Zorian tore a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote a text message to Imaya, explaining that he still had Haslush's divination class and would therefore be late for the day. He still didn't understand the big deal of being late, but he really didn't want to argue.

Of course, it's one thing to write a message, it's another to give it to Imaya - he's at the academy now, and there's still a long way to go from there to where Imaya lives. However, he was pretty sure he had a solution. He had found a large number of spells for long-distance communication, and while there weren't many spells that were within his power or suitable for his purposes, one of the spell combinations seemed promising. Basically, he wants to make a paper airplane and let it fly on its own power. A simple locating charm will guide it to Imaya. When he tested it with Kiriel, the method worked, but at a much smaller distance.

He folded the paper into a paper airplane and cast a spell on it, then threw it out of the nearest window. It quickly vanished, tracking its target.

Well...... The lesson is over and the message is sent. It's time to find Haslush.

Unsurprisingly, Zorian discovers that Haslush has arranged their second meeting at another tavern. Of course. Undeterred, Zorian walked into the place and tried to ignore the gazes of the other patrons, looking for Haslush among them.

Haslush was not there. Did Zorian find the right place, or did Haslush just decide not to show up? He did have some trouble finding this place, as Haslush gave it very vague instructions, but Zorian was sure that this was the place. He was about to leave the tavern to see if he had missed something, when he suddenly realized.

Something went wrong. He had an almost unnatural desire to leave this place. He probably wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been "resistance training" for Karen in a dozen reboots, but there was a compulsive effect against him.

He pulled out his divination compass and pulled out a quick positioning spell to find Haslush. The pointer immediately pointed to an unassuming, brown-haired man in a factory worker's outfit sitting in the left corner. Zorian sighed and shuffled over to the man, seated in a chair facing his desk.

"Can I help you?" The man asked in a pained, hoarse voice, staring at Zorian with hollow, bloodshot eyes. Very creepy.

Zorian didn't answer, but grunted and quickly dispersed. A dispelling force rushed towards the man, disrupting the illusion. The creepy man vanished, and Haslush pouted at him like a child.

"I must say, I didn't expect that," Haslush said. "I reckon you'll be in and out of the tavern at least three times before you understand. I dare say you just broke the pot – only two people voted for you and got it instantly. ”

Out of the corner of his eye, Zorian saw two bar patrons and gave him a thumbs up.

"Can you lift the spell now?" Zorian sighed. "I feel like this question has been haunting my mind and I won't be able to follow you."

"Oh. Yes," Haslush snapped his fingers. Zorian's mind cleared immediately, and the thought of escaping the tavern vanished.

"So what's the point?" Zorian asked.

"I want to see how good your observation skills are," Haslush said, taking a sip.

"'Divination is one of the trickier magical disciplines, because failure is not obvious. You can do divination perfectly, but still get nothing. You may mess things up and not even realize what you're doing wrong. Asking the wrong question, misinterpreting the result, or failing to take into account an important variable is all just a waste of effort. Experience can help you minimize such problems, but natural insight can also help you. ”

"I scored very well?" Zorian tried.

"Good start," Haslush said. "We're not done yet."

With that, Haslush reached over the table and grabbed his wrist before he pulled it away. All sights and sounds around Zorian vanished in an instant, and a dark and silent void surrounded him. The only thing he could see and hear was his own body and Haslush, who seemed to sit in thin air, his chair swallowed up, replaced by the same darkness of everything else.

"Don't," Hasluth warned as Zolian tried to break his hand free from Haslush's grasp. "It's a harmless spell that goes away as soon as we disconnect skin-to-skin contact. If this makes you feel better, I'll suffer the same while this continues. ”

"So what's the point?" Zorian asked.

"How many people were in the tavern when I cast this spell on you?" Haslush said.

"What?" Zorian tried to look around, and immediately realized what the consequences of the darkness would be. "Oh. You want to see how much I pay attention to the state of the tavern. ”

"How many?" Haslush repeated.

Zorian racked his brains for a moment. He did observe them well when he scanned the tavern's patrons and tried to find Haslush, but he never really counted the numbers. It is likely that someone left the tavern while he was talking to Haslush, and he didn't notice.

