A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 7: Professor (1)

For two weeks, I immersed myself in understanding both magic and the human body. As a result, my body had memorized the spell of Basic Telekinesis by inscribing a vast telekinesis magic circle within my flesh like an invisible tattoo.

Whoosh—

Three fountain pens floated around the spacious living room like paper airplanes. My current Telekinesis limit was ten fountain pens or three hundred kilograms of pure metal.

The grimoire stated,

The maximum for Basic Telekinesis was thirty kilograms when the mage’s attributes were well-aligned and if it is only for simple pushing or pulling tasks.

Considering these conditions, my output was extraordinary.

“If this is the result after two weeks, it may not be perfect, but it's acceptable,” I said.

Of course, while the power had increased, I had yet to master the skill. The higher the performance became, the harder it was to achieve proficiency. Despite training as efficiently as possible with the help of Comprehension, writing with a floating pen remained difficult. I would only be satisfied when I could at least draw with it.

“Since I've finished the Basics...”

I picked up Volume 1 of Beginner Manipulation Magic from the desk. The difference between Basic Telekinesis and Beginner Telekinesis was an additional eighteen strokes. Basic Telekinesis consisted of twenty lines and two circles, whereas Beginner Telekinesis had thirty-eight lines and three circles.

Of course, Beginner Telekinesis built upon the foundation of Basic Telekinesis, so I only needed to remember eighteen additional strokes instead of all thirty-eight. However, this time, the thickness of the lines became an issue...

“I'll save this for later,” I said, as I moved the grimoire to the side.

I needed time for my body to recover, and jumping to the Beginner level without mastering the Basics would result in a loss of control. Therefore, my next goals were these:

Volume 1 of Basic Metal Attribute Magic

Volume 1 of Basic Fire Attribute Magic

Volume 1 of Basic Earth Attribute Magic

I had three grimoires, each with different properties. However, I could only learn magics that are in the manipulation category. This was an unexpected side effect. Since my body was inscribed with manipulation-type telekinesis, learning magic completely opposite to manipulation would place a burden on my body.

For instance, summoning and elemental magic were incompatible with manipulation and thus impossible for me to learn. I could only master magic forms similar to manipulation, such as ductility, support, and destruction.

However, this didn't really matter. This body was naturally talented in the manipulation category, so let's consider it a matter of choice and focus, and leave it at that.

Knock, knock—

As I was about to open the book, someone knocked on the door. I retrieved the floating pens and answered.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Sir, it’s Roy. Mage Allen has brought the lecture materials...” a butler named Roy replied.

It was a message that Allen had arrived. With the first lecture materials for the semester just ten days away, on the following Thursday. It made sense for him to be here.

“I'll head out soon.”

I attempted to change clothes using telekinesis. However, the pants kept ending up on my upper body, so I dressed myself manually.

When I went downstairs, I found Allen unloading large boxes with the help of the servants.

“... Is this my lecture content?” I asked Allen.

“Yes, sir! These are the compilations for the first semester! I’ve done them as we did it just like every year!” Allen replied.

Allen's eyes were heavy with dark circles, but his cheerful demeanor made me pity him even more.

“Well done.”

While other professors at the Mage Tower had anywhere from five to twenty assistants, I only had Allen. This was entirely due to Deculein’s lack of virtue.

“No problem, sir! I'll head back now!”

As Allen was about to leave, I grabbed the back of his robe.

“Ugh!”

“It’s late. At least have dinner before you go,” I said.

“Sorry? No, I—”

“Stay and eat," I said, gesturing to a servant, who quickly ushered Allen to the dining room.

“Uh, I really don’t need to—”

“It’s fine. Sit down,” I said.

Allen seemed overwhelmed by the grandeur of the dining room and stood there awkwardly.

“Sit,” I said.

“... Okay.”

“Dinner is served,” a servant said.

Dinner was prepared quickly, and it was a feast even by my standards. Allen seemed momentarily dazed while I casually picked up my knife and fork.

“Since it’s late, you should sleep here,” I said.

