Chapter 278: Child of Fate
Two weeks had passed in the first cycle of the regression.
Yuzuki had been following OG Ruvian’s every move closely, and as for his progress... all he could say was that it was painfully underwhelming.
His daily routine was almost laughably simple. Basic physical training, followed by nothing more than the most fundamental mana refinement techniques.
From that alone, Yuzuki gradually realized what OG Ruvian’s true objective had been. He never saw himself as someone capable of changing the inevitable future. Instead, he saw himself as nothing more than a messenger who could warn someone far more competent.
Zian Herga.
’Honestly, it’s not a bad plan,’ he thought. ’Ruvian didn’t have enough knowledge or experience in this cycle. Given what he knew, his decision was perfectly reasonable. But I wonder... will that change in the next cycle?’
Yuzuki mused as he followed Ruvian into the expansive hall where Velthia’s Opening Ceremony was about to begin.
Then, he frowned.
But how much longer is this vision going to last?
So far, he had already spent two whole weeks following this cycle. Since nothing particularly exciting had happened and no meaningful information had surfaced, the days had begun to blur together into a painfully monotonous routine.
Still, there was one strange discovery.
For some reason, despite being nothing more than a corporeal soul wandering through this vision, he could still strengthen his Mana Essence through his usual training, though the results were only one-tenth as effective as normal.
He had no idea why it worked or what principle allowed it, but at least it gave him something worthwhile to do instead of wasting his time doing absolutely nothing.
The only thing he could hope for now was that time flowed differently between this vision and the real world. Otherwise, he could very well end up trapped in here while the outside world continued moving forward without him.
That was the last thing he wanted.
Ruvian took his seat, while Yuzuki casually perched on the armrest beside him. Before long, the opening ceremony commenced. Ophelia delivered her speech, which was then followed by the announcement of this year’s top-seat scholar.
When the name was finally revealed, it was none other than Zian Herga.
"Zian..." Ruvian muttered under his breath.
Yuzuki glanced at Ruvian before turning his attention back to the stage.
’Well, at least this part stayed faithful to the novel. And thank every god out there it wasn’t that bastard Julian.’
The moment the ceremony came to an end, Ruvian immediately set off after Zian without the slightest hesitation.
Yuzuki quietly trailed behind him.
’Now then... let’s see what your plan is, Ruvian.’
*****
A moment later, Ruvian finally caught sight of Zian along the Academy Promenade, the broad stone walkway that connected the Grand Hall to the student dormitories. Judging by the direction he was heading, he was likely on his way back to his room.
"Zian! Wait!" Ruvian called out as he came to a stop behind him, slightly out of breath.
Zian turned around, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Erm... ah, yes?" He tilted his head. "Is there something you need from me?"
Ruvian parted his lips to speak, but the words caught in his throat. His eyes instinctively swept across the surroundings, where more than a few scholars had already turned their attention toward them.
Only then did it occur to him.
The demons still existed, and any one of them could very well be hiding among the crowd in disguise.
He subconsciously swallowed.
"Erm... yes. There is something I’d like to discuss with you." He hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Can we talk somewhere... more private?"
Zian rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"I mean, sure..." he said. "I was just about to check out my room anyway. If you don’t mind, we can talk there instead."
As they walked, the two exchanged a few basic introductions, learning each other’s names and backgrounds along the way.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the First-Year Top Seat Residence.
Unlike the ordinary dormitories, Celestia Hall was reserved exclusively for the academy’s top one hundred ranked scholars. The grand stone building rose several stories high, with each floor housing scholars according to their ranking.
As for the very top floor, it belonged solely to the first-ranked scholar, a privilege that reflected the academy’s highest honor.
"..."
Yuzuki looked around with unconcealed jealousy.
’I already knew how the novel described it, but damn... this place is even more extravagant than I expected. They really spoiled the top scholar rotten, didn’t they?’
Zian fished a bronze key from his pocket before unlocking the front door.
"Come in."
Ruvian gave a quiet nod and stepped inside.
Needless to say, the interior was every bit as spacious and luxurious as one would expect. There was even a staircase leading to the second floor.
Yuzuki subtly glanced at Zian.
