Chapter 72: Chaoter Seventy Two
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"I’m telling you, he’s the biggest bully there is."
Anton jabbed a finger toward Michael, who sat cross-legged in the armchair by the window, teacup balanced on one knee. His smile was serene, unbothered—almost beatific—as he watched Anton’s increasingly theatrical retelling of the Hendrick incident.
At that mont, Zeke materialized in the room.
The conversation died mid-word. All heads turned.
"Oh. Hey, guys."
Zeke raised one hand in a half-hearted wave, already crossing toward the small wine rack beside the hearth. He pulled a bottle without reading the label and tipped it back, drinking straight from the neck. Wine sloshed dangerously as he gulped like a man personally offended by moderation.
"Ugh. Manners."
Kai groaned, face twisting in disgust.
"You should learn from ." Michael raised his teacup in mock salute. "Drink tea."
"Nah." Zeke wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning. "I’m engaging in vices of the strong now. Like the cool professor I t today."
"The combat professor?" Jude asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Of course. Who else? That boring magic exam proctor?"
Zeke sneered as he said Aldric’s unofficial title, his lip curling with visible disdain.
"Ooh. Sobody pissed you off."
Aaron leaned back, voice lilting with delight.
Zeke walked to the nearest chair and dropped into it, legs sprawling.
"We almost had an altercation. I would’ve mopped the floor with him."
"Ooh, fighting on your first day?" Anton pressed one hand to his chest in mock scandal. "Tsk, tsk. What a bad professor."
"Shut up. What did you do?"
Zeke took another swig, eyes narrowing over the bottle’s rim.
"We t Yeon." Anton’s voice took on the exact cadence of a ten-year-old tattling on his older sibling. "And Michael’s a bully."
"Ooh. A bully." Zeke’s grin widened, sharp and unrepentant. "That does not surprise
one bit."
He turned toward Michael, smile turning sickly sweet.
"Michael. You naughty, naughty boy."
Silence.
The group grimaced in perfect unison.
Anton visibly recoiled, sinking deeper into his chair as though trying to rge with the upholstery.
"You’re all sorts of weird."
Michael shot Zeke a look that scread what’s wrong with you.
"Mm."
The group gave a synchronized nod.
"You all agree with the emotionless robot?"
Zeke’s voice rose, indignant.
"That’s cheap, man." Aaron shook his head slowly, tone grave.
"Really low." Anton’s voice was solemn, mournful. "We don’t do that here."
"Tsk, tsk." Kai clicked his tongue. "I’m disappointed."
Zeke turned to Jude, searching for support.
Jude simply wagged one finger, mouthing the word: Low.
"Fuck you all."
Zeke waved both hands in dismissal, pushed himself up from the chair, and walked toward the stairs. His footsteps were heavy, deliberate—just theatrical enough to be funny.
"Haha—"
The mont he disappeared upstairs, the group burst into laughter.
---
’I wonder what professors actually teach?’
Zeke lay sprawled across his bed, one leg raised, one arm stretched toward the ceiling as though trying to grasp sothing just out of reach. His eyes traced the rough wooden beams overhead.
{ Probably the field they operate in, ya fool. }
Zero’s voice was dry, unimpressed.
’Then what would I teach? I know nothing about magic. Well, except for my little teleportation trick I’ve got going on.’
{ You’re right. What do you even know about magic? Is Nox dumb? }
’How would I know? I did hear old people have a few loose screws.’
{ Well, it’s not too late to hit the libraries. You could go to public ones, or just head to the academy. I’m pretty sure Nox would grant you access to the library. }
{ He’d be elated you want to learn. }
’Shut the fuck up. Who hires a person because of potential? It’s knowledge first, potential second, for crying out loud.’
Zeke dragged both hands through his hair, gripping tight.
{ You have ti to gain knowledge, I guess. When does the academic session begin? }
’Urgh. I don’t know?’
Zeke sat up, scratched his cheek.
’That’s not normal, right?’
{ Of course that’s not normal. }
’You’re the personal assistant. Why didn’t you get my schedule?’
{ Oh, I just automatically gain a physical body and ask questions you should ask. Fool. }
’Yes, you fool. That’s what assistants do.’
{ Obviously not. }
’I should ask the students instead of asking you.’
{ Oh, you don’t say. }
Zeke pushed himself off the bed and walked downstairs.
---
"Yo."
Jude waved as Zeke descended the stairs.
"When are you bastards starting your academic sessions?"
"Aren’t you the professor?" Anton tilted his head, confusion written plainly across his face.
"You shouldn’t ask that." Michael shrugged, teacup still in hand. "You can tell he’s still angry from before. Highlighting his ignorance is just..."
He trailed off, smile widening.
The group snickered.
"We start in a month."
Jude sighed, though a smile threatened to break through at the corners of his mouth.
"A month is quite far off."
"Far off for what?" Aaron asked.
"Procrastination is the thief of ti," Michael intoned, voice taking on a lecturing quality.
"To learn all I can about magic and mana."
"Mana." Michael’s brow lifted. "That’s what magic power is called, right?"
"Yeah." Jude nodded.
"You can just ask Anton all you need to know about magic." Kai tossed a ball into the air and caught it, still lying on his back.
Zeke’s head turned sharply toward Anton.
"That’s right. You exist." His eyes glead. "I have a lot of questions that need answering."
"Bring it to the four-thousand-year-old man." Anton spread his arms wide, grin smug.
"One with mory issues," Michael added, voice light and teasing.
"Ooh—"
The trio cooed in unison.
Zeke’s expression shifted—flat, serious, radiating pure give
the information energy.
---
"Wow. You forgot a very important fact—that the Tower doesn’t actually take us up floors."
