Chapter 236: Atlas Seminar [6]

Chapter 235

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Episode 59 - Atlas Seminar [6]

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"Her room is number 909, Professor Ashly."

"Oh, thank you. Then I’ll let you know when we’re leaving, okay?"

Lumina and Adel nodded slightly. Then, Professor Ashly turned around and walked two doors down the hallway.

A short while later, she entered the room assigned to her.

Finally, Lumina turned around and walked toward the door directly in front of her.

She used the key, and a moment later, opened it.

Then she turned her head and looked at Adel.

"This is your room."

"......."

Lumina blinked, waiting for a word. However, Adel simply nodded and stepped forward.

Lumina looked at him with an expressionless face; however, her thoughts were elsewhere.

’I-it’s impossible... H-how did he awaken a Divine Body?’

She had realized it the instant she saw him at the train station.

And just like her, Adel had probably realized it as well.

Something neither of them had known at first was one of the characteristics of the Divine Body.

An Awakened who has awakened a Divine Body can recognize another person who has also awakened a Divine Body.

Since Divine Essence is, fundamentally, a liquid, and only a single drop appears every thousand years.

It cannot form in large quantities, and therefore, Divine Essence is naturally drawn toward other Divine Essence.

As if it wanted to become one again instead of remaining as many separate drops.

Lumina’s thoughts were racing.

’Where did he get a drop of Divine Essence?’

She remembered very clearly that the Adel from Regression #9999 had never awakened a Divine Body.

That could only mean one thing...

’...Somehow, the future is changing even when I don’t directly do anything.’

Over the past few months, she had been working hard to prevent Adel from being exposed to danger.

Eliminating villains and people who, in the future, would attack Adel and leave him seriously injured.

’But what exactly is changing...?’

...The answer came soon enough.

’Veronica...’

Veronica had never existed in Regression #9999, which was already absurd enough in itself.

First of all, because Adel appeared in Regression #9999.

In her Regression #9998, Lumina had never seen, much less met, Adel.

Back then, from beginning to end, Adel literally did not exist in the world.

’And now, in this regression, there is Veronica.’

Another person who had also appeared out of nowhere and was probably doing something that was changing Adel’s future.

From Lumina’s point of view, Adel should have gone through many life-threatening situations over these past seven months.

However, for some reason, almost all of them had disappeared. Most of the events in which his life had been in danger never happened.

What’s more, the only times his life had actually been in danger could be counted on one hand.

’The difference is enormous.’

And now, the Adel standing in front of her had awakened a Divine Body, something that should have never happened.

However, the most important question for Lumina was exactly where Adel had obtained the Divine Essence.

Not even Lumina, a regressor herself, knew where to find Divine Essence aside from the Dream and Desire Tree.

’Aah, for God’s sake, why do things always change? Still...’

She looked at Adel’s back, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile of relief and happiness.

The reason was very simple.

’As long as I survive this regression and don’t die before "that" day, I don’t care about anything else.’

Lumina entered Adel’s room and closed the door behind her.

And after some time...

Lumina and Adel sat down at a table.

On the table was a small stack of papers, along with a glass container filled with ink and a quill.

Finally, after arranging everything they needed, Lumina asked.

"What topic will you use for your thesis?"

In a sense, Lumina was curious.

’Adel and I never came to the Atlas Seminar.’

Ironically, this was the first time in this regression that Lumina had done something completely different with Adel.

For example, coming to the Atlas Seminar, a place that Lumina, Adel, and Professor Ashly had never visited in Regression #9999.

’It’s as if this regression is completely different from the others, even the previous one.’

Finally, Adel answered.

"Efficiency of Accelerated Brewing."

"...."

"Huh... what? Really?"

"Yes, why the doubt?"

"....."

Lumina was left speechless.

It was common knowledge that the brewing process in the field of Alchemy took a long time.

For example, creating a simple potion for a veteran would take at least ten minutes.

If that was what Adel intended to use as his thesis, then that time could be reduced to just a few minutes or even less.

