After returning to the academy, we were contacted by the government, a simple reward for the things that happened in the Phantom’s Land.
That was in the range of expectations. After confirming that their findings matched with what we had described, things would operate smoothly.
At that time, I had already instructed Irina to leave many fire marks on the ground to show that she was the one who clashed with the demon. Though there were some Awakened with wide abilities regarding time and investigations that could reconstruct the scene normally, Belthazor’s unique space manipulation made it impossible.
Most of the time, when one defeats any type of Awakened or monster with specific qualities, the defeated Awakened would leave a small phenomenon regarding their abilities.
For instance, if I were to kill Irina, she would most likely explode. For Belthazor, he created a small space ripple around the place, disturbing the magical spells and traits.
That was the reason why the investigation team sent by the government was most likely unable to reconstruct.
In any case, after we got the reward, which for me was quite a lot of Valer, a hefty sum of fifty thousand, we returned to the academy.
‘The academy had declared a three-day vacation.’
Since the events of the Phantom’s Land also shook quite a lot of students as well as the personnel instructors, the academy decided to give students some time.
It made sense since I also felt quite disturbed after waking up.
‘It all makes sense if we all lived a different life, yet it is also impossible to confirm.’
There were many pieces of information in my head, yet all of them were blurry and non-continuous. Thus, at the end of the day, I could only leave those thoughts to myself.
‘Maybe after learning more about [Mind Magic] or, in other words, [Psychic] magic, then I can look for a spell to recover whatever happened there.’
Then, without any further thought, the place I needed to head was confirmed.
CREAK!
As I entered the library, the familiar scent of old books and some parchment surrounded me. The vast shelves filled with tomes and some hidden ‘grimoires’ were a testament to the accumulated knowledge within these hallowed walls.
‘Hmm….There are still some students here…’
The atmosphere was tranquil, with only a few diligent students scattered around, engrossed in their studies.
I generally didn’t visit the library in the morning hours since it was pretty crowded, and I was more focused on my physical training and improvements. ᴛʜs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛʀ s ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛ ʙʏ ovel(ꜰ)re.nt
Though I could do the same today as well, I decided not to do so and take a break for my body to recover. It was my guess, but after the battle with Belthazor and absorbing some of its stats with [Vengeful Bane], I needed to give my body some time to adapt.
I made my way to the section dedicated to magic books, my eyes scanning the spines for anything related to mind magic. The titles ranged from the basics of telepathy to advanced topics on psychic manipulation. Finally, I spotted a rather modernly covered book titled <How to Unveil the Mysteries of the Mind: A Comprehensive Guide to Mind Magic.>
The cover gleamed with a sleek design, a departure from the ancient aesthetic of many other volumes in the library.
As I opened the book, I noticed the clean layout and organized structure. The author, a recently promoted Mage Scholar from the prestigious Valerian Magic University, had divided the content into chapters, making it accessible for beginners like me.
‘A recently promoted Mage Scholar.’
On the way to return, I searched for some articles regarding the Disciple of Psychic Magic to see how developed it was or what it was used for.
And, just as I had initially assumed, most humans didn’t possess skills or traits regarding psychic attributes. This was somehow explained in the [Awakened Distribution Theory], but it was still a theory and not a law that was confirmed.
However, those who rarely possessed Psychic attributed [Traits] were mostly deemed dangerous by the government since they tended to perform villainous acts.
As you know, trait development is directly related to the users understanding of the concept and how much they use their own traits to develop it.
To improve such traits, one generally needs to use them. For instance, if one possessed a unique trait named [Puppeteer], which is a type of Psychic Attribute, they needed to control other humans and beings to improve such traits, and this tended to be viewed as an evil act.
Therefore, it was very hard to find information on such traits. Of course, there are also many magical spells that are developed in the field of magic that anyone can use. However, these spells are also strictly regulated and very hard to master and use.
For instance, the spell Irina had used to enter my dream, 「Phantasmal Transfer」, a type of Psychic attribute spell. Though it is more of a low-level and simple magic, it is still quite effective.
Entering a person’s dream and consciousness to explore their memories of the past or an important event could be utilized by many government officials to interrogate.
As those thoughts passed through my head, I started reading the book.
The first chapter was named Chapter 0, and it delved into the fundamental concepts of mind magic as well as psychology, introducing terminology and explaining the basics of how a mind works. Though it was very good for a person to achieve general knowledge before reading about the spells and magic part, I was already knowledgeable in such terms.
After all, all that education from Earth was still inside my head, as well as my own experiences.