“23？” He tried.

"Not true. How many trophies are lined up on the wall next to our desk? ”

Unfortunately, while Zorian noticed the trophies, he didn't take a second look. Haslush asked 15 more similar questions, and Zorian was no longer confident. Hasrosh finally let go, and the rest of the tavern immediately reappeared.

"Oh, don't be so frustrated," Haslush said. "You're not bad, really. Honestly, I'm not going to cancel our classes just because you didn't perform well on something like this. Anyway, what is your attitude towards divination? Standard sophomore or something extra? ”

"I know a lot of library divination, and I've mastered the north-seeking shaping exercises," Zorian said.

"What, Xiangbei has already started exercising?" Haslush asked in surprise. "Well, anyway, today I'll teach you how to analyze objects."

He reached into the pocket of his long coat and placed something on the table in front of him: a sealed envelope, an old pocket watch, a locked box, some kind of giant nut, a spell stick, and a peculiar—looking for a glove.

"Analysing objects is something I do a lot, so I think it's a good place to start. Identify the purpose of the object, find out who disposed of it in the end, what kind of magic and protection was exerted on it......

You can spend your entire career studying it, and that's what some people do," Haslush said. "I've heard you're interested in a job in the Spell Foundry, so this must be useful to you."

"So what should I do?" Zorian asked.

"Now I'll teach you the spells you need, and then you practice them," Haslush said, pointing to the various items on the table.

According to the man's various comments, Haslush clearly has a high status in the police hierarchy in Kooria. Maybe he could do something useful with the information about the invasion without ventilating the organizers? To find out, maybe it's worth dying once or twice. Ha.

"I really have to thank you, sir," Zorian said. "You're much better at this than I initially thought."

"It's okay," Haslush said. "I actively create a not very flattering appearance. It helps the people around me relax. So what else do you want to do with me? ”

Zorian sighed. So what should he say?

"Can you build some private wards first?" Zorian asked.

Hearing this request, Haslush raised an eyebrow, but quickly nodded in agreement. He quickly cast some kind of spell on the table, and then waited with anticrisy.

"I've heard of a conspiracy to smuggle war trolls into the city during the summer festival after bombarding the city with artillery magic during fireworks launches," Zorian said.

Hasrosh immediately sat up straight.

"I don't think you're going to tell me where you heard that?" Haas asked, confused.

"No," Zorian confirmed. "It seems solid to me, though."

"I see," Haslush sighed. He poured some more wine into the glass and took a sip. "I hate summer vacations, you know? Protective measures are being relaxed in almost all buildings, and the large number of tourists makes it difficult to spot troublemakers in time, while mayors and other bigwigs want to do all sorts of silly things to prepare for this. This is the perfect time for all kinds of criminals to run wild in the city. ”

Hehe. Zorian didn't really know this until now.

"So how are these people going to smuggle all the damn war trolls, and what are they trying to achieve?"

"Go through the dungeon," Zorian said. "As for the purpose, to be honest, I don't know."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Haslush asked.

"Not exactly, no."

"Then I have one more question," Haslush said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"There are some high-level people involved, and I'm not sure who I can trust," Zorian said. "You look like a fairly influential person and are unlikely to be involved. Also, I hope you don't drag me to my cell for interrogation. ”

Of course, he doesn't actually know if the top is involved, but he feels like they're a good bet. He did not understand how such a large-scale invasion could be organized without the cooperation of some very influential figures in the city administration.

"I'm tempted," Haslush admitted. "But all you really have to do is claim it's just a prank, and I'll have to let you go. The Mage Guild was formed because the Mages did not trust civil law enforcement to judge them fairly, and they enviously defended their privileges. They will rescue you in a few days and conduct their own investigation. You're going to get slapped for being stupid. ”

"Well," Zorian said. Haslush sounded a little bitter. He didn't know that Theoria's police force harbored such a grudge against the Mage's Guild.

"It's okay," Haslush said. "I'm not mad at you. I think I'll do some research and we'll talk about it in more detail after the next meeting. You try to discover more from these mysterious sources. ”

Zorian was in a good mood and left the tavern, albeit somewhat depressed due to his fear of the assassins. It is hoped that Haslush will be cautious in his investigation.

