The Novel's Professor

In the Royal Capital, the loud choruses of people talking resounded. The fresh, calming air blew—fluttering the clothes of one particular individual.

Within a beautiful park, a female figure sat on top of the water fountain. Her appearance was nothing short of beautiful. She was like a perfectly sculpted ice sculpture.

Her icy white hair cascaded behind, while her face holding mature features—but unlike that of which aging decline, her's enriched her beautiful appearance more, making her look more elegant and breathtaking.

Her soft green mellow eyes seemed to glow along with her porcelain skin, making her appear gentle and approachable.

"I'm on my way to the place," Maria said, her smartwatch projecting a hologram of a man. "I just arrived at the Royal Capital a few minutes or so. I'm trying to enjoy my last joyful freedom."

The figure sighed, shaking their head. "Oh, come on, don't make it appear as if we're slaving you away..."

"You're not?" Maria blinked, her hand waving in exaggerated surprise.

"Of course not!" The figure shouted. "Your dad would kill me if that was the case! I'm just asking you to teach a bunch of kids, easy as that!"

"Isn't that exactly slaving me away...?" Maria sighed. She didn't really like interacting with kids. They were annoying and hot-blooded. She preferred to just laze herself inside the company, free from all worldly affairs. "In any case, what am I going to do there, anyway?"

"Well, I already spoke with the Vice Director and he agreed to let you teach in the academy as a Combat Teacher. Your period of teaching last about...just a year," The figure explained.

"Combat Teacher...?" Maria asked, her brows raising in interest.

"There seems to be a classification among their teachers. It's a fairly unique system, but what can you expect from the best academy?" The figure shrugged.

"So, why do I have to teach again?" Maria asked.

"...Well, the guild is lacking in talents recently. We—no, I wanted you to teach there to lure in some talents into the guild. This year is a bit special...a lot of talented people from various lineages enrolled the same year." The figure explained.

"Talented people?" Maria hummed. "In comparison to me, how talented are they?"

"...Eh, y'know, that's, uh, a—a bit of a hard question to answer..." The figure averted their eyes, sweat pouring down their head. Everyone knew that the daughter of their boss seemed to hold herself to the highest regards in terms of talent.

"I'm just joking around. Of course, none of those would be as talented as me," Maria said, her lips curling into a smile. "I'l check them out myself. Oh right, did you already transport my stuff...?"

"You don't have to worry about that," The figure said. "The guild already has that stuff covered. It had been sent since a few days ago to your dormitory on the academy."

"Alright, thanks for that. I'm going to hang up now." Maria said, hanging up immediately without waiting for the figure's reply.

Suddenly, a loud voice resounded. Maria shifted her gaze to one of the high skyscrapers in the capital, staring at the large monitor attached on the walls.

[CATACLYSMIC EVENT: DESTRUCTION AND END OF HARROWING LANDS!

"A few days ago or so...an entire sector of the world, the Harrowing Lands, was reduced to a barren, deathless state. In the process of investigation, some clues were found and discovered. The team is still finding further information about the cause of such disaster...."]

Maria frowned, her head shaking. Normal people or ordinary people wouldn't know of the current state of the Harrowing Lands, but for Miracle Invokers, it was a different matter entirely.

The Harrowing Lands transformed into a demon dimension. Filled with corruption and demons. It would take years and heavy manpower to clear the entire sector out, unless, of course, Rank A individuals go and volunteered themselves.

"In any case..." Maria muttered, her head shifting in another direction. She stood up, taking one glance at the area before leaving. "I wonder how a Teacher's life would be in the Volund Academy?"

—

Inside a clean, spotless room—a brown haired man slumbered on top of a cushion bed. The brown-haired man's eyes were closed tight, peacefully sleeping as if accepting death.

In that moment, his eyes suddenly twitched. His body seemed to shudder, feeling the tight wires attached all over his body. Beside him, the monitor beeped loudly—announcing his continuedly beating heart rise up in speed.

"Argh..." Rio groaned, his body feeling strained. He opened his eyes wearily, staring at the white, spotless ceiling. "Where am I...? Is this...heaven? Or hell..?"

The sensation of his body returned. He could feel tubes and wires attached on his body. His mind seemed too tired to realize the implications of such. He raised his hand, staring at it.

[No, you're alive.] A sudden husky voice resounded inside him. [As in, breathing. Living. Existing. You name it.]

"Oh, is that you...Faust?" Rio asked, his voice strained and tired. "Are you dead too? Oh...I did find you dead...sorry."

