After his lecture, Vanitas headed to Roselyn’s facility.
“This is my gift to you, Professor. No, it’s my way of showing gratitude for everything you’ve done for me. I call it the Astrea Archmage Gauntlet II—or Astrea AG. II for short.”
“The second? So this is the second prototype?”
Vanitas found the addition of “Archmage” to the name slightly embarrassing. His abilities and mana capacity were far from those of an Archmage.
“Yes,” Roselyn replied. “This version has been modified according to your specifications. It’s also designed for further enhancements in the future. Additionally, I’ve embedded an adjustment spell so it perfectly adapts to your arm.”
“I see.”
Vanitas nodded and opened the sleek black case. Inside was a black steel gauntlet with amethyst outlines tracing the joints, giving it a clean and elegant appearance.
Pouring mana into his spectacles, he scanned the item.
——「Astrea AG. II」——
◆ Description: A sleek, black-steel gauntlet embedded with the Ethereal Fragment and Numen’s Azure Shard, serving as a powerful medium for spellcasting.
◆ Effects:
◆ Enhances mana detection within 500 meters.
◆ Slowly restores mana when worn.
◆ Significantly enhances the potency and efficiency of spells.
◆ Harmonizes with the wielder’s mana, granting improved control in spellcasting.
——————
“Try it on, Professor. I hope it meets your expectations.”
“Yes,” Vanitas replied with a nod.
He slid the gauntlet onto his arm. It fit perfectly, more like a second skin than a piece of equipment. The design was sleek and unobtrusive, unlike the bulkiness of the first prototype.
“Oh?”
There was no strain on the joints or fingers, and it seemed to incorporate an absolute-zero cooling formula to prevent his arm from sweating.
It felt as though the gauntlet wasn’t even there, as if the gauntlet had become part of him.
“This is extraordinary work, Roselyn.”
“I’m glad it meets your expectations, Professor,” Roselyn said. “I designed it to integrate with your mana flow and physical movements. The cooling formula was added to ensure you could wear it for extended periods without fatigue.”
“You’ve exceeded expectations. This is a masterpiece.”
Roselyn smiled. “Thank you. If you encounter any issues, let me know. I can make further adjustments or enhancements.”
Vanitas flexed his arm again. “Yes, I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Would you like to test it in a practical setting?” Roselyn asked.
“Yes.”
Roselyn smiled and led him to the testing ground. The area was littered with scorch marks, scattered metal pieces, screws, and crumpled papers, clearly showing signs of heavy use without much cleaning.
“Ah, sorry about the mess,” Roselyn said, looking a bit embarrassed. “I’ll call someone to clean it up.”
“There’s no need,” Vanitas said, waving a hand dismissively. “I might make a bit of a mess anyway.”
Roselyn hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Alright. Let me activate the mana regulators for safety.”
“Oh?”
Vanitas noticed the mana regulator. It resembled a barrier, but was far more controlled and efficient. It was ideal for laboratory settings.
Roselyn walked to the control panel and flipped a few switches. A sharp zing sound filled the air as the stabilizers powered on.
“All set,” Roselyn said, stepping back. “Feel free to test it, Professor.”
Vanitas stepped forward, extending his arm. Mana flowed effortlessly into the gauntlet. The amethyst outlines began glowing with a faint purple hue.
Tzz—
Purple sparks began to flicker along the surface with a crackle.
He closed his eyes, focusing for a moment before opening them.
“Condense. Pulse. Surge. Arc—Lightning Nova.”
A simple chant for such a complicated spell.
As the final words rang out, the spell activated.
Crackle——!
A burst of purple lightning erupted from his hand, siphoning outward in a brilliant, controlled explosion.
The energy crackled and danced, completely destroying multiple targets around the testing ground into smithereens.
The sheer power of the spell left scorch marks and charred metal in its wake, but the mana regulators held firm, keeping the destruction contained.
Vanitas lowered his arm, and the gauntlet’s glow gradually faded.
“Impressive,” he muttered. “The flow is smooth, and the output feels natural.”
It was a completely different experience compared to the first prototype.
Roselyn’s face lit up with pride. “I’m glad to hear that. You could try a Grandmaster spell, but…. the testing ground might not survive it.”
“I’ll save that for another time.”
He did want to try a Grandmaster spell, but their destructive nature would undoubtedly destroy Roselyn’s entire facility.
“But, Professor, that incantation…. I didn’t hear wrong, did I?”
“What about it?”
“For a Master spell, that chant was far too short…. Wow~!”
She seemed truly taken aback.
Vanitas raised a finger to his lips and smiled. “Shh. Let’s keep that between us for now.”
“Ah, I see.” Roselyn quickly covered her mouth, a hint of excitement in her eyes.
She thought to herself, Even Karina might not know about this—a secret only she and Professor Vanitas shared.
“You might actually be the next Archmage, Professor~!”
Vanitas chuckled lightly, and then glanced at his mana capacity.
