Chapter 609 - Eleventh day

It’s the tenth day at the Academy, and I find it strange that still no Champions have entered the area to investigate the cause of death. Min-Jae theorizes that they might be preoccupied with maintaining the barrier to contain the possible killer, acting as guards to prevent other Champions from entering. The geopolitical situation is likely quite unstable.

Additionally, since the Academy does not belong to any nation, allowing Champions from one country to enter and threaten important individuals from other nations is probably not permitted. Or it could be that they are afraid of whatever killed that selari Champion, as Maya and I theorize.

Another reason could be that this floor’s setting, unlike previous floors that encompassed entire worlds, is limited to a specific region: the Academy, one or two nearby cities, and a few villages.

Despite all of this, the studying continues. When these students have children of their own, they will undoubtedly be able to say, “You do not want to learn because a little snow prevents you from attending school? When I was young, we studied even as the Champion died, and there was a threat of world war!”

Or something of that nature. A true trump card.

Of course, the search continues along with Academy wide scans. Every so often, someone is stopped by polite men in uniforms for a few questions and occasionally called in for further questioning. I am also certain that some rooms are being searched.

If they search mine, I just hope they do not find the thermonuclear warhead hidden under a blanket with a few pieces of clothing tossed on top.

However, the day is pleasant, and my mood is greatly improved by the puppy Biscuit, whom I am carrying in my arms. He is still sleeping, still as cute and fuzzy as ever. Occasionally, he growls in his sleep, although it might simply be his stomach. As Tess has said, he wakes for only about one hour per day before succumbing to a terrible food coma again. Apparently, eating the special experimental Baby Progenitor Mimic created by the Progenitor Mimic causes the same kind of trouble that eating the creepy, weakened deer Champion did.

Part of me wonders if his giga form was caused by eating that mimic, and if so, what exactly did he get from it and from the deer? Tess knows but refuses to tell us. With her all-knowing smile, she just tells us to wait, likely so she can enjoy our surprise.

What an asshole.

I would totally do exactly the same.

With Biscuit, I reach the building where I have a lesson with Ari and Kays. Both of them are already waiting there, along with the redheaded guard, Melo.

“You are late,” Kays complains immediately.

“I was stopped and questioned by the detectives,” I reply.

“What? Really? They suspect you?”

“No, I lied, I just almost forgot we had a lesson.”

“What the fuck!” Kays shouts in his usual manner.

“So, what is it today? After the last time, I realized I don’t have to study for the lesson with you two, and now I only know it has something to do with a sensory deprivation tank.”

“Melo, please tell me you hear this shit as well.”

“I do, Sir Kays.”

“Should we report him?”

“If you do, I will make you fail your grade or perhaps claim I saw you sneaking around the palace where the Champion died before he did, or something,” I say, pulling Biscuit away from Ari, who reaches toward him with three of her six arms.

“I want to pet it!” she complains.

“And I want to triple my mana. So what?” I say, taking another step back and heading inside the huge building. It is shaped like a large black cube. There are no windows, and the walls appear to be composed of hundreds of thousands of tiny hexagonal pieces.

The three of them follow behind me, and as we enter, the door closes behind us. At that moment, it is as if the world outside does not exist. The ambient mana, the arrays placed over the Academy, the mana seeping from people or inscriptions, all the sounds and smells: everything is gone.

The man behind the pult glances at Biscuit before looking at me. Even as I hand him the document confirming our reservation, he continues to glance at Biscuit rather than at the paper.

Once everything is confirmed, he shows us the way, and I head to the room marked with the number 3. Unwilling to let go of the corgi or disrupt his sleep, I create arms made of mana and use them to open the door and enter.

With all of us inside and alone, I look around before moving toward the control panel in the middle of the room. The room itself has no furniture, just thousands of hexagonal patterns on the walls, all in matte black.

I do not even ask what we should be doing, as I am too curious. I quickly find a multi-setting control on the panel and activate the first option. With that, the world blacks out. My sight, smell, sense of taste, and even hearing all disappear at once after I allow the effect to take hold.

Through kinetic sense, I notice surprised twitches and movements from Ari and Kays, who look around with what feels like panic. Melo just continues to stand there, but I am sure he is examining the area as his body remains turned toward me, even as I take steps around the room.

It is extremely strange to walk around without even feeling my feet touching the floor or the vibrations running through my body. Without my kinetic senses, I wouldn't even know that I'm actually moving.

Lastly, I observe Ari, for whom this should be the first time in a sensory deprivation tank. Her reaction is the same as Kays’s: initial confusion, followed by her senses probing the area. I cannot discern anything remarkable. There is no instantaneous display of extraordinary perception. However, one thing greatly bothers me: her actions closely resemble those of Kays, as if she is limiting herself to his level or merely imitating him after some initial observation.

I take a few steps and stop in front of Kays, under the watchful eyes of his guard. It takes Kays a few seconds to sense me before he steps back. I reach out my hand toward him and tap the top of his head. He does not sense anything, but this time he reacts faster and moves his hand toward mine, but too late.

Then I do the same with Ari, who detects me more quickly and even attempts to avoid me, but in the end, I still tap the top of her head.

