Chapter 97: Locralen (4)

An hour ago, amid a dark dawn.

The academic building grew very quiet thanks to Rose Rios [Silence]. Amid it, Epherene glanced at Allen, who accompanied her on the second floors conference room.

Assistant Professor. Are you sleeping?

Allen, covered in a blanket, repeated a faint breathing sound.

Fortunately, it was irregular, which evidenced that they hadnt fallen victim to the monster yet.

Epherene picked up the thick backpack and cautiously stuffed it with food.

Right now, her thoughts about her future self dominated over her fear of an attack.

She knew Adult Epherene would be hungry like her.

Oh.

She put on high heels, which she thought would make the Kaidezite confuse her for her older version. Only then did she finally sneak out.

However

!

In the middle of the hallway, she made eye contact with Professor Relin, who claimed to be a vigilante to show off in front of Deculein.

This This This

His presence startled her, but she inevitably noticed he repeated a certain word endlessly with a shocked expression.

This.

Epherene looked up at him and placed a hand on her chest.

Professor Relin.

She suffered a lot from him and talked behind his back a lot, but when she saw him in such a pitiful state, she felt bad for him.

After a brief bow, she descended the stairs, finding the employee at the information desk on the first floor resting his head on his desk.

I guess hes sleeping.

Utilizing that opportunity, she went straight down to the [Underground Archives].

Epherene. Epherene!

As soon as she reached the basement, she whispered her own name repeatedly, finding the act a little bit funny.

Epherene! Where are you, Epherene!

When her older version didnt show up, she hid behind a bookshelf first to recollect her thoughts.

At that time

No way!

!

Startled, she turned around, finding the societys president, Locralen, running away with desperation in his expression.

Whats wrong with him?

Epherene took out her lunch box instinctively.

As she ate a bite, the words of her future self repeated in her mind.

She told me not to hate him.

That was weird.

Gindalf, her older version What was wrong with her?

Epherene!

Surprised by the voice coming from above, she looked up, finding Adult Epherene looking down at her from atop the tall bookshelf.

Y-You scared me!

Huhu. Thanks to you, I could do it.

Do what?

I caught the host.

Really?!

Her eyes, nostrils, and mouth widened as her future self smiled at her and landed gently next to her.

Of course. I couldnt have done it without you, though.

Because of me? How so?

Your shoes! Were essentially the same person, so when you became as tall as I was and wore a robe to conceal how you did it, the Kaidezite naturally became confused. While it was focused on you, I went out and caught it.

Oh. I see! Haha. In fact, thats what I had in mind too.

She proudly showed off her heels, causing her older self to chuckle.

Right. Its as expected of me! Were smart.

It was a nice compliment to hear. Shrugging, Epherene took her backpack off her shoulders.

Wait. I brought you something.

Unzipping it, she held out another lunch box.

Adult Epherenes eyes widened.

Oh~!

Unfortunately, I couldnt find any Roahawk.

Roahawk I almost forgot. She licked her lips.

Grinning, the younger of the two asked, Are there Roahawks in the future too?

Of course. Its actually become famous for its taste. Personally, I always found it more delicious whenever I ate with the Professor.

Epherenes expression hardened.

With Professor Deculein?

Yeah. Its going to take a very long time to make him eat together with us since he pathologically hates unclean food.

Thats true.

She couldnt bring herself to imagine Deculein holding a Roahawk in his hands.

She shook her head, preventing her from getting more distracted. She had more important matters to discuss with her.

But arent the Professor and you No, me us enemies? Can you at least give me a hint about what happened? She asked cautiously.

Adult Epherene wallowed in silence for a moment, her expression seemingly trying to choose the right words carefully and firmly.

Then, she laughed bitterly.

Yeah. Youre right. Hes an enemy.

I am?

But he doesnt exist in my world anymore. So dont hate him too much. I honestly would appreciate it if you could make him stay in your world for as long as possible.

!

Her words stabbed her in the back like an awl and made her feel dizzy.

Adult Epherene supported her before she could fall.

I cant provide you with more detailed explanations. Youre already dizzy, right?

