How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble Family (18)

I returned to the dormitory and quickly put my mind to work.

First, I won’t die even if I fail.

That means it’s a proposal where failure is acceptable.

But judging by the unpleasant title of Route 2, that’s clearly a similar path to the proposal failure route from Chapter 1, ‘Even a blind chicken sometimes finds grain,’ so there’s no need to deliberately choose a negative path.

‘And it would be a shame to miss the reward.’

I brought up the proposal window again.

It’s telling me to make my physical strength score 0 within a week.

Seeing how they’ve blatantly dangled a reward, they must mean pure 0 points, not 0 points raised by medicine or artifacts.

‘How should I go about this.’

If I recklessly invest all my time into training, I’ll likely just waste time.

I need to use my head and move strategically.

‘The timing of the proposal’s appearance is a bit delayed.’

The proposal appeared right after Leo showed me the medicinal ingredients.

So the success or failure of this proposal will depend on whether I succeed in turning the poison into a strengthening agent.

Just as the skill category encompasses numerous items like studying, reading, training, physical strength is the same.

Unless I can manipulate stats by receiving points as rewards, the status window items merely ‘display’ my condition, they don’t determine it.

Just because I achieved 0 physical strength points by strengthening my core doesn’t mean my muscle strength will go from negative to 0.

‘But the improved core efficiency will create a foundation for exercising longer.’

In that sense, I need the medicine.

If I train at the same intensity as now every day, achieving 0 points won’t be easy even by midterms, let alone within a week.

But if I train while strengthening my core, that’s a different story. The maximum time I can train itself will be different.

So making the medicine is just the beginning; to succeed with this proposal, my effort must also be involved.

Since it’s come to this, should I go hunting once more and order an elixir?

No.

I quickly shook my head.

Assuming I convert the poison’s effects directly in a positive direction, to buy an elixir with the same potency, I’d have to hunt for several days unless I encounter another werewolf.

Whether I invest time to buy an elixir or invest time to make a strengthening agent, if the results are the same….

‘It’s better to attempt something that will be more beneficial long-term when done now.’

The next morning, I stopped by my homeroom professor’s research lab before arriving at the classroom.

“I read the notes well, guys.”

I smiled as I handed the notes to the students. The students looked down at the notes with haggard faces.

“….”

“…You don’t have to… return them.”

“Right, Lucas. You can borrow them longer. We know you’re not extorting notes from us.”

“What are you talking about. There’s only a month left until midterms, so you guys need to study too. Hurry up and get ready to use them.”

I gestured toward the notes and then packed my bag again, getting up from my seat.

“Class will start soon. Work hard.”

“Huh?”

The students’ eyes filled with questions as they looked at me.

Where is there someone who says class will start soon but then tries to leave the classroom? One student cautiously voiced that question.

“Where are you going…?”

“I seem to have caught something since dawn yesterday. I got permission from the professors, so don’t worry.”

“What? Then what about notes?”

I shook my head at the student’s question and smiled.

“Why would I have come here on a day I’m skipping class?”

“….”

“I’m counting on you today too. See you at six.”

I smiled and patted the students’ shoulders before leaving the classroom.

* * *

There’s no body ache or anything like that.

As soon as I arrived at my room, I quickly spread out my experimental equipment.

I was taking down all the items I’d placed on the desk when I stopped at a small animal.

‘…?’

What’s this?

The animal that the exchange student said he was raising yesterday is sleeping here curled up in a ball.

‘I heard it was left at the administrative office.’

Narke and the other exchange students this semester just dropped off their luggage at school and departed for the Imperial Palace again today. Since they couldn’t bring animals to the Imperial Palace, they said they’d leave it at the administrative office in its cage and depart for the Imperial Palace.

I picked up the creature and headed to the dormitory administrative office on the first floor. Sure enough, there was an animal cage there, confirming they had left it at the administrative office before departing.

After returning the creature, I quickly emptied my hyung’s medicine box onto the desk and counted the medicine bottles.

The medicine hyung gave me was for a year’s worth, and calculating generously with a month as 5 weeks, there were 60 bottles.

First, since I don’t know what might happen, I need to divide them conservatively.

I’ll limit the amount I can use to 30 bottles and keep the remaining 30 for unforeseen circumstances.

‘About 10 for experiments should be enough.’

I opened one bottle and diluted the poison.

‘The problem is how to confirm the effects.’

I thought about catching a magical beast… but I felt sorry for the poor thing and gave up.

Since there’s no clever method, I have no choice but to drink it myself.

What I’ll manipulate today is temperature and ingredient ratios.

I might fail at this stage, but first I’ll experiment with these two things.

There will be quite a few possible combinations, but I have no choice but to tackle them directly.