“What? No, I...”

“I will not take no for an answer.”

“Oh. Yes, sir...” Allen said, appearing both shy and uncomfortable as he nodded hesitantly.

***

At 1 a.m., in the quiet study where only the ticking of the clock could be heard, I prepared for my lecture.

Lecture Summary: Deculein’s Understanding the Properties of Element Magic

Thanks to Allen's summary, the preparation itself went smoothly. However, understanding just half of the content for the first lecture had already consumed 3,500 mana. I needed to invest 1,000 mana each day for a week to conduct one lecture smoothly. Fortunately, the material understood through Comprehension was not easily forgotten.

“... I should cut out the unnecessary parts,” I said.

I edited Allen’s summary to the best of my ability, condensing it to only the essential content, and boldly discarded anything too basic or useless. Since my knowledge was limited, I planned to make the lecture as interactive as possible. Unlike the original Deculein, who would put novice mages down, I would not do that myself.

I wanted the lecture to be genuinely helpful to the mages while also ensuring my ignorance wouldn’t be exposed. This unexpected kindness stemmed partly from Deculein’s overly diligent personality. After spending about an hour drafting the lecture plan, I checked my schedule.

“Only nine days left.”

Since it was past midnight, I had nine days until the semester started. By then, I needed to improve my magical knowledge as Professor Deculein. Although the idea of being a professor made me a bit nervous, the burden was minimal thanks to the system’s personality traits.

Moreover, I had the Intimidation and Dignity attribute. With this attribute, the audiences would focus more intently on my words and understand them more easily. Quitting the professor position would undoubtedly make things easier. However, in the game, Deculein was always referred to as Professor.

This indicated that the title of Professor might be a prerequisite for both side quests and main quests. Without any hints about returning to Earth, I couldn't afford to lose that title carelessly.

“This should be enough," I said, carefully folding the handwritten lecture plan and placing it neatly in an envelope.

For reference, Deculein's lectures were always fully booked with 150 students. As one of the few senior professors at the Mage Tower of the University, his lectures were quite popular. However, this simplistic understanding was not entirely accurate. This phenomenon required a deeper analysis.

Upon entering the Mage Tower of the University, mages were assigned the lowest rank of Debutant. To choose their career path, they had to be promoted to Solda, which required earning mandatory magic credits at the Mage Tower of the University.

In that sense, Deculein's lecture alone offered five credits, equivalent to three average lectures. Therefore, even if the professor had been a total douchebag, the lecture's popularity was inevitable.

Knock, knock.

“It's 3 a.m., and this week's Wizard Journal has arrived. I'll leave it right here, sir.”

A servant knocked and slid the journal under the door. I used Telekinesis to retrieve it and began reading.

WIZARD JOURNAL ─ New Year Special Edition

The Wizard Journal, the most prestigious publication in the Magical Realm. Looking at its cover, I seemed to hear someone's voice in my ear.

“... When players achieve something, they are featured in this journal. These small details are one of the game's fun elements. Woo-Jin, if you start the game as a mage, you might feel proud reading about your achievements here.”

It was a memory that stirred my emotions. Because of you, I knew I was still Kim Woo-Jin.

“I’ll see if that’s true," I said with a chuckle as I opened the journal.

Novice Mage of the Year

The first thing that caught my eye was the New Mage of the Year section, a setting blatantly added by the company aiming for Game of the Year.

Novice Mage of the Year

Winner: Sylvia Von Yossepin Iliade

Attribute: Origin

Main Category(ies): Specialization

At the age of seventeen, Sylvia underwent the succession ceremony of Iliade, harboring the three colors of origin in her heart: red, blue, and green. Known as the Primary Colors, capable of forming everything, are known as the Miracle of Creation.

Therefore, Sylvia can create anything within the reach of her mana. Her reputation for nobility from birth is no exaggeration...

I knew this named character. A blonde beauty with the attribute Femme Fatale, and the successor of Iliade, a rival to Yukline. Although Yukline's status was slightly higher for now, Sylvia, an overpowered named character, would surpass us and become an even greater threat.