Uh-huh I feel sleepy for some reason

Then you should sleep. Thank you for this lunch box.

Ah sure Epherene rubbed her hazy eyes.

Sleep well. When you wake up, itll all be over.

Okay Wait Whats going to be over?

Adult Epherene only laughed bitterly.

No answer came even after she fell into a comfortable slumber.

*****

[In 953, according to those who witnessed the meteorites fall, they saw two flashes of light struck the ground The area was then named after its scientific name, Locralen.]

[The Isle of Wizards Wealth purchased the rights to Locralen for 1 billion Elnes, which sparked a debate in the academy. That land wasnt in the sky but on the ground, and if an accident occurs during the study on the Floating Island In particular, the imperial media, The Journal, criticized it as the dark desire of the magical world.]

[Its societys president, Jessen, later changed his name to Locralen.]

Deculain spent all day conducting investigations. The wizards, including Rose Rio and Kreto, had already gone to bed, but he found no need to sleep or rest.

With tension and concentration stacking on top of his [Iron Man] trait, he dedicated himself to digging into the entirety of Locralen.

Hey.

He looked at the addict, who was quietly standing in the corner of the discussion room on the third floor.

He pointed to himself. Me?

Yes. You. I heard there were 500 addicts in Locralen.

Thats right.

Where are they all?

On conference days, everyone stays inside.

Everyone?

Of course. We are Locralen addicts. Regardless of where were working, be it at a hotel, canteen, or as an employee, we all come here during conference days.

Deculein nodded silently.

Then, there will be no one outside this academy building right now.

Except for Drent, who passed out in the hotel.

Most likely.

The addicts reply caused a certain thought to flash through Deculeins mind, like a spark that lasted only for a fleeting moment.

It wasnt conclusive, but enough to serve as a hint

Professor Deculein!

The door swung open, and an addict came in.

The president was also attacked!

Though his voice was filled with urgency and fear, Deculeins composure remained unfazed.

He straightened his collar, sleeves, and tie, then got up.

Lets go.

O-okay.

There was no need to walk long.

He found Locralen stunned on the stairs of the third floor.

Ugh, Professor Deculain! You How did you know?

Deculain watched the society president call out to him.

You How did you know? Ugh, Professor Deculain! You How did you know? Ugh, Professor Deculain! You How did you know?

Locralens cycle was pretty bizarre.

Since when has he been like this?

We found him this morning.

Deculein! This is trouble! K-Kreto was attacked too! Rose Rio yelled, approaching him from behind.

He gave her a quick glance, then refocused his attention on Locralen.

This is strange.

He felt as if he was missing something.

The stun was clearly contagious. However, if it were truly all around him by now.

Was it because it didnt mean death?

But if that state was eternal, what difference would it be from death?

Deculein watched Locralen scream and run for a few moments.

Ugh, Professor Deculain!

Not long after, he noticed a necklace around his collarbone.

However, the chain was the only thing left of it.

Someone probably took the pendant itself.

At that moment, a system announcement flashed in front of Deculeins retina, stating [Quest Complete].

His eyes widened in amazement. The article he just read today also coursed through his mind like static electricity.

[ According to those who witnessed the meteorites fall, they saw two flashes of light struck the ground]

Two flashes of light.

it wasnt just one meteorite that hit Locralen, Rose Rio. And there isnt only one Kaidezite either.

What? What are you talking about?

Follow me.

Even at that moment of realization, Deculein remained extremely calm. He just descended to the first floor without saying anything. Like the high-ranking wizard that she was, Rose Rio quickly regained her composure and followed him.

We must leave! We cant blindly trust Professor Deculein forever! We should trust in our own intelligence-

Prepare magic!

Destruction magic

We must leave! We cant trust only Professor Deculein forever! We should put more faith trust in our own intelligence

Prepare magic!

Destruction magic

The exit on the first floor was a mess. Dozens of wizards, locked in perpetual repetition, ceaselessly chanted magic incantations.

Well be like them soon. Rose Rio murmured cynically.

