I Became a Flashing Genius at the Magic Academy [158-362][English Translation]

Episode 172 Chapter 40: The 7th Main Tower (3)

The 7th Main Tower (3)

The sub-event at Malentaire progressed smoothly. Step by step, following the predetermined future, Pung Ryujin quickly reached the final destination.

Finally, he learned the whole truth.

"Ugh, Mr. Ryujin..."

Watching the woman sitting on the floor crying, Pung Ryujin looked at his own hands.

Through his translucent hands, he could see the patterns engraved on the floor. For some reason, his reflection was not visible in the mirror.

"Ah..."

It was then that his memories returned.

The fact that he was dead.

The reason he had died, and that the woman he had loved, the one sitting in front of him crying, was real.

He remembered everything.

"I... was already dead..."

Even in death, unable to rest in peace, Pung Ryujin wandered the netherworld, hunting ghosts to protect his beloved. He realized that all these incidents had originated from him.

I approached the woman and whispered quietly.

"Go and give him a hug."

"Sniff..."

She got up with difficulty, even as tears fell, and approached the ghostly Pung Ryujin.

Then, they embraced warmly, exchanging words of love. As time passed, Ryujin's body became more and more transparent, and as the woman finally confessed, "I love you," he was purified and vanished, turning into light.

"Sob..."

Thus, the story ended.

Leaving the crying woman behind, I went outside the mansion and leaned against the wall.

In Aether World, there are countless 'sub-events'. Each event had a protagonist at its center, and the player's role was to jump into the causal relationship and help solve the incidents.

However...

It's impossible to dive into every sub-event.

Even at this moment, incidents and accidents are happening all over the world, and as a player, I called these 'events,' but they were stories of actual reality.

Experiencing it firsthand made it even more real. It made me realize how insignificant my influence in this world really was.

I used to think that the stories of the protagonists at Stella Academy were the most important, but looking outside the boundaries of that small school, countless stories were sparkling like stars.

"Hoo..."

I held Ryujin's pipe.

A single drop of water fell on it.

Plop! Plop-!

Swoosh...

Suddenly, it started pouring rain.

Although it wasn't unusual for it to rain in summer, the timing felt oddly fitting.

Come to think of it, did it rain after the event ended in the game as well?

I didn't bring an umbrella. Unlike other magicians, I couldn't deploy a mana shield, so I had no choice but to get soaked.

Putting on the Stella coat modified with Alterisha's technology, it was somewhat waterproof.