Magic. Many speculated that magic was just using an ‘arm’ that’s connected to the other dimension to manipulate this dimension. Some may even claim that magic was just blessings given by spirits. Yet, even after thousands of research, we had not come any closer to reaching a bit of understanding. Perhaps we were looking at it the wrong way? Perhaps we shouldn’t even be studying mana? Perhaps…

“HEY, ROOK!” My classmate shouted at me. We were in the lecture hall and everyone looked at us. The lecturer had a disdainful face and I had to visibly show to everyone that I was as angry as they were at this guy.

“Keep it quiet, Torben. It is not my intention to be kicked out of this class just because you had thought it would be funny to shout in the middle of lecture,” I angrily whispered at this idiot named Torben.

“You’re not even paying attention, Rook. You were daydreaming,” He protested quietly back at me.

“I am not paying attention because I’ve learned all of this before. I am just here to brush up on Mana-Material Studies.” I sighed as I fixed my moustache with my long elastic tongue, which was strangely an effective disguise given to me by the master spy back in the stronghold. I had somehow convinced the people that I was just some form of hairless apeman using my superior intellect.

After I left the stronghold, I went straight to the Vallen Empire as I promised to Master...er...Boss. However, when I got to the University of Vallen, they thought my degrees were frauds! How preposterous!

‘You can’t be over 300 years old unless you’re an undead!’ Those ignorant fools said! That was an insult, I must say! However…

‘SMASH…’ I bellowed at the registrators, ‘...YOUR THEOREM WITH MY WELL-RESEARCHED THEOREM!’

I was granted special entrance admission and joined a debate which involved high level magic theories. Since I had hundreds of years to study magic, I obviously had the edge over these younglings and got a seat in the university.

I was allowed to retake any relevant courses required to continue my PhD in Mathematical Elemental Theory and now I’m stuck in this lecture learning-but-not-learning. To be honest, I am grateful to retake all the classes since many things had changed and I could learn them again. For example, a few years ago a dwarf discover a mystical form of mathematics called ‘Calculus’. There were some speculations that this was originally used for summoning demons, but that was nonsense. I hoped.

I wonder how the Boss and the other gentlemen were faring? As I drifted into daydreaming again, I felt my robe being tugged by that annoying classmate.

“Psst, come on, Rook,” He whispered.

“What do you want, Torben? You’re annoying me,” I hissed at him as I let my long tongue scratch my back.

“You said that you’re going to study the effects of higher tier magic on non-demons, right?” He asked.

“Indeed, what of it?”

“How are you even supposed to do that? There’s no one but the demons that could possibly handle those magic. Those magic are so powerful that the Divine One had forbidden us mortals from ever using it!” He warned me.

“Nonsense. You don’t have to be a demon.” I shrugged him off.

“Oh? You know someone? Normally you’re a logical one, but you’re just talking nonsense.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. I was somewhat displeased by his actions for it was I who was being annoyed here!

“Er...n...no. But I could test it. The oldest tree in the continent is said to be able to create crystals that could contain massive amounts of mana. I could go find those crystal and use them in an attempt to cast a near-divine spell or at the very least measure its mana capacity,” I explained.

“The oldest tree….wait…...In Sayitsi?! You’re crazy! You expect to just walk into elven territory and not get gutted?” Torben shook his head in disapproval. The class had apparently ended and everyone was leaving already. I waited for everyone to leave because it would be easier for me to leave since I was about the size of the doorway. I packed my things and shuffled towards the exit when Torben ran up next to me.

“But how are you supposed to test it, exactly? Are you going to use those crystals to sink an entire island or open the gates of the Underworld?” He questioned.

“Let us just say that my previous employer knows many secrets. Also, I haven’t thought about it much. My first problem is to acquire the crystals so I’ll worry about that later.”

“Alright, that’s crazy. Very crazy. But since I don’t have any year-end project myself, can we form a team? I might as well go south and enjoy the forests. This place is too gloomy,” He offered.

“Only if I get 70 percent of the points,” I told him. He winced a bit then just let a deep breathe out.

“Damn you. Fine. Whatever, better than nothing. I bet if I do my project alone, it’ll still score lower than what I’ll get from working with you,” He commented and started to babble about how magic would work the other way if the Divine Sects would stop bothering the universities. On the other hand, I had something else in mind.

“Sayitsi...huh…” Many things had changed, and it had bewildered me every time I find something new. I wondered how Boss and the others handled it? Speaking of them, I hoped to meet them again. This was just wishful thinking, but perhaps I’ll meet them in Sayitsi. Perhaps.