When he arrives at Imaia's residence, Imaya tells him that she received his message, but she is still rather unhappy with him - apparently, while delivering his message, the paper plane hits her directly in the back of the head, which is dangerous. What if it hits her face and pokes out her eyes?

Some people have never been happy.

。。。。。 Two......

The house is calm and the only two occupants present at the moment are Zorien and Kirille...... Thankfully, Kyrière was scribbling on his notebook instead of pestering him. That's good, because it's not easy to try to levitate a snail, as Zorian is doing now. Not only is the snail alive and therefore naturally resistant to magic, but it also actively fights the levitation effect, twisting and bending in the air, trying to break free from the unseen force that lifts it in the air.

He's kind of cheating – he's actually levitating a snail shell, which is basically immobile and much stronger than a real snail. The real test of skill is to levitate a slug or something, but ...... Well, he's in trouble enough with that damn snail now.

"Poor snail," El said from the sidelines. "Why don't you let this go and find another one to torture? If you continue like this, you will eventually get hurt. ”

"I'm not torturing it," Zorian protested, trying to focus his attention on holding the snail in the air and talking to Kirier. "It didn't hurt at all. I'm not even sure if a snail's brain is complex enough to be traumatized. This damn thing is keen to escape. ”

Kirill looked like he was going to argue, but then he just grunted and sat back in his chair.

"Where is he?" She said after a minute of silence.

"I don't know, Kiri," Zorian sighed. "Be patient. He's not late. ”

"Maybe we should start without him?" She tried.

"No, we shouldn't!" Zorian snapped. The snail swayed in the air, its eye stalks swinging violently, and it felt the restraint weaken. “

"You're the one who talks about ruthlessness," Kiriel grumbled. "You'd rather help a stranger you met a week ago than help your own sister. I'm grateful, I'm just-"

"Then just wait." Zorian interrupted her and slowly put the snail in his hand. He is clearly not going to get any more work done today. "He'll be here soon. If you want to do something, put the snails back in the garden. ”

"What? Never! ”

Zorian raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you just advocating for freedom?"

"Well, yes, but I'm not going to touch it or anything. It's sticky and disgusting, uh. ”

Zorian rolled his eyes and placed the snail in a small box beside him.

The sound of the door opening signals Kyle's arrival.

"I'm here," Kyle said. "Wish I wasn't late?"

"How did you know he was coming?" Kiriel turned to Zorian and asked, confused.

"Alarm spell," Zorian said dismissively. "No, Kyle, you're not late. Although Kirielle was as impatient as ever. Anyway, you said you needed my help to catch up on the third grade class, right? What part do you need help with? ”

"I really don't know," Kyle said. "As I said, my level of education is somewhat uneven, so although I know a lot of things, there are some things that formally trained mages take for granted and I don't know at all. Why don't you give me a brief overview of your first two years and we'll see where we go next? Ilsa said she would test me in three months, so I had plenty of time to work. ”

Zorian glanced at his sister knowingly, but she avoided his gaze.

Honestly, he cares a lot about his sister and likes Kyle, but he probably doesn't take Kiriel with him to Theoria very often. He spends most of his time at home dealing with El, Imaya, or Kyle and has little time to educate himself. Relatively, of course – El complains that he spends too much time studying and not enough time to entertain or pay attention to her.

He can also relax once in a while. Can he set aside a few hours to help Kyle study for the exam, even if he never survives to take the exam in the time loop?

He briefed both of them on the first two years of the college. When it comes to magic, most of the first year is spent teaching students how to consciously and consistently utilize their magical core, primarily allowing them to activate various magical objects. There's even a first-year course called 'Manipulation of Magical Items', as the title says. They also practiced memorization through increasingly complex gestures and chants that their teachers showed them, which were later practiced to learn to supplicate.

The rest is theory: an introduction to various magical traditions and disciplines, and learning how to understand the basics of the Icotian language, biology, history, geography, law, and mathematics. Not all of them are strictly related to magic, but – wait, who is that?

