VIP Chapter 326: Mission-1 (3k)
【Cannon Fodder (crossed out)
Young Master (crossed out)
Magic Academy Outstanding Student (crossed out)
Strategist (crossed out)
Captain
Will Arc】
The titles written on this chapter appeared to be a series of very familiar appellations, but with a difference: each preceding title had been heavily struck out by Will. Judging by the strokes used for writing, the timing of crossing them out might have been slightly different.
Staring at these words, the three exchanged glances.
“Young Master’s words… Iaar often called him that…”
“Outstanding student? You’re truly humble. Entak First Academy probably only produces one student like you in ten years…”
“Strat… Strategist. So… so, you’re not her fiancé…?”
However, compared to these matters. It was undeniable that the three of them were more concerned about what was written in the very thin subsequent ten pages.
At the sight of this page, all three no longer cared what Will would write in “his own section,” their concern shifting to Will’s own content. This was not only because… the more they thought about it, the more they realized the mysteries surrounding him, and after so many years of acquaintance, it seemed he had never truly revealed himself.
It was also because… Iaar’s grey eyes seemed to gleam as she looked at the words on that page. Liya’s red eyes were slowly forming hearts. Treya’s previously calm eyes began to churn like waves.
—Indeed, they cared about him so, so, so much!
“Then, shall we start here and continue reading?”
Treya, rubbing this page, trembled slightly, wanting to turn it over.
“Yes! No problem.”
“Turn it over.”
Continuing downward, on the very first page with content, about three or four lines above the extensively marked “Mission” statements, a sentence was written—
【Next, is your “destiny.” A destiny that will eventually make you a comedic character and “cannon fodder.” But it doesn’t matter; drink deeply of fate’s bitterness, and you will wear a joyous mask and laugh at everything.】
“…”
After being the first to read this sentence, the three fell into silence.
“Th-this is very much in the Young Master’s style! It proves this book was definitely written by him!”
“This guy, he’s not just someone who would stand up and deliver a wild performance during lessons where he had to recite incantations, but he’d also write such things in… in this thing that looks like his diary!”
“Don’t you guys… find it cool?”
Although they had simply opened his book, why was it that… perhaps this could also be considered “meeting someone through their writing”? From this short sentence, the three of them seemed to feel his presence as if he were nearby.
It was like a usual “Shining Star” meeting, the three gathered around a table, listening to Will speak heartily after drinking a glass of ordinary fruit wine.
“However, the word ‘fate’… is something the Young Master always mentions. Hmm… is it a habit for him? But why does he care about it so much?”
“Yes. He does always mention it. It’s just that the way he mentions it is always so playful, making it seem like he’s dissatisfied, yet… he strongly acknowledges its existence.”
“I personally feel… he’s always very serious. Even when he says it with jokes and dramatic lines, he seems very serious at heart.”
The three’s discussion about Will’s “fate” and this sentence concluded there. Although these were three almost irreconcilable “judgments,” the three did not object to each other, nor did they, like on the first floor, start fighting at the slightest disagreement. Instead, all three maintained a tacit understanding as if “Will were still here.”
“Never mind, let’s see what the next few lines say.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Yes! Let’s see quickly.”
【Persistent Mission 1: Complete physical training for one hour daily.】
【Persistent Mission 2: Read History of Magic for one hour daily.】
【Persistent Mission 3: Conduct Slime adaptation training for one hour daily.】
【Mission Duration: Until enrollment at Entak Academy.】
…
This was the first time the three had seen the “main content” of this book. It wasn’t pages filled with “Heroine” at the end of the entire book, nor was it just the chapter titles written at the beginning. It was very simple… truly just “missions.” It even resembled something a primary school student would set for themselves for the summer holidays. And the font was slightly childish. It looked like a child trying hard to write well, but lacking sufficient hand strength, resulting in crooked letters.
“Hmm… this looks like a mission he set for himself?”
“Yes. This way of describing things is indeed characteristic. And, it was probably before he met us.”
Liya and Treya finished reading these lines of “missions” and looked at Iaar.
“W-what is it?”
Iaar nervously placed one hand on her chest.
“Hmmph… the plan is quite complete. Did he complete it?”
“I believe whatever Will wrote, he definitely followed through.”
Liya and Treya looked with slight displeasure at Iaar, who had “known Will a little bit earlier than them.”
