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<1006 – Eastern Experience Record (5)>

Professor Red Mountain realized with shock that all the Spirit Herbs were stolen from the door she had opened.

“Just as the Professor’s assassination plan failed, someone swooped in to clear out the Spirit Herbs. What a wicked individual.”

Of course, she was aware.

That this was also an extension of the Professor’s assassination plot.

To hold a practical session on Spirit Herbs in a place without any, while not even preparing her lesson plan properly?

It was a perfect scenario for getting scolded and punished.

If Oknodie, who is close with Student Council President Jezel, was involved, they’d surely pursue disciplinary action.

What if a disciplinary committee was convened?

-How amusing! Let’s get on with the punishment.

The Omoshiroi Principal showed an interest, and already a future of being disciplined was visible.

What would follow?

A professor taken down by students.

The loss of reputation among professors.

The diminishing authority among students.

The downfall of teaching authority.

The collapse of the class.

The disappearance of education.

The fall of the Academy.

And then, the world’s demise out of the Omoshiroi Principal’s boredom and trivial amusement.

What would the Principal do on the ruined Middle Realm?

Nothing, of course. They’d drift through other dimensions, maybe even seeking out an exploration in outer space.

“Hmph. Nonsense. If I lose Spirit Herbs, I’ll just go find new ones.”

Professor Red Mountain boasted top-class detection abilities even at the Gift Academy when it comes to the detection skills.

Especially regarding Spirit Herbs, her detection abilities were unparalleled.

“I’ll sacrifice one Legendary Grade Spirit Herb to massively trace the source of energy reacting to a Legendary Grade Elixir.”

For some reason unknown, the Eastern Empire was a hotspot for Spirit Herbs associated with vengeful spirits.

Sacrificing one and searching an area could easily yield a dozen Spirit Herbs.

If she offered a stronger Spirit Herb, she might catch an even stronger reaction that hadn’t been found before.

“The searches of an unskilled seeker tend to narrow in range, and the conditional spells often catch irrelevant things, but that doesn’t apply to me.”

While performing a wide-area scan over a region in the Eastern Empire, Professor Red Mountain could detect Spirit Herbs in large quantities equivalent to the level of offerings.

This time, the number of Spirit Herbs caught by her detection was easily eight.

She had recorded the coordinates for the next lecture.

However, chasing after stronger sources of energy was also the goal of Oknodie.

It was natural for a place rich in strong Spirit Herbs to harbor stronger and deeper grudges.

The very center of such incidents was indeed where Oknodie’s party was headed for the Eastern expedition…

Unbeknownst to her, Professor Red Mountain was on the same schedule as Oknodie for the lecture she was planning.

“Stop eating so many Spirit Herbs, you thieving girl!”

“Yikes! That’s so unfair!! I didn’t eat even one!!”

“You wretched girl!!”

I could only feel pity for the Cooking Oknodie next week who would take the brunt of Professor Red Mountain’s wrath.

*

Eastern Ten Schools.

Considered one of the influential families in the Eastern Empire, these ten martial arts families each hold vast territory and power comparable to that of a royal family in the Western world.

“Before I left, there were only seven schools in the East. Those closed-off swordsmen are allowing three competitors? Something must be off in the situation.”

“Which side are we on here?”

“Former Eastern Seven Schools. We’re at the lower end of it, the Sonbaek Sword Examination.”

In the city of the Sonbaek Sword Examination, there were no residents trapped in the cycle of unjust murders to be offered as sacrifices to the phantom spirits.

There were no immediate screams from the streets or scenes of people dying.

Nevertheless, an uncanny sense of discomfort filled the air.

Extinguished lanterns and abandoned carriages.

Closed shops and desiccated ponds.

Though there were people around, it felt like a city left unattended.

“Things have changed. It used to be a bustling city when I was young.”

“Really? Just wait. Information will come together soon.”

Behind the bewildered Sing, a legion that had broken free from the cycle of infinite service followed closely, concealing their weapons and clad in thick casual clothes over their armor.

These passersby, disguised as regular citizens, scattered into various shops, and the information they gathered was quickly relayed to Sadi through the terminal.

“I got a rough idea. This place is a city impoverished by the Ten Swords’ human sacrifices, sacrificing goods instead of people.”

“Ten Swords’ human sacrifice…? Could it be?”

“The Heavenly Sovereign. This must be the work of a false emperor. The impoverished Hinterland Villages are picked apart without a chance to resist, while the wealthier cities offered goods instead of lives.”

Something was certainly wrong in the Eastern Empire.

After a long time, the long-suffering city welcomed a few guests, albeit with a somewhat menacing atmosphere.

However, one handsome terminal managed to get a suspicious tip from an inn’s server lady.

“Hmmm. Seems like something interesting is going to happen tonight.”

“A raid?”

“Not from the locals. They say it’s Weird Creatures. They only come at night. They claim the city’s nights are dangerous because those who steal ‘dreams’ have shown up.”

“Why didn’t the others hear that?”

“Probably didn’t like their looks.”

“…”

“Well, I’d think the same way if a guy wasn’t exactly photogenic, right?”

“…I didn’t.”

“Hehe. Sing… or rather, Sia, you really are quite slow on the uptake.”

Sing blushed at Sadi’s teasing.

It’s all because of the Incubus’s temptation that my mind has been corrupted.