Working in Alchemy did not necessarily require physical skills that involved using one’s hands.

Rather, it was a type of knowledge that relied on understanding and application more than anything else.

"All right, then let’s begin."

Adel nodded and soon began to speak, word after word.

Lumina wrote down every word he said on the papers in front of her.

Three hours passed like this.

Finally, Lumina put down the quill and looked at the amount of paper they had used.

’Ten pages filled with explanations, examples, diagrams, ideas, and revolutionary knowledge about Alchemy.’

Of course, it did not focus solely on improving the efficiency of Alchemy; there were also other secondary topics.

In a thesis, you could choose to develop secondary topics that could very well be implemented into the main subject.

"We’re finished, so I need to go get ready."

It was almost time for Professor Ashly to call for them.

And she and Adel had to present themselves according to the etiquette used at the Atlas Seminar.

Lumina rose from her seat, but suddenly Adel said:

"Before you leave, could you make me some coffee? I’m not sure where everything is, so I need your help."

"No problem."

Lumina nodded and walked toward the kitchen.

She knew very well how addicted Adel was to coffee.

In fact, Lumina had sought out a coffee expert and learned from him solely to get closer to Adel.

And, naturally, she knew all the different kinds of coffee Adel loved, even the ones he didn’t like.

Thus, after getting up, she headed straight to the kitchen. However...

"....!?"

Lumina turned around after sensing an extremely fast movement behind her, but it was already too late.

Adel had appeared in front of Lumina and, with the tip of his finger, used Dark Mana, sending it through the different Mana Circulation channels in Lumina’s body.

In less than a second, Lumina’s Mana was completely blocked, and she could no longer use it.

"W-what are you..."

Adel covered her mouth. Although he had blocked her Mana, that didn’t mean Lumina couldn’t use her Unique Traits.

And knowing how many Unique Traits she possessed, especially those that would allow her to easily escape the place...

"I have a few questions whose answers I’d really like to hear."

"......"

Lumina’s heart skipped a beat for a second; however, she quickly calmed down.

’I simply won’t say anything.’

That was her initial thought. However...

"Mental Control."

Adel pressed the tip of his finger against Lumina’s forehead, and suddenly, Lumina stopped feeling her body.

Her consciousness was chained deep within her mind. However, she could still see and hear, but she couldn’t do anything else.

She looked at Adel in a panic.

’I-impossible... Since when did he have a Trait like that?’

She didn’t remember Adel having a Trait that could control people.

That meant he hadn’t obtained it very long ago.

’Then he entered a Memory Gate.’

In any case, she was in trouble.

In truth, she didn’t care if Adel discovered that she was a regressor; what terrified her the most was Adel discovering her feelings for him.

Honestly, she wouldn’t know what to do if Adel found out.

Because Lumina wanted to tell him how she felt when she felt the timing was perfect, and above all, she wanted to confess her feelings only after everything that would happen in the future was over.

On the other hand, Adel, without wasting any time, went straight to his first question.

"Have you known me since before I entered the Academy... for example, from the future?"

"...."

Lumina’s lips parted, and she answered:

"Yes, I’ve known you for many years."

"....."

Adel remained silent for a second before nodding.

"So I really did exist..."

He paused for a second and continued.

"...In your previous regression."

"....."

Lumina couldn’t help but be shocked by his revelation. She had never expected Adel to already know about her regressions.

But the biggest question was... How did he know?

"Next question: what kind of relationship did the two of us have in your previous regression?"

"....."

Lumina’s mind descended into chaos, because to her, that question meant Adel wanted to know whether the two of them had been romantically involved.

Of course, Adel meant something else by the question.

He wanted to know what kind of relationship he had with Lumina, whether she had been an ally, an enemy, or something else that could have led to his death in the future.

Of course, he wanted to ask her directly how he had died, but he preferred to leave that question for last.

Lumina parted her lips and answered:

"Our relationship..."

At that moment, Lumina felt as if her heart had sunk.