“This… actually… there were… some things the Young Master should have…”
Just looking at these lines, Iaar could almost recall the days when her Young Master would wake her up, not only urging her to diligently carry out her training but also going for runs and practicing sword swings himself. Although… she could recall that when Will ran, he would often collapse on the ground, panting after just one lap, and would quickly ask Iaar for a cup of water. Later on, it seemed he couldn’t persevere, or perhaps discovered he lacked athletic talent. Iaar saw him spending more time reading in the early mornings.
“…He probably didn’t stick with it until the end.”
For some reason, her gaze towards the book softened. However, it was precisely because of this that she seemed to have discovered something.
“Wait a moment, Treya. Besides the missions, there seems to be other content on this page.”
“…What?”
Iaar gently pushed Treya’s hand aside, revealing the subsequent lines written on the page:
【Completion Status: Except for physical training, I tried my best to complete everything. I have been bedridden many times due to excessive training intensity… and there has been no improvement.】
“He really is… just like him.”
【Reward: When the time comes, go find Carver to receive your staff.】
“Staff? So that strange black-and-white staff was given by Carver?”
Liya was more interested in this line.
“…No immediate information. Let’s keep reading.”
Treya flipped through several pages. These pages contained crossed-out drafts, including many strange contents. For instance, things like 【If Mission: Find the witch hiding in the crowd and become her disciple.】, 【If Mission: Pose as a child to assassinate King Edward.】, 【If Mission: Rush to Entak Second Academy and become sworn brothers with Xiu.】, but for some unknown reason, he had crossed them out one by one.
Two pages later, they found newly written missions:
【Mission 1: Disband the small cliques by using the incident of being locked in the cold storage on the Monday of the second week of school.】
【Quest Reward: Series Mission to 3. Upon completion, you will obtain your comfortable life as someone superior.】
…
Iaar seemed to recall something and looked at Liya.
“Liya! This… this seems to be…”
“I know without you saying it.”
Liya’s expression was somewhat serious. She remembered being locked in the cold storage with Will at that time, as well as Will being targeted by cliques in the class, and… how all of this involved her to some extent.
“You… you knew from the beginning that something like this would happen… didn’t you?”
Liya bit her lip.
“Then… then the matter of you always wanting me to take you as a student… was that also part of your plan?”
She seemed to guess that the answer to this question lay somewhere – that the content written in “Witch Liya Arc” must have described something. She recalled Will, who had used various methods from the beginning, who seemed to have been guiding her from the start, and also… Will, who tried to pull her out of her isolation from everyone.
“Let’s continue, next page.”
Treya appeared particularly cold and continued to turn the pages. Further on, besides the strange 【If Missions】 that were still visible and the 【Persistent Missions】 that had been revised multiple times, the mission numbers suddenly jumped, leaping to over 800.
“These are newly written, the paper quality is even different from before.”
Treya rubbed the paper in her hand and said so.
“No wonder, the numbering also seems to have jumped significantly. Although I haven’t seen the content before, I’m guessing the numbering is related to the chronological order?”
“Mission 801, obtain the name Shining Star. Quest Reward: a beautiful little house for yourself.”
“…Are they talking about here?”
“Why obtain the name Shining Star? From what I understand of Will, he… doesn’t seem like the type to come up with such a name.”
“Iaar understands! If it were the Young Master, he’d surely come up with names like ‘Messenger of Fate’!”
“You’ve been too steeped in his ways.”
“If Liya’s guess about chronological order is correct, then what’s written later… is different from the reality we know now.”
Treya turned another page. Will had a habit of leaving plenty of space for revisions and additional rewards—they had already discovered this from just these few pages.
“Mission 803… find… find the new Dungeon in Nov, Apex of the Galaxy… and greet the Empress there…”
“…Nov.”
“Isn’t this the place?! But the Dungeon here…”
“That’s right, the last Dungeon was Green Wilderness Trace, and now…”
“There’s no Dungeon here now. Iaar has already discovered it.”
An ominous premonition arose in the hearts of the three. This page seemed to be merely a “delaying tactic”; the following three pages were blank, as if leaving ample space for a “series mission.”
And then…
Treya impatiently continued to turn the pages. On the page just one step away from the final mission, they saw—
【Mission-1: Accept Death (If possible to evade, try it).】
【Important Information: The name of the Dungeon where one is crushed to death by a Slime: Dust Bone Corridor.】
A yellowed piece of paper, a childish handwriting, looking like a mission written long ago. Yet, it was more shocking than anything they had seen.