I started searching for Deculein's name among the pages. Deculein, Deculein, Deculein... Finally, I found a significant section dedicated to my name.

Head Professor of the Imperial University: Deculein von Grahan-Yukline

From a young age, he excelled in elemental magic. After graduating from the academy, he was hailed as a genius in spell interpretation, eventually becoming the youngest Head Professor at the Mage Tower of the Imperial University...

... However, in recent years as he approached his mid-thirties, he had shown no notable achievements. He had only been absorbed in the magic research he announced three years ago. It was now time for him to prove his value with concrete results.

The original Deculein would have crumpled the journal and immediately contacted them, kicking up a fuss about the nonsense written by the journalists.

“... They’re right,” I said.

However, the Wizard Journal wasn't swayed by money or family influence. Despite having inherited some of Deculein’s personality, I was still Kim Woo-Jin.

I remained remarkably unconcerned with magic, feeling no pressure about achievements in it and having no pride in what I did. People who overextend themselves often face ruin. All I wanted was to survive and understand this game...

“It’s already 4 a.m.”

I checked the clock and it was 4 a.m.. I headed to my bedroom, lay in bed, and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, it was 6 a.m..

Although Iron Man's recovery ability was amazing, having such long days wasn't always a good thing for me.

“I wish I could sleep for about six hours...”

Whenever I woke up, it was always early in the morning. The sun's rays barely peeked over the horizon, and the light slowly filled the room. This drowsy scene felt like a sleep spell, but no matter how much I wanted to sleep, I couldn't. My mind was always alert.

Any fatigue or drowsiness melted away with just a few hours of rest. For someone trapped in a game and living each day, twenty-two hours felt incredibly long.

***

Although lectures were to start on Thursday, I arrived at the Mage Tower on Monday to use the staff-only magic training room.

Head Professor Deculein's entry is authorized.

The training method was simple. In a fully enclosed training room, I had to complete stages presented like a mini-game using magic. If a player cleared the final stage, they would receive a bonus attribute, but I wasn’t sure if this system applied to me. Additionally, the magic used here was treated as a close simulation of real combat, allowing me to grasp the Aura of the magic.

“It’s me, Deculein.”

I placed my hand on the central magic crystal orb in the training room. The orb glowed blue and a text appeared.

Identity confirmed. Please select the category of magic for training.

I chose the manipulation category and selected Telekinesis magic. Several dots appeared in the air, intricately intertwining and moving.

Level 1: Use telekinesis to manipulate objects and pierce the dots.

This was easy. I levitated a dagger from my inner pocket using telekinesis. The dagger gracefully swam through the air, piercing the dots, and I completed Level 1 in two minutes.

Level 2 had twice as many dots and took five minutes. Level 3 featured illusory butterflies and took fifteen minutes. Level 4 brought in a swarm of illusory bees flying all around, taking forty minutes... I gave up after an hour of struggling with ant-sized bugs in Level 5.

“It’s quite difficult. But that's what makes it interesting.”

I had used up 2,500 mana. By now, I should have grasped the magic’s aura.

Magic Aura Confirmation: Deculein von Grahan-Yukline

Every mage's magic had an aura, akin to personality traits such as intensity, provocation, explosion, calmness, fluctuation, cunning, deviousness, subtlety, tranquility, and composure. This aura usually mirrored the mage's personality and was a surprisingly important setting for the game, similar to aptitude.

For instance, intensity, provocation, and explosion auras enhanced destruction magic, while cunning and devious auras amplified enchantment or support magic. In my case, the aura of my magic was... Let’s see...

Graceful Aura

■ Graceful: Having a high and elegant character or quality.[1]

“Oh...”

In other words, the execution of my magic exuded elegance and refinement.

“... How fitting.”

I let out a dry laugh. In many ways, it was a perfect match for Deculein.

1. The original word Go-Ah can be translated to both Graceful or Elegant and as well an Orphan ☜