If The Villain Catches Me Alive

……I stopped working out in the morning, but I never thought about catching up on my sleep. I couldn’t help it, I was doing what I couldn’t do during the day at night.

 

That same night when I came down to the basement to find the certificate of Theodore’s mentorship.

 

In there, I witnessed many of Dante’s past misdeeds, stored away like treasures with no intention of hiding them.

 

All of the research pointed to a single purpose.

 

‘……How to increase one’s innate mana.’

 

That’s the goal of the research I read with my eyes. ……When I first saw that, I felt my heart drop to the floor. It was devastating.

 

I was like a battered doll as I held those few papers…

 

“No way, it can’t be….”

 

That was all I could say. My legs had long since given out, and when I came to my senses, I clutched my chest tightly at the unspeakable cruelty.

 

……The stacks of research books never looked so terrifying as they did on this day.

 

‘……Nothing like this has ever appeared in the novel nor my dreams.’

 

It didn’t seem real to me that I held these forbidden and discarded research materials about human experiments in my hands.

 

‘Why hadn’t I thought of it before?’

 

<Jeffrey> wasn’t a completed novel. I was not some kind of omniscient prophet who had seen the whole future. I was just a weak human being caught in a sudden wave……

 

I realized that my arrogance in thinking that I could handle it all was just that, arrogance. I was not meant to be such a vessel. I was just a very ordinary human being……

 

I shook my head vigorously several times. I vowed not to let that happen. Even if I was weak, even if it was something I would never forgive myself for, I would try, but…

 

My hands trembled as I continued to flip through the papers. My heart pounded with the kind of pounding I couldn’t handle. Tears I could barely hold back filled my eyes.

 [Study No. 4328: How to separate mana from the physical body]. 

Research Result: Failed.

 

Notes: Infusing the soul of Experiment No. 312 into the freshly deceased Experiment No. 238, although the subject stirred, it did not properly settle. The body of 312 exploded on the spot. Afterward, the mana measurements of 238 still measured as 238’s mana.

 

Added: Two days later, number 238 died.

 [Study No. 4817: Hypothesis Experiment] 

Study results: Success.

 

Notes: Experimented with separation of body and mind. When the mind was separated, the mana remained intact. This confirms that the body is the origin of mana. If I purchase a corpse from somewhere, I should be able to create a mana crystal. My test subjects have been a bit of a waste. I should have crystallized their mana.

 [Study No. 5182: Mana Retention Time] 

Research Result: Success.

 

Notes: After the death of the physical body, the mana slowly begins to dissipate. It seems to disappear altogether in about three days. I tried to make a modified version of the magic that transferred the soul, but it didn’t work. I need to find a vessel for it.

 [Study No. 6112: Finding a vessel] 

Research Result: Success.

 

Notes: I tried everything in existence as a vessel, but surprisingly, jewelry worked well. If you put the mana inside it, it would only keep on rebounding inside, and not bounce out, so it would last longer.

 

Having flipped through all the papers, my gaze went somewhere else, toward the glittering objects you could never miss if you visited this place.

 

In the center of the dome-shaped room, embedded in every square of the floor were blue jewels……

 

Each one is the price of someone’s life.

 

The tears I had been holding back fell straight down my cheeks. One can only move forward by facing the past and standing up. I have to admit, the bodies laid out before me were too horrific to bear. I could not be the kind of human being who could casually ignore them and walk over them.

 

Even at that moment, the jewels shone brilliantly.

 

It was dazzling……

 

*** 

 

I began to go in and out of the basement lab.

 

Ten days after I started going in and out of the basement lab,

 

“……Ah.”

 

I found the certificate of Theodore’s mentorship with me. So… It was here and I was so overwhelmed by the shock of it all that I forgot the original purpose of my search. That’s right, I came back here to look for this……

 

And when I finally found it, I wasn’t happy at all. No, there was no room for joy in my heart right now. I stared at it in disbelief, as it was already torn to shreds.

 

‘I’m in trouble……’

 

I’m going to get yelled at for turning in the paperwork late. I hope it doesn’t mean I’m going to have to delay my children’s ceremony for a year. I can’t let that happen……

 

‘I’ll have to submit it soon…’

 

As soon as possible… That was all I could think about.

 

The sun hadn’t completely risen yet when I quietly exited the basement. I slid the bookshelf closed behind me and filled it with documents. Time passes so quickly when I’m in the basement.

 

I was about to leave the study with the documents when……

 

Thud.

 

I slammed my face into someone’s chest. I felt a little dazed. I was sleep-deprived, and my reactions were slow. I jerked my head up, not even looking to see who I had hit.

 

“Oh… I’m sorry…”

 

With that, I offered a half-hearted apology, then ducked to the side to get past……

 

“Where are you going?”

 

He grabbed my wrist.

 

“……?”

 

Suddenly, my dazed mind snapped back into focus. I looked up and saw that Theodore’s expression was a little stern. He even looked angry.

 

“……Were you up all night?”

 

‘Uh, this one’s angry.’

 

I could hear it in his voice. This one is angry… But why is he angry? Uh… I was told not to work late… Um, but this isn’t technically over time, it’s actually morning work… I mean, it’s just… excuses… He won’t let it go, will he?

 

Normally, I would have explained that I just woke up early today and had to come in early. I would have tried to explain myself somehow… but my tired body couldn’t. All I could do was shake my head once, just to get out of the situation.

 

Before I knew it, I was struggling to free myself from his grasp. My mind was in a daze, but I was aware that I had to turn in the documents before it was too late.

 

“Can you let go for a second…”

 

I’m in a hurry to turn in the documents……

 

I couldn’t finish my sentence. The world seemed to spin.

 

‘That’s the tower’s ceiling’s pattern…’

 

Why am I seeing that? Did I look up without realizing it…? While I was still thinking about that, the ceiling disappeared and I saw someone’s face. What? It’s Theodore……

 

“……Dante!”

 

“Uh, huh?!”

 

The shout, like the cry of a child, snapped me out of my reverie. Somehow, I found out that I was lying down on Theodore’s lap with his arms around my waist. If anything, it startled me more, and my eyes widened.

 

“ Ugh, I’m sorry!”

 

“Now……”

 

“Ugh… I’m so out of it, I’m sorry!”

 

I strongly believe that if Theodore hadn’t caught me, it wouldn’t have ended this way. I would have smashed my nose on the floor and probably broken my nose pretty badly……

 

Just as I was about to thank him, he picked up a piece of paper from the floor. It was the certificate of mentorship that I had dropped when I fell down.

 

He looked at it and was speechless for a moment. That… I needed to take it back, so without saying a word, I snatched it out of his hand. The boy’s gaze followed.

 

“Why is this……”

 

“Huh? I have to turn it in…”

 

I trailed off. I, I didn’t know where it was because I didn’t organize it properly, and now I’m trying to turn it in at the last minute, and… I felt a little guilty to tell him the truth. I realized how important that document is……

 

However…

 

“…Do you dislike me now?”

 

“……?”

 

An unexpected sound came out of Theodore’s mouth. ……What?

 

“You’ve been avoiding me lately. And…”

 

Uh, what?

 

He seems to have some kind of weird misunderstanding here.