Professor! Allen came down, panting from the second-floor stairs. This is trouble! Epherene is gone!

What? Isnt Epherene your disciple, Deculein? Rose Rio glanced at him, but he didnt even show the slightest concern or interest. Instead, he just went straight to the [Underground Archives].

Professor! Im going with you ouch!

Allen tripped mid-run, but he still showed neither sympathy nor empathy. However, Rose Rio, a few steps behind, called out to him.

Deculein! Look behind you!

Only then did he turn around.

Professor! Im going with you ouch!

Allen reached out to him but, failing to grab onto him, fell to the floor instead.

Professor!

Allen then went back in time.

Im going with you, ouch!

Allen, too, was now stuck in an eternal cycle. Nevertheless, Deculein remained undaunted.

Rather, he spoke as if it was only natural that it happened.

So?

What? You

Just follow me.

Deculein went down the stairs without hesitation, but he didnt stop at the [Underground Archives]. Instead, he made his way through the middle of the hallway.

Your disciples over there! She pointed to the side of the bookshelf, where Epherene seemed to have been stunned while in her sleep.

Right.

W-whats with your reaction? Youre so cold-blooded

His composure amid a sea of trouble shocked her. There wasnt even a hint of doubt within his every move.

Is it here?

Soon enough, they reached the stairs leading to the lower basement.

Deculein glanced at her.

Rose Rio.

No, dont call me by my name alone from now on. Add etheric before it. Repeat after me. Etheric Wizard Rose Rio.

Now that she had seen his true colors, she intended to cut ties with him from now on. Much to her surprise, though, he bluntly did as she instructed.

Etheric Wizard Rose Rio.

You really did it

Stand over there.

Rose Rio frowned.

Why?

Theres a Kaidezite behind you.

What? Then

You should just be stunned.

Y-you crazy bastard

Rose Rio gathered mana into her hand, but that was where her resistance ended.

Y-you crazy bastard Y-you crazy bastard Y-you crazy bastard

After confirming she was now affected by the monsters power as well, he went down the stairs.

Thump

Thump

Feeling like he could be a bit at ease now, Deculein dusted his entire physique off, including the buttons on his sleeves, collar, and tie, as he descended an endless spiral staircase.

Shell most likely be waiting for me down there.

Clack

The ground his shoes stepped on was now as hard as stones, unlike the stairs he scaled.

Having reached Locralens last basement, Deculein looked at the other end of it, where a huge gate was blocked by a time gap, just as Adult Epherene said, but it was already open.

Remaining undaunted, he walked in with his upright posture.

You.

Among the damp underground filled with cold gusts, he found the two meteorite fragments that hit the continents surface in the past and the monster of time they brought with them.

More importantly, he found the future Archmage standing firm in the middle of it all.

So this is where you were.

Indeed. Nice to meet you, Professor, Epherene Luna replied.

*****

[Quest Complete: The Archmages Request]

One Advanced Attribute Catalog

Locralen was the host we were looking for. His name itself hinted he was connected to the meteorite, after all.

The problem was that there wasnt only one monster.

There were two Kaidezites, I said, facing Epherene.

Yes. One went to Locralen, and the other came to me. His was a runaway, which made me struggle a bit, but in the end, it was thanks to him that I succeeded.

Shrugging, Epherene smiled.

You dont know how many times I went back and forth between the future and the past, all for the sake of finding the most decisive moment to strike.

I thought I knew what Locralen abolition meant now.

And what this brazen woman was trying to do.

Thump

When I took a step towards her, she stiffened and shook her head.

Dont come any closer.

I ignored her words, but after a while, a transparent curtain blocked my way.

Carbon Shield. Its magic invented by you and honed by me. No ones capable of penetrating through it.

She divided the space by freely handling [Carbon] magic.

Stopping as close as I could be to her, I then stared right into her eyes.

What do you plan to do now?

Since Ive captured Kaidezite and Locralen, I will release them. Those bastards will spread all over this place, consuming their life force, that is, time. It is the most peaceful solution available.

Is that why you paralyzed everyone?

