Chapter 8 – "Is the professor feeling better now?"

"Of course. I'm all better. I've been out of the hospital for a few days."

While talking with the girls, Charles thought of Webbs.

The Webbs family was as large as the Heksen family. Richard Webbs, the younger brother, was the owner of the massive Webbs trading company, and Luke Webbs, the older brother, was...

'So, that's it. Rika Webbs is the daughter of the lawyer Luke Webbs.'

Charles finally remembered Rika's name. It was easy to remember the main characters, but it was difficult to remember the families of the main characters. Rika had been showing Charles some favor.

It felt like she was a die-hard fan meeting an idol, and Charles planned to use this opportunity to get closer to Rika Webbs.

Members of the Webbs family had a high probability of obtaining spirituality. The mystical traits passed down through bloodlines didn't easily disappear.

'Rika Webbs... Hmm. I think I saw something about her in the guidebook.'

There were various types of people in the world, just as there were various types of players. Charles had seen other people's strategies while playing the game, and he remembered them.

'Right. After going through a trial, Rika Webbs almost always awakens as a spiritualist.'

The trials could vary widely. They could involve a significant mental shock or getting involved in the secret world and seeing things she shouldn't.

Seeing such talented people made him want to recruit them.

If he got closer to her and had some luck, he might be able to bring her into the cult.

Just then, a few boys appeared among the girls Charles was talking to. They looked like they had just become college students, with young faces. One boy stood in front of them, taller than the others.

He was over 190 cm tall and built like a muscle mass. He looked like a rugby player, with a slightly young face but a generally masculine appearance.

"Hey, who's this guy? A senior?"

At his words, Rika Webbs frowned, as did the other girls. Sometimes, just when you're having a good time, someone has to ruin it.

"Peter, don't talk to the professor like that."

"Huh? Professor?"

Even though he knew the truth, he spoke rudely and arrogantly. Charles could tell why Peter was acting this way just by looking at him. He liked Rika Webbs.

And Rika, who showed favor to Charles, was probably extremely wary of him. Charles looked young enough that he didn't seem much older than them.

Charles smiled, and Paginarecor spoke up.

- Master, shall I kill him?

- What?

- No, I'll kill the guy, Master!

It was a bit absurd. The guy who never called him "Master" was now going crazy.

- Grrrr. How dare he start trouble? Tear him limb from limb and throw his body to the dogs!

- Calm down. He's just a kid.

Paginarecor's tone, reminiscent of a soda pass, was so intense that it seemed he would foam at the mouth and roll his eyes if left unchecked. Indeed, this guy, though he looked pretty, was undoubtedly the self of a magic book.

But if Charles did something crazy, he would end up being caught as a mad killer, so he stood up from his chair and spoke calmly.

"What's your major?"

"What's it to you?"

Peter approached Charles in a threatening manner. Charles smiled as Peter looked down at him condescendingly.

"I'm worried that a rude person like you might be rude to your professor. It would be best to warn you in advance, as the professor might be shocked by your disrespectful behavior."

"..."

Peter's expression turned slightly sour. Charles' words had an unusually strong force. His threatening stance seemed to be of no help in resolving the situation, especially given Charles' calm demeanor.

He realized what he was doing. He was threatening the professor. Even though it wasn't his professor, this wasn't a wise move.

Peter took two steps back and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Acting on impulse is something to do before you become an adult. I advise you to act rationally from now on."

"I'm sorry. I apologize for my rudeness."

Charles nodded, and Peter left with his group. The female students, including Rika, looked at Charles with even more admiration.

Paginarecor whined.

- Why didn't you kill him?

- Stop killing people. This is a sacred university.

- But the previous masters all killed those who started trouble, right?

- I'm not a psychopath like them.

- Hmph.

- You need to act maturely.

- Hmph.

"See you in the next class."

"Okay!"

The conversation with the female students ended as lunchtime was over, so Charles said goodbye. He decided to leave the university to handle his afternoon schedule. As he walked, Charles stopped.

His eyes scanned the road next to the park. The university was quiet after lunchtime. On that quiet street, there was 'something.'

It was sitting on a newly installed streetlight. Though its form was unclear, it felt like an eye floating in the air. It was watching the surroundings.

Charles continued walking without any reaction. As he passed, the eye followed him, watching him continuously. It didn't attack but only observed.

Once the eye was out of sight, Charles relaxed.

- Did you see that?

