The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 16

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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 16. Mental Training (1)
“You found research funding?”
The Laboratory looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Professor Jade’s wrinkled eyes widened considerably.
“Yes, exactly as you said—one million Gold. I’ve secured it.”
“…Huh.”
Professor Jade regarded me with an expression of utter disbelief.
Fair enough.
What Candidate in this world would actually bring one million Gold to participate in a professor’s research?
Especially to a professor conducting what the Holy Kingdom calls a forbidden “taboo research.”
“Are you in your right mind?”
I never thought the day would come when Professor Jade would ask me that.
“Wasn’t it you who said we’d need at least one million Gold to begin the research?”
“…I did say that, but…”
His expression suggested he’d never actually expected me to procure it.
“Still, I understand you’re receiving tuition support from the Republic to attend the Academy… where did you get this one million Gold?”
“You’ve even looked into my background?”
“Stop wasting time and answer the question.”
Professor Jade’s wrinkled eyes narrowed.
I shrugged my shoulders and answered with composure.
“I borrowed it from a friend.”
“Borrowed? One million Gold?”
“Have you heard of Juliet Kang?”
“Never heard of him.”
“He’s the son of one of the Republic’s top five conglomerates, and he’s my friend.”
“Hmm.”
Even for a conglomerate heir, lending such an enormous sum to another Candidate would be no simple matter.
“Why are you so desperate to conduct stigma research?”
“There’s something I’d like you to create for me, Professor.”
“Something you’d like me to create?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
I opened my mouth softly, meeting Professor Jade’s questioning gaze.
“A stigma amplifier.”
“A stigma amplifier?”
“Simply put, it’s a potion that artificially triggers stigma runaway to increase magical power.”
For someone like me who constantly suffered from insufficient magical power, it would be like rain in a drought.
Of course, the increase in magical power would be temporary, but the amount generated by stigma runaway far exceeded what any ordinary elixir or spirit creature could provide.
‘If I’d been under the effects of a stigma amplifier, the outcome of my sparring match with Professor Lucas Kane would have been different.’
Perhaps it wouldn’t have been me crashing through the wall and collapsing, but Professor Lucas Kane instead.
The surge in magical power from the Sacred Mark Amplifier was extraordinary.
Of course.
But every benefit came with its own price.
“Artificially triggering a Sacred Mark into runaway state… heh, hehehehehehe!”
Professor Jade’s shoulders trembled as he laughed like a madman.
An unpleasant sound like scraping metal leaked from between his lips.
“You… you truly have no idea what happens when a Sacred Mark is artificially sent into runaway state, do you?”
“I do know.”
“You know and still spout such nonsense?”
Professor Jade’s eyes gleamed with savage intensity.
“A Sacred Mark is a vessel for magical power—a heart of sorts that distributes mana throughout the entire body. And you want to artificially trigger it into runaway?”
I had conducted my share of unhinged research, but the Sacred Mark Amplifier was a form of madness that transcended even that.
“When a Sacred Mark enters runaway state, the vital channels throughout the body twist, and within moments, the internal organs rupture. Death comes in excruciating agony.”
In name it was a Sacred Mark Amplifier, but in truth it was nothing more than poison.
“Perhaps through research, one might eventually create something that allows survival once without dying. But if consumed more than twice, the body simply cannot endure it.”
“There’s no need to endure it.”
“…What did you say?”
“If the effect is certain, it doesn’t matter if one dies after a single dose.”
“…Sigh.”
A quiet sigh escaped from between Professor Jade’s lips.
He waved his hand dismissively, as though I wasn’t worth another word.
“Get out of my laboratory this instant.”
A firm order of expulsion.
Displeasure was written plainly across Professor Jade’s face as he turned away.
‘I suppose that’s the natural reaction.’
Had I been in his position, I would have thrown out such a madman without hesitation.
‘There’s no helping it.’
To make the professor research the Sacred Mark Amplifier, I couldn’t simply hide the cards I held.
Shing.
I drew the blade from the sheath at my waist.
Upon seeing the sharply honed edge, Professor Jade let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
“Surely you’re not trying to threaten me with that?”
“Would such a threat work on someone who has continued Sacred Mark research despite the Holy Kingdom’s pressure?”
“Then what?”
“A demonstration would be faster than an explanation.”
I brought the sharp blade to his neck.
And cut.
Splash!
Blood sprayed forth like a fountain.
The severed head rolled across the floor with a dull thud.
“W-what in the…!”
Professor Jade jolted upright from his chair, his face drained of color.
While he stumbled about, drenched in cascading blood.
“…Huh?”
The blood that had poured onto his body transformed into gray ash, scattering to the floor with a soft patter.
And then.
“Now do you understand? Why I said it didn’t matter.”
“Gasp…!”
Professor Jade stumbled backward, his mouth agape as if he’d witnessed a ghost.
