"Now now, class. Since today marks your first day and orientation, I won't take much of your ti." Deerheart's voice was gentle—perhaps excessively so.
His black hair and golden eyes glead, even behind his glasses, as though he were constantly channeling mana—a radiant, srizing smile that could easily charm anyone plastered his lips.
"Now, as you may already be aware, necromantic talent stems from affinities with shadow, darkness, or death. But do you truly understand what necromancy actually is?"
Anica, seated in front of , raised her hand... Just like every female character I've ever designed, she was breathtaking—but in a quietly endearing way.
She had porcelain-pale skin, pink hair, and moonlight-grey eyes—yet her most distinguishing feature was her stature.
Despite being a year older than the rest of the class, she was quite petite, with a luminous face and innocent eyes.
A book was clutched tightly to her chest, which, in terms of physique, was neither particularly small nor large.
"Sir, necromancy is the ability to resurrect the dead, but its true essence lies in wish fulfillnt, that is, eternal life and boundless strength."
Deerheart smiled at Anica's response and nodded. "Indeed, Miss Anica—no wonder your father treasures you." His gaze t mine for a mont before turning back to the class.
He then continued. "Necromancy, as she aptly stated, is the art that grants individuals the opportunity to pursue immortality and power."
'System, why are Deerheart's eyes still glowing?'
[Based on the trace of his mana signature, it appears he is using a clone or a dead lifeform.]
'Then why is no one else reacting?'
[Because the user likely perceives it due to his enhanced vision.]
'Can you track the mana signature?'
[With my recent upgrade yesterday, I can partially track it.]
'Alright.'
Deerheart—the villain who would bring the prologue of THD to a close, thus ushering in the actual storyline.
Initially, I created him as a minor character, just another forgettable antagonist for Matthew to defeat, gaining a power-up and the respect of his peers—but let's just say sothing changed my mind.
I gave him a backstory, heightened his threat level, and tied him directly into the main plot—the demonic humans.
If the original plot unfolds as intended, Deerheart will make his move in two weeks, once his research is complete.
Just as he taught the class, Deerheart wasn't rely practicing necromancy, but also engaging in soul exchange arts—most likely one of those sorceries Neko-sensei ntioned.
"Rank one in academics, tell : if the ideal volu of artrics required for a mana potion is 200 grams, what quantity would be necessary to reanimate a corpse?" Deerheart's question snapped back to the present as I offered a weak smile.
'Like I know anything about magic.'
The only reason I achieved such a high score on the exam was due to one simple fact—I had written every question in the entrance exam into the novel.
Which ant anything I hadn't docunted, or the system lacked knowledge of, was entirely unknown to .
But this particular question was one Deerheart was supposed to solve within a week, aning I could simply disregard it since no one else in class could answer it—but...
My voice was firm like that of a scholar. "If we consider the variables, aligning mana output from a living being with the dynamic nature of lifeforce as mana..."
I jotted down a string of nonsensical formulas in my book. "Then the amount required would be approximately 12.34 kilograms." I responded with confidence, leaning forward.
For now, it was crucial to earn Deerheart's trust while simultaneously drawing the attention of the true anomaly of Noctis and the only individual born with an S-rank—Anica Abraham, the adopted daughter of the Abraham family.
"An excellent response. Even I hadn't arrived at that conclusion." A wide grin spread across the professor's face, causing even to shiver slightly. "I understand why you earned the top rank and why Eli is intrigued by you."
After a pause, he added, "Following class, you, Anica, and Isabella should et in my office."
We nodded and continued with the lecture. As if rely evaluating talent, Deerheart diverged from his original topic and began teaching about mana and its properties.
Aside from his cringeworthy deanor and tendency to focus on female students except for , who had piqued his interest—Deerheart's class was surprisingly engaging.
Since, unlike Hari, I had no prior knowledge of mana before my transmigration, it was refreshing to learn sothing beyond basic science.