Kai’s voice dripped with sarcasm, punctuated by an exaggerated eye roll.
"Well, it does take you up floors—" Anton started, voice sheepish.
"Bah." Kai waved him off.
"So plot-convenient. mory loss."
"I wonder what else you don’t know you don’t rember." Aaron’s grin was wicked.
"So. The elephant in the room—alongside a liar and an Alzheir’s patient."
Zeke interrupted, voice cutting through the banter with sudden sharpness.
"These boys are on their fourth trials, and I’m stuck in my third. You guys haven’t started yours. The difference in our trials will certainly cause problems later, right?"
"Maybe." Anton’s tone turned cautious, thoughtful. "But I still think there’s a possibility it could be fixed. It all depends on the way your trial works."
"Since you all passed your third trials—" Michael leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. "—what were your reward completion ranks and rewards?"
The trio turned to Anton.
Silence stretched.
"So." Anton’s voice went deliberately slow. "I may or may not have ntioned that we would not get rewards—or know our completion rate—until we all clear this world."
He paused.
"We are a group and all."
"That does not make sense." Jude’s brow furrowed. "What about larger groups?"
"They have smaller units. The rules then apply to the smaller units." Anton gestured vaguely. "For us, we’re the smallest unit we can be."
"How do you fail to ntion these things up until now?" Aaron’s voice rose, incredulous.
"I’m an old man, ya know." Anton shrugged, expression helpless.
"So we have to wait on you slowpokes." Kai’s grin was sharp, mocking.
"I can’t believe it." Aaron pressed one hand to his forehead, voice dripping with theatrical despair. "They’re holding us back."
"Mm." Jude and Kai nodded in perfect synchronization.
"What about magic?" Zeke groaned, dragging one hand down his face. "Tell
you know magecraft."
"Ooh. Magecraft. Fancy." Michael cooed, eyes gleaming.
"I actually don’t know orthodox magecraft—which ans you wouldn’t be able to teach students with my knowledge."
Anton’s tone was carefully neutral.
"And, for your information, you need knowledge of the theory of magecraft. Not spells. Spells I can do. Theory I can’t."
"Well, thanks, Captain Obvious." Zeke’s voice turned sharp, mocking. "’You need theory, not spells.’"
He stood abruptly, walking toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Jude asked.
"A fucking library. Or rather, Asterea."
Zeke answered without looking back.
"Well, we’re bored. Help us out." Kai shouted from his lying position, voice carrying across the room.
Zeke stopped.
Turned.
"You’re right. There’s nothing to do here. And you have a month till you begin school."
He paused, lips curling into a slow, wicked grin.
"Well. Play with yourselves."
"They need stimulation." Anton’s tone was innocent, entirely unconvincing. "They can’t do it off of imagination."
"Are we talking about the sa ’playing with themselves’?" Michael asked, smile widening.
"I wonder which one you an." Anton’s smile turned sharp, knowing.
"You bastards—" Jude’s voice rose. "We don’t play with ourselves."
He emphasized the words with exaggerated clarity.
"We didn’t say that." Zeke shrugged, expression utterly innocent. "I wonder why you would think that."
Anton and Michael snickered.
Kai only rolled his eyes.
"Even if you ant wanking or not, we’d still need a dium." He conceded, steering the conversation back to the real problem.
’I can make a cell phone that would work here, right?’
{ Of course. I’m the ultimate AI. }
{ You would need the materials, though. }
’Of course. It wouldn’t just appear out of the air, would it?’
"Michael." Zeke turned toward him. "How many days would it take to send a ssage to Earth to get the materials I need?"
"Materials?" Michael’s brow lifted. "What are you building?"
"Wanking diums."
"Cell phones?" Aaron bead, sitting up.
"TVs. Consoles."
"And how would you build it? How would it work in this world?" Anton asked, skeptical.
"I have Knowledge of All Mundane Things. Do I really have to announce it every ti? Not that I don’t like it."
Zeke’s grin widened.
"And I have a fucking AI. Creating and latching onto a server is its job."
"Zero?" Jude asked, voice quiet.
"One."
Zeke deadpanned.
The trio perked up, eyes bright.
"Wow. How did you get him here?" Kai asked, leaning forward.
"He’s an extension of . Like an ability. Did I not tell you?"
"No, you didn’t." Anton’s voice was flat.
"I can’t trust you. You have dentia and Alzheir’s."
"Bastard—"
"You did, in fact, not tell us." Michael’s tone was mild, asured.
"Oh. My bad. Now you know."
"’Oh, my bad’? That’s all you have to say?" Kai’s voice rose, bewildered.
"I really am sorry for not telling you about my private life—which would have had no effect on you."
Zeke’s voice was cold, clipped.
"Is that good enough for you?"
He continued to the door, pulling it open. His voice drifted back, quieter now.
"Get the materials ready, Michael."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Silence.
"What just happened?" Kai asked, still staring at the closed door.
"You pissed him off." Michael smiled, clearly delighted by the situation.
"For real this ti." Anton nodded sagely.
"Maybe don’t talk about Zero next ti." Aaron grimaced, offering a helpless little shrug.
---
"Why are you back?"
Nox groaned, stroking his beard with visible exasperation.
"I’m here for a training arc. And you definitely knew that, you perv."
Zeke grinned, tone teasing.
"So. How do you want to do it?"
"Show
to the library. I need to learn the basics. It’s been a while since I’ve fed my brain sothing other than fiction."
"To the ordinary, magecraft is fiction."
"Don’t be philosophical, old man."
"Fuck off, Karen."
"That’s not how you use the word, boor."
Nox’s lips twitched. He waved one hand.
Zeke disappeared.
--
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