Leo isn’t the future Leo either, so there’s nothing I can gain by asking for his help.

Given the environment he grew up in, he’d certainly be more skilled than me… but I can’t drag someone who’s attending classes over here.

And so, I began my experiments.

* * *

Knock knock―

“Lucas, I brought the notes.”

After six in the evening, I heard the students’ voices from outside.

These guys are doing something that doesn’t suit them.

To think they’d come on their own when I didn’t show up—they seem to have understood what I meant yesterday.

“Lucas?”

“Just leave them in front.”

I squeezed out all my strength to shout as loudly as possible and got up from the sofa.

Then I realized I’d overestimated my physical strength and lay back down.

‘Damn….’

I created the body ache myself.

Even though I only dropped one or two drops per attempt, the effect was definite.

No, not effect—adverse effect. After drinking poison for the first time in a while, my body had no strength.

When I checked my status window, sure enough, my physical strength score had dropped by a whole point. That should return in a week anyway.

I stretched out my hand and spread it.

It was shaking crazily, as if someone was grabbing and shaking it.

‘So this is what happens when you quit and then drink again.’

I’m trying all sorts of things in my life.

This is why I wanted to test it little by little over a long period.

So, did I fail…?

I took a deep breath to slow the trembling.

And immediately reached out to grab the bottle on the table and poured its contents into my mouth. Instantly, the area around my heart grew cold, and that flow spread throughout my body.

‘Status window.’

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: Hunter of ???

Stamina: +3.3 (+7.0) [+6.3]

Mental Power: -6.6 (+1.0)

Mana: ?

Skill: +1.07 (+0.05) [+4.07]

Impression: -10

Luck: -5.385 (+1.0)

Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power

I succeeded. In just one day.

“Ha, haha… ha…”

I breathed in gasps and laughed like a madman.

I’m not sure if I could call it lucky. It was the result of going through more than half of the plans I had laid out in advance.

Still, I’m satisfied that I succeeded just by controlling temperature and ratios.

I suddenly lifted my body that had been lying limp.

Though fatigue remained, vitality was gradually returning to my core, so I could stand up properly.

‘Let me try using mana first.’

Even though it was thanks to medicine and artifacts, I couldn’t believe I had actually obtained a 6.3 core. I felt like I needed to see the results directly to get a feel for it.

I lightly rubbed my fingers together to create a flame.

Crackle―!

‘Oh.’

I was amazed at the red magic that blazed up before my eyes.

Even without directly drawing mana from my core, mana was released just through visualization and simple gestures.

The smooth flow of mana wasn’t everything.

The color was also subtly different. It was the same red magic as usual, but each strand had a different hue. The magic Leo saw as a child was probably closer to my current magic than the magic I usually used.

The diversity of colors is also a criterion that separates talented mages from those who aren’t. It means they can naturally operate mana of various properties.

My mana stat hadn’t even increased, yet just one point of core health improvement showed visible changes – it felt refreshing.

‘Should I try divine power too?’

I naturally engraved the divine power formula in my mind and rubbed my hands with the same intensity as before.

Instantly, the air rippled smoothly like a water surface, and pure white light scattered over it as if sunlight had touched it. Despite being just a slight activation, the curtains on the opposite side of the room fluttered.

‘This comes out better than mana.’

The activation range itself is different too.

This must be the kind of magic Pleroma uses.

‘Though I find it ridiculous to call processed mana power “divine authority” or whatever…’

Anyway, in this place, divine power is sacred power, and I can manifest the most perfect proof of faith from my hands. I became genuinely curious whether they could still claim I’m Pleroma after seeing this.

In any case, the preparations were complete.

Now I just needed to check how much more medicine I could take.

I wanted to pour it all in until I reached 10 points, but no matter how good something is, dumping it all at once could be burdensome.

I replicated the same manufacturing method from before to make the medicine.

Sure enough, after my stamina score increased by another 0.2 points, pain gradually began in my core. I immediately closed the medicine cap and cleaned up.

‘Maximum 6.5 points based on artifact usage.’

Matching this, I could supplement little by little whenever the medicine’s effect wore off.

Now I wouldn’t tire easily even if I used magic all day. I took out the pendant.

Just as I was about to infuse mana into it, I heard an odd sound from somewhere.

“Squeak…”

I stopped my actions and looked around.

“Squeeeak―!”

‘Hm?’

Anyone could tell it was an animal’s cry.

I immediately turned around.

The grayish-brown lump I had left at the Administrative Office was looking at me with a strangely haggard face.

This was the first time I’d seen it with its eyes open, and now I could see it was definitely closer to a hamster than a rat. Actually, even that was unclear.

Anyway, one thing was certain.

If it jumped wrong and got under the furniture, it looked like it would gnaw through all the wood.

