[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun":3,"chapter-the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-chapter-258":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter",{"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},1373753,1817,"Chapter 258: Secret Research (4)","the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-chapter-258",258,"\u003Cp>Aria Lilias told me what happened when I was hallucinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When something suddenly shot out from the rift and pierced my forehead, I fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long. Although it felt like over ten minutes to me, Aria said it was less than thirty seconds. I regained consciousness while Aria was trying out various means to bring me back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m glad you’re safe. But the message from the Nether… it’s unbelievable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the spacious, library-like laboratory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria and I were sitting against a bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The secret passage was once again hidden by the bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I briefly recounted what I had experienced. However, I didn’t specifically mention that the person who left the message for me was Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fact that Transcendent Being is aware of my research and orchestrated for you to find me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because of the Authority of Godslaying… In the end, the gods are gambling on you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, who was once an ordinary game player, had become a pawn in the god’s plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game against the Evil God was so vast in scale that even time and countless fateful crossroads were mere cards to be played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was just a small, insignificant human. So, I couldn’t fully grasp the game board set by the gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, I still don’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many mysteries that would remain unsolved unless I could speak directly with the game developers, Higgs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing was clear, my choices were limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’m going to the Nether.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria’s eyes quivered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, I decided to choose the second method that Dorothy had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to find a way to defeat the Evil God, and there’s someone I need to meet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a lot to say… but first, there’s something you need to know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria turned towards me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you plan to go? You’re not thinking of dying to get there, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The person who sent me the message told me how.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy had explained how to get to the Nether while talking about the second method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to widen the rift and go through it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria’s eyes widened in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to find a sure way to widen the rift. I’ll be assisting in your research if that’s alright with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recalled the contents of the mysterious book. She said that Aria was on my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if a god encouraged rather than scolded her, this arrogant wizard would undoubtedly indulge her instincts without restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our interests aligned, and she could even satisfy her intellectual curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria would become my most loyal ally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Dorothy see through this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it comes to this, am I dabbling in black magic too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, since I was now in the same boat as Aria, I decided to adopt the same mindset as her, boldly believing that what we were doing was not black magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, we had a noble cause for this research. It was to defeat the Evil God and protect the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hee, hehehe….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, an uncontrollable laughter came out of Aria’s mouth and her body trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a peculiar laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That sounds truly wonderful… Seriously perfect….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria’s voice was filled with such ecstasy that it seemed she might sob with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the most lively and joyous expression I had ever seen on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***“Isaac!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I left the Tower Master’s laboratory and was about to leave Hegel Tower…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ran into Luce in the hallway. She was wearing a Hegel Tower wizard robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We headed to the rooftop. Thanks to the Tower Master’s permission, we could access the rooftop anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stood next to each other on the rooftop railing, looking at the night view of Märchen Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night breeze was cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? You know I’m doing my apprenticeship here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was late. I thought it might be rude to come see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isaac… I hate you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce murmured softly, almost like a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you know I was here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your familiar came to see the Tower Master before, didn’t she?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…How did she know that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I heard the Tower Master was returning today, I figured you’d come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really…? Sharp as always, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce gave me a meaningful look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is something going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you came to see the Tower Master as soon as she returned, it must be something urgent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce’s specialty, interrogating, had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just had a few things to ask Teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce looked at me skeptically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t tell her the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That I was planning to go to the Nether and had decided to work with Aria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To tell her this? No way. It would sound like I was throwing myself into danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, I fully understood why Dorothy, from the first cycle, mentioned in the mysterious book that Aria would be on my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone like Luce, who had affection for me, wouldn’t let me take a dangerous path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor would the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, there was no one as perfectly aligned with my interests and optimized to help me as Aria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Alright. I won’t ask again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She backed down surprisingly easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the night view with that thought, and Luce suddenly pulled my head towards her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce held my face to her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft sensation enveloped my chin and both cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s this, all of a sudden…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you suddenly doing this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You like my chest, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t this an inappropriate time to say that? Seriously, why are you doing this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Isaac.