Although his expression remained composed, the brief pause in his footsteps and the way his eyes lingered around the room for just a moment were enough to tell that even he hadn’t expected his residence to be this lavish.
Still, he quickly collected himself, pretending as though nothing had caught him off guard.
Yuzuki almost snorted.
’Haha, so even the owner didn’t see this coming, huh?’
Zian closed the door behind them before gesturing toward a pair of chairs.
"Take a seat."
Ruvian quietly sat down.
Yuzuki, having no reason to pretend he belonged there, simply leaned against the nearby wall with his arms crossed.
Zian pulled out the chair opposite Ruvian and sat down.
"So Ruvian..." He folded his hands together atop the table, his expression carrying nothing but honest curiosity.
"What exactly did you want to talk about?"
Ruvian opened his mouth.
"I–I..."
The words refused to come out.
Everything he had rehearsed during the past two weeks suddenly scattered the moment Zian looked him in the eye.
Zian tilted his head, concern creeping across his face.
"Hey, are you alright? You look pale..."
Ruvian raised his head and touched his throat. For some reason, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force himself to tell Zian what he had come here to say.
Growing alarmed, Zian misread Ruvian’s struggle. "Wait, do you need water? Hold on, I’ll get you some."
With that, Zian shot to his feet and hurried into the kitchen. Only after Zian was gone did the words finally crawl free from Ruvian’s throat, but it was very soft.
"I was trying to say... I regressed back in time..."
Clutching his throat, Ruvian suddenly felt deeply unsettled and apprehensive.
Why the hell couldn’t he tell Zian about it? Come to think of it, he had never tried telling anyone else before. Could he even reveal his regression to others?
Yuzuki, who had been silently observing the scene, slowly began to grasp the problem.
Then, Zian returned with a glass of water in his hand.
"Sorry it took so long. I couldn’t find the kitchen." He held the glass out toward him. "Anyway, here. Drink some water first."
Ruvian accepted the glass. At the same time, he tried to speak again, forcing the words toward his throat.
However, the result was exactly the same.
The moment Zian looked directly at him again, Ruvian let out an awkward laugh and said, "Ah, thanks for the water, Zian... I really appreciate it."
Zian nodded, wearing the friendliest smile imaginable. "Yeah. Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about again?"
Ruvian sat down, took a slow drink of water, and remained silent for a while.
After weighing everything in his mind, he finally spoke.
"Zian..."
"Yes?"
Ruvian inhaled deeply.
"Can you teach me... how to wield a sword and use magic?"
*****
A couple of minutes later, Ruvian left Celestia Hall and finally arrived at Obsidian Hall. To be exact, he stood before his assigned room.
{Ruvian Castelor | Rank #384}
Once inside, he collapsed onto the bed and buried his face beneath the pillow, frustrated by today’s miserable ordeal.
Nothing had gone remotely as he had expected.
"What am I supposed to do now? There is... no way I can prevent such a thing from happening by myself." Ruvian groaned.
Lying beside Ruvian, Yuzuki also took a moment to rest, closing his eyes as he silently sorted through everything he had learned so far.
Honestly, Yuzuki believed there was little Ruvian could accomplish during this first cycle other than exploiting it to gather knowledge about the demons’ arrival and uncover ways to grow stronger.
But even so, there was still no guarantee that he could regress again, nor any clue whether the checkpoint would remain the same.
Suddenly, Ruvian jolted upright from the bed.
Yuzuki glanced at him with quiet curiosity.
"No. I can’t give up already. Zian... he said he would leave the rest to me." Ruvian’s voice faltered for a moment. "I... I have to see it through, no matter what."
He lowered his gaze, his expression gradually hardening.
"But first... I have to become stronger."
Yuzuki merely smiled.
Then, he too, pushed himself upright from the bed. However, before he could do anything, the vision around him began to distort and waver.
’Huh?’
Then, the burning city flashed before his eyes once again.
’Wait... why it showing me this scene—’
Suddenly, his sight was savagely torn sideways, spinning through the air before crashing against the ground, as though his head had just been severed from his body.
Before Yuzuki could even process the gruesome sight, a transcendent voice descended and enveloped his very soul.
[Your ’Death’ has come.]
[Yet your ’True End’ has not.]
[Return and begin anew...
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[Chapter 278: Child of Fate]