"We'll have to hold off for the time being," he said, looking at the door. "Someone is—"

Before he could say anything, the door slammed open, and Tevin burst into his room with an aggressive attitude. She took a quick scan of the room, spotting him and striding towards him.

“…… Here it is. He let out a long sigh.

"Cockroaches!" She shouted excitedly. "You are me...... Wait, am I bothering about something? ”

"Yes?" Zorian tried.

"It's okay, it only takes a minute." She shoved a newspaper in his face. "Did you see this?"

He sighed, snatched the newspaper from her hand, and placed it on the table. There, now he can really see what she's doing. Let's take a look...

The academy students killed Oganji!

Yesterday morning, Zach announced in front of reporters that he had killed Oganji

j), this terrifying dragon has plagued northern Artazia for more than a century, shocking the world. Of course, such a bold claim needs proof, and the young heir of Novida has indeed fulfilled his promise when he summoned the dragon corpse for examination. Coalition officials invited to the event have confirmed that the body is certainly the infamous Northern Terror, although further examination is needed before they are willing to offer Zach a promised bounty for killing the beast......

Zorian read the article indifferently. He vaguely realized that El and Kyle were staring over his shoulders so they could see what was attracting his attention, but he didn't let that distract him.

Is this the reason for all these brief reboots? Because Zach wants to kill a dragon? Zorian didn't know what to think. On the one hand, the mage dragon is a threat, and killing him is a great feat. But on the other hand, it seems like a waste of time and effort – what did Zach really get out of it other than combat experience? Dragon magic is of no use to humans, and Zach is already so rich that he won't get much out of the treasury of the Ogangelon.

No matter what game Zach was playing, Zorian couldn't figure it out. Or was another time traveler just doing something that occurred to him at any given moment?

"Hey, Roach, you're in class with this guy, right?" Thaiwen urged after a while.

"Yes," he confirmed. "He was supposed to be in my class this year, but he didn't show up at the start of the class."

"He ran away from home," Tevin said. "There was a recent scandal a week ago. They asked him this question in the article, but he evaded it there. ”

Zorian nodded. Zach simply told reporters that he had "a lot of disagreements with his former guardian."

Zach also told the newspaper that he intends to return to school for "a few months." Great. He will have to keep a low profile for the next few restarts until Zach gets tired of the academy again.

"Oganeji is the dragon that mom used to scare me?"

"A small army, which Oganeji lured into a trap," Kyle said. "The general seems to think that when the army approaches, Ogandj will wait in his lair. Instead, he decided to do something before things got to him. He carved explosive runes into the walls of the canyon and lured the army in. The only reason people survived was because some mages teleported the people out in time. ”

"And I've heard that he also killed one of the Eleven Immortals," Tevin said. "So how the hell did this Zack guy kill that thing? Is he some kind of legend or what? Why don't you tell me you have someone like that in your class? ”

Zorian sighed. What the hell was he going to tell her?

"Let me put it this way," he said cautiously. "For the first two years, Zach had trouble with almost everything. He's such a bad mage that people aren't sure if he'll pass the certification, and you know how easy that thing is. ”

"This ...... It doesn't make sense," Thai said. "Even if the whole thing about killing Oganeji was just some kind of ruse, he still summoned the corpse of an adult dragon. Even I couldn't summon something that big.

"I guess everything changed during the school holidays," Zorian shrugged. "Somehow, he went from a fringe loser to an amazing genius between his second and third years."

"This is ridiculous," Thaiwen said in a huff. "How's that going to work?"

"Time travel?" Zorian cheekily suggested.

"Like I said, ridiculous." Thaiwen immediately retorted. "Are you sure he's not pretending to be incompetent?"

"I'm not sure about anything, Thaivin," Zorian said. And he really wasn't – even after being trapped in a time loop for a whole year, he still felt the whole situation was crazy. "The few things I know are so crazy that you won't believe a word."

"Oh, now I just have to hear them," Tevon said, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on, try me."

"Tell, tell!" El agreed. Kyle didn't speak, but Zorian could tell he was curious.

