Chapter 26: Professor
“What is it you think you’re doing, Warpriest?” A feminine, childlike voice froze Jedrek in his tracks just as he reached for the albino’s neck. “Please tell me that none of Master Septimus’s Disciples are foolish enough to—” a short, almost giddy chuckle interrupted her speech, “—attempt to kidnap a student from the Academy grounds?”
“M-Master Odessa,” Jedrick stammered in response as the barrier trapping Mercedes vanished. “We had no intentions of—I only wanted to ask the Initiate a few important questions on behalf of Master Septimus.”
The Sparrow cautiously backed away from the Warpriest before taking in her savior. She blinked in surprise at the ash-grey hair that curled robustly around two long, perky, dog-like ears. A pair of clementine-orange eyes flashed on either side of a small upturned nose framed by a heart-shaped face of what could only be described as a child—if not entirely human.
“I’m sure even a Disciple of Serenitus’s Temple is aware of the stringent procedures for guests who wish to visit the Arcane Mystic Academy,” Master Odessa said with an almost dismissive tone as she tapped the short, sharp nails of her childlike hands against the medallion worn over her black robes embellished with purple and gold, which—Mercedes realized with a jolt, were remarkably similar to Master Nicodemus’s magic robes.
‘Is she—another Professor of the Academy?’
“I would ask how two Disciples of the Divine Realm came to be standing here, unescorted, but why bother when the obvious answer stands so clearly before me.”
Karissa flinched and lowered her eyes beneath the Professor’s condescending gaze.
“I will be reporting your unauthorized presence and threatening actions to Grandmaster Iskander,” Odessa said, her four-foot frame no less impressive as she lashed all four Disciples into submission with her voice. “You may wish to warn Master Septimus that he should expect to hear from the Grandmaster, myself, and Master Nicodemus. As for you—”
The Novice Priestess shrank away from the menacing growl that seeped through the tiny Mystic’s voice.
“If you were my student, I would do far more than expel you from the Academy. If that is the extent of your punishment for abusing the temporary teleportation scrolls you were gifted—be grateful.”
“Y-yes, Professor,” Karissa said hesitantly.
“And since the rest of you entered the Academy without appropriate permission, I suggest you leave the grounds at once.”
“Just a moment, Master Odessa,” Jedrek protested, glancing frantically between his group and the wary albino. “We still need to—”
“That!” the four-foot Professor’s childlike face contorted as her sharp voice filled the hallway. The slits of her bright orange eyes narrowed dangerously as her lips curled back to reveal small but lethal fangs, “Was not a request, Disciple.”
With a snap of her clawed fingers, Septimus’s disciples all disappeared, leaving a startled Initiate and terrified Novice staring at the empty space where they had been.
“Much better,” Odessa said as she drew in a slow breath and rolled back her shoulders, her expression relaxing as it resumed its innocent, unthreatening demeanor. “Now, Novice Karissa, if you would follow me. I think it’s time we had a chat with your Professor. But first, Initiate Mercedes. Are you injured?”
“Oh.” The Sparrow blinked in surprise as she grasped her stinging left shoulder and turned to examine the damaged uniform and reddened skin beneath the singed fabric. “It’s nothing serious.”
“Professor Nicodemus will be the judge of that. I suspect it will play into how much weight your classmate’s punishment will carry due to her egregious misuse of Academy benefits.” The short Mystic moved closer and tutted softly as she examined the burn. “Not bad enough to warrant the sort of potions I carry around. Go and wait inside the Basilisk’s Lair while I get things sorted. There’s no safer place for you in the Academy—or the Arcane Realm, for that matter.”
Mercedes raised a brow at the unsolicited statement but bowed her head with respectful gratitude towards the Professor. “Thank you.”
“Your gratitude is appreciated but unnecessary, Initiate,” Odessa replied with a dismissive wave as she turned and gestured to the downcast Priestess. “I relish any opportunity to knock Seraphelios’s obnoxious followers down a peg. Now go on.”
***
The Sparrow let out a hiss of pain as the Basilisk’s door closed behind her. The realization that she had narrowly escaped her Master’s enemies was beginning to sink in as she stumbled over to her desk on shaking legs, opened her inventory, and yanked a jar of blood eel eggs free.
‘I would have been done for if they had managed to drag me away. One lie and my guilt would have been confirmed.’
Mercedes’s frustrated, chaotic thoughts blurred beneath the numbing buzz of hunger that tickled at the back of her throat. Her canine teeth ripped open the first crimson egg, and she drained the blood and yolk down in a hungry slurp. The gummy texture and creamy metallic taste helped calm and clear her mind as the erratic tenor of her heart eased into a subtle whisper. The albino licked her lips and fingers as she eyed the empty jar and growing pile of drained eggs on the messy desk.