◆ Capacity: 10,300/13,000
The gauntlet’s effects were clear.
The Master spell—Lightning Nova—should have consumed 3,000 mana. However, thanks to the gauntlet, he had saved 300 mana.
With more practice, the efficiency would likely improve even further.
“About the coin, Professor.”
Vanitas turned toward Roselyn. “What about it?”
Roselyn hesitated before continuing. “It’s been hard to reactivate its dormant phase. For some reason, it’s proving difficult to decipher the scattered lines around it.”
“Scattered lines?” Vanitas frowned. There were no scattered lines when he originally had the coin. “Let me see.”
“Of course, right this way,” Roselyn said, leading him back to the facility.
As they walked in, the alchemists working under Roselyn glanced their way. Some wore teasing smirks, while others muttered quietly among themselves.
——Hehe~ Miss Roselyn looks extra happy today.
——Why wouldn’t she be? It’s been a while since the Professor paid her a visit.
“….”
Roselyn’s brow twitched, but she kept walking, choosing to ignore them. She had told them not to gossip like what happened last time, yet they did it anyway.
Some people were definitely getting a pay cut.
Vanitas, on the other hand, paid no attention to them as well.
Humans were often like that. The starvation for drama, often to the point of painting their own narratives to keep themselves entertained.
“….?”
But as Vanitas glanced at Roselyn, he noticed her cheeks were slightly red. Perhaps she was embarrassed from being the center of attention.
“Sorry,” Vanitas said, breaking the silence. “You must be embarrassed because of my visit.”
“W-What?” Roselyn stammered, her face turning even redder. “N-No, not at all, Professor!”
Still, she shot a sharp glare at the alchemists, silencing them instantly. Then, without another word, she turned back to guide Vanitas down the corridor.
They soon arrived at her private lab, where the coin sat on a pedestal in the center of the room.
“Miss Sienna and I have been working on it together,” Roselyn said. “She seems quite intrigued by the artifact as well.”
“Is that so?” Vanitas replied, walking toward the coin.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Professor,” Roselyn began hesitantly. “Where did you get it?”
“From an auction,” Vanitas replied. “It caught my interest, so I bought it.”
“Ah, I think it’s quite the find. Miss Sienna speculated it might be an old magic geographic scaler. She mentioned seeing something similar in a museum.”
“She’s correct, actually. I’m planning on using it to locate ruins or hidden passages in the future.”
“Oh, that’s amazing. Then, considering this artifact is dormant, it means it’s barely been used.”
Dormant meant the artifact was still functional. If it wasn’t, it would have been completely defunct.
“Yes,” Vanitas confirmed.
Magic Geographic Scalers, or MGS for short, were commonly used in the past by adventurers to navigate uncharted territories. However, they had a fixed lifespan and deactivated after a certain amount of use.
Over time, they became less practical, and the technology was abandoned, leaving MGS artifacts as relics of the past.
Modern equivalents existed, but their effectiveness paled in comparison to the original MGS.
“….”
In the game, Chae Eun-woo often preferred using the MGS over the modern versions.
After all, he had discovered a cheat that made it usable without any limitations.
Turning to Roselyn, he said, “Roselyn, can you step out for a moment? I’d like to try something, but it might be dangerous.”
Roselyn blinked, surprised by the sudden request, but nodded. “Alright, Professor. I’ll be right outside.”
As the door closed behind her, Vanitas turned back to the coin.
The lines on its surface were familiar.
No, not just familiar.
It was unmistakable.
Though fragmented and scattered, they formed a pattern that he couldn’t ignore. If pieced together, they aligned with a language he knew all too well.
“Korean.”
In this world, the Korean language was akin to the demonic tongue.
However, because the symbols were broken and scattered, they appeared as random lines rather than the demonic language people in this world were familiar with.
“Hmm….”
He focused on one of the fragments.
It looked like a simple horizontal line with a small vertical line attached to the left, “ㅡ” combined with “ㅣ.”
In Korean, this could form the vowel “ㅢ”. However, since the components were separated, it looked meaningless at first glance.
As he examined the coin further, he noticed other scattered symbols that, when aligned, could form full words.
“If these fragments come together…” Vanitas muttered, stepping closer to the coin.
Seconds turned into minutes as he studied the patterns.
“I see.”
The coin couldn’t leave its dormant phase because it had been sealed with a demonic seal.
In theory, if he could decipher the scattered symbols, it would break the seal.
Once that was done, Roselyn and Sienna could recalibrate and activate the coin with further tinkering.
With that realization, Vanitas opened his mouth to speak.
***
“….”
The Professor had already left. He had left in such a hurry, making Roselyn frown slightly, disappointed.
She had planned on asking if he wanted to grab lunch. But, as always, the Professor seemed busy.
Shaking her head, she turned back toward the artifact and walked over.
“…Hm?”
She tilted her head, confused. The patterns were gone.
“What?”