Well. He can tell them about the time loop, but even if they believe him, what can that bring? They are no more qualified than him to solve the mystery, and if they go around telling people this story, they can reveal his identity to Zach or a possible third party. Then again, he's already told Haslush about the invasion, so he's already playing with fire this restart......

Oh, to hell, as if they're going to believe him anyway.

"What would you say if I told you that Zach and I were time travelers, forever reliving the first month of school, and that a huge army of monsters and hostile mages invaded the city during the summer festival?"

Tevin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Alright, go ahead," Zorian prompted.

"You're right," Taven sighed. "I don't believe a word. Too crazy to hallucinate? ”

"At least," Zorian confirmed.

"Uh," Thaiwen said thoughtfully. "Sounds funny, but you'll have to tell me those stories another day. I think I've stayed long enough. Roach, goodbye! ”

Zorian watched Tevin leave, then turned to Kyle and Kirillere. "So. Are we going to pick up where we left off? ”

Both were silent, looking at him.

"Well," he said. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Is it true?" Kiriel asked, trembling. "Are you really a time traveler?"

Zorian opened his mouth and closed it again. What?

"Your friend may be too forgetful to recognize a hypothetical answer, but we're not," Kyle explains. "You do believe that, don't you? Are you a time traveler? ”

"I ...... Yes. If this is a delusion, it is very convincing. Zorian said cautiously.

"I don't understand," Kirill complained.

"You and I, Kiri," Zorian sighed. "You and I both."

"Maybe you should explain it from the beginning?" Kyle patiently suggested. "Tell us what you understand."

"I've been through this month before, and for the first time, before I knew the time loop, I didn't take my sister with me to Theolya."

"What!?" The younger sister protested. "Zorian, you bastard!"

"I live in an apartment provided by the academy and I go to class as usual," Zorian said, ignoring her. He glanced at Kyle. "You did the same, but I didn't know you then. However, we have one more classmate. ”

"Zach?" Kyle guessed.

"Yes," Zorian confirmed. "Unlike the previous two years when I was in the same class as him, this time he was fantastic. He solves every test perfectly, he has mastered hundreds of spells, and his alchemy is enough to impress you. ”

Kyle raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes," Zorian assured. "He seemed to have changed completely during the summer vacation. I didn't really care much at the time - I was curious how he did it, but snooping was none of my business. Then the summer vacation arrived, and everything went to hell. Artillery fire fell from the sky and fell on the city, followed by an army of monsters. As I walked through the burning city, I witnessed Zach fighting the invaders. He throws advanced magic like candy, a skill that a third-grader could not possess to fight. At first he behaved pretty well, but then a lich arrived on the scene and eliminated him. ”

He paused to think about what he was going to say next, but El clearly didn't want to wait that long.

"And then what?" "What happened next?"

"What else?" Zorian scoffed. "We're dead. The lich cast some strange spell on us - as far as I can tell, it's a necromancy spell - and we were killed instantly. ”

"And how did you go back in time?" Al asked, confused.

"I don't know. All I know is that I am suddenly back in bed in Kooria and you wish me a good morning in a uniquely charming way in Kirier. At first I thought it was a lich's doing, but I soon realized that this was not an isolated incident. Every time I died, or at the end of the summer festival (if I hadn't died), my soul would be transported back to that morning in Sirin before I could take the train to Kooria. ”

They stared at him for a few seconds, and when El decided to speak again, Zorian was already sure that they would suddenly start laughing and laughing at him.

"So you're a time traveler, but you can only go back to the past month, and only to a particular day." El said cautiously. Zorian nodded. She knew this better than Zorian thought. "You can't control anything other than intentional suicide."

"Yes," Zorian confirmed.

"You're the crappiest time traveler ever." El is self-righteous.

In this way, the tension was broken.

。。。。 Four.....

Another three days passed, and to be honest he was a little disappointed with their reaction. They both seemed to believe him, but neither was too affected. The two of them would still ask him questions about the subject whenever they could see him, and he knew that Kyle was working on the topic in his free time, but they continued to do their thing as if nothing had happened. Didn't even look at him with strange eyes!

"I've already told you that I've only been in the time loop for a little over a year," Zorian told El.

"I can't believe you've been going to school for so long," El complained.

