The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 39

Another week has passed since the group competition was announced.

I have a reason why I must achieve a high score in this competition.

It’s to catch the eye of a certain individual.

One of the key figures of the Empire and someone who will greatly influence the future scenario.

‘Surely, they’ll come to this group competition.’

So, I absolutely must score well.

“Your stamina has improved a lot lately, senior.”

Early morning.

Aisha, who was jogging beside me, complimented my stamina.

As Aisha said, my endurance is still on the rise.

The potential of Vikarmern is limitless.

The speed at which my stamina improves is astonishing, even to myself.

“It’s thanks to you, Aisha.”

“Oh, it’s not me. It’s because you worked hard, senior.”

Aisha always speaks so sweetly.

“But it’s still not enough.”

Indeed, both my stamina and skills have improved tremendously in a short time.

This is thanks to my own efforts.

But even so, it’s still not enough to score well in the group competition.

‘Maybe it’s time.’

Along with steel skin and magic engraving.

It’s time to find a new card to navigate the scenario.

Lucas could manage with sheer grit.

But for me, lacking that fiery determination, it’s impossible.

“Are you deep in thought about something again?”

Aisha must have noticed me getting lost in thought while running, as it happens often.

“Senior, getting lost in thought while running is dangerous. Should we take a short break?”

“No, I’m fine. I’ve been running so much that not running feels stranger now.”

To think my body has grown accustomed to running.

Even to myself, I seem to have become something peculiar.

Aisha smiled.

She seemed happy to know that I’d become accustomed to running.

Aisha had always wanted someone to run and train with.

Perhaps because I filled that role, Aisha grew fond of me.

“Aisha, what do you think the odds are of a person getting struck by lightning in their lifetime?”

When I asked this out-of-the-blue question, Aisha took it seriously and thought about it.

“Hmm, it’s extremely rare, right? At least, I’ve never met anyone who said they were struck by lightning.”

“Right. But there was someone who practically lived with lightning.”

“Someone like that exists?”

“Yes, a person who was born with a tragically unfortunate life in many ways.”

Aisha showed a puzzled expression.

But for me, this person was essential for the future.

‘The problem is…’

That person had already been struck by lightning and passed away.

* * *

Lightning.

It’s a discharge phenomenon between the clouds and the earth.

The odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 280,000.

To have been struck by lightning even once is an incredibly unlucky event in life.

However, there are people in this world who have been struck by lightning.

And there is one person who was struck by lightning a total of 108 times in his life.

Lightning Magnet.

That was the name given to him.

He was struck by his one hundred seventh lightning bolt and met his end.

The last, one hundred eighth lightning bolt struck him after he was buried, landing right on his grave.

No one knows if he was loved or hated by lightning itself.

That is the essence of the Lightning Magnet.

But he is dead.

So, how on earth can I find the Lightning Magnet?

The answer lies in the Special Studies Department.

Special Studies.

A department created for those who have mastered various disciplines that cannot be categorized as martial arts or magic.

Some students in Special Studies are suited for combat.

Others handle powers entirely separate from battle.

Among these students, there is a second-year with an unusual nickname.

He’s a person whom even his peers in the Special Studies Department find unsettling.

His nickname is ‘Little Ossuary’.

Normally, he goes around with a skull for a head instead of his actual head, making him one of the peculiar figures even in Blazing Butterfly.

One day, he’ll suddenly set up a meal on the rooftop of the academy building, talking to…something.

Another day, he might start a fire in the nearby forest, causing a disturbance.

In Blazing Butterfly, his odd behavior often leads to spooky events.

It turns out that the ghost stories circulating at the academy were because of the Little Ossuary.

To meet this Little Ossuary, I packed a bag after class today and began climbing the Special Studies building.

Because of the item in this bag, that Card guy’s teasing got on my nerves.

「Wow, Hanon, heh heh, you’re a man, after all! I knew you liked older types, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent.」

That jerk.

Next time, I’ll smack him for sure.

With a sigh, I lifted my head.

The Special Studies building finally came into view.

Perhaps in respect for student diversity, the Special Studies building was decorated with all sorts of unique items.

Everything from weapons I’d never seen before, to ornaments and glass crafts.

If anything, it was chaotic, yet if unique, it was certainly unique.

It felt like walking into an antique shop.

There weren’t many students in the hallway.

Special Studies students often stayed behind after classes to study their particular fields.

Because of this, I could see groups of students gathered in some classrooms as I passed by.

Some of them appeared to be researching dangerous things, so I quietly avoided eye contact and kept moving.

There were plenty of eccentrics in Special Studies who were best avoided.

After a while, an eerie feeling started to settle over the hallway.

A cold chill brushed over me for some unknown reason.

It was a chill like the kind you’d feel in a cemetery.

But this was the Special Studies hallway.