‘Why is it here when I left it at the Administrative Office in the first place?’

After a breathless staring contest with the animal, I quietly looked around first.

Isn’t there something to cover that thing with?

Nothing.

Having finished thinking, I quickly flicked my finger.

Whoosh―!

The animal floated up in the air. Fortunately, it was small enough that there was no problem lifting and moving it with magic.

I put the necklace back inside my clothes and pulled the animal closer to my hand. I should release this thing outside first and then go train. I carefully dispelled the magic and held the animal in one hand.

“Squeeeak―!”

“Yes, I’ll let you out now.”

“Wait!”

I opened the door, went out, and threw the notebook that was placed in front of my room inside.

The moment I turned around to close the door, chills ran down my spine.

“…”

Who said those last words?

I looked around.

I’m the only one using this floor. Nobody wanted to be assigned a room on the same floor as Luca.

Still, there’s a rooftop right above, so students frequently come and go using the stairs on both sides.

Maybe someone shouted from the stairs downstairs or outside the dormitory and it echoed loudly. Since it’s evening, sounds from below could resonate even better.

I found the most logical answer, accepted it, and started walking again.

“Ah, wait! Hold on!”

“…”

I looked down at my hand with cold eyes.

A rational suspicion crossed my mind, making me wonder if I’d gone completely insane from being in this crazy world.

“You’re going to dump me outside?! Listen to me first!”

“What…”

I felt my vision going dark as I loosened my grip. The animal panicked and grabbed onto my hand tightly.

“Squeak!”

Let me calm down for a moment.

There’s no one around, but I’m hearing a human voice.

Coincidentally, it’s saying things this animal would say if it were human.

There are stories here about being able to grant personality to animals with divine power, but such things have never actually happened.

Maybe I wanted an animal to speak human words because Luca had too few friends. So I’m hearing hallucinations.

“No, I’m really talking to you! And listen to me before you dump me.”

I looked up at the ceiling and rubbed my face with my other hand.

After taking a deep breath, I seriously considered where my mind had gone wrong.

And, as always, I reached the conclusion that it was more likely this world was crazy, not me.

‘I wonder if a status window will appear.’

I looked into the animal’s round eyes and called up the status window.

‘Status window.’

Will it appear?

I sighed and turned my gaze away even after calling it up myself.

Then, something flashed by.

Pie

Affection +10

Title: ―

Stamina: +1

Mental Power: 0

Magic Power: +1

Skill: +1

Impression: +3

Luck: +1

Trait: Divine Power

* * *

Since a more human-like status window appeared than expected, I couldn’t just pass by it.

Most importantly, for some reason, the favorability was +10. It was the second positive number after Narke.

I needed to find out why.

I entered the room and calmly attempted a conversation.

To cut to the conclusion, the animal did indeed speak.

Through our conversation, I could tell that its mental age wasn’t very high. In human terms, it was about five or six years old.

The Antagonist knew that the students had tried to catch it to feed to me, and also knew that I ultimately didn’t eat it and safely handed it over to its owner.

The favorability reaching maximum seemed to be for that reason.

‘An animal… Is it generous with its evaluations?’

It wasn’t just high, but had already reached full marks from the start, which was honestly surprising.

Of course, the favorability might have increased even more after learning that we could communicate.

Since the nature of divine power must be compatible, it couldn’t communicate with most humans, and this was actually only the second time it had met a human it could talk to.

The reason it kept escaping from the Administrative Office was that since it used divine power as an energy source, it needed to drink holy water, but the staff gave it regular water instead of the holy water Narke had provided.

I infused divine power into the Antagonist’s body and asked.

“Do you feel like you’ll live now?”

“Yeah! Thank you.”

The Animal rolled over and flopped down on the desk with its belly up.

“But you… what species are you?”

“Species?”

“I mean, what kind of animal are you?”

The Antagonist thought for a long time before answering.

“I don’t know! I’m just me.”

“Right, I see.”

What was I expecting… It’s probably something like a hamster.

I gave up on understanding and headed back to the Administrative Office with the Antagonist.

* * *

“Phew…”

I put away my wand and stood up from my seat.

Looking outside, dawn was already breaking.

I left Pie at the Administrative Office and practiced magic at the Training Ground until midnight, then devoted myself entirely to physical training after that.

And so…

Ding―!

〈 Chapter 3. Constant Drops Wear Away the Stone (1) 〉

Proposal 2: Achieve ‘Stamina’ score of 0 (1/1) (9 hours 17 minutes 33 seconds)

* Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 3 Special Reward 〉

* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 4. One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer 〉

Congratulations!

‘Proposal 2: Achieve ‘Stamina’ score of 0′ successful!

‘Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 3 Special Reward 〉’ confirmed.

A week had passed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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