’ that led him to specialize in magical tools for his entire life.
He wouldn’t give up on a single one of those things.
Above all,
‘Lindon, I can’t let that idiot take the position of being the young master’s closest confidant!’
If he failed this time, he might never see the young master’s face again.
A strong greed moved him.
Whoosh!
It wasn’t just about firming up his resolve.
Level 5 is the realm where one first steps onto the path of magic.
Level 6 is where one begins to establish their own world through magic.
Hans’s world of magic was pure greed.
Unyielding to anyone.
“How dare this barrier device resist?! Disobedience will not be tolerated! Kneel before the greatness of Hans!”
The result was astonishing.
Whoooosh!!
Six stars rose.
Although not perfect, he had stepped into the realm of a Level 6 mage for the first time!
“No way, old man?! How did you?”
“Shut up, Lindon! Insolent brat! From now on, you will address me with respect as ‘Holder’!”
Whoosh!!
An explosive aura surged around.
“See?! This is the greatness of Hans, the right-hand man of Van Ecclesia! Show your respect to me! Hahahaha!!!”
A brag not unlike Van’s Black Flame Dragon.
But no one could mock Hans.
Click.
The barrier was activated.
Hans had performed a miracle.
* * *
“!!”
Rune’s face turned pale.
The fierce momentum that had been surging from Rune abruptly halted.
‘Done! The activation of the barrier has stopped the Lunar Gate!’
It was over.
But then,
“Keke, impressive, Van Ecclesia. I didn’t expect this much. Truly, you might be the one to change the fate of our Demon Realm.”
“…What nonsense are you talking about?”
I had no intention of even getting close to the Demon Realm.
Yet, he continued to spout delusions.
“Considering we do not fully understand the impact your existence could have on the Demon Realm, we intended to just watch. However, this incident has changed my mind.”
Fwwwuooooooo
With a thunderous sound, the space tore open, and an object appeared in Rune’s hand.
It was a sword.
The problem was that it wasn’t an ordinary sword.
‘Crazy, why is that appearing here?’
The Demon King’s Sword.
As the name suggests, it was a weapon used by the Demon King!
“Stop. Do you want to die?”
The Demon King’s Sword is not just any legendary sword.
It grants explosive power at the cost of the wielder’s doom.
It’s the worst kind of magic sword that only the Demon King could handle.
“You are too dangerous to be left alone. Even if it costs me my life, I must eliminate you.”
Shing!
Rune drew the sword.
Simultaneously.
“Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”
Rune screamed terribly.
His soul was being consumed by the magic sword.
“All for the glory of the Demon Realm.”
With those final words,
Rune’s eyes turned blood red.
His mind was completely overtaken by the Demon King’s Sword.
‘Damn it! What glory of the Demon Realm! They’re just a bunch of fanatics!’
Not all demons of the Demon Realm were like that.
The Demon King himself had no interest in the affairs of the world, and there were many moderate demons as well.
It was the group led by Archduke Roshran that Rune served that was the problem.
They were extremists who prioritized demon supremacy, and most of the troubles caused by the Demon Realm were their doing.
“How dare! Who dares to target our Professor Van!”
“Van, run away.”
“Angel, I will protect you!”
Former Principal Rudolph, Professor Burnstein, and Black Bird Amanda stood in front of me.
Unexpectedly, Kansir and Balas also attempted to protect me.
“Hmph, if you die now, I’ll lose the chance to trample you further, won’t I?”
“I’d like to owe you one this time. From now on, regard me as indebted to you, as your lifesaver.”
While those two were surprising, the most unexpected was the next figure.
Principal Karak stepped obliquely in front of me.
“…Principal?”
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you running away?”
Principal Karak glanced away slightly.
As if trying to hide his embarrassment.
“Don’t misunderstand. Professor Van is a direct subordinate of mine. It wouldn’t look good to just let you die, that’s all.”
I was taken aback.
I had appealed several times to be part of Principal Karak’s faction.
But he, who had always been skeptical, seemed to acknowledge me as part of his faction for the first time with that statement.
‘Of course, how much of that statement can be trusted is another question.’
It might have been a fleeting whim caught up in the moment.
Even if it was sincere, who knows when it might change.
Nonetheless, it was an uncharacteristic statement from Principal Karak.
I had one question.
‘Is it really possible for Principal Karak to change?’
I shook my head.
It would be impossible.
Anyway, this wasn’t the time to dwell deeply on the subject.
<Chance to safely escape from the self-destructing demon>
87.3%
Thanks to everyone’s combined effort, the probability was quite high.
But,
‘If I run away, what about the rest?’
<Calculating the outcome when your allies confront the self-destructing demon for you!>
All perish: 91%
One survivor: 8.7%
Two survivors: 0.3%
I swallowed hard.
As expected.
‘The Demon King’s Sword grants its owner, no matter who, the power equivalent to a high Level 8 for a brief moment.’
The only weakness of the Demon King’s Sword was its duration.
Such immense power meant that most could not withstand it for even a moment before collapsing, but he was different.
Being a high-ranking demon at his core and having absorbed the energy of the moonlight just now, he could last for a sufficient duration.
‘Damn, what do I do?’
That’s when it happened.
A voice I had never heard before sounded.
“Haha. Was it you, Van the trash, who used His Highness to have me here? I came just in case, but this situation looks really interesting.”
“!!”
An old man suddenly appeared next to me.
I widened my eyes.
White-haired but with a stature and rugged features that could rival any young warrior.
‘It’s Marquis Muller, the former Royal Knight Commander!’
A Level 8 knight.
One who had reached the realm of ‘Transcendence’.
He was the joker I had called through Prince Mikhail, just in case.
I hadn’t really expected him to come, but he appeared at the perfect moment.
But there was a problem.
Marquis Muller’s gaze towards me was not kind.
To be precise, it was filled with contempt.
‘Ah, right, Marquis Muller dislikes ‘Van’.’
Due to the disrespect ‘Van’ had shown him in the past.
‘…Saying something like “swordsmen are merely shields for mages, so don’t be so high-headed.”’
