Several students were seated inside the faculty classroom. A young woman with blond hair and glasses was speaking to them when Unwan stepped in.
He felt slightly embarrassed for interrupting the lesson. With a polite smile, Unwan greeted her.
— Good morning, Ms. Emma.
Genius Emma looked at him for a moment, then her gaze immediately shifted to his grimoire. The violet grimoire clearly caught her attention. Still, she stared a bit longer than necessary before speaking in a more serious tone.
— Take a seat. Quickly.
Without saying a word, Unwan did as he was told and sat down.
'Was it really necessary to ruin my mood so early in the morning?'
'You ruined it first.'
'What did I do?'
'You're late.'
'But, I ate quickly. Besides, almost the entire hall was still full after me.'
As if continuing an earlier thought, Genius Emma addressed Unwan again.
— What's your name?
— Unwan.
She studied him with a hint of uncertainty.
— You're new?
— Yeah.
— What kind of grimoire do you have?
— I don't know.
That answer seemed to disappoint Genius Emma slightly. She sighed and spoke again.
— Let me see your grimoire.
Unwan got his grimoire from air and handed it to her. Emma examined every part carefully. At times, she whispered something under her breath, but none of it reached Unwan's ears. After a while, she placed the grimoire on the desk and asked in a serious tone.
— Do you know the Language of Runes?
— No.
Genius Emma walked to a bookshelf at the edge of the classroom and took out a massive book, placing it on Unwan's desk.
— Use this book and translate everything written inside your grimoire for me. My advice: get some paper. In the Language of Runes, a single word can have at least two meanings and no fewer than three synonyms.
For some reason, Genius Emma had taken an intense interest in Unwan's grimoire, as if she were ready to make him write down every single rune if something displeased her. The reason was simple: a grimoire was bound to one's soul. No one could read what was written inside a grimoire that did not belong to them. Even if they looked directly at the pages, they would see nothing at all.
After that, Genius Emma returned to the lesson and continued speaking to the class.
— As I mentioned earlier, there are three methods of using spells. The first is casting a spell purely through thought. This method requires a significant amount of training time. Unfortunately, the result does not justify the effort. Spells cast this way are weaker and less efficient compared to the other methods…
'Howevr, convenient for secrecy and safety.'
Genius Emma paused briefly and glanced at Unwan's grimoire before continuing.
— The second method – hand motions.
'Seriously?'
— Spells cast through hand movements strike their designated target accurately, provided the target is properly marked or the opponent does not evade. This method significantly increases effectiveness and is far more efficient than thinking spell. However, it requires extensive practice in precision targeting.
Genius Emma looked directly at Unwan and spoke sharply.
— Why are you still sitting there?
Unwan startled. He considered this information important, but by the end, he had drifted into thought, remembering how skillfully he had already been using hand-motion spells long before this lesson.
In that sense, Genius Emma's words were unexpectedly helpful.
— Sorry… was I supposed to start now?
— When else did you think you should?
Unwan didn't answer. Instead, he opened his grimoire and began examining the lines. From behind him, faint laughter could be heard.
As Genius Emma continued the lecture, Unwan started learning the first rune symbols.
'What the hell is this? Fifty-six rune characters. And thank the gods, they're not read like letters. Each of the fifty-six has its own meaning, and when combined, they mean something else entirely. Was this filthy language created just to be difficult?'
'Maybe.'
'Good thing no one knows how to pronounce them. Otherwise… gods only know what would happen.'
Unwan translated each word individually, then reconstructed the meaning as full sentences. At first, it was easy. Most of the words consisted of one or two runes. But when full sentences appeared, the sheer number of possible meanings made his head ache. Worse, by the time he remembered one interpretation, another slipped from his mind.
Eventually, Unwan asked Genius Emma for paper and something to write with. She handed him a pen and some paper. It was the first time Unwan had ever held a pen. He had heard of such an object before, but never touched one.
Genius Emma had given him three sheets of paper. Then she added.
— If that's not enough, take more from my desk.
— Why so much paper?
— Because one sheet definitely won't be enough.
Genius Emma tried to speak as simply as possible, but Unwan noticed it anyway. After all, he was unusually good at detecting artificial tones.
Still, she was right. Unwan used most of the paper. Meanings, correct combinations, and logical consistency filled the pages with barely any empty space left.
At last, Unwan reached a conclusion.
[Grimoire Name: Grimoire of Universe]
[Grimoire Owner: Unwanted]
[ Spell(s) Name: — ]
And then...
[Grimoire Tier: VII-Tier]
Unwan's mind nearly shattered. The name of the grimoire alone caught his attention. It was as though the universe itself had a link to these deeds. But the tier… that wasn't just breaking an unbreakable boundary, it was devouring it whole.
Even the strongest known grimoires, Infinity and Time were tiered at V-tier. That was considered the absolute limit for spells and grimoires. A boundary no one could cross.
But this was VII-tier. Two entire ranks higher.
Even a single rank difference was often considered insurmountable. But this wasn't merely that.
There was no VI-tier anywhere, here or anywhere else. Which meant this damned grimoire had not only crossed the system's limits, but leaped beyond them entirely.
Of course, the higher the tier of a grimoire or spell, the more spiritual energy it consumed. But that seemed almost irrelevant. Because annihilating Night Creatures with a single strike was not a myth.
Yet there was something else written there.
[Spiritual Energy: 100 / 1000]