“Y-you… what on earth… how is this…?”
Well, this reaction was natural enough for a first viewing.
“Are you casting illusion magic on me right now…?”
“Why would the Warrior Department use illusion magic?”
I could manage the basics well enough after learning from Sophia, but.
“This is thanks to the Blessing of Resurrection.”
“…Blessing of Resurrection?”
“Yes. When one sustains a fatal wound leading to death, the body regenerates through this blessing.”
“I see.”
Professor Jade stared at me with an expression of disbelief.
I brought my sword back to his neck and asked.
“If you don’t believe me, shall I demonstrate once more?”
“N-no. That won’t be necessary!”
Professor Jade shook his head vigorously, his face pale with fright.
Phew.
After taking a deep breath to calm his agitation, the professor spoke again, his voice somewhat steadier.
“So because of this Blessing of Resurrection you possess, any wound regenerates immediately?”
“The concept is somewhat different, but… well, you could say that’s roughly correct.”
“…So that’s why you asked me to develop that insane thing called a Stigma Amplifier.”
Even if a stigma goes berserk and twists the vital energy throughout one’s entire body, if I can regenerate through this Blessing of Resurrection, there’s no reason to worry about such side effects.
In other words.
For Dale Han at least, the Stigma Amplifier becomes a flawless elixir with absolutely no adverse effects whatsoever.
“But surely even with such a blessing, there must be limits to how much the body can regenerate?”
“Limits…”
A bitter smile played at my lips.
If such limits had existed in the first place.
I wouldn’t have wandered alone through hundreds, thousands of years, yearning only for death.
“At the very least, it’s not so limited that it cannot heal the side effects from the Stigma Amplifier.”
“Hmm.”
Indeed.
Having just witnessed my severed head regenerate instantly before his eyes, there was no room to doubt the regenerative power of the Blessing of Resurrection.
‘If he possesses a blessing that instantly regenerates even fatal wounds leading to death.’
Gulp.
A dry swallow traveled down Professor Jade’s throat.
Along with the sensation of heat rising at the nape of his neck, a shiver rippled down his spine.
‘I could explosively accelerate the stigma research that has been stagnating until now.’
Why was stigma research so taboo?
Of course there were religious concerns, but more than that, it was because touching such a delicate organ as the ‘stigma’ was extremely dangerous.
But if an existence that could reduce that risk itself to zero were to assist with the research?
‘…Perhaps.’
I might finally realize the ‘dream’ I had longed for.
‘Oscar.’
A young man with crimson hair, whose bright and cheerful smile had suited him so well.
At the sight of my former student’s face, which came to mind so naturally, I closed my eyes tightly.
A burning guilt that seemed to sear my chest.
The more I recalled memories of my student, the more my breath became suffocated, as if someone were strangling my throat.
“Professor?”
“Ah… yes, I apologize.”
I shook my head as if to cast off the thoughts swirling in my mind.
“So, since side effects are meaningless to you, you’re asking me to create a stigma amplifier?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. A stigma amplifier….”
Something that causes the stigma to go haywire, granting temporary but explosive magical power.
“…It doesn’t seem difficult to create.”
“Oh.”
“Well, there are already several researched methods for causing stigma to go haywire. The problem is that the stigma’s rampage must lead to a temporary increase in magical output… this will require further research.”
“I will assist with the research as well.”
“Tsk tsk tsk! You’ll assist with the research?”
I shook my head as if to say such nonsense.
“Aren’t you from the Warrior Department? You’ve never even taken classes in magic or alchemy….”
“I understand the theory to some degree.”
“Heh. Well then, shall we try solving this problem?”
I picked up one of the papers haphazardly stacked on the table and held it out.
The content written on the paper was related to three difficult problems left behind by the ‘Great Sage,’ my distant ancestor.
It was a problem of such difficulty that even most Magic Department professors couldn’t solve it, let alone understand it.
I had presented it intending to tease a Warrior Department candidate who didn’t understand how difficult magic as a discipline truly was.
“I solved it.”
“What?”
Solved it?
And just by glancing at the paper?
Sigh.
Professor Jade exhaled deeply and accepted the paper.
“You wouldn’t understand, but this isn’t the sort of problem you can solve by guessing… huh?”
“Is there an incorrect section?”
“Ah, no. Um, how… this can’t be… this shouldn’t be possible.”
Professor Jade’s hand trembled as he gripped the paper.
“You… you…”
Fire ignited in Professor Jade’s eyes as he stared at Dale.
His breathing grew ragged, as though he had just encountered the first love of his dreams.
The professor strode forward and seized Dale’s shoulder roughly.
“You…! Have you considered transferring to the Magic Department?!”
“Pardon?”
“After graduation, join my Laboratory! I’ll sponsor you in the name of ‘Bastian’!”
“No, thank you.”
That’s not really an option for me.

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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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