‘Damn. What gives? That barely put a dent in my stomach.’
The Sparrow’s pink eyes narrowed suspiciously as she turned to examine her shoulder and watched as the reddened, burned skin faded before her eyes.
‘Huh. That’s new.’
Mercedes gingerly tapped the now light pink skin, surprised to find the pain was mostly gone.
‘Okay. I know Vitality Potions can heal injuries—so I guess it makes sense that Vitality based food could produce a similar effect. Maybe that’s why I’m still hungry.’
Her stomach growled in agreement, and the Sparrow reluctantly pulled out her last jar. “I might need something bigger than eggs to drain.”
By the time she consumed half of the second container, all traces of the burn left by the Warpriest’s Bulwark spell were gone. Mercedes finished off the remaining eel eggs and swiped the pile of gelatinous empty sacks into the two jars, which she stored inside her magic inventory. The albino then used the sleeves of her ruined jacket to wipe the desk clean before activating the training uniforms set bonus.
Given how effectively the uniform’s [Refresh] enchantment had worked last night, she wasn’t surprised to see all the blood stains disappear, though a bit disappointed when the jacket failed to mend its singed shoulder.
‘I guess there are limitations to this spell. It looks like burned fabric can’t repair itself?’
Still feeling a bit on edge but at least moderately full, the Sparrow pushed her chair back and headed for the stairwell to explore the mini library of books on the balcony above.
Mercedes contemplated her uncertain future as she roamed from shelf to shelf, glancing over books whose titles she couldn’t even read.
‘If this Master Septimus and his Disciples were the ones who raided my room, chances are I’ll be in trouble the moment I take one foot outside the Academy grounds.’
It wasn’t the Sparrow’s first experience with being cornered like this, but the danger level back in her old world was nothing compared to the challenges she faced here. Still, given how little she had scratched the surface of what the Academy could offer her, Mercedes felt more than a little reluctant to leave.
‘It’s not like I’m the only monster this school is hiding. Between Chef Hiasa, the Giant Basilisk, and now Professor Odessa—I’m starting to feel less out of place.’ The albino smirked at the strange thought and tapped the railing as she finished circling the balcony of books.
“I really need to find a book that defines all the different races that exist in this world,” Mercedes muttered as she descended to the classroom below. “My ignorance might get me killed one day.”
***
“I’ll speak to you after class, Initiate Mercedes,” Professor Nicodemus said as he walked past the Sparrow’s desk toward the arcane hearth.
While his emotionless response paled compared to the overreaction from Raimund, Lorcon, and Hestia, the albino couldn’t help but feel relieved when the attention shifted away from her singed uniform to their next lesson.
“I trust everyone ate a hearty meal. The process of using [Vitality Essence Absorption] is very similar to that of [Mystic Essence Absorption]. Keep in mind that both of these skills will drain your magic energy to some extent, depending on how far you progress in your meditation.
“That said, all you need to do is focus your Power Core on the energy waiting inside your gut. Your [Vitality Essence Absorption] skill won’t break down everything you consume, which is why the [Mystic Nourishment Diet] is so important to follow.
“Almost every form of naturally grown, harvested, and hunted food will produce essence-rich nutrients, which your [Vitality Essence Absorption] skill can break down into energy to refill each of your Primary Stat resources. With that refresher out of the way, let’s begin. Feel free to raise your hand if you need any additional guidance.”
Mercedes inhaled slowly as she leaned forward, hesitant to begin another meditation session this close to the other Initiates but also certain that returning to the Basilisk’s lair any time soon would be a bad idea.
‘Focusing on my stomach shouldn’t be too hard since it never shuts up.’
With a slow exhale, the albino closed her eyes and tried to chase away any lingering anxious thoughts as her instinct sharpened on the internal storm of hunger and the soft but visible glow of her Power Core.
An image flickered unbidden behind the Sparrow’s eyes as she continued her slow, meditative breathing. A flash of white, the slow drizzle of crimson blood seeping like a vine across marble stone. A flash of black, a darkened street, the panicked whimpering of someone fleeing ahead of her. In another flash of white, fluttering curtains of crimson red that unfurled before a majestic throne-like chair. Black again, the heavy scent of blood, a still warm body lying on the ground at her feet, the dying man’s blue eyes, a panicked sea of terror as he clutched his throat, dark blood pouring past his trembling fingers.
