The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

After stepping out of Eleonora's special training room, I headed straight for the bath. My body was drenched in sweat, muscles sore from the brutal training session.

I could've just used a simple cleaning spell, sure.

But after all that, I wanted to relax. To let the warm water wash everything away while I sorted my thoughts.

I leaned back in the tub, letting the heat soak into my aching body.

I had used my Time Affinity again.

Not by thinking. Not by planning.

Just by trusting my instincts.

I clenched my fists, feeling the power in them.

I got stronger… didn't I?

A grin tugged at my lips as I flexed my fingers.

"At least... a whole rank, no?"

I couldn't help but smile.

Just by feeling the strength of my hands, I could see that I had successfully reached the [A-] rank in strength.

And if my strength had increased, my Vitality had probably improved too.

I should probably check my profile.

"Status..."

I uttered.

But even after a while.

The panel didn't appear.

"Uh?"

I was confused.

"Player Profile."

I spoke in different terms.

But even with that, my status didn't actually appear.

That was strange.

Why couldn't I see my status?

"System...? Are you there?"

I decided to ask.

"..."

But no response.

"Tsk..."

I clicked my tongue in frustration and ran a hand through my wet hair.

Then, I turned on the shower.

Ssssshh...

Hot water cascaded down my back as I leaned against the wall, my head resting against the cool tile.

"The... feeling of using Time... is really awesome."

A slow smile spread across my face.

It felt like I had absolute power and could do anything I wanted.

...I want to feel that kind of feeling again.

To do that, I needed more mana.

A lot more.

And, of course, my main goal ever since I ended up in this body—

Get that damned dragon's heart.

But well...

If I can't see my status, I should check my mana quantity normally.

I closed my eyes, focusing on my mana.

I traced its flow, following it from my ears to my mana pathways, then through my organs, feeling how it circulated through me.

The flow was fast.

Faster than before.

…But there was a problem.

A huge problem.

My two hearts—

They weren't beating at the same time.

My mana wasn't in sync.

And because of that, my flow was slowly becoming unstable.

It wasn't something I had noticed before. If my status window had worked, I probably wouldn't have realized it at all.

Each of my organs was used to receiving mana surges every twenty seconds—they had adapted to that rhythm, built resistance to it.

But now…

Now, they were getting a surge every twelve seconds.

It was too fast.

And they weren't ready for it.

If this kept up, my organs could start taking damage.

I let out a slow breath, my fingers gripping the edge of the bathtub.

This is bad.

Really bad.

If my mana kept flowing out of sync, it could start damaging my body from the inside.

Organs weren't made to handle unstable mana flow.

They were used to a steady rhythm, like a heartbeat. If the flow was too slow, my body wouldn't get enough energy.

If it was too fast, it could overload my pathways, causing them to crack or even rupture.

And the worst part?

I wouldn't even notice at first. The damage would be gradual. Small tears, tiny fractures in my mana circuits.

But over time, they'd add up.

If I let this go on for too long—

I'd destroy myself.

I clenched my fists.

I had to fix this.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the two separate pulses of mana—one from my original heart, the other from the Lich's Heart.

I need to make them beat as one.

I tried to slow one down and speed the other up.

But it wasn't that simple.

Mana wasn't just something you could push and pull freely—it had a will of its own.

And the Lich's Heart?

It resisted.

"Tsk..."

I gritted my teeth, pushing harder, trying to force it to sync up.

Then, I felt it.

Something wrong.

A presence.

A lingering grief.

Deep inside the Lich's Heart—something was still there.

The Lich's soul…

It hadn't fully disappeared.

It was still clinging to the heart.

Still fighting me.

"…You've gotta be kidding me."

I thought I had taken control of it.

That the Lich's will was gone.

But it wasn't.

It was still here.

And as long as it remained, I couldn't control this heart completely.

I let out a sharp breath, my hands curling into fists.

Maybe because I had rushed the absorption of the heart—since there was a literal Archdemon awakening—I messed up.

And now, it was clinging to me.

I needed to get rid of it.

But how could I do that without damaging my body?

I had almost no experience in dealing with curses—

Oh…

I let out a small laugh.

I almost forgot.

I wasn't rejecting someone's advances anymore.

"I'll... ask Eleonora for help."

Muttering to myself, I grabbed a towel, dried off, and got dressed.

Then, I stepped out of the bathroom.

The first thing I saw was Eleonora, lounging on the couch with a drink in hand, watching something on TV.

She looked… stunning.

Her nightgown was a dark purple, the silky fabric hugging her curves perfectly. The deep neckline left little to the imagination, and her massive breasts strained against the material, threatening to spill out.

Her long, smooth legs were completely bare, stretched lazily across the sofa.

The way the dim lighting hit her skin made her look unreal—like a goddess. Her long, violet hair was draped over her shoulders, contrasting against the rich fabric of her gown.

She was effortlessly sexy.

A slow, teasing smile formed on her lips as she caught my gaze.

"Oh my~!" she giggled, shifting slightly.