We covered foundational theories and spell calculations. Even with talent, mages were still required to study spells—even those who weren't wave controllers.
Only through mastering spells and understanding how to apply them could mages earn gifts—an evolved form of an aspect or a specific spell tied to their unique talent.
Using his example, I was able to outline a thod to enhance my own ability.
If I focused on developing Gobos' ice talent, constructing spells and derivative applications—once I mastered and awakened it, I could eventually obtain a gift that enabled more advanced ice manipulation—though gifts were exceedingly rare.
"That will be all for today, class." His eyes briefly t mine, Anica's, and Isabella's before exiting the room.
'That's your way of summoning us,' I mused as I rose to my feet.
It seed Isabella had already followed Deerheart, which, given his influence over her, wasn't particularly surprising.
Deerheart's ability was uniquely potent—it allowed him to charm mbers of the opposite gender, provided they opened their hearts to him.
Many of my male readers had ford a digital cult celebrating Deerheart's gift, prompting to devise a critical flaw in its chanics.
The conditions for his power were as follows: First, the female had to possess at least 50% interest in him.
Second, he needed to be physically attractive, aning he prioritized facial aesthetics over physical training.
And lastly, his ability didn't induce affection directly—it amplified whatever emotion one already felt toward him by over 100%.
aning anyone who already despised him by more than 60% would detest him even more upon recalling him, and anyone who admired him would grow even more infatuated.
"Why did he have to summon now of all tis..." Anica sighed, too exhausted to leave her seat.
Despite growing up with Isabella, they were complete opposites—even in physical build.
But beyond appearance—Anica was a prodigy or rather, a lazy genius. One of the top twenty most powerful individuals in the world and among the most intelligent, yet burdened with ennui and lethargy.
Nothing sparked her interest. She was unaware that her effortless excellence fostered a deep inferiority complex in her sister—thus creating Isabella: the compulsive people-pleaser, desperate for praise or any opportunity to surpass her sister.
But how was I to control soone like Anica? Simple—through her sole weakness, a detail only I knew in this entire world, ntioned just once at the mont of her death.
Crear Chocolate—a rare confection only I and a certain deceased chef she'd t in childhood knew how to create.
"Hey, Anica?" I said, approaching her.
The striking girl, still seated, glanced up at . "Hmm... I'm not going."
A gentle smile crept across my face as I extended my hand. "I brought this as a welco gift."
That was all I said before walking out of the room.
'5... 4... 3... 2...'
"Wait!!!"
Anica rushed after as I stood just beyond the doorway.
"How...?" she began. "How did you make this?"
"Oh, that? Just a little secret recipe I developed."
"Do you have more?" Her cheeks was flushed, and even her wizard-like hat drooped as if in supplication. "Do you?"
I reached into my bag and pulled out another wrapped chocolate. "Here."
After handing it to her, I began descending the staircase and just as expected, Anica followed behind like a moth to a fla.
'Yes... Bodyguard secured.'
[Legend of the sly fox.]
'I am not sly.'
As soon as she finished the chocolate in her hands, she extended them again. "Another."
"Hmm... I don't have any more. But if you help , I can make more."
Anica's fading expression brightened instantly as she clutched my sleeve. "So, where to next, Master?"
Her flushed expression made chuckle softly. "Let's go et the professor first."
My first objective was to determine how far Deerheart's research had progressed, contact Matthew, since he needed the spotlight for the story to advance, and verify whether Hari had retrieved what I requested.
If I needed backup, Neko-sensei was available—but I doubted I'd require help, considering I had the greatest prodigy by my side.
The professor's building was a circular structure, appearing to be no more than six stories tall, but nothing in Noctis ever made sense.
The elevator ascended rapidly as we made our way up.
As I stared at the large door bearing the na "Deerheart," I swallowed hard and pushed it open.
Only to be greeted by the scent of vanilla cake—and the presence of over thirty female students.
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