"I gave up after the second time."

"You're going to be wiped out of your spirit in no time, or you'll be a slave to Zach," Zorian retorted. "There's a reason I'm doing this slowly and carefully."

A soft knock on the door interrupted their bickering. Ever since Zorian told Hasluth about the invasion, he had been a little paranoid about the visitors, and telling Kyle and Kirill about it only made that paranoia worse. Although he tells Kyle and Kirill not to spread the "holiday invasion" part of the revelation to the others, he can never be sure if they listened to him. Especially not Kiriel. He had been expecting the Assassin to break into the house at any moment, but thankfully, since it was only Kyle knocking lightly, Zorian knew exactly who it was.

"Please come in," Zorian invited.

However, Kyle doesn't come in and stands in the doorway.

"We need to talk," Kyle said, with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Can you come into my room for a moment?"

"Is it about time travel?" Al said excitedly.

Kyle sighed. "Kirill, I know you won't like this, but can you stay in your room while I talk to your brother? It's about time travel, but it's a bit ...... Private. ”

Zorian shrugged and followed Kyle into his room, where the Morlock boy quickly dragged a box from under the bed and pulled out a mysterious black book.

"I've been investigating your ...... for the past few days Problem ......," Kyle said. "I might have found something."

"You did it?" Zorian asked excitedly.

Kyle opened the book he was carrying with him and flipped through it for a few seconds before finding what he was looking for. He handed him the open book, pointing to the pages.

"Based on the Lich spell you remembered, and everything else you told me, I think this is the most likely spell he used," Kyle said.

"Soul fusion," Zorian read aloud. "At least two goals are needed. Merge and merge the target soul into one. Often used as a component of more complex rituals, this can severely alter the effect. If the spell is used alone, the resulting entity will actually always go crazy or have other flaws due to the pressure of the merge. Commonly used in ...... Create a bond of familiarity, as well as a bond of soul in general......"

It does sound like it's likely to be a candidate for the spell, but where exactly did Kyle find this? Zorian frowned and flipped through the rest of the book. It is filled with soul magic spells, most of which are written in several unknown scripts that Zorian cannot read. This...... Not something you can find in the college library.

This could be Kyle's personal book.

"Kyle...... Are you a necromancer? Zorian asked cautiously.

"A difficult question," Kyle replied after a pause. "I will not enslave the dead, nor will I curse people. Soul magic is much more than that, though. ”

Well, that's pretty awesome – he told his secret to the few people who could actually do something about it.

Still, hey, it's done, at least Kyle doesn't seem to be much hostile at the moment. If anything, the other boy seemed to be more afraid of Zorrian.

"If that's what you're worried about, I'm not going to report you," Zorian said. Part of the reason was that he was so scared of what the other boy would do to him if he tried. A necromancer, especially ...... "Do you agree to keep my secret a secret, or, necromancy?" Uh, I mean, soul magic? ”

Kyle gives him a weak smile. "It's an interesting subject. My teacher was intrigued by this and I wanted to continue the tradition. ”

"So, if the Lich has soul-fused me, why am I still ...... Well, me? Zorian asked. As far as I know, such a spell would completely merge my soul with Zach's. None of us will exist as individuals. ”

"Well, I must admit that I'm not an expert in soul magic." Kyle said. "My main strengths are alchemy and medicine, and soul magic is just a side hustle. That said, I think the spell was stopped before it could finish its effect. When Zach realizes that his soul has been targeted, it is entirely possible that he will commit suicide. ”

"It would be a sensible course of action," Zorian agreed. "Although when I talked to him, he didn't give me the impression that he was aware of the danger. I think it's probably amnesia cheating on him. ”

"Or he may have been cast with an emergency spell that will kill him once it is discovered that his soul has been tampered with without authorization. You've already said that he may not be the originator of the time loop. The person who enchanted him was undoubtedly aware of the danger as well, as the time loop you fell into was clearly the work of an expert soul master. ”

"Right. So, since the spell is only allowed to work its magic for a moment, we are protected from the worst. Zorian said thoughtfully. Eventually, I gained some kind of soul bond that dragged me along the way. Possibly. In any case, apparently there is some soul fusion involved. Can you find out what exactly this spell is working on? ”

"Maybe," Kyle said slowly. "More precisely, soul magic. Are you sure you want to entrust this to an evil, slimy necromancer? ”

"Yes," Zorian confirmed, rolling his eyes at Kyle's dramatic performance. It may not be the wisest thing to do, but he does crave some answers, and he feels honest from Kyle.