Epherene smiled bitterly.

Yes. Thats right.

The reason [The Villains was that the eternal cycle she caused was seen as salvation, not death.

So this is the plan youve come up with to dispose of Locralen.

Due to its nature, the past and the future always coexisted in this space, making it impossible to get all personnel outside.

I, Archmage Epherene, was in charge of that.

This place wasnt meant to be entered by humans, much less hold conferences.

In that sense, this catastrophe was caused by nothing but the magical worlds greed and desires.

However, if you release them, time will overflow throughout Locralen, right?

Kaidezite was a monster that devoured time.

One could easily predict the result of letting it go.

If what was intertwined were to be unraveled like a compressed skein being untwined, it would expand, allowing it to spread all over the place.

The same could be applied to time.

Thats right. Locralens space will be filled with time.

This process could take hundreds of years.

Epherene shook her head. After careful calculations, I concluded it would take 385 years, but that much time will only pass in this realm. In the outside world, only ten seconds would pass.

Do you mean youre going to bear that time alone?

Yes.

Her answer was immediate.

Dont worry. No matter how many eons pass in here, Id never age. The Kaidezite is a monster made up of only time, after all.

If the Kaidezite were to escape from Locralen, the world would be destroyed, turning the entire continent into victims of its malevolence.

However, if she unraveled it here, the time in this space alone would stretch to hundreds of years.

That would limit the victims to only those within Locralen.

Not wanting to sacrifice anyone, Epherene created her own solution.

Only those who have been stunned in the past can escape those centuries.

She nodded weakly.

Yes. If I can endure the 385 years, theyll all be safe. For them, it would only feel like a fleeting moment. They wont even realize theyve been stunned.

They wouldnt even realize it.

That was the key.

She chose to put everyone in Locralen under such an effect except herself. In doing so, they wouldnt even be aware of the 385 years theyd be going through.

For that to happen, everyone had to be in this conference hall. Stun is a skill that takes a lot of time and energy, so it needs to be located close to Kaidezites meteorite. I intentionally used you since I know you well~

She winked, which wasnt really like her.

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

What about Drent?

Huhu. Ive already taken care of him. Hes a very mentally weak man.

With a nod, I gathered mana in my hand and used it to scratch her Carbon Shield.

Epherene just laughed.

I already told you it wont work. Magic invented by you and developed by me

Sway

Her eyes widened upon witnessing it tremble.

Youre too cheeky. I invented it, Epherene. That makes [Understanding] it a lot easier and faster.

Whooong!

I was filled with confidence until Epherene poured out even more mana, causing it to become ten times stronger than before.

My rank is Eternal, Professor.

There was no way out of this.

Dont take the weight of hundreds of years lightly. You alone will spend much longer than a human lifetime, in a place where there is no one to accompany you.

Epherene didnt answer.

Not even you would be able to prevent your mental power from collapsing. Your psyche will crumble and be swept away like sandcastle amid a tornado.

I know.

Epherene inflated her cheeks.

But who could survive that long easily?

Hes right in front of you.

I looked at her. Epherenes playful expression gradually turned blank.

What

Ill do it for you, Epherene.

Her lips quivered.

385 years.

I didnt know what would happen to me during those long years.

But I wasnt afraid at all. That enormous amount of time wouldnt even be able to scratch my far more colossal ego.

Therefore, I was more suitable for this task than her. All I had to do was train [Psychokinesis] by myself.

I need time to think and grow anyway.

Youll think for 300 years?

As I nodded, a small smile appeared on her lips.

Huh I cant believe this happened to me.

A small drop of tear formed on the corner of her eye. Wiping it with the sleeve of her robe, the tip of her red nose then rose with a sniff.

I smirked.

Are you really crying just because of such a simple task?

No. This is far more than just a simple task to me.

Epherene dismantled the shield.

That made me understand what she wanted to say.

Lets take turns.

Yes, Professor.

I was going to say something to her, but my mouth didnt move.

Thank you.

I

But its fine.

I shouldnt have allowed her to get anywhere near me.

Goodbye, Professor.