Taking a few more steps, I move and stop beside Melo, whose head continues to follow me. From that distance, I create two fist sized mana orbs of not too high density and turn to him, in what I assume is a questioning manner.

Even though he cannot see or hear me, and I cannot feel his mana, he understands, and I sense him nodding.

Then I shoot an orb at Ari and Kays, striking their legs with a force as if I threw a tennis ball. Of course, they cannot sense the pain, and I did not use much force, but I am certain that the more I strike them now, the more it will hurt when their senses return.

I mean, I would prefer something like an arrow to heighten their sense of danger and for a quicker improvement. Maybe I can bring the twins here later, or some others. I quite like this room and will likely need to examine it further so I can construct something similar in the future.

After my orbs strike them a few more times, Kays and Ari seem to understand and do their best to dodge.

Each time it seems they have adapted, I make the orb more difficult to detect and continue my barrage. When they try to cheat by detecting my position, I create fake mana signatures of myself around the room. Something I have learned from the twins, though I'm not at their level, but they are good enough to trick someone less perceptive.

At the same time, I train as well. I keep switching between sensing heat, kinetic energy, or mana, exploring their differences and advantages. I also keep trying to pierce the shielding of the room to sense signatures outside, but it feels near impossible, and I don't get close at all.

I also tweak my Mana Cycling and attempt to use other skills. Without the ability to feel pain or my body at all, it is somewhat worrisome. I could have made a mistake while Mana Cycling, and my body might be suffering damage from mana spiraling out of control, which I cannot detect due to the absence of pain and other senses.

After a while, I become bored and touch the control panel again, causing all senses to return immediately.

Ari and Kays groan in pain, holding the areas where I struck them multiple times when they were not improving quickly enough. There is some talk of abuse, a few threats, and even the rare card called “I will tell my dad!” is mentioned.

So, to make them happy, the next round focuses on them trying to detect and attack me. I am about to make an offer, a reward if they manage to hit me at least once, but they do not hear it, too excited to already try to harm me.

What vile creatures..

In the end, neither of them can hit me, and neither notices the smaller orb I use to continuously strike their backs at the same spot. After we end this prompts another round of complaints about rule breaking, despite there being none, and allegations of student abuse.

They call this abuse?

With that, the lesson ends, and I head to meet the others, accompanied by the best doggo of the Academy.

***

On the eleventh day, we decide that none of us will go on the trip offered by the Academy. While it has its advantages, it also comes with responsibilities. Despite everything happening, some students choose to go, but we decide to stay here, just in case.

If the opportunity arises, I will go next time. There are two options: travel by magic train or magic airship, both of which are certainly intriguing. Perhaps I am simply missing the Deathtrap. That old, rusty thing was cool as well, wasn't it?

Lost in thought while walking through the hallway, I blink and suddenly find myself in a different place. I have not used teleportation, nor have I sensed anyone moving me, but out of nowhere, I find myself standing in the same room we appeared in at the start of the floor.

Every member of Group 4 is here as well, looking around in confusion.

“What just happened? I was guarding that little shit,” Maya asks first.

The others quickly exchange sentences while I stay quiet and begin scanning the area around us and the room for mana, arrays, and inscriptions. I activate my eyes and search for traces of forced teleport. I activate the Mana Wavelength Tyrant passive and so forth.

I even use black mana to boost my processing speed, but I find nothing. There is no sign I can pick up on, which leaves only two possibilities: either someone extremely powerful did this and moved us here, or the system itself did.

But what purpose could moving us here serve? Just for shits and giggles?

I glance around the room and at the items there. Then I check my status. Both leave me even more confused.

Leaving the others behind to talk, I allow Sophie to add me to her web and head outside despite their protests.

The room I exit leads to the same beautiful garden as before: fruit trees, flowers, fountains. Scattered around are small groups of students, each wearing the same attire as those in Group 4. They act as if they were unaffected by what just happened to us.

Everything appears normal. There is no threat I could sense, no wide-range scan going on.

Then a voice calls from behind me, “Assistant Professor Gwyn, may I ask where you have been this entire time?”

I turn around and look at Professor Elian.

“Why do you look so confused? This is your first day, and yet you are already late and slacking off somewhere in the gardens,” he says.

He continues with a stream of intriguing, and at times subtly insulting, remarks, spoken just loud enough not to carry far and only after making sure no one is watching or listening. A weak barrier even flickers around us.

As a group of students passes by, he lowers his voice further and greets them with a brilliant smile. A few girls in the group blush and start giggling, while one of the boys bows slightly, clearly admiring him.

That smile remains only until they have passed, and then he turns to me: “Do you not know how to speak?”

I answer, “I do. I apologize; I simply got lost.”

He shakes his head. “I will see you later. I hope you manage to be more punctual than you seem to be now.”

With that, he leaves.

Not bothering to examine further, I head back to the room. After inspecting our belongings again, I realize that all our items are here, just as they were when the floor began. Even both thermonuclear warheads.

Lastly, I open my status screen, confirming that my newest skill is gone and the token is back there.

Otherwise, my stats are exactly as they were when the floor started.

***

Next Chapter