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce whispered as she stroked the back of my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why have you been looking so sad since earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my efforts to manage my expressions, it must have leaked without my knowledge. I was careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Luce noticed, then there was no hiding it. I decided to tell her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… it happens. Not everything in life is always good, you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I pondered on Dorothy Gale’s words, the deeper my regret grew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the Dorothy I first met. The person I liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s time turned back, but only Dorothy was sacrificed as a pawn in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a truly messed-up situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s okay. Really. It’s not something to worry about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled nonchalantly. I had no intention of sharing such worries with Luce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce stroked my head and turned her gaze towards the night view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The forest path looks very dark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce brought up a different topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It does.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to stay over? It’s dangerous out there at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m… not really someone who needs to be warned about the dangers of the night, am I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s stay like this a little longer. I promised to do this when you’re having a hard time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luce leaned her cheek against my head, her warmth enveloping me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re going to live together, so you’d better get used to my comfort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a considerate person…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s quite comforting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Luce.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even when we have our eldest daughter, Adriana, and our son, Hamel. If you want, I’ll always hold you first before our kids.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is she talking about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***[Is that really true…?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I arrived at the dorm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I entered the room, I was greeted by the Frost Dragon Hilde, who was cleaning in her human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, the academy maids did the cleaning, making this unnecessary, but Hilde said she wanted to try mimicking humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only light in the dark room was the soft glow of the lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat Hilde on the bed and told her everything that happened at Hegel Tower, except for one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left out the part where the Primordial Ice Sovereign was guarding the icy lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already given Hilde a lot of information. That alone would be overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I mentioned the Primordial Ice Sovereign now, I didn’t know how this would affect Hilde, who had longed for her former master for a thousand years, emotionally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it would be wiser to talk about the Primordial Ice Sovereign issue at another time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We need to find Dorothy immediately, Master!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hilde was restless. She seemed to prioritize rescuing Dorothy over the dangers of the Nether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My feelings were the same, but there was nothing I could do at the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still need to improve my skills. It will take some time. I need to prepare thoroughly in the meantime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew exactly what I had to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to calm my emotions and avoid being impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn’t prepare thoroughly, it would be a meaningless death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad ending「Wanderer of the Nether」...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, there was a character that always leads to a game over. One of them was the Nether King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one used the “Key to Mysteries”’ to head to the edge of the Nether in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one remained in the Nether until the key’s effect wore off, they would meet the conditions for the bad ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While wandering the Nether, at some point, a giant pair of eyes would appear in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner of those eyes would introduce himself as the Nether King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This overwhelming presence brought death to Ian, who had defied the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Ian became a wandering soul in the Nether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the bad ending「Wanderer of the Nether」.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy from the first cycle said I had to defeat the Nether King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I went to the Nether with my physical body, I would inevitably catch the Nether King’s attention, and facing him was unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about confronting a bad ending element I thought I’d never have to face made my heart pound with secret fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Master… will you really be alright? Can you handle it?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She meant, “Can you endure it with a good heart?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled out the silver dagger, Blade of Frost Flowers. When I drew the blade from its sheath, I saw the three pale blue magic circles activate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to look far ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to do my best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to reap the maximum benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only thing I could do now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Honestly, I’m not alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn’t okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially considering Dorothy’s situation, my heart felt like it could burst with anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sheathed the Blade of Frost Flowers again and looked at Hilde.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hilde was looking at me with a complicated expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As I said, I’m going to prepare thoroughly and go to the Nether.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no different from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like when I worked tirelessly to bring down the Floating Island to save Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing scenarios and relentlessly becoming stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s prepare to traverse the Nether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There, I’ll meet someone who will impart the ultimate ice magic to me. And then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>─Are you two in love with each other?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distant icy lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of everything, alone in that small, shabby house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to see Dorothy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I steeled myself.\u003C\u002Fp>",1848,"2026-06-05T21:55:37.925Z",1,"novelbin.me","8587f481153316cd731fc494fa312156132ca9135cfd2dd7712f1c43053edee4","the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-chapter-259","the-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-chapter-257",377,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-academy-s-weakest-became-a-demon-limited-hun-cover.jpg"]