There were some discrepancies in the development of psychology of this world compared to Earth, but I still decided to read the author’s marks.
The author’s commentary on general psychology was enlightening, offering a fresh perspective on familiar concepts. Their writing style was engaging, weaving together theory and practical application in a seamless narrative.
‘Interesting. He is quite talented at analogies.’
As I read through the pages, I found myself nodding in agreement with the author’s observations.
They touched upon topics such as cognitive processes, memory formation, and the subconscious mind, providing a holistic understanding of the human psyche.
‘Manipulating Cognitive Process, huh? An interesting idea.’
There were also some small hints at the author’s thoughts and how the future of the book would be designed.
‘This guy possesses a trait related to Psychic attributes.’
The author’s own experiences and insights added depth to the discussion, bridging the gap between theory and practice that couldn’t be normally understood.
I could easily confirm it since with [Perceptive Insight], my speed of understanding the essence of any concept was a lot faster, and somehow, I could even grasp the the feeling of its intervention.
‘Aspiring Assistant Professor Mitchell Brady, huh? I may pay him a visit in the future.’
Recording the name of the author in my head, I continued to read the book while studying it,
With each turn of the page, I felt a sense of familiarity and intrigue, eager to explore the depths of mind magic in the chapters to come.
The author’s emphasis on foundational knowledge before delving into spells and incantations mirrored my own approach to learning, reinforcing the importance of understanding the fundamentals.
*******
PUFF!
As I closed the book, the newfound knowledge about mind magic lingering in my thoughts, I decided to leave the serene atmosphere of the library.
‘So, utilizing. Psychic Psions to somehow connect the Spiritual(Astral) projection of a person is a thing. Interesting.’
There were many concepts that needed to be practiced, yet for the first day, this amount was enough.
Just as I was leaving, suddenly, I felt a presence before me. No, the correct world would be the person before me suddenly tripped.
–THUD!
“Careful.”
Instantly reaching out for the person’s arm, I made her regain her balance, grabbing her from her right wrist.
“Ah….”
She gasped, turning her head to look at me. The bangs covered the student’s head, and her posture was slouched.
‘Lack of confidence. Bad posture, lack of physical activity.’
I met her gaze for a brief second, and in that moment, I sensed a hint of vulnerability.
However, as quickly as our eyes connected, she averted her gaze, unable to maintain eye contact. She held a stack of books tightly against her chest, and her gratitude was expressed with a soft “Thank you.”
It was clear she struggled with social interactions, and the brief encounter left an impression. As she mumbled her thanks, she walked past me, yet my eyes didn’t miss the lack of synched movements of her right leg and left one.
‘Injured left ankle and damaged glutes. I guess she is still being bullied.’
I thought, remembering that evening. People didn’t change in such a short amount of time, and what Ethan did wasn’t necessarily a good thing for the victim either.
Rather than giving hungry people a caught fish, teaching them how to catch tended to work more.
‘Well, this still is enough.’
After confirming that she still continued to come to the library, I slowly reached the door.
CREAK!
The heavy wooden door creaked as I exited, and the scent of old books slowly faded behind me.
The evening sun painted the academy grounds with warm hues as I strolled along the cobblestone paths. Students were scattered across the campus, enjoying the unexpected holiday. Laughter and chatter filled the air, creating a lively ambiance.
As I walked, I couldn’t help but notice the benches were occupied by students engrossed in conversations; some engaged in animated discussions, while others simply enjoyed each other’s company. The holiday spirit was palpable, and the usual seriousness of the academy seemed to have momentarily lifted.
I observed couples sitting close together, sharing stories and laughter. The atmosphere was so different from the usual intensity of training and studies.
‘Still, being watched in such a situation certainly makes me unable to enjoy it.’
I couldn’t help but shake my head inward as I made my way to my room.
–DING!
Just at that moment, the voice of my smartwatch ringing echoed in my head.
‘Hmm?’
Looking at the notification, I saw it came from the [Horde].
[Horde: Sir, as per your request, we have been watching the movements of the Azure Guild and the events surrounding them. And we can confirm that Redcrushers are starting to move. The rest of the information is in the attachment.]
The moment I saw the message, I couldn’t help but shake my head.
‘I guess the time for Emily’s Guild event is approaching. It is time to maximize my profits.’
With that thought, I started typing my reply.
[Sell the Shares I own in Azure Crest Guild to the possible investors, and then transfer the money into many different accounts to make it untraceable.]
With that instruction, I closed the smartwatch and returned to my room.
After all, just from investing in Emily’s guild, I had made close to 1 Million Valer profit…..