The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 84

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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 84

“You, you…! What are you thinking?!”
At Nif’s words, Khalid let out a hollow laugh.
Beside him stood another Nif, wielding a large scythe. Unlike the phantom whose face was grotesquely contorted, the Nif across from him bore no pretense, no eerie grin—only a composed expression as she turned to regard Khalid and posed her question.
“Should I eliminate them all?”
“Yes.”
At Khalid’s nod, Nif began mercilessly cutting down the zombie-like figures that surrounded him.
Khalid had to force himself not to recall the scene from one hundred twenty-four years ago.
“You killed her! How dare you wear her face?! You murdered Nif! A killer who slew even your own sister! A madman intoxicated by slaughter!”
The phantom of Nif shrieked, desperate to wound Khalid’s weakest points. But he responded with a voice dripping with contempt.
“Within me, Nif has always been stronger than I am.”
Thud.
Khalid advanced toward the phantom.
“More beautiful.”
“No, don’t come closer!”
The phantom retreated, faltering, but Khalid did not stop.
“More wise.”
A large scythe materialized in Khalid’s grip.
“More noble.”
“Stop it—!”
Slash!
Khalid’s scythe severed the phantom’s neck. The severed head fell to the ground, speaking to him in disbelief.
“How can you not waver at the sight of me…?”
“You are not Nif. Nif would never be like you.”
Crunch.
Khalid’s foot mercilessly crushed the phantom’s head. The mangled remains could speak no more.
“That’s why I feel no guilt.”
Khalid gazed at the Nif who approached him. Her expression remained serene.
“It’s all finished.”
True to her word, all the grotesque figures had vanished. Khalid exhaled deeply.
“Thank you.”
Nif smiled faintly, as if to say he was being overly courteous.
“I am your autonomous defense system. I merely did what was necessary.”
Khalid was well aware that this magic, wearing Nif’s form to protect his mind, was not truly his sister. Yet hearing her speak those words, a sharp pain pierced his chest.
As melancholy threatened to overtake him, Khalid ceased his reminiscence. When he gathered his senses, the Banquet Hall had returned to its original state.
Khalid glanced around and noticed one thing had changed since moments before: a crack ran through one of the mirrors hanging on the wall.
“So that was the conduit.”
Khalid realized that the Demon Beasts had been traveling through the mirrors. Just then, Pongko, who had been missing for some time, crawled out from a corner where furniture debris had accumulated.
“Khalid, are you alright? You managed to escape quite skillfully.”
“You’re one to talk—you hid yourself remarkably well without getting caught.”
“No, I almost got caught too, but strangely, mental magic doesn’t seem to work on me.”
“Is that so?”
Khalid tilted his head curiously, his eyes scanning Pongko from top to bottom.
“Perhaps it’s because you’re a rabbit?”
“Anyway, that’s not what matters. I found Leoryna!”
“Really?!”
At Khalid’s excited response, Pongko pointed to one of the mirrors.
“It’s that mirror!”
At first, Khalid thought it was a portrait in a frame rather than a mirror. Inside the frame was a small girl he’d never seen before, tears streaming down her face.
But the familiar platinum-blonde hair and those olive-green eyes reminiscent of peridot gave her away instantly.
“Leoryna!”
Khalid tapped on the mirror, but the young Leoryna inside didn’t respond. He clicked his tongue and drew his greatsword, looking ready to cleave the mirror in two—until Pongko frantically blocked him.
“If you carelessly destroy the mirror, Leoryna’s mind could suffer irreparable damage! If we’re not careful, she might never escape the illusion! We have to strike the Demon Beast’s true body!”
Pongko’s concern was justified. Khalid agreed with the logic, so he lowered the greatsword he’d raised high and furrowed his brow.
“Then what do we do? How are we supposed to find where the true body is?”
“If we take a little time to search for it…”
“We don’t have time for that! If Leoryna’s mind gets completely devoured before I find it, it’s all for nothing!”
Khalid began tapping his foot impatiently again.
Pongko fell silent in thought for a moment before speaking.
“What if we just pull Leoryna out of there? You escaped on your own power, after all. It should be possible to escape without destroying the Demon Beast.”
“How would we pull her out? Do you even know how to get in?”
“Leoryna and I are connected through our magical power. I can ride that connection to enter.”
Pongko’s idea sounded plausible enough that Khalid nodded, though concern flickered across his face.
“But will your magical power really reach Leoryna? What if you lose the connection along the way?”
“It should be fine. I’ve done it before.”
“When?”
Pongko couldn’t mention the time he’d entered Khalid’s dream and traveled back and forth along the magical connection with Leoryna, so he changed the subject.
“That’s not important right now. We need to rescue Leoryna quickly!”
“Alright. Either way, you’re certain you can do this, right?”
“Yes! Just trust me!”
Khalid lifted Pongko into his arms. Together, they rode the magical power connecting them to Leoryna and entered the mirror.

* * *

“Gasp, gasp…!”
I ran through the endless Dark Forest Path, my breath catching in my throat, my lungs burning as if they might tear apart.
Yet I couldn’t stop running.
“Come here!”
The sound of the man chasing me from behind never ceased.
At the same time, another voice reached my ears.
“Leoryna, Leoryna… Come to Mother. Where are you going like that?”
“It’s Father, Leoryna. Come here and help Father, won’t you?”
“No, no, no!”
I covered both my ears and shook my head violently.
It’s a trap. All of it’s a trap. Mother and Father are gone. That man killed them! If I get caught, I might die too!
I was out of my mind with terror.
I thought I’d buried it deep in my memory. I thought I’d overcome it all! Now that rat-like murderer is nothing to me anymore!
“Where did you go, you bastard?!”
The man shrieked sharply again.
“Mother! Save me, Mother! Father! Father!”
-Mother, where are your parents? Your parents died protecting you.
Someone whispered in my ear like that. At those words, my heart turned cold.
-You’re alone. You’ll always be alone.
“No! I’m not alone!”
-Then who’s beside you right now?
My eyes widened without my realizing it.
After my parents passed, I had been utterly alone until now. Even on missions, the nature of the work meant I went alone, and there was no one I could trust with my back. I had almost no one I could call a friend.
In this situation after my parents’ death, there was no one who would come running to help me. So I always fought alone, and this time too, I had to fight alone.
But….
-Oh, poor Leoryna. There’s no one to protect you. If it were me, I could keep protecting you forever.
‘Someone’ whispered in my ear now with a tone completely opposite to the terrifying voice that had been driving me forward—tender and sweet. It was so honeyed that I found myself stopping in my tracks.
“Really…?”
-Really indeed. If it were me, I could be with you forever.
“Will you be on my side forever?”
-Of course. I’ll always be on your side.
“Is that so? Then I….”
Before me appeared the Red-Haired Woman with her striking crimson locks. Joy bloomed across my face as I reached out my hand toward her.
“Master…!”
“Oh! Nya!”
Crack!

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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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