[Kid, what are you talking about?] A burly, muscular tanned skin man suddenly appeared in front of him. [You're alive and finally awake. We have a lot of things to talk about.]

Rio frowned, his brows knitting in confusion. What did he mean alive? He had just died... He raised his arm, staring at the wires and medical tools attached to it. He muttered in disbelief, "...What?"

[Well, yeah.] Faust shrugged.

"What...the...hell?" Rio cursed, his hand dropping to his body. He couldn't fathom how he was not been dead yet. The corrupted energy within him should have - "Oh no, oh no, oh—"

Shit, there was still corrupted energy within him. Not only that, his heart was beating, lungs inhaling. Anything connected to living. It pointed out the dumb obvious; he was alive and breathing.

"Fuck..." Rio cursed, disappointed. Just as when he finally readied for his death... reality gave one colossal bang as usual and it resulted in this. How..? "...It's probably that bastard's doing,"

Right, John Smith. Before he fell unconscious—he had faintly heard the man's last statement, but his mind was so tired and gone at that point he didn't process the meaning of the words.

And even now, he couldn't understand what it meant. Why was he alive? And why couldn't he die yet? What was John Smith's goal? What was his part on the man's plan...? He didn't know anything, and frankly, he didn't want to know.

His mind ached in confusion. He sighed, clearing the thoughts in his mind.

...It was better of he died than to live. Not only would he have to face the pointlessness of his life every day, but he also had too many things to think and worry about. Living was not only pointless, it was also painful.

[You seem disappointed,] Faust said, furrowing his brows in confusion. [Why?]

Rio stared at the man blankly... Oh, right. Faust. It had been a while since he had seen the man's appearance. "...It's nothing. Don't mind me...how about you? Since when did you recover?"

[A few days ago when you were in a short coma,] Faust answered, sighing. [Kid, I tell you, don't bring yourself into dangerous situations yet until I finished transferring my whole legacy to you.]

"It's not like I voluntarily wanted to be in that situation..." Rio muttered.

[Well, enough of that. We have to talk about something far more important.] Faust transmitted, his face frowning.

"Important...?" Rio asked, his voice disquiet.

[Yeah! And namely your ascension to Rank...!] Faust shouted, hovering in the air. Faint, bulging veins erupted on his head. [I told you not to ascend yet! Now... everything is gone...]

"...Huh?" Rio knitted his brows, confused. "What do you mean, everything is gone? I mean...in general, why shouldn't I ascend?"

[Idiot, it's because a Revelation only comes out once in life!] Faust shouted, sighing. [A person only has one self. They only hold one identity so... They could only activate their revelation once. I asked you not to ascend because I wanted your Second Miracle Core to be Peak Rank C first before you ascend... so in that, when you activate your revelation—both Miracle Cores ascend. But now...]

Faust sighed in melachonly. His head shaking in disappointment.

"Oh, so my second Miracle Core is for eternally stuck from advancing to Rank B?" Rio asked calmly.

[Exactly! And you shouldn't be that calm about it...!] Faust shouted, his body hovering on the air lifelessly. [Ah, poor old cursed me...my inheritor is bound to be Rank C in all his life...]

"Hey, look at it in the bright side; you still have your inheritor alive," Rio sighed, his body relaxing to the cushion bed. Well, he didn't really care about that. He cared of nothing. He planned to just live... and wait for death.

[You know what,] Faust said, his body instantly energizing. [You're right! As long as you're alive, I can give you my inheritance and in turn you pass my inheritance—thus the Strider legacy is immortalized...]

"You really care a lot about of passing your legacy, huh?" Rio asked off-handedly.

[...Well, of course.] Faust said, suddenly turning serious. [In this accursed universe, life dies in every second from every race. Life is... meaningless and useless. Everyone dies one day, unless they reach beyond the Rank of Sovereigns... But that's close to impossible... and when everyone dies, they fade into nonexistence, to make yourself above them—you have to be remembered. Be known, that once a man named Faust Strider existed and live. I want to be immortalized and never forgotten. That's the meaning of my legacy... It is the living proof of my existence. The proof of my existence is the proof of my life... It is an immortal achievement.]

Rio closed his mouth, turning silent. He didn't expect such words from the man. But then again, wisdom was interchangeable with experience. For once, he contemplated about life...

"Legacy, huh?" Rio muttered, his eyes staring at the ceiling.

Knock—!

Suddenly from the door, a loud knock resounded.