Chapter 68: Settling In

"Rob Mana of its consciousness," Arlo stated, and Professor Igris looked at him in dumb shock.

"If Mana isn’t conscious of its superiority over the human genome, then it will simply be like a positive charge against a negative one and naturally bond."

"The more problematic question, however, is how do you rob Mana of its basic consciousness?"

"The only time Mana is robbed of its consciousness is when a cultivator absorbs it into his body, fusing the Mana with his own consciousness."

"The preceding Mana consciousness is stripped away and infused with the cultivator’s natural will."

"But even then, a Vorath’s Dark Magic is known for being unable to differentiate a foe from its master."

"It can still hurt the Vorath controlling it, even with the so-called new will, showing that it is still impossible to completely wipe Mana of its basic will."

"That’s why I said your experiment will most likely be a failure," Arlo replied.

Professor Igris hummed in deep thought before a smile appeared on his face.

"Well, at least I now know why the experiment has been a failure," he said, finding positivity in the situation despite the negative outcome.

"That said, where are we right now?" Arlo asked, getting back to the main question at hand.

According to what he understood, he had been asleep for close to a week and had received some strange serum that had kept him alive while making him heal so quickly.

Beyond that, he had no idea what had happened.

"We’re in the academy, and this is my personal lab," the professor explained.

"The entrance examination took place six days ago while you were struggling on the edge of life and death. You failed to attend, which translates to an automatic failure."

"You’ll need to wait one more year for the next entrance examination," Professor Igris said.

’Tch, I fucked up. All those preparations and unending days without sleep ended for nothing, and now I’ll have to wait another year!?’

Arlo thought bitterly.

"I heard from the princess about how hard you prepared for the entrance examination, and the Queen also put in a word or two for you."

"So, I have considered the possibility of you becoming my lab intern."

"In that way, you will become an unofficial member of Cthulhu Academy and will be granted basic permission to attend regular classes, just like every other student," Professor Igris said, causing Arlo to turn and look at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. You shouldn’t lose the chance to join the academy after performing the brave act of saving a royal’s life. So, you’re still in, if you agree to become my lab intern, of course," Professor Igris said, and Arlo nodded.

"Fine then. I’ll be your lab intern. I would like to know what that entails, though..." Arlo replied.

He had no reason not to agree to such an opportunity.

All his goals would still be realized, and he could consider it some sort of payback for risking his life. If all he needed to do was become a professor’s lab intern, then why not give it a try?

"That is settled then. Come with me. Let me show you around the professors’ area and your new place," Professor Igris said as he rose to his feet and slowly moved toward the exit, with Arlo following after him while supporting himself with the walking stick.

Awkward at first, he soon got used to it as they walked down a long flight of stairs, descending even deeper underground.

"The lab belongs to Cthulhu Academy. There are more than a hundred professors within the academy, some of whom are instructors, while others, like me, are strictly professors."

"These professors would no doubt need some form of assistance with various minor tasks in their labs, such as cleaning test tubes, purchasing chemicals, carrying equipment, and providing other minor assistance."

"That is where lab interns like you come in. So, you understand what your work will be now, right?" Professor Igris asked, and Arlo nodded.

"I do."

"Good. As the ranks of the labs grow higher and higher, and also as a form of respect and an added bonus, the academy allows the lab interns of these various scientists to also join the normal school classes, giving them the chance to become students, though only those between the ages of sixteen and twenty are eligible. That’s what you’ll be taking advantage of..."

They soon arrived at the lowest floor of the building.

Arlo noticed that Professor Igris received quite a lot of attention, with every scientist who walked past them bowing their heads in greeting, and that naturally earned the limping Arlo more attention than he desired.

Finally exiting the building, he was greeted by an entire lane of Voraths walking along the tiled roads as he followed Professor Igris farther and farther away from the street.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and they soon arrived before a structure with the words Student Screening Hall clearly written across it.

"You’ll get your student identification form here," Professor Igris said as they entered through the large golden doors.