Jiggle~

"Appreciating the view~?" she purred, pressing her cleavage together, making her chest bounce just a little.

"Yeah."

I didn't even hesitate to admit it.

I walked over and sat beside her.

Before she could throw another tease my way, I cut straight to the point.

"I need your help with something."

At that, she smirked, but it quickly turned into a knowing grin.

"Is it perhaps something hard and long—?"

Plop!

Before she could finish that sentence, I grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm against my chest.

Right over the Lich's Heart.

Her playful expression shifted immediately.

She arched a brow, her fingers lightly pressing against me.

Then, I leaked out a small amount of mana.

Her eyes narrowed.

"...The Lich's Heart?" she asked, her voice turning serious.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"The day we were fighting against the Archdemon, I tried to absorb the heart as fast as possible, and as a result of that, I didn't completely eliminate the Lich's soul. Now, it's messing with my mana flow, and that could get really dangerous for me."

For a second, she didn't say anything.

Shine...

Then, her light blue eyes glowed.

A warmth spread through my body—not the kind that burned, but something soothing. It started from my chest, flowing outward, syncing with my mana pathways.

And then—

Everything clicked into place.

The out-of-sync rhythm?

Fixed.

The unstable mana flow?

Perfect.

Flowing as naturally as the wind.

"...Done," Eleonora sighed, leaning back.

I let out a slow breath.

"Thanks."

She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a soft yawn.

"Mhm~"

I glanced at her.

"Sleepy already?"

"Yeahhhh... I'm tired," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"...Then get some sleep, idiot."

"But I don't want toooo~"

She flopped against me, her head landing on my lap as she stretched her arms out like a lazy cat.

"I wanna spend time with you..." she mumbled, her voice soft and drowsy.

It was hard to believe that this woman was over fifty years old.

"Spoil me a little, will you?"

Her words were playful, but there was a hint of genuine warmth in them.

I let out a small chuckle, shaking my head.

"Alright, alright..."

I ran my fingers through her silky silver hair, gently caressing her scalp.

She hummed in satisfaction, shifting slightly in my lap, getting even more comfortable.

Her body felt warm against mine, and as she nuzzled a little closer, I could tell that she wasn't planning to move anytime soon.

"Haah..."

Eleonora let out a small sigh, her body relaxing even more against me.

"Mmm... you're good at this..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

I chuckled.

"You're acting like a spoiled cat."

"Maybe I am," she replied, tilting her head slightly so I could run my fingers through her hair more easily.

"Not my fault your lap is comfy."

I kept stroking her hair, feeling the way it slipped through my fingers like silk. Her breathing slowed, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Her legs shifted slightly, stretching out over the couch, her bare feet brushing against my side.

"...You smell nice," she said out of nowhere, her voice lazy.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you just have your face buried in my stomach during training?"

She giggled, her shoulders shaking slightly.

"Yeah, but now you're all clean... so it's different."

I shook my head.

"You're ridiculous."

She smirked but didn't argue.

Instead, she reached up, blindly grabbing at my free hand.

I let her take it.

Her fingers lazily traced over my palm, soft and slow.

"Your hands are rough," she mused.

"But warm."

"Yours are soft," I said.

"Of course," she grinned, her eyes half-lidded.

"A lady needs to take care of herself."

I rolled my eyes but kept holding her hand.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

The room was quiet, aside from the faint noise of the TV playing in the background.

The soft glow from the screen casts shadows along the walls, giving the moment a strange sort of calmness.

Her breathing got even slower.

"...Are you falling asleep?" I asked, glancing down.

She peeked up at me with tired eyes.

"Maybe."

I sighed.

"You really are a spoiled cat."

A small, sleepy smile spread across her lips.

And before I knew it—

She was asleep.

"Haah..."

I chuckled lightly.

For someone so strong, she sure let her guard down around me.

Shaking my head, I slid one arm under her back and the other beneath her knees.

"Hup—"

With one smooth motion, I lifted her up into a princess carry.

She didn't even stir, just nestled her head against my chest with a soft sigh.

"...Heavy," I muttered, but not really.

She was surprisingly light for someone who could punch through a mountain.

I adjusted my grip and carried her through the dimly lit hallway.

When I reached the bedroom, I nudged the door open with my foot and stepped inside.

The bed was large, covered in soft sheets and pillows.

I lowered her down gently, pulling the blanket over her.

But the moment I let go—

"...Mmm..."

She reached out, grabbing the front of my shirt.

Her fingers curled around the fabric, holding me in place.

"Stay..." she mumbled, barely awake.

I sighed.

"You're really clingy when you're tired, huh?"

She didn't answer.

"It's not like I was going to leave you alone..."

I exhaled, shaking my head before crawling into bed next to her.

The moment I did, she shifted closer, her body pressing against mine.

She was warm.

Without thinking, I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her even closer.

Her breathing evened out again, soft and steady.

For a while, I just stared at the ceiling, my mind still restless.

But then...

Her warmth.

Her slow breathing.

The steady rise and fall of her chest.

Before I knew it—

My eyes drifted shut.

And I fell asleep, too.