Under normal circumstances, I shouldn’t be feeling this kind of chill here.

I didn’t stop walking, despite the chill.

Eventually, a classroom came into view.

No one seemed to be standing at the door, yet I felt several faint presences.

Ignoring the strange sensation, I raised my hand and knocked twice on the door.

“Anyone in there?”

I knocked and asked, waiting for a response.

But no reply came from within.

With no other choice, I slowly slid the door open.

Whoosh!

A chill even colder than before swept over my body.

It felt as if something that had been lingering here had just left.

“Ah, it’s gone.”

A voice echoed, tinged with disappointment.

In a dimly lit room with blackout curtains drawn, a man with a skull for a head sat at the center.

On the desk where he was seated, a Ouija board lay, meant for communicating with spirits.

Whoever he’d been speaking to, he clicked his teeth in irritation, then glanced over in my direction.

Inside the skull’s face, a light glimmered in his eyes.

“It’s not polite to come in when no one answered your knock, is it?”

“That’s strange. I thought I heard someone answer the knock.”

Of course, it was a lie.

He tilted his head at my lie, but soon caught on and reacted with a smirk.

“Heh heh, I never thought someone would try ghosting me with a fake lie.”

I figured it would suit his taste.

Little Ossuary.

Grantoni, a second-year in the Special Studies Department.

He’s known as a necromancer.

“Second-year, Airei.”

Without giving me a chance to introduce myself, he mentioned my name.

“Heh heh, I’ve heard that name a lot.”

There aren’t any friends of mine who would spread my name around, so it’s obvious where he heard it.

He must have picked it up through the ghosts scattered around Zeryon Academy.

“What do they say when they introduce me?”

“Congratulations. They say you’re a rare breed of madman! I guess they all like you!”

Though I wasn’t sure what about me they liked, fortunately, Grantoni seemed to have a positive impression of me.

“They’re also grateful you took in the Empress.”

I knew who he was referring to as the Empress.

The mysterious, Steel Empress.

The original owner of the steel skin I possess.

This mystery is akin to a spirit, a being that didn’t manage to become divine.

It shares some similarities with ghosts, who linger in this world, unable to dissipate due to certain forces.

Perhaps seeing the Steel Empress’s departure stirred something in him.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Heh heh, so you’re quite popular with the spirits. If you’d like, I could introduce you to one.”

“If you’re going to introduce me, could I make a request?”

My boldness made Grantoni burst into laughter.

Most people he encountered showed fear or unease, since he associates with the dead rather than the living.

At that point, he was already walking a path that separated him from the living.

So for him, my attitude as a living person was intriguing.

“Haha! Sure. Who do you have in mind?”

Though there was no visible display, I sensed his approval had risen.

“The Lightning Magnet.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a box.

It was something I had obtained long ago when I secured the Veil Bandages.

An item I had barely managed to take from that frenzied sorceress, Vinesha.

Swoosh—

I opened the box lid.

Inside was a small pendant.

Thud—

Noticing the box’s contents, Grantoni’s skull head gradually stiffened.

Of course it did.

The Frenzied Sorceress was an object of resentment for Grantoni.

The Frenzied Sorceress.

She was the one who killed Grantoni’s mentor.

And the item in the box I’d taken out now was something Vinesha stole after killing his mentor.

“You’re welcome to ask your mentor directly.”

Anyway, his deceased mentor was still lingering close by.

Tap—

I closed the box lid.

Before coming to Zeryon Academy to clear the Blazing Butterfly Arc, I’d prepared everything I could.

This was one of the items needed for the ending.

Grantoni was silent.

He was too stunned by the unexpected.

After a long pause, Grantoni slowly raised his head.

From his pitch-black eye sockets, no emotions could be felt.

“How did you get this from Vinesha? She kept it close to her, so it couldn’t have been easy.”

Vinesha is a mid-stage boss.

A boss that appears in Act 4, no less.

An opponent far beyond the capabilities of a typical person.

How I managed to retrieve this pendant from her was simple.

“I seduced her.”

Despite having no actual eyes, Grantoni gave a sense of blinking in disbelief.

“When seduced, she’d give you anything.”

Love blinds people.

So, I seduced Vinesha.

There’s a reason why Vikarmern, as a host, charmed women in the red-light district to earn his living.

It’s a natural gift of appearance.

And I took full advantage of that gift.

Vinesha likes younger men.

Grantoni stared at me with a blank expression.

“Hah, haha, hahahaha!”

Unable to hold back, he burst out laughing.

He laughed for a long time, clapping his hands, then wiped his dry eyes.

“Truly unexpected. Whether that’s true or not, the fact you brought it here means I’ll believe you.”

It’s true.

If I looked like Vikarmern, he would understand.

“Heh heh, alright.”

He lightly lifted himself off his seat.

“I’ll summon the spirit you want.”

The deal was done.