- Yeah, it looks like a familiar.

- It seems one of the mages in the university is causing trouble.

A familiar is a servant of a mage. Such creatures usually come from the lower planes. To act so boldly during the day, it must be quite daring.

'This is different from the game.'

In the game, nothing usually happens for a few days after the start. On the day the game begins, the leaders of the other cults, except for the Unknown Cult, receive 'seeds.'

The effects of the seeds Charles has are similar. When injected, the recipient's abilities are amplified, and they receive powerful abilities from their deity that they couldn't see before.

After receiving the seed, the recipient falls into a coma and, upon waking, may have a changed personality or become a monster. It's a dangerous ritual that only powerful spiritualists like the leaders of the cults can attempt.

Most of the cult leaders are probably still in a coma after ingesting their seeds. According to the original timeline, no one should be acting yet.

The events might be unfolding faster than Charles predicted. He realized he couldn't fully trust what he believed.

'The puppeteer, the sudden appearance of a watcher-type familiar in the university, and the strange events happening simultaneously.'

Charles decided not to blindly trust his knowledge but also not to ignore it, as most of the major events matched.

He left the familiar behind and moved on.

'I need to go to the Oracle Auction House.'

Charles is a mage. Mages are also known as preparers. They enhance themselves, create barriers, and gather materials for spells using various magical tools and strange items.

However, all the materials he had before the prologue were used for trading, so now was the time to fill his empty storage.

Bonnie was waiting at the gate. As Charles got into the carriage, he said,

"Let's go to Lintz Street."

"You mean the eastern part. Understood."

Bonnie, a skilled carriage driver who knew the city well, bowed and drove the carriage.

* * *

In a certain sense, Charles' actions had an impact. It started with Peter and his group. Peter frowned and went to the backyard with his friends to smoke marijuana.

At the prestigious Mistweaver University, getting caught with illegal substances means suspension, but if you don't get caught, it's fine.

"Damn, who's that guy?"

"I saw him briefly at the beginning of the semester. He's some kind of archaeology professor, and he's rich, I heard."

"Just say he was attacked by a dog."

"Thinking about it makes me angry. I want to beat him up when he's alone, but I saw him riding in a fancy carriage."

Peter inhaled the smoke from his cigarette. As the marijuana took effect, his body felt relaxed, but his mind was clear.

I looked into this Charles Heksen guy. The Heksen name is quite famous, but there's no opportunity right now.

But if I get a chance, I'll beat him up. Just then, someone entered the alley. It was one of the other groups he was watching.

The guy was dragging another guy by the neck. Peter opened his eyes and smiled evilly.

"What? Isn't that our nerd, Dawley? Wayne, where did you catch him?"

"I was watching, and he passed by here."

"Wait, let me go. I was just passing by."

The big guy, Wayne, smiled and looked at Peter and his group. Peter looked pleased.

"Good, I was feeling stressed."

A moment later, Dawley, battered and bruised, searched for his glasses. His lips were bleeding, and his wallet was stolen.

"Good one."

"Remember, if you mess with us, your dad working at our company will be the end of you."

Peter laughed cruelly, and his group snickered as they passed Dawley. Dawley, trembling, picked up his broken glasses and stood up.

'Bastards. Peter, Glen, Wayne...!'

In high school, Peter and his group were the main bullies. Dawley was thrilled to be accepted into the prestigious Mistweaver University. He believed he would go to a different university from Peter.

But he was shocked to learn that Peter and his group were also attending Mistweaver.

Unfortunately, Peter's group came from wealthy families, and they used their money to get into the university.

'I can't forgive them. I want to get revenge.'

Dawley was filled with anger but swallowed his frustration. Not yet. In a few days, he would have the perfect opportunity.

Then he thought about the man who had given him a book, claiming it could change his fate. Dawley took the book out of his bag. It had a suspicious purple cover.

Peter's group had no interest in the book, so it was left in his bag. He blew his nose to stop the bleeding and, without going to the hospital, headed to the dormitory next to the administration building.

As soon as he got to the dorm, Dawley opened the book. At first, he thought it was a strange, low-quality novel, but it turned out to be a systematic and bizarre occult book. It took him a while to study it.

Dawley recalled the terrifying spells in the book. Though they seemed absurd, he believed they were possible due to the strange aura he felt from the book.

'The materials are hard to get, but it seems worth trying.'

Dawley held the book tightly.