A burly man wearing spectacles could be seen sitting behind a large desk with a book in his hands, completely engrossed in it.

The opening of the door wasn’t enough to snap him out of his daze, and only when they both arrived before him did the man finally look up.

His gaze first fell on their legs, and he raised an eyebrow at the walking stick Arlo held.

But the moment he spotted Professor Igris, his fat face visibly paled.

"Pro... Professor Igris!" the man called out, jumping up from his seat as he bowed his head to the old man, who simply waved him off.

"Is there something I can help you with, Professor? A visit such as yours is extremely rare."

"Ah, don’t mind me. You see, I have accepted this young man here as my lab intern, and he wishes to join the academy students too. So, I brought him here to register," Professor Igris said.

A flash of shock appeared in the fat man’s eyes as he turned to look at Arlo.

’Professor Igris finally accepted a lab intern!? That’s impossible,’ he silently thought to himself, though his smile remained as broad as ever.

"You have nothing to worry about, Professor. Just give me and the young man here a little time. You can sit over there if you don’t mind, sir," he said, pointing toward a seat at the side while signaling for Arlo to follow after him.

"Good, I’ll just wait," Professor Igris said, taking him up on the offer, while Arlo followed Loik and quickly disappeared through a side door.

"You’re already a week late for classes. You understand you’ll have to work hard to catch up, don’t you?" Loik asked Arlo, who simply nodded.

"Here is your uniform, and here are the books you’ll be needing. Read them well to understand the rules and your class schedule. Everything you need to know is also written in here," Loik explained, passing the books into Arlo’s hands.

They were similar to books Milliani had previously given him to understand Cthulhu Academy.

"Thank you," Arlo said as he collected the books and uniform from the man, and they both exited the small room.

"All done, Professor Igris. Is there something else I can help you with?" Loik asked respectfully as Professor Igris waved him off.

"No, Loik. See you around," he said before walking out of the place, with Arlo following after him.

"He... He knows my name."

______________________

"Here is the small space that has been given to me by the academy," Professor Igris said, pointing at the array of cubical structures spread across the area, which could very well be called a mini-estate.

The place contained around three houses, an extra-large laboratory structure, and another three-story mansion.

"There’s nobody living here?" Arlo asked with a raised eyebrow as Professor Igris chuckled.]

"I’ve never found a need for a lab intern until now. Hahaha. Anyway, there it is, your new home. Enjoy your classes," Professor Igris said, turning and walking back the way they had come.

"When should I come to the lab tomorrow?" Arlo suddenly asked, causing Professor Igris to stop where he stood as his eyes gleamed with a special light.

’How interesting...’

"When you feel like it," Professor Igris said, turning back and waving him off before continuing on his way, his back rapidly disappearing into the distance.

"What a strange old man. I couldn’t even sense the slightest bit of Mana within him, yet he still makes my hair stand on end,"

Arlo mused to himself with furrowed eyebrows.

However, he soon shrugged it off and entered his new home, his eyes scanning the extra-large living room filled with three sofas, a glass table, and various other items.

There were three other rooms, which Arlo quickly checked, revealing them to be a bedroom, a bathroom, and a room filled to the brim with Mana.

"A cultivation chamber?" Arlo asked with a raised eyebrow as he entered it, his powers naturally opening up to absorb the large quantity of Mana.

Sitting on the mat placed at the center of the room, Arlo took a deep breath, feeling the aches throughout his body quickly beginning to fade away.

[Thank your stars you even survived in the first place!]

The System notification flickered to life before his eyes as Arlo closed them, yet he could still see the golden panel as clearly as day.

"Well, thank you, stars," Arlo said out loud, causing another line of words to flicker before his face.

[Your actions were very childish and useless!]

[You were never the target of the assassination. Only Miliani!]

[And you revealed your Cybernetic Transfusion, almost ruining all the plans that we have been put in place!]

"So, you’re suggesting I should have left her behind to die, even if I could have prevented that in some way?"