Had the Professor deciphered them?
Roselyn knew those patterns formed a seal, but she had no idea what kind of seal it was.
The Professor clearly did, though, and as usual, he preferred not to be questioned about such things.
He had his secrets, and Roselyn respected that.
Stepping closer, she decided to restart the reactivation process. As she worked, a faint glow began to emerge from the coin.
“Ah?”
Her eyes widened as the artifact started glowing moments later.
***
“Ukh…!”
Vanitas clutched his chest as a wave of intense pain hit him. Heartburn, nausea, dizziness, anemia, vertigo—every sensation seemed to attack him at once.
He hadn’t expected this. It had never been like this in the game.
◆ Capacity: 82/13,000
His mana had been drained to an abysmally low level.
Speaking the demonic tongue had infused his mana into the seal, breaking it entirely. But the process had left him with severe mana sickness, which triggered his cancer.
Evan, his driver, had urged him to visit a hospital, but Vanitas refused. He insisted on going to Millin City, knowing that no ordinary doctor could help him.
Instead, Evan helped him purchase a ticket and supported him onto the magitrain.
“Khh…!”
Stumbling, he barely managed to board the magitrain. His breathing was ragged, and every step felt heavier than the last.
“Thanks. Now, get lost—Ukh!”
“Sir, but I—”
“Now!”
Evan hesitated, concern evident in his expression, but eventually nodded and stepped back.
People were natural opportunists. Despite Evan’s loyalty, Vanitas couldn’t take chances.
If Evan found out about his illness, even vaguely, it was likely he’d form his own theories and share them with the other servants.
That in turn, would inevitably lead to a chain of rumors.
Their speculations would eventually spread as they pondered on what their master was truly facing—forming their own truths within their own imagination, eventually leading to his market value plummeting.
“….”
Perhaps he was overthinking it. Maybe he was making things harder on himself.
But regardless, there were only so many people Vanitas could truly trust.
No, not Vanitas, but Chae Eun-woo.
“Huu….”
He slouched in his seat. His skin was pale, and the air seemed cold, causing him to shiver slightly.
——Oh, my…..
——Is he okay?
Concerned glances from other passengers followed him as he clutched his chest, trying to keep himself composed.
Drip. Drip…!
Blood trickled from his nose, and he quickly wiped it with his sleeve.
“….”
His vision blurred slightly, and a headache began to throb at the base of his skull. His hands trembled, and sweat drenched his back, soaking through his shirt.
‘One hour,’ he thought. ‘Just one hour to Millin City.’
The clattering of the train tracks felt both soothing and annoying. Every moment dragged on, but he forced himself to stay awake.
“….”
Gritting his teeth, Vanitas gripped the armrest tightly.
‘….I can’t pass out here.’
***
Meanwhile, Margaret had just wrapped up her assignment in Millin. It was a solo operation, tasked by the Crusade of the Round Table.
The mission involved investigating disturbances in the slums. Margaret had dealt with the issue, and managed to complete the job in four days.
It was a venture financially backed by the Round Table, and Margaret intended to enjoy the full benefits of their support.
With her instructor duties at the University on hold for a week, she decided to explore Millin and make the most of her time off.
In the following days, she visited the markets, strolled through the beautiful park, and admired the architecture of the city’s central cathedral.
“Hehe~”
She dined at renowned restaurants, and wandered along the riverside, where vendors sold handmade crafts and children played along the shore.
In the evening, she attended a small outdoor theater performance in the park, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
In just about two days, Margaret felt content. It was a great vacation—if she did say so herself.
“I should go back.”
It was probably time to return to Valenora, the capital of Aetherion.
Her short break in Millin had been enjoyable, but Margaret knew she couldn’t stay away from her duties for too long.
The next morning, she made her way to the magitrain station.
Margaret approached the ticket counter and stood patiently in line. When her turn came, she stepped forward and greeted the clerk.
“One ticket to Valenora, please,” she said, placing a small pouch of coins on the counter.
“Certainly, ma’am,” the clerk replied, taking the coins and sliding her a neatly printed ticket. “The next train to Valenora departs in thirty minutes from Platform Three.”
“Thank you.”
Taking the ticket, Margaret glanced at the details before heading toward Platform Three.
She found a bench near the platform and sat down, enjoying her meat pie as she waited.
“Hm~ Hmm~”
A train arrived, and passengers began pouring out.
Then came a sudden commotion.
——Khh! Need help…!
Margaret turned her head to see a man struggling as another passenger offered their shoulder to support him.
“Hm….”
Margaret frowned slightly but returned her attention to her snack. It wasn’t her concern. A passenger in trouble. It was nothing out of the ordinary.
But then, as the crowd shifted, something caught her eye.
“….”
Margaret blinked. Was she seeing things?
The man being helped looked strangely familiar.
“Isn’t that…?”
If anything, he looked a bit like Vanitas.
“….”
No, wait.
It was.
“Vanitas?!”