The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 77
“…Am I seeing things?”
I rubbed my eyes, but the sight remained unchanged.
“…Why?”
When I asked someone nearby, they told me that while I’d been hospitalized, the tenants in the single-room apartments had gotten into a fight over noise between floors.
An angry mercenary mage had unleashed Flame Magic, started a fire, and the entire building burned to the ground in moments.
‘Did I just become a disaster victim overnight? Wait—what about my deposit?’
When I hurried to investigate, I learned that the mercenary mage and the building owner had both fled in the dead of night.
Overnight, I’d become a penniless vagrant without a home.
-Chirp! Chirp!
Stunned into a daze, Mari flew excitedly around me, putting on an adorable display to lift my spirits.
The charm magic of a great dragon was formidable—I barely managed to pull myself together.
‘…Well, I was planning to move anyway because of the noise between floors, so let’s look on the bright side. The deposit was just pocket change anyway. So it’s fine. It’s fine, really…’
Where was I supposed to get the money from?
‘I’ll earn it.’
I happened to have a week’s vacation coming up.
“…Could you look into short-term part-time work for me?”
“Of course—find me something befitting my great stature. The highest-paying position possible.”
Even while homeless, the Black Flame Dragon refused to abandon its dignity.
Liran, one of the lords of Sarong Fortress and an executive of the Rebel Army, blinked at me.
Liran was well-connected, often brokering various high-level commissions.
“As it happens, I do know of something suitable. Have you ever heard of the Dark Auction?”
I stiffened instantly.
Of course I had.
It was an auction managed by the Dark Tower, the tower of Black Mages.
Along with the Abyss and the Order, it was one of the world’s three major villain factions.
It was certainly no legitimate auction.
It handled illegal goods as a matter of course,
‘and it was the most horrifying auction in the world—overseen by demons.’
Black Mages are those who wield Magic to manipulate the world’s negative forces.
Consequently, they easily fell prey to demonic temptation, and most Black Mages eventually made pacts with demons.
The real purpose behind Black Mages holding the Dark Auction was demonic amusement. Thus, they orchestrated all manner of vile occurrences during the bidding.
Still, such magnificent treasures were put up for auction that many sought invitations by any means necessary.
“You want me to act as a proxy?”
“Exactly, as I thought you would understand. Yes, precisely. Due to the nature of the auction, many prospective buyers find it difficult to attend in person. Trustworthy proxies are frequently needed.”
I paused to consider.
The job itself wasn’t unreasonable.
It was simply a matter of purchasing items on behalf of a client and bringing them back.
‘The Dark Tower guarantees the safety of attendees.’
If anyone attacked an attendee, they’d make an enemy of the Dark Tower, so danger wasn’t a concern.
But it wasn’t that simple to think about.
The Dark Auction’s purpose wasn’t profit—it was demonic ‘amusement.’
In other words, an ‘event’ that would delight the demons was certain to occur.
‘The type of event varies each time, but it always amounts to some scheme designed to provoke the attendees’ basest instincts.’
Apparently sharing similar thoughts, Liran spoke up.
“Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this Dark Auction job. Wouldn’t it be better to find other work, perhaps with lower pay but less risk?”
“What other jobs are there?”
“Please, give me a moment.”
He rattled off a list, but none of the conditions seemed right.
Either they demanded exhausting labor, paid pittance, carried extreme danger, or required an unreasonable amount of time.
‘Earning money really isn’t easy.’
I had no choice but to ask about that Dark Auction job.
Not that I’d agreed to do it—I was just asking about it.
“Tell me about the Dark Auction job one more time.”
“Are you certain?”
“I’ll make my own judgment. Just explain.”
The moment I heard what Liran said next, I couldn’t help but be startled.
“The commission is to purchase a Gray Ritual Book and verify its authenticity.”
I was shocked by the mention of such an extraordinarily significant object.
‘The Gray Ritual Book appeared at the Dark Auction? That item capable of plunging the world into destruction?’
The Warrior Academy doesn’t only have happy endings.
There were several Bad Ending routes, and one of them happens precisely because of this Gray Ritual Book.
When a creature from another realm is suddenly summoned into the world, you meet one such ending.
‘Wait—then who made this request?’
I asked cautiously.
“Who’s the one who made the request?”
“Normally I shouldn’t say, but since you’re my benefactor, I’ll give you a hint. The reason I didn’t want to entrust this request to you is partly because of the requester’s identity. They’re a dangerous existence whose true nature you absolutely must not learn.”
I swallowed a groan.
‘It has to be the King of Defying Heaven from the Ten Demons.’
The Ten Demons.
It refers to the ten most terrifying, worst villains imaginable. For reference, the Slaughter Demon and Linden become two of these Ten Demons in the scenario.
The King of Defying Heaven was at Level 8’s peak, having reached the Realm of Ascetic, and was among the most formidable of those Ten Demons.
The Lord of the Abyss.
The Black Tower Master of the Dark Tower.
The Pontiff of the Order.
He was considered an even greater threat than any of these three—the ultimate villain.
For reference, the Abyss, the Dark Tower, and the Order are separate villain factions independent of Ouroboros.
‘Just like Liran said, this is a request I absolutely should not accept.’
And yet.
“This is rather troubling.”
“Yes, you’ve thought it through well. The compensation is high, but it’s right not to take on such a request.”
“…How much is the compensation?”
“Fifty thousand Penal.”
…….
In that instant, my head began to spin.
‘Fifty thousand Penal—isn’t that enough to buy a house in the Free City?’