"I'm sorry," Kyle said. "I thought soul magic of this grandeur was obvious, but I think I was wrong. Maybe if I try it on Zach......? ”

"He can't be examined without telling him the truth," Zorian said. "I'm not sure if I want to."

"Of course," Kyle said. "Although I'm not sure what else I can do. I have to be a better soul mage to help you with this, and if you're right, I just don't have time to become one. Even if you convince me of all this at the beginning of the time loop – and I'm not sure you can do it so quickly, before I know a little bit about you – a month isn't enough to make any progress in the time loop. A realm like soul magic. ”

"Uh," Zorian stammered after a few seconds of silence. "Maybe you can teach me soul magic?"

"Are you willing to do that?" Kyle asked faintly.

"You said soul magic isn't just about cursing people and enslaving the dead," Zorian said. "The answer that only soul magic can provide."

And, if he learns soul magic himself, he no longer needs to trust strangers to his soul. If anyone had to cast soul magic, he would rather be himself.

Kyle said. "While most soul magic can be cast by an ordinary mage like you, truly complex spells require a certain level of soul perception – a skill that can only be obtained by drinking a special potion made from the appropriate elegiac moth chrysalis."

"Is that potion rare?"

"Elegy Moth spends most of its time underground," Kyle said. "They live as larvae for 23 years before emerging from the soil like a swarm of venomous elegiac moths. Moths must die after laying eggs"

Zorian realized: "There will be no elegiac moth chrysalis for at least the next ten years." ”

Kyle nodded. "And potions need fresh chrysalis ——。"

"Then there is no other way than soul perception?"

"Maybe, but that's all I know," Kyle said. "There are rituals that involve human sacrifice that claim to provide the same benefits to mages, but I've never tried it, and I suspect you don't want to try it either."

"Absolutely not," Zorian agreed.

After a few more minutes of discussion, Zorian left Kyle's room and fell into deep thought.

He wouldn't give up learning soul magic, but he had enough things to do right now, so he wouldn't force it. There are plenty of other reboots to try later.

The moment he walked into the room and closed the door, he felt a very familiar touch rush over him. It wasn't any different from when he ventured into the sewers with Tevin, but it was more subtle and less alien, like a spider's web brushing the edges of his thoughts.

He immediately panicked, his eyes turning from one corner of the room to another, looking for the attacker while trying to mentally stop his presence. Even though he had practiced with Karen, he found that he couldn't.

So you're open? A clear, confident voice sounded in his head. Unlike last time, this time there was no pain and no messy picture...... But somehow, it's even more terrifying. In the last meeting, the opponent was clearly not used to dealing with humans. The person knows exactly what he's doing. [Interesting.] Have you ever met one of us before? It's going to be easier than I thought. ]

There! Did the shadow in that corner move? He was about to cast a magic missile on the spot, when suddenly his whole body stiffened and he didn't listen to him.

A dark shadow suddenly jumped out of the darkness in the corner of his room and landed on his bed, right in front of him. As he suspected, it was a spider, but it looked completely different from what he had imagined. For the giant spider species, this spider is relatively small, no larger than Zorian's chest, and much more compact than the slender, long-legged varieties that people usually associate with spiders. Zorian racked his brains and recognized it as a jumping spider.

As the creature turned to face him, Zorian suddenly found himself staring at a pair of huge, solid black eyes, and the spider had a surprisingly human-like face. It also had another pair of smaller eyes on its "forehead", as no better word could be found to describe them, but these two large eyes had always caught Zorrian's attention. Of course, another thing he noticed was a pair of huge fangs that looked like they could easily pierce his skull.

[Hello,] the spider speaks telepathically. I've wanted to see you for a while. _ You and I need to have a good talk...... ] _ _ _