Anyway, it’s not my fault.

Sing bit her lips and grasped the hem of her Cheongsam tightly.

As time passed, night gradually fell.

With no lights, the deep darkness had nothing to do but invade the sleeping terminals, who sent Sadi fascinating information.

Pain.

Fear.

It was all the result of nightmares brought on by Weird Creatures that had infiltrated the dreams.

-I know you.

-The sacrifices of the coastal region.

-Those who did not fulfill their roles as liberators of the prisoners.

Behind the terror lay a veil of ignorance.

An event missed by those directly involved in the terminals.

-Although we created the most economical sacrifices, they have now been liberated.

-More sacrifices are necessary for the Empire’s future.

-Yes, even if it means finding new sacrifices.

With bloodshot eyes, once-silent individuals had their spirit bodies drawn out, marking them as sacrifices for Weird Creatures’ prey.

-You’ll be the next sacrifice.

-I’ll trap you in an infinite cycle of dying, and dying, and dying again.

Sadi inadvertently received all the sacrificial marks shared through ‘terminal’.

It was the largest and most lucrative mark in the world, and countless vengeful spirits from the Dream World began to converge.

The match-up:

The terminal handler Sadi and the one marking sacrifices, the wizard.

Their compatibility was exceedingly unfavorable for Sadi.

“Are you okay? That’s some serious stuff etched into you!”

“Oh my. I never expected anyone to worry about my toys.”

“If it breaks, I’ll need to fix it!”

Though she appreciated Oknodie’s concern regarding the penetration into the Dream World, Sadi grinned with malice.

Oknodie, stepping through the ‘threshold’ into her dream, could always back out through the window.

But extending her hand toward Oknodie, who was prepared to escape at the slightest inconvenience, would only lead to being underestimated.

“Better to get caught by the wizard. Debts to you would be far scarier to settle.”

Fear often has a threshold.

When someone is exposed to a certain level of fear, they no longer feel panic towards similar phenomena or slightly lower stimuli.

In that context, it was indeed the wizard who misjudged their opponent.

When hidden layers arose and things began to go awry, it was already too late for Sadi, who had pushed those markings to the wrong terminal through her own managers.

“Cooking Oknodie would be pleased. Experience Points are increasing.”

“Hey, could you give them to me?”

“Isn’t it better when the surroundings grow stronger?”

“True enough!”

“Then how about training those surrounding?”

“Now that would be even better!”

The ‘pet’ with the markings became the subject of the Gift Academy’s powerful summons, and a high-ranking demon descended.

This dimensional erosion was immediately detected by the Academy’s sensor, and the instructors and professors were alerted.

“A specimen just walked in on its own.”

“The professor wants it captured!”

“Grab it!”

While the sacrifices were consumed by their own kind, the humans were being toyed with, without returning the rewards they sought.

The corrupted darkness was keenly conscious of the immense entities surrounding it, forcing it to submit while also realizing the gaze of the larger being closing in.

[What a funny-looking one.]

At that moment when the high-ranking demon caught the Omoshiroi Principal’s interest, the chance for it to survive and escape melted away.

The wizard, having lost a high-ranking demon to the publisher’s insidious terminal barrage!

-There’s a terminal, but where’s the one to eat it?

-Stupid fools. It’s mine.

-But where even is this?

The marked high-ranking demons from various parts of the Eastern Empire flocked towards the terminal.

According to them, they were about to become the snacks for the Dragon Principal!

“Hehe. Without ghosts, the Spirit Herbs would be an empty house!”

Thus, a sinister partnership was struck where Sadi handles the tricks while Oknodie feasts on the Spirit Herbs.

Oknodie found herself in a realm inaccessible to the physical world, trapped in the nightmares of people.

Also referred to as Dreamland.

As the high-ranking demons, who should have defended and ambushed in the vicinity of the nightmare herb’s growth, were tricked by Sadi’s terminal invitation and flew towards the Gift Academy in the Western world, they were swiftly eliminated as meals for the principal.

In other words, it was the perfect opportunity for an empty house raid!

“Yum yum…?”

However, as she consumed these Spirit Herbs, the feeling crept in.

The bland and poor sensation gave a hint, as the principal’s homegrown Spirit Herbs’ effects only layered over this, rendering it into ‘substandard goods’!

This voids the collection’s meaning.

“Ugh. It tastes terrible. There’s no point in eating this.”

Feeling quite dejected, Oknodie stored the Spirit Herbs in her dimensional pocket along with a message spell.

*

The Cooking Oknodie suddenly jumped in surprise at an unexpected vibration in her inventory space.

“I got a message!”

Suddenly pulling her hand in, she retrieved a nightmare herb.

And then the disaster began.

The space became saturated with nightmares.

The horrifying scene witnessed by countless city residents was materializing, invading the real world.

It was the side effect of bringing the Dreamland’s nightmare herbs into reality, polluting and interfering with reality like a dream.

Startled by the influence of the nightmare herbs, Cooking Oknodie fled in panic.

Thanks to that, the nightmare rapidly grew in strength.

“Hey, where’s our lecture room!!”

“What’s that?!”

“Damn, it’s definitely a Fourth-Year Terror!”

…In the middle of a hallway towards the lecture room.

The Imperial students faced a sudden trial, and they bore expressions full of grievance as they beheld the horde of nightmares rushing in from the far side of the corridor.

 

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