Another blur, and then a sky of grey that framed the strange bony limbs of a crimson tree as a cacophony of animalistic shrieks echoed against Mercedes’s ears. Then black once more. A strong, pale, masculine hand pushed the dead man’s body into what looked like a pool of blood eels, who fed on the corpse with frenzied hunger. The vision turned away from the bubbling mess of blood, flesh, and bones as the killer dug through a flimsy leather bag to pull out an ominous black book adorned by an elaborate decorative steel centerpiece that framed a large crimson jewel rippling with a familiar dark energy.
“That’s enough,” a stern voice cautioned, and Mercedes’s eyes shot open to meet the reflective glare of the Professor’s glasses as his hand relaxed against her shoulder. “Some focus is better than none, Initiate. Visualize something of importance to you. The more intimate, the better. It will keep you grounded.”
The Sparrow nodded numbly, the strange vision now little more than a whirl of cryptic images already fading from her memory.
Nicodemus moved on to continue his habitual pacing around the classroom, occasionally pausing beside the Initiates’ desks to study them as if he could gauge the progress of their meditation and essence absorption.
Mercedes shook away the flickering remnants of the unpleasant hallucination, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, only to realize as the silence and emptiness crept back in how very empty a world of shadow and hunger truly was.
***
“Alright, that’s enough,” Nicodemus announced as he closed his pocket watch. “Your final period will be an outdoor excursion to the city Marketplace, but first—we will revisit the Mystic Emporium for a few more important beginner spells.”
“Thank the stars,” Lorcon mumbled as he covered a yawn with his hand. “Any more meditating, and I’ll be snoring like a smorgel.”
Mercedes threw the brunette a curious look as Disciple Raimund passed out more spell scrolls to access the Primordial store.
“I trust you can all activate these on your own now,” the Professor said before waving for them to proceed.
Deciding it was best not to advertise her tethered status just yet, the Sparrow followed the other Initiates in placing her hand over her scroll. Summoning magic energy from her Power Core, she gathered it down her left arm into the palm of her gloved hand, the Spellweave runes gleaming slightly as the scroll below lit up, activating the one-use spell.
“There should only be three scrolls remaining in the Arcane Tab, [Mystic Appraisal], [Refresh], and [Mend Fabric]. Those are the ones you will be purchasing with your Common Mystic Tokens.”
‘So nothing new aside from [Mystic Appraisal]. Though I can’t complain since they’re free,’ Mercedes mused as she quickly purchased the magic scrolls.
[Acquired! Common Spell Scroll: Mystic Appraisal], [Common Spell Scroll: Refresh], and [Common Spell Scroll: Mend Fabric].]
[Notice! You have obtained three new spells! Would you like your Astra to consume the following spell scrolls: [Mystic Appraisal], [Refresh], and [Mend Fabric].]
‘Go ahead,’ the Sparrow prompted.
[Astra System Update! New spell(s) acquired! [Mystic Appraisal], [Refresh], and [Mend Fabric].]
Pausing only to confirm the Professor had no further instructions, Mercedes opened her Astra to examine her new spells in more detail.
[Would you like to access your current Skill List?]
‘Is it always going to ask me that?’ The albino affirmed her decision and then focused on the three skills marked [New].
| Active Spells | |
| [New] Mystic Appraisal | A Common spell used to acquire comprehensive information and insight about any object or individual provided the target is of equal or of lesser rank than the Mystic casting this spell. Cost: 10 M.ENG. No Cost if Spell is unsuccessful. |
| [New] Refresh | A Common spell that harnesses the forces of water and air to cleanse and revitalize the targeted person, garment, or object. Cost: 15 M.ENG. |
| [New] Mend Fabric | A Common spell that allows the caster to repair minor damage to their clothing, ensuring that they always maintain a neat and orderly appearance without the need for traditional sewing or tailoring. Cost: 15 M.ENG. |
‘Okay. So if I ever end up getting new gear that doesn’t come with a self-cleaning enchantment, the bottom two will come in handy, though [Refresh] would also eliminate the need for showers or baths.’ The Sparrow wrinkled her nose at the thought of being cleaned by magic. ‘[Mystic Appraisal] is by far the winner here. I wonder if that’s why we’re taking a trip to the Marketplace?’
“Once you’ve finished learning your new skills, please gather your things and prepare to follow Disciple Raimund to the Nexus Room,” Nicodemus said with his usual unnerving efficiency. “You will return before final dismissal to pick up additional reading from the library, after which you are dismissed for the day—except for you, Initiate Mercedes. Stop by my office before the final bell.”
“Yes, Professor.” The Sparrow rubbed her neck sheepishly as she rose to join the other Initiates, who all gave her varying glances of pity as they formed up before the waiting Disciple.