A house of my own!
It was truly a dream come true.
I’d even become a sales king in my previous life, but I never managed to get my own place.
The best I’d had was a modest jeonse apartment.
‘No, but it’s dangerous. The other party is the King of Defying Heaven!’
Greed and fear clashed furiously in my mind.
A conclusion came quickly.
Greed won.
“I’ll take the request.”
“Benefactor? It’s dangerous!”
“How foolish. I am Ban Ecclesia, the Miracle Maker. Don’t you know that no danger, however grave, can make me yield?”
“Ah.”
For the sake of owning my own home, even a commoner like me could find courage.
However, I couldn’t simply complete the request as stated.
‘If the Gray Ritual Book actually reaches the King of Defying Heaven, it might trigger a Bad Ending.’
I had to secure the compensation while simultaneously preventing the Gray Ritual Book from reaching him.
In other words, I had to commit a kind of fraud.
The problem was the risk involved.
‘If he finds out I’ve interfered, the King of Defying Heaven will tear me to shreds.’
My body trembled at the mere thought, but I steeled my resolve.
‘Fighting for my own home!’
* * *
Once I’d accepted the request, I realized there was no need to view it so negatively.
It seemed I could resolve it surprisingly easily.
‘Sneaking the Gray Ritual Book away right under the King of Defying Heaven’s nose is impossible anyway.’
I devised a different strategy.
Something practical and simple.
I would purchase the Gray Ritual Book at the auction as planned, then secretly alter its contents before handing it over to the King of Defying Heaven.
After all, the Gray Ritual Book ending occurs when the protagonists are in the second half of their second year.
That meant even if the King of Defying Heaven obtained the book now, it would take nearly two years just to decipher it.
Since it was that cryptic, if I used my Grand Master Ability in Magic to alter it without leaving a trace, it would be nearly impossible for him to recognize the tampering.
‘If I play my cards right, I might even cause the King of Defying Heaven to fall into Demon Possession instead. Then I’d eliminate a powerful villain without lifting a finger.’
Moreover, this plan had one major advantage.
Since I’d still be completing the request, I could pocket the entire compensation!
‘I could even buy a house of my own!!’
-Thump! Thump!
I steeled my resolve and crossed through the portal.
No one knows the location where the Dark Auction is held.
When you activate the Invitation Ticket you received beforehand as you pass through the portal, the coordinates shift and transport you to the auction venue.
Whoosh!
The darkness of the pocket dimension gave way, and my vision brightened.
The sunlight struck my eyes harshly.
‘An island?’
It wasn’t an imperial island.
Exotic tropical plants—palm trees and the like.
A beautiful vista as picturesque as a resort on Earth.
The sort of place you’d see as a computer desktop background.
‘I remember Maldives looking like this. But of all places to choose, they had to pick something so tasteless.’
In this earthly paradise, unspeakable things were about to unfold.
The devil’s sensibilities were on full display.
[Welcome. May I see your Invitation Ticket?]
A masked figure approached me.
‘A Black Mage. One of the auction staff.’
I felt a surge of demonic energy.
Not every Black Mage is a demon contractor.
Some studied the world’s negative energies purely for academic purposes, pursuing the discipline with genuine scholarly intent.
But the vast majority of Black Mages were demon contractors, and everyone here at the auction without exception fell into that category.
[Confirmed. To protect the confidentiality of our guests, please wear this Mask.]
I complied without resistance.
[The auction begins this evening. The return portal will open in five days, so please enjoy the festivities until then.]
“There’s no way to leave before that?”
[No, it is a rule of our auction.]
A scheme designed for the devil’s amusement.
‘For five days, events will occur that stir up humanity’s ugliness.’
It didn’t matter to me.
I’d simply stay quiet and unnoticed, then leave when the time came.
If anything, I was grateful for these five days. I could manipulate the Gray Ritual Book during that time.
The Black Mages guided me to a mansion in the center of the island.
It was where the auction would take place, and when I entered, quite a few guests were already present.
‘Just from the aura they give off, every single one is a major player. Who exactly is attending?’
I swallowed hard.
So much for confidentiality.
This Mask didn’t completely conceal my identity.
‘If someone is at a higher Realm than I am, they can pierce through the Mask with Magic. This is another of the devil’s schemes—deliberately sowing discord.’
As soon as I appeared, all the guests fixed their gazes upon me, trying to discern my identity.
‘How dare they. They won’t succeed. I never lose battles of this kind.’
I blocked their probing gazes using the Grand Master Ability.
No one could identify me, and a subtle shock rippled through the assembled guests.
“You couldn’t see through the Mask?”
“You couldn’t identify them either, my lord? It seems a VIP of unknown identity has arrived.”
As I mentioned, if an opponent’s Realm surpasses one’s own, the Mask cannot be pierced.
So all the guests now mistook me for a being of far greater Realm than themselves!
‘I absolutely cannot let slip that I’m a fraud. No careless moves.’
The Dark Tower guarantees the safety of its guests, but does not prevent legitimate “transactions” between them.
In other words, so long as no one’s safety is jeopardized, “coercion” and “theft” are all legally permitted—all manner of horrors take place.
To ensure my own safety more reliably, I opened my mouth.
‘Black Flame Dragon, help me.’
“This displeases me. Remove these worthless eyes, or you’ll never see light again.”
“!!”
Whoosh!
The faces of the assembled guests went rigid.
The Black Flame Dragon’s overwhelming pressure deepened their misunderstanding about who I was.

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