[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-advent-of-the-three-calamities":3,"chapter-advent-of-the-three-calamities-advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-41":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Advent of the Three Calamities",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},758676,1005,"Chapter 41: Forest [4]","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-41",41,"\u003Cp>There was only one opening that I could exploit to attack. A moment when the enemy would be too preoccupied with Leon to bother with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....The chance came and I took it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn't ashamed of my actions. Reaping the rewards of another's effort. I chose the easiest and least dangerous path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was sure Leon wouldn't mind me doing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's still standing.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It appeared as though the enemy was still standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that strike not good enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't hesitate to approach him from behind. A burning sensation coursed through my forearm, causing me to pause right behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that brief instant, I glimpsed a miniature magic circle hovering at the tips of his fingers, directed towards Leon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, in such a state, he was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Why is he so desperate?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pressed my hand against his shoulder, and the world turned dark shortly after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Uh...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A medium-sized room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how the world appeared to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is going on?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body floated as I looked around. It didn't seem like a vision. I felt in complete control and while I couldn't speak, I could look around and move just fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're finally awake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, I heard a voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman sat by the bed where a man rested. There were three other people beside the man. Two boys and a girl. They appeared to be young, in their early teens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'When did they get here?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who are you? Where am I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar face. He was younger, but it was without a doubt him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Bucklam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is this...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Information entered my mind at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A time when an incident occurred and he sustained heavy injuries, forgetting all about his memories. He woke up to find that he was married and had three children. A famed wizard with several groundbreaking theses to his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was who he was and how the world knew him as.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who are you people? Why are you looking at me like that? And why...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He squeezed his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotions I hadn't expected flooded my mind. It was a familiar emotion and my heart squeezed briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Is my chest like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familial love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as his memories faded, his emotions hadn't. The unfamiliar people in front of him... He still cared deeply for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hence why he was able to push through the confusion and live a normal life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he loved them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Robert, eat this. Is it to your tastes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad, try it. It's your favorite.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We made it for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, yes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was us when we first met. It was a sunny day and you approached me all nervous...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that warmth...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long could it truly last?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's the photo we took when Natalie was born.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's Jason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were familiar and yet unfamiliar. It warmed his heart to see but also brought emptiness. The person in the photo... It was him, and yet... he felt unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this really him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long do you think it'll take for him to recover his memories?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It shouldn't take too long. He suffered severe head trauma.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor casually said while looking through a series of documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It would take at most a year for him to get them back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You hear that Robert?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife smiled at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief was evident in her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're going to get your memories back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled back at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his heart didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....Is the previous me that much better?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His children thought so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad, when are you going to get your memories back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I miss you, dad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They'd ask the same question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When can we have our dad back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When was he going to come back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Am I not good enough?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such thoughts ate at his mind every day. Why was it that he had forgotten his memories about them, but not his feelings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn't have hurt so much if that was the case...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was also because of such feelings that he'd pray to himself every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I love them.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They don't love me.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'It's because l love them that I must go.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Let me disappear.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Let him come back.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'For them... You must come back.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared blankly at the sight in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is this?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feelings. Everything that he felt... They were so vivid in my mind. The pain, the love, and everything that went through his mind...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I experienced it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was starting to become unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried on such pain every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doctor? Are you sure everything is okay? It's been a year, and he still...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm just as stumped Madam Bucklam.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was brought back by a certain conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So when can I expect him to recover?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....I'm not sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difficult expression of the doctor and the pained expression on his wife's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It ate away at his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I'm trying.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I really am...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....but he isn't coming back.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Why aren't you coming back!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like this every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more time passed the more it ate away at his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dinners were silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so was the once lively and vibrant house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sob.. Sob... Sob...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All except for the occasional sobbing he'd hear as he roamed the otherwise empty mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warmth...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was gone. It felt cold. And lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Come back....'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I can't do this anymore.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How long must I live like this?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His emotions were like a chain to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'It's not my fault I'm different.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'But I'm still him.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Just what was so much better about him than me?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They glued him down to this suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Why can't I get rid of your past?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain carried on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He aged, and so did his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same was true for the sense of estrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goodbye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was merely a man living in someone else's body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see it in their eyes and the eyes of everyone else. Be it at work, or at home. All he received were looks of pity and estrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His life was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only comfort he had was checkers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobody played with him, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was fine. At least nobody judged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only thing he had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around me. It was the same park at the Academy. Students walked around and a nice breeze wafted through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, a man played checkers by himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was alone but satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How may I help you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head to address me. His eyes were warm, and so was his mile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Do you have a question about something? I do have some free time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed the piece down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not like I have much else to do anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teach me how to play.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Professor looked at me. He suddenly seemed delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to play? Do you know how to play?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his laugh was warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come, I'll teach you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He started to teach me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The pieces can only move diagonally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is how you take pieces and how you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed rather passionate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I listened quietly and followed his instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seemed pretty easy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I got it. We can start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak, Tak, Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've lost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the board and frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't even last a few moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What sort of...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's do that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak, Tak, Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, I lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak, Tak, Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... Are you cheating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoho, I'm just better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's bullshit. Let's go again. I'll beat you this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Language.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak, Tak, Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matches continued. Five, ten, twenty, fifty...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd lose each time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Professor laughed with each victory. On the other hand, I got angrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have to be cheating!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slammed my hand against the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had long forgotten about my decorum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now... I wasn't acting. I was being me. The real me. How long had that been?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt liberating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be me once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, I didn't have to worry about getting caught and what the others thought about me. I could just be me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak, Tak, Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved pieces around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nice move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....It's only natural.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But not good enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crafty old bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoho.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The losses continued, but strangely, they didn't feel bad. Rather, each time I lost, I enjoyed the game more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when I saw myself lasting further and further in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found joy in my progress. Almost like the time when I learned the spell for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flew by like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah! So close!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I continued to play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I almost got you there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he continued to beat me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just you wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There! Ah no!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was getting closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's i—Fuck! You damn bastard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My piece fell on the board and I looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a silence as we both looked at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Bucklam smiled with such rare warmth that made me realize what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so many tries, I had finally won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been so immersed in the game that I hadn't realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The professor nodded. As he did, his figure gradually started to fade. But even in such a situation, he didn't forget to smile as he lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even a fake like me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Is fun to be with, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He disappeared shortly after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat down on the bench for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly staring at the board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he wanted was to be acknowledged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?| Lvl 1. [Fear] EXP + 7%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not for his past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for his present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 13%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was there that I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing scarier than loneliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?| Lvl 2. [Sadness] EXP + 4%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this day, Professor Bucklam was arrested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julien Dacre Evenus. Leon Rowan Ellert. Kiera Mylne. Anders Lewis Richmond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the names of the four cadets who took down the rogue professor.\u003C\u002Fp>",1727,"2026-06-02T12:40:55.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","c3f19e557cb79821f05dd9193555f3197ebcb2f11616f7761d1e03d6a301247c","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-42","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-40",876,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fadvent-of-the-three-calamities-cover.jpg"]